Kill that interview in 15 seconds!

Without realizing it, Maura was quickly derailing one interview after another. Frustrated, she reached out for help. With a little coaching, she was able to switch things up and nailed the interviews for the perfect position.

The best interviews are dynamic, two-sided conversations where people ask questions, share ideas, and build rapport. Before the interview even happens, recruiters sort through a raft of resumes, schedule an interview time, and show up with one objective - find the best qualified candidate, fast. Job seekers who distinguish themselves with a custom resume, tailored cover letter, and a stellar recommendation are the ones who are most likely to enjoy productive interviews and advance to the next step in the hiring process.
Maura derailed her interviews in less than a minute when she answered the common question, "What has you looking for a new job?" Every time, she cited a need for better work/life balance as her reason for searching. The moment she uttered those words, she edged the interviewer off the business track and into her personal life - unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory.
Once she changed her answer, she changed her results. Which answer did the trick? Was it:

A. "I wasn’t looking. When this job popped-up on LinkedIn, I saw it as a great next step in my career and a chance for me to led my experience to a company I really admire."
B. "I came into my current position looking to accomplish _______, I’ve done that and now I am looking for an opportunity to _____..."
C. "A recent reorganization forced me to consider new opportunities and I’m confident that I can make a difference here by contributing _______ . . ."

If you guessed B, you were right. Maura had accomplished all that she set out to do and she wanted better work/life balance. Rather than making that a topic for the interview, she instead made learning about company culture a high priority. She searched the company website, scrolled through Glassdoor, and talked to current and former employees she identified through her network on LinkedIn. She even prepared a few questions for the interview, so when she showed up, she was curious and confident. When the time was right, she asked:

• What attracts people to this organization? What makes them stay?
• How would you describe the culture overall?
• In this part of the organization, what are the characteristics of the most successful people?

Two interviews later, Maura landed a job that challenges her to use her medical experience and offers her all the flexibility she wants.
Follow her lead and ace your next interview with these 5 tips:


1. Do your homework.

• Identify your top priorities and don’t compromise.
• Learn everything about the target organizations. Search the website, scour Glassdoor, and work your network to find people who will share the inside story and get your resume into the right hands.
• Prepare your answers to the interview questions that are designed to trip you up.
• Review the questions you should and shouldn’t ask, along with questions you should never be asked.

2. Speak the language the company understands when you submit your application.

• Draft multiple versions of your resume. Print the target job descriptions, highlight key words and phrases and update your resume with as many of them as possible.
• Tailor cover letters and include short stories that illustrate how your experience lines-up with the key requirements of the job. The details may come in handy during the interview.

3. Show up confident and curious.

• Try one of Amy Cuddy’s power poses (in the privacy of the restroom!).

4. Follow-up the next day.

• Acknowledge, say thank you, and sell yourself.
• A great, quick follow-up note: Hi Bill, when we met on Thursday, you explained the unique challenges your group is facing and your vision for the next 18 months. Thank you. I am really looking forward to lending my strategic analysis skills to help the team double sales by the end of the year. What’s our best next step?

5. Learn from experience.

• Assess what worked and what didn't as you reflect on the interview.
• Identify 3 tangible improvements for next time – these can be anything, ranging from working on your answer to the ever so common "what is your biggest strength and weakness?" to the strength of your handshake as you thank your interviewer for their time. There is always room for improvement!

Are you actively interviewing? Want to share what’s working for you? If something isn’t working, let’s solve the problem and share your success with everyone else. Email me.