Episode #19 - Being Interviewed, Being Prepared!

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Welcome to the podcast where relationships, confidence, and

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determination, all converge into an amazing, heartfelt experience.

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This is Speaking From The Heart.

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Welcome back to episode number 19 of Speaking From The Heart.

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Today, we're going to be talking about interviews, which is another type of

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service that Your Speaking Voice, LLC provides to clients that are interested in

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not just getting to that next level when it comes to our professional development,

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but maybe even impressing someone that we need to be able to showcase not

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only our values, our aspirations, our knowledge, our skills, our abilities,

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but to handle the different types of interviews that come alongside of it.

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Now, I have to admit that for many of us, we might often think of interviews

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as being the traditional sit down, one person to one person asking a bunch of

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questions for one hour, maybe less, and then moving about making a decision as to

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whether we should be hiring that person.

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Well, it's a lot more than that nowadays, and it's not like your father's or your

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mother's interview, and I think that it's so important to talk about how interviews

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have evolved, especially for not just those that are looking for any type of

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blue collar, white collar or any collar job, it's looking at how we can use some

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of these techniques that are universal in nature, and apply them to the different

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types of things that come about doing what we do, especially during interviews.

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Now, I have to say also that not only are we talking about the concepts itself

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that we have that allow us to become that best person or that best candidate that

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stands out in front of everyone else, but even in the previous episode in which we

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talked about resumes, we are talking now, after getting through what was written,

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is really backing up what you have already written down that that person has made

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a decision to call you in and be able to qualify what you bring to the table.

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I know that for many of us, we are going to already start with a conversation

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about, "Well, I really exacerbated my opportunities that I have on

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my resume, and now I'm in trouble.

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What should I do?"

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This is why it's so important starting out, especially if you

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have an interview with someone, is to lay everything out on the table,

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especially with what you are supposed to be doing at that job interview.

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What do I mean?

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Let's clarify a couple things that you should be doing even before

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you set foot in front of that interview panel, that person, or

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even doing it over your computer.

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First off, we always talk about having a checklist ready, and we do that at my

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business in order to have the resources available so that you are ready to be

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prepared for that interview, and we do a preparation checklist because it

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makes sure that we not only have the qualifications of what we're looking

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for, to have that available to us during that interview, but we're also

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ready for anything that comes along our way, so a few things that I list on my

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own checklist include the following: researching the company and even the role

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that you applied to, because it might have been a while since you looked at

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that position description that was being considered, and you haven't even looked

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at the company possibly for quite a while.

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This is the time to go through that again before you walk in the door, because

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nine chances out of ten, a panelist will ask you why you are interested in

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the job, or what do you know about the company in the first place, that allows

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you to be interested in that position.

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This even includes looking at your resume.

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What did you submit?

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What was the cover letter, if you prepared one that you sent in that showcases

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those qualifications that you have?

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Cover letters oftentimes are becoming a forgotten art but are still important

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in order to showcase and spell out what are the things that you bring to

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the table that are specific to that position, so it's always good to review

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that before you enter the interview.

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Another aspect is to even look at where your location of the interview is at,

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especially if you're going in person.

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Being familiar with even the technology that you're utilizing,

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whether that is Teams; maybe you're using some sort of mobile device

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that allows you to go on Zoom.

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Being familiar with those technologies and practicing with a colleague, a friend, or

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a family member can help you get a long way, but more importantly than anything

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else is to practice what kind of decorum you might expect during the interview.

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Now, I have to be honest.

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Maybe you're going to an interview in which you are going to be

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doing a lot of heavy labor.

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Do you think that dressing in a suit will impress those people?

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Probably not, because those people might be in a casual format.

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They might be wearing jeans, they might be wearing a button down shirt.

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They might not be wearing a tie or any sort of suit whatsoever, so knowing what

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your proper attire is, is so important, especially to match the culture in which

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you're trying to interview, because having a great fit will help you get a long way.

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Even with all those things prepared for, we might be scared, afraid, petrified of

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the questions that might come our way.

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There's a listing of all kinds of different types of questions that

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you can access online of all kinds of different databases that provide you

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with a lot of different resources, which some of them I even give to

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my clients, especially starting out.

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This includes some of the questions such as: Why are you motivated to be

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part of this career in this X industry?

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How do you handle changes to a plan?

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Tell me about a time which you had to resolve a conflict of a coworker or a

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contractor, or how do you ensure that projects are completed within budget?

