By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
Most people are nervous on interviews. If you simply allow yourself to feel nervous, you’ll do much better. Remember also that it’s usually difficult for the interviewer as well.
In general, be upbeat and positive. Never be negative.
Rehearse your answers and time them. Never talk for more than 90 seconds straight.
Don’t try to memorize answers word for word. To help you remember key concepts, jot down and review a few key words for each answer. Rehearse your answers frequently, and they will come to you naturally in interviews.
The single most important strategy in interviewing, as in all phases of your job search, is:
Find out what people want, then show them how you can help them get it.
In other words, match your skills, experience, and abilities with the needs of the employer you are interviewing with. Sell the buyer that you are the solution for what they are buying. To do that, before you know what to emphasize in your answers, you must find out what the buyer is buying… what he is looking for. And the best way to do that is to ask a few questions yourself.
Regardless of how you accomplish it, you must remember this strategy above all: before blurting out your qualifications, you must get some idea of what the employer wants most. Once you know what s/he wants, you can then present your qualifications as the perfect “key” that fits the “lock” of that position.
As a daily exercise, practice being more optimistic. For example, try putting a positive spin on events and situations you would normally regard as negative. This is not meant to turn you into a Pollyanna, but to sharpen your selling skills. The best salespeople, as well as the best-liked person they interview, come off as being a naturally optimistic, “can do” person. You will dramatically raise your level of attractiveness by daily practicing being more optimistic.
Be honest…never lie.
After every interview, write down what you did right, what could have gone a little better, and what steps you should take next with this firm or contact. Then, do them! Don’t be like the 95% of humanity who say they will follow up on something, but never do.
Ⓒ The Big Game Hunter, Inc., Asheville, NC 2014, 2019, 2026
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS Career Advice globally because he makes many things in peoples’ careers
easier. Those things can involve job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, career transition, as well as advice about resolving workplace issues. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 3100 episodes.
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