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How To Do Well In A Job Interview
You have marketed you effectively. You get the call or email to say they want to see you for an interview.
So far so good. You want to do well in the job interview, so what should you do to do well in a job interview.
Prepare like a professional
People who excel at anything put in the work ahead of the event to perform to their potential.
Take a sport like football. Players at the top train every day and have a warm up routine ahead of the game. They know that they can’t just turn up.
A job interview is something that you do periodically rather than on a weekly basis like the footballer.
What that means is that you have to prepare like a professional. The sad thing is what I’ve learned is that even those from a professional background don’t do anything like enough in terms of preparation.
As a result they struggle to perform to their potential.
Realise that it is competitive
In any job interview they are going to be seeing several candidates. Some will be better than others at selling themselves in person, showcasing their skills and experience.
Others will struggle.
The thing to remember is that the hiring manager can’t give you credit for what you don’t tell them.
Focus on showcasing you effectively.
Realise that it is an investment decision
You want the job otherwise why would you be wasting the time of the employer going along.
What you have to realise is that recruiting someone is a major investment decision.
As the candidate you have to re-assure the hiring manager that an investment in you will benefit him or her, the team and the organisation.
Learn to tell stories
Let me explain. A lot of employers now use competency based job interviews.
These are interviews where you have demonstrate your competency. Typically they are questions where you are asked to ‘tell them about’, ‘describe a time’, gives us an examples.
If you can tell a story of how you effectively dealt with a difficult situation, problem, colleague or challenge or improved something, you will be much more articulate and persuasive.
Listen to feedback
If you are unsuccessful, listen to feedback and then act on it.
If something is coming up regularly in the feedback, you need to look at changing your approach or improve your technique.
Duncan Brodie helps accountants and professionals to land their next job. He invites you to sign up for his free audio masterclass on How To Have A Successful Career In Accountancy.
About the Author Duncan Brodie
Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.