Treat Interviews Like Public Speaking Engagements

Summary: Public speaking is a scary time for many, but with a little research and preparation the skills can be used to make an interview into a power moment.

For many of us, we put all our effort and time into preparing and researching the perfect resume. Once we finally get a call for an interview, we hit panic mode because we realize we didn’t learn how to master it too. Have no fear; here are a few secrets that can give you instant confidence that will carry you through an interview as if it were a public speaking event.

Expect to be asked “Tell me about yourself” during an interview. This can be a hard question to answer if you haven’t prepared beforehand to get down to the basics of who you are. When you hear that question, think of it more like “Tell me about how your personality, interests, background, and work behavior make you the best candidate for this position.” Use the original reasons that you applied to the job to drive your answer.

Give examples of times that you were able to bring confidence and enthusiasm about a project together. To do this, make a list of reasons that you are confident that you can do the job and another list about why you are enthusiastic about the job. Bring these reasons together with specific examples of your previous work.

Practice before an interview so that you aren’t just regurgitating your resume or LinkedIn profile. Take the bulleted points about your previous roles and turn them into detailed sentences. Ask a friend to conduct a mock interview for you while you record it. This will help you see how you reply to questions and what your body language is telling.

Wrap up your answers when you have made your point, don’t keep rambling just because the interviewer hasn’t visibly acknowledged that fact that you stopped talking. If they want to know more, they will ask. You should be able to answer most interview questions in fewer than 60 seconds.

Highlight your team work. Most positions are looking for someone that can work as a team to get a project done so use language that shows that. Making note of your own accomplishments is still good but explain how they helped the group.

Photo: academyofcreativearts.org