Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
2011
SucceSS GuIde
The IMX Interview Success Guide Copyright 2011 All Right Reserved http://InterviewSuccessGuide.com
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Table of Contents
The IMX Interview Success Guide .................................................................................... 3 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4 Why You Need This Guide ................................................................................................ 6 Simple Techniques to Read the Interviewers Personality Type ................................. 10 How to Communicate with Your Interviewers Behavioral Style ............................... 18 Your Own Strengths and How Best to Show Them Off ............................................ 21 Your Weaknesses and How to Blow Them Off .......................................................... 27 Kinds of Interview Questions and How to Prepare for Them .................................... 32 How to Give Interviewers the Best Answers Theyve Ever Heard .............................. 35 Interview Protocol ............................................................................................................ 37 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 40
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Introduction
This guide will help you gain the self-mastery you need to have the best job interview you can. Self-mastery is about knowing who you are, what your strengths and weaknesses are and being able to make this knowledge work to your advantage. Theodore Roosevelt once said that self-mastery is one of the keys to a successful life. And the Tao Te Ching says: Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; masters yourself is true power. We all approach looking for work with a weird mix of excitement and anxiety. Its a challenge that leaves us feeling not quite in control of the result. Why? Because were not in control. Ultimately, the decision to hire is in the hands of others, but that doesnt mean we cant have some control as well. There is one common denominator among the best interviewees, or people who get the jobs they want. That one difference is knowledge - more specifically, knowledge about ones own self in the form of strengths and weaknesses, abilities and the lack thereof. Fact: People who know themselves do better in interviews than people who dont. When a person is aware of their unique talents and strengths, they are better able to communicate them to the interviewer, and make specific arguments for their benefit to an organization. In the end, the person who is better able to help the interviewer see how they would benefit the organization in specific ways is in the better position to be hired. In order to do this, however, you must first possess a good level of self-awareness you must know yourself. In the following pages we will reveal the keys you need to achieve the ultimate interview success and land the job you deserve.
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Special Note
Sections of this guide are designed to be used in conjunction with the IMX Interview Success Profile. This profile will give you very specific knowledge about your strengths and weaknesses that you need to demonstrate to the interviewer why you are the best person for the job. This profile is scientific and based on the ground-breaking work of Nobel Peace price nominee Professor Robert Hartman PhD (Yale/MIT). It has been independently validated in more than 29 separate scientific studies. The profile is so reliable, and the science upon which it is based is so sound, that its results are even endorsed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In order to really make this guide work for you, weve created a special offer for Job Seekers. The online instrument is typically used as a performance coaching and consulting tool within corporate environments, and to complete the full profile you would expect to pay anywhere between $250 - $400. We have created a specific version of this profile to accompany the Interview Success Guide, dedicated just to Job Seekers. Your cost for this critical knowledge is only $39.97, so if you dont have your own Interview Success Profile, simply visit http://interviewsuccessguide.com/ to see some sample profiles first, then then get your own.
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Second, recent research on over 40,000 workers reveals that you are naturally at a disadvantage in the interview process because you dont know your strengths and weaknesses nearly as well as you think you do. According to a 2004-2005 scientific study, the average business person: y spends 89% of their effort focusing on the abilities of others. y spends only 11% of their time evaluating their own abilities with the same level of scrutiny. y is only 59% aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. y is 78% aware of the strengths and weaknesses of others. So, not only is the interviewer more experienced, better trained and in the stronger position; he or she is also working from a natural strength (i.e., 78% awareness of others) while you are working from a weakness (i.e., 59% self-awareness). Its not fair, but then no one ever said interviewing was fair. Given this fact, the ancient aphorism know thyself takes on a special significance in a job interview. Third, the two most common questions in interviews are: (i) What are your strengths?; and (ii) What are your weaknesses?. Yet most people have a really hard time answering these questions, especially the latter one. As a result, having a strong answer to these questions can make the difference between you getting the job or not. Finally, a recent poll of 1,300 hiring managers showed that being prepared is as significant a piece to the interview as is your history, resume and experience combined. What constitutes preparation, however, has changed. It doesnt just mean a clean resume and well pressed suit anymore. As companies become more sophisticated in their hiring techniques more emphasis is being placed on qualifying a candidates soft skills (e.g., thinking styles, natural talents, attitudes, etc.). Indeed, employers are increasingly making us of profiling tools such as the one made available to you through this guide (however, they pay up to 10 times more for it than you do here). If you interview with such an employer and dont have your profile ahead of time, you will be at a distinct disadvantage. Why risk it? If todays employers are paying more attention to your soft skills, dont you think you should be too? Its perhaps worth mentioning at this stage, that although for many an interview is more seen as a step towards gaining employment, getting the right job for you is also a significant factor in your long term personal happiness.
