| So all your hard work has paid off and you have finally | | | | A = refers to the Actions you took to resolve the |
| received an invite to an interview for that dream job. | | | | situation |
| However you still have more work to do to win that | | | | R = refers to the Results, the successful outcome |
| elusive job offer and effective communication is vital if | | | | Very importantly, when talking about the Result, quote |
| you are to succeed. | | | | figures to illustrate the magnitude of the success and |
| The interview is very much a two-way dialog, it is an | | | | the positive impact your actions had. |
| exploratory conversation where you and your | | | | Keep this technique in mind when preparing answers |
| interviewer are assessing each other. You will be | | | | and during the interview itself and it will help you to |
| trying to discover if job is right for you and in turn your | | | | deliver a concise, focussed and interesting answer to |
| interviewer is trying to gather as much information | | | | any Competency or Behavioral Question. |
| about you and what you bring which will allow them to | | | | 2. Direct Questions |
| make a correct decision. | | | | Direct questions are even easier to spot and they |
| As with all conversations, there are ways of | | | | begin with Why, What, Where, Who etc. For example: |
| communicating which work better than others and | | | | "What are your strengths?" |
| here are some key guidelines to help you give | | | | Here is an easy to remember formula which is great |
| powerful interview answers. I am going to show you | | | | for giving structure to your answer and which will help |
| how to structure answers to two common interview | | | | demonstrate your communication skills. It really is as |
| question types so that they have maximum impact: | | | | easy as ABC: |
| 1. Competency Based and Behavioral Interview | | | | A: ANSWER the question in your first sentence |
| Questions | | | | ('I have a number of strengths which I can offer in this |
| It is very likely that you will be asked Competency and | | | | position and three, which I believe will be of particular |
| Behavioral Interview Questions. These are relatively | | | | benefit are my ability to lead and motivate large teams, |
| easy to spot as they usually start with phrases such | | | | my negotiation skills and my experience in delivering |
| as: | | | | complex change management programmes.') |
| 'Tell me about at time when....' | | | | B: Having set the scene, carry on and BUILD your |
| 'Describe a situation....' | | | | answer methodically |
| 'Talk through a project/event...' | | | | (Give more detail which gives evidence of your ability |
| These questions can often seem deceptively simple | | | | and which re-enforces and lends credibility to your |
| however without careful preparation, it can be very | | | | opening statement.) |
| difficult to give a truly effective interview answer. | | | | C: Summary and Conclusion: CONCLUDE your |
| Many candidates tend to ramble and to overcome this, | | | | answer by referring back to the role, discussing how |
| I recommend a technique called iPAR when structuring | | | | you see yourself contributing in the job. |
| your answer. | | | | (Overall, I am a dedicated and experienced Manager |
| I = means both the use of 'I' rather than 'We' and also | | | | and I believe these skills will be of real benefit in |
| relates to the situation where you initiated or identified | | | | delivering excellent results, in motivating the team and in |
| a problem | | | | ensuring that your clients have a better customer |
| P = stands for the Problem, the situation requiring | | | | experience here than anywhere else. |
| attention | | | | |