• I asked questions
• She responded,
• I then gave feedback from an interviewers perspective
• We then reviewed it from an interview coaching perspective
• She then answered the question a second time

Like other people I’ve worked with she was modest, and didn’t want to sell herself, but if she didn’t describe her strengths and achievements who would? She also had a tendency to waffle and to loose the key points amongst the rest. So we practiced answering questions in the same style as a newspaper article – the headline, next important and then the rest.

I’ve probably written before about the interview coaching sessions I do.  I often do these by phone and send my clients a numbe rof questions to prepare and then ask them, give my client feedback from an interviewers point of view and then go into my career coaching mode.

Today was great news, Anne has just got the job she went for in environmental consultancy – she was told that she interviewed exceptionally well.

There are still jobs, and people will still be interviewed, and you need to make sure that you perform as well as you can as there will be stiff competition.  Anne said that another person scored higher on paper but she interviewed best.

If I can help you, please do get in touch.

One of my clients has got a competency based interview next week, so I have been helping her to prepare. She has the organisations competency framework so I’ve used this as a start. I’ve then gone through picking out questions she might be asked so she can run through some replies.

The best way to respond to a competency based question is to use the STAR technique

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result

It’s not good enough to be broad and vague, you have to talk through a specific example.

I have my client practicing her questions by actually answering out loud. We’ll then do a practice session next week.

Want to know more -  do get in touch

 A client called me today; she had just had an interview for a job.

We’d spent time planning how to respond to interview questions, how to present herself well, really excellent interview questions, all the ways to handle the experienced interviewer who wants deep specific answers.

But sometimes the interviewers are not that skilled.

The one Karen had seemed to be on speed or working at the pace Royal Mail wants postal staff to work at.  No sooner had she entered the room then she was asked the first question, little time spent on putting her at ease.

Her interviewer didn’t seem interested in what she had to say but was rushing her and over talking to ask the next question.

Within 30 minutes she was out the door and the next one invited in, so no time for any reflection on how she had done.

So yes we had covered the less experienced interviewer but not the person who is just rushing someone through, we do need to be prepared for a range of interview styles.  

Karen may not have performed as well as she could as she benefits form time to settle down, like most of us do. So what to do? I’ve suggested she sends an email and confirms her interests and her strengths. Then fingers crossed. She has a couple more interviews in the diary which means she won’t be too fixated on this one.

I’ve been watching the X factor recently.  I’d never watched the series before, so hadn’t really known what to expect.

Obviously there are winners and losers, and for the past three weeks there has been a lot of emotion shown from the people who have left the show.

Just like applying for jobs you don’t always get what you want, but how you react says a lot about youas a person.

Sometimes there is a need for stoicism, not just showing your feelings but remaining composed.

We need to think about what people will remember of us. Luckily most of us get to find out we haven’t got the job in the privacy of our own home.

The key thing though to take away from the show is about the need to listen carefully to the feedback given and, if it is right for you, to take account of it for the next time.Some of the people on the show really listen to what is said, but others can still be successful when they do thier own thing, such as Ruth decidng to sing in English, not Spanish as Simon Cowell suggested.

Thank goodness we don’t have to go thorugh an X factor process when we go for a job.

At the end of the interview there are two very important things to do which will be of significant help.

The first is to take notes as soon as you can at the end of the interview. Either take short notes in the loo before you leave or as soon as you get to your car or the railway station. I giv my clients a summary sheet to use – you need to think objectively aboutm your own performance, the questions asked, the examples you gave, how you looked, lots of things to help you for a next interview.

Also to note what you thought about the company – would you like to work for them? What questions would you have if you ccome back for a second interview.

The second thing to do is to write a note of thanks. Thank them for givng you an interview, say how pleased you were to meet with them, remind them of your strengths and let them know of any areas you wish to clarify.for example if you can now think of a better example.

This could make a difference!

Good luck, and don’t forget I sell an eBook on interviews and also offer interview coaching 

On the day

 Perform