How to ACE an interview!

I am often amazed at how some people struggle when answering questions about themselves in an interview. Most people make both internal and external presentations on a daily basis at work but when it comes to presenting themeselves they often struggle on a subject that should not be completely foreign to them. Preparing to present yourself (no animal jokes please) should be no different than preparing to present to an audience at work. You need to establish the following:

1.Concisely explain the purpose of the meeting

2.Identify what you bring to the table or how you can offer a solution to a certain type of problem

3.Anticipate questions regarding your presentation and deliver relevant and articulated answers to those questions

4.Discuss the next steps and follow up

Questions in an interview usually come in two forms.

Behavioral Questions.

These questions always start with the phrase "tell me about a specific time where you ....." In these questions the asking person wants a specific example of when the candidate displayed the stated actions. Most people believe that past performance predict future results and this is why these questions are asked. Examples of these questions are "Tell me about your biggest failure and what you learned from it. Tell me about the last major change in your life? Tell me about when you personally struggled with a strategic mandate given to you by your President. Etc etc…. "

Casual Questions.

These questions occur when someone asks you about where you have worked and why you have made certain decisions. Candidates are often relaxed under these circumstances with many people letting their guard down under a false sense of security that it is not really an interviews but rather a much more enjoyable discussion and a causal meeting. THIS IS A CRITICAL ERROR! This is STILL a presentation and the only difference is that the presentation now needs to be tailored to an audience in a less formal environment.

Regardless of which style of question is used, it is essential that the person answering the question uses S.T.A.R. methodology. This will satisfy the interviewers needs for an executive summary, as well as showing a strategic thought process.

S.T.A.R. Methodology

Situation (quick summary of the situation)

Task (what was required or what you recommended)

Action (what you did)

Result (a positive result or sometimes a negative result if the question is based on what you learned from a mistake etc.)

Remember, the onus is on the presenter to deliver the appropriate information and not have the audience establish the probability of success for that message.

Farewell,

Mike