Even if this question isn’t specifically asked in the interview, it will be the elephant in the room. With this in mind, what do you need to consider when answering the question “where do you see yourself in five years’ time?”
Hybrid working has placed increasing demands on organisations; changing how we collaborate with colleagues and blurring the boundaries between work and home.
More than ever, employers are placing a premium on emotional intelligence in their selection process to ensure their teams have the inbuilt flexibility required to weather any unexpected storms, yet remain on course.
With this in mind, what are the three top qualities employers look for?
“One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested.” E M Forster, novelist.
Passion is a powerful force which allows us to perform at our best and achieve what we never thought was possible. It’s no wonder employers look for it in interviews.
In my career as an executive coach, I’ve found that many of my clients struggle to show this side of their personality. Yet tapping into your energy flow is really important, as it builds a strong rapport with the hiring manager and influences key decisions in your favour.
I’ve outlined below three approaches that will help you communicate your enthusiasm in a way that feels natural to you.
Many of my clients feel uneasy expressing themselves in a passionate way. If you’re a naturally soft spoken person with a low key style, telling impactful stories about the value you’ve added in previous roles can provide an alternative path to hook your audience.
If you’re still uncomfortable talking about your strengths, try instead highlighting what you love about your job. So for example instead of saying you’ve strong leadership skills, you could say that you really enjoy leading teams and getting the best out of people. You could then go on to give an example of where you led a team through a reorganisation, overcame significant resistance, kept a high team morale and increased productivity through upskilling and coaching.
By explaining why you’re interested in working for a particular company, you’ll create a connection with the hiring manager. Explaining how your values align and why you’d love to be part of what they do is powerful. For example a client of mine was going for a management position in a homeless charity. By talking about the voluntary work they’d done in the sector, they showed a deep knowledge of the environment and how close it was to their heart. Likewise, a client going for a Head of Finance role in a gaming company familiarised themselves with their products. By playing the games they demonstrated both their love of the product and the level of their commitment to the role.
As part of the coaching process, I give my clients feedback on how their answers land on me. I often observe that they’re talking at me, not engaging with me.
It’s easy to fall into this trap. By over rehearsing, you risk going on autopilot. How can you avoid this? By staying in the moment. Modulating your tone of voice, bringing energy into your body, your facial features and allowing a level of spontaneity.
To help clients get into this zone, I ask them to tell me about the best holiday they’ve recently been on. Immediately they light up, smile, speak with enthusiasm, sit up straighter and start to exude energy. By doing this they effortlessly make an immediate connection with me. If you can replicate this presence in an interview, you’ll build a strong rapport and emotional connection with the interview panel.
It’s important to bring passion into an interview in a way that feels authentic to you. If these techniques feel strange to you at first, don’t panic. Bear in mind, that when your leave your comfort zone, it’s normal to feel awkward. This doesn’t mean that you’re not being true to yourself. You’re simply exploring a different version of yourself which will take time to settle into.
Laura is a qualified executive coach, EMCC Certified with over 20 years’ experience in executive search and recruitment. She’s the owner of Interview Techniques, a leading provider of interview and career coaching services. For a consultation, please call 087 669 1192 or go to www.interviewtechniques.ie.
Anxiety and fear of interviews is a common problem. As a business coach, I have worked with clients whose fear has crippled their career development and earning potential. My clients are very capable and know their anxiety is irrational but sometimes that’s not enough. It takes time and effort to understand and overcome such emotions but all is possible with the right help.
In a world where extrovert qualities are extolled, and society rewards those who are gregarious, dominant and comfortable in the spotlight; how can those of a quieter, more reflective disposition make an impact in interview and secure their career advancement.
Whilst it is impossible to anticipate all the questions that might be asked in interview, you should however prepare for the most common ones that professional interviewers tend to rely on. I have outlined below the ten most popular interview questions and given some guidelines on how to best answer them.
This is a hugely popular interview question and at first glance looks little more than an “ice breaker”. In reality it’s probably one of the more challenging questions asked as it’s not immediately obvious what the interviewer is looking for. What do you focus on – your professional or personal life? How much detail should you give? How long should your answer be?
Although it is impossible to anticipate every interview question– being asked to describe your strengths is an old favourite and should be prepared for. As part of the recruitment process, employers will already have identified the essential qualities required in a prospective employee and by showing that your strengths compliment the job requirements, you will immediately stand out from the crowd.
Pictures speak louder than words…………………This is particularly true in an interview situation where body language plays a significant factor in determining whether an employer sees you as a trustworthy, confident, capable individual who has a future with their company. Interestingly, research has shown that words by themselves account for only 7% of the impact of your message, a hefty 38% of the message is transmitted by tone of voice and the remaining 55% is communicated by body language.
As most of us have no idea how we are perceived by other people we underestimate the significance of non verbal forms of communication and how it can lessen the impact on what we are saying. I have highlighted below, the four most common pitfalls for interviewees. By modifying your behaviour in these areas, you will dramatically increase your interview performance and your ability to influence the final outcome.
Once an employer is satisfied that you can do the job, they will focus their attention on your communication skills. Specifically they’ll want to know how you’ll interact with colleagues/ senior management /customers, how skilled you are at resolving conflict and how adept you are in the art of negotiation. By anticipating questions that will be asked, you can prepare examples that show your competency in these areas and prove that you are a great fit for the role.
Take Control of Your Future & Unlock Your Full Potential. I work with clients face-to-face and on skype or zoom.
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