Even experienced housing, multifamily, senior living, health care property, medical facility, office property, retail property, financial and hospitality real estate executive candidates get nervous when it comes to interviews. Remember, you’re there to learn about the job and organization so that you make the best decision for yourself and your career. Keep those nerves under control by asking good questions and listening for critical information – it will help you:
get a feel for the position and the company's goals
gain valuable information about the company's culture and personality
understand how your job success would be measured as well as rewarded
let the interviewer know you’re thoughtful and serious about the job.
Here are a few tips to help you turn an interview into a job offer:
Do your homework. Prepare for the job interview. You should know the competition and something about the company you’re interviewing with. You don’t need to know everything about the company, just enough to let the interviewer know you’ve done your homework. If you are working with an executive search firm, your recruiter should act as your career consultant. She should be a valuable source of information and should let you know what to expect during the interviewing and hiring process.
Prepare a list of your major career accomplishments and how those accomplishments benefited your employer. Be prepared to work them into answers. Think about times you’ve identified problems, worked with a challenging staff member or colleague on a project, and set priorities to get results. You can highlight things mentioned on your resume, but have some extra examples available as well. The interview is a chance to reveal how you would be of value to the potential employer, beyond what is mentioned on your resume. Preparing in this manner helps create your "Hire Me" marketing plan.
You may hear that dreaded phrase, “Tell me about yourself.” Be prepared in advance with a 2 –3 minute answer. Focus on career history and skills that would transfer to the interviewer’s company. Be brief.
Think about the questions you’re going to ask before you go into the interview. Here are few questions that work in most interviews:
Where do you see the division (or company, if it’s a small organization) in 3 years?
What do you see as the division’s two biggest challenges? What have been the division's two biggest successes?
How would a successful person perform in this job? How will the company determine my success in this job a year from now? These questions should provide you with valuable information about both the job and the company. Also, by using the word “my”, the interviewer will picture you in the job, connecting your known skills and experience to the position and possibly highlighting where he feels you might fall short of expectations. Drawing out any doubts that the interviewer may have about your ability to perform well in the job is a positive step, allowing you to address those concerns.
Make a reference to larger industry trends with a question like, “With the industry shift to (you fill in the blank), how do you see your company changing?” It lets the interviewer know you’re informed and let’s you learn more about the organization.
Be positive and confident, about the position you’re interviewing for and your past work experience. Remember to smile and to let your personality come through so that the interviewer knows that you are personable as well as professional.
Communicate back to the interviewer if you say you will. If you’ve promised to provide another reference or to call, do it. And do it within the time frame that you communicated to the potential employer.
Remember, always allow the interviewer to complete his question or comment before you provide an answer or reply, taking a breath if need be to slow yourself down before you begin your reply or answer. Make certain that the interviewer knows that you are listening to what he is saying to you. Overall, you want to talk less than the interviewer talks.