Joyce Richman: Practice mock interviewing to perfect technique
Joyce Richman: Practice mock interviewing to perfect technique
In this economy, with competition for each and every job, you simply can’t afford to drop the ball when it counts most.
If you want to perform your best at a job interview, you have no choice: You must practice. That’s the lesson you teach your children and what your parents taught you. Practice for that piano recital, the ball game, the spelling bee, the school play. You may not succeed each and every time, but if you practice, you have a much better chance of doing so.
Practice the fundamentals: Practice out loud, not in your head. Practice with those who will give you constructive, applicable and usable advice. In other words, practice interviewing with people who have interviewed others and have been interviewed, who know what a good performance looks and sounds like and who will give you feedback that enables you to be a more focused and astute interviewee.
Prepare your practice space: Create a zone that is off-limits to children, parents, pets, cell phones and other distractions. Arrange a table and two chairs, and have a pad and pen handy.
Prepare your head: Take an inventory of your skills, strengths and values, then organize and prioritize them. Skills are hands-on — they’re what you’ve learned to do. Strengths are innate — for example, your natural abilities to multi-task, inspire or see what others miss. Values are tangible and intangible. Tangible values are rewards or conditions that enable you to be at your best. Intangible values provide you inner satisfaction and motivation.
Prepare your presentation: Articulate your self-knowledge. Describe your strengths, illustrate your accomplishments, draw thumbnail sketches that depict your ability to survive, thrive, flex and focus against odds. Give examples of what you accomplished and how you did it. Think hypothetically and anticipate ways you can add value to a variety of organizations where you might work.
You’re going to be asked questions about the company where you’re interviewing, such as:
• Why do you think you’re a good fit for our company?
• What specific strengths would you bring to our company?
• What do you know about our company? Who are our biggest competitors and how should we compete against them?
You’ll be asked questions about the best of times, such as:
• What do you enjoy most about your job?
• What’s your “dream” job?
• How can we best reward you for doing a great job?
You’ll be asked questions about the worst of times, such as:
• Describe you biggest failure.
• Why were you terminated from your last job?
• What have you learned from your mistakes?
And you’ll be asked about the future:
• How will you handle interruptions or last-minute changes?
• How will you know who to transition out, who to retain and the right way to do both?
• What will you accomplish the first 90 days on the job?
There’s really no predicting what you’ll be asked, but if you know what you’re about, what you’ve done well and how you can apply that knowledge and experience going forward, you’ll always be a competitor in your interviews.
So, practice. Your goal is to communicate that knowledge smoothly, concisely, with ease and sincerity. The more you practice, the better you’ll be able to accomplish that.
Joyce Richman is a career coach and the author of “Roads, Routes & Ruts: A Guidebook for Career Success.” You can reach her at 288-1799 or JERichman@aol.com. Watch Richman’s latest career advice Wednesdays at 6:35 a.m. during “The Good Morning Show” on WFMY News 2. Read her blog at www.richmanresources.com.
