At the same time, Calhoun says you should make sure not to sell yourself short. The employer should come away from the interview with the clear sense that you can do this job, and higher jobs also. Your ability to work as a productive member of a team, as well as your leadership and individual contributor capabilities, will be best demonstrated by your relating them to the company s needs and focus. When answering questions about your prior employer or assignments, remember to always be positive. If you identify with the prior team and its members, you will speak of them in the same manner, as you would like to be spoken of.
Courtesy extends beyond the content of the interview.
You should extend it to anyone you encounter on the telephone, the security personnel in the lobby, the receptionist, the interviewer s assistant who offers you a beverage. These people may have more influence on the decision-making process than you realize, and an unkind word to one of them can be the kiss of death. Once you have been invited for a second interview, it is clear that the company considers you a possible player you and everyone else on the interview schedule. This you can do by demonstrating a positive, confident attitude, looking the interviewer in the eye and selling, not only your abilities, but your commitment to the company and its goals. Show that you are good for the company and the industry, and know what you are talking about.