to present a coherent and compelling position at interview and by phone

It always amazes me when pundits give interview tips, how they treat the reader like an idiot who doesn't know how to dress themselves and has never heard of body language and eye contact. They usually proceed to give rather sloppy advice on how to manipulate interviewers, as if they were also idiots who need top tips on how to behave. I won't be doing any of that. I merely want to address structures and themes that have come up for my clients in a way that I hope will reinforce your confidence.

You cannot force other people to take you seriously, no matter what you wear, no matter what you say, no matter how brilliant your body language and "interpersonal skills". Being taken seriously depends on having a presence that other people accept as genuine, as powerful, as thoughtful, as having integrity.

Speaking slowly and in a deeper voice might help to enhance your authority but it isn't just about appearances; it's the degree to which you are perceived to be relevant and having potential. This can only come from the way that the structure of the interview is shaped, as a discussion between equals, with a team-like quality. Within that, you have the issues, the stuff that animates the conversation and keeps it together, the energy that flows through the system and shapes its nature . . .

what kind of situation is it?

Some interviews are staged like interrogations by the recruiters. Some applicants stage an interrogation for themselves even when the recruiters are bending over backwards to invite equal discussion.

In either case, their fault or your own, you do not want any kind of interview scenario that feels like an interrogation, that has the model: you wait in trepidation to respond to their questions.

Whether the interview is by phone or in person you want to allow it to become a meeting of rational and mature adults in which everyone participates . . .

There are two parts to that equation, one stuff you can do and the other concerning your own attitude.

Thinking about the interview situation, what persistent problems have you incurred in the past? Tick the ones that apply to you so you know where you stand.

have you been:

nervous
short of breath
tongue tied
lucid but not quick enough
only clear when it was all over
knowing you'll regret not having said the key things
forgetful
bored
amused
overbearing to compensate for nerves
pushy
misunderstood
quiet
timid
calm and collected
over confident
cool on the surface but boiling within
impressive
pushy
aggressive
able to quickly establish rapport
other

Do not try to do anything about these things; just notice how they all have a physical component, a correlate, a felt-sense. If you can fully accept that felt-sense at any time, now, next week or during the interview itself, you will start to complete whatever holding pattern there is on your body connected with this situation and those attitudes and mannerisms. In the end, every ethereal quality of our lives has a body feeling and only contact with that body feeling is truly and totally honest. And only truth allows reality to change. That is the subject of all great literature, of religions, philosophies and self-improvement theories.

People who can simultaneously recreate and permit the experience they are actually having can come through anything. People who cannot permit things to be as they are will be always compensating, pretending, acting. Interviewers will have an unconscious sense when they meet integrity of presence and an intimation of doubt when they meet an act.

some strategies

Practise: we all do better at things we feel calm about, which is why it can be a good idea to regularly apply for positions you are not desperate to be selected for, to practise your interview posture as many times as possible before the really big one.

Question: if you are absolutely sure you have no shortcomings at interview, ask someone who knows you. It is often the people who are completely uncritical of themselves who present the worst at interview.

Discover: all the way through CV Solutions I have talked about the power of knowledge and I have reminded you to find out about the organisations you may be applying to. As you approach the interview, this is more vital than ever. They will be impressed that you have taken the trouble, that you know their corporate structure and turnover, that you are informed about the competition and developments in their marketplace, that you have enough data to shape intelligent questions that link your needs as a candidate to their needs as an employer.

Clarify: when I have important contractual meetings I find it useful to come back to my mature adult and state a few obvious facts to myself, to counteract any childish anxiety:

• they may also be nervous, flustered, feeling sick and dry in the throat
• they may be looking to accept, not to judge
• they may not know exactly what they are looking for
• they may be relying on me for input
• they may have few other options than me
• the options they do have might be worse than me

• this is a negotiated process, like playing cards
• if I wear what I feel relaxed in and look relaxed they will notice unconsciously
• if I get flustered I can slow things down and breath deeply
• it's fine to answer questions by asking for clarification
• I have rehearsed in my mind a few areas about which I can talk happily on autopilot

• I have made notes of killer points to mention and I can always refer to them
• asking if I may take the odd note about a third of the way through will show how seriously I am taking what they say
• taking notes balances the power dynamics but is best done minimally
• I have a list of questions to ask and I will use it to move the interview along
• people respond to narrative; I will make my descriptions as interesting as the ones I write for my CV

• my eye contact will be as unobtrusive as possible
• I will try not to let my natural good humour get lost in the inevitable nervousness
• I will remember that feeling nervous is not a crime and that it can be included; as the level of rapport builds I will feel less nervous
• it is essential that I make myself understood and that I read the responses to make sure that I pitch what I say at the right level and in the right style, matching the way they speak and the issues they raise
• when they ask a question I must pause to ask myself why that issue is being raised and if I do not see the implications then I can gently request clarification

Themes

What's so great about you? Is the case clear in your own mind and can you communicate it tomorrow if necessary? A clear and elegant script forms the basis for great letters to specific targets AND it boosts your confidence when speaking about yourself.

