Ace the Interview- Hire a career coach

I have been in the recruiting and staffing industry for well over a decade now.

I have personally interviewed thousands of candidates and placed thousands of people into positions in many industries. Throughout these interviews, I have developed a very important skill: I know exactly what interviewers are looking for and what turns them off.

I left the traditional recruiting world several years ago to become a professional resume writer and career coach and now I consult with clients and let them know about these interviewing secrets. I conduct mock interviews and critique everything my clients say and don’t say. The practice interviewers are essential for success and have helped hundreds of people land the job.

Here are some observations that will hopefully help you in your job hunt.

CONFIDENCE: Be confident in your mannerisms and your speech. When you answer questions don’t use the word ‘think.’ For example, do not say “I think I’m good at…..”. Instead, say “I am great at …..”. It’s these little differences between a subpar response, and an excellent response. Companies want to hire people that are confident at demonstrating their skills. “Thinking” you are good at something will not do the trick.
BE POSITIVE: Always be positive, especially when talking about a past employer. I was coaching a very talented and I asked him to tell me why he was looking for a new position. He responded (and this is verbatim):
“I am not happy with the way my is being run company is run and I find it difficult to get along with my boss.”
This is a very negative and the WRONG response. My first thought was maybe he is difficult to work with and/or difficult to manage. It also seems that maybe he is unable to adapt to change.

The better response would have been:
“I am not unhappy in my current role but I am looking to join a company where I have more opportunities to develop. This position interests me because…….”
As you can see, the tone is very different. It is positive and forward looking. I response like this is likely to get you a second interview.
DON’T UNDERSELL YOURSELF: I conducted a mock interview last week with a recruiter who was looking to transition from agency to corporate recruiting. I asked her what her strongest strength was. Her response:
“My knowledge of the Medical industry. I’ve become an expert because I worked on both sides: the agency side and the corporate side. So I have been exposed to both sides of the industry.”
That is a bland response. How about this:
“One of my biggest strengths is my extensive knowledge of the Medical Industry. I’ve honed my expertise from two perspectives: 1 – the agency side and 2 – the corporate side. Because of this unique perspective, I was asked to participate in new hire training for my company that was rolled out nationwide.”
Again subtle nuances will make all the difference.