How To WOW In An Interview!

My niece, Mary, is a senior at the University of Colorado, Boulder.  The summer before her senior year of high school she had the opportunity to visit the school and nabbed an interview.  When asked why she wanted to go to Boulder, she perkily said that she loved skiing.  Immediately she noticed a cloud cross over the interviewer’s face and realized, oops, maybe that was too honest an answer!  She proudly told me that she made a quick save by saying that, of course, that wasn’t the only reason and she began to talk about what she liked (genuinely) about the school.

Mary has an outgoing personality and is curious about people (she’s majored in psychology).  Because she’s a people person, she was looking at the interviewer, and so when she slipped up in her answer, she could see and interpret the look on the interviewer’s face.  That’s how she was able to save the conversation. 

I’ll admit, I’m biased – I think Mary is fabulous for many reasons, one of which is, she knows how to engage people in such a way that they remember her for all the right reasons.  Sure, part of it is personality BUT so much more is about skill. 

Here’s my list of what you need to do in order to create a standout impression.

Shower.  Clean clothes.  Hair.  Teeth.  You’re not going to a wedding, but you’re also not going to the mall.  What is the first impression you want the interviewer to have about you?

Put your cell phone on airplane mode before entering the interview. 

Firm handshake + look in the eye + your name offered in the first twenty seconds creates a solid impression.  Practice doing this.  Business executives hire me to teach them how to do this.  Don’t wait until you’re a business executive to learn this!

Smile.  It’s such a simple thing to do and most people forget to do so. You don’t need to have a deranged grin, just a look that says you’re happy for the opportunity.  And if you’re not happy, then just fake it ‘till you make it!

Look the interviewer in the eye (even if it’s the eye of a laptop).  Do what my niece did, so that you can “read” the interviewer’s body language.

Sit up straight.  Good posture will help you breath, talk and do a bunch of other stuff that doctors swear will help you.

90% of success is preparation.  You prepare for an interview by being self-reflective. You must be able to answer these three questions in a lively, engaging, confident way:

·      What do you like about yourself?

·      What are you proud of?

·      What do you know today that you didn’t know when you entered high school?

Show as much interest in the college as you hope the interviewer will show in you.  Enter an interview knowing what you find distinctively attractive about the school.  Be curious and ask questions:

• What makes you most proud about this college?
• What is something you wish the college did more of?
• I want to go to a school that is x, y, z. . .do you think those three words describe this school?

Be genuine and engage the interviewer in conversation.  Ask questions that get the interviewer thinking:

• What’s something you wish you had known as a freshman and that you hope someone like me will know?

·      If you had a son/daughter graduating high school, would you recommend this school to them and why?

·      What is the most common mistake freshmen make at this school and how can they avoid it?

• Is there anything else I can tell you about myself?

Tell a story about yourself that makes the person go “wow!”   Everyone has a story – even, and especially, you!  Not sure what your story is?  It may very well lurk in your answers to any of these questions:

• What do people thank you for most often?
• What do they say about you most frequently?
• When do you feel passionate, free, incredibly useful, excited, inspired?
• Who do you think is really cool, or elegant, or powerful?

Don’t snow the snowman (or snowwoman).  Assume that your interviewer has developed the knack for recognizing who is and is not being genuine.  Better to fumble an answer with warmth than to try to be slick or parrot what you think they want to hear.

Write a thank-you note.  Anybody can send an email.  Your interviewer’s in-box is overflowing with emails.  But a hand-written thank-you note?  It’s so rare that they’ll remember you for all the right reasons.

Social Media.  Who is the “you” that shows up on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest?  Are you hoping for an athletic scholarship?  Vying for a coveted internship?  The trend is underway for schools to visit your Facebook page so as to get a view of the “you” they might not have seen in the interview.  Who will they find on your Facebook page?

Rock bottom most important question:

What is the one thing you want the interviewer to remember about you?

Answer that question for yourself and then do everything in your power to help create that memory!