It should be possible, based on their job advertisement/specification and your scene setting CV and letter, to make a reasonable prediction of the main themes that will form the chassis of the interview. And each of those themes will have possibilities in terms of spin and pitfalls you want to avoid... thinking about the coming interview and analysing the intellectual context, what themes might arise . . . ?

EXAMPLE:

a senior technical sales person with a solution provider

THEME: they clearly want someone who can both make the sales contact and handle the higher level business case and implementation issues

AVOID: pretending to know the technology inside out when I don't; making past sales career sound too successful; neglecting their specifics (it's important to acknowledge the unique challenges in this job and show expertise appropriate to them)

STRESS: Draw upon experience of blue chip account contact; drop names in a subtle way; outline complexity of projects brought home without rambling or boasting; use buzzwords like "vertical analysis"; mention technology in a way that implies you can take it all in your stride

ASK: perceptive questions about their virtual teamwork and chain of command; for typical preposition type and how they mobilise to sell it; values, technologies, business sectors they are good at or want more strength in

You prepare so that you aren't left floundering and devoid of ideas. When the time comes, within the streams of discussion that you are building with your interviewer(s) will be all kinds of interpretations and tones, opportunities to imply huge expertise, chances to sound casual about complex things, appropriate moments to launch into a recollection that illustrates your ability . . .

The purpose of this is not to turn you into a parrot but so that in the back of your memory and unconscious mind you have material to draw upon when needed.

Additionally, on themes: there is no reason why you should not arrange to talk over these issues with close contacts and friends, or practise some of the phrases and narratives you will be using to tackle each theme . . .

your script

pick all the main themes that make up your "script" or "brand", define them and analyse them:

THEME e.g. technical competency

AVOID e.g. areas of ignorance

STRESS e.g. latest, sexiest expertise

ASK e.g. where is the company going technically

for each theme...

WHAT EXAMPLES MIGHT YOU CALL UPON

WHAT MUST YOU REMEMBER NOT TO MENTION

WHAT RESULTS COULD YOU MAKE SURE TO MENTION

WHAT BENEFITS ARE THERE for these PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS in your special expertise

WHAT BUZZWORDS AND BUSINESS THEORIES, METHODS, EVOLUTIONS SHOULD APPEAR

ARE THERE ANY TABOOS FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW

WHAT MIGHT A COMPANY LIKE THEIRS BE WANTING TO HEAR

WHAT CORROBORATING EVIDENCE HAVE YOU FOR THE CLAIMS YOU ARE MAKING
(e.g. do you have examples of your abilities, results, ideas... ready prepared)

TAKING THE THEMES THAT ARE LIKELY TO BUILD THROUGH THE INTERVIEW, WHAT KEY STRENGTHS DO YOU WANT TO GET NOTICED NO MATTER HOW THE CONVERSATION TURNS AND SHAPES....?

You may not always have to say these things. Sometimes it is more effective to imply them. The best way to imply all sorts of extra strengths is to have a narrative that you can easily call up and launch in to.
That is another reason for having a narrative driven CV: it feeds them questions to be asking and creates opportunities for you to give a lively account of yourself.

There is no need to sit around remembering all this stuff. Just go through it, and file it in the wonderful library at the back of your mind. Don't clutter your awareness with stock phrases to trot out. You need to sound natural and if you are managing this interview properly, switching it into themes where you are strong, your own natural creativity will begin to take over, as it does when you are happy and at your best . . .

Problems

Some problems really exist and some we make for ourselves. One of the worst methods of approaching interviews that I commonly encounter is people digging up all the negatives and worries and then almost making excuses in advance for not getting the job . . .

• I'm too old.
• They'll think I'm over-qualified.
• They are looking for someone with more jarbelling experience.
• I haven't worked in France very much.
• whatever...

THINKING ABOUT THE INTERVIEW SITUATION, MAKE A LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG . . .

EXAMPLES

I'll get coffee on my tie

they already have an ideal candidate and this is just a formality

I really am too qualified etc . . .

When you have written at least 30 things on this list of irrational negatives, take it somewhere safely away from your centre and ritually destroy it.

