Interviews Can Be…Fun?

The fine folks over at PARWCC, who are a wonderful organization for us coaches/writers, had a recent article published about how interviewing for a new job can be fun, exciting, and encouraging. Or, it can be nerve-wracking and challenging. The key, either way, is preparation. The number one reason recruiters and hiring managers I speak with do not select a candidate is a lack of preparation.

Here are some comments they received from recruiters and hiring managers concerning interviewing:

Hiring Manager for an employee seeking a promotion: “I expect my employees to take the afternoon off before an interview the next day – it demonstrates devotion and preparation.”

Recruiter: “A candidate should prepare for 40 hours for one interview.”

Interview Panelist: “The candidate should always have a question or two for the interview panel. We rarely select a candidate who does not ask the panel a question.”

Hiring Manager: “The candidate should know about the company, its mission, competitors, and the position’s duties from the vacancy announcement.”

Recruiter: “I negotiate salary on behalf of my client and instruct my clients not to discuss salary before it is appropriate.”

Interview Panelist: “Candidates should tell me what they can do for me—not what I can do for them. For example, some ask questions like, ‘How many vacation days will I receive?’ ‘Will I be required to work overtime?’ ‘What is the starting salary?’ The unfortunate thing is we have just started the interview. I do not know yet if the candidate is a good fit.”

Interviewer and Hiring Official to a candidate: “It’s all about practice. Practice your responses to be much snappier in your cadence. Sometimes, I felt like there were long pauses in the way that you provided your answer. You know what your scenarios are. Please take advantage of the opportunity to practice them, get them right, and get a nice, crisp cadence. I would also shorten them up. Avoid providing unnecessary details. Remember, the panels are all human beings. We are in interview after interview, so we get mentally tired, and it’s hard for us to stay focused on the person’s responses all the time. The longer you go on, the less focused the panel becomes. You want to be more crisp and to the point.”

One of my coaching techniques is to invite other interviewers to my clients’ interview preparation sessions. I do this mainly for executive clients. This technique ensures my client receives a more realistic experience of facing an executive panel interview. I also learn a lot each time I work with other experts.

Jobseeker Takeaway: Remember, no matter video or in-person, confidence is key and I think personally the #1 way to exude that confidence is having knowledge. Going into the interview so prepared, high hanging slider-type questions seem like four seam fastballs. Research the role, investigate the industry, major players, products/offerings/services, and news. Learn the terminology and respective process impact in this new role. Understand the function your new role would play in the entire operations. Why is there an opening? What pain points do the hiring managers have because of the opening? How can you make their lives easier if they hired you? Understand not only the achievements and accomplishments you can bring into the new role (and ensure to tie these into nice little quick narratives whether it’s shown through a project, success story, etc.), but most importantly, what value do you offer? If you are equipped with this knowledge, the interview should be a piece of cake. Remember, they want you to be the right fit. They’re busy people and have regular projects to tend to. This hiring process forces them to stop what they’re doing and focus solely on staffing. Trust me, they’d rather be doing day-to-day stuff. So know that you’re in the room for a reason. They think you could be the right fit. Now convince them of this using your knowledge and confidence.

Finally, understand not only the achievements and accomplishments you can bring into the new role (and ensure to tie these into nice little quick narratives whether it’s shown through a project, success story, etc.), but most importantly, what value do you offer? If you are equipped with this knowledge, the interview should be a piece of cake. Remember, they want you to be the right fit. They’re busy people and have regular projects to tend to. This hiring process forces them to stop what they’re doing and focus solely on staffing. Trust me, they’d rather be doing day-to-day stuff. So know that you’re in the room for a reason. They think you could be the right fit. Now convince them of this using your knowledge and confidence.

Chime in over here.