| Some interviewers do a good job and make sure | | | | Recruiters often describe jobs in terms of |
| they ask you pertinent questions. However, | | | | skills and education required. These are |
| most interviewers are not good at | | | | really just symptoms of a person who could be |
| interviewing and therefore will not ask you | | | | capable of doing the job but don't explain |
| questions that will let you provide | | | | what is actually involved. You need to dig |
| information showing how you're qualified and | | | | deeper and find out from the recruiter the |
| can do the job. A study by psychology | | | | specific tasks that need to be accomplished. |
| professors Hunter & Schmidt in | | | | Here are some examples of specific tasks: |
| "Psychology Today" found a typical employment | | | | |
| interview is only 7 percent more accurate | | | | - Migrate the office from Windows 2000 to |
| than flipping a coin. This is because the | | | | Windows 2003 |
| typical interviewer doesn't know the right | | | | |
| questions to ask and makes a decision based | | | | - Install the SAP enterprise software system |
| on their "gut feeling" about a candidate. | | | | in all offices nationwide |
| | | | |
| Unless you're dealing with an exceptional | | | | - Increase sales of our photocopiers to the |
| interviewer, which you can usually determine | | | | pharmaceutical industry by 25% over the next |
| rather quickly, you should take it upon | | | | 9 months |
| yourself to insure you find out what the | | | | |
| employer is looking for and convey how you | | | | These are examples of deliverables - specific |
| can do the job. There are two important | | | | tasks that need to be accomplished. Ask |
| things you need to accomplish in interviews: | | | | follow-up questions to be sure you |
| one is providing the interviewer with factual | | | | understand. Take notes when the interviewer |
| information supporting the idea that you are | | | | is talking if you like. One caveat if you |
| a good fit for the job; the other is for the | | | | take notes: Just make sure you're coming |
| interviewer to connect with that logic on an | | | | across as being sincerely interested in the |
| emotional level. Trial attorneys face a | | | | position and not coming across as a salesman |
| similar challenge when presenting their case | | | | or manipulator. |
| to a jury. They need to provide them with | | | | |
| both factual information and with an | | | | Pitching Your Background & Visualizing |
| emotional connection to their version of the | | | | Success: |
| story. | | | | |
| | | | - Once you understand what the job entails |
| The most powerful way of creating an | | | | and what needs to be done, you should |
| emotional connection is through | | | | mentally match the tasks with things you've |
| visualization. Just as a jury needs to | | | | done in the past. |
| visualize an attorney's version of a story | | | | |
| for them to have an emotional connection with | | | | - Start off talking about your strongest |
| it, an interviewer needs to be able to | | | | competencies, tying one of the tasks to be |
| visualize you in the role they're hiring for, | | | | accomplished with something you've done |
| doing the tasks of the job. The interviewer | | | | successfully. |
| needs to see you doing those things and needs | | | | |
| to be able to visualize the outcomes. Helping | | | | - You could start off talking about the task |
| someone visualize your story can be done by | | | | they need done, then talk about how you did |
| using detailed descriptions of actions and | | | | something similar before, then paint a |
| through appropriate use of hand gestures and | | | | picture of how you would do it for them, |
| body language. | | | | including action words to help them visualize |
| | | | you actually doing it. |
| To illustrate, instead of saying the person | | | | |
| burglarized the house, which is an abstract | | | | - Talk about symptoms of the success your |
| idea, a trial attorney would describe the | | | | efforts will create. Could talk about a more |
| actions: John walked up the brick walkway at | | | | productive workforce with people spending |
| 8:00 pm on a moonlit evening, shattered the | | | | more time talking to clients instead of doing |
| side window and climbed into the house. The | | | | paperwork. This will help create visual |
| first way of explaining what happened just | | | | images in the mind of the interviewer that |
| gives an abstract idea which creates either | | | | will help them remember you and make it |
| no image in the listener's mind, or just a | | | | easier for them to see you as being |
| vague image that they won't remember. The | | | | successful in the position. |
| second way provides a vivid image they can | | | | |
| easily recall and connect to. The attorney | | | | For example, if the employer needs to migrate |
| might even use some gestures and body | | | | their systems from Windows 2000 to Windows |
| language when talking about walking up the | | | | 2003, you could first talk about how you |
| steps or shattering the window, which further | | | | migrated a similar-sized company a couple |
| reinforces the visual imagery. | | | | years ago from Windows NT to Windows 2000. |
| | | | You could talk about how you planned the |
| "Lead with Need" | | | | project, how many people were involved, and |
| | | | how the end-users' productivity changed at |
| One of the most common mantras in the sales | | | | the end (hopefully for the better). Then talk |
| world is "Lead with Need." This means before | | | | about the steps you would go through to do it |
| you start blabbing about how great you are, | | | | for them, being as descriptive and visual as |
| find out what the customer needs first. | | | | possible. |