In an ideal world, you would send out your resume, get an interview from a great company, have a great interview, and you would immediately get the job.   However, in the real world, the interview process can extend out to several months and involve a large number of interviews with different companies for different positions.   Since it is unlikely you will get a good position right away, it is much wiser to create a system to handle all your interviews.   Here, is a list to help you create your own system:

1.        Need 100 interviews to get 1 job.    Assume that you will not get a position until you have had 100 interviews.   This will encourage you to want to create a complete system and allow you to become stronger and stronger in your interviews as you build your system based on these interviews.

2.        One Spreadsheet for all Jobs.   Create a spreadsheet to show all the positions and companies you are applying to for jobs.   It should essentially show (1) what are the names of the positions that you are apply for each job and (2) have a section for any other unique information regarding the position.   For instance, their application process may tip you off on some other job skills they are looking for.  Also, this provides value even after your job search is over as you can use it for future job searches as well to determine where to best spend your time on for future job submissions.

3.        Folder For Each Company.    For each company you apply for, house all the job descriptions for each job you are interested in by creating a folder for each company.   Label each document with the exact name of the position and the company.   For example, if one position is a business analyst position with Bank of America, make the filename something like “BOA-Business Analyst”.

4.        Folder for Universal Interview Information.   Create a folder that houses all of your interview information.   This information should include your resumes, writing samples, recommendation letters, and anything else that you have that is in an electronic format. 

5.        Interview Questions and Answers should be kept in the Universal Folder.   House all your information regarding how you will answer the different types of interview questions in the Universal Interview Folder.   By keeping all this information in one place, it will be easier to find when the time comes to use it.   There should be a section for how to answer all the types of questions:

a.         Resume-related questions and answers

b.        Job Qualification questions

                                                               i.       These are likely to vary from position to position although there will likely be a large amount of overlap in certain job skills.

c.         Behavioral questions and answers

                                                               i.       These too will likely vary from position to position although there will be a large amount of overlap in certain job skills.

d.        Case Interview Strategies, Questions, and possible answers.

                                                               i.       Here, the focus should be on implementing the strategy in any case interview questions you work on.

6.        Bullet the Questions and Answer Examples.   The information relating to the questions should be bulleted and put into a format so it can easily be read and printed out if pasted on a wall.   In this design, you will be able to use it to help you in any phone interviews.

7.        Review The Interview.    After the interview, do an evaluation of what went well and what did not.   Based on what you discover, tweak your interview answers or add additional interview questions to your list.

a.         Also, be sure to put the contact information into your initial spreadsheet even if the interview does not go well.   You may need this information to follow-up with them later on.   In addition, it provides you with a direct contact that you can use a few months later or even a year later if your other job endeavors turn out to be not fruitful.

8.        Keep Email Correspondence.   Keep a copy of all the email letters you send to companies.   This information should be used as templates for other letters that have to be made in the future.   This will help cut down your time in making new letters and allow you to devote this newly found time to preparing for questions and answers.   The emails should be kept in a word document in the Universal Interview folder containing all the other interview questions.

Remember, you are not just building a system for your next job.   You are building a system for all future jobs you may have.   If you thoroughly develop your system, the information compiled can be used the next year, two years from now and even five years down the road.   The only additional effort on your part will be to occasionally update these documents with additional information.   By creating a system that lasts, you will reduce the future time you spend on preparing for future interviews.   This is especially a good idea since most people only work for a company for two years before shifting to another company.

*For tips on how to show the employer you are willing to relocate, check out  how to show them you are willing to relocate.