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These questions amongst many, many multitudes of different other ones are

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available not only through what I provide because of the experience that I've had

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going through the interview process in a variety of different industries, but

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they're also available on databases such as Interview Buddy, Leekcode, Gainlo,

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Found It, and even Glassdoor, which many people might have heard in the past.

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Some of the more traditional ones, such as Indeed and even interviewing, which

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interviewing.io is another great tool that allows you to practice interviews,

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provide a lot of different resources so that you're helping yourself not only

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stay in focus of the interview panel for that matter, but it allows you to

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stay in touch with other people that are like-minded in the industry, sharing

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that information and knowing more about what to expect during an interview.

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That leads into my underlying point.

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No matter what interview type it might be, it's always good to have as much

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insider information as possible, but also take it with a grain of salt.

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You really want to be your authentic self when you're bringing your best

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game to the interview, no matter if it's with one person or a panel of

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individuals; whether that is a first interview, second interview, or even

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a third interview for that matter, and I've even heard of other people

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going through a fourth and fifth round.

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Having that ability to sort yourself and make yourself stand out in front of all

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the other candidates is important by being able to practice what you'll be able to

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do by utilizing some of the resources that I've provided even in this episode,

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but even being able to help yourself understand how you can move from point A

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to point B without jeopardizing or even feeling like you're inadequate for being

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able to prepare for that next interview.

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Now, for many of us, like I mentioned earlier in this episode, we can do all

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kinds of traditional types of interviews, whether we meet face-to-face, some

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might even do a phone interview or a video interview, which are similar

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in nature except that you might see them, you might not see them; group

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interviews and even panel interviews for that matter, but have you ever

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been involved with stress interviews?

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Maybe a case interview?

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Maybe even being interviewed during a job fair?

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Maybe you've been interviewed on the job in which you are doing something in which

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you are performing a task or a service that the client or the person that you

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are getting hired from potentially wants to see what kind of work you're able

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to do, but there's other types, such as behavioral interviews, how you react,

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how you respond to different types of situations, which in most service-oriented

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firms, such as even being a police officer, or even being a prison guard,

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those can be types of interview tactics that are used so that we know a little bit

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more about how you interact with different people, but there's also others such

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as having a competency based interview, maybe even having an informal, or what

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is called an informational interview.

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All of these are different types of ways in which you gather information

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and resources about different types of things and people that allow

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you to create some of those best interview tactics for yourself.

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I always stress, especially for my clients, going through interviews that

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not only is it about understanding these different types to bring your authentic

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self, but it's also about understanding how to create different conversations,

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different dynamics, to not only make yourself stand out from that other

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person or that other group of people, but it also allows you to interview with

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passion, with commitment, with having that understanding that you really want to have

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that job and that you will never take no for an answer unless they tell you no.

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Those are the types of things that you want to be able to do in order to create

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opportunities for the panelists to ask and to dig more deeply with you about.

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Now in the next monologue episode, we're going to talk more about how you could

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be more confident, especially when it comes to speaking, but when it comes

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specifically to interviews, it's about not just knowing what you have inside

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yourself that provides that resource or that opportunity for the company to hire

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you, but it's also about understanding a little bit of ways in which you can just

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enhance, right in the interview, your own impromptu speaking skills itself, so let

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me give you a few tips that I've learned over the years that have helped me to

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stay calm, remove the jitters that we often have, even after we practice so many

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different times, but more importantly, allows us to be called back again.

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Now, I have to tell you, I have always been in interviews where the next person

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that comes after me might be much more qualified, maybe more able to provide

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their background, and they are considered for the next interview round and not me.

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I have been on that side and I totally understand that and that

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doesn't mean that you don't bring anything to the table, and it doesn't

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mean that you're not good enough.

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Always remember that even after you receive rejections, but when you are in an

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interview position in which you're being asked questions, ask immediately, as one

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of my first ideas, to see if there's a copy of the questions that will be asked.

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Usually, oftentimes there are questions already written up that

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you can review, and even as you're answering or even waiting for the

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interviewer to write down the response that you provided to read ahead.

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This will allow you to think ahead of all the different types of responses

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that you can mention that will address that future question that's being asked.

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It never hurts to ask.

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The worst thing that could happen is that they say no.

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The next thing that I would mention is that when you are being asked a

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question, you don't have that list in front of you, ask for it to be repeated.

