We recently worked with a client Frank in Atlanta who was interviewing for a job at Accenture. He got the offer, congratulations! And we wanted to share a few lessons with you from his interview prep session with us, that can be summed up with “Say it like a newscaster.” Yes this might sound strange, but read on…
- Keep it short and sweet: Frank read his response to one of the sample interview questions we practiced, “Why should we hire you?” His first response was long and drawn out. The impact of what he had to say was lost because he said too much, and was long-winded in his response. We worked on it to shorten it to the equivalent of a bulleted list of why they should hire him, literally writing down the 3 main reasons, as a bulleted list. Along with why each reason was important to the position and the positive impact each would have – what each reason would enable him to do in terms of value to the company. Short and to the point. Speak like you’re a newscaster delivering the quick, most important details of the story.
- Talk about you and your unique selling points: Too many clients when asked about specific situations they have dealt with in the past, will focus on the details of what happened, as opposed to the role they played and result they achieved. Frank was no exception. When he started talking about a project he had worked on at IBM, he described in so much detail what he project was about, he lost me at hello. The employer is not that interested in the details of the project, they are most interested in you – what skills, experience or education you leveraged in that situation, and the impact of your being involved. Don’t hesitate to have it be all about you.
- Be confident: When a newscaster delivers the news, they can say almost anything and we will believe it they are so confident right? The same thing happened with Frank. The first time he practiced his responses, his volume was low, the pace of the conversation was too slow, and the language he used to describe his strengths was not compelling. We worked on developing statements with strong, active verbs and adjectives to describe his skill set and the final version was light year’s better than the first. He spoke clearly, confidently, and deliberately but quickly accenting (as if he was giving a speech in some ways) the most important words along the way.
- Infuse energy and enthusiasm: The difference between Frank’s first attempt and the final version of his responses was also enormously improved because you could hear the energy and enthusiasm in his voice. You can tell when your friend is excited about a topic because their voice sounds different, their face lights up, they smile, and the energy is infectious. Newscasters can be talking about the most mundane topic sometimes, but need to infuse as much energy into their delivery as they can. Practice your responses in the mirror or record yourself on video to gauge how you are coming across. And realize that, you can’t fake this. You need to have responses that are exciting enough to you that this enthusiasm will be genuine. So choose stories to share that are compelling for you.
Create Your Career Path was founded by certified career coach, speaker and author Hallie Crawford. Since 2002, the company’s team of certified career coaches have helped thousands of job seekers worldwide identify their ideal career path, navigate their career transition and achieve their career goals. Schedule a free consult with http://createyourcareerpath.com today to learn more about our services.
Want more Job Search Tips? Watch these helpful videos Hallie has created by clicking here.
