What 20% Change Can You Make To Be More Successful In Job Interviews?
Job interviews are both tough and demand. That should not be a surprise. After all you are asking an employer to make a significant investment if they offer you a role.
Working with clients over the years I have noticed that it is often small changes that make a big difference to the results they achieve in job interviews.
So what 20% change might you make to be more successful in job interviews?
Be more focused on your research
Employers expect candidates to talk knowledgably about the organisation, industry or sector. Unless you are targeted with your research you might well struggle.
One simple thing you can do is set up Google Alerts. Before you do this think about what you would be expected to know about in overview and in detail.
You could also do a search on the top rated organisations in the sector and see what they are doing differently.
Be more rigorous in reviewing job descriptions and person specifications
These documents are full of gems and insight into what really matters to the employer in terms of the type of person they ideally want to appoint.
Create a big list of questions you might be asked
Most candidates will create a list of a few potential questions. It really doesn’t take a lot of effort to create a list of 30-40 potential questions that you might be asked.
Write out answers to potential questions you might be asked
This will make a huge difference to how you come across on the day. Some will say you don’t want to be too scripted. On the other hand you want to make a positive impact.
Speak your answers out loud and record yourself doing this
Very few candidates will do this so if you go that extra mile you will stand out. Audio is good. Video is even better.
In truth securing that next job is often harder than you might think. At the same time, small changes generally produce significantly better results in job interviews.
Duncan Brodie helps accountants and professionals achieve more career success. Learn more here
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.