Posts Tagged ‘great interview’

In the Job Interview, It Is All About You

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

You know how aggravating it is when you are introduced to someone new and they go on and on about themselves. A job interview, however, is actually the right moment for this to happen. It is all about you – the candidate; moreover it is all about your fit. Not in a self-important way like the person you were introduced to at a party. Rather in a sharing information way. You have information they need. It is up to you to be sure they hear it, understand it and consider it. This is one moment where it must be all about you.

So how do you talk about yourself and not sound vain or arrogant? Try these:

1. Introduce yourself and a little of what makes you human; share a story about your family, your friends or an event that gives a realistic and positive image of you. People learn more from and are more engaged in stories.

2. Talk about your value. Don’t just introduce things you have done; introduce things that show what you have done and the value it provided. Start with “Let me tell you about a time when…” Or, “can I tell you about a time that I was able to ….?”

3. Show your confidence. Ask about situations you will encounter in the workplace and offer to respond to them. This shows your thinking, approach, energy and fit.

4. Be warm, human, friendly and interested. In short, be present in the interview. One of the most significant reasons candidates fail in their interviews is their minds are elsewhere when on the interview. Apply for a meaningful job, then be fully present to show your talents, fit and value. Turn off your cell phone.

Say what you need to say about you and your fit for the role. Be ready to bring up important situations to show your value and approach, even if the interviewer does not. They want to see your aptitude, personality and confidence. You have what they need to know that can help you get the job. This is one moment where it is all about you. Share your information the right way.

Please share this with someone who can benefit from it.

Get Hired in 2010 -Step 7 of the Plan – the Interview

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

We are at the interview step. So far we have focused on knowing our talents, strengths and passions, and the jobs that need these. Focusing this way gives us a competitive advantage in job hunting. We have reviewed the talent-based resume and how to use social media to get noticed. Now – time to be great in your interview. Click here for all 8 steps of this plan.

I have put together the ten rules for a great interview. Click here to see each in greater detail. And while on the site, check out the other great ideas to get hired in 2010.

My ten rules for a great interview:
1. Think “fit” – how you fit and how the company fits for you.
2. Impressions matter.
3. Be positive, upbeat, optimistic and congenial.
4. Have three great questions ready to ask.
5. Focus on your value.
6. Be confident, not arrogant.
7. Make sure you know all the facts.
8. Look for common ground.
9. Remember the power of body language.
10. Have fun.

Your interview is your time to connect with them, impress them, show your fit and indicate how you will add value to the organization. Follow these rules and the interview will be a success. The job offer generally comes down to how you do in the interview. Know yourself. Be confident. Be great.

Share these interview rules with those others looking for jobs.

If You Blend, You Lose – So Stand Out

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Employees and job seekers you must Stand Out! Remember that we are inundated with distractions in our high-tech and high-distraction world. If you blend, you lose. If you look like everyone else, they don’t remember you. Being invisible is no way to get a job or keep a job.

Employees: In today’s workplace, many employees are still nervous of layoffs…and rightly so. An unemployment rate that keeps rising and an economy that slow to recover are forcing companies to continue employee layoffs. The best way not to be laid off is to become what author and NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman calls the “untouchable” – untouchable from layoffs because you consistently add value, stand out in effort, innovation and commitment. Click here for his Op-Ed.

So, if you have a job – how do you become the “untouchable” – the “invaluable?” Don’t wait for someone to create this for you. Create it yourself. Do it now.

Job seekers: Great companies are always hiring. Smart companies know there is great unemployed and available talent because of the recession and they are rebuilding their teams to be stronger than ever. Keep applying to jobs that match your talents and play to your strengths (you are more competitive for these jobs). And when you interview, be sure you stand out. As hiring managers interview many people, you must be the one they see as the right fit, and the one they remember (for the right reasons). For guidance, see my 10 Rules For A Great Interview.

Now is no time to blend. Stand out and get hired. Stand out and get noticed. Either way, stand out.