My Top 5 Essential Interview Tips

 

These top five essential interview tips are based on having worked as an executive search consultant, executive career transition coach, and mock interview trainer for over 20 years.

My view is that the key candidate behaviors that have influenced my decisions as an interviewer in the selection and shortlisting process include the following:

My Top 5 Interview Tips

1. LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE

This begins with the way the candidate walks into the room and includes their presence and body language, whether or not they initiate the handshake, the firmness of that handshake, their ability to maintain eye contact, the self-assurance to permit their personality to shine through, and remembering to smile.

2. PREPARATION

This reflects the degree of effort that the candidate has put into doing their homework in researching the job, the company, its values and culture of the organization. Has the candidate actually bothered to even look at the website? As the interviewer, I will very quickly uncover this kind of information throughout the interview. It reveals so much about a candidate—i.e. their professionalism, initiative, attention to detail, etc.

3. ENTHUSIASM & ENGAGEMENT

How switched on and eager is this candidate to take on the role that I’m recruiting for? Do I see a twinkle in their eye? Is there an air of excitement as I discuss with the candidate their suitability for the role? How convincing are they? To what lengths are they prepared to go to engage me in conversation and persuade me that they are the “best fit” for the role?

4. ABILITY TO TALK UP STRENGTHS & ATTRIBUTES

Is the candidate able to demonstrate their strengths and attributes by providing a suitable example or story that actually highlights their strengths in addition to those competencies that I’m seeking?

5. APPEARANCE

Has the candidate dressed for success? Is their presentation sharp and polished? Do they “look like” they should be taken seriously.

More Critical Interviewing Advice

The internet has leveled the field in many ways for interviews—i.e. everyone can find the fundamentals of ‘how to interview,’ tips and sample questions within seconds. So, to stand out, today’s candidates need to do much more than follow the same old advice that’s been dished out for years.

Connect at a personal level with interviewers: If an interviewer doesn’t connect with them or doesn’t like them at a personal level, they probably won’t hire them

Ask intelligent questions: The questions someone asks tells me much more about their thought process and intellect than the prepared answers they provide to my questions

Really listen: If candidates spent more time listening in interviews instead of talking or thinking about what they were going to say, they’d truly understand the needs of an employer and be better able to tailor their responses

Tell stories instead of giving scripted answers. Authentic stories which are tailored to individual roles and employers. Something you can only do if you’ve connected with interviewers, asked the right questions and listened!