7 Ways to Prepare for your Next Interview

Mentally and physically preparing for an interview is a critical step in securing a job. Everyone should take time preparing for an interview, no matter how many interviews one has been through previously, or your seniority or level. Each meeting is unique and should be treated as such to succeed.

Here are 7 ways to help you prepare for your next interview:

Check out the company website
Learn about their history and growth over the years, as well as their mission statement and overall purpose for why they exist. Take some of what you learn and write down how your personal goals and desires will align with their values.


Check out other company profiles
Take time to look at the company through other mediums such as social media or Glass Door. This can help provide a different kind of insight to the company and industry overall.


Look for relevant press releases in major newspapers or trade publications
Searching for press releases can give you an idea of a company’s direction. You want to get a sense of where the company is going and write down questions based on what you find. Did the company recently launch a major project or start a new partnership with another major company? These are things you should be aware of and be prepared to mention in your interview.


Research the interviewers you will meet
With LinkedIn, company websites and other media platforms, it is easier to search for your interviewer. Try to understand their role within the organization and look for common connections, interests, or experiences. This can help you create an easier dialogue and allow you to answer their questions with a bend toward their area of expertise.


Re-read the job description
Fit your background most effectively to their needs. What things have you done in past positions that match the job function you are interviewing for? How would your skills and abilities benefit the company?


Be ready with questions for each interviewer
Focus on responsibility related issues not “what’s in it for me” questions.


Line up your references in advance
It is always good to have a list of 3 to 5 references in the event an interviewer asks. Be sure to ask your references if it is okay to provide their phone and email address to the interviewer.

Career Coaching Services at MyHuntPath

Searching for a job can be challenging and stressful. Moving forward with personalized support and career building technology can shorten a job search by 50%, which is why MyHuntPath now offers career coaching services designed to empower job seekers to realize their dreams and monetize their passions.

The expert coaches at MyHuntPath provide direction, motivation and council to get job seekers moving through the process to identifying their career path, targeting that ideal position and landing that role.

Here are the new Career Coaching services that MyHuntPath provides:

Master Group Sessions

Master group sessions involve a weekly meeting led by our senior coach to discuss topics and insights on the Headhunters Approach to job hunting. Job seekers interact with members at the executive level who can help stimulate their thinking, frame issues and improve their search process and success. Group sessions are conducted via live web conferencing or at our offices and groups are limited to ten.

One -on- One Coaching

Job seekers will meet weekly for 2 hours with their personal certified coach to provide career education, proactive methods for job hunting and tactical applications and resources. Topics include:

• Strategy and Goals
• Networking
• Value Proposition
• Personal Branding
• Research, Tactics and Methods
• Resume Review
• Interviewing
• Offer and Salary Negotiations

Resume and Cover Letter Creation

Crafted by our expert resume writers, we’ll help job seekers create a resume that breaks down the door of any ATS to get them noticed and stand out from the crowd. This service includes consultation, two resume versions and a customizable, reusable cover letter.

Personal Branding

 72% of companies are hiring directly from Social Media. A job seeker not using social media to their advantage limits their ability to network effectively. We’ll review all Social Media Platforms - LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to create a professional site for use and teach the job seeker how to utilize Social Media in their Job Hunt.

 

If you’re stuck in your job search and not sure where to start, visit us and get started with a free consultation today! https://www.myhuntpath.com/CoachingServices.aspx 

Meet Certified Career Coach, Beth Uchaker!

Beth has been in the placement/headhunting industry for nearly 20 decades. IN the last few years, Beth and her husband John have created their own SearchPath placement branch, and are charter members of MyHuntPath. Beth finds passion in helping job seekers find their buffalo, and enjoys changing, nurturing, and positively affecting the lives of the people.

Beth is a Gluten-Free homeschool mother of two Scouts, one Boy Scout (Life working on Eagle) and one American Heritage Girl (Patriot) and a foster mom - eleven foster children over the past couple of years. She has been with her husband, John, for twenty-nine years. They like to travel, be outdoors, meet new people, and take on new challenges. 

Meet Certified Career Coach, Penn Berens

Penn Berens is a certified career coach with MyHuntPath.  He has been providing coaching for over three decades, including as principal consultant with his own firm, Berens Management Services.  In the last ten years he has expanded his role in management and career coaching. In addition to MyHuntPath, Penn is proud to offer PowerStart Onboarding and related coaching.

