Thursday, October 07, 2010
Preparing to interview? Advice for interviewing with confidence
by Darrin Coon Edited Thursday, December 02, 2010
Originally Published in Biz to Biz NW Arkansas
A lot of people forget that the skills used to land the interview will not necessarily work well in the interview itself. Communication during the job search that was one-way (cover letter and resume), now becomes a two-way conversation. During the interview open-ended questions are often used to “sample” how well your prior experiences will carry over to the prospective new employer’s environment. Here are a few suggestions to help you build your confidence and improve your likelihood of success: First, identify times when you created value for your current or a prior employer. Focus on examples where you improved sales, reduced costs, delivered great customer service, or succeeded with specific acts of leadership. Then, practice articulating how these experiences played out in the workplace. Be sure that you are able to describe how ideas were presented to leadership. You will want to be able to explain how problems were resolved, how you obtained feedback from others, and what you learned from the overall experience. Remember, your ability to articulate how you overcame obstacles shows your potential new employer how you are willing to work hard, contribute to your employer’s success, and gain relevant experience. Finally, remember to be on time for your interview and to dress appropriate, not too casually, and certainly not in any way that would distract from your professionalism. With some intentional preparation, you will be able to interview with confidence.
