I’ve taught interviewing, from both sides of the table, for over 40 years. While the process has evolved, the need for writing and delivering answers that impress the interviewer remains as important as ever.
I’ve simplified the process to six essential steps.
In written form, the steps seem simple to follow, and they are. Unfortunately, from the thousands of interviews I’ve witnessed, “simple to follow” does not always translate into “followed,” and it’s easy to identify who prepared properly and who did not.
When you follow my process, it produces answers that impress any interviewer.
In addition to reviewing the steps below, I encourage you to watch the embedded video. In the video, the steps come alive as I guide you through an example of designing an answer to a question you will face in every interview.
Brainstorm all the content to include in a given answer. List individual words, phrases, etc., in no particular order.
Convert the words, phrases, thoughts, and ideas, into complete sentences.
Sequence the sentences, so the answer flows and is easy to understand.
Read, audio record, playback and edit the answer. Edits include:
Lengthening existing content
Shortening existing content
Deleting existing content
Adding new content
Repeat steps 3 and four until you are satisfied with the answer
Practice the answer sufficiently until you can deliver it, under pressure, close to perfect.
Don’t kid yourself; to a novice interviewer, a mediocre answer may suffice in getting you a second look. To an expert interviewer, only the best answers impress.
What you say in an interview will change your life forever, for better or worse. Change it for the better with impressive answers.
Prepare to interview for the best jobs in front of the best interviewers, and compete against the best candidates and do YOUR best. You owe it to yourself!
Several months ago, in the 2018 Goal setting newsletter, I suggested being focused and selective with your time. Lately, I was wondering what you focus on and pay the most attention to these days.
What do you listen to the most?
Talk radio
TV
Movies / Videos
Music
Friends talking
Other
Second question: is the message primarily
Positive, negative or neutral
Optimistic or pessimistic
Encouraging or discouraging
Educational or nonsensical
Your answers are important because how you feel daily is being shaped by what you listen to. What you focus on will increase in your life and be reflected in your attitude and actions.
The research on the importance of focus is deep and compelling.
Both Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, when asked what single factor most contributed to their success, said Focus.
Timothy Ferriss said, “Being selective—doing less—is the path of the productive. Focus on the important few and ignore the rest.”
An Unknown author said, “The successful man is the average man, focused.”
On an everyday level, the easiest way to mistakenly cut your finger while working in the kitchen is to focus on (look at) your finger more than the food you are cutting. Smashing a finger when hammering a nail happens most when you focus your eyes on your finger rather than the nail.
Returning to my first question, the correct answer to what you listen to the most is – for everyone – your thoughts. It’s what you say to yourself in your head – your self-talk. Yes, you talk to yourself, all day, every day, probably way more than you know.
Don’t be concerned that you talk to yourself, or even that you answer yourself, we all do. Be very concerned about what you say to yourself! It is slowly, silently and powerfully shaping your attitudes and actions.
Now that you know you listen most to your thoughts, how will you answer the second question – what is the primary tone of that message?
I’ve often thought it would be cool to connect my brain to a printer, and print every thought I say to myself for one day. Crazy, I know, but the results would be very telling.
If you recorded all your self-talk for one day, printed it out and then highlighted all the positive thoughts in green, the negative thoughts in red, and the neutral thoughts in gray, what color would dominate your document? Are you sure?
In his book The Power Of Story, world-renowned performance psychologist, Dr. Jim Loehr states, “I believe that stories – again, not the ones people tell us but the ones we tell ourselves – determine nothing less than our personal and professional destinies. And the most important story you will ever tell about yourself is the story you tell TO yourself.”
The truth is you are your biggest advocate or your worst enemy. You see, everything starts with a thought.
The good news is that no matter what thoughts you currently communicate to yourself, you can change them. They are only thoughts, and changing your thoughts is under your control.
Loving yourself is one of the most positive changes you can make, and impacts many other areas of your life. Louise Hay suggested the following: “The first step to loving yourself more is to stop criticizing yourself.”
Make a conscious effort to pay more attention to your self-talk. When you find yourself saying something negative, pessimistic or critical
stop dead in your tracks and hear what you just said to yourself
record or remember it so you can examine why you said it
change the message to align with how you want your life to be
In changing that thought to a positive, optimistic message, you are taking the first step in changing your reality. You can do it; anyone can do it when you focus on it!
