Military Interview Tips
The military employs interviews for a variety of tasks, including hiring new recruits, promoting current military professionals or investigating previous incidents. While military interviews share some similarities with civilian interviews, understanding military culture and expectations will help you subtly adjust your response to maximize positive reception. In general, military interviews will include a higher level of formality and emphasis on procedure. Types of interviews in a military setting might include selecting individuals for specialized trainings, processing transfers to other areas or reassigning individuals after returning from combat. Learning additional tips will help you better prepare for the military interview.
Other People Are Reading
-
One-Minute Resume
-
Don't expect to dilly-dally through childhood memories and college epiphanies when asked to describe your background during a military interview. Instead, one tip is to present a "one-minute resume" that succinctly states where you're from, your education background, why you joined the military and why you're at the interview, according to Military.com. This can work for military professionals seeking different roles within the military and also military professionals transitioning to civilian jobs. Practicing this brief, one-minute statement immediately demonstrates confidence, an ability to prioritize information and provides a window into your background. This sets a crisp, capable tone that may permeate throughout the rest of the interview.
Presentation
-
The military maintains superior standards for personal and professional presentation, so another tip is to make sure standards remain high when appearing for an interview, whether interviewing for a position within the military or transitioning to the civilian workforce. Hair should be freshly and conservatively cut and styled; hands and nails must be neatly groomed. It's okay to ask beforehand whether the dress code requires military uniform or civilian business attire. If you're told to wear civilian business attire, opt for a dark-colored, single-breasted suit and a white button-down shirt or blouse. Choose a conservative tie that reaches the belt, or a conservative scarf tied neatly at the neck. Limit jewelry to one ring per hand and a simple necklace. Earrings, if worn, should be conservative and match your necklace. Arrive early, sit up straight, maintain confident (but not aggressive) eye contact and enunciate words clearly.
-
Response Techniques
-
Military interviewers are advised to watch out for job candidates who try to take control of the interview by oversharing personal narratives or commenting extensively on current events without prompting, according to "The Army Interview." One tip is to listen carefully to the question being asked, and respond with a concise answer directly correlated with the question. If interviewers want or need more information, they'll ask. Don't immediately rush to fill silences; military interviews frequently incorporate "the silent question" by allowing small silences to build. These are intended to permit you time to think and allow interviewers time to assess what you've said. Pointless chatter makes you appear nervous, unconfident or evasive, as if you're trying to hide something.
Tone
-
While it's important to demonstrate confidence and competence through word choice and tone, the military attaches particular significance to respect and hierarchy. Military interviewers are instructed to maintain authority and control during the interview, according to "The Army Interview." Another tip: don't attempt to brag or interrupt the interviewer, and address him or her with appropriate military title. Military interviewers may restate your interview responses in an attempt to better understand your comments; if they've misinterpreted or misunderstood your response, offer a respectful explanation rather than abruptly correcting.
-
References
- Photo Credit military image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
