In any job interview the interviewer wants to be assured that the candidate can do the job. Taking it a step further this question needs to be answered, "Why should this candidate be hired over the other equally qualified candidates?"
Your ability to effectively communicate why you are the best fit for the requirements of the job will, in the majority of cases, determine if you get the job offer. Every presentation starts with an agenda. How you prepare your agenda and then communicate it in the interview will go a long way to move you ahead of the other candidates.
In preparing your interview agenda you must learn as much as possible about the needs of the employer. Clues can be found in the job announcement; if you know someone working for the employer they may be able to provide you with additional valuable information. And you must prepare a group of questions that will provide you with the challenges of the job, priorities and company management styles.
During the job interview you should actively listen to the answers to your questions and how the interviewer's questions are phrased. This means you ought to be flexible and not assume even though the job has a particular title that all the job duties and problems can be easily pigeon-holed.
"Program Manager," in one situation may be heavily weighted to resolve budgetary issues in another it may be managing a diverse group of professional disciplines. Even though you may have significant program manager experience in both areas getting this right in your interview answers is the key to a successful job interview.
Recognize that the employer is looking for candidates who can fill a specific need and contribute to the success of the company. The interviewer will not take the time to connect the dots and assume because you did a function well that it will translate into performing well in an allied function.
Moreover, these needs differ from company to company and certainly from industry to industry. You answers to interview questions must, as much as you can, demonstrate that you are the only candidate that can fill the employer's needs.
All this means when preparing for the job interview get the basic information down pat, but build in the necessary flexibility to effective answer the questions.
As a general rule the job interview consists of a buyer (the employer) and the seller (you). If you sell what the buyer wants to buy the possibility of success goes way up. You need to give solid examples of how you resolved challenges that the employer is facing.
This is what successful candidates do in their job interviews, give the interviewer strong assurances that they can do the job. Why, because they effectively performed identical functions in the past, and there is a high likelihood they will do the same in the future. Copy this model and you will also be successful in your job hunt.
By John Groth
Your ability to effectively communicate why you are the best fit for the requirements of the job will, in the majority of cases, determine if you get the job offer. Every presentation starts with an agenda. How you prepare your agenda and then communicate it in the interview will go a long way to move you ahead of the other candidates.
In preparing your interview agenda you must learn as much as possible about the needs of the employer. Clues can be found in the job announcement; if you know someone working for the employer they may be able to provide you with additional valuable information. And you must prepare a group of questions that will provide you with the challenges of the job, priorities and company management styles.
During the job interview you should actively listen to the answers to your questions and how the interviewer's questions are phrased. This means you ought to be flexible and not assume even though the job has a particular title that all the job duties and problems can be easily pigeon-holed.
"Program Manager," in one situation may be heavily weighted to resolve budgetary issues in another it may be managing a diverse group of professional disciplines. Even though you may have significant program manager experience in both areas getting this right in your interview answers is the key to a successful job interview.
Recognize that the employer is looking for candidates who can fill a specific need and contribute to the success of the company. The interviewer will not take the time to connect the dots and assume because you did a function well that it will translate into performing well in an allied function.
Moreover, these needs differ from company to company and certainly from industry to industry. You answers to interview questions must, as much as you can, demonstrate that you are the only candidate that can fill the employer's needs.
All this means when preparing for the job interview get the basic information down pat, but build in the necessary flexibility to effective answer the questions.
As a general rule the job interview consists of a buyer (the employer) and the seller (you). If you sell what the buyer wants to buy the possibility of success goes way up. You need to give solid examples of how you resolved challenges that the employer is facing.
This is what successful candidates do in their job interviews, give the interviewer strong assurances that they can do the job. Why, because they effectively performed identical functions in the past, and there is a high likelihood they will do the same in the future. Copy this model and you will also be successful in your job hunt.
By John Groth
