Interview Likes It's Second Nature | Dalena Bradley

Interview Like It’s Second Nature
Strategies to help you express your unique value,
stand out from the competition, and win the job!

BEFORE
Dalena Bradley Career Marketing Services - copyright 2018

THE 7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO EXCEL IN JOB
INTERVIEWS AND WIN JOB OFFERS
-Yourself
- What Sets You Apart
-The Job
-The Industry
-The Company
-The Interviewer(s)
-Potential Obstacles to Success

COMMUNICATING VALUE: YOUR SUCCESS STORIES
Choose 6-8 stories to satisfy most
behavioral interview questions
Sample Behavioral Questions:
“Tell me about a time when you achieved a goal while
working under an immense amount of pressure.”
“Describe a time when you had to deal with a difficult client.
How did you handle the situation?”
“Tell me about a time when you had to persuade a group of
people to go along with your idea.”

How to Organize Your Stories Using the
Situation Opportunity Action Result (SOAR) format

First, describe the Situation or Challenge
- What was the goal?
- Who was involved?
- What was your role?
- Timeframe?
- Budget?

The hook: Get interviewers on the edge of their seat by
describing the Opportunity (Consequences, Risk, or Stakes):
“We had the chance to double our revenue if we brought on
board this new client.”
“We were on the verge of losing our biggest client.”
“Our productivity was diminishing by the hour with the
frequent equipment malfunctions.”

What Action did you take?
- Share what actions you took to achieve the desired
outcome
- Name the skills and competencies involved
-Use job description as a guide/prompt for competencies

The finale: Explain the Result or benefit to the company
• Bring to life the success of your actions
- Did you meet or beat your timeframe?
- Did you come in under budget?
- Did it have a positive impact on the
department, the company, the industry?

 Situation: “We were losing business to a competitor
because they had a larger sales force in the same region.”
 Opportunity/Risk: “We didn’t have budget to expand our
sales team. If we continued to lose business, we’d have to
shut down our Northwest regional office.”
 Action: “To make up for 1:1 meetings with decision
makers, I created popular quarterly events and a well-
received webinar series to reach hundreds of prospects at
once.”
 Result: “We recovered market share and increased
revenue by $5M within six months.”

Logistics + Reminders
-Know your route
-Be early
-Dress to impress
-Extra resumes,
recommendation
letters, paper, pens
-Stories, strengths,
weaknesses
-Questions for the
interviewer

DURING

THE 3 COMPONENTS TO SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEWING
Communicating Value – You can do the job
Establishing a Good Fit – Same values and cultural
characteristics
The Likeability Factor – Personality and temperament

The Likeability Factor
• “You’re either hired (or not) during the walk from the lobby…”
Wise Outplacement Consultant, Portland, OR
• Firm handshake, good eye contact, and smile
• Make light conversation
• Assess the interviewer/communication style and adapt

Body Language
• Firm Handshake
• Sit straight or slightly
forward in chair
• Smile
• Make eye contact
• Don’t cross your
arms
• Keep feet and legs
still
• Mirror the
interviewer

Common Interview Questions
“Tell me about yourself.”
Not your life story! A quick overview of your
background, a personal detail or two.

Finance Professional
“Thank you for asking. I’m a native Oregonian and grew up on a
large wheat ranch, which is where I developed a strong work ethic
from an early age.
I went to U of O and worked in a number of jobs and industries until
15 years ago, when I took an entry-level finance position, found I
enjoyed it, and stayed the course.
In my 10 years at Columbia Coffee Company, I’ve ascended in roles
with progressively more responsibility to my current position as
director of finance. I truly enjoy this work, and look forward to
discussing how my successes can apply to this job.”

“Why are you in the job market?”
• Stay positive!
• Don’t bad-mouth your former or current
employer, boss, or coworkers.
• Focus on this potential employer

“Why do you want to work here?”
Informed (not self-serving) answer that’s focused on the
company and how your skills will help
“I’m excited that I’d be part of building this new customer
success team from the ground up, bringing this exact
experience from my current job. I’m energized by the
company’s culture and believe in its products, and would
be happy to work with such a great group of smart and
talented people.”

“What is your greatest weakness?”
• Be genuine
• Mention something real, but that isn’t central to
the job you’re discussing.
• Talk about how you’re overcoming or addressing
the issue.

One way to frame your response to “What is your
greatest weakness?”:
“I’ve been fortunate to have a successful career, but am
always looking for ways to grow and work on areas for
improvement. One area in particular is XX, and I
am/have addressed this by:
• Hiring XX (who has a complementary skill set).
• Routinely meeting and idea-sharing with respected
industry peers.
• Creating a new process/routine for the situation.

Off-Limits Questions by the Interviewer:
• Race
• Age
• Religion
• Place of birth
• Disability
• Marital Status
• Children
- Answer the question
- Refuse to answer the question
- Ask, “How does this pertain to the job?” or assume the
intent behind the question
- Walk away

IT’S A TWO-WAY STREET
Sample Questions to Ask in an Interview:
What are the department’s goals for the next 5 years?
Outside of what I could gather online, how would YOU
describe the company culture?
How would you describe your management style?
What are some of the challenges you are facing that keep
you up at night?

What Not to Ask:
• $alary
• Benefits
• Vacation
• Workload
Wait until you have the offer!

CLOSING THE INTERVIEW
“Is there any aspect of my experience you’d like me to
expand upon?”
“Have I shared enough about myself and my experience
that you’re comfortable moving me on to the next step?”
“What is your timeline for making a decision? What is
your preference for how I follow up on my candidacy?”

After

FOLLOW UP WITH A PURPOSE
Immediately send a follow-up thank you email
that includes:
• Restatement of your appreciation
• Something relevant or interesting from your conversation
• Reinforce your main strengths / Address the problem you’ll
solve
• Check in as preferred by your prospective employer

To find out about one-on-one interview coaching, contact:
DALENA BRADLEY Career Marketing Services
Certified Employment Interview Professional (CEIP)
503.319.7337 | dalena@dalenabradley.com
www.dalenabradley.com | www.linkedin.com/in/dalenabradley
Get your FREE Bonus Interview Success Tips + Resources, PLUS my
popular quick-read biweekly newsletter, 3 on Thursday: Thoughts for
Your Career Success! http://www.dalenabradley.com/pdxmindshare

Interview Likes It's Second Nature | Dalena Bradley

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