Editors’ Note: We hope you enjoy this three-part series from Sharon Kropf. This is part-two in our three-part series on Job Search to New Job. Last time we looked at evaluating your work life priorities and shared some tools for preparing for the job hunt along with a reminder to not only leverage social media but to make sure prior postings reflect professional comments and content. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THIS SERIES

Part II focuses on preparing you for the interview to maximize your success. Many candidates are unprepared for what can be a predictable and typical panel interview. So, here are some secrets to Prepare! Prepare! And Prepare!

Step 4 – Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Congratulations, you got an interview! Take a deep breath; it is not complicated; however, an interview is not where you want to go in unprepared and “wing it.” Be organized and start prepping as soon as possible. Your interview goal is clarity on how you meet the job requirements and how you are a good fit for the organization.

Ask Early Questions 

If you didn’t get interview details when scheduling the interview, contact HR to gather more information.

• What is the interview format? A panel, one-on-one, etc. If you are interviewing with a government agency, it will most likely be a panel interview.
• Who will be in the interview? (name, department, job title, etc.)
• What is the excepted length of the interview?

Analyze the Job Announcement

A government job posting is usually like the organization’s job classification and performance criteria. The interview basis can start from the job announcement, so read it thoroughly. Write down specific job experiences that show your ability to carry out the responsibilities listed in the announcement. Be prepared to describe these experiences in an interview.

Develop your Story Board

Using your job announcement notes, create a detailed and performance-oriented storyboard highlighting at least five specific work challenges, your actions, and the results. Relate these stories to the experience and skills in the job announcement. Employers will be interested in how you added value to your position by:

• Achieving Cost-savings?
• Enhancing morale?
• Time-savings?
• Quality improvement?
• Process improvement?
• Create/Design or invent a process/product?
• Excel under pressure?
• Beat a deadline?
• Handle an emergency?
• Solve, provide crucial support, or lead the efforts to solve a significant problem?

Practice out loud telling these stories. You want to be comfortable describing your successes and don’t forget to include “team” and “we” when the effort was collaborative. Interviews are a time when “bragging” is a good thing!

Create your own 30 second Personal Summary (i.e., your Elevator Pitch)

Interviews are the time to highlight your skills and set yourself apart from other candidates. Your summary will answer the “tell me about yourself” or “why should we hire you” questions asked in interviews and make it easy for the interviewer to recognize you are a perfect fit for the job. You should prepare and memorize a short monologue tailored to the job. Make sure your speech is interesting, your voice has inflection, and you show enthusiasm. The speech should include:

• Why do you want to work for their organization (mentioning their mission statement, values, etc. also shows you researched the organization)?
• Why your specific skills and experiences are perfect for the job, use elements from your five examples to tie everything together.
• Highlight your soft skills (collaboration, adaptability, time management, common sense, communication, leadership, etc.)

Research the Organization

An organization’s website and social media accounts give a broad understanding of what it does, its mission/values, who is in charge, and current happenings. Government agencies, because of transparency laws will publish council/board meetings, budget/financial reports, strategic plans, employee salary, classifications, etc. which provide valuable data for you to review.

Employer websites will focus on the positive, so be sure to broaden your internet research. Assess the amount of good press vs. bad press. A large amount of bad news may suggest when an organization is in trouble. Leaving a stable job for a rocky situation may not be the best move.
Once you have done your online research, see if you know anyone who currently works at the organization or has worked for them in the past (LinkedIn is a great resource). Set-up a fifteen-minute meeting (in-person or on the phone) to talk with the person. Ask questions about their experiences with the organization.]

Prepare Your Own Questions for Them

Information gathered on the organization will help you develop questions to ask at the end of your interview. Asking well- thought out questions show that you did your homework, are interested in the organization, and it also leaves a good impression with the interviewer(s). Consider asking questions about:

• What is their organizational “North Star” and philosophy?
• What is their culture like?
• Are there any expected retirements or changes in their leadership team?
• What does the panel believe are the biggest opportunities or challenges the agency will face?

Do not ask questions regarding job advancement, salary, benefits, and other human resources (HR) matters. Most panelists won’t have any of those answer. Instead, ask these questions outside the interview and between yourself and HR or the recruiter.

Step 5 – Be Physically & Mentally Ready for the Interview

An Interview is your one chance to make an impression and showcase your talents.

• Dress appropriately (better to be over-dressed than appear in jeans and find everyone wearing suits). You can also ask HR about the organization’s dress code before your interview.
• Arrive 15 minutes before the interview. If you are too early, then wait in your car or grab a snack.
• Make sure your cell phone is OFF.
• Shake hands and make eye contact with all interviewers. Try to remember their names.
• Sit up straight, lean slightly forward, and smile. Watch your body language and don’t cross your arms, fidget, roll-eyes, etc.
• Be concise, but make sure you answer the question entirely and, if appropriate, give specific examples relating to your experience. For instance, if the question is on your experience using financial software, describe your experience and follow-up with how you used software to provide data analytics to executive management resulting in a change of process that resulted in cost savings.
• Be prepared to “think on your feet.” Employers want to test your reasoning and interpersonal skills and may ask strange questions to see how you react at the moment. Example: If you could be a candy, what type would you be and why? What part of a bicycle would you be, and why?
• Emphasizing interpersonal skills make you a more attractive job candidate. Being articulate, great communicator, team player, and have strong business acumen will make you stand out.
• You may know the interviewers, and they may know your skillset. Remember, they may only be able to rank you on your answers to their questions. Do not leave out information because you think they already know what you can do. It could cost you points and the job!
• Remember to ask questions at the end. The position must be a fit for you as well as the organization.

CSMFO has heard the stories from members like you, from how so many candidates are NOT prepared and perform poorly during the interview process to candidates being unsure how to take the next step. The end result is that the positions remain unfilled and the hiring process starts over with the hope the end result will turn out differently. We have all heard the quote: “Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results”.

If you want different results than what you’re getting in the job search process, you have to try different approaches. The things you did yesterday have brought you to the life you have today. If you want something different, you have to do something different today to create a different life tomorrow.

We asked someone who has spent their career helping others prepare and find their ideal job. So we hope you enjoy this three-part series.