TEN TRUTHS YOU’RE NEVER TOLD ABOUT THE JOB INTERVIEW: TRYING TO IMPRESS A POTENTIAL BOSS CAN BE TERRIFYING. HERE’S HOW TO SURVIVE THIS CRUCIAL CONFRONTATION.

NEWSWEEK

Trying to impress a potential boss can be terrifying. Here’s how to survive this crucial confrontation.

The job you’ve always wanted could be just one interview away. Before that crucial meeting with a prospective boss, wouldn’t you love the opportunity to look inside her mind and discover exactly what she’s really looking for? We asked several powerful decision makers to reveal their secret interview strategies and to share the surprising reasons they hire the candidates they do. Here’s the inside information on how you an edge out the competition, score a magnificent impression, and win a job offer!

1.       Most interviewers decide whether or not to hire you during the first five minutes. Or the decision may be made even earlier, remarks Elisabeth Klufer, publisher of Northeast Real Estate News, in New York City. “One woman so impressed me during her initial phone call about a job that I decided to hire her before I’d even met her in person.” What was this applicant’s winning strategy? “I was intrigued when she called at nine a.m. the day our ad for a sales representative ran, and asked about a job without mentioning the ad. I was immediately curious and asked if she’d seen the ad. When she said yes, I realized that she was using just the sort of attention-getting ploy I would have used. That, plus her eagerness to be interviewed that very afternoon, convinced me that she had exactly the energy and initiative the job required.”

The initial seconds of contact are equally crucial during the face-to-face meeting. Notes Michael Zisser, executive director of the University Settlement Society of New York, a nonprofit social-service agency. “How someone walks into your office is revealing. Does she hesitate over which chair to take? Or does she sit right down, open her briefcase, and take out a folder with a fresh copy of her resume? That tells me if she’s a real professional.

“Another thing I consider quite significant is the applicant’s response to my initial question: Did you have any trouble getting here? If she makes the trip sound like an adventure, or comments favorably on our rather colorful neighborhood, I feel drawn to her immediately. Recently, I interviewed a woman who told me that her parents had grown up in this neighborhood, and we got into such an interesting conversation about our shared interests and traditions in this area that I ended up taking her to lunch at a famous local restaurant.

Later, she sent a note saying how much the lunch meant to her, and even though she wasn’t the most experience applicant, I gave her the job.”

2.       Interviews may test you if they suspect you’re lying on your resume. “Everyone is Donald Trump on his resume, so the first thing I do is ask a quirk question about the most irrelevant skill, or the tiniest accomplishment mentioned,” says Steven Sands, chairman of Sands Brothers, Mitchell & Co., Ltd, an investment bank. “Since an applicant isn’t expecting to be asked that question, I don’t get a canned answer and have a reasonable shot at learning if she’s actually done what her resume says she has. “The question that many bosses consider the best honesty barometer is “What have been your greatest success and worst failure?” Fred Berk, the president and CEO of Huffman Koos, a New Jersey furniture-store chain, hired one store manager because he was particularly impressed by the failure the candidate revealed. “He said he once fired three employees who worked under him because they’d let an inventory problem get out of hand. Reflecting on the expense of training new workers, he decided his black-and-white view of life was wrong – and began working harder to understand and solve the problems of difficult employees, instead of firing them right away.”

Another popular truthfulness test is the question “How would you describe a typical day at your current job? “ The more mundane a task you mention, the more sincere your answer sounds, notes Mary Loving, co-chairperson of Loving and Weintraub, Inc., a Manhattan-based public relations company. “I love to hear about the little things, whether is licking stamps or carrying some boxes to the elevator, because that says the applicant is someone who doesn’t think it’s beneath her to pitch in and do whatever is most important for the company at that moment. “Inflate your position too much and you’ll risk hearing the diabolical follow-up another interviewer uses: “And what does your boss do all day?”

3.       The stranger the question, the more important it is. What would you say if Richard Kirshenbaum, executive creative director of the ad agency Kirshenbaum & Bond, posed the interview question he likes the best: “What’s your favorite Pepperidge Farm cookie?” It’s a chance to show some creativity, he says. “The best answer I’ve gotten was from a woman who said that she enjoys Mint Milanos and added, “Did you ever read the interesting story on the side of the package?” I was intrigued and thought, “Wow! This is a real advertising person – she reads packages just for fun!” I hired her and the man who said he liked Mallomars better; he made a humorous remark about the challenge of eating one without getting chocolate all over his fingers.”

“ I have a question that people really hate.” Confesses Steven Gottlieb, president of TVT Records. “I ask them what they figure the square footage of my office is. It might sound off-the-wall, but I find that confronting people with an unexpected practical problem to solve really helps me evaluate their business skills. I like someone who come up with an intelligent answer in a high-pressure situation.”

A quirky query that is a favorite of Jack Frantz, an executive vice-president of Grey Advertising is “Do you watch a lot of television?” He finds that the response reveals both the applicant’s honesty and her suitability for the business. “I see their eyes flickering as they think, “Shall I tell the truth and risk sounding like a person who will watch anything that’s on, or shall I lie and say I only watch 60 Minutes and National Geographic specials? But it’s not a tricky question – I’m looking for someone who’s smart enough to know that watching TV is an asset in this business. When I had several great applicants for a trainee position, the one who got the offer showed a true fascination with our most important advertising medium – TV.”

