The Secret to Your Best Interview Ever
After weeks of polishing up your resume, crafting the perfect cover letter and attending networking events, your efforts have finally paid off. You landed the interview and you’re ready for the win! You know you have what it takes to be a gift to your next employer.
And then something funny happens. Strong, confident you starts wondering what you don’t have. What is it you haven’t done or can’t demonstrate that the hiring manager is looking for? Are you too old? Too young? And then it hits you. The “real” purpose of the interview is to find your missing qualification that will screen you out. In an attempt to hold your own, you overcompensate, talk too much, and sell too hard. The result? This defensive interviewing performance sends one clear message to the hiring manager — you’re convinced you lack something. And that is enough to convince the hiring manager to move on to the next candidate.
So what went wrong? Just one thing. You overlooked the best kept secret that could have changed everything: THE HIRING MANAGER REALLY WANTS TO HIRE YOU!!! (Did you hear that?)
While you were desperately hoping to survive some imaginary elimination round, the hiring manager was hoping instead that you would be the the one. You would be the solution to the problem and the last person interviewed.
Many highly competent candidates fall victim to a defensive mindset that is fueled by the automatic negative self-talk constantly running like a computer program in your mind. Here are five simple tips to keep the program on pause while helping to grant your hiring manager’s secret wish: to hire YOU!
Focus on what you have, not what you lack. Attention to what you don’t bring to the table misses the point about what you do bring. What are your unique “superpowers” that would make you someone your next employer can’t live without? Leave your lack behind and know that what you have is enough.
Be yourself. Sounds cliche, but interviews have a funny way of turning us into odd caricatures of ourselves we hardly recognize. Don’t leave an interview wondering who in the world you were channeling. Remember, an interview is simply a conversation. Approach it as the beginning of a genuine relationship with someone who might someday be a new best friend or mentor.
Listen deeply. This isn’t really about you. It’s about finding a solution to a hiring manager’s problem. Don’t be a “one size fits all” candidate. Listen for what’s said and what is not said. Be curious and collaborative in your approach to understanding the needs. Allow the hiring manager to experience how you approach problems. Close listening will ensure that what you share about yourself is what is most relevant to the hiring manager.
Show your strengths in action. When you share your strengths, tell “sticky” stories that will bring them to life and make it easy for the hiring manager to remember you. For instance, if you mention your ability to lead teams, describe the time you took a dysfunctional team into a conference room and worked to get everyone on the same page. Show your talents in action, instead of just labeling them to create vivid pictures of exactly what it would be like working with you.
Don’t go negative. Nothing will bring you down faster than even a single negative comment about a company, a job, a boss. It’s unprofessional and it undermines trust. No matter how challenging, find at least three positive things to say about all of your past jobs, and have them ready to avoid inadvertently slipping into negative territory.
And remember how much the hiring manager wants to say yes! Make it easy by leaving your defensive tendencies at home and bringing only what you need: your authenticity, curiosity, and confidence.