Preparing for your meetings (interviews)
Being prepared for meetings and interviews will be important for your success.
Following questions should help you shape your responses and ace the meeting:
- What caught your attention about the job?
- What about it sounds like fun?
- What made you apply?
- Why this company?
- What is important about the services that the company provides? Why is it important to you?
- How does their mission align with your values?
Passion and storytelling
If there’s one thing recruiters and hiring managers love seeing in a candidate, it is passion. So rather than just telling them that you’re interested in your field, start your career story by telling them why you’re interested in the field, and how that interest came to be.
Here’s an example.
| From my childhood years spent scribbling down three-paragraph fairy tales in my blanket fort to an intensive but incredibly gratifying creative writing program in college, I’ve always been a storyteller at heart. So when it came time to look for a job, there was no doubt in my mind that writing and storytelling had to play a key role in my career. I did a couple of internships that helped me hone my marketing skills–one in a technical writing role where I worked with internal stakeholders to produce engaging instructional videos and presentations for our company-wide intranet site, and a Hispanic marketing role where I created a data-driven creative marketing plan, which resulted in an increase in market share from No. 3 to No. 2 in my assigned region. For my first full-time position, though, I wanted to get closer to my storytelling roots, so I accepted a position as a content writer at a creative communications agency. In my current role, I’m tasked with strategising, executing, and optimising social media, blog post, case study, and byline programs. I get to work with Global 500 companies, place stories in top-tier publications, and ultimately generate interest in my clients and elevate their reputations, but I’m often torn between too many different goals. Instead, I want to concentrate all of my efforts behind one company whose mission I really believe in. If chosen to be the staff writer/content marketer at XX, however, I know I’d be able to strike a balance between producing engaging, creative, high-quality content and working toward something truly meaningful–helping people find jobs and companies they love. What’s more, I’ll have a lot to offer my team and the company as a whole, including relevant experience, a proven track record of success, an eagerness to collaborate, and an unyielding passion for the written word. |
Understand the organisation, their business, and industry
Up until this point you’ve already understood what their business problems are from your research, what their challenges are and potentially how you’re going to solve their problems if they hire you.
During the interview, when it is appropriate, pull out from your bag the 90-day business proposal for the company. It could be same business proposal you used earlier or a well-improved one.
The key idea here is that you are literally looking at the business problems that they know about and that you’ve identified on the outside for fixing up if you are hired.
For example, you’re saying that their website doesn’t convert enough. You proposed three things you would do to improve their conversions. Because the hiring manager knows that he can get all these things done by you, they cannot resist right there for you to ‘closed the sale’.
Think about the mindset, mentality, and psychology of a busy person. They know that if they’re hiring someone to do the new project or hiring someone for a full-time position they’re going to have to spend more of their limited time training this person.
But if you come with a fully fleshed out detailed proposal, the hiring manager doesn’t even have to think about the problem and solution. You already documented the solution on paper.
You’re in effect making it easier for that busy person to say “yes” to you.
Busy people love to tweak things. They don’t necessarily want to create things.
Preparing for the meeting
If you simply walk into a job interview unprepared, it’s easy for the person to say “no”, “I don’t think so”, etc.
When you take out your 90-day business plan from your bag, all of a sudden, it’s reframing the conversation where you have control. It’s no longer adversarial or one-sided.
Show the hiring manager that you understood their pain points. Constructively outline what you can bring to the organisation to help solve their problem.
Employers know that getting someone with more experience means the learning curve will be shorter. That someone with more experience at a lower price can also be good for them when you price yourself correctly.
In essence, you should strategically build a constructive case for your hire.
Too often people lose in job interviews because they don’t show a single ounce of emotion or passion for the role.
Let the interviewer know how much you love the role and the work you are going to do for the company.
Demonstrate your growth and the massive trajectory you’re on.
That’s how you get them excited. That’s how you get hired to do anything.
Before your job interview:
- Confirm everyone you’ll be meeting with in the job interview. Fire off a quick email like this: “I’m really excited to come in on XX and want to confirm that I’ll be speaking with XX and XX. Could you please let me know if there’s anyone else I should look forward to meeting? Thanks so much!”
- Check out the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile when there is one. LinkedIn is the obvious great place to start for any professionals. Take down notes about the person whom you are going to meet.
- Google their names and see what comes up. You may uncover some gems about particular people you are meeting!
- Always prepare your “about me” answer. “Tell me a little about yourself” is a common icebreaker question. Plan your answers using a few quick bullet points. Keep things short and concise.
- Brainstorm one great question to ask about the job or the company. When in doubt, ask a question that shows off your curiosity.
Video yourself in an “interview” – the dry run (practice, practice, practice)
Cameras don’t lie. Push “record” on your phone camera and see how you go in the “interview”.
Your nervousness of being video recorded is a good proxy for being “on” a job interview. You’ll hear every “um,” “you know” and “like” that you may say unconsciously.
You’ll also see your non-verbal communication: how you sit, your facial expression, how much you fidget, and so forth.
You may need to rehearse the interview and get feedback from your friends especially the “Tell Me About Yourself” part of the interview.
You need responses that are punchy, crisp, compelling, and to the point.
Describe your most recent position. It includes asking your greatest career accomplishment, your strengths, and weaknesses, and why do you want to work here.
When you play back the recording, listen to your answers.
How can you say it more concisely, bringing it down to tight thirty-second answers?
Have a practice Skype session with a friend, check the background for distractions, and dress from head to toe, even if you’re only visible to your shoulders.