How To Make The Interviewer Help You Do A Great Interview
One of the hardest things about a job interview is trying to figure out exactly what the hiring manager is looking for in a candidate. I recently received some great advice about this from a good friend when I was preparing for an interview myself.
“Make them tell you what they want in a candidate, then spend the rest of your time convincing them that you are that candidate.”
Why didn’t I think of that? So rather than try to anticipate what kind of person they may be looking for, I can just ask them? SHAZAMM! That’s genius! And that’s exactly what I did on my last interview. I simply asked the hiring manager what kind of manager she was looking for to fill the position. When she told me that she was looking for the kind of manager who places the utmost importance on customer service and lean processes I was able to give her specific examples of how I excel in both these important areas.
So, the next time you are interviewing, just ask the hiring manager what they are looking for. They’ll appreciate the question and it makes it so much easier to show you are the best person for the job.
Tags: interview answers, interview questions, interview-chatter, Job InterviewRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Coach's Cornor
1 opinion for How To Make The Interviewer Help You Do A Great Interview
Jason Monastra
Aug 19, 2008 at 6:45 am
Solid advice. Something else that I find helps is to get some of that information up front as well before even going in the door. If you are using a recruiter, have them find out what the manager is looking for. Also, if people have interviewed and not done well - what did they not like? This will not only help you in how to construct your answers, but also any pitfalls that other people may have hit that you can avoid.
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