INTERVIEWING STRATEGIES By Margaret Nichols, MA, LMHC, CPC Executive Coach and Outplacement Counselor

REVIEW YOUR SAR’S SITUATION ACTION STEPS TO SOLVE THE SITUATION RESULTS – HOW DID THIS BENEFIT THE COMPANY?

CHECKLIST FOR THE BIG DAY Dress appropriate to company culture Bring a list of references with you Arrive early – positive self-talk while you wait Relax your body – take several cleansing breaths Bring several copies of your resume which has been reviewed by another pair of eyes Look your absolute best List of questions you want to ask Strong confident attitude yet friendly as well and empathic

Use of Neurolinguistc Programming Match the style of the interviewing to create greater rapport building Lean slightly in Maintain good eye contact Smile and be yourself Speak at the pace of the interviewer; subtle mirroring of body language; try to reflect their way of processing information

Group Interviews Can Be Challenging 1.Focus on the person asking you the question. 2.In some interviews the panel will take notes continuously and it is hard to read body language – do the best you can 3.Engage each person on the panel – try to quickly assess their style and mirror their body language – amiable, cognitive, pragmatic, social 4.Ask if you have answered their questions completely. If they continue to write and nod their heads they are processing your answers. When they stop writing, it’ time to move on to the next question 5.It’s good to pause before answering a question and compose your thoughts – don’t let the group format throw you 6.Stress interviews are sometimes held in group formats – focus on each question, relax and be yourself; you can’t please everyone.

Two Additional Tools Do a SWOT analysis on yourself: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats 30 Second commercial: My name is _________. Most recently I have worked for __________ or attended school majoring in __________. A recent accomplishment I am proud of is _________. I am a strong ____________ and enjoy _______. My goal is to work for a ______________ company where I can contribute in the following ways ________________________________,

As the interview draws to a close Ask about next steps in the interview process Thank each person for taking the time to meet with you Reaffirm your interest in the position Ask any remaining question you may have – usually the interviewer will ask you to share any questions you may have as your time together draws to a close Shake each person’s hand and smile before leaving. You will know right away on an emotional level how it went – be strong, grounded, friendly, prepared and thorough in your answers without going on too long. If it’s meant to be you will get a callback; if not it’s simply a learning experience to ask yourself the following questions: 1.What went well? 2.What did not go so well? 3.What will I do differently next time?

Follow-up Don’t forget the thank you note Typed letter is nice – addressed to each participant – restate why you are a match for the job and be professional yet enthusiastic Handwritten note on professional stationery is even nicer – especially if things went very well thank you note to all members of a large group interview – ask the receptionist to give you a card for each person and check the spelling and address of each individual

PRACTICE TIME Introduce yourself using your 30 second commercial format Share one trait from your SWOT analysis – don’t be hard on yourself – if you share a weakness tell us how you will begin to turn it around Demonstrate your understanding of the SAR process by telling us a success story

Good Luck! Final questions you may have? About your presenter: Margaret Nichols is a Career Counselor at Bellevue College and in private practice in Redmond Available for 1:1 appointments via phone by calling Or