So I know a lot of you guys watching this video are in transition.
Maybe you've just graduated college.
You've just left the military.
Maybe you've been fired from your job or laid off.
Maybe you're just simply looking to switch industries or you're looking for something
better.
You're tired of being underappreciated and underpaid and you're looking
for a better opportunity.
So you're out there interviewing.
In today's video gents, I'm going to give you ten tips to nail to kick butt in any interview.
Now when I created this video, I imagine a formal interview setting.
But understand you can use these tips and I think they are even more important in a
non-formal setting.
So we're talking just meeting a recruiter at a coffee shop or simply talking to somebody
on the phone.
A lot of the information I'm going to talk about you can still use there and understand
what people are looking at you for a job they're measuring up at all times are you going to
be a good fit, are you going to be bring value, and that's what we're going to cover.
Tip #1.
Dress appropriately.
You know I was going to talk about this one.
But let me be really clear.
Some companies have a dress code and they will specifically tell you for the interview
via email, via the phone call, get that information, follow it, and just understand it is expected.
This is something you should do.
Now if they say there is no dress code.
Understand that there still is a dress code.
There is a company culture.
There is a way that they normally dress to work.
Because if you are applying to work at a fast food joint and you show up in the black-tie
outfit understand you are sending the wrong signal.
You don't have to wear a suit.
A suit does not mean you're going to be well dressed or appropriately dressed.
But understand that even if they say there's no dress code, well if that's the case well
why don't you show up in a chicken suit or show up naked.
Obviously, that wouldn't work.
That would work against you.
So there is an expectation and you're going to just have to do a bit more research.
Maybe look at the company website.
Check out videos.
Look at picture.
See how people are dressing.
If you're going to deviate in any way maybe dress a little bit better.
Maybe you look around they wear business casual which for them is a nice shirt with a tie
with a pair of chinos or slacks or something like that or maybe you have the same look
but you will actually wear a sport jacket that fits you well.
Now if you show up and nobody is wearing the sport jacket, nobody is wearing a tie, well
you could simply take the tie off.
You could take the jacket off.
Put it to the side and go into your interview and feel good.
Now notice there was a little bit of flexibility that you gave yourself there.
But the key point, gentlemen, is dress appropriately.
Do the research.
Tip #2.
Know what time your interview is at.
Then confirm the time.
Then arrive 15 minutes early.
How do you do that?
Well, you simply have a watch.
Now you can use your phone.
Whatever it may be guys.
You can control this.
Yeah. You can't control traffic.
But you can control knowing that there might be traffic and don't use that as an excuse.
I can tell you that I have had people late for interviews in which I was looking to hire
them and instantly when I know that they can't arrive on time for our interview it sends
a very bad signal.
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Let's get to point #3.
Tip #3.
Do your research on the company.
This really depends on what level you're getting hired.
But I would say at a minimum spend an hour reading up on the history of the company.
If you can't, talk to somebody that works there, learn when it was founded, who runs it, how many
people work there and what they do.
You need to understand where this company fits in the world.
Now if it's an entry level they're probably not going to ask you or expect you to know
a whole lot.
You're being hired for a specific position.
But understand if you're coming at a higher level, if you're coming in its management
and they're going to be paying you beaucoup dollars, you need to really do your research.
I'm talking sometimes eight hours.
Go and look at their financials.
When I got my MBA at the University of Texas, we were actually shown how to go in and research
these companies, all the things we had to know because they want you to be able to hit
the ground running.
And
By showing that you actually put in the time, they will say if nothing else this person
is going to be well prepared.
Tips #4 and #5 I'm going to go ahead and bring together.
But understand and think about what positions you're going to feel and what roles you're
going to fill in the company and think about how you're going to add value to the company.
Let me talk about roles and positions.
So at early points if you're just entry level often times this is where you're just starting
your career.
You may be under the age of 25, and you're going into a company and you're looking to
be able to put your head down and work ad you're expecting someone to be able to manage
you well to get in and a mentor kind of stuff.
That's how most people start off.
But understand that there's still an expectation.
What job are you applying for?
Because I'm talking with you here.
You're applying for this.
But if you ever thought of this you want to come into the finance department but you sound
like a marketing person.
Maybe we can bring you in here as an analyst.
So be aware of the different positions that you could possibly be illegible for.
After that and this is a little bit higher level think about what value you can bring
to the company.
This is more managerial ownership level.
Cause I'm always thinking as an owner of a company how the person I'm going to bring
in how are they going to pay for themselves.
