Interview Prep, Hacks and Pro Strategies

INTERVIEW TIPS AND STRATEGY PREP TO HELP YOU CONFIDENTLY AND PROFESSIONALLY
HAVE THE BEST INTERVIEW EVER.

SIMPLE PRO TIPS AND STRATEGIES
TO HELP YOU BETTER PREPARE
YOURSELF - TO
INTERVIEW LIKE A PRO –
AND UP YOUR OPPS OF RECEIVING
THE JOB OFFER.
JEAN L. SERIO CEIC, CPC, CEMA - THE JOB INTERVIEW PROBLEM SOLVER
WWW.GETYOURJOBBUZZON.COM COPYRIGHT 2019 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE.

‘I’M PREPARED’
SHOULD BE
YOUR MOTTO
• IN TODAYS COMPETITIVE
WORK-PLACE, GETTING THE
JOB CAN MEAN THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAKING
SOME SIMPLE STEPS TO
PREPARE YOURSELF FOR AN
INTERVIEW, BEFORE HAND, AND
WALKING INTO THE
INTERVIEWER’S OFFICE ‘COLD’
AND UNPREPARED –
UNADVISED IF YOU WANT THE
JOB.

PRESENTING YOUR
3 TOP KEY STRENGTHS -
FIRST - IS A MUST TO
STAND OUT FROM
THE CROWD.
PLUS - MENTIONING
THEM IN YOUR FINAL
SUMMARY ADDS TO
MEMORABILITY.
WHILE WE KNOW THE MAIN POINT OF AN
INTERVIEW IS FOR A DECISION-MAKER OR
HR PRO TO DECIDE WHAT IT IS YOU
HAVE TO OFFER A COMPANY AND
WHETHER IT FILLS THEIR NEEDS…..
THAT SAID YOU MUST GET OFF
TO A FAST START PRESENTING INFO
ABOUT YOUR KEY STRENGTHS – WHICH
RELATE TO THE JOB - AS EARLY ON IN THE
INTERVIEW AS POSSIBLE TO SET YOURSELF
UP, AND APART, AS THE PERSON FOR THE
JOB IN THE INTERVIEWER’S MIND.

FIRST - KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
ASK YOURSELF THESE 3
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS BEFORE
APPLYING FOR A JOB:
• WHAT TYPE OF COMPANY SUPPORTS MY SKILLS AND
EXPERTISE; YET WILL BE CAPABLE OF PAYING ME THE
SALARY AND/OR PROVIDING THE BENEFITS I WANT
OR REQUIRE?
• WITH ALL MY SKILLS AND EXPERTISE, WHAT TYPE OF
JOB WILL MOTIVATE ME, WILL I BE PASSIONATE ABOUT
AND CAPABLE OF THROWING MYSELF INTO DAILY?
• ARE THE COMPANIES I’VE CHOSEN A CULTURE FIT FOR
ME? IS IT A CULTURE IN WHICH I CAN THRIVE?

Next ask yourself these 3 questions:
1.* What do I have to offer this employer?
2.* Why should an interviewer or company choose me over
someone else?
3. *What will make an interviewer remember
me after they’ve done their first
round of interviews?

WHILE THERE ARE A
VARIETY OF
PERSONAL BENEFITS
YOU EXPECT FROM
A JOB, IT MAY BE
EASY TO FORGET…
• RECEIVING THE JOB
OFFER IS ALL ABOUT
MATCHING
A COMPANY’S PROBLEMS,
AND THEIR NEEDS -
WITH YOUR
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS
AND EXPERTISE.

DON’T GET SIDE TRACKED – FOCUS
ON YOUR 5 KEY STRENGTHS (OR 3)
• DECIDE ON YOUR TOP 5 STRENGTHS – OR
3 - WHICH CLOSELY MATCH THE JOB,
BEFOREHAND. BEING PREPARED ALLOWS
YOU TO FOCUS ON THOSE SPECIFIC
STRENGTHS AND NOT GET SIDE TRACKED
WITH OTHER STRENGTHS WHICH AREN’T
NECESSARY FOR THE JOB AT HAND.
• HR PROS ADMIT TO HIRING THOSE WITH
STRENGTHS AND EXPERTISE WHICH
CLOSELY MATCH THE JOB AT HAND.
• BUILD OUT YOUR STRENGTHS INTO
STORY-LIKE STATEMENTS YOU WILL SHARE
DURING THE INTERVIEW.

