Congrats! You’ve made it through the resume and job hunting search and next up go find that dream job. It’s time to tackle your dream job’s interview. Don’t be fooled, it can be the one hurdle keeping you away from realizing what you’ve worked so hard for.
Thankfully, job seekers are in demand now following the post pandemic blues, but that doesn’t mean that it’s smooth sailing to slide right into a regular paycheck. Winning interviews contain 2 key elements:
- Answers that focus on the future not the past
- A Can Do interview style
Interviews to find that dream job focus on future not past
The majority of interviewees are not as prepared as they need to be and the results can be catastrophic. Let’s face it, you are here at the interview due to a hope for a future job. Unfortunately, a large number of people are terrible at the almighty job interview. Discussing past career performance won’t do much for landing the job you came for. There’s a good article in Entrepreneur magazine that explains why planning your answers, practicing a dry run, researching the company, and follow-up questions are so important.
The first question is usually, “Tell us about yourself“, which most have been taught to recap their professional highlights reel. Unfortunately, there are some that will literally answer the interviewers question starting with the most boring minutiae one could imagine. It’s easy to wade into a cesspool of details and start drowning quick. Let’s explore methods to effectively answer these potential dead end questions that can make or break your presentation. The bottom line is just keep it simple. All you have to do is prepare a brief future focused mission or goal statement to answer this generic “Tell us about yourself” question.
Show and tell about a brighter future
Seal the deal by creating a 60-90 day outlook to show what you can do if given the opportunity. Ask them a reciprocal question to put the ball back in their court. Take control by asking what their idea of success would look like in the first 90 days.
The top candidate for the job should also know how their skills can add and even build the team. Here’s your opportunity to connect with your interviewer and show how you would be a great addition to the team. Clearly, the job winner should also know how to position their unique experience and skills to improve this employer’s results. It’s a real secret sauce approach to do the research on what you can do in this role to make it better. You should have done your due diligence and have an idea of what to propose and have practiced it.
Can Do Approach Wins the Job
In fact, talk about the future and stay away from the past if you really want to win the job. The professional in the hiring role will be more impressed hearing what you can do for them instead of what you used to do. Describe yourself already in the role and talk about what you “Can Do” to make his/her job easier.
Build your interview skills with a pro
Working with a public speaking professional to prepare for the interview may be your best approach. Hire a personal speech coach to start making improvements and building your interview confidence to get results.
We are thankful for the upcoming time for family and the traditional patriotic feast that truly says “I’m proud to be an American”. Happy Thanksgiving and we wish you the best and safest quality time with the ones you love. Don’t forget to reach out to someone in need or that doesn’t have family nearby.
