Everyone has their go-to strategy for
interview preparation. Mine has a success
rate of 100%. That’s right. Every time I
have interviewed for a job, I’ve gotten an
offer. Want to know how I do it?
1. Research. While you may not know
the exact questions that will be asked
during an interview, you can get an idea
from the job posting, conversations with
recruiters, or your own connections in the
industry what the typical concerns are for
the type of position you are aiming for,
then shape your answers to fit
accordingly. The more you know about
the position and the company, the better
you can present yourself as a solution for
them. A little research can make the
difference between a well-organized
interview and, well, a hot mess.
2. Write the Script. Communications
pros know that every press interview is
an opportunity to get across certain key
messages, and they use a written briefing
document to prepare the spokesperson
for the reporter’s questions. Likewise, a
job interview is your chance to reinforce
the points where you are the strongest,
address any weaknesses on your own
terms and set the stage for an offer.
Create your own briefing document,
basically a script outline of what you want
to say, that speaks to your own key
messages. Not sure what your messages
are? Look at your resume — what skills
did your previous positions require? What
questions might an employer have about
your work? Where do you want your
career to go from here? What do you
bring to the table that is valuable to the
employer? Your key messages should all
point to you being the right person for
this job, and creating a script that
reinforces those messages will help the
employer believe it, too.
3. Dress It Up. You now have a basic
outline of the topics you should cover in
your interview responses. Take some
time to craft an anecdote or pinpoint the
metrics that can strengthen each point.
Got a great example of your leadership
skills? Jot the story down in a few lines,
so you have it top-of-mind during the
interview. Did site traffic double after
your recent blog post? Get the exact
numbers to showcase the impact you
might have on your potential employer’s
business. By supporting your key
messages with anecdotes and data,
you’re repeating and reinforcing your
overarching message that you are the
right person for this position.
4. Practice. Now, you’ve got a script that
outlines a few key messages, supported
by anecdotes and data that reinforce
those messages. Most of the time, you
don’t have the luxury of having the script
in front of you during the actual interview
(nor would you want to be perceived as
“reading” your responses), so give
yourself some time with the material.
Practice telling your stories out loud.
Repeat the data points multiple times.
Ask a friend to grill you on the “hard”
questions until you can answer them
without breaking a sweat. Once you have
your key messages and supporting points
comfortably memorized, you should be
ready to handle almost anything an
interviewer throws at you.
5. Go Live. You’ve researched the
position, prepared the script, and
committed it to memory. But here’s
where the fun begins: the interviewer
doesn’t have your script. You may not
have accurately pinpointed exactly what
they wanted from this conversation, and
the questions may come fast and furious
and may be not at all what you expected.
In the live interview, you’ve got to take
those key messages and look for
opportunities to weave them into the
conversation you are actually having. Stay
in the moment and respond to the
questions that you are asked, while
keeping one finger on the pulse of your
script. Most of the time, you’ll find that
the comments, anecdotes and metrics
you’ve prepared fit nicely into the
questions the interviewer is asking. Get
those key messages across, and you’ll
own the interview.
This isn’t to say that I haven’t had bad
interviews. Believe me–I had one that
was so awful (and frazzled me so badly)
that afterwards I left my portfolio and
resume copies on the roof of my car. I
didn’t even notice until I drove away and
got on the highway. (To anyone who
ended up with copies of my resume
wooshing past your windshield, I’m
terribly sorry!) But, less than 48 hours
later, the CEO called to offer me a job.
When I asked him why he thought I was a
good fit for the position, he repeated back
to me 3 of the 4 key messages I had
shared during the interview .
And the best part of having a successful
interview? It puts you in the enviable
position of choosing what jobs you want–
and not the other way around