Employment Interview Success

Even if you're a senior manager or executive, you may have interview-related concerns you could use help with. For example, if you're facing stiff competition for a targeted career opportunity, you need to get through several rounds of interviews in order to be included in the final group. You certainly don't want to trust to luck to make that happen!

Regardless of their level, job candidates who sail through the employment interview process successfully aren't necessarily superstars at interviewing. They've just made smart moves to get themselves ready for each interview and followed up consistently afterwards. Qualified candidates who don't make the effort to do that are likely to be left at the starting-line. Working with a coach to make sure nothing slips through the cracks is a wise precaution.

Employment Interviewing Stages:

Typically, employment interviewing involves at least 6 stages, and each one is critical in moving you all the way through the process:

1. Identification of opportunities to pursue (see Career Coaching)
2. Preparation and submission of a resume and cover letter
3. Telephone pre-screening interview
4. Face-to-face interviews with one or more people
5. For selected first-round candidates, a second interview and frequently more, especially at the senior level
6. Finally, a formal offer for the successful candidate

I can work with you to strengthen your performance in any or all of the above stages and put the focus on the ROI you can deliver to the prospective employer.

How Interview Coaching Can Help You:

Here are just a few examples of areas where coaching can enhance your interview results:

• Do you have particular issues or concerns about interviewing? Maybe you haven't been in the interview "spotlight" in years, you've been the interviewer instead of the interviewee, or you've been out of work for an extended period. Although you can't script-out the entire interview ahead of time, you can learn how to anticipate certain questions, "expect the unexpected," and respond effectively.
• What answer will you give if the interviewer asks, " Why should we hire you"? It's essential that you have some well-thought-out responses to choose from and that you build success stories around the "gotta have it" message you want to communicate to the interviewer, if you expect to stand out from your competition.
• Have you considered that both parties have a stake in the interview? If the interviewer recommends hiring the "wrong" person, that recommendation could boomerang. By keeping this important fact in mind and learning how to make it work in your favor, you can increase your chances for a successful interview.

Interview Success Tools:

Behavioral Profiling:

When your natural style and the adapted style you believe is required to succeed in your job don't match well, you experience conflict. Behavioral profiling is a tested method for assessing your styles and providing practical ideas on how to deal with mismatches.

The assessment process can also serve as excellent preparation for interviews. Each completed assessment comes with a comprehensive report focused on your unique situation. I offer this service online, so you can take advantage of it at your convenience.

Portfolio Preparation:

Graphic artists and other artistic people know the value of a portfolio—they take theirs wherever they go. But you don't have to be an artist to use a portfolio to your advantage. An employment portfolio enables you to craft a positive presence in interviews and, like the resume and cover letter, is another aspect of your marketing presentation. It can do a lot of the talking for you.

I can help you with your portfolio, either through a portfolio coaching session or through the full process.

A Successful Career
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1096 N. Central Avenue
San Jose, CA 95128-4104
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