interviewing for success

Sally Schmall, MSWOwner, Academy Coaching

sallyschmall@academycoaching.comhttp://academycoaching.com

Expand on the information conveyed in your cover letter and resume

Demonstrate your motivation and connect your skills to the needs of the employer

Evaluate the position and organization

Assessing your own values and skill sets

Researching the chosen area and organization

Networking

Developing an effective resume

Preparing for and practicing responses to anticipated interview questions

Educational, volunteer and work history Qualifications Career goals, length of commitment to the

area or organization Strengths Weaknesses

◦ If you are transitioning into a new industry you must be prepared to highlight how your skills and previous experiences are transferrable to the setting in which you are interviewing

Gaps in education or work experience

Lack of experience or “unrelated” experience

Multiple positions over a short period of time

Reason for seeking a new position

Offering a brief and honest acknowledgementof the underlying concern

Quickly followed by a shift in focus

Accentuate the positive and transferrable skills

Sell the strength behind the issue

Use language relevant to the expressed needs of the employer

Highlight your skills by sharing examples that will be valued by the employer

Promote meeting the employer’s goals

Take into consideration what the employer is exploring

Emphasize functional skills related to the position not simply the duties involved

Offer complete responses without being long winded

Focus on:

◦Related work, volunteer or educational experiences and accomplishments

◦Identify several transferrable skills

◦Highlight a strength

Focus on:

◦Skills verses duties

◦Provide a clear, quick example of how your skills are transferrable to this position

◦Reference qualifying data

Focus on:◦Neutral or positive reasons◦“seeking a new opportunity such as this

that will allow me to apply my skills in__________”

◦Identify how this position fits into your overall career plans and their needs

◦Point out why you are a good fit for this position

Describe a skill that is directly related to the employer’s needs. ◦“ I am particularly strong in project

management and new product development. Given the role(s) of this position as I understand it, I believe my experience leading teams through change and growth are an asset for a position such as this”.

Select a weakness that can be interpreted as a strength

Demonstrate insight by identifying how / what you have done to address this weakness◦ “I have not yet had lots of hands on experience

with conducting a community analysis so I elected to enroll in a course specifically on this topic. In doing so, I gained a great deal of information that I suspect would be relevant to this position”. For example…”

Clarify the hiring process and timeline

Summarize your qualifications

Reiterate why you are the ideal candidate

Offer a reference sheet to the interviewer(s)

Request their business cards

Make notes on questions you were asked

Send a personal thank you note –address questions that may have been left unanswered

Follow up with a telephone call to check on the status of the process – after that time has passed