What’s a job seeker to do? Prepare to balance important, desirable traits with the types of replies employers are likely to want to hear. Tim Elmore, founder and president of a nonprofit firm focused on youth leadership development called Growing Leaders (www.GrowingLeaders.com), offers this advice. It’s particularly geared to young job seekers to help them succeed at an interview:

1. Balance confidence with teachability. Elmore notes: “Research from a variety of employment sources reveal that the majority of young employees believe their boss can learn a lot from them.”

Elmore also acknowledges that while it may be true that more experienced interviewers do have a lot to learn from young employees, an interviewee who appears arrogant may repel a baby boomer. He suggests communicating your strong value, but without leaving the employer with the feeling you believe you know everything.

  Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Job Seekers Make and How to Avoid Them.

2. Balance warmth with formality. It’s easy to get very comfortable, especially when interviewing in informal workplaces, where most of the interviewers are casually dressed and invite you to open up and share your true personality. “Often, recent college grads become far too informal, joking about personal elements in their lives or about the interviewer themselves. This is risky,” Elmore notes.

Many human resources professionals suggest young candidates don’t take interviews seriously enough, and that this is the No. 1 problem with hiring young employees. Some candidates even text or take a phone call during the interview. Elmore suggests candidates make an effort to be warm and friendly, but maintain a professional distance that is appropriate for a first meeting.

3. Balance creativity with cooperation. Elmore explains: “Today, 83 percent of new graduates are looking for a place where their creativity is valued. Two out of three want to invent their own position at work.” Keep in mind, this is a terrific aspiration, but your new employer may expect you to first function within the company’s existing structure. Elmore says, “Let the interviewer know you have creative ideas, but leave the impression that you’re prepared to get on board with the organization’s plans.”

4. Balance ambition with humility. Employers love ambition. Just be sure yours doesn’t make you look cocky. Elmore says, “Many call this balance ‘humbitious,’ meaning humble yet ambitious. It’s a rare skill set.”

Even if you know you have a lot to offer, make sure you don’t leave the employer with the impression that you think you are ready to do his or her job. Elmore suggests: “Be humble. Get hired, then show them how good you are.” Clearly, this is a balancing act, as you want to make it clear what you offer, but not at the risk of making the employer think you are too big for your britches.

5. Balance research and listening with initiative. One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is they fail to research the organization before their interview. Employers are impressed when candidates can cite data, note the issues the organization faces and make a clear connection between what the company needs and how they can help. Elmore says job seekers should “find out who the key leaders are, and greet them by name when you see them. In the job interview, answer questions clearly and candidly, but ask informed questions as well, as this is likely to impress the interviewer.”

Elmore also suggests a job seeker pose questions that show he or she understands the organization’s mission. A job seeker should also ask about the future and demonstrate his or her initiative while also proving he or she is a good researcher and listener.

6. Balance passion with work ethic. Employers appreciate someone who has passion for the job. “Can you show some passion for the smaller, mundane task you’ll do as you stand on the bottom rung of the career ladder?” Elmore asks. If so, it may impress your interviewer, who will value your skills when you can demonstrate them in the context of how you can help a company accomplish its goals.

Originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report

Want to avoid typical job seeker mistakes? Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Job Seekers Make and How to Avoid Them.

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What’s a challenge-based interview? Typically, this refers to an interview where the employer requests the candidate to do a task similar to what they would need to do in their job. The goal is to see the candidate in action. For example, Sharef explains, “If a business is hiring an engineer, they may present a coding challenge to candidates, if they’re hiring a social media manager, they may ask candidates to create compelling tweets. If it’s an admin position, they may ask candidates to create a flight schedule and hunt down the best fares.” She notes that employers using HireArt.com use video or text-based responses to evaluate candidates’ abilities.

How prevalent are these types of interviews? HireArt has worked with about 100 companies, including Cisco and Airbnb. Candidates in a variety of fields should not be surprised to be asked to demonstrate their skills via a specific task.

So how should candidates prepare for this type of interview?

1. Do your research. An important practice for anyone preparing to interview, research can be especially important to perform well in a challenge-based interview.

2. Focus on the output. During a challenge-based interview, employers will evaluate the professional deliverables you create. Sharef advises, “If the output of the challenge is a PowerPoint page, make sure it’s formatted correctly. If you’re asked to draft an email, use the correct protocols in the subject line and signature. Always watch your typos as they can easily make you seem sloppy.”

3. Show that you care. “Challenges are a way for an employer to determine if you’re truly passionate about the company’s mission,” Sharef notes. She explains that one challenge asked candidates to role-play as if they were pitching a company to an investor.

4. Don’t waste everyone’s time. Only do challenge-based interviews for companies you really care about. Use tools such as Glassdoor.com and LinkedIn to research organizations before you apply for the job to decide if the company would be a good fit for you.

5. Go the extra mile. Challenge-based interviews offer you a way to significantly distinguish yourself from other candidates. Companies who agree to this type of process offer candidates an opportunity to take that chance and run with it.

As with all interviews, the more you know about the organization and the connections between what you offer and what they want, the more likely you are to perform well and win the job.

