CLIENT STORY: 6 Years Later, Interview Practice Still Pays Off…
By — — Posted in Job Search Tips, Real Job Seeker Stories & Successes, TESTIMONIALS
Last week I woke up to a WONDERFUL email from a former client. We’d done a 3 or 4 hour package of Behavioral (Structural) Interview Practice & Coaching years ago.
I remember John fondly as a very ATYPICAL engineer at Boeing who reached out for help, not having interviewed for a job in I believe at least 20 years of his long career at this top aerospace company.
Undoubtedly, some of you can relate: he was understandably unsure of how to present is long history and considerable expertise in the in house interviews he was anticipating at the time.
I say he seemed atypical to me because as we worked together, it quickly became apparent what John’s “differentiator” was (aka, his “super power”)… John was both an excellent left brained linear, logical engineering type, but ALSO, had an engaging personality and great communication skills that made him exceptionally effective working with and leading TEAMS on the many high level projects he’d successfully lead.
So, we practiced how he could demonstrate this special trait of his that *made him stand out* amongst other engineers with similar hard skills* so he could clearly differentiate himself from his competition.
Structural interviewing (also called behavioral interview style) asks questions that make you tell a story about your experience.
This can trip up job seekers if they aren’t prepared to share examples like this, especially on the spot and in a quick minute or two. This is a large part of why practice pays off – even six years later!
Here’s the text, and a screen shot of the email I received from John:
Hi Shannon!
I worked with you way back in 2014. I just wanted to give you an update on my use of skills that you taught me.
Work has been stable never ended up having, (or needing) a Structured Interview, until this past Friday. Covid changed everything.
I am being considered for a position where I would be working in another state for several months and was told that a few people wanted to ask me some follow up questions about my resume. I agreed to meet online and they requested a time 15 minutes later. I didn’t anticipate that it would be a “Structured Interview” until it started. According to my manager, it was only supposed to be a few questions and that I was a strong candidate. I think I did very well and our practice came back to me.
Fortunately, while updating my resume for another position I was investigating a few weeks ago, I had the occasion to review my job history that I had prepared when I was working with you and had my career fresh in mind. When they started asking me questions that started with “Tell me about a time when…”, I was able to come up with good answers. I haven’t received a response back yet from the manager, but even if they don’t choose me, I think it was successful and I have you to thank for it.
I hope things are going well for you.
John
I always say that the more IN DEPTH PROCESS of my work with clients (vs. a “quick fix” approach) pays off beyond just THIS job search and has lasting benefits! Oh how I love being right!
Schedule an interview coaching & practice session with me – I’d love to help YOU discover, and learn how to talk about, YOUR key differentiators that will make YOU more memorable than your competition too!
More client testimonials here and here
