Wrangle Multiple Interviews With Ease

"I talked with eight different people at two companies," said one executive client. "Is this common now? I was whipped by the time I got to the last couple." Seems the higher up you go, the greater the amount of decision makers involved.

Here are quick tips to handle the herd of interviewers, without getting thrown off your feet.

1. Research the company. Know the product or service inside and out -- and how your skills will be of value.
2. Contact a company insider to get a feel for the people you may be meeting.
3. If you get names from your insider, Google them to find out more information.
4. Get a good night's sleep before the interview and eat breakfast the day of your interview -- in case you are interviewing nonstop. You don't want to faint from hunger.
5. Bring at least 10 resumes so you can hand out good prints to your interviewers. Retain one for yourself -- in case they grill you on each point.
6. Take notes. Get names and titles of your interviewers.
7. Send each different interviewer a personalized thank-you note.

Comments

[Brian Toland]

Great tips. I can attest to their usefulness as I followed them all during a recent all day interview with a major tech company. Couple of additional tips / clarifications.

1. Have protein not carbs for breakfast. A large carb breakfast tends to make you nod off after a few hours.

2. Bring business cards and offer them as you are introduced. The natural reaction will be for the interviewer to offer theirs in return.

3. Stick a small bottle of water in your bag so you can grab it between interviews / as needed.

4. The problem most people have is thinking that they shouldn't give the same answer to each person. Assume that the interviwer hasn't spoken with their colleagues and answer the question the same each time. Afterwards when they debrief with each other, they'll like that you were consistent throughout the process.

[Janet White]

Multiple interviews should not be a problem if you understand that each person you're meeting with has their own specific interests and concerns.

If you want to score big with all of them, focus your conversations on each of them -- their departments, their challenges, their needs, their concerns.

Just remember that these meetings are NOT about you; they're really about the people you are meeting with.

When you make the meeting about them, they will want to do business with you. And that's the truth.