Take Control of the Job Interview
By Lionel Desjardins

The feeling of helplessness that overcomes candidates applying for a position can become a factor in the interview process.  That sense of vulnerability can cause an interviewee to lack the self confidence that is sought by most employers. That feeling of helplessness and vulnerability can be overcome by implementing the following strategies to take control of the interview:

Strategy 1: Research, research, research.  Candidates must access any and all information available concerning the company or organization where they wish to become employed. The reason for this is that an employer will be seeking to hire someone capable of solving the company’s problems. Therefore, the more you know about the company, the more you will know about their specific problems and the better you can subsequently leverage your skill to present yourself as a desirable employee. This may require thorough online searches, the reading of annual reports, the accessing of pertinent archives, and dare we recommend: conversations with the librarian in the career section of the local library to ensure that no stone remains unturned in this process.  We would also suggest that your research include, whenever possible, a conversation with an employee of the company or organization to explore the group culture which would clarify what they value, how they do business, how they treat people, and whether people enjoy working for them. The result of this arduous search will be the assurance that you can bring to an interview any and all available knowledge about the targeted company.  This assurance will bolster the self confidence required to make that positive first impression and will help the candidate to be perceived as the problem solver that the company requires.

Strategy 2: Use strategically chosen examples of your past achievements to clarify and illustrate your answers. A well chosen example can be compared to the picture worth a thousand words which will vastly broaden the positive impact of any answer. When asked about business solutions, for example, a candidate can show not only how he or she solved problems but also how they contributed to the success of others by quietly providing help and information behind the scenes which will show them as a team builder as well as a coach. Business solutions provided after hours or from home can establish a pattern of loyalty to an employer. All of these desirable characteristics can legitimately be included in an answer if the examples are well chosen and well delivered. Therefore, whenever possible, the question will be followed by a short but clear theoretical answer followed by the candidate saying; “Let me give you an example “. The wise candidate will have a bank of examples which should include industry specific pivotal achievements such as: The retrieval of lost data or information, successful dealings with irate clients or dissatisfied customers, selling a reluctant buyer, strategic moves that saved a team from meltdown, and illustrations of integrity on the job.

Strategy 3: Having done your research and being armed with the examples that best illustrate your skills you must next proceed to answer the questions as asked. If the questions are not clear, politely ask for clarification. For example, when a candidate is asked” Tell us something about yourself”, the standard ice breaker question, they could ask:” Do you mean personally or professionally”. There is an illusion on the part of some candidates that controlling the interview consists of not specifically answering the question or of adding to an answer, information irrelevant to the interviewer’s question. Such tactics portray a lack of focus and an inability or unwillingness to follow instructions all of which are characteristics undesirable in a potential employee. Answering the question, although it is not always easy, is an important part of controlling the interview.

Strategy 4: Remain positive at all times. Being able to retrieve the positive elements of even the most negative situation is a desirable characteristic in an employee. Let us take an extreme example. Being fired or downsized can be the most negative experience possible. Yet some of the most successful executives in the history of business have been fired at some point in their career. Those who continued to be successful were not demoralized. They were able to portray there firing as a key learning experience and many were subsequently able to show exactly how what they learnt from that experience contributed to their future success. This illustrates that the most negative experience can be worthy of presentation in a positive light. Your worst boss can be shown as having taught you important lessons about leadership. Your worst mistake can have taught you never to replicate such an error. Your lack of a university degree can be shown as motivating you to learn more effectively on the job and to strategically and systematically consult and learn from others.

Remaining positive when asked about your best and worst boss can be as simple as combining both types of employers together and saying:” I have had bosses of many kinds, some better than others. I have worked hard for each and every one of them and I pride myself on having learnt from them all”. This will portray the positive attitude of a successful member of a team as well as complying with the protection of privacy parameters.

The knowledge inherent in all four of these strategies will put the candidate in the power position of being able to deliver the message of their choice to a potential employer under any and all circumstances including the unpredictable situational questions. The research will expose the company’s needs which will serve as a blueprint for answers. The bank of examples will serve to illustrate the fit between the candidate’s skill and the company’s needs especially in the responses to situational questions. The resolve to answer the questions as asked will serve to focus responses, keep them short and motivate the use of appropriate short and pertinent examples. Remaining positive will further illustrate the nature of the desirable impact that a candidate will bring to a company. Practicing and mastering the techniques with friends, colleagues and references will bolster the confidence level of an applicant and will make any interview a positive experience.