Securing the Role: Advanced Interview Tactics from Margaret Buj

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In today’s competitive job market, excelling in interviews is a significant challenge that many face. This issue is often compounded by the difficulty in decoding complex job descriptions and standing out among a sea of candidates. Recognizing these pain points, our upcoming Q&A session with Margaret Buj, a seasoned Interview Coach and Recruitment Consultant, aims to provide solutions. Margaret will offer actionable advice on conducting in-depth company research, effectively interpreting job descriptions, and utilizing company challenges to your advantage during interviews. She’ll also share strategies for confidently handling unexpected questions and mastering non-verbal communication. In the aspirational part of our session, Margaret will guide you through ways to authentically showcase your uniqueness and leave a memorable impression post-interview. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your interview challenges into success stories with Margaret’s expert insights.

• Attend Events or Webinars: If the company participates in industry events or webinars, attend them. It not only shows dedication but also provides an opportunity to gain insights directly from the company’s representatives.
• Company Reviews and Feedback: Explore employee reviews on platforms like Glassdoor. While taking these with a grain of salt, they can offer a sense of the company’s strengths and potential weaknesses. If you find negative points, are these things you can live with—or better yet, would you thrive within that type of environment? One person’s “boring job” may be another person’s “stable employer.” Remember to take the information in its context, as every firm has unhappy employees and these may be the ones who take the time to write negative commentary.
• Review Financial Information, if the company is public. This is a crucial action, regardless of the position to which you are applying. It is imperative that you understand the business and financial underpinnings of any potential employer.”

What’s a clever way to decode a job description to tailor your interview prep?

“Deciphering a job description is crucial for tailoring your interview prep.

Here’s a clever approach:

• Identify Key Skills and Qualities: Highlight the key skills and qualities mentioned in the job description. These are the areas you want to emphasize during the interview. Know what’s “required” and what’s simply “desired.” Pay close attention to the phrases “required” and “must have.” They mean it — these qualifications are typically non-negotiable.

  But far less mandatory are skills labeled “desired” or “preferred”. These are nice-to-haves, but you may compensate for lacking them by conveying your own valuable extras, like editing skills, technical savvy, passion for the mission, fluency in another language, or public speaking ability.

  Know also that qualifications and skills are often listed in order of importance to the employer, so focus on matches at the top of the list, and don’t sweat mismatches at the bottom. Sometimes, items at the bottom are automatically added as obligatory boilerplate by the HR department.

• Understand Company Language: Pay attention to the language used in the job description. If they emphasize “innovation” and “collaboration,” make sure to incorporate these terms into your responses.
• Research Similar Roles: Look for similar job descriptions across different companies. This can provide additional insights into industry expectations and common requirements for the role.
• Use the STAR Method: When preparing examples of your experiences, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses in a way that directly aligns with the job requirements.”

Got any insider tips on turning a company’s challenges into interview gold?

“Companies often appreciate candidates who show strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

Here’s how to turn challenges into opportunities:

• Understand the challenges: Research and understand the challenges the company is facing. This could be financial, operational, or even related to industry changes.
• Propose solutions: During the interview, tactfully bring up these challenges and, if appropriate, suggest potential solutions. This demonstrates your proactive approach and shows you’ve done your homework.
• Relate personal experiences: Share examples from your past experiences where you successfully navigated challenges similar to those faced by the company. This not only showcases your skills but also establishes your suitability for the role.”

How can applicants prepare for curveball questions without sounding rehearsed?

“Anticipating and preparing for unexpected questions is key.

To avoid sounding rehearsed:

• Practice, don’t memorize: Instead of memorizing responses, practice adapting your existing knowledge and experiences to various scenarios. This ensures flexibility in your answers.
• Mock interviews: Conduct mock interviews with a friend or mentor who can throw unexpected questions at you. This helps improve your ability to think on your feet.
• Focus on core competencies: Identify your core competencies and be ready to discuss how they align with the company’s needs. This will provide a solid foundation for answering unexpected questions.

Don’t worry too much if there is one question you really can’t answer. If the rest of the interview goes well, not being able to answer one question shouldn’t be a deal breaker.”

In your experience, what’s the most underrated aspect of interview prep?

“In my experience, one of the most underrated aspects of interview prep is non-verbal communication. Candidates often focus heavily on what they say, but how they say it is equally important. Pay attention to your body language, tone of voice, and overall demeanor. Practice maintaining good eye contact, a confident handshake, and a friendly yet professional tone. These subtle cues can greatly impact the interviewer’s perception of you.”

