Interview preparation tips

Step 1: Make sure you know your own strengths and weaknesses.

Write down their four or five strengths and one or two weaknesses. Include a short, one-paragraph example of an accomplishment using each strength.

With the weaknesses, choose a specific situation where you have turned that weakness into a strength or have overcome the weakness. As you'll see in the "Universal Answer" below, these examples are critical.

Step 2: Learn the "Universal Answer."

Most answers during the interview should be about one-to-two minutes long. If you talk for more than three minutes, the interviewer may lose interest. If you talk for less than a minute, you may give the impression of superficiality or lacking interest.

A good way to answer is using the "SAFW" acronym:

S: make an opening Statement
A: Amplify that statement
F: provide a Few examples
W: Wrap it up

Remember that providing the example is the most important part of the exercise. This is the demonstrated proof behind the opening statement.

Interviewers will use these examples to form their judgments about your suitability. Most candidates talk in generalities. Specific examples are much more convincing. For instance, give a specific example to describe how you resolved a complex issue to deliver a good outcome.

While this might be the opening to the classic "What are your strengths?" question, the answer will be more meaningful if you give a specific example and then describe how your strengths, like creativity and perseverance, were required to achieve the results.

Step 3: Write up two significant accomplishments.

To improve your presentation, prepare more detailed write-ups for your two most significant accomplishments. Each of these should be two-to-three paragraphs in length, but no more than half a page each. One should be an individual accomplishment, and the other a team accomplishment. Make sure to include examples of your strengths in both write-ups.

Most candidates get a little nervous in the opening stages of an interview, which can result in temporary forgetfulness. The write-ups will allow you to better recall this information. They will also be the basis of the examples in the SAFW response. If you want to send them to us to assist with, please feel free to email info@eliasrecruitment.com. We are there to assist you through the recruitment process.

Step 4: During the interview, make sure to ask the "Universal Question."

Discussions about major accomplishments should dominate the interview session. Since most interviewers don't ask about this naturally, you can get them started.
To do this, ask this question early if you feel the interview is going nowhere, "I don't have a complete understanding of your real job needs. Would you please give me an overview of what the job entails and describe some of the key challenges in the job? Then I can give you some examples of work that I've done that's comparable."

Something like this will allow you to describe a related project you have worked on. Decision-makers generally like candidates who are more forceful and those who ask good questions. Make sure you have a list of other insightful questions to ask, such as "What does the person in this job need to do to be considered successful, what's the biggest problem that needs to be addressed right away and why is the position open?"

Step 5: Ask for the job.

At the end of the interview, if you like the role and want it, tell the interviewer that you are interested in the job and would like to know what the next steps are. If the next steps seem evasive or unclear, ask the interviewer if your accomplishments seem relevant to the performance requirements of the job. Understanding a potential gap here allows you to fill it in with an example of a related accomplishment. Make sure you do the best job possible of presenting your strengths.

Preparation

Well-prepared candidates are more confident and provide more thorough answers. If you how to give complete answers, you will worry less and be able to ask better questions.

Based on an article by Lou Adler in ere.net