This self-help guide presupposes that readers know interview basics and instead hones in on some often overlooked elements of the job-interview process.
Self-help shelves overflow with books recommending how to look and apply for a job, put together a resume, and show up for an interview looking and acting your best. Often, however, the deciding factors in an interview aren’t the candidate’s qualifications, experience and conduct, but subtle clues in his or her language, mindset and approach. In her clear, efficient guide, Macomber, a recruiter and interview trainer, explores traits that lurk as undercurrents in a job interview and teaches how to identify them, bring them to the surface and organically weave them into conversation. She dubs these soft skills “personality assets,” which she subdivides into three categories: individual (basic character traits, such as creative or methodical), social (interaction style, such as competitive or tactful) and leadership (such as self-starting or team-oriented). The columns of adjectives that flesh out each category are intended to provoke more than just thought; they complement the workbook and do-it-yourself interview coaching system, complete with sample scenarios, personal research tools and scripts. The goal is to develop and stockpile information that emphasizes strengths and grabs an employer’s attention. The protocol: Select your strongest assets from each of the three categories and prepare examples of each based on events from your life. Also included are hints at crafting an elevator pitch and the trick of turning a weakness into a strength. After self-paced efforts, the final exercise is a mock interview, requiring the assistance of a committed ally, with a script of questions that will help compassionately evaluate the candidate.
Narrowly focused but useful tools to help maximize your job-interview performance.