“How would I describe myself?
Three words: hard working, alpha male, jackhammer … merciless … insatiable“
(Dwight K. Schrute)
You have already applied for a job and listened to my advice on the do’s and do not’s of applying for jobs but now it is time for the dreaded interview. The modern day version of the Spanish Inquisition. What will make you stand out? What will differentiate you from everyone else. Here are some ways that you can gain an edge over your competition.
In my career, I have been on 13 interviews for coaching positions at four-year institutions. Of those 13 interviews, I have been blessed to have 10 job offers. Through my personal experience, as well as being a member of several search committees, here are 11 tips that will GUARANTEE YOU A JOB!!!
No, not really. I wish it were that simple. Seriously though, I can offer you one guarantee, however . . .
They can vary in the number of people on a committee, the room setup, the questions asked, and how those questions are asked. Since job interviews are different from place to place, it’s important to have a strong grasp on some concepts and strategies that can be beneficial no matter what you encounter behind closed doors.
Here are 11 ways you can gain an advantage in your next job interview …
- Research
- Do a practice interview
- Be positive
- Don’t lose the interview
- Sell yourself using stories
- Have talking points
- Know why you’re the right fit for this special job
- Take responsibility for your actions and results
- Communicate effectively
- Ask the right questions
- Send personalized thank you notes
There’s tremendous competition for jobs and most of the other candidates will be good. You want to be either better or different (in a good way) than the other candidates. These 11 strategies may give you the edge you need over the other candidates.
So, why 11 tips? Well, if ten is normal, then we want to be better than normal. We want to do a little extra. Always be thinking how you can be better or be different.
Research
Seriously…do your homework! If this job is important to you then act like it. Find out as much as possible about the people that’ll be making the hiring decisions. Use your contacts. Talk to people who know people. Do more than just look at the first page of Google to find information.
Even if you know three or four key things about the interview committee, you still might not be able to use that information because you can’t always control an interview. However, having a detailed scouting report is never a bad thing. The more you know, the more likely you’ll be able to work some of that into the interview.
Do a practice interview
This might sound a little corny or you might not have the time to do one, but it’s well worth it. You need to be committed to doing all within your power to be prepared for your interview. Getting feedback from another person can be crucial. It can lead you to discover some blind spots or weaknesses in your answers. If you record the mock interview, you might not like the way some of your stories or answers sounded and so you can improve them.
You’re not always going to know the questions that will be asked but you’ll know the topics. Tackle a broad-based question and practice shaping the narrative. Answer the question in a way that makes you look good and highlights who you are. You don’t know exactly how they’ll word a question about academics, discipline, or your relationship with athletes but you know they’ll ask something about that. Figure out your best answer and chances are you’ll be able to use that answer for whatever question they ask on the subject.
Be positive
You don’t need show up with pom-poms and a Kool-Aid smile, but you do need to present the image that you see the best in situations. You need to demonstrate that you’ll always be part of the solution, as opposed to part of the problem. You want to show them that challenges and setbacks are not the end of the world, they’re just opportunities.
Above all else, don’t criticize or talk badly about people, which includes bad bosses, colleagues, or athletes you’ve had. Do not give the interview committee anything negative that can stand out in their mind. This includes the question, “What would you say is your biggest weakness?”. Don’t give them anything negative to remember you by. Keep it positive. Even that dreaded weakness question can be turned into a positive. Talk about something you’ve struggled with and how you aren’t perfect yet but here are a few ways you’ve improved in this area over the years.
Don’t lose the interview
This seems obvious, but you don’t want to eliminate yourself early before you have a chance to show them why you are the best candidate. Remember, first impressions matter. Little things matter. Losing an interview could be anything from being too over-the-top and risky to being too conservative. Either extreme could hurt you.
There are so many things that could fall into this category. Being late, not looking people in the eye, being too arrogant, being too laid back, asking about salary or vacation time, not turning your cell phone off (even on vibrate), chewing gum, not using appropriate names/title, and bad posture, are just a few examples of things that can lose an interview for you.
In today’s competitive job market, why give them any excuse to eliminate you? The main exception to this would be if you are a clear underdog for the position. If this is the case, then you may need to really stand out and take a risk.
