The Traditional Job is Dead. How to Become a Leading Job Candidate in a Down Economy.

"The purpose of any interview is not to get a job - it's to get the next meeting. You are on stage. It's a performance! And, you must be prepared." - Beth Ross

According to Beth Ross, there are still "good jobs out there for talented professionals. Your strategy should be to become an insider within the organization you're interviewing with." In our exclusive Career Transitions podcast with Dr. Ross, our focus is on interview training; one of the most frequent requests for her services.

Beth is a certified Career and Executive Coach, writer, speaker and resource for the media. Her background includes a distinguished career as an Executive Search Professional, maintaining a bi-coastal practice, and executing selected executive searches...

Beth Ross Biography:
Her coaching practice is global in scope.   Sessions with clients in the greater New York area are in person, while working with individuals in other areas and time zones by telephone.   The protocol includes all areas of the Job Search and Career Transition process, with particular emphasis on Interview Training.

Preparation of a Professional Resume, Salary Negotiation, Assessment, Targeting and General Career Management areas are also included.   Clients typically are at the management or executive level, but can include persons at many stages of career development and change.

Prior background includes teaching at the University level, Public and Private Educational Administration, and Consulting for Technology and Publishing companies.  Her Master's and Doctoral degrees are from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, and her undergraduate degree is from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Always remember: the purpose of any interview is not to get a job - it's to get the next meeting. You are on stage. It's a performance! And, you must be prepared.

Basic interviewing technique includes:

Developing your lines. In an interview, an inability to express yourself clearly is worse than a lack of experience.

Have a small notebook with you, (or use 3 x 5 index cards), and have written down:

• The main reason the employer would want to hire you;
• What you have to offer in the way of experience, credentials, and personality;
• Two key accomplishments to support your interest in this position
• An answer to what you think might be the employer's main objection to you, if any;
• A statement of why you would want to work for this company.
  

Keep this stuff in your pocket at all times. Even if you never have to use these notes, just the act of putting it all together will pay off.

These are a few interview tips to help you nail the job:

• Look and act the part. Even if you don't feel self-confident, act as if you do. Act as if you are successful and feel good about yourself, and you will increase your chances of actually feeling that way. Enthusiasm counts!
• Play the part of a consultant. You are there to sell your services. Ask questions and tell how you have handled situations in the past. If the interviewer has no p roblems, or if you cannot solve them, there is no place for you. Let them know how good you are and how resourceful you are.
• Do your homework. Before the interview, thoroughly research the company. Show up early and read company literature in the reception area, talk to the receptionist, and observe the people. Get a feel for the place.
• Don't' talk about what you want to do, talk about what you can do.
• Suggest additional things you can do for the company. This is making the most of each interview, for you may be able to upgrade the job a level or two.
• Make a list of difficult interview questions and possible answers. These questions exist, so know what they are and be prepared. Work with a professional to get ready for these questions and to develop credible answers.
• If the interviewer gets off track, briefly give a satisfactory answer to whatever question it is, then get back on track.
• Level the playing field by never having everything hinge on just one interview. Get as many balls in the air as possible, so that if this one interview doesn't work out, the other things you have in the works will carry you through in other directions.
• Know everything you can about the person you are meeting with. Ask the person who sets up the meeting to give you this information, then dig on your own.    Think about the issues facing the job and the company.
• Be sure to ask where they are in the hiring process, how many other people they are considering, and how you compare with them. If you don't know something about your competition, you are less likely top win.
• Don't' try to close too soon. Conduct yourself on the first interview so that they will want you back for another meeting.
• Be sure to do a follow-up influencing letter after every interview. Be sure to address any areas of concern that may have risen during the interview. Keep in touch.

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