5 Interview Tips To Get The Job FAST

Do you need to ace an upcoming interview?

I'm going to share with you today, five tips to interview well and get the job fast.

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Hi, my name is Ryan Stoltzfus.

I lead a global career development teaching program for a fortune 500 company while also working with hundreds of professionals through my company, the Job Hackers Network.

Through my program, the Job Hackers Method, I help six figure professionals totally avoid the recruitment process to get straight to hiring leaders.

I help them deliver their clear value proposition so that jobs are created for them predictably and reliably.

Now I've got five awesome tips for you today to help you ace your next interview.

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The first one is do your homework.

You've got to know ahead of time what you are stepping into.

Know the who, the what, the where, and the why.

Who are you interviewing with?

You must know their names so that you can thoughtfully research the person to come up with questions.

This is part of how you connect.

It is so awesome when you can step in to and interview and confidently shake that hand and say, “hi Ryan, it's great to meet you today”.

Acknowledge the person, acknowledge the human.

It takes your conversation to a whole other level.

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Now, the what.

You would think that this is basic knowledge, but you've got to know what the role is that you're going into interview for.

And I'm literally talking about you knowing the title.

I've had many interviews that I've stepped into in the corporate HR world and recruitment, where you get into the conversation and then you ask the person.

Okay, now what is the title specifically of what you're interviewing for?

And maybe they've applied to a whole bunch of different positions, and they don't even know the title of what they're interviewing for.

But let's take it a layer deeper.

You've got to dig into the job description, dig into the conversations that you've had in networking, so that you're getting the real details of what's done in that job daily.

Know what you are interviewing for.

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Next thing you've got to know is the where, the logistics.

It may physically be, where is the interview?

Is it in building A, is it in building B?

If it's at the Microsoft campus, is it in building 73?

You've got to know where you're going.

Many of our conversations we're having these days are on Zoom or WebEx or Skype, something of that nature.

You've got to get in and test that platform ahead of time.

Know your where and cover the logistics.

Be early to the interview, but not 20 minutes early.

Be about 10 minutes early.

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The next one is to know why.

Why is the role open?

Get as much information as you can from the networking that you've done.

This will help you build out your unique value proposition based upon where they're at.

Are they filling the role because somebody left?

Sometimes you can get that information through networking.

Are they filling the role because it's new budgetary monies?

Are they filling the role because they have a big project that they need to move the needle on?

Are they growing?

Are they decelerating?

Get as much information before you step into the room as possible, because then your answers will be more on point to the unique value proposition you need to deliver to them. ?

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Let's dive into the second tip and this is going to be, to communicate your value proposition clearly.

Clearly and succinctly, so it's easy to understand.

So, you have got to know, what is your unique value that you'll be bringing to the role?

And then assure that as an interviewer is in the interview conversation, and then when they leave, they know what that value proposition is.

They can categorize you.

They can identify you with a sentence.

This is what Ryan will bring.

The better you can do this.

The easier you make yourself to be understood, the easier it will be for that person to see you in the role.

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Now here's a key with a value proposition.

It can't just be valuable to you.

It must be valuable to the organization.

For it to truly be called a value proposition, it must be valuable to them.

So, the better you know the role, the better you know their situation, the better you know the team, the better you know the person, the better you know the broader organization, their culture, the more dialed in your value proposition can be.

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Now, I just released a video a couple of weeks ago.

"How To Answer Tell Me About Yourself Strategically". “How To Answer Tell Me About Yourself STRATEGICALLY”

The reason why I'm bringing that specific video up here is because I want you to watch it after you finish this conversation.

That video will help you to step into an interview and, first question they ask you, you'll be able to check your value proposition, your perceived value proposition, and get them to say.

“Yes, that is what we want from the role”.

It puts you in a very strong position to know that what you're going to be delivering stories on throughout the rest of your conversation is aligned to what they need.

Aligned with what they want.

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The third component, the third tip, is going to be to prepare your stories.

Now, what do I mean when I say stories?

What I'm talking about here is your best career moments.

The times when you knocked it out of the park.

Where you hit a grand slam!

Usually these are going to involve a number, a quantitative result.

Being able to go out there and gain market share of 10%.

Being able to lead a team, which was ultimately able to put forward quality assurance initiatives that improved client satisfaction by 15%.

Something that yields a result to the business, to the bottom line.

Even if you're in something like HR, a backend role, this can be done.