What type of ROI am I going to get whenever this person cause I got to pay them a salary.
But understand I got to make at least three to five times what I paid that person they
got to make for me as a business owner to cover taxes, expenses, risk, all that other
stuff.
So if you actually coming at the high level and you realized hey I'm coming in as a consultant.
You can pay me a lot of money.
I'm going to be able to sell services.
I'm going to be able to work with these companies and get it so that they would want to work
with us again and again.
I've done this with other companies.
That right there high value.
Tip #6.
Practice interview.
Guys, practice makes perfect.
No, not really.
Perfect practice makes perfect.
So there are many scripts out there, many questions that you can ask yourself or you
can get somebody on Skype.
You can ask a friend.
You can ask a family member to ask you these questions and for you to answer them.
Once you get better than that maybe hire a coach.
If you're still in school, if you're getting out of the military understand there are resources
available to you often times at no cost that you can actually work with a coach who will
know what questions to ask.
You just need to practice, prepare, and that way when you go into that high pressure environment,
okay I've answered this question before or that's a common on or I have a feeling that
this is something that they're going to ask me.
You can pre-empt.
You can practice.
You can get good at interviewing.
Job interview tips #7 and #8 I'm going to bring them together.
Have three concise stories that illustrate your strengths and have three concise stories
that show your weaknesses and these needs to be real weaknesses and how you overcome
them or deal with them.
So let's talk about strengths.
This one is pretty easy.
We are especially in the United States we're very good at talking about ourselves and going
on and on but you got to keep it concise.
Keep it focus and on the point.
Show and have an emotion in it but make sure you bring it right back and have three different
ones that illustrate three different strengths.
Now weaknesses.
Make sure these are real weaknesses.
Don't say I work too much or I just try too hard.
I'm a perfectionist.
That's not a real weakness.
Be open.
Be vulnerable.
Cause many people don't and they screw this question up all the time.
So have like you know what at my last company, I was so hard headed that I kept working on
this project.
A month passed and my boss literally told me to disengage but I kept at it
on my off time. Yeah.
I was doing stuff with the company.
But I just couldn't give it up.
It turned out that it was an impossible problem.
But sometimes I'm really stubborn.
I can tell you. Okay.
So I get that.
You know how to bring that back.
It actually is a weakness but you talked about how you've developed a system to cut it off.
You did it on your off time.
I looked at that as almost like wow this person is they're a bulldog.
They're going to bite onto something and they're not going to let go.
So there are ways to have a real weakness and to still show a strength.
Interview tips #9 and #10 I'm going to bring them together.
Nine don't try to BS anyone and #10 go ahead its okay to skip a question, to ask for a
pass.
So let me explain.
So #9 don't try to be I remember back in business school I'm interviewing with a high tech IT
consulting company.
The guy asked me this question.
He used all these acronyms I've never heard of.
He asked me about a situation I have no idea how to solve.
I just say let me take a minute to think about this.
There is no I need a minute.
I needed probably a year to figure out exactly what he said.
I had no idea and I looked bad because a minute later I simply had to admit I have no idea
how to answer the question.
I didn't understand what he was answering.
Don't try to BS these people.
They all see right through it.
And then point #10 it's okay to be clear.
Hey, can we skip?
I have no idea what you asked.
Worst case they're going to say you know what? this guy he needs a lot of training.
They can figure that out pretty quick.
But by skipping, by saying hey I understand.
It shows that you understand your limitations and that you are humble enough to be able
to say I need help when you need it.
Bonus tip and this applies to everything is to have confidence and know what you stand
for and believe in yourself and don't let the decision of that person across from you
have any effect on who you are.
It could just be that decide not to hire you cause it's not the right time, that you're
not the right fit.
The point being is whether or not you get the job that doesn't define who you are as
a person.
Who you are as a person is what you have when you start off with this life and what you
do with it and that's a day in and day out job.
So if you're out there looking for work understand it's often times a numbers game.
It's also finding the right company, the right fit.
Don't give up.
Continue to improve yourself a bit every day.
Guys, hopefully you enjoy this video.
A little bit different than my normal style topics but it is business communication.
You know I love to cover this stuff here at Real Men Real Style and go check out the sponsor
Original Grain, a great company.
I have them as a sponsor for over a year.
I think they're great watches.
Go check them out, great company, and I'll have a link that you can use down the description.
That's it gents.
Take care.
I'll see you in the next video.