Never Interview without First Researching the Company. Surfing the Internet will enable you to know the company’s products and services, markets, sales volumes, locations, and subsidiaries. Another option is to spend time in the library utilizing Standard and Poors, Dun and Bradstreet, Moody’s Reference Materials, trade magazines, or any other relevant source that will give you the much needed information.

Prior planning requires you to inventory all responsibilities performed and to state how well you carried them out. Be prepared for tough questions. Anticipate what they will be. Two questions most likely to be addressed are your reasons for leaving current and past positions and your quality of performance in various situations. Write out your answers, refine and memorize them.

Your Executive Recruiter has a list of potential questions to ask the interviewer so be sure to ask him/her for a copy of them. Their job is to prepare you to get the job!

Arrive no earlier than fifteen minutes and no later than five minutes prior to the interview. Allow adequate time for traffic, parking and a last minute appearance check. If possible, scout the location the day before to avoid any last minute problems. If asked, complete an application. Your Executive Recruiter’s name along with ALS Group should be the response to any "Referred By" questions. Have names and phone numbers of references with you so you can list them if requested.  Respond to "Expected Salary" questions as "Open" and "Current Salary" questions truthfully (see below for additional salary questions during the interview).

Arrive professionally dressed. Men should wear a conservative suit, contrasting tie, and shoes shined with socks over calf. Women should wear a business suit or dress with coordinating jacket, neutral panty hose, basic pump shoes, minimal amount of make up, jewelry and perfume and lightly colored nail polish.

There has never been a better first impression than to greet the interviewer with a firm handshake. Wait until you are offered a chair before sitting. Sit upright in your chair and look interested at all times. Body language speaks, so sit assertively. Be a good listener as well as a good talker. Maintain good eye contact with the prospective employer. Smile. Don’t smoke or chew gum (even if it is offered to you) and don’t drink coffee (so it can’t be spilled accidentally).

Don’t lie or distort answers. Be as truthful as possible and make sure to get your points across in a factual, sincere manner. Never answer with a simple "yes" or "no". Explain whenever possible, but don’t "over-answer" them – try not to say any more than is necessary. Try to keep answers to 1 to 2 minutes.

SOUND UPBEAT! Strive to project eagerness and interest. Be a conversationalist by being yourself.

Never make derogatory remarks about your present or past employers.

Statistics show that 75% of all positions filled are filled by candidates that are only 60% qualified because of the chemistry between the hiring authority and prospective employee. You must establish chemistry right away in the interview. People hire people they like and who are similar to them. Looking around the room to see if there are any common interests (photograph, book, or trinket) is a great ice-breaker. (Ex: That is an impressive marlin up on the wall there. I caught one almost as big in the Florida Keys last summer!)

Be sure your Executive Recruiter gives you some background information on the hiring authority. As soon as the interview has started, you must qualify the hiring authority by asking, "What characteristics are you looking for in the candidate you want to hire?" Then, go through your own credentials and show why you match up. For example, "I can do the job you want done because I have done it before and have done it well by…………(follow the PAR guidelines below)".

In each interview, you are expected to explain how you work, what results you obtained, how those results affected your current employer, who you have managed, how your subordinates responded to your style, etc. To keep your thoughts logical, clear and concise, remember the following acronym technique: PAR

The question-answering rule says; Answer every question in terms of your background or qualifications or in terms of the search assignment to be filled. "Tell me about yourself" really means "Tell me about your qualifications". Personality questions try to determine if you have the qualities being sought, i.e. "What kind of manager are you?" or "Are you creative?" Motive questions attempt to show if you would really like the position or not, i.e. "Describe your ideal job" or "Would you prefer to work for a large or small company?" or "What did you like most/least about your last position?"

Try to avoid the issue of salary, bonuses, benefits, vacations etc. if at all possible. Never state a starting figure when prompted for a desired salary. If pressed for an answer with regards to compensation state, "I am here for the challenge and opportunity. I am confident that if you feel I’m the best candidate for this position, you will extend me your best and fairest offer". Keep in mind that current income includes base salary, bonuses, commissions, benefits, stock options, company car or allowance, cell phone reimbursement, vacations, mortgage interest savings program, and any other perks you may have. Furthermore, if you are due a raise within 3 months, state the approximate percentage you expect. The best thing is to avoid this area and let your Executive Recruiter handle it. Many times, the hiring authority at some point during the interview process will volunteer information on this topic.

Ask questions. The hiring authority likes to be interviewed too, just don’t cross-examine him/her. Always find out how they will measure success for the position (this way you can determine what their expectations are and whether you are experienced enough to meet and exceed those expectations). Don’t be afraid to ask where the position will take you in the corporation since this will give you an idea of what the career path will be like and it will show them you are interested in long term career objectives rather than a short term job to fill an immediate gap.

The final key to success is to CLOSE THE WINNING INTERVIEW. Keep in mind the first interview is a get-acquainted time. You are building a relationship and the employer is trying to determine how he feels about you. The second and third interviews are when you will get down to the "nitty-gritty". Even though it takes several interviews to get a decision, you are to start to close at the onset of the first meeting. Another objective of the first interview is to position yourself as a professional, not a buddy, in the mind of the hiring authority. He/she must view you as his number one candidate by the time the interview is over.

The close of the interview is extremely important. Most interviews end somewhat like this, "We appreciate you coming by. We are looking at several people at this time and will be in touch with you in a few days". When this happens, it is time to ask yourself an important question: "Based on the information I have gathered during the questioning, is this the type of company and the type of opportunity I am looking for"? If all the pluses are there and you do want the job, you must go for it! Even if you are not 100% sure, you should still ask for the job! There is alot happening during the interview process. Later on when you have time to dissect the meeting and put all of your thoughts together in an orderly fashion and decide you would like to pursue the opportunity, you don’t want to look back and regret that you didn’t close.

Remember close the interviewer just as you would if you were selling a service or product. By the way, you are selling the greatest product in the world, YOU!!

In some instances, the hiring authority might have concerns. It is imperative you find out what their concerns are, if any, so you may address them right then and there. Before the interview ends, qualify the hiring authority by saying, "You mentioned you were looking for someone who can…….. (at this point name the most important points that he gave as the job characteristics, such as an extensive network of contacts and relationships, significant management experience, substantial profits made for your division and so on). I feel that I match what you are looking for. Do you have any concerns about my ability to be successful in this job position?" Listen carefully, and decide how to reply: