How to Wow Interviewers (Part 1)
Mar 1, 2015
In my 20 year career I’ve interviewed a lot of people and have observed two common interview mistakes candidates make when answering questions.
In the first part of this series I’ll be covering STAR Stories (introduced in my recent article, One “Must Do” for the Job Interview, found here:https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-must-do-job-interview-kristin-sherry
I recommend reading the previous article to learn how to map your skills, strengths, and experience to a job description to ensure your stories tightly align to a job opportunity.
Before I review STAR Stories, let’s look at the two common mistakes.
Mistake # 1: Going down a rabbit hole
Going down a rabbit hole involves a candidate rambling, or stating too many extraneous details that add zero value to their answer.
Here’s what it looks like:
Interviewer:
“Tell me about a situation where you had to solve a difficult problem.”
Candidate:
“I previously worked in a bank and one time one of our clients had an incorrect monthly statement and they were over-charged and they were really unhappy about it, and so it got escalated to different departments and it was a real mess because we didn’t know where the mistake had been made so it was getting passed around from department to department. All these different senior managers were getting involved and it just kept getting bounced around, and so then I was working with different senior managers of a bunch of different departments trying to figure out where the mistake on the invoice came from so that we could get it fixed for the customer.”
There are a few problems with this story (which, by the way, is an actual answer someone gave me). First, the answer contains unnecessary details. When candidates add extraneous detail, the “I’m bored” alarm starts to go off in the interviewer’s head.
When you’re practicing interview answers, I want you to think of a tree. Now, imagine you’re shimmying up the trunk of the tree when telling stories. As soon as you start going down a branch, catch yourself and return to the trunk of the story. It doesn’t come easily to most people to speak succinctly, so you’ll need to practice with someone and ask for feedback if you’re adding irrelevant detail.
The second issue with the answer is it’s not focused on results. The bulk of the story is focused on the problem. The greatest indicator of future performance is past performance. Make sure your stories emphasize outcomes.
After coaching the job seeker, here was her new response:
“In my previous role at the bank we had a client with a significant discrepancy on their monthly statement. Previous attempts to resolve the issue by other departments were unsuccessful. I was tasked with discovering and correcting the error and so I performed an analysis on the statement and within 24 hours I provided an accurate, updated statement to the client.”
As tempting as it is to explain the entire story to an interviewer; resist. If you take up valuable time on the back story, you limit the number of questions you can address. If they want to know more, they’ll ask.
Mistake #2: Speaking in generalities
Interviewer:
“Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond to deliver value for a customer.”
Candidate:
“Going above and beyond is the day-to-day for me. I often stay late until the job gets done. Sometimes it means having to work overtime, or come in on weekends. I do what needs to be done so that the job is done right and the customer gets what they need.”
The interviewer wants a specific example, and the candidate has answered with a generality. It can be hard to think of examples on the fly, which is why you must prepare the stories you’d like to tell in advance of the interview. If you select your stories based on the requirements of the job, you’re far more likely to be prepared. Again, you’ll need to read my previous article One “Must Do” for the Job Interviewfor instructions on role mapping which will help you target your STAR stories based on a job description.
What are STAR Stories?
STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. STAR stories are a way to explain what you did, and what difference it made. Aim for 50-60 words, or fewer.
1. What was the Situation you faced?
“In my previous role at the bank we had a client with a significant discrepancy on their monthly statement. Previous attempts to resolve the issue by other departments were unsuccessful.”
2. What was the Task to be accomplished?
“I was tasked with discovering and correcting the error.”
3. What Actions did you take?
“I performed an analysis on the statement.”
4. What Results did you achieve?
“Within 24 hours I provided an accurate, updated statement to the client.”
Write down as many of your accomplishments as you can, and describe them with this 4-step process. (Tip: It helps to lay it out horizontally in a four column table). Wherever possible, relate your stories to the requirements of the job.
Each accomplishment you describe becomes a story about you as a STAR candidate, which helps you discover what you do best and interview successfully!
In part two of How to Wow Interviewers, I cover differentiation strategies:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-differentiation-strategies-how-wow-interviewers-part-kristin-sherry
All the best to you!
Kristin
Kristin Sherry is the founder of Virtus Career Consulting.
http://www.virtuscareers.com
7 Differentiation Strategies: How to Wow Interviewers (Part 2)
Mar 1, 2015
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Simply put, the goal of an interview is to be selected. I emphasize to my clients that the most sure-fire way to be selected is to differentiate yourself from the competition. Here are seven ways to stand out:
Seek to serve, not to get
Many candidates ask questions to discover what they’ll be getting out of the employment arrangement. Seeking to serve the employer is a refreshing posture that will set you apart from other candidates. Ask questions that demonstrate your desire to meet the needs of the employer, such as, “What is a problem you currently face that I could help you solve through this role?”
Bring an idea to the interview
First, research the company by visiting their website, familiarize yourself with their social media presence, search for articles in the news, and connect with people who work in the company or department. Ask about key issues and trends, and look for opportunities to contribute ideas related to a problem they face, or to make an improvement. I recently had coffee with a woman who was one of the two finalists for a position she really wanted. Despite her fit for the role and excellent qualifications, they gave the position to the other candidate. The reason? The other candidate brought ideas on how to improve their social media presence to the interview.
Be prepared to answer the question “What can you bring to this role that no one else can?” (e.g. Why should we hire you?)
You need to understand your strengths, how they work together, and how they will uniquely and directly contribute to your success in the job. I met a woman at a workshop for area job seekers where I was speaking on StrengthsFinder when I asked for a volunteer from the audience to share their top five strengths from the assessment. She shared with the workshop attendees that her strengths were Learner, Strategic, Intellection, Restorative, and WOO (Winning Others Over).
I told a quick narrative that went something like this: “When you enter into an environment or situation, you’re able to get up to speed very quickly on how things work, and the problems become very evident to you. You’re able to strategically identify only the most viable alternatives to solve those problems, and then use your ability to influence people to implement the strategy to solve the problem.” She looked at me and said, “That is spot on. That is what I do every day of my life at work.”
People can often recognize their strengths when they hear them from others, but you need to be able to express them clearly and succinctly when asked.
Send an “old school” thank you note
Write a memorable Thank You letter and send it in the mail. Reference something the interviewer told you in your note to make a personal connection, instead of a generic or cliché note.
Not only BE prepared, LOOK prepared
Print articles about the company, print the About Us page from their website, and print the job description. Write all over them as you do your research and put it all in a folder with the name of the department or company written prominently on the tab. Place it in front of you on the table when you interview to let the interviewer know you’re someone who does your homework.
Bring a work sample
This won’t apply to everyone, but if a requirement of the job is creating project plans, writing proposals, designing training, architecting software, etc., bring a sample of your work that you’d be proud to leave with the interviewer. If strong written communication skills are required, bring a writing sample to demonstrate your skill.
NOTE: Be very careful not to violate privacy or disclose trade secrets of your current or previous employer. Redact sensitive information from the sample, if needed. The hiring employer will appreciate your discretion.
Build rapport with the interviewer(s). People hire people they like.
· Greet the interviewer warmly, with a firm handshake and a smile.
· Make eye contact and tell them you’re glad to meet them.
· Before the formal interview starts, look around the office for clues about the person (e.g. photos, certificates, sports, or awards). Ask questions or make a comment on an object of mutual interest.
· Effective communication is only 7% words. The rest is your body language. Sit up and look interested. Walk with purpose. Smile with confidence. Look around with alertness.
· Speak clearly. Vary your pitch, pace, and tone – slow down and emphasize important words and phrases. Talk with interest, enthusiasm and passion.
These seven tips will ensure you leave a favorable impression.
What differentiation techniques have you used?
All the best to you!
Kristin
To read part one of this series, visit this link:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-wow-interviewers-part-1-kristin-sherry
Kristin Sherry is founder of Virtus Career Consulting
http://www.virtuscareers.com
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