How to Prepare for a Job Interview
Hey there!
You feeling those interview vibes in the air this Fall? The Great Resignation is upon us and it has everyone interviewing for new jobs.
Hope you are taking advantage of this market and also putting yourself out there.
As you prepare and practice for your interviews, I wanted to send you a reminder about how to really win at job interviews. It may not be what you think.
Listen to me carefully: Your job is not to ace every interview question.
Most job seekers think interviewing is all about giving correct answers. WRONG
Interviewing is not like school where you study for the test and if you know the right answers, you pass.
Interviewing is a bit more complex just like real life and human psychology.
So what should you focus on during an interview to be a top performer?
If you want to start acing your interviews you must 1) know the value you bring and 2) demonstrate your skill set and experience through specific examples and stories.
Remember the hiring team is looking to solve their own pain points by hiring for this role. They are not going to hire you simply because you are nice (but don't be a jerk either, obvi).
You must share compelling and specific stories that show the hiring team how you have had an impact in your work. Emphasis on show, not tell.
This helps them SEE you in the role solving their own needs.
If you want to show that you’re the BEST candidate, it's your job to convey your value to them and tell a compelling story.
Here are a few tips to help you prep for your next interview:
Think like an employer: Start looking at the interview process more from the hiring team's perspective to better understand how to become a high-value candidate. They really want you to succeed, but it's your job to show how you are qualified, they won't infer it if you don't share it.
Curate an amazing story: It's NOT about sharing your whole career story, it's about curating the most relevant highlights. Think about specific examples that will help the employer see you in the role adding value and solving their problems. Curate and practice your best stories for common interview questions, even if it's about transferable skills.
Tell many specific stories: The theme here is stories and examples if you haven't picked up on that. The more stories you tell throughout your interview the more success you'll have. Avoid the trap of being too self-descriptive in interviews. It's much more compelling to give a specific story example about how you've approached a situation than saying you are "results-oriented, a natural people person, ambitious, etc."
Become irresistible by KNOWING YOUR VALUE, owning your experiences, and showing that you can solve their problems if hired. These are the keys to acing every interview.
That's the tea. Hope it helps.
