Five Tips For Acing Your Next Interview

Friday, December 12, 2014

Lea McLeod, GoLocalPDX Careers Expert

A new client told me the tweaks we made to his resume were getting him interviews.

Great news!

But then he wasn’t being called back after the interview. Bad news.

If you’ve been interviewing you may know the story. You tweak the resume to get interviews… then you fall flat once you get in there. Which is a job search tragedy. Because every interview is a chance to get that offer.

This job seeker had a couple of key challenges, which are often cited by recruiters as being a block to getting an offer.

1. Getting so lost in telling the behavioral interview story that you forget to actually finish telling the story!

2. Telling the story or giving a response but then not tying it back to the question that was asked in the first place.

If you struggle with getting tongue-tied in an interview, here are 5 tips that will keep you on track, and on point:

1. Target your answers to be complete and concise.

Plan your answers to be about 2 minutes in length. Thirty seconds is probably too short to convey major ideas. Three minutes is too long and you run the risk of losing attention, and momentum.

2. All your responses should have a purpose or tell a story.

Be sure to connect your experience, story, or comments to the employer’s needs. It’s great if you have a wonderful behavioral story, but it’s got to relate to what that employer is looking for. Test for the “so what” factor.

Always be sure to answer the question completely. One recruiter said that up to 60% of the time, respondents get off track and don’t actually finish the entire story. Beware of the “ramble.” Have a concise beginning, middle, and end to your response. That will keep you from rambling. This is where practice will also help.

3. Don’t bury the lead: Talk about results.

Once you have your story out, don’t forget the most important part: The results or outcomes that you accomplished that convinces the employer you have what it takes! One recruiter said that often candidates are great at telling their story, but then they forget to tie it back to impact, or results, at the end.

4. Clarify questions you are not sure of.

If you aren’t clear about a question being asked, ask for clarification. It’s better to be clear rather that use your precious time singing the wrong song. Here’s an example of how to clarify: “When you use the term resources are you referring to people, funding, or something else?”

Or you can rephrase the question and demonstrate active listening: “So, I just want to be sure I understand your question. You want to know how I would use resources – meaning funding – to improve customer satisfaction.” Repeat what you heard, and wait for clarification.

In either case you are sure to answer the question appropriately, and, you demonstrate good active listening skills.

5. If you aren’t sure of how you answered the question, ask them.

Maybe you’ve just finished your response masterpiece and he’s looking at you with a frown and a slight head tilt. Probe to see if there was a connection.

“Did that give you the response you were looking for?”

“Is there anything you’d like me to clarify on that response?”

In a recent survey 86% of people said the biggest mistake they made in an interview was not preparing. Preparing beforehand, practicing with others, and recording yourself will help you smooth out any interview bumps you may encounter when the actual day arrives.

Then stay focused and on task in your responses and you’ll leave with no regrets.

Lea McLeod created The Resume Coloring Book E-course to help you craft a step-by-step, color-coded resume in 6 simple sections that is proven to pass the “7 second recruiter scan.” Her career insights have been featured in Forbes, Mashable, LifeHacker, Daily Muse and Business Insider. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow her on Twitter.