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By working through this guide and applying the insights, you will not only radically increase your chances of performing well in an interview, you will also have a much clearer idea of what you bring to the job, and what you want from the job. When the match is high between your authentic self and the role/job you are in, you experience more enjoyment and perform at a higher level. This benefits both your employer and you.
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Could you do it in time? What kind of answers did you give? Did they end up being the kind of answers you would expect everyone to put down (e.g., hardworking, competitive, team player, etc.)? Could you quickly give an example of a time where that strength helped you do your job? If you are prepared, you will be ready to answer these kinds of questions off the top of your head, in an open and honest way. When the interviewer asks why should we hire you? would you rather give old standards like this: y Im hard working y Im a good team player y I work well without supervision y Im honest and dedicated Or this: y My greatest strength is the level of personal commitment I bring to my work y I am more of a self-starter than the average person y One of my strongest natural talents is for conceptual thinking and problem solving y My natural ability for empathy allows me to really understand the people I work with and manage. If the interviewer asks how you know all of this, youll simply produce your profile and tell him which page he or she can find it on. In this way, they will know that you took the initiative to be prepared in a way most other candidates were not. This is sure to get you noticed and will truly set you apart from the crowd.
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those who show a high preference for Stability take a measured, steady approach to life. They are patient and undemanding, often showing sympathy for and loyalty to those around them. At least in western countries, Stabilizing is relatively rare in comparison with the other three factors. While Decisive, Interactive and Cautious are evenly spread throughout the population, Stabilizing tends to appear less frequently. This is perhaps because the unassuming, amiable behaviour associated with this factor tends to be less valued by society than those connected with the other three factors. When Stabilizing does appear in a profile, it is more common to find it accompanied by a high score in the Cautious style rather than standing alone. Despite this, there are a number of strengths linked to the Stabilizing factor. People of this kind are patient and sympathetic listeners, with a real interest in the problems and feelings of others, and are particularly capable of fulfilling support roles. They also have a persistent approach, with powers of concentration that allow them to work steadily at a task. While other profile types might become bored or distracted, the High S (i.e. person with high Stabilizing) will continue to work until they complete an assignment. High Ss are resistant to change, and will prefer to settle into a predictable and constant environment. They have an intrinsically passive approach, and work best when given clear instructions and a high level of support. Because of this, they avoid conflict or confrontation if at all possible, and will instead seek to adopt the role of peacemaker if a dispute should break out.
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codes of conduct to achieve their ends. This is the root of the rule-oriented style we mentioned above. Individuals with high levels of Cautious dislike pressure, and will tend to adopt an evasive style when confronted with difficult circumstances. In extremely difficult situations, they are prone to disregard problems or delay actions until they become completely unavoidable. The rule-oriented aspect of the High C often takes in wider aspects of life than simply corporate rule-structures or established procedures. Individuals of this kind usually have personal codes of behaviour, and tend to regard etiquette and tradition as important. Because of their inherent desire for fact and detail, it is also common to find that Cautious styles have a relatively broad general knowledge, or specific knowledge or skills. This interest in the way things work means that Cautious individuals are often drawn to technical work, or jobs involving the organization of information, situations in which their personal talents can come to the fore.
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By understanding their preferred style, you will be able to communicate with them in the way they prefer. This will increase their receptivity, make them listen more to what you have to say, and create some camaraderie which will only help your cause.
The Tell
In poker, players look for what they call the tell. This is a unique sign that people make when they have a good hand. Some people touch their hair, while others starts tapping their toes or clearing their throat. If you can learn what a persons tell is you can know when they have a good hand and bet accordingly. In a similar way, each behaviour style can also be recognised by its own tell. Learn to spot your interviewers tell, and you learn how to communicate with them in the most effective way. To become a real pro at this requires some time and effort, but were not seeking to make you a professional behavioural analyst, just give you some pointers that can help you see a persons behavioural tell.
