What Makes People Stand Out During a Job Interview [Part 2]
Continuing with the topic “What Makes People Stand Out During a Job Interview [Part 1]”, “If there are 50 candidates equally qualified for the role from a technical skills standpoint, what sets you apart?”
No. 3 Effective Interview Communication Skills
Communication is a multifaceted concept that varies based on the role. For example, a lawyer's communication must be precise, an engineer's logical, a community manager's empathetic and attentive, and a speaker's public speaking ability should be exceptional.
In the context of interviews, I believe good communication skills are the capability to showcase your relevant skills and knowledge through effective strategies such as citing specific examples, using analogies or metaphors, creating diagrams, sharing mindmaps, etc. These techniques aid interviewers in evaluating your qualifications for the targeted role. You're essentially guiding the interviewer in their decision-making process - to advance your candidacy or not, based on your conversation. Essentially, you're helping them to help you.
Some feedback I’ve heard regarding communication skills includes:
"The candidate talks excessively, disregarding my attempts to interrupt."
"The candidate provides sparse responses, requiring persistent probing for more information."
"The candidate's responses are scattered and often deviate from the question asked, making it challenging to grasp the main points."
While positive feedback might look like:
"The candidate's answers are concise and straight to the point."
"The candidate shared pertinent specific examples to support the point."
"The candidate's answer is logically structured and easy to comprehend."
The Art of Storytelling
Just because you can do something doesn't mean you can articulate it well. Numerous interview preparation guides recommend the use of frameworks like STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result), and these are indeed useful. However, standout candidates tell stories.
People naturally gravitate towards stories and find them more memorable than mere facts or data. Incorporating your goals, strategies, conflicts, challenges, struggles, milestones, achievements, etc., into an engaging narrative leaves a lasting impression on the interviewer.
EXAMPLE:
Interview question "Can you describe a time when you managed a challenging project?"
Hypothetical answer generated by ChatGPT
Hypothetical answer generated by ChatGPT
The STAR method is well structured, however, it’s less engaging and is not the best way to create a deep connection with the interviewer; by using the STAR method as a foundation, the story is engaging and memorable while capturing all the key elements of the situation, task, action, and result.
Improving Interview Communication Skills
Mock interviews can be highly beneficial. There're lots of online resources on the STAR model and storytelling; make use of these and tailor your narrative based on different interview questions.
I often urge candidates to review the job description and think of robust, compelling examples that reflect the required skills. Then, practice sharing these stories. If mock interviews aren't feasible, record your responses and evaluate them later. Conduct a self-analysis using questions like:
Did my answer include all the key points I wanted to convey?
Is the structure clear and easy to follow?
Are there too many filler words like “umm, ah…”?
Is my answer intriguing or dull?
Is my response too short or too lengthy?
Should I include more relevant details or omit irrelevant ones?
It's essential not to memorize your answers verbatim or read them to the interviewers; it may sound rigid and inauthentic. One helpful trick is paraphrasing. This technique will help you remember the key points while allowing room for adjustment.
Once you've prepared your examples and outlined your stories, is there more to do? Yes!
Be Engaged!
Great interviews go beyond the standard Q&A format. They evolve into engaging, two-way discussions. The best feeling I heard from candidates who performed well is that when they come out of interviews, they feel like they've had an intriguing discussion with friends, an engaging experience that left them desiring more conversation time. Doesn't that sound like a casual catch-up with old friends?
Here are some small tips:
Initiate/engage in small talk. Discuss the office surroundings, unique virtual backgrounds, or casual weekend plans (but keep it professional).
Establish rapport. Find common ground with the interviewer and mention it subtly.
Understand your audience. Refrain from using excessive jargon and tailor your communication style.
Listen actively and engage in the conversation.
Be mindful of non-verbal signals - your tone, body language, maintaining eye contact, and of course, remembering to smile.
Key takeaway: An exceptional candidate effectively demonstrates relevant skills and knowledge while actively engaging in the discussion.
Recommended resource:
Podcast: “Think Fast, Talk Smart: Communication Techniques”, which covers effective communication strategies. Hosted by Matt Abrahams, a lecturer of Strategic Communications at Stanford Graduate School.
No. 4 The Mindset
There were many cases where we had multiple candidates make it to the final stage. In the debrief meeting, a meeting when all interviewers gathered together and discuss all final candidates, there are some interesting and consistent patterns:
Hire for trajectory vs. Experience
Hire Learners vs. Experts
Hire Diversity vs. Similarity
Always pass on arrogance
Two distinct mindsets often differentiate candidates:
First, an eagerness to learn.
While skills can often be taught, cultivating the right attitude or mindset can be much more challenging. There are numerous instances of hiring managers choosing candidates with a strong desire to learn over those more competent but lacking this curiosity.
How does the interviewer know you have a strong learning desire? Other than asking questions directly like:
"Can you give an example of a time when you had to learn a new skill or tool to complete a project or task at work? How did you go about learning it, and how did you apply it?"
"Tell me about a time when you faced a steep learning curve. How did you handle it?"
"How do you keep your knowledge and skills up-to-date in the rapidly evolving tech industry?"
There are other indicators too, such as:
On your resume, are there signs of constant growth and development, such as new skills gained, certifications or degrees earned, or movement into increasingly challenging roles?
Are you asking insightful questions about the company, the team, and the role?
Are you interested in the challenges and opportunities that the position presents?
When offered a piece of feedback or a new idea during the interview, how will you react? Are you open and receptive, showing a willingness to learn and improve? Or do you resist the feedback, indicating a less flexible or growth-oriented mindset?
Your tone. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Confident candidates usually have a firm, steady tone and are able to speak about their skills and achievements without boasting, while also acknowledging their areas of growth. On the other hand, arrogant candidates may have a dismissive or superior tone, and they might be reluctant to admit that they have anything to learn.
Second, a positive, can-do attitude.
This attribute was abundantly clear during my tenure at Uber China (early start-up stage). Numerous interview feedback mentioned phrases like "this candidate possesses a strong can-do attitude," "is a go-getter," "is a hustler," and so forth.
Start-ups or emerging businesses within established companies highly value attributes like ownership, adaptability, resourcefulness, and problem-solving skills. These are critical given the uncertainty and resource limitations, and the absence of step-by-step playbooks.
Is the glass half empty or half full?
If you tend to perceive the glass as half empty and constantly focus on limitations, thriving in a start-up environment could prove challenging.
This perspective applies to the interview process as well. Job seeking can be an exhausting, frustrating process, however, tell yourself you can do this. Consider every interview a learning opportunity, and a chance to tell your unique stories.
The job market is competitive, with potentially hundreds of applicants vying for one position. The smallest details can make the biggest difference. Hopefully, this article will aid you in your interview preparation. Remember, it's not necessary to excel in every aspect. Reflect on your unique qualities and concentrate on them.
What else do you think distinguishes you in a job interview? As an interviewer or hiring manager, have any candidates impressed you uniquely? Please feel free to comment below!
#jobinterview #interviewtips #interviewpreparation #JobInterviewAdvice #interviewskills #jobhunting #recruiterinsights
Relevant article: What Makes People Stand Out During a Job Interview [Part 1]
