Congratulations you have landed an interview for that perfect job! Now the work begins as you develop your interview strategy and devise responses to potential interview questions to ensure you are putting your best foot forward.
How to prepare for a job interview and position yourself as the lead candidate:
Review the job posting to determine the skills and experience the hiring manager is seeking. You must demonstrate with your interview answers that you have a track record of success in addressing the requirements of the role. But now go further.
Devise your interview strategy to highlight your accomplishments and expertise related to the real issues, problems and opportunities the role and the organization are facing. Dig deep by analyzing their annual report and media feeds, then network to understand the challenges the organization is tackling. This research will help you craft interview responses that demonstrate you understand the complexity of the role, and how your expertise and experience can be leveraged to address and resolve issues relevant to the role. It will also help you develop a 90-day plan that directly targets the issues and opportunities.
Dedicate time to developing your interview answers. When preparing for Board, senior leadership team, and critical stakeholder meetings you leave nothing to chance. You look at the issues from several angles to ensure you are prepared. With job interviews you must be equally prepared. Your goal is to continually embed your related skills and experience into your response to each interview question.
Executive Interview Questions:
In Top 10 Executive Interview Questions | JL Careers I have listed the most commonly asked Executive or Leadership Interview Questions. Let’s take that list and expand it further. From researching headhunters and corporate recruiters, the following are additional interview questions you need to consider so you are well equipped for your interview:
General:
Why are you interested in this role, and working for our company?
What makes you a good fit for this position?
Why did you leave your last job?
Why are you wanting to leave your current job?
Accomplishments:
Tell me about your biggest successes.
Tell me about the biggest challenges you have successfully addressed.
Change Management:
Tell me about a time in which you brought productive change to a company. How did you implement this change?
Communications:
Give me an example of how you increased communication and collaboration across departments in your previous roles?
Decision Making:
Tell me about a time when you had to make a decision without all the information you needed.
Describe a time when you faced an ethical dilemma at work.
Financial Acumen:
Describe your experience reading and interpreting accounting and financial reports.
Problem Solving:
Thinking about this specific role, what aspects do you think would be the biggest challenge for you?
How would you tackle this challenge we are currently facing? (they describe a challenge, or goal impacting the organization)
What is the most difficult situation you’ve ever faced at work?
What are two things you believe our company is doing well? What’s one thing that you think we should change?
Describe a recent difficult situation you encountered as a leader?
Relationship Management:
Describe a time you had a negative experience with your supervisor. What caused it?
Describe a time when you struggled to build a relationship with another leader in your organization.
Results-driven:
What did you do to increase company revenues in your last job?
How have you introduced or led innovation in your last role?
Tell me about your biggest successes and a failure.
Strategic Thinking & Planning:
What has been your strategy and success in (addressing any key issue outlined in the job posting)?
If you are hired, what would be your priorities in your first 3 months, and six months?
If we hire you for this job, what will be the first thing you do?
Stress Management:
Looking at this role, what will be the most challenging aspect of it? What will do you to overcome those challenges?
Tell me about a situation when you faced a demanding problem or challenge in your personal life. How did that affect you in your job?
Team Leadership/Performance Management:
What have you done in the past to build workplace culture?
What methods do you use to evaluate an employee’s job performance?
Describe a time when you had to deal with difficult or unmotivated employee.
What is your management style and philosophy?
Well Roundedness:
Who is (your name) outside of work?
Final Thoughts
Your interview is a composite impression consisting of your personality (Are you approachable and someone they would want to work with?), passion for the role (Have you done your research and communicated how you can add value to that organization?) and your fit (Have you communicated you have a track record of success related to the needs of the role). Clearly and concisely demonstrate you have the skills, experience and expertise that hiring manager needs to ensure you are the lead candidate.
Got a big interview coming up? Don't leave anything to chance. We have the interview preparation expertise you need to ace your next interview and land a great job offer. Contact Joanne today for a complimentary consultation to discuss your interviewing needs and how we can be of help.
Wishing you much career success!
Joanne Loberg
Certified Executive Coach & Internationally Certified Career Management Professional
JL Careers Inc