Read the whole post on my U.S. News & World Report column.

photo by MPBecker

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Patti Wood, author of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma, suggests the following tips to help you wow your interviewer:

Palm-to-palm contact is key. Wood explains: “My research suggests that palm contact is more important than how firm your grip is … If someone shakes hands with you and gives you just her fingers and not her full palm, at a subconscious level you may think, ‘What is she hiding? What is she keeping from me?'” Evaluate the all-important handshake and worry less about if you have a firm enough grip and more about extending your entire hand and palm when you greet someone.

How to sit. Don’t make yourself smaller in stature.

Show your hands. Showing your hands helps you appear open and approachable. “Don’t hide your hands under the table or in your pockets or tuck them away,” Wood notes. “Keep your hands open and in view on the table or the arms of the chair.”

Match and mirror. Research shows that people hire people who are like them. Use body language to help convince your interviewer that you’re a good fit.

Get grounded. “To overcome the toughest interview questions, put both feet firmly on the ground. This makes it easier to use both hemispheres of the brain—the rational and the creative-emotional. Or, if you feel yourself freeze, move your feet in some way.”

End well. While first impressions are important, people will also remember the last thing you do or say. Wood suggests: “As the conversation winds down, make sure your belongings are on the left side of your body so you can easily shake with your right hand. You may shake hands more than once—when you get up, at the door, and after talking for a bit longer while parting.” Even if the interview didn’t go as well as you might have liked, keep focused and poised until the end and you may be able to improve the impression you leave.

Originally Published in U.S. News & World Report

drawing by Aidan Jones

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Originally Published in my U.S. News & World Report column.

The post How to win at the interview appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Answering the question well requires two, equally important elements:

1. Knowing what you offer.
2. Understanding what the organization wants.

What You Offer
Why are you a good fit for the job? If you don’t know your skills, it will be difficult to land an opportunity. It’s imperative to understand what you have to offer when applying for positions. I tell my clients to post the question, “Why should we hire you?” on their bathroom mirror, refrigerator or anyplace they will see it during the day. I instruct them to answer, out loud, keeping different companies in mind each time. This type of rehearsal will help you hone in on what you have to offer.

What do you enjoy most about your job? It’s likely those aspects correlate with your strengths and may help identify reasons to hire you. For example, do you enjoy spending a lot of time negotiating, preventing problems (or solving them), or interacting with people from various backgrounds? Are you a writer, whose best time is quietly typing, alone at the computer? Or, is presenting in front of large groups your favorite thing? Make a list of what you would consider your best strengths.

If it’s difficult choosing your best skills, consider asking for help and doing some self-referential research. Dig out old performance reviews, read what people have written about you in LinkedIn recommendations, and ask your friends or colleagues about your strengths.

Need help articulating what you offer? Check out my new book:
100 Conversations for Career Success

Identify what is unique or special about you. How have you gone above and beyond the call of duty? What did you accomplish that no one else managed to do? Did you volunteer to tackle a problem and solve it? Give yourself credit — ideally, your past work will provide a strong, supportive platform for your next job.

Don’t underestimate the value of looking at yourself, your skills, and your accomplishments and outlining the key points you will want to share with a prospective employer.

What the Organization Wants
While the focus of “Why should we hire you?” is on “you,” the interviewee, it’s important to remember the answer isn’t all about you. The most successful interview responses focus on the hiring manager’s needs. Framing replies that demonstrate you understand their problems — or “pain points,” makes a big difference when competing with many other qualified candidates.

What are the skills to focus on when you apply for jobs? It’s usually not very difficult to identify what employers are looking for; their 2,000-word, in-depth job descriptions don’t leave much to the imagination. Many firms post videos, and manage Facebook sites and Twitter feeds touting their organizations and why you might want to work there. Skip these resources at your own peril — they are telling you exactly what you need to know to be a strong candidate.

To prepare to successfully interview — frame your answer to, “Why should we hire you?” to suit the employer’s needs. Print and highlight the job description, looking for the top three or four most important details. Do they include terms such as, “cross-functional team,” “team work,” and “team player” several times? If your answer to, “Why should we hire you?” (asked directly or as an underlying question) does not mention and focus on your abilities as they relate to teams, you are probably out of luck.

Does the company’s YouTube channel have a series of videos outlining its commitment to customer service? You’ll want to include details about your interest in client relations as part of the reason the employer should hire you. If an organization emphasizes a topic, it’s likely management will appreciate your letting them know why (and how) you are a good fit. Think of an interview as an opportunity to build a bridge between what the company wants and what you offer — and to figuratively lay a red carpet across the bridge, encouraging the employer to walk across!

Final Thoughts: What if There’s a Disconnect? You Know You Need to Emphasize a Skill or Accomplishment that’s not a Strong Suit?
The job requires leadership skills, for example. You know the interviewer will want to discuss it, but it’s one of your weak points. What should you say?

Give examples of non-work related leadership stories if your work history isn’t very leadership focused. Maybe you led a volunteer team and raised a lot of money, for example. It does help to be able to work in information about how you demonstrated leadership at work. To address this topic, break down the definition of “leadership” and identify some matches between what you’ve exhibited on the job and what the job requires.

