Congratulations, out of the frying pan and into the fire! You have a job interview now. You worked hard to find the job, now it’s time to work harder for the interview. By consulting my clients on interview prep, I have come up with a short list of what needs to be mastered for the interview. Hope it helps you too.

The Sandwich answer:

Interviewer: “So tell me about your strength.”

You: “I believe we all have strengths and weaknesses that are part of our personality. One of my core strengths is my organizational skills. [Insert a specific story that proves this.] Being aware of my strength, I leverage it where I can and try to share this skill with my colleagues.

Stories:
People remember stories. Story answers are the best answers. The components of a good story are three-acts:

Act 1: background, establish the hero, their motives, the who, what, where, why.

Act 2: define the problem, something that causes distress.

Act 3: the solution, restoring status quo, what is the lesson learnt.

Pace and lead:
Match and mirror your interviewer’s personality, appearance, speaking speed. If they talk slow, you talk slow, if they are sitting cross legged, you sit cross legged, of they smile often, you do the same. You can then lead with your answer and they will listen.

Answer what they want to hear:
Always put yourself in your interviewer’s shoes and ask what is the right answer in their mind. Don’t lie, but be aware of what you are saying and what they are hearing.

I believe these are some of the core interview skills and should me mastered with practice. Be yourself, but align yourself with what your audience is expecting. You have a good story to tell, make sure you are heard.

Good luck!