How To Ace the Interview
At The Backbone Institute, we don’t want you to just do okay in your next interview, we want you to ace it!
TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT
· Hyper competitive – many people looking for work
· High level of candidate motivation
· Uneven level of interviewer skill
· Fuzzy job descriptions
· Sloppy communication processes
How to Prepare – Competence Builds Confidence!
1. Know your strengths – review past feedback and successes
2. Be ready to talk about accomplishments – they demonstrate your breadth and depth of experience
3. Think about lessons you’ve learned from good and bad experiences. How are you wiser?
4. Know your values – what can you support/go along with and where do you draw the line?
5. Know what you’re looking for now (expedience) and later (strategic)
6. Research the company and industry. We mention it last because if you’re not solid about yourself, it won’t matter who you’re talking to. When you are, understanding your potential employer is priority 1.
CALL UP YOUR CHARACTER!
The Backbone Institute encourages you to approach your next interview being strong, centered, and excited about what you bring. You’ve prepared well!
How to Interview
1. Be authentic. There’s only one you with the set of qualifications, experiences, viewpoints and desires you bring.
2. Listen to the question before you answer.
3. Answer honestly and from your experience. If you want to have a key leadership role in the company someday, say so. If you want to find a safe place to do good work, talk about your interest in being a key contributor on a stable, high performing team.
4. Be prepared to ask your questions – an interview is a two-way street with both parties looking for a match. When one or the other is misrepresented in some way, it won’t work.
Remember that when you are called in for an interview there is some level of interest.
· Explore this interest.
· Highlight what you bring
· Tie it to the business as you understand it
· Express your interest, if it is genuine.
If this is not something that fits you, say so. There is great power in thanking your interviewer for time and interest and declining an opportunity that does not fit your unique qualifications.
To summarize: Look for the right opportunities that will allow you to shine. Prepare yourself. Get ready to wow your interviewer!
Next week from The Backbone Institute: A Call for Leaders.
