The Successful Speaker
February 2009
Contents This Month – The Interviewing Edition
·
Neutral Position
… My Butt!
·
Oh … Behave
·
Getting Teamed
Up On
·
Quotations
·
Update Your
Email Address
·
Refer Madness
Last month, I wrote an article about preparing to answer the interviewing
question, “So tell me about yourself.” I thought I’d expand on that since so
many of us are enduring difficult economic times and may be interviewing in the
near future. I hope this month’s newsletter is of some help to you.
Neutral
Position … My Butt!
Interviews are
presentations and the topic is you and the value you bring to the organization.
If you’ve ever participated in one of my workshops, you understand that your
posture can affect the way your message is perceived. Practice your neutral
position for your interviewing.
A seated neutral
position is sitting to your full height. You don’t have to sit at attention,
but you don’t want to slouch either. Sitting to erect may create the impression
that you’re stiff and immoveable. On the other hand, sitting with a curved
spine can make you look too laid back or even lazy. An easy way to adopt this
posture is to make sure your buttocks are an inch or two forward from the back
of the seat. This will promote sitting straighter.
“Base camp” for your
hands should be resting comfortably in your lap. Avoid interlacing your fingers
as it restricts your ability to gesture large and easily. Remember that this is
your base camp and your hands must venture out so that you can show
professional passion. If you are sitting at a table during the interview,
adjust your seat so that your arms rest comfortably on the table (they
shouldn’t be supporting any weight).
If you can be
comfortable with both your feet on the floor, do it. If that is too uncomfortable,
cross your legs at your ankles. Crossing your legs higher than that will often
cause you to sit back too far and make you look too casual.
Oh
… Behave
If you haven’t interviewed in a while, you
may want to prepare for a behavioral interview. This is a technique wherein the
interviewer asks you to cite specific examples in your past when you exhibited
a specific behavior they are looking for. To prepare for the interview,
consider what attributes are key for success in the position for which you are
interviewing. Reflect on some examples in business or elsewhere when you
successfully maneuvered through a situation. Here are some examples of
behavioral interviewing questions:
·
Describe a time
when you had to overcome a stressful situation?
·
Give an example of
a time when you had to be relatively quick in coming to a decision.
·
Tell me about a
time when you had to work with two or more other people who weren’t getting
along and what you did to improve the situation.
·
Describe the
most creative work-related project you have completed.
·
Give me an
example of when you had to work under a restrictive deadline and how it ended.
·
Tell me about a
situation in the past year in which you had to deal with a very upset customer
or co-worker.
·
Give me an
example of when you had to show good leadership.
·
Explain a time
when you had to work with very limited resources and made the best of it.
When responding to a behaviorally based
question, use the SAR approach. First, describe the Situation. Don’t spend too
much time on it. The interviewer is more interested in the next two steps.
Next, explain the Approach you took and why you took it? Give specifics
including, budget, interpersonal skills, time frames, etc. Finish with the Results.
What happened because of your actions and what did you learn from it all?
Getting
Teamed Up On
If
you’ve ever been interviewed by several people at the same time you know that
it’s a little different than the one-on-one interview. Here are some tips when
going into this interview:
·
Include everyone.
You can do this by making eye contact with everyone and by using their names a
couple times during your interview. Notice I said “a couple times!” We all
distrust people who bludgeon us to death with our names (“I really don’t want
to buy that 1991
·
Hold eyes.
Resist the temptation of trying to make eye contact with everyone all at once!
This is part of what escalates our nervousness! Talk to one person at a time.
Deliver a thought to one person before you move on to the next one.
·
Answer all questions
to all people! You might want to zero in on only the questioner during your
answer, but keep in mind the entire team needs to hear (and see) your answer.
Quotations
“When a thing has been said and said well, have no scruple. Take it and
copy it.” – Anatole France (French author)
“What are facts
but compromises? A fact merely marks the point where we have agreed to let
investigation cease.” – Bliss Carman (Canadian poet)
Update
Your Email Address
Don’t miss an issue of The Successful Speaker. If your email address is going to change, let me know about it.
Refer Madness
If you had a good
experience in my workshop/seminar, share it with someone you know. If you
provide me with a lead that generates new business for me, I’ll pay you (or
your favorite charity) $250 (less if it is less than a full-fee engagement).
If you belong to a
professional organization that needs a speaker or If you know any business or
non-profit organization (including your own), that could benefit from my
workshops, presentations, coaching, or needs a facilitator:
1. Tell your contact about me.
2. Tell me about your contact. Call me at 972-378-0937 or write me at dgunby@mindimensions.com
3. Wait for your check (if I get your contact’s business)
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