In today's economy, one has to work so hard to land an interview that sometimes researching a company and preparing for an interview becomes secondary. It would be a shame to work hard to get an interview at an "A list" company, and then blow it by not preparing to sell yourself when you get there!
Susan Croce Kelly of Kirkpatrick International Inc. in Houston is a communication specialist who writes speeches for executives. She advises telling your audience what you are going to say early in your presentation, then repeating your points throughout. Repetition is important, and if an audience remembers two ideas from a speech, you have scored high!
According to Carole Martin, Monster Contributing Writer, you can use Susan's speech model to prepare for interviews. As Carole says, "Concentrating on your five best strengths will help you focus during the interview and will make it easier for them to remember you. Begin your interview by identifying your strengths and matching them to the job requirements. Then, determine ways to bring up these matches during the interview.
"Let's say you're interviewing for a position that requires strong organizational skills. The interview begins: 'Tell me about yourself.'" Part of your answer should include a statement about your organizational skills. 'One of my key strengths is being organized. My coworkers would tell you that I am the ultimate planner.'
"Later in the interview, you could repeat your strength in a store format: 'One project I worked on was very complex and detailed. It required a lot of forethought and planning on my part. I was able to do this using Microsoft Project software for tracking and scheduling.'"
Martin continues this thought with, "The interviewer asks, 'Why should we hire you? Your answer should repeat information about being organized. 'From what I have heard throughout the interview, it sounds like you're looking for someone to bring order to projects here. Since I am known for my organizational skills, I know I would be a real asset.'"
Martin says, "Like the speechwriter, you want your audience to remember the important points you have made. By concentrating on a handful of strengths, you will be more focused about telling what you have to offer, and your interviewer will more likely remember you for your strengths."
(Marvin Walberg is a job search coach. Contact him at mwalberg(at)bellsouth.net, marvinwalberg.blogspot.com, or PO Box 43056, Birmingham, AL 35243.)
GETTING HIRED
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