12 surprising job interview tips - forbes part 2
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3/16/2015 12SurprisingJobInterviewTipsForbes
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonyoushaei/2014/10/20/12surprisingjobinterviewtips/2/ 1/6
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5.CraftYourStoryStatement
Thoughmostinterviewsstartwiththesameprompt(tellmeaboutyourselforwalkmethroughyourresume),weblowitoffwithboringanswerslike:
Thisanswerisliketearingoutthefirst200pagesofyourautobiography.Youleaveouteverythingthatgivesmeaningtowhyyouwantthisjobinthefirstplace.Whatwasyourmomentofepiphany?Howdidyourchildhoodinfluenceyou?Whydoesthisjobmoveyou?Mostpeopledontanswerthesequestions.Theystartandendwiththeirprofessionalexperience,leavinglittletoinspiretheinterviewer.
Nexttime,usewhatIcallaStoryStatement,whichisaCliffNotesofyourautobiography.
Example:HeresanamazingStoryStatementthatTeachForAmericafellowKareliLizarragausedforherinterviews.
Istudied[majorX]becauseIreallycareaboutmakingadifferencein[industryY]asyoucanseethroughmylastjobat[companyZ]
IgrewupinCaliforniaandArizonaafterimmigratingtotheUnitedStateswhenIwasfouryearsold.Sinceneitherofmyparentswenttocollege,Ireliedonmyhighschoolteacherstohelpmeapplytotopuniversities.Withtheirsupport,IwasabletoattendtheUniversityofPennsylvania.ThenIspentasummerataWashingtonDClawfirm,whichrepresentedlowincomestudentsandhelpedmerealizethatmypassionlaywithincreatingeducationalopportunitiesforall.
IdecidedtobecomeateacherbecauseIseemyselfsodeeplyreflectedinthestoriesofsomanystudentsinyourschoolsandthatswhyImsoexcitedabouttheopportunitytointerviewwithyoutoday.Likemyteachersdidforme,Iwanttoimpactthenextgenerationofstudentsbysupportingthemandunderstandingtheexperiencestheyrefacing.
JonYoushaei(http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonyoushaei/)Contributor
Ishareunconventionalcareeradvice&stories.
OpinionsexpressedbyForbesContributorsaretheirown.
(/)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonyoushaei/http://www.forbes.com/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonyoushaei/http://www.forbes.com/leadership
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3/16/2015 12SurprisingJobInterviewTipsForbes
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AStoryStatementshowsthatyoureaperson,notjustaprofessional.Italsomakesiteasyforyourinterviewertopredictthenextchapterofyourstory.ForKareli,TeachForAmericaisalogicalnextstep.Ofcourse,ifsheinterviewedforApple,shemaychangeherStoryStatementtoincludeanearlyexperiencewithherfirstcomputerandtalkabouthowherpassionfortechgrewfromthere.ForaBaininterview,shecouldmentionhowshestartedproblemsolvingatayoungageandnowwantstodoitonabigscale.
Chancesare,weveallhadexperienceswecanconnecttowhereweretryingtogo.Itsjustamatterofselectingtherightonestotellourstory.Thatsaid,ifyoustruggletocraftyourStoryStatementforaparticularinterview,youmightbeapplyingforthewrongjob.
6.WearaSubtleFashionStatement
Wealreadyknowdressingwellmakesadifference.Butwhatifwetookourattentiontodetailastepfurther?ThatsexactlywhatMorganStanleyanalystJulioGermanAriasCastillodidforhisinterviews.
Wearsomethingthatrepresentsyourcultureorbackground,hesays.Inmycase,IalwayswearapinofthePanamanianflagonmysuitlapel.Mostofmyinterviewersaskaboutitsoitbecomesachancetodiscussmyupbringingandloveofmyhomeland.
Juliocreatedaconversationstarterwithhisclothing.Dependingonthecompany,youcanbemoreplayful:wearabraceletfromyourrecenttravelstoIndia,atiewithaquirkypattern,orifyoucanpullitoffasmallmockingjaypinifyoureaHungerGamesfan.Aslongasitssubtleandtasteful,yourfashionstatementcanbuildrapportthroughfunconversationsaboutyourhometownormutualloveforKatnissEverdeen.
7.PrepareforTheWhatsYourWeakness?Question
MostpeopleoverthinkthisquestionandgiveacannedanswerlikeImtoomuchofaperfectionist!Othersgiveagenuineanswerbutstillfallshortofwhatthisquestionisreallyasking.Itsnotaboutadmittingyourweaknesses.Itsaboutshowinghowyouovercomethem.Whatsystemshaveyouputinplace?Whatprogresshaveyoumade?Includethosethoughtstostrengthenyouranswer.
Example:
Weak:MyweaknessisthatIstruggletorunefficientmeetings
Strong:Isometimesstruggletorunefficientmeetings.ButIveworkedtoimprovebydraftinganagendabeforeeverymeeting,sendingittoallparticipants,andthenfollowingupwitharecapandclearactionitemssoeveryoneknowswhattodomovingforward.
8.Brainstorm3PARAnecdotes
Yourinterviewisasmemorableasthestoriesyoushare.Manypeoplehavefascinatingexperiencesbutforgetthemwhentheyreonthespot.Toremedythis,havethreeanecdotesreadytoplugintoyourinterview.Youranecdotes
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3/16/2015 12SurprisingJobInterviewTipsForbes
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonyoushaei/2014/10/20/12surprisingjobinterviewtips/2/ 3/6
shouldfollowasimpleformat:
1. Problemwhatwasthesituation?
2. Actionwhatdidyoudotosolveit?
3. Resultwhatchangedafterwards?
Withthisformat,youcanadaptyourPARanecdotestofitavarietyofquestionssuchastellmeaboutatimeyouworkedwithateamorwhenhaveyoustruggledmost?
