How best to prepare for an interview
Here's a few tips...
1. Firstly review the job details
Make a list of the required skills, the prerequisite knowledge, the personal qualities and the professional qualifications. Prepare examples.
"Re-read the job ad and the job description. What do they want? What do you need to say?"
2. Research the organisation
Look at the website, press releases, blogs. Talk to others.
What's important to the organisation? What are they saying? What are they doing about it?
Talk about it during the interview. Discuss solutions.
"What's important to the organisation? Discuss solutions"
3. Prepare questions
Demonstrate depth of understanding, of the role, the responsibilities, the sector, the issues.
Make your questions stand out.
Be insightful.
Demonstrate thought leadership.
"Demonstrate depth of understanding. Make your questions stand out"
4. Research the attendees
Look at their LinkedIn profiles. Google their names. What are they talking about? What are their interests?
What conferences do they go to? What groups do they belong to?
More knowledge will make building rapport easier.
"Research the attendees. More knowledge will make building rapport easier"
5. Quantify your achievements
Have examples of what you have achieved and strong numbers to back them up.
Talk numbers
% to target
Growth metrics
KPIs
Increase in margin
Increase in numbers
Demonstrate how you deliver quantifiable results
"Have examples of what you have achieved and strong numbers to back them up"
6. Practice using examples
Understand how behavioural type interviews are conducted using the STAR technique, and practice.
7. Understand the business
Show that you understand how business works and how your role contributes to both the top line and bottom line.
Discuss business challenges and solutions.
Demonstrate commercial acumen.
8. Demonstrate emotional intelligence
Successful people are emotionally intelligent. Prepare examples within the areas of self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill. Be prepared to discuss examples.
"Successful people are emotionally intelligent. Be prepared to discuss examples"
9. Highlight your agility
The world moves quickly. Roles and responsibilities change.
Successful people are adaptable and embrace complexity and ambiguity. They have the tools to map the future and make decisions.
Prepare examples of what's worked. What hasn't. Demonstrate insight.
"Successful people are adaptable and embrace complexity and ambiguity"
10. Check social media
Does your CV match your LinkedIn profile?
Dates
Responsibilities
Check accuracy
Are you comfortable with your public Facebook information?
Google your name
What comes up
Prepare to answer the questions
11. Prepare for the small talk
Be prepared to talk about the books you are reading, your interests, current events, travel.
Be articulate. Confident.
Friendly. Relaxed.
"It's about building rapport and getting to know each other, and it's important."