Penn attended the University of Pennsylvania and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Penn has taught at the high school and college level.  He has enjoyed a career in health care administration, including at the Cleveland Clinic.  He now focuses on consulting to and volunteering for leaders and boards in education, particularly charter schools.

Learn more about MyHuntPath's Career Coaching Services! http://bit.ly/2jRrjOu

Meet Certified Career Coach, Gary C. Chorba!

Gary C. Chorba has joined MY HUNT PATH (a career education management & outplacement company) as a certified Career Coach and Business Development Partner. Gary has over 20+ years of experience in the Executive Search Business. He was groomed to be a Headhunter since he was 9 years old, when his father started the Families Executive Search business back in 1979. His Father’s firm specialized in placing candidates with many different disciplines (ie, Accounting, Finance, Tax, Audit, Operations, Sales, and Marketing). The firm did business with many publicly traded and privately held companies in the Cleveland, Akron, and Canton markets then expanding across the Midwest.

Throughout his successful career, Gary has been able to advise and coach many of the candidates he was unable to place, “I always wished I could have placed everyone that I had met over the years, but that is absolutely impossible in the Executive Search business”. He always enjoyed giving his candidates counsel on how to conduct a successful search on their own. The search process can be extremely rewarding when done on your own terms, and with your own effort.

Gary C. Chorba has placed over 350 Mid, Senior, and C Suite Level Executives while negotiating close to $30 mm in salaries in his 20+ year career as a Headhunter. He always brings a very positive, enthusiastic, and energized approach to work with him on a daily basis, “I truly believe it is my passion and direction in life to give people HOPE and counsel when attempting a job search on their own.”

Keeping Negativity OUT of the Interview

When you are interviewing for a position, you most likely will meet with 2 or 3 people, and be competing against 5 or 10.  Your interviewer is looking for reasons to exclude you from the competition, one of the red flags being too negative about a past employer, co-workers, or job.

As a potential hire, focusing on all the things that went wrong in a past position can make the interviewer subconsciously translate that information to think “this will be about me.” Being negative from the start is an indicator that you may eventually form negative thoughts about the company a few months after hire, thus looking for a new opportunity before really diving into the position. 

One of the major questions that is asked during an interview is “why are you looking to change companies?” It may seem like an easy question, but formulating an answer without bringing a negative energy can sometimes be difficult.  Keep it light with simple responses such as, the company has been great but it isn’t the culture or it isn’t the right career path or industry.

Instead of approaching questions with a negative answer, try refocusing that negative energy and talk about the things you learned. Is there a new skill you developed? Did working with individuals with different opinions strengthen your ability to work in a team setting? Is there a project you are proud of or did you hit any major milestones?  Finding positive answers can illustrate your ability to find solutions and problem solve.

Droning on about a bad experience can leave your interviewer questioning whether you have the ability or willingness to do the job. You may have the right experience and qualifications, but attitude can also play a huge role during the decision process. 

The Importance of Knowing your Interviewer

One of the quickest ways to blow an interview is not knowing your interviewer, the industry, or the company itself. I cannot tell you how many times I have had interviews with individuals who have struggled to understand the company they were interviewing for, or had no clue that major industry changes were happening in their field of expertise.

Taking initiative to really research your interviewer, the company, and the industry creates an easier dialogue and connection points for a smooth conversation. It shows that you are knowledgeable and can set you apart from your competition.

Almost all companies have a website or social profiles for you to learn more about your interviewer. Find their LinkedIn profile, look at their bio and learn about their background. What groups do they belong to? Where did they go to school? Do you have any mutual connections? These are questions that give you the ability to create dialogue and questions.

Going into your interview, you should know about any company highlights, recent merges, or downsizes. Google the company, look at their press releases and read through their blog posts. Write down some of these highlights or changes within the company and utilize them as talking points during your interview. This knowledge can help you create leverage when speaking about how your skill set can bring true value to the company.   

Every industry has specific trends, breakthroughs, or major changes. Again, this is where a quick Google search, or a scan on LinkedIn Pulse can come in handy. Take time to browse through a few articles or reports on the industry or field you are in. Interviewers are looking for credible candidates and by having this knowledge, it shows that you really do care about the position you are interviewing for.  

Being prepared is key. Utilizing Google, LinkedIn and looking at PR pieces or blogs on the company you interview for can help transform the standard Q&A interview into a productive conversation.