Last week I wrote about networking lessons learned from my son, so I couldn’t go more than a few days without writing about my daughter and what lessons she has taught me that can be applied to a job search. My daughter is into performing; mostly singing and some acting. She has gone through what I consider to be some pretty grueling and stressful auditions for someone who is only 16 and it’s been fascinating to see how she prepares for these auditions from both a technical and a mental perspective. What I have noticed from watching her is that an audition is really very similar to the preparation one should go through for an interview.
- Research the culture of the company. Before the audition, my daughter does some research to better understand the genre of the show or group she will be auditioning for. This helps her select a song or monologue that is relevant to the people doing the casting. Before you go on an interview, you should research the company culture to figure out how your strengths play to the needs of that organization.
- Prove you are successful in the competencies that are critical to the job. Before an audition for a spot in a chorus or a play, my daughter tries to anticipate what the decision makers are looking for when they fill the spot. If she knows the music of a show calls for someone who can belt a high C or sing a three-part harmony, she selects a song that matches that competency and proves her ability to be successful in the role. Since most employers believe that past success is a good indicator of future performance, job seekers need to craft strong stories of past success that are related to the needs of the hiring authority in order to make decision makers feel confident that they are the right person for the position.
- Have an advisory board. My daughter seeks out the opinion of her voice teacher, chorus leader, trusted friends, and sometimes even her mom to help her make decisions about a song or monologe choice. She understands the value of tapping into the experience and knowledge of her network to help her make sound decisions. Create your own advisory board of trusted friends and colleagues to help you prepare for your big interview.
- Practice, practice, practice. Once she decides on the song or monologue, she practices to make sure she knows her lines or can hit all the right notes. She chunks the practice into daily sessions so she doesn’t become overwhelmed by the task at hand. Job seekers should practice what they are going to say before an interview. A great strategy is to write out potential interview questions on one side of an index card and write out the stories of success that best answer those questions on the reverse side of the card.
- Consult your network for clues about the job. If my daughter is auditioning for a chorus, she talks to people who are already in the group to better understand the expectations of the chorus including frequency of rehearsals and performances. She also unearths critical information about the group’s leader, group dynamics, and past performance successes and hurdles during these conversations. As a job seeker, you are likely to have a better interview if you know some key facts about the department or people you will be working with. Knowing this information helps you build rapport and credibility with the hiring authority.
- Scope out the competition. Knowing who you are competing against for a role or spot in a choir can really help you prepare your audition strategy. Their weakness may be your strength. In an interview, if you can identify the potential weaknesses in the other candidates, you can play these up as strengths during your interview conversations.
- Get comfortable with stepping outside your comfort zone. Often playing a role forces you to step outside your comfort role. In a recent role, my daughter played a pregnant woman-not something that she could easily relate to. But she knew that in order to be successful in the role, she would have to learn what it felt like to be a pregnant woman and make it look believable. Sometimes when people go on interviews, it is not comfortable. But through mental preparation, study, and practice this is another obstacle you will be able to overcome.
I think preparing for these auditions is a great life skill that will help my daughter as she prepares for college placement or her first job. What life experiences can you draw on to build a strong interview strategy? Perhaps you have run a marathon or done public speaking, or even started your own business in the past. Think about what you did in those situations to prepare and how those skills might relate to your interview strategy. By drawing similarities between interviewing and other life situations you may discover ways to improve your interview strategy and land the part.