Sell yourself using stories
Using stories make you seem more real and increases your chances of connecting with your audience. And, make no mistake, the interview committee is your audience. More people watch movies and read books in their spare time rather than pouring over databases and reading a list of facts. People like stories. People like to be entertained. Facts tell but stories sell. You want the interview committee to buy what you’re selling so give them something they want. They want real examples of why you’re the right fit, not just theory or listing of facts.
When you share a story of the time you helped one of your athletes go from academic probation to the honor roll, that will be more memorable then just telling them you care about academics. Recalling a story of helping an athlete reach their goal of becoming all-conference in large part because you met them at the gym each morning means more than just handing the committee a workout plan you use with your athletes.
Stories help them see something they might not have seen with just facts, figures, empty words, or a resume. Instead of telling them what you would do in a certain situation, share with them what you did. Prepare a list of stories that you can call upon depending on the question asked. Make sure that the stories are clear and concise with a strong point benefiting your case for getting the job.
Stories also apply to the question of “Tell me a little bit about yourself”. Don’t regurgitate your resume. Instead, share a story that let’s them behind the curtain. Your answer to this question should be all about connecting. If they ask this at the start of the interview, your answer should be compelling and set up the rest of the interview. You provide your talking points (the reasons you’re right for the job) in story form. Instead of telling them all you ever wanted to do was coach or that you want to make a difference in the lives of your athletes, you share a story of what a coach did for you and how that had a lasting impact on your life.
Have talking points
There’s a reason that political strategists develop talking points for their candidates. If you watch the news, you’ll often hear the same things over and over again. That’s because they stick out in the viewer’s mind. You need to decide what the three to five main things you want the interview committee to remember about why you’re the right person for the job.
If you’ve ever watched a political debate or a courtroom trial, the politicians and lawyers always try to bring the topic back around to what they want to talk about. It’s not that they totally avoid answering a question, but every answer seems to come back around to the main points they want to emphasize. Be wise but find a way to reinforce your strongest points repetitively and subtly.
There’s a reason you made it to the interview process. There’s something that someone likes about you or is intrigued by. If possible, find out what that is and then use that to your advantage, as well. When you leave that room, what do you want them to remember about you?
Know why you’re the right fit for this special job
The legendary football coach, Lou Holtz, liked to say, “Make the big time where you are at.” Whether or not this job is big time or not, you need to believe that it is. Once you believe that, then you need to be able to articulate that belief. At first, it might just be one of many jobs you applied for but during your research, you’ll need to discover why this is a special job. Then present this discovery in the interview.
Not only are you going to fall in love with this job, but you’re going to articulate why you are the right fit and the person to take the reins. Be careful that you don’t go too overboard as you don’t want to sound insincere or pompous. If you have done your homework and really convince yourself of the special characteristics of this job, you should have just the right enthusiasm that’ll be refreshing.
You’ll want to build as much of your answers around the potential you see for the job or the greatness the job has, while clearly articulating how your strengths correlate with those feelings. You need to be able to communicate why you’re the right person for this job. This isn’t something that is memorized, rather it’s something that’s internalized. Know yourself well enough to know why your strengths are perfect for this job.
Take responsibility for your actions and results
If you’ve had something negative in the past that was public or can be easily discovered, be prepared to answer questions about that topic. Not only must you learn from the past, but you must embrace it and own it. Take responsibility for what happened.
If you were fired or made mistakes in the past, take full responsibility for them. Don’t blame others, make excuses, or be dishonest about what happened. Most people on an interview committee can appreciate someone owning their actions, learning from the past and overcoming challenges in their lives.
Also, don’t ramble on. If you know a difficult topic will come up, be prepared to be clear, concise, and to the point, while also highlighting the key items you want them to take away from that situation. This’ll typically be an outline of how you’re a better coach and leader today because of what you learned from that challenge.
Communicate effectively
Obviously during the interview, it’s important to come across as someone that gets along with others and can articulate themselves clearly. Don’t ramble on or try to use big words. Be real and genuine. Be personable. Hopefully you’re already a good communicator, but if not, take some classes, read some articles, watch some videos, or practice.
If you can, get the interviewer talking and listen to what they have to say. Learn to listen and listen to learn. This can help you know what you should or shouldn’t say. Develop a good rapport with the interviewer. They should feel comfortable talking with you. If possible, tell a few stories that are short and to the point, which illustrate why you’re the right fit.