How do you affect the bottom line of the organization?

That's what you need to get to.

That's what truly matters.

How are you affecting the profit and loss statement for that organization?

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Now, breaking these down and aligning them to your value proposition that you intend to deliver is critical.

So, as you're writing out your stories, read that story and say, “does that delivery help tell the story that aligns to my value proposition that I'm stepping forward with”.

If I'm saying that I am a data analytic guru, is this a time when I used data analytics to move the needle for the business?

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The other thing that you want to align this with, or check this with, is your strengths.

Does that story identify when you are in your strengths zone, when you are in your strength’s lane?

The reason why this is important is because you want to put yourself forward to the interviewers in your strengths zone.

Your strengths are the things that fuel and engage you.

When you're doing that work, you feel whole, you feel full, you're gaining energy.

If I say that I'm a great presenter, but I hate to present, that could affect my job engagement in the future.

Yes, I might be able to do it well, but it depletes me.

Then that's not a strength activity, but I said I was great at it.

They'll expect me to do it.

If you want balance in the work that you do, lead with your strengths.

Lead with your best moments, but make sure that it's work that you want to repeat.

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I want to help you write your stories.

I've prepared for you, a stories workflow, a stories worksheet, so that as you are building out your stories, you have a clear process to follow.

If this is resonating with you, engage with the article and share it with your network.

To Tweet about the YouTube video, click here.

Do you know how to talk about your best stories, type “stories” in the comments below?

If you are equipped to talk about your best moments.

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Here's your fourth tip.

To use your resume as an interview cheat sheet.

What do I mean when I say “cheat sheet”?

I mean, it gives you a competitive edge.

It's not cheating in the typical sense of the word, like weighting the bat before you hit the ball.

This is the legal form of cheating.

It's giving you that advantage.

In the interview process, you have got to take every advantage that you possibly can.

We're playing a game of odds.

You are trying to improve the odds with every purposeful step that you take.

Reading this article, looking at these tips, you're trying to improve your odds of winning.

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Let’s talk resume structure.

In your resume, I recommend using a career profile.

A short paragraph that puts your best foot forward.

It says, hey, this is who I am.

This is my value proposition.

Right after that, I recommend using career highlights.

The career highlights in a resume then says, okay, now let me tell you three stories of when I was at my best.

Oftentimes, you're going to have a recruiter just read those components at the top.

And I'm not talking about an old school summary.

I'm talking about a punch, filled, meaningful career profile.

If they only read that part, they would know who you are, and what you bring to this specific role.

Career profile, then career highlights, and then go into your work experience.

And in your work experience, continue to deliver stories, your best moments, quantifiable value, the impact that it yielded.

Please, please, do not simply talk about tasks.

The tasks that you completed.

Talk about when you made that meaningful impact.

And you will have a resume that rises to the top, that stands out.

And then, because you're thinking about your interview, as you're writing your resume, as you're crafting your stories, every component that you put on there is something that you would love for them to ask you to explain further.

So, as you have that document in front of you, whatever question they throw at you, you can say, “you know what”?

“I've got a story of when I did that right here.”

And what better document to have in front of you as your cheat sheet than the document that you're supposed to bring to every interview?

There's no way that you can look weird having that in front of you.

You look prepared, you're succinct.

They ask you a question.

You can pause for a moment.

You can figure out exactly where you're going, where your punchline is, the story and how it ends.

And then start that answer with the end in mind.

And I say that because it is so obvious to a seasoned recruiter, or an interviewer, when an individual is starting to tell their story before even knowing where they're going, they ramble.

If you have a problem with rambling, you must prepare in this manner with the punchline in mind.

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I've got another resource for you here that I'm going to link to.

It's going to be a video.

And then also a document.

The video is going to be one that I produced a couple of weeks ago, "How To Write A Professional Resume" with a template included.

Resource number two, that resume template.

I've got to get that into your hands.

So, I'm going to link the resume template here, and then also show that here in the article.

So, you've got the website to grab your professional resume template.

I want to make this easy so that you're focusing on delivery.

You're focusing on value.

You're not getting caught up in blank pages, trying to figure out how to execute a well-crafted resume.

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This last one is big.

Number five is going to be to close with confidence and salesmanship.

The art of salesmanship, the art of sales, is something that is very often lost in the interview process.

I want you to realize that all the work that you've been doing is selling.

