Your Interview

The art of interviewing is actually more skill than art. The keys to success are preparation and practice. As you take the necessary steps to get ready for your interview, keep the following recommendations top-of-mind.

Understand Behavioral Interviewing

You've probably already heard that recruiters have been moving away from the traditional interview style of "tell me about yourself" to something called Behavioral Interviewing. This is nothing more than a way to gain insight into your potential future performance based on past performance. The questions in a Behavioral Interview are usually structured according to a format called S.T.A.R. – Situation, Task, Action, Result.

Practice Your S.T.A.R. Stories:

• Sharing specific details about how you used your skills and experience to deliver business results
• Describing in detail your ability to deal with conflict and change management while effectively accomplishing goals
• Articulating how your leadership capabilities contributed to team development and delivered results
• Pointing out to the potential employer how your values align with the culture of their company
• Telling how your skills align with the business objectives

Keep in Mind During the Interview

• Displaying "appropriate business conduct"
  • Addressing as "Sir" or "Madam" is unnecessary
  • Respectful shifting to first-name basis builds rapport
• Conveying a positive tone
• Positioning past challenges as opportunities, resulting in success
• Exhibiting positive body language (posture, eye contact and your handshake)
• Minimizing jargon (less is more)
• Asking questions to determine if the role is right for you (e.g., How is success measured? What challenges lie ahead?)
• Inquiring about "next steps" in the hiring process
• Thanking the interviewer for their time upon conclusion

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