A few days ago Frank wrote about the need to be prepared for an interview. It’s true. You do need to be prepared, perhaps now more than ever. Sure, there is a lot of competition out there for every job that is posted, but most importantly there is just so much literature on the matter that NOT being prepared is pretty much inexcusable.

Q: Tell me a bit about yourself.
A: uuuh, uuh, I don’t know.

See, it just doesn’t cut it, you KNOW they’re going to ask these questions, so you need to have an answer prepared.

GONE IN 60 SECONDS

So, how to do it? Well, a book I always recommend for is 60 Seconds and your Hired. I swear by this book and recommend it to anyone willing to listen, from administrative support staff to CEOs.
For those that haven’t read it, here’s a quick summation on how to get yourself ready for an interview:

Step 1: Get a paper and pen.

Step 2: Write down 5 adjectives (strengths) that best describe you.

Step 3: Think of an example from your career that demonstrates each one of these strengths, and write them down.

Step 4: Put all 5 of these examples down into 1 short, 60 second story about yourself. Don’t make it sound like a shopping list. It has to sound like a story about yourself, peppered with 5 keywords that an interviewer can write down.

Step 5: Practice, practice, practice.

Oh, now that you’ve practiced it…trim off all the excess fat from the story, and condense it to 1 minute. I know this sounds tough…but, it’s essential, and non-negotiable. 5 adjectives/examples x 12 seconds each = 60 seconds.

LAUGHING IN 60 SECONDS

Once this is done, you are laughing. All answers to the most important interview questions can then be answered using any combination of your stories above.

Q: Tell me about yourself
A: 60 Second pitch.

Q: Tell me your 3 greatest strengths.
A: Pick 3 of the above, and elaborate on the experience for each.

Q: 3 Weaknesses.
A: Pick 3 of your weaknesses, and discuss how you MADE them into strengths using the experiences that you wrote down, in the above exercise.
There is much more to the book then what I have mentioned, but these were the key points. This is what I use to prepare for interviews and what I recommend to candidates to use.

What do you use?