Leadership Interviewing - How to Interview For an Executive Level Position

- Be confident, not arrogantyou were playing Texas Hold'em. Don't show your
- Engage the interviewer with eye contact - don't lookcards before the interviewing process is through.
all over the place. Show the interviewer that you are- Practice your elevator pitch before the game.
focused on him or her.Remember the marketing tenet of frequency and
- Do your homework on the firm with whom you arecontinuity of messaging. People don't like "talkers."
interviewing with, get intimate with your targetWhen somebody asks you about yourself, be able to
company. If you don't care enough to research aanswer in a concise and interesting manner.
company when you are applying for a job, why would- Stay focused on the interviewer and the company.
I think that you'd be a good team member after youDo not focus on yourself. Keep in mind that part of the
are hired? Simply stated, if you don't do the workinterview of to gauge whether or not you are
somebody else will and that person will have a majorinterested. Listen to the interviewer; learn about the
advantage over you when it comes to receiving acompany and subsequent position. Additionally, this will
potential offer.allow you to better decide whether or not you would
- Understand the role you are applying for and preparebe happy at the position.
talking points in your head as mental channel markers- Don't speak in the 3rd person. This is somewhat a
so that you are prepared to go with the flow of thegiven; however, professionals still do it. If nothing else,
conversation. Prior to your interview, attempt to predictfrankly, speaking in the 3rd person sounds odd and
what they are going to ask and be equipped with acan get quite annoying. Once you get annoying to an
good amount of knowledge in order to answer thoseinterviewer, the interview promptly ends and so does
inquiries. This goes back to the previous bullet-point, butthe chance of you obtaining an offer from your
it is a must if you want the job.targeted company.
- Show flexibility with change. Don't come into the- Minimize the "I's"
interview with an agenda. Keep an open mind as you- Emphasize team, cross-discipline collaboration and
should always hear the employer out. Don't go into anthe ability to lead. Companies already have average
interview with any expectations. In all actuality, thingspeople. When interviewing with C-level executives,
may turn out better.they want your thought process to be one which is
- Never let them see you sweat, desperation doesn'tconducive to leadership and productivity.
work in dating or when interviewing for a job. These- Avoid the temptation to oversell yourself....Try listening
days, a lot of people need a job. However, act as ifand then responding to the answer.