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High Ds Tell
In an interview, high Ds are usually: y Firm with their handshake y Straight forward and up front y Confident, secure and comfortable speaking out y Unafraid to confront difficult issues or ask sensitive questions y Not big believers in lots of data or specifics y Interested in practical results which you have accomplished, but not tons of detail y In charge, controlling the process with confidence and a purpose y Looking for signs of competitiveness, which they value y Perceived as aggressive y Hurried or impatient y Easily distracted y In a rush Typical high Ds include the likes of Donald Trump, Norman Schwarzkopf, Gordon Ramsay and George W. Bush.
High Is Tell
In an interview high Is are usually: y Very talkative y Sunny and warm y Open y Energetic y Very social and expressive y Seeking approval y Skilled in communicating with others y Smooth, good talkers
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y Likely to talk more than they listen Typical high Is include the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres, Tony Blair and Barack Obama.
High Ss Tell
In an interview, high Ss are usually: y More quiet than Ds and Is y Softer y Less confident, more reserved y Slow or unhurried, steady y Patient or willing to listen y Have a system they like to follow Typical high Ss include the likes of Prince Charles, Mother Teresa, Richard Gere and Gordon Brown.
High Cs Tell
In an interview, high Cs are usually: y Very deliberate y Exacting y Very specific y Detail-oriented y Quiet and reserved, perhaps even timid y Perfectionistic or very accurate y Analytical y Methodical Typical high Cs include the likes of Gary Kasparov, Tiger Woods, Martha Stewart and Christian Bale.
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y If a main reason why you want a job is because you want more challenges, chances for success and a more competitive environment, this is good to share with the high D
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Using your Interview Success Profile, there are two simple steps to creating the selfawareness you need for your interview.
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Benefit: My natural talent for reading peoples true intentions, body language and overall tone allowed me to see that John wasnt what he reported to be, either as a decision maker or as a supporter of our products. His words said one thing, but the overall picture told a different story. In the end, I positioned myself to meet others who actually were in a decision-making role and did not have any conflict of interest. The account has gone from being in the bottom quartile of my accounts to the number 4 biggest buyer, making my year and generating over $385,000 in business for Acme. Now its your turn! Print the following page, re-read it, and use this information in an interview to give unique, targeted, well thought out answers designed to get you noticed and remembered.
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Learn the relevance of these 5 strengths because what you just wrote above is your best bet for showing off your talents in your interview.
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Everyone has weaknesses and managers tell us all the time that they see those who are aware of their limitations as being much more productive than those who are not. In fact, knowing your weaknesses makes you far more effective. Indeed, it is the hallmark of all great leaders. Instead of focusing on their weaknesses, great leaders focus on their strengths and work with others who are much better in the areas they need help. This is what makes great leaders more productive. And it all starts with selfknowledge. Blowing off your weaknesses also means eliminating your dependence on them. We all have weaknesses. Along with our strengths, they are a part of what makes us who we are. Learning what they are is just as important a part, perhaps even more, of achieving true self-mastery. The best people we measure in an organization are NOT the ones that have the most strength. In actuality, they may even have less raw talents than others. Top performers have in common the fact that they have better self-knowledge. They know what they are good at (and not good at) and they make sure they dont depend on their weaknesses for their success. They truly know what they are good at and make sure they use that knowledge to achieve their goals. As with your strengths, we use a similar two steps to identify and use the knowledge of our weaknesses: Step 1: Identify Your Weaknesses Step 2: Demonstrate Relevance of That Knowledge
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Learn the relevance of these 5 weaknesses, because what you just wrote above is your best bet for showing the interviewer that you are aware of what you are not great at, but you also know how to prevent those things from getting in the way of your success.