NOW MAKE A LIST OF ANY REAL PROBLEMS THAT ARE LEFT - the things you will have to deal with . . .

EXAMPLES

I need to know how committed they are to this new initiative and how much they are investing.

I need to clarify the bonus policy without sounding greedy.

I think they'll be pushing me for an instant decision but I need to make time to think things over . . .

Money

There isn't an answer that fits everyone, but if they start talking finance they are interested in employing you and it can become a question of nerve. Probably they know what you are earning at the moment, or can make an informed guess, or they may ask. Be ready to exaggerate by talking in terms of your total package value, not the core salary. Be ready to add phrases such as "this is on the low side for the degree of responsibility and value of my innovations... I have been promised and extra XXX percent and some share options . . ." or whatever.

They are grown ups and they know you are negotiating. In their minds they have a maximum figure and your mission is to test that to its limits.

You could say that at a recent interview you were talking XXXXXX amount but you turned it down. You could say that you would be looking to position yourself at the top end of the range on offer and ask how they see things . . .

You could blow a bit of a smokescreen over the money question for a while by talking about satisfaction, challenge, conditions, benefits . . .

You could start to mine information about the real value by asking them what the company hopes to achieve by employing you and what that could be worth to them . . .

Good negotiators usually let the other side declare it's hand first, but they may also be great negotiators; no one can give you advice that will guarantee you a winning hand. This depends on you and your ability to deliver the steps of a negotiation without faltering.

Good luck at the game. Go in prepared in every way on this one. You'll kick yourself later if you feel that more money was on the table and you missed it. The worst that can happen is that they smile and tell you what the maximum is . . .

Maybe it would help now just to list your problems as a negotiator so they are out in the open and can by put on the back burner for your unconscious mind to work on the issues . . .

Fillers

Any human interaction has exciting parts and parts where you are marking time. Interviewers are likely to flag in their focus and may at times fall back on filler questions about

your long term ambitions

your hobbies

your achievements outside work

your estimation of your own personality

your responses to common situations in life

your community awareness and involvement

what attracts you about this company/this industry

It can be fascinating to make a list of filler questions THAT YOU MIGHT ASK if you were an interviewer trying to get a general sense of the applicant's way of being; for each one formulate a response . . .

EXAMPLES

How do you spend your weekends, Mr Smith?

I see that you are a regular Church goer?

How do you see your career in five years time?

What's the most important thing in your life outside work?

If possible, it would be great to frame your lifestyle script material around what they could find interesting or what anyone would find interesting, but it has to be coherent. It's no good saying you are interested in e-commerce and leaving it at that . . .

"I spend a couple of hours each weekend on the Internet, searching for good websites and analysing why they work in design terms and what the business objectives are... I like to follow this constantly moving new reality, which we will all have to master, both at work and in our leisure... I bought some groceries on the web last week..."

This sort of answer shows: knowledge but definitely not obsession; it introduces topics that they can if they wish develop; it pulls them into the conversation; it ends with a touch of light heartedness.

WHATEVER YOU INTEND TO SPEAK ABOUT YOU SHOULD PRACTISE GIVING IT THAT KIND OF LIVELY CONTEXT SO THAT THE WORDS JUST TRIP OFF YOUR TONGUE.

Trick questions

Some interviewers like to play macho. Some become aggressive. Others will have been trained to test out your responses. Unless you have nerves of steel, you need handy answers to trick questions like:

what's the biggest mistake you ever made and how did you recover

what is your greatest weakness

why do you want to leave your current job

what is the worst problem facing this industry

You could make a list of the kind of questions your dread most, the questions you would ask as an aggressive interviewer trying to find out what a person is like under pressure; for each one, design the kind of answer you would be comfortable with making . . .

Trick situations

People often arrive at an interview only to discover an assessment process that may involve aptitude and personality testing, that may be just the first step in a long interview process.

This is part of the science of recruitment and cannot be avoided. People are getting paid to model a profile of your personality and likely performance.

The only advice I have is to continue to be yourself. Stay with your own sense of your own integrity and ability and answer the questions or resolve the problems as best you can. All test procedures have built in checks to detect lying and cheating, the quality you least want people to be thinking about.

Don't try to second guess what they want; you do not know and cannot know exactly what qualities they believe they are looking for, and neither can they. This is a quasi science, deriving from the false science of psychology. One day the human race will leave it behind but for now they have their toys that have cost money to shape and they want to use them to justify their salaries.

That's all that is happening. When you talk to the real people, the ones at your level, your potential future colleagues, then you get a chance to be human again.

Thanks & Good luck

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