Preparing for a job interview? Solid answers are important. But there's something you may have been ignoring. Here's a strategy that will help you succeed. 

You have that big job interview coming up. Congratulations! You're absolutely ready because you're savvy about the way companies conduct these things and you know how to answer every question correctly, right?

Not quite.

Ready to improve your impact and influence? Discover how to engage, persuade, or inspire any listener or audience in my book, Speak for Leadership. Also available on Amazon. 

Your Answers May Not Be What They're Looking For

Let's focus on the important word in the title of this article: strategy. It's all too easy to become wrapped up in thinking (and preparing) to answer questions correctly. But the truth is, it's possible that every candidate you're competing with by the time you secure an interview is just as knowledgeable as you are. In that case, other factors are equally or more important, such as your suitability to work on a team or the quality of your thinking. (You can also give yourself a leg up with my free guide, 5 Reliable Ways to Develop a Warmer, Pleasant Voice.)

Would clarity and conciseness matter here? You bet they would! Learn more about those qualities in my Free resource, "How To Be a Clear, Concise, and Compelling Speaker."

How your mind works is more important than whether or not your brain can spit out a correct answer. Some of the questions you're asked, for instance, may not even have a definite answer. They may even be unsolvable. The idea behind them may be to see how creatively you respond to challenges. Or how you would go about resolving difficulties you'll probably face on the job. That quality won't show itself if you're simply answering questions with hard-and-fast answers.

At the same time, you need to show that you know your stuff. Find out how to showcase your expertise in my Free Best Practices Guide, "Establishing Your Credibility: 4 Tips."

Now, Take It Further Into Strategy

It's also possible for you to outsmart yourself in an interview. And here's where the value of the strategy I mentioned earlier comes into play. This very issue arose recently when I was coaching a client for his upcoming initial interview with a prestigious firm.

We were role-playing, with me cast as the interviewer and the interviewee, my client, as himself. I was choosing from questions I had asked him to prepare beforehand as likely to arise with this company. When I asked the very first question, he began his response by confidently stating that he knew why I (the interviewer) was asking this question, and so he was aware of what the firm wanted to hear.

That's what I mean when I say you can outsmart yourself as a job candidate! A response like that simply doesn't have the sound of sincerity. It comes across as a beautiful calculation, in which the candidate is thinking, "I'm aware of this dance we're doing together, and I know these steps. You can count on me because I'm that savvy!" 

I told him to try it again, this time by simply answering the question honestly. It doesn't matter that you can see your potential employer's moves beforehand, and even less that he or she should know that. And that is a wise strategy for an interview, any interview. Be honest, and be yourself. If the hiring firm doesn't see that in you, they'll never know if you'll fit in.

Be Like the Actor Who Knows His Audience

Ultimately, your strategy should not be centered around your needs at all. It should always be focused on the needs of those listening to you. And that's the real lesson here in terms of a successful job interview.

A good actor or actress knows the audience, and uses his or her craft to instill in that audience the response that's called for in the script. To put that in public speaking terms: how do you want to influence your listeners? What do you want them to think and feel about you during and after the interview? Then embody those traits as you speak, not by faking them but through your sincere belief in them. If you have to fake it, you're almost certainly not right for the job. It's just smarter to reveal who you are than to spend time cleverly answering questions.

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Gary Genard is an actor, author, and expert in public speaking and overcoming speaking fear. His company, The Genard Method offers live 1:1 Zoom executive coaching and corporate group training worldwide. He is the author of the Amazon Best-Seller How to Give a Speech. His second book, Fearless Speaking, was named in 2019 as “One of the 100 Best Confidence Books of All Time.” For nine consecutive years, he was ranked by Global Gurus as one of The World’s Top 30 Communication Professionals, and he has been named as one of America's Top 5 Speech Coaches. His handbook for presenting in videoconferences, Speaking Virtually offers techniques for developing virtual presence. He is also the author of Speak for Leadership: An Executive Speech Coach's Secrets for Developing Leadership Presence. His latest book is The Confidence Book: 75 Ways to Reduce Your Anxiety, Let Go of Your Fears, Change Your Negative Thinking, and Perform At Your Professional Best. He is also the creator of The Dr. William Scarlet supernatural thrillers. Contact Gary here.

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