The keys to successful job interviews haven't changed...so what's the problem?

May 3, 4:59 PMJob Search ExaminerStephanie Lloyd

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Yesterday I participated in an Interactive Job Search Interview and Tech Strategy Boot Camp conducted by Jeremy Worthington of Buckeye Resumes and Janice Worthington of Worthington Resumes in Columbus, Ohio.

My role was to spend ten to fifteen minutes on the phone with several of the participants, one at a time, conducting mock interviews and providing feedback.

You can be sure that the two key questions I asked each participant will surface in most job interviews:

1. Why are you looking for a new job [or to make a change]?
2. What do you want to do?

I spoke with seven participants over a two-hour period. I documented the questions that I asked, their answers, and the observations and recommendations I shared with each of them.

Perhaps it should not have surprised me that several recurring themes resonated throughout these conversations and were reflected in my feedback:

• Get excited about the possibilities and let the rest go. I hear defeat / desperation / frustration in your voice. People who are positive and going somewhere exciting are magnetic. Move forward and others will follow!
• Don’t ramble, and don’t be afraid of silence. Get to the point and then stop talking. Practice being comfortable with silence. The interviewer will pick it back up once you’ve stopped talking. Trust me; they want to keep things moving.
• Learn to describe the opportunity you're seeking clearly and succinctly. I asked you what you want to do and by the third job description on your list you’d lost me. I know what you’re thinking. “But I don’t want to limit myself.” [“Yes, exactly!”] By being all over the place you are limiting yourself. Make it easy for others to help you; not just Human Resource professionals and recruiters. You should be able to articulate this to anyone at any time – your friends, family, neighbors, etc. Remember, you need - and want - to utilize your network in your search.
• No one cares that you can learn or do “anything.” Instead, talk about what makes you stand out from the competition, and focus on what you can do today. The candidate who can hit the ground running gets the job, not the rest of the applicants who “could learn how" to do the job over time.
• Be able to define and quantify your accomplishments as they relate to the job you want. Practice talking about your achievements in the mirror as well as with a friend or family member. Your key career accomplishments should just roll off your tongue as if in casual conversation. You are the product; who is your target market? What message will you deliver to sell yourself and stand above the crowd?

What really struck me is that none of this is new information. You’ll find most or all of it in books, on blogs, and on websites containing advice for successful job interviews; some [books] dating back thirty years or more!

So, this makes me wonder. There is no shortage of this advice, yet the need for coaching related to these seemingly simple concepts continues to be pervasive.

I’d love to have some input…what are your thoughts? Questions? Comments? Please post them below.

 For more information you can contact Stephanie via email or find her on Twitter here and here. You can also find Janice Worthington and Jeremy Worthington on Twitter.