What are your interviewing strategies? This is just like planning for the biggest game of the season and winning requires discipline and planning. Clients often say when they first come to us, “Just get me in front of the interviewer and I’ll take it from there.” Most executives feel that because they have negotiated deals or sold products this somehow makes them experts in interviewing at the executive level, eliminating their competition and securing a job offer.
The truth is, most people prepare for an interview with company background information and other materials, and then they go into the executive interview thinking they can answer questions. Unfortunately, they aren’t really ready to play the game.
Interviewing is NOT about interviewing. It IS about eliminating your competition. Very different interviewing strategies are required to accomplish this; far more is required than just company knowledge, answering questions in a straightforward manner, presenting a solid image, and applying all the other things you learned in Interviewing 101.
Interviewing is about control techniques that persuade the company to conclude that you are the right person for the job–the only person for the job. This leaves you as the last person standing. If you wind up number two, you lose. They don’t hire two of you for the same position. Your job is to be in a position to reject offers. Why? Multiple offers on the table place you in a position to negotiate. Control the interview and you control your future.
Call SC&C and let’s discuss how to improve your interview strategies and execute a successful executive job search.
