NAILED IT: SIX TACTICS TO NAIL YOUR JOB INTERVIEW
by Kyle Aldous
Nailed it!

I love job interviews. Like, really love.

I love being interviewed and I love interviewing others. The whole process is exciting.

Think about it: you are literally spending an hour with someone where you either win and get a salary, healthcare, insurance, and more—or you lose and walk away with nothing. It’s a rush! Sometimes that decision rests with a single person and other times you face an entire panel. Regardless, these gatekeepers are ready to judge everything you say, how you act, how you’re dressed, and everything in between. In an hour, these people literally decide your future. With so much at stake, it is worth the time and effort to move beyond the obligatory Google search and perusal of the company homepage that most folks do. Here are six tactics you can begin using immediately to make yourself stand out from the crowd.


1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Checking out the company website is just the beginning—everyone does that these days. For many companies, you will find news stories, blog posts, press releases, and other media online to help you get a basic understanding of the company. But if you really want inside information you need to talk with someone on the inside. Reach out to several employees in the company with similar roles and ask some questions. Your first stop should be any fellow high school or university alumni. At SAS we have over 8,000 alumni working in a wide variety of sectors. If you’re interested in connecting with other SAS alumni you should join the SAS LinkedIn group or the alumni directory currently found on EverTrue. Once you’ve been able to get a better understanding of the needs of the company you will understand what your role might be and how you can provide value. Knowing this will help you answer questions in a way that can spark more in-depth discussions about how you might contribute.


2. IT’S NOT YOU—IT’S THEM

One of the biggest mistakes people make during job interviews is assume they are there to talk about themselves. When you are asked, “tell me a little more about yourself,” it is not an invitation to detail your life story or regurgitate your resume. This common introductory question is your opportunity to take control of the interview. Let’s say you’re interviewing for a copywriting position. The average candidate answers with something like, “I began my career at company A and really loved the work and then moved over to company B, which was a really great experience, etc. etc.” An open-ended question like this is your chance to shine. Try something like this instead, “when you look at my experience you’ll notice I’ve been heavily involved in marketing for as long as I’ve been working. It’s a topic I enjoy learning about even outside of work, I love reading authors like Seth Godin, the Heath brothers, and Adam Grant because I love looking for the intersection of psychology and marketing. Most recently I’ve been detailing the different psychological triggers that can be used to positively influence conversion in sales copy."

How to nail that interview?


3. THE BRIEFCASE TECHNIQUE

If you do this one thing you will put yourself well ahead of many of the other candidates you are competing with. Bring a plan. At some point you may get a question like this, “what value do you think you will bring to our team?” At this point, because you’ve done your homework, you will reach down into your bag and pull out several sheets of paper where you have already outlined in detail how you will be an immediate contributor. It’s one thing to talk about the research you’ve done, but when you go through the physical motion of opening your bag and pulling out a tangible plan, you’ve concretely demonstrated your commitment. And you’ve done it in a way that only a small percentage of candidates actually do.


4. DECONSTRUCT THE QUESTIONS AND REBUILD YOUR ANSWERS

Have you ever Googled “popular job interview questions?” Preparing for a job interview is no different than studying for the ACT or SAT. You will find hundreds of questions online and you will even find ideas for how to respond to certain questions. If you already know the questions on the “test” then it would make sense to spend some time preparing thoughtful answers. Your goal is not to offer memorized answers from a “10 answers to this really hard job interview question” article. You want to de-commoditize your answers. How? Start broad, offer a specific example, and finish with the takeaway you hope they got out of your answer. Why are you interested in working at Singapore American School? “I have been teaching in an inner-city school in Houston, Texas for eight years now. During that time I’ve worked with students who span a wide range of ethnicities, learning abilities, income brackets, and household situations. With such diverse needs from each of my students, personalized learning has become my mantra. I’m doing everything I can with the resources available to offer each student their own personalized learning experience. I’ve read several dozen articles, your annual report, and watched many of your school videos and see the theme of personalized learning as a common thread. My personal experience with personalized learning fits perfectly with what I have seen highlighted by many of your school materials.”


5. COME WITH QUESTIONS

When the interviewer is wrapping things up and asks you if you have any questions the correct answer is always yes. Of course you have questions, you did your homework and you understand a little about the needs of the company based on that research and hopefully, you learned a thing or two during the interview that you can use to now guide the questions you have. At the very least, even with zero preparation, you should be able to ask something like, “I’m curious what the biggest challenges are for the ____ department right now?” Always ask a question.


6. PRACTICE

Coach doesn’t put you in with the game on the line if you’ve never been to practice. Actors rehearse, athletes practice and spelling bee champions diligently study words like a-c-h-i-e-v-e-m-e-n-t. With a salary, benefits, and more on the line, why is anyone still “winging” it? You know some of the questions coming, so take some time to work out great answers and then work on your delivery. Find a friend, sibling, teacher, or anyone who will listen to you and let them help you work out any of the bugs. Interviews don’t have to be stressful, overwhelming, or anxiety-inducing. Eighty percent of nailing your interview happens long before you’re in the hot seat. The best antidote to fear is preparation. Take the time to prepare and you will be rewarded!

  • high school
  • job interviews
  • learning
  • tips

 

 

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