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Perfecting interview skills
The ideas that I am going to share with you here are a snapshot of a 45 minute talk I present up and down the country on perfecting your interview techniques. Our full course takes a day to run and the techniques taught can be learned very quickly and mastered over time. The main thing though, is that they work.
When I was thinking about what I should share with you I realised that If I told you everything I would need to write a small book (now there’s an idea) so instead I thought about the many workshops we have provided over the years and found that one thing that has always stood out. Ultimately, once a client was able to really put the interview process into perspective and learn the necessary preparation methods for interviews, teaching skills and techniques were almost effortless.
Hence instead of bombarding you with various techniques I’ll simply share 3 insights into perfecting your skills through preparation.
Contents:
1. Create a winning CV
2. Developing the correct thought process regarding interviews
3. Preparing for your winning interview
1. Creating a winning CV
The purpose of a CV is to sell you as a person to your prospective employer. It’s a snapshot into who you are and what skills, qualities and attributes you possess. When constructing a CV, bear in mind the recipient. What do you want them to know about you? What do you want to highlight? My suggestion is that you don’t make one CV, print out 50 copies and march out into the wide world handing them out like they are free newspapers. Like free newspapers people may take them out of politeness, for light reading on the way home or just general curiosity.
Once you have thought about your recipient make sure you tailor your CV to suit them. Let’s put this into perspective, I’m not saying you have to tailor make every CV to match each individual company you approach; for example if you are applying to a number of retail outlets, then the information on your skills and abilities can be generic. However you can always tweak certain points to match your skills to their requirements.
Staying with the point of tweaking or fine-tuning a CV. Remember who you are sending it to and the role you are applying for. If you are a designer, then make sure that stands out on your front page. If you are a great illustrator prove it. I once had a client of mine include a full three course menu and method of preparation and service in her CV when applying to top class restaurants. Instead of saying I can blah blah blah, she showed exactly what she was capable of and her interview consisted mainly of discussing her methods and skills. She actually controlled the questions that were going to be asked long before the interview took place. Get one step ahead; if you are a programmer send them a sample of you work on CD, make sure it’s quality and shows you at your best.
Now, if you don’t have as much experience in the field you are entering, make sure you don’t try and bluff your way through. Tell them; I’m a great believer in being up front and telling the truth. Tell them what you know, be upfront with what you don’t and prove to them that you are a fast learner and you are teachable. When you lack the experience sometimes ignorance of fire beats knowledge on ice.
So how long should your CV be? I’ve heard no more than two pages, no more than four, make sure it’s more than one and so forth. I’ve found that it totally depends on you. Yes people are busy, they don’t have time, but if you have something worth reading then read it they will. I interviewed a client once for a position working with vulnerable young people. Their CV contained two concise case studies, one with child protection issues and the steps they took. They had my full attention from start to finish. I once created a CV that was six pages long; not only did I have plenty of job offers, people always commented on the testimonials page and my media page that contained any newspaper interviews I had. The latter was on page five.
Lastly the golden rule for constructing a CV is; TELL THE TRUTH. The days of lying on your CV and getting away with it are numbered. Yep, I know that many people will raise their eyebrows and think “well I did”. Don’t put yourself in that position. We are living in the information age and it's amazing just how fast a potential employer can find out whether the information you have given them is correct. A small omission of detail or a ‘mistaken’ date or grade, can cause much embarrassment and cost you a job you really want. Companies like Candidate Verifier and Eurocom C.I are getting more and more popular with employers who want to check your credentials first.
2. Developing the correct thought process regarding interviews
Remember it’s a meeting of equals; you both have something to offer
This is always a big one with people I coach. It doesn’t matter what you learn at our courses or how well you get a technique down, ultimately the making or breaking of a great interview is what is going on inside of your head. What are you thinking? Now the fact is, developing the correct thought process regarding interviews does take time; especially if you have held previously negative views or experiences of interviews. How long though will depend on you. We have various techniques developed through NLP or Self Talk which can speed up the process but ultimately it’s up to you. I’m a good coach but I always point out to my clients, coaches don’t play! It’s your game; you’re the one on the field swinging the bat. Now whether or not you hit a home run will depend on you.
