How To Prepare For An Executive Interview

 

Are you preparing for an executive interview and are seriously concerned that you won’t be ready when you sit across from the interviewer? Many executives have similar concerns, regardless of the experience that they’ve obtained in attending or conducting job interviews. You’ve probably heard a ton of advice about ways to prepare for an interview, but just when you think you’ve heard it all, something jumps out that could actually work for you. The tips below are a good place to start if you think you’ve heard every job interview tip in the book–some of these suggestions may leave you scratching your head, but they’re all helpful interview tips. Prepare in an Office Space While preparing for your interview, it doesn’t hurt to do so in a space that reminds you of a serious, office environment. For instance, if you have an office in your home, it’s good to organize your thoughts in this space. While there’s fundamentally no harm in doing so in front of the TV or while you’re watching the kids play, it’s often easier to place yourself in an interviewing “zone” if you’re in a quiet area reminiscent of an interviewing location. Rehearse in Front of a Mirror Another quirky, yet helpful, preparation tip is to consider rehearsing in front of a mirror. Most executives are fairly adept at verbal conversation, but your body language can be an incredibly important element that shouldn’t be overlooked. Often times, we don’t know what type of message we’re sending by the way we sit, hold our arms, or look at others. Practice in front of the mirror helps you reign in your facial expressions and get rid of the nervous tics that might make an interviewer nervous or uncomfortable. Talk in Front of Your Kids A large aspect of interviewing at the executive level is being able to tell a good story about who you are and what you’ve accomplished while keeping the attention of everyone in the room. Children have terrible attention spans, which makes them good substitutes for executives–try telling your story with some minor modifications to compensate for the audience difference, and if school-aged kids begin to ignore you, you’ll know that you need to spend some more time on your delivery and word choice. Don’t Rely On Your Resume While you want to know what’s in your resume, executive biography and any other documents you’ve submitted, you don’t want the interviewer to feel as though you’re reading from them as you answer questions in your interview. This gives a stiff, fake feel to the interview that could cost you the job. So as you practice, think about who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and what you’d like to accomplish on the job. You don’t need help to answer these questions if you answer them honestly, so do that and you’ll be fine. You know the basics of preparing for your interview, so it’s always good to learn about those tips that may be a bit more quirky but could still work. Considering the above tips is a great way to get a step ahead of the competition in your job interview.

Are you preparing for an executive interview and are seriously concerned that you won’t be ready when you sit across from the interviewer? Regardless of how many job interviews you’ve been involved with, some level of self doubt is common in the days before a major interview.

You’ve probably heard a ton of advice about ways to prepare for an interview, but just when you think you’ve heard it all, something jumps out that could actually work for you. The tips below are a good place to start if you think you’ve heard every job interview tip in the book–some of these suggestions may leave you scratching your head, but they’re all helpful interview tips.

 

Prepare in an Office Space

While preparing for your interview, it doesn’t hurt to do so in a space that reminds you of a serious, office environment. For instance, if you have an office in your home, it’s good to organize your thoughts in this space. While there’s fundamentally no harm in doing so in front of the TV or while you’re watching the kids play, it’s often easier to place yourself in an interviewing “zone” if you’re in a quiet area reminiscent of an interviewing location.

 

Rehearse in Front of a Mirror

Another quirky, yet helpful, preparation tip is to consider rehearsing in front of a mirror. You’ve likely gotten conversation perfected, but your body language is a major part of communication, so it will pay to look at the facial expressions, nervous tics, and other minor details that might disqualify you during an executive interview. When you’re trying to get a message across, it’s helpful to know how the way you sit, look around, and hold your arms and legs affects that message. Practice in front of the mirror helps you reign in your facial expressions and get rid of the nervous tics that might make an interviewer nervous or uncomfortable.

Talk in Front of Your Kids

A large aspect of interviewing at the executive level is being able to tell a good story about who you are and what you’ve accomplished while keeping the attention of everyone in the room. Children have terrible attention spans, which makes them good substitutes for executives–try telling your story with some minor modifications to compensate for the audience difference, and if school-aged kids begin to ignore you, you’ll know that you need to spend some more time on your delivery and word choice.

 

Don’t Rely On Your Resume

While you want to know what’s in your resume, executive biography and any other documents you’ve submitted, you don’t want the interviewer to feel as though you’re reading from them as you answer questions in your interview. Many interviewers will feel quite uncomfortable when the interview doesn’t feel genuine. So as you practice, think about who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and what you’d like to accomplish on the job. You’ll do perfectly fine in the interview if you remember to stay honest and think logically about what you’ve done and why you’re a good hire.

You know the basics of preparing for your interview, so it’s always good to learn about those tips that may be a bit more quirky but could still work. Using some of the above tips can help you gain a lot of traction in the interview, and get the job that you want.