Acing the Interview
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This document outlines effective strategies for acing job interviews, emphasizing the importance of personal fit, preparation, and communication style. It advises candidates to research the company and interviewers, present metrics of past performance, and prepare personal stories that illustrate their strengths and weaknesses. Additionally, it covers essential phone and in-person interview tips, including body language, questioning techniques, and maintaining professionalism.
Acing the Interview
- 1. Acing the Interview Catherine Morgan Career Transition and Entrepreneur Coach Point A to Point B Transitions Inc. June 20, 2013
- 2. Welcome to Sales 101 • Wrong place? No! – Get comfortable with selling yourself
- 3. It comes down to chemistry • Once there is a baseline of skill sets that would enable you to do the job, who do they pick? – The one they think would be easiest to communicate with? – The one they think would be easiest to manage? – The one they think would FIT into the corporate culture?
- 4. How do you know if you fit? • Gut feeling? • Common background? • Common interests? • Similar personality traits? • Similar work style? • Similar personal style?
- 5. Be yourself • Don’t fake it! • Six months in your real personality will come out and you will be miserable
- 6. Mirror their conversational style • Short questions should yield short answers – If they want more detail, they can ask for it • More conversational questions? – Answer with a story to back up your point
- 7. Smart scheduling • Be professional when you are scheduling: – Anticipate going long so you don’t have to interject your personal life, e.g., have to pick up the kids – Most of the time recruiters will work with you – AND know your best times
- 8. Interviewing with executives • Often the higher up the food chain you go, the easier the interview is • They may just want to chat as your qualifications have already been vetted • This is truly the “fit” interview: Will you fit?
- 9. How to prepare • Collect your metrics! – Improved efficiency by x percent – Boosted subscribers by x percent – Boosted conversions by x percent – Saved x amount of man hours – Saved x dollars – Generated x dollars
- 10. How to prepare (continued) • Research the company • Research who you will be interviewing with on Google and LinkedIn to find common experiences/interests (and to determine level and personality traits) • Knowledge is power!
- 11. Mindset • You are interviewing THEM as much as they are interviewing YOU • Attitude of curiosity – be interested and engaged • Come in with some ideas and suggestions, but don’t be a know-it-all
- 12. Phone interview basics • Shower and dress comfortably but professionally • Ensure kids and pets are elsewhere • Have your notes ready and available • Wear a headset so that your hands are free – NEVER use a speakerphone
- 13. Phone interview basics (continued) • Smile and breathe before you start – It will come through in your voice! • Have drink handy to avoid dry throat and coughing • Talk slower and more deliberately than you normally would
- 14. Industry jargon can hurt you • Do not use too much industry jargon • Often first interviews are done by junior professionals or by outsourced companies – They might not know much about your industry or job function
- 15. First round questions • Can you tell me a little about yourself? (Summarize your career.) • Can you tell me about your last position? (What did you do and what did you like about it?) • Why did you leave your last position? (Or are you leaving…) • What are you looking for in your next position?
- 16. First round questions (continued) • What do you feel is your biggest strength? • There are a lot of qualified candidates, why should we pick you? • What do you feel is your biggest weakness? (Hint, pick something that you can show you are working on or have overcome in some way.) • Can you give me an example of something in your career that you are particularly proud of?
- 17. Prepping for behavioral questions • Stories in your back pocket – Success story from most recent position – Something that went south that you turned around – Biggest achievement/ most proud of overall – Story showing strength – Story showing weakness
- 18. Don’t do this • Don’t badmouth a former boss/company – If it wasn’t a fit, just say that
- 19. Sharing personal information • Don’t talk about family, divorce, health issues, work-life balance issues, etc. • Don’t be overly honest or overly personal – Nobody cares – Even (or especially!) about being fired • Keep it professional
- 20. Why should they hire you? • Why will you be able to add value from the start? • Why will you be a great addition to the team? • Why are you the ideal candidate?
- 21. The best interviews • Use stories to illustrate your best qualities • Leave no doubt that you are a highly qualified candidate • A great interview will: – Go off the script – Be conversational
- 22. Questions for them • What is the near-term (6 month) and longer-term (18 month) strategy/vision? • What are the key skills required? • What does a day in the life look like? • What are your immediate challenges? • What are your biggest priorities?
- 23. Run - don’t walk - to the nearest exit • Is this a new position or will you be replacing someone? – Were they promoted? Did they quit? Key info! • If you find that you are the third person in three years – RUN!
- 24. In-person interviews • Body language: You will read theirs, and they will read yours • Dress comfortably and don’t wear anything that pinches – Adjusting clothing calls attention to nervousness • If you find yourself rambling, pull yourself back and say, “Did that answer your question?”
- 25. Talking the talk • Deliberately slow your speech cadence – When you are nervous, you tend to speak quickly and babble • Remember to speak slowly – It buys you time!
- 26. In-person interviews • Err on the side of being professional – in speech and dress – it’s an IQ test • Show up early or at least on time • For executive positions, not wearing a suit can get you disqualified at some companies
- 27. Don’t be the one • Not asking them questions can get you disqualified • Don’t ask about money or benefits – let the recruiter volunteer that info • When asking about the interviewing process ask confidently – or don’t ask at all
- 28. Use stories! • Biggest problem: general statements with no detail to back up points or skills • Example: Do you know QuickBooks? – If no, say that you know a similar program (if true) – Or use an example of how you learned another software program in two days
- 29. Interviewing insider tip • Best candidates: – Ask pointed questions to determine needs – Care enough to listen at the beginning when the interviewer describes the position, why they are looking, what they are looking for, and what problems they are trying to solve – Tailor answers to point back to those needs
- 30. Questions? Catherine Morgan Career Transition and Entrepreneur Coach Point A to Point B Transitions Inc. 877.672.5333 Catherine@PointAtoPointBTransitions.com Twitter @PointA_PointB