Finally... Here's A Complete Guide To Turning Interviews Into Conversations

Have you been in that spot?…

Being an interviewer…

Often feeling like you're being interrogated?

I’m sure you have. But guess what:

There's a way you can flip the script. Learn how to turn interviews into conversations.

Follow these steps:

First - Research the company.

• Research the company:

- Primary Research - through people that work there.

- Secondary Research - through online resources.

• Know the mission, values, and culture of the company - by heart.
• Know the products and services offered by the company - their current situation.
• Know their competitors' products and services as well - the things that’ll be in their minds.
• Study their financials, including profitability metrics like gross margin and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) - if the company is public, check their SEC 10-K filing.
• Understand how they are currently performing relative to competition in those metrics;
• If it's a publicly traded company, look at historical trends over time as well. You can also look for news about hiring plans or new product launches that could impact hiring needs in your industry segment—these may indicate an increased need for outside talent - a Linkedin Sales Navigator membership can help here. Greatly!
• If you're interviewing with a startup that hasn't yet gone public or doesn't have publicly available financial data: know what questions you should ask instead, so you can get some sense for long-term growth!

Second - Practice the most common interview questions.

The first thing you should do before an interview is practice common questions:

• Tell me about yourself: This one is easy—you just tell them about yourself! It’s important to be concise and specific, though. Talk about your childhood briefly. Then how that impacted your college years. Wrap up by talking about your career and how it’s brought you to this interview.
• Why do you want to work there? This question may seem silly, but it can be tricky if you haven’t thought through why this particular job would appeal to you. Make sure that the reason shows how well-suited and excited you are for the position itself beyond what currently exists in your life right now!
• What is your greatest weakness? Talking about strengths is easy. But it’s on weaknesses where they can catch you. The goal here is to just leave this question “unscathed”. ****When answering this question make sure you’re clear that the weakness is actually an area of improvement. Something “transitory” - not a permanent issue.

Use Situation Behavior and Outcome (S.B.O.) instead of the S.T.A.R Method. Many reasons for this, but if anything S.B.O shines light on your attitude (Behavior). While S.T.A.R. just focuses on the action. I've seen this method gain traction at the expense of YOU. Your professional brand.

Third - Have a cheat sheet of your own.

Before you head into an interview, make a list of your personal accomplishments and experiences. This should include anything that shows how well you would fit into the position.

This doesn’t have to be difficult. You can make these notes on the margins of your printed resume.

Prepare notes on your skills and abilities based on what the job description calls for in this particular role. If there’s a specific skill or technology mentioned in their ad that isn’t listed on your resume, set an “Areas of Expertise” section, then add it to this section.

Fourth - Prepare for the unexpected.

Confidence is key when it comes to job interviews. It’s important to know what questions you’re likely to be asked and how you can answer them in the most professional way possible. You shouldn’t memorize every word that comes out of your mouth during an interview though.

There are a lot of other things going on in interviews: like body language, tone of voice, tempo, cadence, and even how much eye contact, you make with the interviewer. And if these things aren't working for us, they're working against us - making us look weak, nervous, or unprepared (which we then end up being).

This isn't just something that goes on behind closed doors either; there are several reasons why our nerves might get the best of us during an interview too! For example...

Fifth - Rehearse your stories.

In front of a mirror. Record yourself.

For each story you want to tell, think about how you will describe it and what it means to you. Which details are important and which are not, if there is any emotion involved, etc. If there are any questions that could be asked along with this story, think of those too.

Then practice telling the whole thing from beginning to end as if you were talking to someone who has never heard any of it before — without notes or an outline. Just you and your story.

This may seem like a lot of work but trust me: knowing your stories well enough that they come out naturally in conversation, shows tons of confidence.

Sixth - Make it about them, not you [massive].

You can make the interview about them by asking questions about the interviewer. The more you show an interest in what they have to say, the better they'll feel about meeting with you. Make it a conversation though, not an interrogation!

• Ask some open-ended questions that require more than a yes or no answer. For example: "What was your favorite part of working at [company]?"
• Be genuinely interested in what they have to say and show that you are listening by making eye contact and nodding your head periodically throughout the conversation.
• Smile when possible. Be serious when you have to.

Bring it Altogether - Take these 7 steps, and interviewers will leave feeling like they got to know you as a person.

If you want to get an interview, it's a good idea to know what to expect. Here are the top 7 steps for turning interviews into conversations:

• Be Prepared with Questions Beforehand.
• Be Confident in Yourself and Your Answers.
• Be Yourself (within reason)—It's Hard To Fake It.
• Be Polite, Even If It's Not The Norm (In Some Places).
• Make Sure You're Passionate About Your Interests & Goals When Answering Questions (This Is A Good Time To Bring Up Those Things That May Not Have Come Up In The Application Process)
• Be Genuine And Real With The Person Interviewing You (Don’t Tell Them What They Want To Hear Or Say Something Just To Get That Job!)
• And 7.. Remember, This Is An Interview And That Means You Need To Act Like Someone Who Should Work There!

Bow on top - Smile and wait for their response.

The key to turning an interview into a conversation is to show interest in what the interviewer is saying and then wait for them to finish speaking before you respond.

When they say something, smile and wait for their response, even if it's just "right." Then ask a question or make a comment about what they've said.

This will show the interviewer that you're paying attention, which makes them feel like they're being heard, appreciated, and understood—and it makes the interview more enjoyable for both of you!

Have any questions? Ask me!

I always answer.

-Gonzalo

#personaldevelopment?#growth?#emotionalintelligence?#careers?#jobs