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Make sure that you're clarifying every single piece of information that is needed

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for that question to be responded to.

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I can't tell you enough as being someone that has been an interviewer, interviewing

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potential individuals for a position, that don't fully answer the question,

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nor do they take the opportunity to re-ask the question to be repeated.

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It can help so much to have that clarity and direction of information,

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so that allows you to feel like you're confident enough to move

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forward and responding to all the different information that is needed.

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Don't be afraid to ask for a repeat.

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Even during the interview, this repeat technique can buy you some more time,

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even if you know the answer, to help yourself get more calm and even eliminate

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some of the jitters that you might have, especially with responding to a

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particular type of question that might be more technically involved with the

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answer that you will provide, but another tip that I will give you is that no

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matter what kind of questions that they ask, whether they ask it a round robin

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format, especially if there's multiple individuals, or if it is one-on-one,

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being yourself also means understanding that you could throw a little bit

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of appropriate humor into the mix.

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Now, you might be saying, "Really?

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You're going to bring humor into this?

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This is a very serious interview.

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I'm trying to be considered for this job", but if you think about the fact

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that your personality is something that is being considered indirectly for this

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position, noting whether you'll be a good fit for that next project that's being

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considered, or for that team that you are going to be managing, it's really

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important to show your true personality.

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It doesn't mean over embellishing, and it also means being very careful about

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not just using humor that's appropriate and being able to utilize that so that

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you feel more comfortable with yourself, but it means being able to understand

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that sometimes those answers that you give are going to be a direct impact

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on how a person or a group of people will feel about you, but if you add

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humor and even excitement for that interview, for somebody to be hiring

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you, that can make such a big difference.

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At the end of the day, one of the last things I always tell my clients to do

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is make sure that you follow up and even during my own process of following up,

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I give a checklist for them to consider maybe some of the ways in which you can

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find out where you're at on the stage of development for that interview.

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Sending a thank you email, or even sending follow up items, are so important to

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the panelists that have considered you.

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Always thanking them for their time is something that I truly try to do

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even before I leave the room, but I also do when I follow up, because it

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allows them to know that I'm still interested in the position, but I also

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appreciated the time that they gave, but always check in with your references.

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References are part of the process in which you might have someone that's

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close to you getting that important phone call to see if you really bring

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that extra bang for the buck that they really need, and if you don't alert your

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references of this potential job, you are going to not only catch them off

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guard, but they might not give you the best recommendation that they could of

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if they would've been more prepared, so it's always good to make sure that your

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references are up to date and you check in with them to see if they were contacted.

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Now, with all of that said, we are rendering a new world of virtual

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interviews in which we are trying so hard to become able to fit in no

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matter where we're at across the globe.

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Even with all the types of software and connectivity that we have,

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it's always important to think about the virtual interview format

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as the same as the in-person.

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If you're able to do that, you're going to be a very good candidate for them

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to understand the different types of technology that you can master: being

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able to look at the camera, being loud and projecting into the microphone that

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you have built into your computer, or maybe stationary or separate, and also

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having the information available to those individuals that are interviewing you

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are all important considerations that you could share on the fly and be able to

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provide them with whatever information's needed to make yourself stand out.

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Interviews are something that I can go on and on about, especially in this

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episode, but I think that for many of us, interviews is about unlocking who

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we really are in front of a panel of interviewers that allow us to see what we

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are truly capable of doing, and as long as you are adequately prepared and you

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feel confident and you're able to speak clearly about who you are, especially with

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what you've written down in that resume, it's not only going to help you stand

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out, but I could even help you get to that next level, so don't be afraid to reach

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www.yourspeakingvoice.biz and learn more about how I can provide you

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with interview preparation techniques, especially even mock interviews in which

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we can conduct right in my office, or even through the phone or video conferencing,

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to simulate the real life experience to help you get to that next level, because

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it is about not just selling yourself, but it's about showing you and others

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that you have what it takes to become not only that best person as part of that

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next team project, but maybe having that security that we all desperately want,

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that we all able to do because we're showing our true best versions of ourself.

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Thanks for listening to episode number 19 of Speaking From the

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Heart, and I look forward to hearing from your heart, very soon.

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Thanks for listening.

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For more information about our podcast and future shows, search for Speaking From

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The Heart to subscribe and be notified wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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Visit us at www.yourspeakingvoice.biz for more information about potential

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services that can help you create the best version of yourself.