Turn Job Interviews into Job Offers

We all have only one chance to make a good first impression. Here are some ideas to make the most of your interviews and hopefully turn your interviews into job offers. There are definitely strategies and tactics that make the most of each phase of your interview- The opening phase, the selling phase, outlining benefits, positioning yourself, repositioning your competition, overcoming weaknesses, closing, rapport building, great question asking… to name a few.

Let’s take a breath and start with the simplest and most effective advice I know. You probably heard this growing up, and it is always true.

Be Yourself o Right from the start. No matter how nervous you are, your goal is simply to establish trust with your interviewer and give the interviewer a few ideas about what you can do for the company during the interview You tune up the parts of you that match the job and tune down the parts that don’t, but never pretend to be someone or something you are not. It is a sure recipe for disaster.

o Have a ready list of anecdotes, examples and stories that you are happy and confident to retell about your past triumphs. These personal examples go a long way towards helping you to convey who you are on the whole.

o Look for ways that you and your interviewer are alike, and talk about them. Look for important things and emotions that you both have experienced, and the currents that drive your interests in common. You are interviewing the interviewer here as well.

Research the Company & Tell Them What you can Do o How can you help this company in the future? You will know that if you have done your research before the interview. Find out how you can help, and develop a strategy to clearly communicate your value.

o Underline the ways your strengths match the needs of the job. If your strengths don’t all match, create ‘bridges’ using unique talents and experiences in life that you have had. Show how you can transfer your successes to the new position.

o Connect a success from your past work life experience that matches the company’s current challenge.

o Carefully prepare a story that describes the learning that came from a failure. Many interviewers will ask about your past failures and you can beat them to the punch by working it into your discussion of lessons that have strengthened you as a leader. This will elevate you in the interviewer’s mind, not diminish you. Have a good story ready that shows you are big enough to admit that mistakes have been part of your education.

o Ask good questions. How does the interviewer define success in this job? How do they measure that? What is an example of a previous success? What are the biggest current challenges? Why is this job open right now? What is the history of this position?

Go in with confident body language. Everything about you speaks!

o Non-verbal cues are more important than verbal ones. Studies show that body language comprises 55% of the force of your response, whereas verbal content provides only 7%, and “paralanguage” (intonation, pauses, eye contact) represents 38% of your impact.

o Make sure that your body language is congruent with your message. Most interviewers believe the nonverbal, so make sure your message matches your body language.

o Traumatized interviewees often appear downcast, even when talking about their strengths. Difficult questions cause them to fidget, or become overly rigid and defensive.

o Your actions reveal your inner confidence so practice in front of a mirror, or better with a coach who will help you to conquer these moments by using groups of related gestures that are specifically placed, not random.

Follow up o At the end of the interview ask when they plan to make their decision. You will learn how long you will have to wait! One phone call to follow up is allowable if you haven’t heard.

o Always send a thank you letter! Even if you think it went poorly, say one or two clever things you wish you had said. Refer to the interview “I gave more thought to the question you asked about relocating…” “What you said about X gave me some new insights into Y.”

The process can be enjoyable and stimulating for both parties.

o To learn more, ask a coach or find books or resources on:

o Job interview questions o Interview phases o Public speaking o Leadership o Career issues o Conducting an interview yourself Happy Job Landing!

Turn Job Interviews into Job Offers - To learn more about this author, visit Dianne Legro's Website.

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