Acing Interviews
For most of us, interviews are the workplace equivalent of meeting the in-laws; not something you look forward to but a necessary requirement to close the deal. To mitigate interview stress, veteran job seekers appreciate the importance of practice and preparation, because most need time for research and reflection to marshal data, recall an interesting story, and integrate it all into a thoughtful answer. You know some of the questions that are coming:
What’s your greatest weakness? Why should we hire you? How do your skills and experience align with job requirements? What can you tell me about yourself? Which of these questions is most likely to cause a
stumble? It’s probably the one that seems the easiest to answer, the least important, and the one that is often asked first.
HIT THIS QUESTION OUT OF THE PARK “Tell me about yourself” is the softball you should be able to hit out of the park. This is your headline. It’s your chance to review the elements of your résumé that connect your skills, experience, education, and pas- sion to the requirements of the job. Your answer should clearly state why you are at the table. And it’s the most dangerous question, because interviews are like a cock- tail party in that judgments are finalized in five minutes or less. In discussing the headline principle in his book,
Pitch Perfect (HarperBusiness, 2014), Bill McGowan reminds his readers to “get attention by starting with your best material.” Start with a concise and compel- ling career summary that makes the listener think, “I want to know more.” Remember, the first 30 seconds of a conversation or presentation are like the last two minutes of a football game. Execute the perfect play by telling a compelling story and be enthusiastic without being effusive, and the audience will remember you long after the conversation concludes.
WHEN NOT TO LET YOUR GUARD DOWN Aside from the first question, the next most common interview stumble occurs over food. If invited to a meal with the new leadership team, many of us will let our guard down. You’re beginning to connect with the interview team on a personal level, and it’s natural to
MAY 2016 MILITARY OFFICER 75
Veteran job seekers appreciate the importance
of practice and preparation when it comes to job interviews.
relax. Accordingly, it’s easy to answer a question that’s not in your best interest to address. This is why many companies use a 3x3 interview
policy: Every potential new hire interviews with at least three team members in at least three different venues, one of which will be over food. Therefore, don’t order ribs or alcohol, use note cards as needed to recall names and operational details of your interviewers, don’t let your guard down, and focus intently on how you can use your business acumen to solve their cus- tomer problems. Your soft people skills are essential to make your hard skills work. —Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), director, MOAA Transition Center
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