Acing the Interview

Catherine Morgan
Catherine MorganCareer Transition Expert | Business Consultant | TEDx and Event Speaker | Writer at Point A to Point B Transitions Inc.
Acing the Interview
Catherine Morgan
Career Transition and Entrepreneur Coach
Point A to Point B Transitions Inc.
June 20, 2013
Welcome to Sales 101
• Wrong place? No!
– Get comfortable with selling yourself
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?
How do you know if you fit?
• Gut feeling?
• Common background?
• Common interests?
• Similar personality traits?
• Similar work style?
• Similar personal style?
Be yourself
• Don’t fake it!
• Six months in your real personality will come
out and you will be miserable
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
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
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?
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
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!
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
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
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
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
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?
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?
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
Don’t do this
• Don’t badmouth a former boss/company
– If it wasn’t a fit, just say that
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
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?
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
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?
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!
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?”
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!
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
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
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
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
Questions?
Catherine Morgan
Career Transition and Entrepreneur Coach
Point A to Point B Transitions Inc.
877.672.5333
Catherine@PointAtoPointBTransitions.com
Twitter @PointA_PointB
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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