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Dear Steve & Jon, I have had several second interviews but nary an offer. What are the most common reasons for people blowing the second interview? Signed: Never a Bride |
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Dear Never, Very timely question: I had an applicant just last week who made it past the second interview and received an email from the company recruiter saying they had chosen him partly because he had obviously done more research and demonstrated it. They were especially impressed with his knowledge about the company executives who interviewed him, which he found through a simple search on LinkedIn.com. Show up with an article you located on the Internet that sheds light on information from the previous interview. Better yet, take an article from your trade publication, demonstrating that you keep up with trends in your industry. You might also consider asking a former vendor or client to call the Hiring Manager and give you a high recommendation. |
Dear Never, 1. At this point, keep your focus on getting the offer, not on learning all you can about the company, not negotiating your salary, not learning about benefits, nor negotiating extra vacation. Get the offer first. 2. Do your homework. Review your notes and have much better answers than you had for the first interview. If possible, use some of the interim time to interview some of their employees to better understand the bosses challenges. 3. Show your enthusiasm for the job. Structure your answers to verbally place yourself already in the job. Be confident but not cocky. 4. You have competition. Do not beat yourself up. Realistically consider the odds. With 3-4 people in for the second interview round; odds are greater than 66% you will not get an offer. But prepare and perform to beat the odds. |