Take a Ride in an Elevator for Interview Success
By guest blogger, Michele Posehn, Senior
Recruiter for Sodexo. Originally posted on the Student Branding
Blog.
http://studentbranding.com/take-a-ride-in-an-elevator-for-interview-success/
“Tell me about yourself.”
On the surface, that doesn’t seem like a difficult question to answer. In fact, you probably have lots to say about who you are, your interests and your dreams for the future. The challenge for an interview, however, is to tell the recruiter about yourself in one minute or less. We call this your “elevator speech” – a short, concise synopsis that could be delivered, say, in an elevator between floors.
Having an elevator speech
prepared ahead of any interview can set a positive tone at the beginning of the
interview and create a great first impression. You can provide a brief summary
of your skills, experience and interests while leaving the door open for the
recruiter to ask more detailed questions later on. And, your elevator speech
should position you as the best candidate for the job.
Here are a few tips for developing your elevator speech:
Behavioral questions are designed to gain insight into how you apply yourself. It’s critical to give the recruiter detailed information about the scenario, what you did, and the results. In other words Situation, Behavior, Outcome. If you remember S-B-O, you will be able to navigate the road of behavioral interviewing.
Interview questions aren’t meant to be difficult. You just need to be prepared – for the interview and the entire hiring process. Make a list of the questions you anticipate and practice answering them. And, don’t forget to make a list of your own questions for the interviewer. All of this prep work will translate into a better interview and, hopefully for you, more of a chance of getting that job.
“Tell me about yourself.”
On the surface, that doesn’t seem like a difficult question to answer. In fact, you probably have lots to say about who you are, your interests and your dreams for the future. The challenge for an interview, however, is to tell the recruiter about yourself in one minute or less. We call this your “elevator speech” – a short, concise synopsis that could be delivered, say, in an elevator between floors.
Here are a few tips for developing your elevator speech:
- Introduce yourself – state your name (if not already established),
current title or profession, and the industry/industries where you've gained
your experience.
- Name something unique about yourself that will make you stand out from other candidates – perhaps you have a unique skill, you held a coveted/prestigious internship position or you held an officer position in a campus organization.
- Make yourself memorable – try to make your speech interesting, show
your personality or provide a quick story that will help the recruiter remember
you.
- Practice, practice, practice – practice your speech until you have it memorized. This quick synopsis about you should be something you can recall at a moment’s notice.
Behavioral questions are designed to gain insight into how you apply yourself. It’s critical to give the recruiter detailed information about the scenario, what you did, and the results. In other words Situation, Behavior, Outcome. If you remember S-B-O, you will be able to navigate the road of behavioral interviewing.
Interview questions aren’t meant to be difficult. You just need to be prepared – for the interview and the entire hiring process. Make a list of the questions you anticipate and practice answering them. And, don’t forget to make a list of your own questions for the interviewer. All of this prep work will translate into a better interview and, hopefully for you, more of a chance of getting that job.
No comments:
Post a Comment