The Speculative Interview Guide

The Speculative Interview Guide

It is written into folk-law that 50% of job vacancies never make it to the market. Or is it 40% or even 60%? Perhaps, as Vic Reeves said and Guinness immortalised, it could be 88.2%? What we do know, is that many great jobs don’t make it to the market quite simply because they are snapped up before they are finalised. In an ever-competitive market, where networking between recruitment consultants, candidates and potential employers is an ever-increasing part of the recruitment sphere, it is even more important to go the extra mile to ensure that we provide ourselves with the best possible chance of getting the job we desire and deserve, even if we don’t know it exists yet.

Here are some ideas, based on our experience, which will help you turn that exploratory conversation for your dream job, in to a tailored application which stands out and win the race before it’s begun.

Before a meeting: The first steps

 

Your personal marketing document

 

• Turn your generalist CV document into one which is tailored for the client – time spent here is something that your competition (of which we know that there is a significant amount) will not necessarily follow
• Tangible, strategic strengths, should be highlighted in a 5-point summary – alongside your consultant, decipher the key indicators the client is looking for in experience; these will be a combination of technical, commercial and interpersonal skills

• Be concise, succinct and make it compelling; do not go overboard on responsibilities – value add achievements, be it revenue or cost or employee engagement, are what you should bring to the table and these are far more important than the day to day tasks from 10 years ago

• Less is more, get to the point and leave something for conversation, this is not war and peace; it is advised to go no more than 2 pages

 

Knowing me, Knowing you: Proper Prior Planning Promotes Peak Performance.

 

• If you’re not familiar with the 6 P’s now is a good time to start. Develop your thoughts, your answers and your questions before you get to the meeting.
• Lean on your consultant to ensure you understand meeting expectations, proposed format, topics for conversation and what you might potentially ask of them

• You should be confident in your ability to assess the Company, their latest news, industry competitors, financial results and any business activity within their sector – the more informed you are, the more confident you come across

• Try and familiarise yourself with the backgrounds to the people you are meeting; if you have any common ground or connections this can help break the ice

 

During the meeting - Be the best version of you:

 

The meeting begins as soon as you’re in the venue (maybe even on approach) so it is important to set the tone and ensure that first impressions are lasting ones and for the right reasons; this should always start with a confident handshake and some positive energy

 

What should you expect to discuss?

 

An exploratory interview is just that, so we should be prepared to explore everything and anything, but at all time trying to read what it is they are trying to discover. Most conversations of this nature tend to follow the following trends and themes;

 

• Who you are and how you have got to where you are
• Why you will be a success; What you enjoy; What challenges you have overcome
• Demonstrating energy levels and drive
• Achievements to date and how you quantify success
• Motivations for joining a new business and reasons for leaving your current employer
• Financial skills beneficial to you both, now and in the future
• Broader finance skills that make you stand out
• What is your legacy and how you are viewed by peers and colleague
• Stakeholder management skills and attitude towards change
• Leadership strengths and development areas

 

Bringing your story to life

 

• The meeting is your opportunity to paint a picture which demonstrates you have the personal characteristics and success to date which is equal to or better than what they are seeking
• If you haven’t experienced what they are asking, don’t try to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes – be honest, provide a hypothetical answer and demonstrate you can overcome obstacles
• Keep your answers interesting, but succinct. The best way to avoid taking yourself on a tangent, is to try using a model to illustrate your answer. For me, there is no better method than STAR: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-carniol/inside-the-star-interview_b_3310122.html

 

-Situation

-Task

-Action

-Result

 

• At this stage, the interviewer is seeking a point, relevant evidence and a successful conclusion from the interviewee

• Over the course of your conversation, several topics will crop up which are asked in a different manner to what you have prepared for or which you had not considered. No need to panic, take your time, ask for clarity and stay on the straight and narrow – stay on point, focus on what they want from you and don’t go off topic. You will also gain insight to the business which leads us on to:

 

Your chance to engage and return questions

 

Asking great questions is the secret to a great meeting. They allow you to demonstrate interest, enthusiasm and your ability to understand the landscape of the business who could shortly become your employer.

 

Take time to think of questions for all the key areas of interest for both you and the person you are meeting:

 

• The team, their challenges, projects and market factors affecting them
• Interaction between the various teams, their key relationships

• Autonomous working versus working in a team

• What attracted them to the business, how they can develop

• Key wins for the person going in to this role in first 3, 6, 9 and 12 months

 

Essentially, anything non-generic demonstrates to a client that you have a genuine interest in who they are and what they do – this makes a lasting impression.

 

So, you’re approaching the finishing line, you may not be able to read what they are thinking (no worry, it is not a game of poker) and you realise there might be topics you haven’t discussed which could add weight to your cause: “Is there anything we have or have not discussed, which you would me to run through or provide further clarity on?”

 

Yes, it is simple, but interviews should not be complex in nature. Jimi Hendrix was right after all: “Knowledge Speaks, Wisdom Listens.”