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How to Ace The Job Interview

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Can you share a memorable story that brilliantly illustrates how storytelling works in interviews?

“In a previous interview, a candidate effectively used storytelling to highlight their problem-solving skills. They narrated a situation where they faced a significant challenge at work, explained the steps they took to address it, and concluded with the positive impact on the team and the company. The story was not only engaging but also showcased the candidate’s abilities in a real-world context.

To explain it in more detail, the candidate shared a story about a significant challenge they faced in their previous role. They were part of a cross-functional team tasked with implementing a new software system critical for the company’s operations. Midway through the implementation, unexpected technical issues arose, threatening project timelines and the overall success of the initiative.

Key Elements:

• Contextualization: The candidate began by setting the stage, providing context about the project’s importance and the team’s goals. This helped the interviewer understand the significance of the challenge.
• Problem Identification: The candidate articulated the specific technical challenges encountered during the implementation. This demonstrated their ability to analyze and pinpoint issues, a crucial skill in many professional settings.
• Strategic Approach: The candidate then described the steps they took to address the challenges. They discussed collaborating with team members, consulting with external experts, and implementing a phased approach to troubleshoot and resolve the technical issues.
• Team Collaboration: The candidate emphasized the collaborative nature of their problem-solving process, showcasing not only their individual skills but also their ability to work effectively within a team.
• Results: Importantly, the candidate highlighted the positive outcomes of their efforts. By successfully addressing the challenges, the team not only met the project deadlines but also improved the overall efficiency of the company’s operations through the new software system.

Why It Was Engaging:

• Relevance: The story was directly related to the candidate’s professional experiences and the skills required for the current role. This made it relevant and meaningful to the interviewer.
• Conflict and Resolution: The narrative structure included a clear conflict (technical challenges) and resolution (successful problem-solving). This is a classic storytelling element that engages the listener and keeps them invested in the narrative.
• Demonstration of Skills: The story effectively showcased the candidate’s problem-solving, teamwork, and strategic thinking skills. It provided concrete examples of how they approached challenges and contributed to positive outcomes.
• Engaging Delivery: The candidate’s delivery was enthusiastic and confident. They effectively conveyed their emotions and passion for problem-solving, making the story more compelling.

In essence, this memorable story worked well because it not only addressed the interviewer’s interest in the candidate’s technical capabilities but also provided a narrative that was engaging, relevant, and demonstrated the candidate’s value through their past experiences.

• Relate to skills and values: Relate the chosen superpower to skills or values relevant to the job. For example, if the job involves problem-solving and innovation, you could say, “If I were a superhero, my superpower would be ‘Innovation.’ I would use it to come up with creative solutions to challenges and drive continuous improvement within the company.”
• Connect to company goals: Tie your superpower to the company’s goals. If the company values collaboration, you might add, “I’d use my ‘Innovation’ superpower to foster collaboration among team members, encouraging a culture of creativity and idea-sharing.”
• Inject personality: Share a brief, light-hearted anecdote to inject personality into your response. For instance, “Just like a superhero brings a unique flair to every situation, I believe my ‘Innovation’ superpower would add a touch of creativity to our team’s projects.”
• Emphasize team contribution: Conclude by emphasizing how your chosen superpower would contribute positively to the team and company as a whole. For instance, “Ultimately, I see my ‘Innovation’ superpower as a way to contribute to the company’s growth and success by bringing fresh ideas and approaches to the table.”

By approaching off-the-wall questions with a mix of creativity, a connection to job-relevant skills, alignment with company values, a touch of humor, and an emphasis on positive contributions, candidates can navigate these questions effectively and showcase their ability to think on their feet.”

In an age of standard responses, how can candidates genuinely showcase their uniqueness?

“To stand out from standard responses, inject authenticity and personal anecdotes. Share stories that highlight your unique journey, challenges you’ve overcome, or lessons learned. Showcase your passion for the industry or role. Additionally, emphasize your individual approach to problem-solving and how it aligns with the company’s values and goals.

How do you do that? Let’s consider a common interview question like, “Can you tell me about yourself?”

Here’s an example of how a candidate might inject authenticity and personal anecdotes to stand out:

Standard Response:

What’s the one question you wish more candidates would ask their interviewers?

“I wish more candidates would ask, “Can you describe the company culture and team dynamics?” This question signals that the candidate is not only interested in the role but also in the broader work environment. It provides insight into whether the candidate’s working style aligns with the company culture and if they will thrive in the team dynamics.”