A little bit of interview coaching will help you develop the ability to outsell your competitors and land the job you seek.

Frequently, we spend many hours in resume design and resume writing, drafting a cover letter, searching through job boards and postings on the internet, and networking—all  in order to get an interview. Yet few of us spend any time developing the most crucial skill of interviewing.

In today’s economy, it may take 5, 6, or even 12 rounds of interviews to secure a position versus the 2 or 3 interviews that was more of the norm in healthier economic times.

You significantly improve your answers—and therefore your value in the eyes of the interviewer—when you answer questions with specific examples of situations where your background meets the requirements of the job. Try using this “structure” when framing your answers:

• What? (was the situation)
• Why? (was it important – financial or operational impact / business results)
• How? (was it addressed)
• When? (speed to resolution)
• By whom? (team)

Following this method takes PRACTICE and PREPARATION!

Remember: Interviewers are not only looking for the candidate who MADE it happen versus someone who was there WHEN it happened; but also have the capability of answering those tough interview questions!

Beth Kelzer
Follow Beth at LinkedIn.com/in/marybkelzer
CareerToolboxUSA

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