This is also how doing some practice interviews can help you out because your partner can tell you whether or not you should attempt to tell a certain story or where you need to tighten something up in your answers. Real life illustrations are much better than speaking in generalities. But, you lose that advantage if you ramble or it takes too long to get to your point.
Finally use the appropriate names/titles of the people in that interview room. Look them in the eyes. Talk with them. If you know something about them that’s relevant, bring it up. If the question is about overcoming challenges and you know the basketball coach on the interview committee had a winning record despite losing three starters to injury, then talk about that. Make it personal to the people in that room. Bring them into your stories or answers and you’ll be more memorable.
Ask the right questions
You’ve made it to the end of the interview by articulating your talking points and reinforcing why you’re the right person for the job and then they ask you one last question, “So, do you have any questions for us?” Ughhh, the dreaded question about questions. This can sometimes be tricky. Interviews can be a two-way street. It’s not just about the school finding out if you’re right for the job but also you finding out if the school is a good fit for you.
If you’re offered the job, you need to know whether or not you’d want to accept the offer. Additionally, there are no trivial matters when it comes to an interview. It might be your turn to ask them a question but they’re still evaluating you. Depending upon the question(s) you ask, it could go a long way in making you more attractive for the position, or even turning them off. The question(s) you ask at the end should be strategic. Keep in mind that every job is different so there are not necessarily perfect questions for all situations.
However, some general principles include …
- Keep questions to a minimum (quality over quantity). The interview is not the only time you can find out information to help you make a decision later on. Use your interview questions to impress.
- Make sure it’s the appropriate time or place for the question. This is where wisdom comes in. Some questions are better asked later or to somebody not on the interview committee.
- Don’t judge or state an opinion in your question. Make it seem as innocent as possible.
- Show that you know something about the organization or people through your question.
- Get to the point with your question.
Here are some of my favorite questions to ask at the end of an interview…
- “Was there anything that I said today that you need further clarification on?”
- “Was there anything that I didn’t address that you would like me to talk about?”
- “From your perspective, what do you see as the greatest opportunities for the school or athletic department in the next few years?”
- “What do you like best about working here?”
Asking the right question(s) can really be a positive tool in your interviewing tool belt. It’s a way to stand out (in a good way).
Send personalized thank you notes
You can almost always get a thank you note in the mail that same day. It just takes a little more conscious effort. If you fly to the interview, you almost always have down time waiting for your flight. If you drove to the interview, take some time to write them before you leave town. Personalized means personalized. You don’t have to be over the top in a stalker sort of way. You don’t need to mention how their smile melted your heart or that you really enjoyed the scent of their perfume. However, if you really pay attention during the interview process (even if it is a committee), you should be able to remember something that’s relevant. Even if the decision will be made quickly, you can still send a note. If you don’t get the job, the gesture may still stand out in someone’s mind and that someone may be at a different school one day when they have a job opening that you happen to apply for.
In addition to a physical note, send a short email after your interview. You’ll want to thank the person but then say something to the effect of “Since you’re a teacher, you care about the way coaches work with their athletes when it comes to academics. Here’s the email addresses for two teachers I’ve worked with in the past that weren’t on my reference list. Feel free to reach out to them if you want to learn more about me when it comes to academics.” This stands out as more than just a typically one-line thank you email, and it also can potentially provide more relevant information that could help you.
Create your future now
Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to predict your future is to create it.” In other words, if you want to be great in a future interview then create a great candidate. The best resume for your next job is to be awesome at your current job.
Back when you were in school, cramming for tests was not the optimal strategy. You probably did better on tests when you stayed current on the material and prepared all semester for the final exam rather than trying to learn weeks and weeks’ worth of material into your brain in just a day or two. It’s the same with a job interview.
Once you receive the news that you have an interview, you’ll begin preparing for that specific job and any particular dynamics that might be different with that job. However, the bulk of your preparation should have already been done. Who you are will naturally come out during an interview. If you want to come across as a hard worker, then work hard the previous 12 months. If you want to be perceived as a strong leader, then lead positively every day as a coach whether you have an interview or not.
Be the coach now, that you want to be in a future interview. Be a great coach now and you’ll be a great job candidate later.