The main point to always remember is the real purpose of an interview. Too many people see it as one sided. They feel that they are the monkey and the interviewer is the organ grinder, or that they are the elephant that has to balance on a ball in front of the crowds. Not so; this is a meeting of equals. Let me stress that when I say this is a meeting of equals it goes both ways. Education and position have nothing to do with it; you both have something to offer each other and also something to learn from each other. It’s about respecting each other’s skills, experience and abilities. If the focus is on position or title then it’s always a recipe for disaster in the long run. It’s a meeting that will determine on both sides whether or not you have something in common; if you are capable and competent and if they offer the right opportunities and culture for you.
I once had trouble building up a client’s confidence to believe that she really had something to offer the companies she was applying to. She just felt below all of the people who interviewed her. I met her for lunch one day and took her to a local supermarket; as we entered I stood by the door and asked her if she could identify customers as they walked in. I asked her to tell me which ones were company executives and which ones were cleaners, which ones were managers and which ones were in admin or HR. Of course she couldn’t. I then asked her to choose which ones she would not like to be interviewed by. It didn’t help that I insisted on her making eye contact with them and greeting them with a pleasant good afternoon, hence getting at least a smile from them (two actually asked if I was the manager of the store). She found it difficult to say which ones she would rather be interviewed by and soon realised, that her fears were in her head and that people are people. That prepared her to really focus on developing her interview techniques.
In my years of being employed, once I understood the rules I never went for interviews; I simply went to a meeting to discuss the possibility of what we could be doing for the next 12 months or so, as long as we both agreed on some points. Arrogant? No. Assertive and confident? Yes. They were looking at me and I was looking at them; ultimately we were both going to come to a decision. Theirs would determine whether I was offered the position and mine would determine whether I would accept it.
Work on your mind, develop your confidence.
3. Preparing for your winning interview
Interviewers don’t relish asking the same question over and over again all day long
Getting in the right frame of mind is so important when attending interviews. I can’t stress that enough. The reason why you are being called for an interview is because they believe that you have the skills they want. I remember sitting on an interview panel for three days in a row, by the third day I began to get religious, I kept praying please let this be the one! Most interviewers want you as much as you want them; don’t let them or yourself down.
We all know that practice makes perfect; just remember that preparation, makes practice easy and worthwhile. Many people come to us hungry for techniques so that they can dazzle those interviewing them with a display that they’ll never forget. That’s all well and good, but how about just getting yourself to a point where you can be in total control during an interview. The more things you prepare, the more resources you will have in your reservoir when needed.
Pace yourself; prepare for the interview. Most interviews last about 30 minutes. 5 minutes of small talk, 20 minutes of questions and 5 minutes for the conclusion. Prepare your small talk, use those vital minutes to make connections in the room. Find out as much as you can about those interviewing you without interrogating them. What are most people interested in? Themselves and what they like; so indulge them.
How good are you at telling stories? I mean when you are with friends or family; how good are you at telling them about what happens at work? Bear this in mind. Most interviews consist of questions surrounding what you have done or would do in certain situations. Have at least 4 good; and when I say good, I mean really good stories displaying your professionalism, strengths, skills and knowledge. If you have a story that you are good at telling, you can easily adapt it to fit the question asked, just as if you were telling your friends or family. Don’t forget though; when you are talking about your accomplishments by all means talk about your team and teamwork but remember, they want to know what YOU specifically did in that situation. Remember your past team are not being interviewed, you are.
Lastly on this point remember the conclusion. When you are asked if you have any questions SAY YES! And make sure you have some. Don’t keep them in your head, write them down and read them to the interviewers just like they are doing to you. Don't keep trying to impress them buy not writing down your questions. The exception being if you are going for a position in memory skills. They can be simple questions asking about, promotional prospects, organisational goals, or the structure of your team. Or powerful questions I like to call projection questions, which you can use to implant a crucial aspect about you in the minds of those interviewing you or even better still; you can make them (believe it or not) ask you exactly what you would like them to ask you. These are fun when you learn how to use them; they always give you the edge on your competitors.
As I said these are just a few of the skills and techniques taught in our perfecting interview techniques courses. For more information on upcoming courses click on the 'Coming Events' button below.
Remember; practice, prepare and enjoy your interview.
Anthony Charles.
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