4.       You may intrigue more with the “wrong” answer. “What I hate are standard good answers like I’m a fast learner or I’m a people person”, comments Klufer. “Anyone can say that, but I don’t want to hire just anyone.”

Instead, a memorable line could be the X factor that gets you the job, as was the case with an applicant whom Janet Label-Faso, director of public relations at National Realty & Development Corp., interviewed. “I loved the way she responded when I asked her salary requirements. She named a figure and added, with total conviction, “And I know I’m worth it!” A response that scored high points with Richard Kirshenbaum was “Pay me that and I’ll put in the time so you’ll get paid back double.”

Another seemingly “wrong” answer struck a particular chord for Valerie Salembier, ex-president of the New York Post. “I found it appealing when an applicant said that she had no hobbies or interests outside work. It’s fine to be well-rounded, but I felt she was someone I could count one to handle emergencies and sacrifice herself to get the job done.”

If you avoid what Kirshenbaum calls “stupid cat tricks”, ploys and jokes that don’t really come off, an original or even funny answer could improve your odds of being remembered – and hired. “A shared moment of humor can create a bond between the applicant and the interviewer. “ notes Leia Francisco, executive director of the Fairfax County Commission for Women, in Springfield, Virginia. “One woman I hired really amused me by asking what I was looking for, listening carefully to my reply, an then saying, I know just the person for the job! I also liked a male applicant who noted that the office was all women and joked that he hoped he wouldn’t be hired as the token male.” Laughing at the boss’s jokes (but not too much!) also scores you points for wit, another interviewer added.

Seeming almost too eager for the job may actually work in your favor, notes Betty Sherwood, manager of corporate meeting planning at A&W Bands, Inc., in White Plains, New York. “I remember one job candidate who completed the interview and left my office, only to run back two minutes later and ask me, “Where do I stand? Is there anything you didn’t ask me that you’ll be wondering about it an hour?” She was already high on my list, but this unexpected appeal convinced me that she was so determined to get the job that she just wouldn’t take no for an answer. I was sold.”

5.       Watch out for traps. Several interviewers admit that they try to tempt applicants to make the wrong move. Kenneth Sitomer, president and CEO of Russ Togs, Inc., in New York City, considers lunch the ultimate test. “I always half encourage the person I’m interviewing to order a drink, but I’d be very reluctant to hire anyone who did,” he says. “Meeting in a relaxed setting is also a good opportunity to see if the applicant loosens up and says something indiscreet about her previous boss.”

The offer of a seemingly innocuous cup of coffee is actually a subtle test of character for Heidi Rowand, vice-president of sales and marketing for I&D,Inc., a labor-management company based in Atlanta. “When an applicant arrives at my office, I’ll offer to get her coffee, but I’ll think poorly of her if she accepts. It makes me feel she’s not deferential enough to be good at sales, since customers don’t really like to have to wait on someone who is there to deliver a sales pitch.”

Other interviewers say they pay close attention to how someone reacts to a tour of their company. “It’s a good sign if she finds the chaotic atmosphere invigorating, comments on the exotic smells of ethnic food from our kitchen, and is curious about the eight to ten different countries the kids come from,” maintains Michael Zisser, of University Settlement House. Mary Loving was so charmed by the way an applicant to her public-relations firm acted during a tour that she hired her. “When she noted that our work space is mainly an open area filled with ringing phones and rushing people, she was tremendously enthusiastic and offered to share an office. I lover her for that – especially since she was applying for a high-level position that should come with a private office.”

6.       Fifty-five percent of the decision is based on nonverbal cues. That’s the surprising result of a recent study, reports communications expert Bob Elliott, president of Elliott Associates, a consulting company in Greenwich, Connecticut. “Maintaining eye contact with the boss is the single most important aspect of creating a good impression, because it conveys honesty. Other key elements are learning forward and sitting on the edge of the chair to signal enthusiasm, smiling, and keeping your hands still and relaxed to indicate confidence.”

There’s one interview outfit that several interviewers detest. “Every time I meet a female applicant in a navy blue business suit, white shirt, and little bow tie, I just want to throw up,” insists Salembier, while Klufer says she judges a woman uniformed this way to be “another run-of-the-mill corporate clone, devoid of taste, personality, and originality. I’d seriously question her judgment.” The best bet for most jobs is a stylish dark-colored suit, skirts-and-jacket outfit, or dress, plus a few expensive-looking but subdued accessories.

Even a hint of sexiness may be enough to prejudice a boss against you. When one male employer was deciding between two women applicants with equal qualifications – one sporting a slightly bare neckline, the other wearing a severe but tasteful dress – he opted for the latter. “The sexier one seemed like she might be fun to have around, but I thought the serious one would fit the office family better.”

