| Do you absolutely loathe job interviews? Does the | | | | interview hot seat. After all, this is about selling yourself. |
| word "interview' send a decidedly ugly chill down your | | | | The best sales people are ones who believe in what |
| spine? Do you experience a complete mind freeze | | | | they are selling. If you don't believe in yourself or know |
| when prospective employers start asking questions? | | | | your value, you sure as heck aren't going to sell |
| Most people put job interviewing on the top of their | | | | employer on yourself as a candidate! |
| 'not-so-favorite' list of things that we all have to do. It's | | | | 3) Do the research. |
| a necessary evil in a career, and for most, it becomes | | | | Doing your research about a company is another way |
| a much-feared process. | | | | to gain confidence in the interview process. The more |
| The secret to nailing successful interviews has | | | | knowledge you have about a company, the more |
| everything to do with attitude. If you let fear rule you, it | | | | literate you are in their corporate culture and |
| will. Candidates who have the best results in this arena | | | | background. |
| are those that have the right mindset when they | | | | Understanding employer viewpoints, concerns, |
| approach the interviewing process. Can you imagine a | | | | challenges, and opportunities will help shape your |
| successful CEO going into an interview with sagging | | | | answers. Some employers have outright asked me, |
| confidence levels, worried about their credentials, and | | | | "What do you know about us?" or "Why do you want |
| being stressed about how they might answer a | | | | this job?" The more detail you can provide about the |
| question? Certainly not! Being confident and having a | | | | employer in answering these types of questions, the |
| positive attitude should make you actually anticipate | | | | more resourceful you come across as being by having |
| interviews...this is the point in the job search process | | | | done your homework. This plays to your competence |
| where a person should be the most excited about a | | | | and gives you the boost of self-assurance that can |
| prospective position and show why they are the best | | | | propel you to being the top candidate. Plus, it feels |
| fit. In short, this is when you get to 'rock and roll'! | | | | pretty awesome to knock an employer's socks off |
| Instead, most job searchers get caught in the possibility | | | | with some obscure fact about their company they |
| of "What if I do a bad job interviewing?" or "What if I | | | | would've never guessed that you knew! |
| don't have the skills they need?" which initiates feelings | | | | 4) Tell a story to make a point. |
| of fear and self-doubt, and can effectively lead to a | | | | Being a master storyteller is also part of the magic |
| less-than-stellar interview performance. This, in turn, | | | | formula for knocking the interview out of the proverbial |
| impacts your answers. Many job seekers end up | | | | ball park. If you are providing static, robotic, and |
| feeling like they are defending themselves in an | | | | formulaic answers to questions, that doesn't give |
| interview, rather than showing how their career assets | | | | employers any insight to your approach, experience, |
| can benefit a prospective employer. This is the wrong | | | | resourcefulness, or expertise. Responding to interview |
| approach - it's all about the attitude adjustment. | | | | questions and providing concrete, highly relevant |
| Here are a few secrets taken from the CEO | | | | answers that demonstrate your ability to execute job |
| interview rule book on how to portray yourself as the | | | | duties in the form of a story are probably the most |
| top candidate in this part of the job search process: | | | | convincing way to win over employers. |
| 1) Engineer a completely different mindset on how you | | | | Gather up potential interview questions and then quiz |
| approach interviews. | | | | yourself on how you would answer each. Then think |
| Believe it or not, I am one of those crazy people who | | | | about a specific story that you can cite that |
| absolutely LOVES the interviewing process. My | | | | demonstrates how you solved problems or made a |
| attitude is: "Hit me with your best shot." I see this as a | | | | difference in the company. These are your story |
| learning experience on how I can think on my feet | | | | points, and are critical to painting the picture of how |
| while under fire. There is no such thing as a BAD | | | | your skill sets and experience can benefit the potential |
| interview experience; it is what you do with it that | | | | employer. |
| determines which determines how the next one goes. | | | | 5) Practice public speaking. |
| How many times have you realized afterwards that | | | | Does the mere thought of getting in front of an |
| there were some questions that you could have | | | | interview panel make you break out into a sweat? |
| answered better? The key is to write that question | | | | Toastmasters International is a phenomenal proving |
| down and add it to your interviewing arsenal so you | | | | ground where you can grow your public speaking skills |
| nail it the next time. This has proven to be an invaluable | | | | in a welcoming, supportive environment. If you are not |
| way of gaining insight into the answers I provided, and | | | | comfortable presenting to others, this is an imperative |
| assessing how strong and relevant they were to the | | | | skill to master before heading off to an interview. |
| interviewer's questions. Learning from your previous | | | | Toastmasters International is a great place to take |
| mistakes are very powerful lessons indeed. | | | | some of the sting out of public speaking and grow |
| 2) Know your value. | | | | your comfort zone within an interview setting. By |
| To get started in reshaping your interview attitude, you | | | | getting more experience speaking on the fly and |
| need to understand and be centered on your value. | | | | talking in front of groups, this will improve your abilities |
| What is it that you offer that beats out the | | | | to come across as extremely succinct and polished in |
| competition? Why should the employer hire you over | | | | interviews. |
| the next person standing in line behind you? The | | | | Overall, when it comes down to reality, CEOs walk into |
| resume development process is a good way to work | | | | interviews brimming with confidence, ideas and |
| this out. Building value statements and showing action | | | | optimism, and you can too! The truth is, you are the |
| then results really provides a hiring manager a good | | | | CEO of Yourself, Inc. You are a unique sum of your |
| roadmap of what you are able to accomplish. The | | | | experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, and shifting |
| critical part is to get those value statements on paper | | | | your whole mindset about job interviews can radically |
| and then ingrain them into your psyche, allowing | | | | change this from a scary, distasteful process to an |
| yourself the opportunity to really feel and understand | | | | uplifting, fun experience. |
| what you have to offer to prospective employers. | | | | Now go knock your next interview out of the ball park! |
| Once completed, you are now ready to go sit into the | | | | |