How to be the #1 interview candidate - Key Questions

Turning the tables: what if you were the interviewer? From experience, we often have a list of standard questions that even our interviewees know in advance. Here are some great questions to get to the heart of the interviewee:

· What is one thing you’d like us to know about you that is not on your resume, anything from birth to now?
· What is one thing you learned as a child from an important adult that you’ve found useful in your career?
· Tell us about a co-worker who you admire and why.
· What is an area where you are likely to make a snap judgment if you are not careful or aware?
· How many years can you anticipate giving to us?

If you are the interviewee, you might (depending on the mojo present in the room) give some of these answers in the context of another answer. This humanizes you and when that happens you are creating connection.

How to be the #1 interview candidate - The Psychology of the Interviewer

CEOs repeatedly tell me that once you are in their interview, they are less interested in your resume or experience and more about how you think, what it would be like to work with you, how quickly you can onboard yourself etc. Basically, the questions they ask are a way for them to fantasize about a future with you.

Like the old Speed Dating scenario, answering the questions is secondary; making a lasting impression is the key. Focus your preparation not on yourself but on the person you meet. How do you understand their work, especially the uniqueness of their work? What differentiates them? What is exciting about them?

So…I’m interested, what’s been your experience? What do you think? What would you add to increase our understanding of this together?

How to be the #1 Interview candidate - Energy in the Room

In your last interview did you create and sustain interview energy or did you absorb it? Think about this for your next interview: keep up your energy with alert eye contact, engaging stories, varied tone of voice, and a deep resonant understanding that you are a gift to these people. Your uniqueness and your view of the world is now in this moment a chance they are giving to you for free…and they are even listening! This is a conversation not a final examination. They need help and are getting desperate to find the right person, and you are right in front of them with your enthusiasm and knowhow. You need not be perfect, but you do need to be the solution. Don’t let the energy slip away and don’t worry if they look blankly at you: that is their job. Trust me, internally they are having a party with your ideas, your stories, your expertise.

What's been your experience with this?

How to be the #1 Interview candidate - A new twist on the 90-day plan

The worst thing the hiring manager can tell you after an interview is that you were great, but you were #2. This series of ideas is devoted to making you the #1.

By now many interviewees have read Michael Watkins book on the 90-Day plan and refer to it in their interviews promising that they will get to know everyone, detail a list of projects, etc. So, if everyone is doing that…don’t be the next one to do the same thing! What if you said, “I have read the book but I have a slightly different strategy - mine is 45-45-Day Plan. When I am new to the role, my first 45-Day plan will reflect my research, my expectations, and frankly some of my assumptions about the work. My next 45-Day plan is the booster rocket meant to propel that learning at a faster and steady pace. Each succeeding 45-Day plan helps me align with my boss, my colleagues, and with the changing market which, I believe doesn’t wait for 90 days anymore!”

So…I’m interested, what’s been your experience? What do you think? What would you add to increase our understanding of this together? And, of course, thank you for reading this!

How to be the #1 Interview candidate -The negative beginning

This series of ideas is devoted to making you the #1 interview candidate. I’m basing it on my many years of experience working with Physician Leaders and Healthcare Executives.

When you don’t have experience to match the question, resist the temptation to be completely honest! “No I don’t…” may sound honest but it also signals deficiency. Instead try to answer with possibility: “When I think of that issue three things come to mind, …… , …… , and ……” Then for each word you said: “My experience with …… allows me to ..….”. This gives the listener something positive to listen to and more importantly allows the listener to understand how you think about things. This is what they really want after all. Now of course some will listen and say, “So you have no direct experience with …...” Then of course you can fess up but keep that positive also: “You are correct but what I’ve learned from situations previously is that experience is born when we first think of how to do old things in a new way.” Never, ever, never (did I already say never!?) give one-word answers. The interviewers want to hear not only ‘the’ answer; they want to hear who you are. But remember my tip of words and wordiness – keep it to under two minutes! What do you think?

How to be the #1 interview candidate - words and wordiness

The worst thing the hiring manager can tell you after an interview is that you were great, but you were #2. This series of ideas is devoted to making you the #1. I’m basing it on my many years of experience working with Physician Leaders and Healthcare Executives.

The tendency when we are anxious is to talk and talk and talk, perhaps desperately hoping to throw enough out there so some of it will stick. One author, Mary Doria Russell, wrote that those who go on and on should join the support group, On-And-On-Anon! Keep your answers between 90-120 seconds. It will focus you and allow for more questions. Shorter answers that are a complete answer to the question shows the interviewer that you can do this at work, in an email, or a voice mail. We don’t want the interviewers walking out thinking or saying, “That candidate wouldn’t shut up!” (and yes, that is what they say!) The remedy? Practice out loud in a recorded Zoom call with yourself…then listen with a timer. Then try it again, and again, and again. Don’t memorize, simply have a number of different ways to answer the question. Coaches live by this W.A.I.T. (Why Am I Talking?) Interviewees might take the same advice after two minutes.

So…I’m interested, what’s been your experience?