1. The Job Winning Interview
By CATHERINE JEWELL
CJ@CAREERPASSIONCOACH.COM

2. “Getting to Know You”
Old Style:
Getting to know you.
New Style:
Prove what you can do
– in 30 minutes or less.

3. The Problem
Employers are focused
on the future.
Job seekers are
focused on their past.
Solution: Speak about
the past and bridge to
the future.

4. The Solution
Solution: Speak about
the past and bridge to
the future.
“Yes, I got a lot of
experience negotiating
tough deals with vendors. I
can put that to work for
you, spreading your risk by
finding back-up vendors for
your critical parts.”

5. Your Attitude
Act as if you are a highly paid
consultant. You have been
called in to assess the needs
this job can fill.
You are providing an ideal
solution: YOU.
It’s a business meeting!

6. Selling Yourself
Study the needs of the
company.
Study the job.
Study the product. (You)
Study the market.
Sell only what the
customer is buying!

7. You Know Too Much!
Job Seekers over 40:
•Could probably write a
book or teach a class on
their specialty
•Talk too much
Interviewers:
•Have a script to follow – 12
to 20 questions.

8. Solution?
• Answer the question
directly, then elaborate
• Type out questions and
your answers
• Practice your answers –
“Running your lines”
• Have a friend make notes

9. Learn Deeply about the Company
• Company website
• Make notes and memorize
details about years, product
names, key clients
• Follow “In the news” links
• Google the company – read
news stories
• Print the most important
information

10. Sleuthing for Insider Information
LinkedIn contacts are gold:
•Company information
•Read news and comments
•Write emails to first level
connections
“I have a job interview for training facilitator at your
company on Thursday. Would you be able to have a
short phone conversation with me before then? My
number is 512-XXX-XXXX.”

11. Sleuthing for Insider Information
LinkedIn contacts are gold:
•If you have a specific
question, ask that.
“I have a job interview for
training facilitator in the Dell
Global 500 division on
Thursday. Would you happen
to know the size of that
training department and
structure? My number is 512-
XXX-XXXX.”

12. More LinkedIn Gold - Companies
• Check out “people also viewed” for
companies like the one where you
are interviewing (competitors?)
• Look at the Products page
• Go to the Insights Tab. Check out:
– Employees with new titles
– Former employees you may
know
– Send out more emails and
InMails

13. More Insider Information
www.Glassdoor.com
•Overview tab: copy the summary into a
document. Learn it for your “What do you
know about our company?” answer.
•Check out employee reviews, Awards, the CEO
ratings, etc.

14. More Insider Information
www.Glassdoor.com
•Check the Salaries tab. Find a title
close to yours
•Read employee and interview
reviews.
•Check for “difficult” and
“unexpected” questions.

15. Study You Own Press
• Google yourself; they will!
• Study your resume; be prepared
to elaborate
• Prepare for tough questions:
– Why did you leave your former
position?
– What were you doing 2012-
2014?
– You say you are a curriculum
designer, but your job hasn’t
included that since 2007.

16. Study the Job Description
Assistant Communications Director
Essential Functions
Assists director of communications with overall communications
function for the division, including but not limited to creating,
designing, and measuring the effectiveness of communications
and marketing materials, processes, and procedures.
Responsible for the development, execution, writing, editing
and/or proofreading of a wide range of materials including news
releases, feature articles, speeches, annual reports, advertising,
executive correspondence, web content, presentations and
other communications materials for the media and public.

17. Study the Job Description
Assists director of communications with overall communications
function for the division, including but not limited to creating,
designing, and measuring the effectiveness of communications
and marketing materials, processes, and procedures.
What experience have you have in designing and creating new
communications vehicles?
Have you measured the effectiveness of your communications
and marketing materials?

18. Study the Job Description
Responsible for the development, execution, writing, editing
and/or proofreading of a wide range of materials including news
releases
•Tell me about a time when you’ve had to develop a
communications vehicle from scratch. How did you go about
that?
•Have you worked with an editor in your former jobs?
•How do you respond to clients editing your copy?
•Do you have experience in developing web content?
•What is your philosophy of repurposing information for the
web? What do you think is important?

