Three Good Goals to Have in Any Interview

Many job seekers make the mistake of assuming that job interviews are a one-sided process. They believe that all they have to do is walk into the interview and respond to the questions. However, job interviews are often more successful if the job seeker walks in with specific interview goals. Here are three good goals that every job seeker can use in the next interview.

1. Rapport

The first interview goal is always to build rapport with the interviewer. If a job seeker does not establish a comfortable, friendly sense of rapport with the person or group of people doing the interview, the job seeker is unlikely to be perceived as a good company fit. Most companies are looking for people who are friendly and outgoing team players, and building rapport is one way to exhibit this skill.

Job seekers build rapport by responding to initial small talk questions in an engaging and friendly way, as well as asking similar small talk questions of their own. If job seekers are nervous about making small talk, they can learn interview small talk skills in advance. Job seekers also build rapport by making eye contact during the interview, mirroring the interviewer's body language and responding to the question-and-answer interview format as if it were a conversation rather than an interrogation.

2. Interest

A second good interview goal is to show interest in the job and the company. Many job seekers, for example, fail to ask questions of their own during the interview process. Taking the time to learn about the company and asking questions about the job or about upcoming company projects helps show interest in the position.

Some job seekers ask plenty of questions but make the mistake of making the questions all about themselves. Although it is appropriate to want to know about compensation, vacation days and other job benefits, a job seeker who only asks about the benefits comes across as self-centered. Instead, job seekers need to walk into the interview with a very specific interview goal: to demonstrate as much interest in the position and the job as possible.

3. Assessment

The third interview goal is to determine whether the company is, in fact, a good place to work. After all, a job interview is an interview on both sides; the HR representative is confirming whether the job seeker is a good hire, and the job seeker is confirming whether the company is a good employer. When job seekers ask questions about what a typical day on the job is like or what types of challenges they can expect to experience, they are learning important information about whether the job is right for them.

Job seekers also need to ask questions about the company's managerial style. After all, one of the most common reasons people quit jobs is because of difficulties with a manager. When job seekers ask questions about a company's management philosophies and day-to-day practices, they are uncovering key information that helps them determine whether a job is right for them.

Job seekers who work to achieve these interview goals in every interview have a better chance of making a good impression and deciding whether a company is right for them. These three good goals help both job seekers, and interviewers learn whether they are a good match.

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