REPETITION IS NECESSARY TO BE REMEMBERED
FLESH OUT YOUR 5 (OR 3) KEY STRENGTHS SO YOU CAN PRESENT THEM
IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS.
THE 1ST PART OF YOUR STATEMENT CLARIFIES WHAT YOU DO; THE 2ND PART CONFIRMS – HELPS
PROVIDE PROOF – OF YOUR ABILITIES. STATEMENT 2 SHOULD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW STATEMENT 1.
WHATEVER KEY STRENGTH YOU CHOOSE TO ‘PLAY UP’ – FOR EXAMPLE ‘ORGANIZING’ - FREQUENTLY
USE THE KEYWORD ‘ORGANIZE’ DURING THE INTERVIEW. BUT DON’T OVERUSE IT.
• EXAMPLE 1A:
1)“ORGANIZATION IS MY TOP SKILL; 2) CO-WORKERS ALWAYS SAY THEY PREFER TO WORK WITH ME BECAUSE
I’M SO ORGANIZED.”
• EXAMPLE 1B:
1)”TAKING ON A NEW SITUATION - BEFORE I TAKE ACTION FIRST THING I DO IS DECIDE WHAT SHOULD BE
ORGANIZED OR REORGANIZED; 2)MY BOSS SAYS SHE ALWAYS CHOOSES ME FOR SITUATIONS WHICH NEED SOLID
ORGANIZATION.”

ANSWERING THE STATEMENT
‘TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF’
• THIS QUESTION IS NOT ABOUT YOU, PERSONALLY. IT’S ALL ABOUT STATING YOUR KEY STRENGTHS. IT
SHOULD INCLUDE AT LEAST 3 STATEMENTS ABOUT 3 OF YOUR KEY STRENGTHS.
• RELATE THESE 3 KEY STRENGTHS TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE JOB YOU ARE INTERVIEWING FOR.
• BE PREPARED. PRE-WRITE THESE STATEMENTS AND PRACTICE – GUARANTEED THIS WILL BE ASKED.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR EXAMPLE: 1)“I HAVE SEVERAL KEY STRENGTHS I’M KNOWN FOR. HERE ARE 3 – ORGANIZATION,
COMMUNICATION AND PROBLEM SOLVING. 2) MY BOSS ALWAYS CHOOSES ME FOR SITUATIONS WHICH
REQUIRE SOMEONE WITH MY LEVEL OF COMMUNICATION SKILLS.“ (TELL A BRIEF STORY ABOUT A TIME
WHEN….)
* THEN GO ON TO THE NEXT 2 KEY STRENGTHS AND REPEAT THE PROCESS.
* BE SUCCINCT – SPEND NO MORE THAN 2 MINUTES ON EACH.

WHEN STATING A KEY STRENGTH –
HAVE A STORY TO TELL
• EXAMPLE:
“THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT ASKED TO MEET WITH ME ABOUT A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT
PROJECT. HE WANTED MY INPUT REGARDING “ORGANIZING” IT. WE MET, THEN CONTINUED ON
TO LUNCH WHERE I MAPPED OUT A PLAN HE LOVED. (GIVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PLAN IF
SHARABLE). A MONTH LATER HE TOLD ME MY PLAN WAS THE REASON FOR THE SUCCESS OF
THE PROJECT. HE NOW REGULARLY CALLS TO ASK FOR MY INPUT ON “ORGANIZING” CERTAIN
TYPES OF PROJECTS.”

WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE SHOULD INCLUDE FOR
AN INTERVIEW AND WHY
• EXPERIENCE – EXPERTISE: WHEN ORGANIZING
STRENGTHS YOU WILL SHARE AT AN INTERVIEW, WRITE
DOWN & SHARE ONLY THOSE CLOSELY MATCHING THE
JOB AT HAND. BE SPECIFIC OR USE TRANSFERRABLE
SKILLS.
• SOFT SKILLS: FOR EXAMPLE - CRITICAL THINKING AND
PROBLEM SOLVING, TEAM BUILDING, RELATIONSHIP
BUILDING, PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION, ORGANI-
ZATION BUILDING – ALL VALUABLE STRENGTHS – SKILLS
A COMPANY USUALLY REQUIRES.
• HARD SKILLS – MUST CLOSELY MATCH JOB AT HAND.
• EDUCATION / TRAINING / CERTIFICATIONS
ONLY SPECIFIC MATCHES NECESSARY FOR UNIQUE
JOBS.
• BE ACCURATE; NEVER ADD IN ANYTHING YOU CAN’T
SUBSTANTIATE OR A COMPANY CAN’T VERIFY.
• BE SPECIFIC ABOUT YOUR SKILLS; DON’T GENERALIZE.
YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU CAN
DO FOR THEM. YOU CAN ALSO ADD TRANSFERRABLE
SKILLS IF YOU DON’T HAVE ALL EXPERTISE REQUIRED.
• DON’T BE TOO HUMBLE; TAKE CREDIT; USE OTHERS AS
SOCIAL PROOF.

