Interview by the Book
This well-organized approach can be adapted to your situation.
By Col. Jerry Crews, USA-Ret., Deputy Director, TOPS

In my lectures I have discussed a "desk side" briefing as a means to better prepare yourself — and your interview panel — for that all-important face-to-face meeting. Cmdr. Mike Weaver, USN-Ret., went one better: He prepared a briefing book and made copies for each of his interviewers. His turned out to be a success story as a result of a lot of work on his part, and it offers many worthy teaching points, regardless of the type of position you may be seeking. Here's how his story unfolded.

Weaver attended one of tops' "Marketing Yourself for a Second Career" lectures given at the Pentagon. Then he came to see me about his efforts to obtain a position as director of a Naval Junior ROTC program in a Florida school system. Through networking, he had found that four school systems were considering establishing such a program within their respective districts.

After going through the application process, Weaver was able to arrange his interviews so that his first interview was with the school he was least interested in, and the last was with the one he really wanted. He thought that by the time he got to the last interview, he would be warmed up and ready for any questions the panelists could ask — and he was.

Many times an initial interview is little more than a get-to-know-you affair, but, as Weaver's experience demonstrates, leaving something more substantial than a basic résumé for those who do the hiring allows them to review the information at their leisure, getting to know the prospect's ideas and action plan in much greater detail. One of Weaver's interviewers told him she had passed around his briefing book, so he reached others outside the immediate interview panel.

Weaver's briefing book had three parts: a résumé, references, and his presentation. In the presentation, he organized 10 one-page documents, such as "Background" (highlighting his 20-year Navy experience); "Why me?" (listing key reasons why he should be hired for the position); and "Naval Junior ROTC Program" (giving an overview of the proposed program to show the panelists he had done his homework and knew what he was talking about). Then he presented his "Short-term," "Mid-term," and "Long-term" goals followed by a page detailing "How do we get there?" Because the position was in a school environment, he also discussed "Resource Management" and "Community Service." He closed with "Contributions," showing how his naval experience and personal life made him the right person for the job.

Most interviewers actually have little experience in interviewing, and if you provide a briefing book like Weaver's, it gives them ready-made questions to ask — questions to which you already know the answers.

While Weaver's briefing book was for an ROTC program, the format could be tailored to any profession. If you were to develop a similar presentation, rehearse it as though your job depended on it, and make copies for all involved, you, too, likely would be successful in your job hunt.

Because this was a Naval Junior ROTC program interview, Weaver wore his more casual white Navy summer uniform and gave his best shot at being relaxed to avoid giving the impression he was a strict military disciplinarian. All of his planning and preparation were fruitful, as Weaver received immediate offers from three of the schools — including the one he most wanted.