Your Personal Themes
There are twelve types of information recruiters seek in a typical job interview. Knowing what these points are, and being able to discuss readily how each point relates to you, will make you better prepared and more in control of the interviewing process. Think of your twelve themes as sales messages. Each is designed to showcase your best skills and qualifications. Together, they make up a twelve-point strategy that will enable you to sell your qualifications in virtually any interview situation.
Read through the following twelve topics. Develop a personalized approach to each and practice talking about it. Think of specific examples in your background that correspond to each topic. You can't possibly be prepared for every situation, but once you've developed your twelve key messages, you'll be able to apply them to almost any interview question you face.
Try to answer each question aloud; incorporating the themes you've developed. Then evaluate your progress. You may discover that you need more practice in order to become comfortable discussing the topics in a clear and concise manner. Nothing that you say for the first time will come out the way you like. Practice aloud delivering your twelve key messages until the words come easily in an organized yet comfortable, conversational way.
Passion for the Business
Ask yourself, "Why am I interested in working in this field in this industry?" Do you feel a passion for the business? If so, why? Give specific examples of the things that excite you. These could be anything from enjoying the challenge of meeting increasingly higher sales goals, to a sense of satisfaction derived from developing a product from the creation stage to final production. Offer personal experience where possible.
Motivation and Purpose
Interviewers will want to know why you want to work for their particular company. Ask yourself, "Why do I want this interview?" Don't simply repeat your resume and employment history. What's the most compelling case you can make to prove your interest? Have you used the company's products or talked to its customers or competitors? (Refer to the section that follows, Researching Potential Employers, to learn how you can locate this kind of information about companies you're interested in.)
Skills and Experience
Consider your key skills and how you'll use them in this job. Avoid clichés and generalities; instead, offer specific evidence. Think about your weaknesses and how you can minimize and balance them with your strengths. Try to describe yourself as objectively as possible. Avoid sounding arrogant or defensive.
Diligence and Professionalism
Describe your professional character, including thoroughness, diligence, and accountability. Give proof that you persevere to see important projects through, and that you achieve desired results. Demonstrate how you gather resources, how you predict obstacles, and how you manage stress.
Creativity and Leadership
Offer proof of your effectiveness, including creativity, initiative, resourcefulness, and leadership. What examples can you provide for each? Focus on how you overcome problems, how you take advantage of opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked, and how you rally the support of others to accomplish goals.
Compatibility with the Job
Discuss your specific qualifications for the job. How well do they fit the requirements of the position? Your answer should describe both positive and negative aspects of recent jobs, without dwelling on the negatives. Conclude by focusing on what you're seeking in your next job. Keep in mind that your response should match closely the position you're applying for.
Personality and Cultural Compatibility
Consider your personality on the job. How do you fit in with other types of personalities? What types of people would enjoy working with you for hours at a time? How would the company's customers or clients react to you?
Your goal is to develop responses that make the interviewer feel confident there won't be any surprises after hire about your personality on the job.
Management Style and Interpersonal Skills
Talk about the management style and the interpersonal skills you use with peer groups and leaders. Focus on how you work rather than on what type of work you do well. What kind of boss, colleague, and employee will you be? Give personal or popular examples of leaders you believe are effective. Why are those people able to accomplish so much?
Problem-Solving Ability
Offer proof, with examples, of your problem-solving ability. How have you resolved difficult issues in the past? Are you practical in how you apply technical skills? Are you realistic? Focus on real issues, on logical value-added solutions, on practical outcomes of your work, and on realistic measures of judging these outcomes.
Accomplishments
Think about your initiative and accomplishments. Offer examples in which you've delivered more than what was expected. Don't give long descriptions of situations; instead, focus your answer on the action you took and the positive results you obtained. If you were hired, what situations would you handle especially well? What can you contribute to the organization?
Career Aspirations
Tailor your aspirations to the realities of this particular job and its career path. Avoid listing job titles or offering unrealistic performance deadlines. Instead, reiterate the skills and strengths you want to develop further. Do you want cross-functional experience, a larger budget, or more supervisory responsibility? Why would you be effective with that additional experience?
Personal Interests and Hobbies
Do you have a balanced lifestyle? Is your personality reflected in the type of job you choose as well as in the outside activities you pursue? Are your personal and career interests compatible? The interviewer will also be interested in your community involvement. How commendably would you reflect the company's image?
After you feel comfortable with your twelve sales messages, develop them in a brief summary. This is a useful tool that you can use effectively at the end of the interview, when the interviewer says something like "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?" Never let an interview end without summarizing your twelve key messages.