NOT SURE WHAT YOUR STRENGTHS
ARE?
* ASK COWORKERS – AN OLD BOSS
* REREAD PAST PERFORMANCE
REVIEWS
* CHECK YOUR RESUME FOR
ACHIEVEMENTS
* ASK A TRUSTED COLLEAGUE

WHAT IF AN INTERVIEWER DOESN’T
ASK ABOUT YOUR STRENGTHS?
HERE’S SEVERAL OTHER QUESTIONS WHICH ALLOW YOU
TO JUMP IN AND STATE YOUR KEY STRENGTHS. THEY MUST
RELATE TO THE JOB YOU’RE INTERVIEWING FOR.
• WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?
• WHY ARE YOU THE BEST PERSON FOR THE JOB?
• WHAT MAKES YOU A GOOD FIT?
• TELL ME WHAT YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR JOB.
• WHAT WOULD YOUR CO-WORKERS (BOSS) SAY ABOUT
YOU AND YOUR WORK?

PRE-WRITE A SUMMARY OF YOUR KEY STRENGTHS AND MEMORIZE KEY POINTS
TO DELIVER AT THE END OF YOUR INTERVIEW –
YOUR FINAL KEY-POINTS SUMMARY COULD END UP LANDING YOU THE JOB
AT THE END OF MOST INTERVIEWS, YOU WILL USUALLY BE ASKED IF
YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD. THIS IS THE TIME TO SUMMARIZE OR
RE-SUMMARIZE 3 OF YOUR KEY STRENGTHS.
• DON’T DRONE ON; BE SUCCINCT.
• SPEND AT LEAST 60-120 SECONDS ON EACH KEY STRENGTH.
• CHOOSE THOSE STRENGTHS WHICH ARE MOST RELATED TO THE
JOB AT HAND. BUILD THEM OUT OR USE TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS.
• HAVE A STORY TO TELL ABOUT AT LEAST ONE KEY STRENGTH AT
THE END OF THE INTERVIEW. THIS SHOULD BE THE TOP STRENGTH
REQUIRED FOR THE JOB. CREATE A NEW STORY; DON’T REHASH
ONE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED.
• MAKE EACH STORY MEMORABLE; YOU CAN EVEN MAKE THEM
LAUGH.
• LEAVE THE INTERVIEWER WITH A CLEAR PICTURE OF YOU, YOUR
STRENGTHS AND EXPERTISE. MAKE YOURSELF MEMORABLE.
 YOU MAY ALSO BE ASKED
WHAT ARE YOUR
STRONG POINTS?
 HAVE A RESPONSE TO
EACH STRENGTH SHOULD
THE INTERVIEWER FLIP A
STRENGTH TO A
WEAKNESS.
 IF YOU HAVE PERSONAL
ISSUES, GAPS ON YOUR
RESUME, FOR EXAMPLE -
HAVE SOLID RESPONSES
TO ANSWER EACH.

 7) HAVE AT LEAST 3 QUESTIONS TO ASK INTERVIEWER;
DON’T AND THEY’LL THINK YOU AREN’T INTERESTED IN THE
JOB.
 8) UPDATE YOUR RESUME AND LINKEDIN PROFILE.
 9) IF YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH EXPERIENCE, IN A
SPECIFIC AREA, MENTIONING OF VOLUNTEER WORK OR
OTHER TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS IS OK.
1)WRITE DOWN AND BUILD OUT YOUR 3
TOP STRENGTHS.
2) HAVE RELATED KEYWORDS TO UTILIZE
THROUTOUT THE INTERVIEW. REPEAT, REPEAT.
3) BE PREPARED FOR (WORK OR PERSONAL)
ISSUES YOU KNOW MAY COME UP.
4) HAVE 1 STORY FOR EACH STRENGTH AND
1 FOR YOUR END OF INTERVIEW SUMMARY.
5) PRACTICE YOUR STORIES, ALOUD, SO THEY
FLOW SEAMLESSLY WHEN YOU SPEAK.
6) PREPARE RESPONSES TO POTENTIAL QUES-
TIONS ON WEAKNESS. THEY WILL BE ASKED.
9 TOP INTERVIEW PREP TIPS

TRAINING PRESENTED BY JEAN L. SERIO CEIC, CPC, CEMA -
THE JOB INTERVIEW PROBLEM SOLVER
WWW.GETYOURJOBBUZZON.COM

CHECK OUT THESE KINDLE BOOKS
The Job Interview
Problem Solver - Vol. 1
https://amzn.to/2Sh3IZf
The Job Interview
Problem Solver - Vol. 2
https://amzn.to/2RXufLH
The Job Interview
Problem Solver- Vol 3
https://amzn.to/2ToYQ1p
The Job Interview
Problem Solver – Vol 4
https://amzn.to/2FWbSRf

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