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