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it, or helped develop it. Opinion questions This type of question includes What would you do in this situation? and What are your strengths and weaknesses? Its purpose is to subjectively analyze how you would respond to a scenario, and gauge your level of self-awareness. Heres another stellar chance to show off your self-awareness by practicing what you learned in the previous chapters. Dumb questions This type of question includes What kind of animal would you like to be? or What do you think Flubber is made from? Its purpose is to get past your pre-programmed answers to find out if you are capable of an original thought. There is not necessarily a right or wrong answer, since it is used primarily as a test of your ability to think on your feet. Go with your gut, feel free to laugh at its silliness and always keep such answers light. The last thing you want to do is get too serious about these kinds of questions. Behavioral questions This type of question includes Can you give me a specific example of how you did that? or What were the steps you followed to accomplish that task? Its purpose is to anticipate predictable future behaviours based upon past responses. Here they are trying to get at something you already know from your Interview Success Profile, so supply answers from your worksheets in the previous section. Competency questions This type of question includes Can you give me a specific example of your leadership skills? or Explain a way in which you sought a creative solution to a problem. Its purpose is to align your past behaviours with specific competencies that are required for the position. If they are asking about specific competencies (e.g. problem solving, leading, initiative, etc.) then it is likely that these competencies are known to be vital in the position. Treat these as keys to the test. Here are some actual examples of these types of questions taken from clients: y Give me a specific example of a project that you were responsible for organizing from beginning to end. How did you go about it? y Give me an example of a difficult problem you solved at work and describe how you went about solving it.
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y What is the difference between activity and results? How do you personally define this difference? y What is the one thing in your life that you have not been able to accomplish or complete that gives you the most frustration? Why didnt you complete it? y Give me an example of a time when you knew the customer was wrong but you had to accommodate their wishes. How did you handle it? y Is there ever a time when a customer who is wrong should be confronted? If so, give me an example of when that would be and how you would do that. y Give me an example of a lesson you have learned from making a mistake. What did you do differently going forward? y What do you consider to be the most effective way to influence someone to a particular point of view? Before going into your interview, drawing from what you now know about your strengths and weaknesses, be sure you are able to answer each of these questions smoothly and easily. If you are prepared, not only will you be able to offer more effective answers, but you will also improve your overall confidence going into the interview. And confidence sells.
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support your answer. This is why knowing your report is so important. Be selfaware and use the answers you wrote down in Sections 4 & 5. 3. Qualify the question. People buy what they want, not what they need. The interviewer is the buyer and youre the sales person. Dont make the mistake of trying to sell them what you think they should see. Make sure instead to qualify what they are looking for. Often times, the best way to do this is by simply asking them to elaborate on the question. For example: when they ask what makes you think you have what it takes to work in this job?, ask them what talents they think the top performers in their company possess, then show them how you have it. Youre not supposed to know how to do the job before youre ever hired, so dont be afraid to ask questions that qualify what they want.
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Interview Protocol
There are certain rules for interviewing that should always be followed in order to make the best impression. Here is a down and dirty list of some of the most important: y Keep answers brief you should only talk 1/3 of the time, and let the interviewer have the rest to ask his questions and answer yours. Never grab more than 50% of the time for yourself. y Dress appropriately some might tell you that it is appropriate to dress casually if the culture youre interviewing with is such. This may be true, but more often than not, we have seen people who thought it was a more relaxed environment when it wasnt. Unless you are explicitly told that business casual is OK, always dress business formal (i.e., suit or dress). Trying to make a statement about who you are with your clothing often sends the wrong message. There will be ample opportunity to demonstrate your individuality later. Your attire in the interview is usually not the way to do this. If you wear a suit and one isnt required, it is less awkward than the other way around, so the safe bet is the conservative one in this case. y Identify their goals up front ask questions right from the beginning designed to tell you what they are looking for. In most cases, all you have to do is ask what they are looking for, take notes, then methodically go back through their response using those notes, and the information in your profile, to demonstrate to them that you are that person. If you are not, although it may be hard to imagine, this may not be the job for you, and figuring that out up front will save you a lot of wasted time. y Ask your way to the job like with selling, interviewing goes best when you ask your way to the sale. In this case, you are asking your way to the job.
