Preparing For Interviews & Developing Your Video Resume

 

Interviewing for a new job can be a nerve-wracking process, bringing up old anxieties and insecurities. Like any kind of public performance, however, your interview skills can be honed and sharpened through rigorous preparation and practice. 

 

Know The Company

Do your research prior to accepting an interview. You need to make sure you have a strong understanding of the company, its history, leadership, and recent announcements. Most importantly, make sure you fully understand the culture. You have to match the tone of the organization you’re trying to join. Interviewing for a job at a startup is not the same as interviewing at IBM. A solid understanding of the culture will help you prepare everything from the language you use, the questions you practice, and the clothes you wear.

Know The Position

Just as important as knowing the company is knowing the position. Don’t make the mistake of wandering into the interview as a jack-of-all-trades. Make sure you’ve tailored your responses for the position at hand, and do everything in your power to present yourself as the most qualified individual for the position.

 

Manage Your Expectations

The key to acing an interview with confidence is managing your expectations. Don’t come across as overly desperate or eager. You want the interviewer to view you as prepared, cool, calm, and collected.

 

Prepare For Common Questions

Unless you’re dealing with a master interviewer, there’s a good chance you’re going to be asked any number of standard interview questions. Research these questions and try to come up with well-prepared and unique responses. There’s no excuse to fumble around when you’re lobbed a softball question, so be ready.

 

Practice Your Anecdotes 

 

When you answer questions, interviewers want to hear you use specific anecdotes that highlight your experience, thought process, and personality. Make sure you have quick, well-rehearsed, and detailed answers to the following topics.

 

  • Accomplishments you’re proud of
  • Mistakes you’ve made
  • Handled a difficult situation
  • Went above and beyond the call of duty
  • Disagreed with your boss
  • Leadership experiences

 

Emphasize Your Achievements At Past Jobs

 

Answering interview questions can be tricky because there’s a fine line between emphasizing your achievements and bragging. You don’t want to come across as being pompous or arrogant, but you do want to make sure your interviewer understands the good work you’ve done throughout your career. Make sure you tie any claims to specifics and deliver the information with humility and grace.

 

Blend Your Mission Statement And Value Proposition

 

Most candidates focus interviews around proving their unique value proposition. That is helpful, but it’s only half of the equation. In order to become a truly compelling candidate, you need to blend your value proposition for the firm with your personal mission statement.

 

Creating a personal mission and vision statement makes it easier to navigate industries and positions on your search while staying true to your goals. You should avoid thinking that mission and vision statements are silly or just fluff. In reality, they’re the single most important part of your job search.

You cannot hope to find your mission in life if you don’t know what really matters to you. Working through the process to identify your vision can help you better understand yourself and your opportunities.

 

Blending value and mission together can go a long way in helping interviewers understand not only that you’re capable of doing the job at hand, but also that in doing so, you’ll be personally invested in the outcomes. Remember, people don’t buy what you do…they buy why you do it.

 

Practice Mindfulness

 

Interviews are stressful and it is only natural for people to feel nervous when going them. However, anxiety is often a candidate’s worst enemy, leading them to stumble through interviews and preventing them from allowing their true strengths and personality to shine through.

 

According to career coach Rachel Kable, there are three techniques you can use to control your anxiety when going into an interview.

 

“1. Breathing Waltz

This is a simple breathing technique that is easy to remember (and use!) during times of stress. Simply inhale for three counts, hold for three counts and exhale for three counts. Repeat as many times as you like!

 

  1. Explore Your Senses

A powerful way to bring yourself into the present moment is to consciously pay attention to your senses. Challenge yourself to find ten different colors, or hear five different sounds, or notice how the ground feels underneath your feet. You can create as many little challenges for yourself as you like!

 

  1. Body Scan

You can find plenty of guided body scans online or in meditation apps if you would like a little extra guidance for this practice! Essentially, this practice involves paying attention to each different part of your body, from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. If you notice any areas of tension, focus on gently releasing and letting go of that tension.”

 

In the end, practicing mindfulness ahead of beginning your interview process can help you calm down, think clearly, and communicate with passion.

 

Select Appropriate Clothes That Fit Well And Inspire Confidence

The old proverb “clothes make the man” holds true in these modern days. This isn’t meant to be materialistic. If you’re comfortable in your own skin and are wearing clothes that are professional, well-fitting, and clean, you’re simply going to feel more confident in the interview. Make sure you try on your outfits well in advance of your interview and get them altered if necessary. Don’t wait until the very last minute and then show up in a suit two sizes too small. You won’t be confident or comfortable, and it will show through in your interview.

 

Create A Video Resume

 

A video resume can be a fantastic secret weapon of sorts that many job seekers tend to overlook. Video resumes help you practice your interview skills and assess your own performance. They can also help you stand out in a very crowded and competitive marketplace.

There are eight key tips you should consider when developing your video resume.

  1. Do a practice run with sample interview questions

Start out by filming yourself answering some of the common interview questions outlined earlier in this section. Then, watch the playback in detail, paying special attention to your facial expressions, phrasing, and general level of on-camera comfort. This will help you get used to being on camera and also allow you to test out various lighting options, backgrounds, and clothes. Pay special attention to sound quality as well. You can nail the video aspect, but if you have lousy audio, you’ll still end up with a sub-par product.

  1. Take it seriously and treat it like a regular interview

This is key. Avoid the temptation to make a generic, one-size-fits-all video resume and blast it out to every company on Indeed.com. This approach will backfire and give the appearance that you’re taking a quantity over quality approach. Instead, you need to treat the video like any other in-person interview. Do your homework, research the company, and craft responses tailor-made for the position you’re seeking.

  1. Be yourself…

According to Vault.com, “Don’t let technology get in the way of letting your personality come through. In a physical interview, you would engage in small talk, converse casually, and allow the interviewer to get to know you as a person. People hire people they like as well as those that have the required skills—so focus on having the interviewer like you and not be distracted by the technology.”

  1. …But don’t get too comfortable.

Video interviews lend themselves to the temptation to be kitschy. People think they’re going to “go viral,” but they really just end up looking silly. Make sure you film in a professional setting and look the part. The end result should be something you’re proud of.

  1. Remember, people can see the background.

Don’t be that person who has something embarrassing or chaotic happening in the background during your video interview. Make sure you have a professional, non-distracting backdrop behind you at all times.

  1. Wear solid colors.

Patterned clothes don’t show up well on video, often coming across as confusing, distracting, and downright ugly. Wear solids and don’t get too crazy. Remember, professionalism is key.

  1. Use careful language.

Expect your video to be shared far and wide. It will be replayed and analyzed by a number of people, so avoid excess “ums” and other verbal tics. Most importantly, use very careful language. Don’t say anything that could be problematic, especially if taken out of context. Listen to your responses carefully after filming and avoid any problematic phrases before sharing.

  1. 8. Don’t read from notes.

Unless you have a teleprompter at your disposal, plan on memorizing your script. Few things look as unprofessional as reading from notes during an interview. Be relaxed, prepared, and look into the camera when you speak, just as you’d look your interviewer in the eye when you answer.

 

The Key Takeaway

The secret to interviewing is that there is no secret at all. Acing the interview is simply a function of being prepared, relaxed, and confident. Very few people are naturally great interview subjects. For most of us, developing the skills necessary to impress interviewers takes practice. These suggestions can help you prepare as much as possible.

My suggestion is to take what you’ve learned during these practice sessions and then use the knowledge to create a video interview. From there, you can have your friends and family help critique your performance. Better to make mistakes in practice than during the “big game.”