In Part 1, I discussed honesty and enthusiasm during the interview process. In Part 2, the focus is on developing rapport and answering questions with strong examples.
- Be honest
- Be enthusiastic
- Develop rapport
- Answer questions with strong examples
3) Develop rapport! Rapport is important because, in addition to showing that you can fulfill the needs of the company, you also must show that you are likable and will fit into the company culture.
Show interest in the interviewer and the company. Look around the office to get an idea of who the interviewer is. Then make a positive comment about something – the picture of his family or the golf trophy on the bookcase.
Show that you understand the company’s mission by commenting about something you read on the website or learned through your research. Show your interest in an honest, open manner.
- Answer questions with strong examples. The questions that require examples are generally behavioral questions and these questions are used by interviewers to gain real-life examples of how you have handled specific situations. Behavioral questions are generally phrased: \”Tell me about a time when…\” or \”Give me an example of…\”
Listen carefully to the question and answer with a specific example. Do not give a broad overview answer to a question that requires a specific example.
Use the acronym SAR to help you put your story into context. S stands for Situation, the first part of the story that provides the setting of your answer.
A stands for Action. In this section of your answer, provide specific actions that you took to resolve the issue.
R stands for Result – what was the result of your actions? Generally, this will be the last couple of sentences in your story. However, if the answer to the behavioral question was a negative, then you will need to provide one additional sentence that shows a positive outcome.
For example, in the question, tell me about a time you missed a deadline, you would discuss what you learned or the process you created that ensures you never miss a deadline. Be sure that the negative becomes a positive in the mind of the interviewer.
Using the 4 steps that demonstrate your honesty, enthusiasm, and ability to develop rapport, along with providing real-world examples, you will have a very successful interview.