7.       Spending even five minutes researching the firm counts for more than any item on your resume. “I’m always pleased if someone applying as a store manager has visited one of our stores, but one applicant made a tremendous impact when he said he’d been to all nine – and had intelligent comments about each,” says Fred Berk of Huffman Koss. “I’ve never felt more convinced that I should hire someone than I did at that moment.” Even a modest level of knowledge can impress, notes Charlotte Strauss, training consultant to Marriott Corporation, in Bethesda, Maryland. “I was attracted to one woman who said she’s had great experiences staying at Marriott hotels and listed her favorites. “Familiarity with a firm’s products and services is also a strong selling point, adds Therese Grosse, a branch-operations manager at Ford Motor Credit Company. “It’s nice to hear that someone applying drives a Ford or Lincoln-Mercury and realizes that our role is to support the sales of those cars with financing.”

Gaining information on a firm in an unusual way can also make a powerful impression, remarks Heidi Rowand. “When a candidate for a job in our credit-and-collection division tells me that she has run a Dun & Bradstreet report on our firm, it’s a point in her favor, because it shows she knows to use the tools of her trade to her advantage.”

8.       Even if the interviewer acts unimpressed, you may be doing better than you imagine. “A lot of the people I’ve hired thought they’d totally bombed out at the interview,” reports Steven Gottlieb. “That’s because, even if I’m secretly delighted with something someone says, I don’t believe in giving a lot of positive feedback during the interview. It’s a little bit of a stress technique, because I am curious to see how an applicant performs under the pressure of uncertainty.”

It’s also possible to bounce back from serious mistakes, adds Betty Sherwood. “One man I interviewed started off very badly when he used profanity during the preliminary chitchat but made such an excellent impression in the rest of the interview that he was still hired. Luckily for him, our advertising department is very informal.”

One woman’s mistakes proved to be a strong argument that she should be hired as a career counselor, Leia Francisco recalls. “She’d made a few radical career switches but explained her reasons for the moves very eloquently, adding that she felt her own mistakes would add a special empathy and depth to her career counseling. I agreed that this could add richness in her work with our clients, and gave her the position.”

9.       The questions you ask are as revealing as those your answer. “Even though one applicant for a public-relations job actually did a worse stand-up presentation than two other people I saw, I hired her because she asked such interesting and thoughtful questions in the interview,” recalls Francisco. “She slowed down the pace of the discussion with several follow-up questions about the goals of our group, letting me see the kind of depth she’d bring to this publicity campaign. I was also struck by now closely she listened to what I said – most applicants would rather talk than listen.”

If you’re applying for a lower-level job, a question that many bosses consider appealing is “How would I spend a typical workday at your firm?” Not only does it encourage a would-be employer to visualize you in the position, but it also shows a powerful interest in the actual work. “The person I hire needs to be fascinated by the reality of the job, not its sex appeal,” says Steven Sands. “People think investment bankers earn huge amounts of money by chatting on the phone and wearing power ties, so I try to scare an applicant a little by saying that she’ll spend twelve hours a day under fluorescent light, eating stale coffee cake and staring at numbers on a screen. If she’s still fascinated after that, she’s probably right for the job.”

If you’re heading for a rung higher up the corporate ladder, you will impress most interviewers with queries about your prospective boss, your prospects for advancement, the criteria by which you’ll be judged, and the firm’s corporate culture. The questions you ask might also be a good chance subtly to show off your knowledge of the firm, its product, and the field as a whole, adds Steven Gottlieb. “For example, I would love to hear, “I was interested in what I read about TVT’s role in fighting music censorship. How are you combating the move toward warning labels for albums with suggestive lyrics?”

A question you should always pose is “When could I expect to hear from you?” “Interviewers like to see a gleam in your eye and hear a passion for the job in your voice at the end of the interview,” explains Bob Elliott. “So this question leaves them feeling that you really want the job.” An enthusiastic comment at the end of the interview can be the clincher that gets you an offer, adds Betty Sherwood. “The main reason I hired one secretary was that she radiated interest. The last thing she said to me was “This is exactly what I want. This is it.”

10.   Follow-up can make the difference. How adroitly someone handles a follow-up phone call to Chickie Bucco, a vice-president and director of direct response with Katz Communications, Inc., makes a strong impression. “I really like it when someone is clever enough to figure out the best time to call me – it’s the late afternoon – because that suggests she has the sales sense to detect a window of opportunity and exploit it,” she remarks. “A saleswoman needs an ability to get by obstacles and reach decision makers on the phone.” The speed of the follow-up note or call is crucial to Heidi Rowand: “If I don’t hear from a person within three days of the interview, she’s history.”

Though few applicants do it, sending another follow-up note if the decision proves negative may also pay off, reports Fred Berk. “One person I did not hire as a store manager sent a note saying,  “Even though I didn’t make the final cut, I enjoyed speaking with you so much that I’d be interested in learning of any other opportunities in your organization which you feel might be right for me.” I felt that even though I didn’t consider this man experienced enough for store manager, anyone who could write such a classy note should be in this company. So I saved it until a sales position in one of our better stores opened up – then called him to make an attractive job offer.”