The Interview A Well Rehearsed Performance or Hacked Improv

The Interview A Well Rehearsed Performance or Hacked Improv 4 Ways To Prepare For Your Upcoming Job Interview This months question explores: What should job seekers do now to prepare for interviews? Each month I am honored to collaborate with a community of resume writers and career coaches called  the Career Collective, this post is one of many  responses to ideas and concrete steps to secure  your future in a changed  economy.  I encourage you to visit other members responses, linked at the end of m post. 4 Ways To Prepare For Your Upcoming Job Interview 1. Practice Your Answers Out Loud As crazy as this may sound, it is really important to practice your  interview answers out loud. You may have spent hours rehearsing the answers in your head but when  you go to open your mouth, seldom does the answer come out like what you were practicing. Whether it is in front of the mirror, on video, or over the phone with your cousin Isabelle in Massachusetts,  just do it. An actor in one of my interviewing classes told  us about the 3 steps  actors use to rehearse lines: Memorize Internalize Personalize You dont want to sound robotic, you want your answers to sound  fresh.   Thats one of the keys. I also have heard people tell me that they dont need to memorize  their answer, that they are better winging it.   As you can imagine, they  are not as good as they think. Each time you practice out loud you will feel more confident about your  answer.   It becomes crisper.   Most importantly it becomes more concise. 2. Do Your Research Before the Interview Develop accomplishment  stories that will specifically relate to the job and company you will be  interviewing for.   Know these stories and know why they are important to  the interviewer. Research the company and person you will be interviewing for.   It  will give you a level of comfort entering into the conversation.   Search for their name and company within Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. 3. Prepare Questions You Will Ask During the Interview In addition to company and job specific questions, prepare open-ended,  non-leading questions. What are the most significant  factors affecting your business today? What is the greatest demand for your  services or product? How do you differ from your competition? Describe  your star employee.   What are the qualities of people who  perform best in this? If this company was known for 3 things as a workplace, what do you  think those 3 would be? What trends do you see in the future  that will affect your organization and industry? By asking these open-ended questions, you allow the interviewer to speak about the issues  that are most important to them- right now.   Listen carefully to which  path they chose to take as they answer.   You may think you know the  answers, but the interviewer might have a different logic. Dont save all your questions for the end.   The interview should be a  dialog with your interviewer.   The flow should go something like this: They ask you a question. You provide an answer and ask them a  question. They ask another question. However, if the  interviewer is inexperienced this can be quite challenging.   They may do  all the talking.   Listen dutifully.   Be careful not to threaten their egos by interrupting. 4. One Last Suggestion Develop a new mantra, perhaps thinking differently will allow you to  approach this event totally differently.   Instead of thinking I want  this job, I need this job- change your programming to DO I WANT THIS  JOB?       Sit Down and Panic. The Interview is Yours @GayleHoward Avoid These Reference Mistakes @DawnBugni Unspoken Secrets of Job Interviewing Prep: How YourNonverbal Presentation and Behaviors Impact the Impression You Make @KatCareerGal Prep for Interviews Now: Snuff out the Elephant in the Room Later! @chandlee What Should Job Seekers Do Now to Prepare for an Interview @erinkennedycprw Take a Ride in the Elevator Before You Interview @barbarasafani Tell Me About Yourself (Oh, Yikes!), @KCCareerCoach The job interview as a shared narrative @WalterAkana Prepare your references for job search success @Keppie_Careers No Pain No Gain In Job Search and Interview Prep @ValueIntoWords Job searching? Take a cue from the Boy Scouts @LaurieBerenson Preparing for Career Success Starts with Interviewing the Employers @JobHuntOrg