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Ask the interviewer what they want, what they think, how they know when they will have found it, and their opinions. Seek then simply to use the selfawareness you gained in this profile to demonstrate that you are the solution to their needs. y Why you left talking about why you left your last position can be difficult, but hiding the reason is even worse. Be honest, provide the essentials, but dont go too heavy on the detail and keep it impersonal. Emotional outbursts, disparaging comments or accusations about your previous employer will only hurt your interview. Find the practical reasons why you left, highlight how your move is the next advance for your career and turn the discussion back to how you hope to find that next step with the interviewers company. y Make a personal connection making use of what you learned in the first section of this guide, seek to understand the interviewer on a personal level and make a connection there with whatever similar values, behaviours or strengths you feel you possess that are similar to their style. y Close the interviewer interviewing is a sales call, but like good selling, closing doesnt mean lifting your knee off their throat so they can say yes. Selling yourself means not being afraid to ask someone what they are looking for in a solution and asking them what they think of your ability to be that solution. In other words, if you walk out of an interview without asking them what their opinion of you is and what the next step is, you are making a deadly mistake. We have seen managers say that they liked the candidate very much, but at the end of the interview, the candidate said thanks for the time, stood up and walked away. The managers subsequently passed on those people. Try a statement like this: Well thank you for your time. What is your opinion of my ability to do the job as youve described? What kinds of things are youre comfortable with, or is there anything you have any reservations about? Address whatever they say, let them know that you are very satisfied with what you have heard and learned about the company (assuming this is true) and ask them the following question, What can I do to take this to the next step? y Handling rejection if in the above step you encounter rejection, or the interviewer expresses concern about your weaknesses, it is too late in the game to try and rebut them. If they make negative statements, be receptive to them, not rebellious. As they talk, see if you cant find a way to respectfully show them how their concern hasnt been a factor in the past, rather than argue that their concern doesnt exist. For example: I appreciate that youre concerned about my lack of experience, but given the qualities you describe in the top performers I am confident that I possess the natural strengths needed to do the job anyway. Experience can be gained, but I really think these natural talents
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are something you either have or dont have. y Show them you are interested dont talk about yourself and your strengths and weaknesses all the time. Do your homework and familiarize yourself with all that you can about the company you are interviewing with before the interview. With the internet, you should be able to become an instant expert in what they sell/make/do, for whom they do it, who their competition is and what their companys position is in their industry. Asking questions and showing interest in these things during the interview will help build a sense of familiarity, and prove you are interested in them. y Beat them to the punch if you have one weakness in the report that you feel could be a problem, bring it up before they ask about it. This disarms the negative and makes it a stated fact, not a dreaded, hidden dark weakness that the interviewer uncovered. The psychology of such a move has been proven to disarm as much as 75% of the negative impact of a weakness. y Follow up whatever happens, always follow up with a personal thank you note (hand written) sent out that day. Emails are efficient, but a hand written note shows personal effort that speaks much louder. If you dont have a street address, or worry that it will take a week to get through the mailroom to your interviewer, we recommend both an email and a hand written note. In this note, do just two things: (i) thank them; and (ii) reiterate your interest. For example: Dear Mr. Smith, I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to consider me for the position. I enjoyed meeting you, and am very excited about the possibility to join the Acme team. Please let me know what I can do to help move this to the next step. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, John Doe. If you are interviewing for an actual sales position, we strongly recommend replacing the last statement above (Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you soon) with the following, Thanks and I will follow up with you in a few days to see what we cant do to move this to the next stage. In sales you never leave a meeting with a prospect without a reason to have another meeting, and you never leave them in total control of the progress of the process. So instead of looking forward for them to contact you, take the initiative and let them know you will be taking charge and contacting them... respectfully, but not in a pushy way.
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Conclusion
In the end, interviewing for a job should be a fun and exciting time. It should be about forming new connections, creating new opportunities and showing off all the wonderful things you have to offer. Its an opportunity for you to take an active role in creating the life you deserve by getting the job you really want. The biggest mistake we see people make is that they get rushed, look for any job in the storm and end up creating nothing more than a filler in a long series of jobs they will have over the course of their life. They rush into it without truly seeing the opportunity a new job brings. Why grasp at straws? What not take control over your career starting now? With the information in this guide, you have the chance to understand yourself like you never have before. Armed with this self-awareness you can start your career off on the right track and chart your course to a bright and successful future. Now go out there and get that job! Your future awaits!
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