Example:UniversityofPennsylvaniaSeniorHunterHorsleyhasaterrificPARanecdoteforhisinterviews.
Problem:WhenIworkedonLore(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lore_(company)),aneducationtechstartup,ourbigmarketingchallengewasfindingawaytogetprofessorstotryourproduct.AdsareinefficientandcompetitorslikeBlackboardandCanvashadsalesteamscallITadministratorstosignmultiyearcontractsaveryslowandexpensiveprocess.Weneededtomovefaster.
Action:Werealizedthatstudentspreferredourproductsoweteamedupwithabout200studentsfrom100colleges.Theydevelopedacustomoutreachplanfortheircampusandweprovidedresourcestosupportthem.
Result:Thiswashighlyeffectiveincreatingawarenesswithprofessors.Infact,itbecameacompetitiveadvantage.Duringourfirsttwosemesters,ourteamof15peopledroveadoptionthatoutpacedacompetingproductlaunchedbyPearsonatthesametime.Anadditionalbenefitwasthattheapproachcreatedbrandaffinity.Becauseprofessorsheardaboutthetoolfromstudentsinsteadofanad,thevaluepropositioncameacrossmoreauthentically.
DURING
9.ThinkAloudonAnalyticalQuestions
Someinterviewsincludetoughanalyticalquestions.Whetheryouresolvingforanexactnumber(whatstheEBITDAofCompanyX?)orroughestimate(howmanypingpongballscanfitinaBoeing777?),itsimportanttotalkthroughyourthinking.Dontjustgiveananswershowhowyougotthere.
Example:ConsiderthesetwoanswerstoHowmanylawnmowersaretheretodayintheUnitedStates?
Weak:After45secondsofsilence,youblurtout75million!
Strong:Youretalkingtheentirewaythrough,sharingyourcalculationsandassumptions.
Letsstartfromthetopdown.AssumingtheUSpopulationis300millionandeachhouseholdaverages3people,thenwehave100millionfamiliesintheUS.Letsassumeurbanhouseholdsdonthavelawnstomowandthereforeonlysuburbanandruralfamiliesbuylawnmowers.Ifroughly25%ofAmericaisurbanand75%issuburbanandruralthenwehave75millionhouseholdsthatownalawnmower.
(sidenote:itsokaytomakeassumptionsandforthoseassumptionstobeoff.Butthatswhyyouneedtocommunicatethemfirst).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lore_(company)
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Thisisagreatwaytoshowyourcommunicationskillsalongsideyouranalyticalones.Plus,ifyoumakeanerror,itseasiertoknowwhereyouwentwrongandfixit.
10.AskQuestionsThatKillTwoBirdsWithOneStone
Attheendofyourinterview,itllbeyourturntoaskafewquestions.Thisisaperfectopportunitytokilltwobirdswithonestonethatis,askingagenuinequestionwhileconveyingsomethingnewaboutyou.Mostpeoplejustdothefirstpartandforgoafinalchancetoimpresstheinterviewer.
Example:
Weak:Willthisroleprovideopportunitiestoworkinemergingmarkets?
Strong:ImpassionateaboutlanguagesandminoredinArabicincollege.WillthisroleprovideopportunitiestoworkinemergingmarketsintheMiddleEast?
Weak:Arethereopportunitiesforcommunityservice?
Strong:IusedtoworkwithHabitatforHumanityandwassogratefulfortheopportunitytogiveback.Forafulltimeemployee,aretherecompanywidecommunityserviceeventsthatIcouldtakepartin?
Weak:Whats[CompanyX]sfastestgrowingdivision?
Strong:Accordingtoyourquarterlyreport,yourrevenuesgrewby17%.Isthatbecauseofaparticulardivisionwithinthecompany?
Thisworksbeautifullyifyouhaventfoundanaturalwaytobringupanaccomplishmentorciteapublicationbeforehand.
11.GrowABackbone&AskThisFinalQuestion
ThisonetakesgutsandthatswhyIloveit.SpredfastProductManagerLukeFernandezsaysitsthesinglepieceofadvicethathasconsistentlymadeadifference.
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Honoredtohavehelped!Suchhelpfulinfoandsoproudtocallyouafriend.Keepitup,Youshai!
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thankssomuchAli!
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greatarticle.#3issohugeforrecentcollegegradshahhaaandfollowinguponagooglealertforacompany(evenmoresowithastartup)willmakeyoulooksoprofessionalandonit.
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ThanksMikey!HopefullymanycollegegradswillsoontypeHotSauceComedyandNutlockintheirGoogleAlerts:P
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Thisisawesome,Jon!
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thankMarissa!Hopealliswell
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Wellresearchedandpracticaltipstoapplyinmostinterviewsituations.GreatadviceasalwaysfromJonYoushaei.
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thankyousomuchMarkus:)
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#1issounderratedyetsousefulnotjustforinterviewingbutalsoforfiguringoutwhetheryouwouldevenbeinterestedinworkingonthetypesofproblems/challengesthecompanyneedshelpwith.Asalways,goodstuffJon!
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sotrue,thanksAmmar!
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