For example, a leader:

• Takes responsibility for his or her actions
• Can think on his or her feet and make decisions
• Can convince others of a viewpoint or plan — and inspire them to cooperate
• Sees the bigger picture and makes suggestions to avoid obstacles

When the interviewer asks why the organization should hire you, include a leadership-focused reply, such as, “I know this job requires strong leadership experience. The best leaders think ahead, make good decisions and skillfully convince others to cooperate.” (Then, tell a story illustrating a time when you used those three skills.)

photo by b4b2

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An often overlooked topic in hiring is that “fit” – a nuanced, maybe even “unfair” assessment of the interviewee is most likely the most important aspect of the hiring process. This is frustrating (for job seekers who KNOW they have the skills to do the job) and for the hiring managers (who need to somehow justify hiring one person over another because of what might be ambigous or nuanced reasons).

Nevertheless, recognizing (and maybe even embracing?) the fact that hiring (and being hired) is as much an art as it is a science and that making a real, solid connection at an interview is as important as the portfolio of skills, experiences and accomplishments you bring can be empowering.

One of my favorite authors for career and relationship building advice is Keith Ferrazzi. (Read my review of his most recent, Who’s Got Your Back – I also really enjoyed Never Eat Alone. Both are great choices to help job seekers and careerists with their networking and relationship building.) So, it is no surprise that his advice about interviewing resonates!

This is Keith’s advice on interviewing:

1. Make them like you. My number one advice: Make sure that by the time you leave the room, you’ve found a way to make the person like you. That’s it: MAKE THEM LIKE YOU. Two arms, two legs and an MBA, being all fancy and important, are not going to get you there. Make that personal connection. Build instant intimacy.
2. Find a reason to care about the person. Do your homework in advance, understand their passions, and draw out the stories of their life that make them human. When you connect with them, and start to like them, they’ll start to like you, and care about you.
3. Show them your passion! Specifically, your passion for the job you’re interviewing for. Passion and charisma go a long way.
4. Tell stories. Don’t rely on stats and figures to make your case. Tell stories of how you’ve changed lives for former bosses and companies. This is what my friend Peter Guber calls “emotional transportation” and it works. Take them on your journey! (Note from Miriam: Katharine Hansen’s book Tell Me About Yourself is a great resource to help you.)
   

If you have prepared for your interview, the preparation was probably more focused on YOU. What YOU should say. How to emphasize YOUR skills. Your accomplishments. This is fine – I am not going to knock going in prepared to talk about yourself. But, be sure you spend some time thinking of connecting. What research can you do to really help you “hook” the interviewer’s interest? How can you connect on an emotional level?

photo by woodythrower

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Interviewing is really an art as much as it is a science. Being successful depends on a combination of preparation, know-how and the ability to connect with the audience. Something most job seekers don’t consider – your interviewer HOPES you are the best candidate for the job. Think about it – who wants to interview and interview and never find a great fit for the job?

Some ideas to help turn your interviewer into a FAN!

1. Convince yourself that the interviewer really WANTS to hire you.
The fact is, it is tough to hire a quality employee. I can say from experience that your interviewer hopes that you WOW him or her with your answers and give fabulous reasons to hire you.  In essence, the interviewer is rooting for you!

2. Know what to say. 
Prepare in advance.  A lot.  No, you don’t have to memorize answers to 100 interview questions, but be sure that you spend time thinking and practicing what you will say in response to topics that will come up:

• Think of your key points (as they relate to how you fit into the job).  These points are your message.  They answer the question:  Why should we hire you?
• Create several stories that illustrate your points and describe how you are able to fill the organization’s needs.  Stories should demonstrate successes, a time you overcame obstacles and examples of how you interact with colleagues and employers. Use the STAR technique to describe these situations.
• Incorporate the fact that you’ve conducted research on the organization, their goals, values, accomplishments and needs in your answers.  Your interviewer will be happy to know that you spent some time on the organization’s website or reading up on them.  It’s flattering to know that you’re interested enough in the job to prepare.  Interviewers love prepared candidates.

3. Listen carefully and answer the question. 
You won’t believe how many candidates reply to a direct question without actually answering it.  It can be a little painful for the interviewer.  Ask for clarification if necessary, even think for a few seconds before replying.  (Not too many seconds, though.)  If you don’t answer the question, you’ll lose your fan.

4. Don’t keep talking and talking (and talking)…
There is no quicker way to lose your audience than by droning on and on before you get to the point.  If it doesn’t seem that you’re getting to the point, you will lose your audience quickly.  Even if you do (eventually) answer the question, your interviewer will be busy making mental notes about what to pick up for dinner by the time you get to the point.  Be succinct.  Your interviewer will love it!

5. Follow Up
Send a thank you note.  It matters.

If you follow these tips, you’ll increase the likelihood of keeping a fan on the other side of the interview table.  That fan is much more likely to become a colleague if they like you as much when you leave the room as they did when they invited you to interview!  It’s in your hands – interview to seal the deal and GET THE JOB!

Stay tuned for some additional tips from Keith Ferrazzi!

photo by woodlywonderworks

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