5 Elements For A Successful Job Interview

The most effective mindset that you can take into an interview is that you are about to have a conversation with someone about how you can help his or her company achieve their corporate objectives. Such an attitude does two things for you. First, the word conversation implies a give and take discussion about something. Thus you give yourself permission to ask questions and answer their question with more in-depth answers. Second, it causes you to focus on what you are offering the company that can help them achieve their goals rather than focusing almost exclusively on what you can get from them.

Here are five concepts to keep in mind as you prepare for your interview:

NEEDS. Perhaps the worst mistake people make in interviewing is coming across as being more interested in what they need (how much salary, vacation time, benefits, etc) than in how they can help the company solve a problem. Everything you do during an interview must be focused on what the prospective employer needs in order to achieve their objectives. You must direct your part of the interview conversation to how your background and expertise makes you the ideal person to meet their needs, solve their problems and become a contributor to a more profitable bottom-line.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS. We’ve always heard that we shouldn’t brag about ourselves. But if we can back it up, it isn’t bragging, it’s fact. If you haven’t got a list of career related accomplishments—get one before your next interview! Then find ways to weave them into your answers.

Accomplishments that are career related usually revolve around quantifiable things you have done that saved the company money, made them money or increased efficiency/reduced waste or improved customer relations.

When accenting an accomplishment during an interview, always make sure the interviewer fully understands not only the end result, but how you did what you did. In other words, briefly explain the situation (or problem), how you analyzed it in order to arrive at what you decided would be the best course of actions, and then state the results. Use as your primary accomplishments those things that most closely connect with the needs of the prospective employer and accent them in a way that sends an unspoken message that, “This guy can do the job!”
KEEP ON MESSAGE. What is your message? That you are the one person, out of all those other well qualified people who can best solve the company’s problems and meet their requirements.

EXAMPLES. People love a good story and interviewers are people. Stories humanize us, they reveal how we process information, react to problems and implement solutions. They provide a believable platform to present quantifiable outcomes. Stories hold people’s attention and are usually remembered long after the facts and figures from the interview are forgotten. How does one organize their examples? The most effective format for a story follows the tried and true Problem, Cause, Solution, Result formula taught in speech classes.

DECISION-TIME. You’ve focused on the needs of the company, smoothly accented accomplishments in your answers. You’ve refused to allow the interviewer to knock you off message and you’ve used solid examples to buttress your case. Now, it is time to conclude the meeting by asking for a decision. At this point, the hiring manager won’t usually reach over the desk and say, “You’re hired!” but that shouldn’t cause you to hesitate to ask for some type of small decision. The following questions are always in order: “Based on the time we have spent, do my skills and experience match the skills and experience you feel are required for this position?" and “Is there anything I can do today to set up the next step in your employment process?"