Going in for an interview can feel like being on the most public stage imaginable. The stakes are high and every move of yours is being observed and analyzed to the Nth degree. Everyone has had an interview where they walk out feeling like they are on top of the world. And everyone has definitely had that feeling in the pit of their stomach when things seemed to have gone terribly wrong and where their chances of landing the job seem like they went down faster than the Hindenburg. I plan to delve extensively into interview preparation so you can interview like a pro. Today, I would like to present 5 small changes to your interview approach that will drastically improve your success rate in landing your dream job.
And speaking of slight change leading to big results - a mentor of mine once provided me with a great analogy. In a prior career he was training to become a chef. Part of this process entailed he cut enough carrots in a shift to feed a small country. Not only were these carrots to be cut, they were to be cut evenly and precisely to look presentable as part of a dish. Suffice to say, this was a difficult undertaking and he continued to have the same lacklustre results using the same technique. Go figure. At some point, he modified his cutting technique by ever so slightly adjusting the angle of his protective hand, and in the turn, the blade, leading to a dramatic improvement in both his cutting capacity and the quality of his results.
Interviewing is similar to cutting a bag of carrots. You need to take the right approach to accomplish your goal. And the right approach is likely not going be that much different than what you have been doing all along.
Here are 5 things you can start to do right away to improve your interview results:
1. Weave your knowledge about the company into your conversation
When I was a hiring manager, I was generally impressed by the research candidates did before an interview. This information typically came out when I asked them what they knew about the company. And while this is a completely fine place to showcase the homework you’ve done on the company, you can take this to the next level by incorporating it into other parts of the conversation. A place I like to incorporate this is when I asked the interviewer questions about the firm. For example, “I know your organization ranks as one of the leading environmentally friendly firms in the country, what initiatives is the firm currently working on in this regard?” Another place to weave in this information is when answering behavioural questions. If you are asked how, for example, you’ve adapted in the past to a new environment, you can mention the benefits of having a mentor at your old workplace and how you are excited about their formal mentorship program for new employees.
2. Know your interviewer
Some people feel it can come across as creepy to look up an interviewer’s Linkedin profile and reference your research to them during the interview. I take the opposite stance. If you stick to LinkedIn and cursory Google searches, there is nothing to hide about reading up on who is interviewing you. It shows your interest in the job, the firm and, of course, the person interviewing you. And everyone likes to feel important! In the first round interview for my current job, I mentioned that I noticed the person interviewing me held a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation, something I was considering preparing for in the coming years. I asked him what the process was like attaining the designation and how it had helped him as a project manager. I was genuinely interested and, because of this, my question was well received.
3. Have more than three great questions prepared and written down
One misconception about interviews is that you need to have your questions memorized. I used to think that way and did just that. Now, I come in with a binder that contains 5 questions for the interviewer. Usually a couple get answered during the interview so I have a few left as backups at the end. The beauty of writing questions down is that it shows you have come prepared, you will be able to ask the questions without jumbling your words and, most importantly, you can showcase your active listening skills by writing notes as you receive your answer and then reflecting back on this feedback to the interviewer. This is a highly effective method of showing how you would work in a collaborative setting that is client focused. It’s almost like you are giving the interviewer a preview of what an on-the-job meeting would be like with you. And that’s the kind of impression you want to make.
4. Use people’s names
This is brought up as one of the tenets in How to Win Friends and Influence People. There is no sweeter word that people like to hear than their own name. It also shows a level of respect to greet them with it. Remember to include your interviewer’s name both when you begin and when you end your interaction with them.
5. And show gratitude
This goes hand-in-hand with using people’s names – express that you are grateful for the opportunity to be interviewed and for their time, both at the beginning and at the end of the interview. Never assume people can read your mind (news alert: they can't) and intuitively know you are grateful for the opportunity to meet with them – say so!
While I will have more on how to ace your next interview in upcoming posts, these five tips will help you stand out from many other candidates - that’s a big carrot dangling as a reward for such a small shift in your approach.
Do you want to learn more about how to get your foot in the door to interview for your dream job? Check out my free ebook How to Land Your Dream Job - and network like a pro!