19. 1. TMAY – Tell me
about yourself
2. Success stories from
your career or
personal life
3. “Mentions” about
skills from your
resume
Content of Your Interview - STAR stories

20. Mine your resume for STAR stories
 Study your own
story
 Expand on each
achievement
statement

21. Tell Me about Yourself
1. Recap professional experience, as it relates to the job
2. Transition to experience that relates directly to the job
3. Bridge to the future: Tell why you are interested in the
position. What can you offer?

22. TMAY Example:
Business Development
My name is Lorraine Elton and I consider myself a salesperson
by personality and experience. In my early career, I owned and
operated a mailing services store, and later a printing company.
I was constantly finding ways to add clients and sell more
services to my current clients.
Later, I brought that experience to Lamar University, where I
was responsible for campus publications and publicity.

23. Example: Business Development
As an MBA student, I made personal friends with people from
some of the biggest companies in Texas – USAA, Frost and HEB.
I’m excited about this position because I know your custom
MBA programs would benefit so many of the Fortune 1000
companies that I have served in the past. I’m ready to hit the
ground running, working with your current portfolio and
expanding your services to new organizations. (59 seconds)

24. STAR Stories
S = Situation
T = Thinking
A = Action
R = Results
Need 5-7 for each interview.
Change them a little to fit the question.
Each one proves so many characteristics about you.

25. STAR Story Example
S = When I joined as CFO, the Board was receiving
information involving 50 different financial ratios.
T = I immersed myself in the data to understand the
organization.
A = I calculated lots of ratios and compared them over
time; I benchmarked with other housing
organizations.
R = Now, 3 key ratios help Board Members monitor
our financial health.

26. STAR “mentions” – from competencies list
Choose a competency
Presentations of key financial data to ExecutiExpand on it for just a few seconds by telling a short story.

27. STAR “mentions” – from competencies list
Presentation Skills
Presentations of key financial data to ExecutiI’ve made presentations of key financial data to Executive
Team. One time, I stepped in to present to the Board with 15-
minutes preparation, because the CFO was stuck in traffic.

28. STAR “mentions” – from competencies list
Multitasking
Presentations of key financial data to ExecutiI really know how to multi-task. I’ve worked in a call center
environment while managing 5 direct reports and mentoring 3
new employees, during a thunderstorm with intermittent
power outages.

29. Insightful Questions
The better your homework, the more
insightful the question. Start with a
statement, then ask a question:
•I see that your company bought a
boot strap software company. What
kind of training did that merger
require?
•I see that your department reports
through the VP Marketing. How does
that affect the priorities of the
training department?

30. Interview Gifts
Go above and beyond
preparation to prepare a “gift” of
your thoughts. Examples:
•SWOT analysis
•Methodology that proved
successful
•Case study
•Target list of clients
•30-60-90 Day plan
•White paper
•Analysis of competitors

31. At the End, Close the Sale
 Based on what you’ve heard today, do
you have any concerns about my
qualifications for this position?
 I am excited about everything I’ve heard
today…
 I hope I am selected for the position.
 When can I plan on hearing from you
next?

32. Plan Time for Your Follow-up
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Send thank you emails to everyone you
talked to
OR
• Write personal notes to everyone you
talked to. Take them to the post office
for quicker delivery.
• Add to your list of “Advocates”

33. How Often to Follow-up
• Call or email every 3 working
days
• If you get no answer by email,
call
• Best to call between 7:30 and
8:00; 11:30 – Noon; 5:00 –
5:30

34. There’s $225,000 at Stake!
Act “AS IF” you know
you will get the job– “as
if” you are already
working for the
company.
Confident. Professional. Assured.

35. When you get an offer
Thank you, this is so exciting!
Would you please put the
offer in writing? I would like
to discuss this with my
partner/spouse. Would it be
OK if I get back to you
Monday? (at least 48 hours)
(Call your Career Coach to strategize.)

36. Negotiating for more
 Never put your demands in
writing
 Only ask to speak face-to-face or
voice-to-voice
 Only when you are speaking
with the decision maker say:
I am excited about coming to
work for your company. There
are a couple of things that
would make it easier for me to
say yes…

37. Call your coach!
 Call when you have a
phone screen
 Call when you schedule an
interview
 Call when the interview is
complete
 Call when you get an offer!

38. The Job Winning Interview
By CATHERINE JEWELL
CJ@CAREERPASSIONCOACH.COM