The Secrets of the Six-figure Executive Interview

by Maureen McCann, BA, MCRS, MCIS, MCCS
Senior Career Consultant & Strategist, Graham Management Group

Clearly, the employer likes you. You’re invited to the executive interview and you stand an excellent chance of being offered the job. Before you pop the champagne to celebrate your new six-figure position, there is just one thing left for you to do:

...win the interview and get the job offer!

Like it or not, if you are at the interview stage, the job is yours to lose. So how do you make a winning impression and land the job you are targeting? Prepare.

Preparation is the key to any successful business opportunity. This is true for the executive interview as well. Here are five things you can do before your meeting that will pay dividends in your discussion with your target employer.

Research the company – Find out as much as you can about the organization, its mission and values, its business directives and its people. Don’t just go to their website. Reach out to people in your network and get introduced to an employee of your target company to set up an informational interview to learn even more about the inner workings of the company. If you are not well connected, try using online tools like LinkedIn to learn about the company. Have your facts about the company ready and align your offerings with what you feel the organization seeks in their next hire (you).

Set Goals - Like any business professional, you understand the importance of setting goals. Just as you have career goals; it is vital that you take a few moments to itemize the goals you would like to achieve during your interview. Think about the two or three impressions you want to make certain that you get across in your interview. This could be a story that demonstrates how you reduced expenses, streamlined operations, and delivered an increase in revenue. Alternatively, you might set an objective to make certain that you connect with the interviewer and they know you are an innovative executive who simplifies business strategies through employee engagement. Whatever target you set for yourself, take a few moments before the interview to clarify how you plan to execute those objectives while in the interview. Taking the time to plan will certainly bring you the results you seek.

Practice – The old saying “practice makes perfect” applies here. Oftentimes, what you plan to say during an interview and what you actually say can be worlds apart. Find a friend to ask you interview questions and give you honest feedback on your ability to respond. This may be a little awkward at first, but the results will help you identify where you can improve while building your confidence in your story telling.

Prepare your questions in advance – If you have ever worked with me on your interview preparation, you have heard me tell the story of the woman who prepared all her questions in advance, then found herself in the interview with all her questions answered before the interviewer asked, “So, do you have any questions for us.” Without thinking she looked around the office and saw an office made up predominately of Caucasian men. She asked, “Why don’t you hire more immigrant women?” While the question was innocent enough, that was the last she heard from that company. If you find yourself in a similar position, with all your questions already answered, simply comment that the interviewer did a great job of answering all of your questions in advance. Take the next few moments – 30 to 60 seconds is all it takes – to reiterate your interest in the job and summarize why you are an ideal candidate for the position. This should help you seal the deal!

Update your online profile – If you Google your target employers, remember, they will also Google you. Make certain your online profile is up-to-date and error free. If you are not sure where to start, simply Google your own name to see what information comes up. If the information you find is accurate and relevant, excellent! If not, invest some time in learning about online tools that can help you in your job search. Uncovering what employers will find when they look for you online will help prevent any misinformation from being communicated before you have a chance to correct it.

Taking a few moments to prepare yourself in advance of your interview will demonstrate your interest in the position, and your professionalism. Reading articles like this one will certainly help you prepare yourself to handle most interview situations. Good luck with your upcoming interview!

Maureen McCann is an international award-winning, master certified résumé, interview, and career strategist, and a senior advisor for Career Professionals of Canada. Her work has been published in The Twitter Job Search Guide, Directory of Professional Resume Writers, Best Canadian Resumes (2nd Edition), and Best Canadian Cover Letters. She has been interviewed as a career expert for the Globe and Mail, and Toronto Sun. As a senior Consultant for Graham Management Group, Maureen assists executives, managers, and six-figure professionals through the full scope of career transition. You can contact Maureen and find further information and articles directly at www.GrahamManagement.com.

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