1. Excelerating Leadership Excellence
Acing the Interview
Presented By:
Marty Murphy, CPCU, CMC
Senior Partner
Exceleration Partners
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2. What are your INTERVIEW
challenges?
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3. Today’s Agenda
• Interviewing for new role in or outside
company is critical
• Critical in today’s market that you can
differentiate yourself
• Ask and answer questions with energy
and power
• Tools to answer behavioral interview
questions
• Mastering body language
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4. The Reality Behind Interviews
• Interviews are subjective.
• Interviewers choose the qualified person
he/she likes best.
• Most interviewers are not trained in the
art of interviewing.
• Many interviewers study your resume
just before the interview begins.
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5. Interview Success Is…
20% - Selling
Yourself 40% - Attitude
40% - Conclusion &
Follow-Up
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6. What the Interviewer Wants to See
and Hear
• Ability to handle change
• Attitude
• Competency, Creativity and
Effectiveness
• Enthusiasm
• Integrity and Honesty
• Stability
• Success
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7. An Interviewer’s Goals
• Prospective employers want to know:
o Can you do the job?
o Will you do the job?
o Do we like you (do you fit)?
• A physical interview gives you the
opportunity to answer ―yes‖ to all three!
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8. 12 X 12 X 12 Theory
• People judge you first from 12 feet
away;
• Then they judge you from 12 inches
away;
• And then they judge you based on the
first 12 words out of your mouth.
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9. Interview Types
• Electronic
– Prescreening questionnaire
• Telephone
– Scheduled and cold calls
• Skype and Video Teleconference
• Face-to-Face
– One-on-One
– Round Robin
– Panel/Tag Team
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10. Interview Questioning Formats
• Directed
• Non-directed
• Behavioral
• Situational
• Stress
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11. Content Theory
1. Answer the Question
―Importance of Concise Answers‖
2. Justify the Answer – with
Accomplishments—even if they did not
ask!
3. Restate your Original Answer
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12. STAR (Behavioral Interview Questions)
What was the…..
Situation or Task?
Action you took?
Results?
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13. Exercise
Common Interview Questions
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14. “Tell Me About Yourself”
• Tell them a little bit more about yourself.
– ―I am originally from Ohio and come from a
family of 10…I graduated from Notre Dame..‖
• Touch your experience and your passions.
– ―My first position in insurance was with American
States in underwriting, I realized I had a passion
for…‖
• End with why you are interested in this role.
– ―I am extremely excited to hear more about this
role, tell me about…‖
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15. An Interviewee’s Goals
• Leave a dynamic, lasting impression
• Build rapport
• Demonstrate value and fit
• Satisfy interviewer’s need for information
• Reveal yourself
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16. Inappropriate and Negative Questions
– Inappropriate questions
• Not everyone is trained to interview, expect them
• Ask how they relate to the position (with smile!)
• Determine if you are seeing a ―cultural‖ issue
– Your liability questions – know them
• Rephrase
• Answer
• Redirect
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17. Pre-interview Strategies
• Know yourself (and what is on your resume)
and how your skills apply to the position.
• Understand your strengths and weaknesses
and how they relate to the position.
• Think of questions that the interviewer
might ask; prepare responses but don’t
sound memorized.
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18. Pre-interview Strategies
• Know the position you are interviewing for.
• Research the company.
– Read annual report, 10k/10q
– Know current news, history, products, culture
• Research the people you are speaking with.
– Google, Linkedin, Facebook, etc.
• Come prepared with appropriate questions.
– Different questions for different interviewers
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19. Response Strategies
• It’s ok to take a moment to compose an
answer.
• Answer the question.
– Interviewer may be more interested in thought
process
• Make connections for the interviewer.
• Give concrete examples, when possible.
• Respond with simple, on-point answers.
– Don’t ramble, silence is ok
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20. Response Strategies
• Promote yourself but don’t be arrogant.
• Don’t be defensive or argumentative.
• Don’t be negative towards your
company, coworkers or competitors.
• Don’t exaggerate or bend the truth.
• Ask if you’ve answered the question.
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21. Body Language
• First impressions count
• 80% of all
communications
• 90% of all emotional
communications
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22. Body Language Strategies
• Control any nervous habits.
• Maintain a pleasant expression; smile or
laugh when appropriate.
• Maintain eye contact.
• Shake like you mean it.
• Sit attentively.
• Use your hands as "artful persuaders."
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23. Voice Tone and Volume Strategies
• Remember: the tone and formality of
your voice speak louder than your
words.
• Speak confidently.
• Modify your voice to compliment the
interviewer’s.
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24. Most Important Interview Strategy
• Practice!
• Practice!
•Practice!
•Practice!
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25. In Action
• Be on time.
• Dress appropriately.
• Be courteous to everyone from the
receptionist to the interviewer.
• Be memorable and human. Be yourself.
• Focus on what you can do for the employer.
• Answer the underlying interview questions:
Can you do the job? Will you do the job? Do
we like you?
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26. After the Interview
• Thank the interviewers.
• Ask what next steps might be.
• Ask for their business card
• Send separate, distinct thank you notes
to each interviewer
• Refer to specific discussion in note
• Remember the interviewer as you scan
the media.
• Circle back with questions
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27. Closing Thoughts
If you can walk out of the interview and
say…
– I was memorable.
– I made connections for the interviewer.
– I demonstrated that I wanted the job.
– I used effective body language and
tone/volume.
– And, I had fun!
Then, you ACED IT! Now, follow up!
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28. Thank You!
For More Information Contact:
Marty Murphy, CPCU, CMC
Senior Partner
Exceleration Partners
404-817-3685
marty@excelerationpartners.com
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