After an initial phone interview or two, one of my clients flies people in for in-person interviews at various sites around the US. They don’t, for example bring all the people in the Southeast together in Atlanta or the Northeasterners in New York or Boston. They schedule all the people who they have screened for one type of role to be flown to a location regardless of geography.
Interviews are done of Fridays and candidates are flown out Thursday night so that flight delays generally do not affect the Friday interview schedule (sometimes snow will change things).
Here are a few keys to being successful when you are interviewing away from home:
1. Try to have your interviews scheduled to respect your body clock. It is easy for someone traveling from the East Coast to the West Coast to be ready for a 9 AM interview. After all, for a New Yorker, that feels like noon. For a Californian traveling to DC, that’s 6AM to them and they may have needed to be up at 7:30 Eastern or 3:30 Pacific to get ready. Better to see if you can get yourself scheduled to start at 11 AM instead.
2. Find out the names of everyone you’ll be meeting with, what their title is and how much time you are slotted to speak with them for. Look them up on LinkedIn to get a sense of their background and function. Google them to learn more and obtain texture about them.
3. Have your flights scheduled to give you time to unwind when you get into your hotel.
4. Be respectful of your driver from the airport. They may be asked to report back on your behavior.
5. Don’t deviate from your usual diet. You don’t want to overeat and feel sluggish at your meetings.
6. Knowing your agenda and how much time you are slotted to meet each person, be sure to start each interview with enthusiasm and passion and finish everyone the same way. We all have an internal clock. Use it! End each meeting with a great handshake, smile and eye contact even if you are being hustled out the door for your next meeting.
7. Often there is an HR person in attendance to coordinate the day’s activities. At the end of your visit, before you head to the car to take you to the airport, thank them for their efforts and express interest in the job that was discussed with you (Only express interest if it is true! Otherwise, tell them you have a few questions you might want to discuss).
I cannot help you with how to answer the professional questions you are asked. I can help you with “the wrapper” of everything that precedes and folls your meetings.