Posted under Interviewing on March 19th, 2007
You understand that your selection for a new position may depend upon the business plan, value statement, or marketing plan that you’ve developed to meet the needs of your target organization. Now you must be able to tell your story in a way that compels people to listen! In other words, you must be able to present your USP or Brand using examples of your previous experience. Here’s how to do it…
USE AN EXAMPLE of a personal or professional circumstance that validates your claim to a specific skill, personal quality, area of knowledge, or accomplishment. Frame the example in the P-A-R (PROBLEM (CHALLENGE) – ACTION – RESULT) format, and be conversational in your explanation.
USE A TESTIMONIAL to frame your example in the words of a peer, a supervisor, a professor, etc. This works well in cases where you may feel that you are “bragging about yourself.” Your description of your work ethic sounds less like self-promotion when described in words that are ascribed to others, like your colleagues or supervisor.
Remember, you can give yourself a few extra seconds to organize your thoughts by asking the interviewer to rephrase or restate the question; or, say something like, “You raise an interesting question…” Also, there is no need to be afraid of moments of silence – don’t fill them with chatter!
A practice question:
Question: The person who held this position previously was very detail-oriented and had an exceptional ability to keep others on task to meet deadlines. What can you tell us about your project management experience?
CRITERIA: Ability to manage multiple priorities
Example:__________________________________________________________
Testimonial:_______________________________________________________
After mastering Examples and Testimonials, you’ll need to review company and industry research so that you can prepare three-four insightful questions for your interviewers. Look for future entries re: “Now it’s your turn to ask the questions…”
Posted by Karen Katz
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