In the recent McCain/Palin interview with Katie Couric, the candidates referred to the interview as “gotcha journalism.” Job seekers often feel that the job interview process is a similar “gotcha” experience, full of potential land mines and trick questions. It isn’t. When a job seeker walks into an interview, they are a risk. The interviewer is trying to assess:
- Are you as good as your resume says you are?
- Do you have past experiences that have prepared you to carry out this new role successfully?
- How long will it take you to get up to speed and add value to the role/organization?
- Do you have any weaknesses or limitations that will be a liability in this position?
- Are you ethical, trustworthy, and loyal and do you have tangible proof of these traits?
The whole interview process is about developing rapport and credibility with the hiring authority and proving through accomplishment-focused, metrics-driven examples that you have the competencies and experience to be successful in the role. Whether you are applying for the role of sales person, CEO, or U.S. President/Vice President, the concerns are the same. Hiring managers cast their “vote” for the job applicant that does the best job of proving their abilities and fostering trust. Know your value proposition and your stories of success before you go into the interview and continuously showcase these stories of success to answer interview questions and inspire trust. Come prepared and you won’t feel like the interview was a “gotcha.”