Thank you to Paul Cecala from Cecala Career Consultants for another fantastic presentation, this time focused on 13 key things that can help you nail the interview and get that job offer. The job interview can be a very stressful and nerve-wracking experience, yet it’s the final piece of the puzzle that can land you your desired job. Knowing what to say, how to say it, what to ask, and in what order can make the difference between moving forward and being forgotten. So let’s take a look at 13 steps that everyone should follow when approaching their job interviews.
Step 1: Have a consultant mindset
While preparing for your interview, start to shape your mindset as that of a consultant with the goal of selling yourself into the position. Prepare a proposal with solutions to common tasks or problems with the position and be able to showcase results you’ve achieved in your current or previous positions. Be the problem solver and demonstrate through your answers how you are the best candidate for the position. You will have to start thinking like the boss or the interviewer, so this might take some time.
Step 2: It’s a 2-way conversation
Approach the interview as though it was a peer-to-peer relationship, ready to talk as well as listen. Try to achieve a 50/50 balance in terms of speaking time, though 60/40 or 65/35 might be more likely. This will require you to manage the interview through the use of open-ended questions that will help you get a better understanding of the expectations of the position as well as if the organization fosters an environment where you will be successful. This can be accomplished by responding to the interviewer’s questions with questions for clarification or ending your responses with questions that help you gain clarity. In some cases, a job description doesn’t accurately reflect the expectations of those supervising the position.
Step 3: Preparation
Perhaps the most important step, do your research! Find out as much about the organization, the interviewer, and the position as you can before the interview. This will help you craft your responses to match their expectations and demonstrates your genuine interest in working for them. There are a variety of resources from review sites, to news reports, to press releases from the organization’s own website that can help you in this process. However, be mindful that reviews are often biased on the extremes so take them with a grain of salt.
Step 4: The First Qualifier
Very early on in the interview, you will want to ask your first qualifier question to set the tone and take control. Usually there will be an introduction and a general question to describe yourself and your work history. Try to keep this to 2 minutes and then ask your first qualifier so that you understand exactly what the position entails and the types of information that the interviewer is interested in. Ask about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the first 30, 60, and 90 days or what the qualifications of the ideal candidate would be. This will make the interviewer tell you in their own words what the expectations are and you can then start mapping out your responses to meet them.
Step 5: It’s the Hiring Manager
The interview, though its about you, is really about the interviewer or hiring manager. You want to get an understanding for who they are and what they value so that you can make your responses align properly. Always address the interviewer’s needs, answer the question behind the question, and keep a positive tone.
Step 6: Tell me your success stories
Interviewers want to know how you are going succeed in the position and the best way to do that is to highlight your previous success stories. Your responses should follow an results-driven approach. Be sure to include:
- Challenge, Situation, or Task
- Actions
- Results
- Value/benefit to the employer
As stated before, speak to the interviewer’s needs and not your own. When able, use quantifiable statements to demonstrate your abilities. This is also a great way to lead into your own questions to find out how your past experiences fit into the current position as well as the interviewer’s expectations.
Step 7: Ask your questions
Always bring open-ended questions to the interview that will help you gain deeper insight into the position and organization. This demonstrates your ability to communicate effectively, shows your genuine interest in the position, and allows you to subtly control the interview. Some reasonable open-ended questions include:
- What were the incumbent’s primary challenges
- How do you define success in this role
- What are the most pressing issues to resolve in this role
- What are the organizations most significant challenges
- What do you like most about working here
- How has this position changed over time? And how do you see it changing in the future?
The more information you can get out of the interviewer, the better you will be able to determine if this job is worth pursuing.
Step 8: The Trial Close
At the end of the interview, there are two final questions that can really help demonstrate your eagerness for the job as well as get an understanding of how you fair in the candidate pool:
- What do you like about me as a candidate for this job?
- What would prevent me from being your ideal candidate for this job?
You are now putting the pressure on the interviewer to evaluate your performance and give you real-time feedback. This can help you address any issues that you may have overlooked as well as start the process toward an offer. At this point, they should have no reason not to hire you!
Step 9: Ask for the offer
While this may seem overly confident and even aggressive, if everything goes right, there should really be no reason that they cannot offer you the job on the spot, especially if you’ve turn all of their concerns into positives and reasons why you are qualified for the position. First, set up the next steps for future conversations; set dates for follow-ups if they decline to offer you the position and follow through. Thank and compliment the interviewer to leave on a positive note. Confidently reiterate that your are well-qualified for the job and even ask for the offer if you are confident. If the interviewer is hesitant to move forward with scheduling a follow-up or offering you the position, then you know where you stand.
Step 10: Interview Do’s and Don’ts
Here are some general things to consider when your interviewing.
- Do:
- Be assertive
- Firm handshake
- Good eye contact
- Smile lots
- Show enthusiasm
- Take notes
- Put electronics in airplane mode
- Don’t
- Be aggressive
- Have phone out
- Be evasive
- Fidget
- Eat or drink (other than water)
Step 11: Dress for Success
While there are some changes for a more casual environment regarding interviews, it is still best practice to dress appropriately for the position. Try to dress at least one step up from the company’s business attire policy and the position you are seeking. You can always dress down if the occasion calls for it.
Step 12: Do not negotiate salary at the interview!
Never negotiate salary during the interview; wait until the offer. In some instances, the interviewer may bring up salary ranges in the interview and invite you to share; divert away from the question as possible, asking lots of questions if needed. If you are pressed for an answer, know their range before answering. If you get the offer, you can always negotiate the salary as well as benefits, PTO, and other compensation. You can even use those other benefits to raise or lower your salary to get the best combination for you. Remember, the first to give numbers often loses!
Step 13: When the conversation stops, you lost!
Always invite follow-ups and follow through on any invitations or scheduling for future conversations. Cultivating a relationship with the interviewer or hiring manager may lead to other prospects down the line and future considerations if the selected candidate does not work out. End every conversation by setting up the next conversation and send a thank you letter/email.
More Information
IF you want more information about interview techniques or other career-related information, please visit Cecala Career Consultants at https://www.cecalacareer.com. If you would like a copy of the presentation or have any questions, please contact Paul Cecala at pcecala@cecalacareer.com. You can view a recording of the program on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/MsMSrDrI2Ns.
