Interviews That Let You Shine

April 13, 2010 - PRLog -- Northup calls the interview process “your chance to shine” and outlines specific tactics that can help make preparing for an interview a proactive way to condition yourself for the rigorous probing of your perspective company’s interviewer.  In her presentation, she detailed the specific steps to envisioning your ideal career and interviewing success strategies, such as anticipating the types of questions you might be asked and preparing ahead how you will answer them, as well as what questions you should ask the interviewer, and also what not to ask in the first round of interviews.  Northup gave many helpful examples of key buzz words to describe your skills, and how to effectively communicate them to your interviewer.  She concluded with tips on predicting the types of questions an interviewer might ask, and emphasized practicing a “mock interview” before going through the real thing.  Outlined here are the key points from her lecture.

Projecting Into The Future

According to Northup, the first step in achieving success in transitioning to your ideal career is envisioning what its job description entails. Ask yourself, “What qualifies me for this job?”  This could include knowledge, skill sets, experience and training. Be sure your resume reflects this information. This question can also help you identify what additional skills, training or knowledge you might need to gain to qualify for your ideal position. Another question to consider is whether you currently have any contacts in your ideal industry, and if not, begin to seek them out through networking and social media such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

Tips For Interview Success
In most interviews, certain questions will most likely be asked, so prepare your answers ahead of time. For instance, at the end of an interview you may be asked if you have any questions. A common answer is to say no. According to Dr. Northup, this is the wrong answer. So, what types of questions should you ask in the first round of interviews?  Northup suggests focusing on learning what the specific position entails and the company’s culture. It’s important to discuss what the company has to offer you, compared to your needs or desires. By asking good questions, you are demonstrating your ability to investigate, and showing that you are particular about the type of company you want to work for.

What should you not ask during the interview?  Any questions related to salary, benefits, raises, stock options, etc. Save these questions until you get called back for a second interview, or after you have received the job offer. Also, be sure not to ask any questions already covered by the interviewer, or it will sound like you weren’t paying attention or just asking for the sake of asking a question.

Your 30-Second Commercial
Also known as the “elevator speech”, this is a prepared statement that describes your ideal career, goals, skills, and experiences. It should be concise and brief and void of any personal information about you and your family. Here is an example:
In my previous job, my responsibilities included working alone and with other team members as well as supervising others. Specifically, when working in a large discount store my customer skills training was applied daily. My ideal job would include the opportunity to work with others, develop new skills and learn new jobs. My loyalty to my employer has been demonstrated as my length of stay with my former employers was for several years each.

Practice Makes Perfect
After preparing your resume, anticipating interview questions and composing your own personal elevator speech, Northup strongly suggests practicing your interview with a friend or aloud in front of the mirror before going through the real thing. Focus on verbalizing all you want to convey to your interviewer. Proper preparation makes each interview your opportunity to shine!

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