If you have the capital to fund a successful entrepreneurial venture, then I say do it. Likewise if you find a good high commission sales job then again, I say do it. But what about the rest of us? The rest of us who have to work the 9-5 corporate environment and want to succeed there. You want to get as much money as we can out of the corporate matrix. Perhaps to fund another business, perhaps to fund a life, perhaps to fund something else.
If corporations have one thing, it’s money. Sure there’s also plenty of backstabbing, cronyism, black mailing, of course politicking, and a whole host of other unsavory things. But there is also money. And like the famous bank robber, we want to go where the money is. And corporations have it. Which means we have to understand the world of the corporation and how to succeed there.
We have to understand human resources, what factors influence corporate decision making, and much more. There are many good resources out there on this. For starters I recommend Donald Asher (he remind me of Dan Kennedy but for corporate types) he has good books on the bare bones basics and then Cynthia Shapiro, a former HR exec, also has some good material to get you started.
But let’s talk about one of the most fundamental aspects of climbing the career ladder.
And that is acing the interview.
Please understand that interviewing is not something that is one and done. To move up in you company you’ll likely have to interview again and you’ll have plenty of “interviews” that are just conversations but just as much is on the line. You’ll use the skills you learn in mastering interviews to not only get a job but also to keep a job and get promoted in said job.
So let’s dig into how to ace an interview.
The Bare Bones Basics
Looks matter.
More than you think.
Especially when making a first impression. You have to have the basics covered. The way one person said it to me is that “It’s much better to have to take the suit jacket off than to have to be told you needed to have one on.” meaning that it’s better to be overdressed and prepared than it is to be underdress or prepare. Let’s dive into this a little bit.
Before getting to know you people are going to judge you based on a few things. How you hold yourself, whether you smile or don’t, what you wear, and how much eye contact that you make. To give someone a good impression. You should dress nice and conservatively. You should give a good firm handshake while looking the interviewer in the eye.
You should smile when interviewing and should probably address the interviewer by name if at least once, if appropriate. You should be confident but not cocky. And you should have run through a number of practice interviews before this point, even if it was just you and the mirror.
Also make sure you’re there early. Be in the parking lot at least 15 minutes before and be at the interview room 5-10 minutes beforehand. On time is late. Late is never getting the job. Early is one time.
Remember that.
Also you need to have stories that highlight the skills that you have THAT THE JOB ALSO REQUIRES.
Read the job description and match your stories to highlight skills that are highlighted in the job description.
But let’s dive deeper.
Who Always Gets The Job
Well no one always gets the job. There’s probably some very angry heir out there who didn’t get the job at daddy’s company and is still wondering why. So if blood relation isn’t enough to always land the job then understand nothing is. But there is something close and that thing is rapport and being like the person interviewing. Allow me to expand.
People want to hire people who are like them. Who they know, like, and trust. Aside from what we covered above there is another thing you can do to build rapport with the interviewer so that they like you more. And that is mirror them. Adjust to how they are. I’m not saying be a weird mime who copies everyone of their little movements. But match the cadence of their voice to an extent, how they sit or stand to an extent, find commonalities with them without trying to hard.
Things of that nature. This is another place where dressing up comes in handy. They want to offer the job to someone who is similar to them. So mirroring them in a non weird way is a great way to do this. If they’re bubbly and excited and you’re super slow and speak in monotone then liven it up a little. Likewise if you’re a firecracker and they’re like the guy from Bueller’s day off then slow it down some.
It’s not rocket science but understanding it can make a huge difference in whether you get the job or not.
Be A Story Teller
Or really a short story teller. Have stories that show case your skills prepared. I know many use the STAR method. Just look up STAR interview to find plenty of that. But really you just need to have stories that showcase the skills that you have that the job requires. And stories require a beginning, middle, and end. Don’t spend too much time on them. keep them to 60 seconds or less otherwise you’re going to bore the interviewer. Have a few certain traits you want to make sure the interviewer knows you possess.
Say,
Professionalism.
Customer Service Focus.
Sales Skills.
Or whatever. Have at least a few stories that are going to highlight each of the above qualities and make sure that they interviewer knows you possess these skills at the end of the interview. Practice telling them to the mirror, a friend, or a significant other. Work through them in your head. Have mock interviews while you’re driving somewhere, even if you’re driving to the interview itself. The more you can get “reps” in your head, the better off that you’ll be.
It’s A Skill
Don’t expect to nail your first interview. It takes time. You don’t have to be perfect. And remember the interviewer is just a person, just like me and you. I’ve been on both sides of the desk before and I’ve had doubts and worried about how I was coming across on both sides. And never ever take anything person. It really is just business. There are a million reasons why you might get or not get a job. So don’t drive yourself crazy if the first one doesn’t work out. You got valuable experience. Valuable experience that you can leverage into another job later.
I hope this helps.
Thanks for reading.
If anything I said here interests you I’d highly recommend you check out The Ultimate Alpha Collection which is a compilation of 16 of my books for the price of 5. It covers everything from being a man to making money to getting the right mindset to getting girls to fighting and more and is a resource no man should be without. Pick up your copy today!
-Charles Sledge
