| Bill, a Hi-Tech recruiter, and I were discussing our | | | | Tell a story and be specific. Being specific gives you |
| experiences from interviews we had conducted in the | | | | more information to convey, a story to help make it |
| past few years. Of course, we started off having | | | | stick, and something for the interviewer to engage. |
| some laughs about the worst interviews. I feel | | | | To prepare for an interview, you need to be thinking |
| compelled to share just two of them as they are | | | | about the story you are going to sell. Here is an |
| funny. | | | | example. I recently interviewed marketing writers. |
| One interviewee took notes on his bank statement | | | | Compare these two responses when I asked them |
| because he forgot a piece of paper (or maybe trying | | | | about their work history: |
| to tell us that he really needed the job). | | | | Interviewee #1: I have worked for many leading |
| One interviewee came in with white socks and tennis | | | | companies in Silicon Valley, including A, B, and C. I |
| shoes with a black suit. Not the worst thing, but when | | | | have expertise in product specifications, product |
| you are interviewing for a position where public | | | | documentation, sales presentation, press releases, |
| presentations are part of the job, this is not your best | | | | product training, and sales collateral. I have done this |
| foot forward. | | | | successfully for the past 10 years. At company A, I |
| Each of these candidates never prepared properly. If | | | | did X, Y, Z. |
| they had followed some simple steps for interview | | | | Interviewee #2: I have 10 years experience in creating |
| preparation, they would have performed much better. | | | | marketing collateral. My biggest success came most |
| We later started talking about one particular position | | | | recently when we wanted to improve our awareness |
| we struggled to fill. After many interviews with | | | | in the market. We sold safety equipment. Most of |
| various candidates, we just felt everyone was the | | | | our customers bought our products on a schedule and |
| same and unfortunately no one had impressed any of | | | | safety concerns were not a top of mind issue. To |
| us. While everyone possessed the right skills, they | | | | help generate more interest, I wanted to use the major |
| just didn’t differentiate or distinguish themselves | | | | publications in our market to assist us with our sales |
| from the others. As we reviewed each candidate | | | | efforts. My boss hated the idea because making |
| the interview team had similar feedback: they could | | | | buzz about safety has negative implications. No one |
| recite their experiences like reading out of an | | | | wants to buy from the company saying there is a |
| encyclopedia, but that was it. | | | | safety problem. Instead, he felt we needed to focus |
| We went on to discuss our experiences about great | | | | on the sales people. I still thought this was a good |
| interviewees, how they sold themselves, and how they | | | | idea, so I set out to be included in 3 of the 5 major |
| differentiated themselves from other candidates. | | | | publications in our market with my boss’ approval. |
| Here is a shortened version of our conversation. | | | | I focused on current healthcare costs in the market |
| Start with a strategy to differentiate yourself. Great | | | | and related our safety products to reducing healthcare |
| interviews start with interview preparation including | | | | costs. The sales team loved the materials because |
| your differentiation strategy. Look to your experiences, | | | | they could relate to them and so could their |
| knowledge, schooling, connections, whatever it is to | | | | customers. I then contacted the publications inquiring |
| differentiate yourself. Think about what the | | | | about articles related to safety and healthcare costs. |
| interviewer wants to hear: they want somebody they | | | | In our discussions, they learned what we were doing |
| can believe in, stand by and promote. When you | | | | and wrote articles about us. In the end, I exceeded |
| differentiate yourself, you give them reason to believe | | | | my goal with 4 of the 5 publications writing about us |
| in you. | | | | and the sales team went crazy to get the articles so |
| Don’t generalize or try to be a Swiss Army knife. | | | | their customers could read about us. |
| This is the most common fault of all interview | | | | Hopefully, this helps guide how you approach the |
| preparation. This most often leads to boring | | | | interview. Remember, you need to standout. Most |
| interviews or worse this leads to overselling and | | | | interviews are a blur. When you prepare for an |
| credibility issues. Often, I would comment to myself | | | | interview, create a story or something people will |
| “if you have done all of these things so well, why | | | | remember you by so you are elevated to the top of |
| are you interviewing for this position? You should have | | | | the list. |
| my job or my boss’ job.” | | | | Good luck. |