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Expert interview tips on how to connect with hiring managers by following their lead and telling the right stories.

Susan Johnston Taylor

“Just be yourself” is common advice for job interviews. But does it actually work? What if your true self isn’t what the hiring manager wants?

According to Jezra Kaye, public speaking coach and president of Speak up for Success, the key to winning over interviewers is showing them an edited version of you that represents your best self. “Create a version of yourself or an avatar, somebody who represents that best of you,” she says.

In a recent career webinar, sponsored by Bentley University's Alumni Career Services, Kaye encourages job-seekers to look around them for inspirational people to emulate and practice their positive attitude, not their words.

Here’s her three-step process for gaining the interviewer’s confidence that you’re right for the job.
 

Want to succeed in a #jobinterview? Create the best version of yourself, says @jezrakaye #preparedu

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  1. Prepare
    Every company is different, so each time you interview, prepare content that’s appropriate for that job and that interview. Start by researching the company. Look at the job description, the company website, word of mouth and LinkedIn to find out the basics—and then dig deeper

    “You’re not just looking for facts, you’re looking for a sense of personality of the organization,” says Kaye, who also authored Interview Like Yourself... No, Really!.

    Conduct some self-analysis on your accomplishments and how they would benefit the organization, as well as the reasons you admire the potential employer. Prepare stories that reflect what you bring to the organization.

    Talk about that time in graduate school when you studied how to make something go viral.

    A good business story has three balanced sections: the challenge, the action you took in response, and the positive outcome. Any hard numbers or metrics you can use to quantify the positive outcome will help bolster your credibility.

    Go beyond the qualifications on your resume. “A job interview is not a defense of your qualifications,” Kaye says, whose father taught business law at Bentley. “If your resume didn’t clearly demonstrate you’d be a good fit, they wouldn’t be interviewing you.”
     
  2. Practice
    Don’t wait until you have hours to prepare, says Kaye. Take whatever time you can spare, even if it’s a few minutes. Practice out load how you’ll answer questions—especially those sticky questions that might inspire dread. In fact, the questions you don’t want to answer are likely the questions you should most prepare for.

    In answering questions, never bad-mouth past employers or respond negatively. Instead, reframe the question to stay more positive. If an interviewer asks where you see yourself in five years and you don’t picture yourself at that company, focus on the present and how your current goal is to land the job and excel in that role. There’s no need to lie and say you hope to be running the department in five years if that’s not your goal.

    Here’s how Kaye says you might answer a common interview question:

    Q: Why did you leave your last job? (Or why are you looking for a new job?)

    A: After four years in this role, I need a new challenge. I’ve mastered the basics and worked on a range of projects, and now I’m looking to learn from more senior researchers. That’s the kind of challenge that’s motivating me to find a new job and that I hope I’ll find here.

    Rather than memorizing full sentences, think in bullet points, so that you can speak more naturally. The response above can be broken down as follows:
     
    • Key message: Need a new challenge
    • Supporting points (never more than three): 1) Mastered the basics, 2) A range of projects, 3) Learn from senior researchers
    • Restating key message: Need a new challenge

    Here’s another interview question arranged using the same “instant speech” format:

    Q: How would you describe your leadership style?
    A:
     
    • Key message: Friendly but firm
    • Supporting points: 1) Listen to input, 2) Don’t micromanage, 3) Set high expectations
    • Restating key message: Friendly but firm
       
  3. Connect
    Once you’re in the room for an interview, do everything you can to give the interviewer a pleasant experience. When the person asks a question, answer it briefly and concisely first. But also give them something extra, such as a short, related observation (Q: Did you have any trouble finding us today? A: No, your directions were excellent). Single-syllable responses can make you seem less approachable or friendly, so try to keep it conversational.

    When you genuinely like and connect with the interviewer, you make their job easier and it’s more likely that they’ll greenlight you for the next round of interviews. Let the interviewer take the lead and pay attention to their speech volume and other cues.

    Be prepared for some small talk, but end the small talk when they do. “Let them guide you as how to much detail they want to hear,” Kaye says. “If you’re making eye contact, you will be able to tell if your story’s getting a little too long.”

 


Need some more practice for your interview? Check out a networking event. You'll get to try out some of your responses. Learn other ways to make networking work for you.

While job interviews can feel intimidating, Kaye reminds job-seekers to emulate a confident attitude and remember what they offer to the employer.

“You always have more power than you may think you have,” she says. “Both sides stand to benefit if you turn out to be a good match.”
 

During an #interview, you always have more power than you think you have, says @jezrakaye #preparedu

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Want more of these interviewing tips from Kaye? Listen to her recent webinar for Bentley University. And check out other webinars in Bentley’s Career Speaker Series, sponsored by Alumni Career Services, for more expert career advice.



Susan Johnston Taylor has covered career and money management for publications including AOL Jobs, The Boston Globe, FastCompany.com, and USNews.com.