What the heck happened? I don’t understand! You gotta be kidding me! I didn’t expect that to happen! That’s not the way that was supposed to turn out!
Have you ever felt that way after a conversation?
If you’ve ever gotten into a conversation expecting it to go well only to have it spin out of control and end badly, you will be interested in learning about the feedback loop.
Understanding and utilizing the feedback loop will help keep your conversations on track.
In the accompanying video, I explain this visual communication tool, and how doing the right things keeps a conversation on track, and doing the wrong things derails it. Keys points shown are
identify your purpose before beginning
action needs to match intention
understand how others affect you
act rather than react
We also need to address those conversations you expect to be difficult. Do you hesitate to have them or avoid them, even when it’s your responsibility to do so? Hotly contested conversations can pleasantly surprise you. Learn how
warm, comfortable conversations can result in not accomplishing your goal
challenging conversations can be very productive
One aspect of becoming an effective communicator is controlling your part of the conversation. It requires you follow key communication principles and avoid those tempting, reactive, self-defeating responses.
Learn these principles and watch your conversations improve to the point where you welcome all conversations, knowing you can hold your own, stay fixed on your purpose, and communicate effectively.
People frequently ask me what’s the best way to search for a job or identify career opportunities they’re qualified for? My answer is to utilize every means available.
Hire a resume posting service to post your resume
Personally post your resume on job boards and the net
Make your search a part of every conversation
Find businesses in your search area and Cold Call them
Join Networking Organizations
Network one-on-one
I often find that people utilize only one or two methods. This indicates
trust in the effectiveness of methods used
limited knowledge of available methods
comfort level with a longer search time
discomfort utilizing some methods
My question is if you were hurting, and faced with losing your happiness, mental stability, health or residence, how would your strategy change? Remember, activity translates into results.
As we have become more reliant on digital communication one of the most successful ‘active’ search methods is being underutilized, and it is personal one-on-one networking. This approach enlists personal, professional, academic or familial contacts to help you achieve your goals.
70 percent of people in 2016 were hired at a company where they had a connection.
80 percent of professionals consider professional networking to be important to career success
Harvey Coleman, author of Empowering Yourself, The Organizational Game Revealed says it’s not what you know but who you know, and who knows you, likes you and is willing to speak for you that’s important. Between Performance on the job, your Image or person brand, and Exposure – who knows you and can speak for you – Exposure is the most valuable.
In this video, I’ll share
the proper way to Network one-on-one
how to avoid discouragement by setting realistic expectations
Separate yourself from your competition and include one-on-one networking in your search. You’ll thank yourself in the end for having OUTworked others and INcreased your chances of success.
I delivered a speech a while ago titled Ain’t My Fault. I felt compelled to do it after reading countless articles on the disturbing trend of people blaming others for their mistakes.
What’s worse is that this victimhood trend extends to people blaming everyone and everything for the state of their life. It’s easy to take credit for success; mistakes not so much.
Conventional explanations for this trend are
The middle class is struggling to make ends meet and wants a quick payout.
Being civil to each other is on the decrease. We are becoming more self-absorbed and find it easier to take advantage of each other.
It’s easy to get away with things – things we know are wrong.
Regardless the actual origin(s), the effects are varied, profound and disheartening. I long for a time when every person looks in the mirror and says to themselves
This is who I am, what I stand for and believe in
I stand for integrity, honesty, and truthfulness
My actions reflect those values, and I’m proud of who I’ve become
Why is it critical to accept responsibility for your mistakes and shortcomings?
When you accept responsibility, you get a chance to learn the lesson that situation offered you.
Growth as a person requires learning those lessons; blaming others isolates us from the lesson.
Besides, life lessons are so persistent that if you don’t learn them the first time they appear in your life, they will keep reappearing until you do!
You may as well have the courage to say
What happened is my mistake; I accept it and the consequences.
What is the lesson I need to learn? OK, got it.
I will learn it, move past it, and become a better person.
When the next lesson comes, repeat that sequence. One of the keys to lifelong success is learning the lessons life presents us, and moving on to the next lesson!
When you accept responsibility for your actions, the rest of us will benefit, and we thank you in advance. Far greater than that is the fact that YOU will benefit.
If accepting responsibility is already your habit, Congratulations! If not, now’s your chance to position yourself for increased success.
Have faith! You have everything you need to learn life’s lessons within yourself.