Writing that wonderful resume is a form of salesmanship.

Preparing for the conversation with great questions is a form of salesmanship.

Thinking about the structure, owning, partnering in the conversation, that's sales folks!

You can sell, you can do this!

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Here are some other purposeful things you can do at the end of your interview.

What I want you to do is realize is that people at the end of an interview are not sure if you still want the job.

They knew when you stepped into the conversation that you wanted the job, but they've been delivering feedback, information, asking you questions.

They’ve been giving you more about the company, the culture, and the role.

So then at the end, they're saying to themselves, “Hmmm, I wonder if this individual still wants the job”.

And they don't ever ask that question, do they?

They don't ever ask you if you still want the job, but the question is in their mind.

So, answer the question clearly.

Let that person know.

“I want you to know that I am excited about this role, that I am excited to step into this role, because…

And then reiterate some of the key points from your conversation and your connected value proposition.

“I am excited to step into this role because of my strengths in this and that…”

“And you're having highlighted in this conversation, Mr. Interviewer, that those things are critically important to your team.”

“And a correlation that I see between my delivery of…, and your need of….”

Connecting something that you've done before, with something that they need.

Reiterating your value proposition to the organization, the role, and the human that is sitting in front of you.

How are you going to make their life better?

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And then what I want you to do at the very end, I want you to check for concerns.

This is also a step that is missed by most interviewers, but this is dialing into interviewing with excellence.

Ask that individual, “is there's something about my background or about our conversation that leaves you with any concerns?”

And you will be surprised what somebody will come back with and say, you know what, “actually, I'm a little bit concerned about your level of experience in xyz”.

If they have something where they haven't quite seen enough from your stories, this question gives you a Hail Mary opportunity to jump in there and say, “wait a second.”

“I actually do have strong experience in this.”

“Let me tell you another story.”

So, it gives you one last chance to fill in the gap.

Otherwise, they'll be walking away from that conversation with a concern, not knowing that you've got right there for them, the experience that they need.

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Last thing I want you to ask for is “what are the next steps?”

“Is there a way that I can further partner with you on the closing of this role?”

Sometimes the interviewer will step in there and say, “you know what, Ryan, I've actually got three more interviews, but they're going to be wrapped up this week.”

So, then you could then ask, “okay, so then if I followed up with you next Monday, does that seem like a reasonable time for me to follow up?”

What this does is it again, works in partnership with the person, but it creates a situation where you have the space to step away from the conversation, to ease your mind.

When your significant other comes to you and says, “how did it go and what’s happening next?”

You can say, “I'm going to follow up with them next Monday.”

“I think I did well, but I have a next step.”

And then you can relax.

This is so critical.

We don't give ourselves space to step away, give ourselves mental clarity and just relax.

Do yourself a favor and ask the individual, “what is the next step?”

“How can I partner with you further?“

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If you are ready to start booking conversations, booking interviews, then I would love to talk with you about your job search strategy.

Book a one-on-one job search strategy call with me.

And we'll go over what you're currently using in your job search.

What's working and what’s not working so well.

And then also discuss what's working for other people in the current market.

People like Will, who just landed a 200% pay increase while switching industries.

Or people like Walter, who landed a $40,000 pay increase just two weeks after strategizing with me on his job search.

Or Michael, who overcame a fear of networking and landed a role in just two weeks.

Click here to book a 1:1 Job Search Strategy Call with me now.?

If this article was valuable to you, you will continue to find value the offerings from my YouTube channel.?That channel is dedicated to helping 6-figure professionals land roles that fuel and engage them while avoiding HR/Recruiters and getting straight to decision makers.

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Also, when you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:

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1)?Free Webclass?-?How To Gain Control Of Your Job Search And Have Jobs Created For You.

This 30-minute Webclass unveils 3 secrets that will help you get to the right tables with the right people and tell and deliver an amazing value proposition when there.

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2)?Let's Talk?-?Book your free 1:1 Job Search Strategy Session with me.?

We will dig into what's worked for you, what's not yielding results currently, and the strategies successful job seekers are currently using to rise above the crowd and gain ultimate control of their job search outcomes.

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3) Stay Connected - Follow me on?LinkedIn,?YouTube,?and?Instagram.

I regularly publish content to LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram that is designed to help people navigate their job searches, sell themselves effectively, and truly stand out.?I also focus on career development topics like branding and networking.

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