What to say in an interview and 1 thing to NEVER say – Guest Blog

be a job agnet

What to say in an interview and 1 thing to NEVER say – Guest Blog

I am delighted to post the first in what I hope will be interesting and helpful guest blogs to the JNE Business Blog. This week, a great piece from our friend Adrian Evans of Be a Job Magnet Academy. Adrian is a headhunter, passionate speaker and results driven coach. For more from Adrian, please visit his website www.beajobmagnet.co.uk

be a job agnet

Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get every job they go for? Don’t know about you but I find that really annoying.

Why it that some people get promoted quicker than the rest of us?

Why is it that they seem to play their A game and get what they want? I used to find it frustrating when I was doing a great job, getting high achieving results, and yet others would get promoted ahead of me.

Isn’t it time you gave yourself that opportunity to be rewarded for all of your hard work and knowledge?? As a headhunter I take daily feedback from clients and their chief complaint about applicants is a lack of preparation, interest or performance at interview by a candidate.

The ‘difference that makes the difference’ is being a master of interviewing and being able to sell yourself.

Why is it so important to sell yourself at interview

People don’t get it. Employers want the interview to go well, they want to employ high performing people so give them the opportunity to say YES to you by performing well at interview – it’s easy. This puts you in that special 5% of people who regularly get headhunted and ensures you avoid having to scrap around on the job boards for roles.

First impressions count – make sure you conduct yourself in an appropriate manner that represents the values and culture of the employer you are interviewing with.

What to say in an interview

Practice your answers to the likely questions you will be asked. Before you enter the room view the interview being a success and think how you will respond to questions, because this will reduce those pre-interview nerves we all have. Find out what the ‘pain points’ are in the business and think how your expertise could solve these issues. Think of the interview as your first business plan that you are presenting – sell yourself.

Key challenges all businesses face are how to gain new customers or up/cross selling, cut costs and increase loyalty of existing customers – these are the key drivers for any business – you know how to solve those problems.

Ask appropriate questions. One of the most effective questions to ask is how success in this role will be judged in the next 6 months, because what that really tells you is what the key priorities are. You can tailor your answers to these questions – sell yourself, and by doing so you can  demonstrate how you will create success for you and the company.

Towards the end of the interview ask the interviewers thoughts on your suitability and if any of your answers require further clarification, discuss what the next stage of the recruitment process will be. Write a short thank you note to maintain dialogue regardless of the outcome of the interview.

Know the company, its products/services and its people. Have you used their products/services – what was the experience like? Know the person you are meeting in detail. They are likely to be on Linked in. Look to find common interest with the interviewers – have you attended similar courses, gone to same university, know similar people? – I love getting a meeting off to a friendly and engaging start.

Knowing what to say and how to say it in an interview is the different between success and failure, this is too important to leave to chance.

Never:

Be Negative – An interviewer will be looking to employ individuals with a positive mindset and attitude.  Avoid speaking negatively about your previous employers, managers etc, and instead concentrate on the positives and your achievements. Ensure you have some specific questions you want to ask the interviewer about the role, culture, business challenges etc.  For example ask what steps the business has taken to embrace social media and the opportunities presented by the internet.

A healthy curiosity is a positive trait that we all admire in others, it shows you are truly interested in the opportunity.

Go the extra mile to secure your next role:

One of my clients had asked me to source stand out candidates for an exciting development role. When I asked for feedback following the first stage of interviews they explained that one of my candidates stood head and shoulders above the others. This candidate was highly motivated and had carried out extensive research into their brand. They had visited a number of the company’s stores and interviewed a variety of store managers to gain deeper insights into the business at the customer interface level. At further interviews they utilized these insights to demonstrate how their experience and ideas would add immediate value to my clients business. Despite not being from the industry sector this candidate was offered the role.

If you have found these insights useful, then you should grab my free video series that I have put together to make this year the most transformational and successful in your career. In this free video series, I teach you:

  • How to access the ‘hidden job’ market to transform your career prospects…
  • How to be positioned as a Premium Priced Employee and be able to command an appropriate salary
  • What employers are really looking for from high performing employees (it’s not what you think)

Go to www.beajobmagnet.co.uk to get access to your free videos now.

 

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