Somebody may be perfect for the job, but chances are it’s not you. Don’t despair. Hiring managers know that finding the perfect candidate is rare.
But if you’re within spitting distance, you can still ace the interview. Here are some tips from Pam Lassiter, principal at Lassiter Consulting, a career management services firm in Boston, and Pamela E. Krieger, assistant director of career development at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J.
Lower the stakes: Think of the interview as an interaction on a level playing field. It will help reduce your nervousness.
Expand your perceptions: Think of yourself as a potential buyer of the company. That will force you to examine the entire company and ask more insightful questions.
Prepare examples: When the interviewer asks, “What’s your greatest strength?” or “How do you handle stress?” give true stories that illustrate your selling points.
Research the interviewer: Knowing about an interviewer’s interests or accomplishments — or, better still, having a mutual friend, business associate or shared experience — will help you quickly establish a connection and relax.
Prepare three business questions that go beyond technology: This shows you’re not so buried in IT that you miss the big picture and that you realize that technology serves the business.