Are You Ready for an Unexpected Job Interview?
by Deborah Walker, STC-Puget Sound Chapter
Most job seekers wait to polish up their interview skills until they
are looking for a new position. Important interview opportunities, however,
can present themselves at any time. For example,
Unplanned internal job openings: There is a sudden opportunity
to advance your career from within, and your boss recommends you as a
candidate for the job. ARE YOU READY TO COMMUNICATE YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THE COMPANY?
A recruiter calls: The position sounds like just the
career move you’ve been wanting. WILL YOU SAY THE RIGHT THINGS TO
WIN THE JOB OR WILL YOU BLUNDER YOUR BEST CHANCE?
A former colleague introduces you to his boss: They
are building an exciting new division for their company and looking for
new staff. CAN YOU ENTICE HIS INTEREST IN YOU AS A MUST-HAVE NEW TEAM
MEMBER?
Those who continually grow in their careers are always prepared for these
situations. Their interview skills are sharp at all times. To know if
your skills are sharp enough to handle a surprise interview, see if you
can answer the following four questions:
- Can you concisely state your value proposition in 30 seconds or less?
A value proposition is meant to intrigue your listener with a quick
overview of your skills, expertise, and industry know-how. If you can
offer a precise summary of why you are the perfect candidate for that
job, you are more likely to get to the second or third interview. A
concise value proposition can make a critical difference in winning
you a new position.
- Do you know your top five accomplishments, and can you communicate
their impact to your employer’s bottom-line initiatives?
A list of your top accomplishments will allow a potential employer to
imagine what you can do for him or her. Accomplishments give employers
a way to associate your skills with their needs—and a reason to
remember you. Be prepared to list your top skills and show how they
can help meet corporate needs.
- Are you prepared to answer your own toughest interview questions,
or do you hope they just won’t come up?
Don’t leave yourself vulnerable to questions like “If you’re
doing so well in your job, why do you want to leave?” A good recruiter
or hiring manager will see you sweat and stutter and squirm; you’ll
lose their confidence and destroy a chance to get your dream job. Think
about the questions that will be your biggest pitfalls—and be
prepared to answer them.
- Do you know how to find out your interviewer’s motivations to
understand how best to answer their questions?
This is a very important question. Without knowing your interviewer’s
motivations, how will you know if your answers hit the mark of what
he or she is looking for in a perfect candidate? There are many ways
to conduct research discreetly and determine exactly what that employer
needs. Once you have those answers in hand, you can target your interview
answers accordingly.
A good career coach can help you answer all these questions and more,
preparing you for the interviews you plan—and the interview you
didn’t expect. With those answers in hand, you can take your career
from mediocre to marvelous with “always-ready” interview skills.
Deborah Walker, CCMC
Career Coach ~ Resume Writer
Find more job-search tips and resume samples at:
www.AlphaAdvantage.com
Email: Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com
This article originally appeared in the July-August 2006 issue of
Sound-Off!, the newsletter of the STC-Puget Sound Chapter.
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