Your Job Search: 3 Ways to Crush Your Interview
Friday, November 21, 2014
Photo Credit: iStock
Jeff, a promising engineering candidate, came to me after numerous interviews that ended bleakly and resulted in no job offers. The good news is, he was getting the interview. The bad news is, he was tanking it. And he wasn’t sure why.
After speaking with Jeff we identified three fatal errors he was making in the interview process. They were:
1. He saw the interview as a one-way discussion wherein the employer asks questions and evaluates him.
2. He wasn’t brining his knowledge, ideas, and skill set into play in the interview.
3. He saw his role in the interview as passive, i.e. waiting to be spoken to before speaking.
We worked on dispelling all three of those notions, and worked on three new strategies instead. Here’s how.
1. Demonstrate how you’ll address the employer pain points.
It’s not just about your skills; it’s about how you’ll use them to solve the business problem.
The interview is not just about what you bring. In Jeff’s case it was great software design and programmer skills. It is about how you are going to use those skills to solve the employer’s business problems.
In addition to making sure he had good basics about his skills messages, we went a step further. We researched the employer, the industry, and the competitors.
We quickly saw competitive issues at hand. A major player was planning to make a move into that market.
Jeff came up with some ideas about how he could weave his questions and insight, into the conversation about that issue. That way, he was not only bringing his best side, he was showing them how he could help address those pain points.
I suggested Jeff act like he was already part of the team, and position his questions differently:
“Since I’m really strong at coding in this language, I’m thinking I could do (this kind of work) in addressing the issues with the new business model. Tell me more about what the team is already doing to fix that.”
When you’re addressing the pain point of the employer, you’re behaving like you already work there. And that’s part of the reason they’ll want to hire you.
Which brings me to the second strategy:
2. Act like a trusted advisor.
Yes, you can act like a trusted advisor in an interview!
Sure you’re in an interview to make sure you fit the requirements the employer needs. You’re also there to demonstrate how you can help the organization.
I suggested Jeff go beyond the basic questions he was asking. They were very tactical things like, “Are most of the projects in this language or that?” Yawn.
Instead, I encouraged him to provoke discussion by asking about the competitive issue and presenting solutions.
“What is your plan integrating the new business model with a better performance standard? Do you have a clear sense for what’s causing the issues?”
“Do you have a plan for when Competition encroaches into this space? Have you thought about taking this action or that action? “
All of sudden, he was no longer an interviewee. He was a trusted advisor.
Instead of an “interview” the conversation became an organic discussion of the issues at hand and how – together – they would solve them.
Which brings me to my last point.
3. Have a conversation.
Reframe the interview into a conversation. A conversation between you, and the employer. And in the course of that conversation, you show them what to expect from you in real life, when you work on their team.
Here are three tips to do that:
- Don’t wait until the end of the interview to ask questions. Jeff interjected questions about competition and being an asset on the team. By doing so he was better able to share his ideas.
- Interject your ideas about how you will help the team. Share your ideas about where you can help solve the business problem, and how you will perform when you do. In short, show them what they’ll get if they hire you.
- Build relationships. This is a time to (believe it or not) relax and act “as if” you already belong on that team. Relationships are critical in today’s work environment and you’ll be showing the team what to expect if they work with you.
The end result?
Jeff called excited the next day. He said every conversation went really well. He had turned the interview into a conversation. And he couldn’t believe what a difference it made. And in every one of his interviews, he told me, the people didn’t want to leave at the end of the hour.
Needless to say, he got the offer and the job of his dreams. And he loves his work there.
All because he was willing to shake off an old mindset that wasn’t working, and embrace some new ideas. At the end of the day, he had a great conversation!
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