If you are invited to a long job interview, it is likely that you are in serious contention for the job. A prospective employer rarely spends an hour or more on a candidate unless he has significant interest. The long job interview gives you an opportunity to ask probing questions about the position and see if you fit with the company's culture and gives the interviewer the chance to ask you probing questions, too.
At a long job interview, be prepared to demonstrate your familiarity with the company and ask intelligent questions. As soon as you schedule the interview, start researching. Scour the company's website and any news articles about the company. Talk to people you know who work there, or talk to people who deal with the company as customers or vendors. Study the background of the person who is conducting your interview and any other executives in the company.
Review your own job application and resume to figure out why the company is calling you back for a long job interview. Analyze your own experience and qualifications to pinpoint how you are uniquely prepared for the demands of the job. Spend time thinking through your weaknesses and prepare answers for the inevitable questions about them. Practice the stories and anecdotes that show why you are a good fit for the company.
Think through the questions you were asked in any previous interviews for the position, and decide whether your answers to them were adequate. Tweak these responses, if necessary. Look for lists of frequently asked interview questions online; review them and prepare your answers, especially for those inquiries that you find difficult to approach. Practice your answers to difficult questions out loud so you feel comfortable with your phrasing and delivery.
A long job interview can be a draining experience emotionally, psychologically and even physically, because so much is at stake. If you have prepared adequately ahead of time, you should be able to take the evening before the interview to relax. Release your stress by going for a walk or a run. Arrive at the interview early so you do not feel frantic or have problems parking. Calm yourself with deep breaths before you enter the building, then walk in with confidence.
If you are completely prepared before you enter the room for a long job interview, you exude confidence and present yourself as a professional who is ready to be hired. Preparation also makes it possible to think on your feet in the interview room, an ability that may set you ahead of the rest of the candidates for the job. Thoroughly prepare for your extended job interview, and you are sure to do your best.
Photo courtesy of luigi diamianti at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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