Present a Plan in Second-Round Job Interviews
What will impress them enough to use your job interview as the new standard?
September 10, 2008
By Dean Tracy
As I coach candidates on
job search
and interview tactics globally, I admit that there is a bit of a science to
nailing the second-round interview. If you have the proper formula, you may be
the only candidate to make a lasting impression that the company will not soon
forget!
Chances are good that if you’re being invited back for a second round of
interviews, then you’ve made a good initial impression and have something that
they want. That said, besides charisma and all of the right answers to their
questions, what will you bring to the
interview
that will impress them enough to use your interview as the standard against
which to grade all other candidates?
Answer:
Your 60/90-Day Strategic Plan.
During your first interview, you probably heard all about the pain points that
are driving the hiring manager crazy. This includes project deadlines,
technology initiatives, budgets, client visits (if you’re in
sales),
revenue goals and so on. Additionally, you may have noticed that they never seem
to have enough people on staff!
If you’ve asked the right questions in your first round of interviews, and you
are truly excited about this potential opportunity, then you should have a
pretty good idea as to what you will need to do to be successful in this role.
You should be able to identify at least a 60/90-day strategic plan, based upon
your knowledge of the role as it is today.
If used carefully and properly, your strategic plan can be “The Difference
Maker” for you in your second round of the interview process.
There are three primary factors that will demonstrate your value proposition and
could, ultimately, drive your success in a new, potential role:
1.
Have a vision/overview of the job
2.
Establish trust with clients and colleagues
3.
Being ready to identify and set goals and objectives
Let’s go into each of these in depth.
Vision/Overview
Based upon what you have heard in the interview, you should know the
vision/overview of the department or company. What impact will you make within
your first 60/90 days that can be tied back to the company reaching its goals?
Consider the following when drafting your plan:
Establishing Trust with Clients and Colleagues
Career Advice from TheLadders
·
4 Steps to Speak Better in Interviews
·
Creating Effective Cover Letters
·
Facing 50 Questions for Every Job Interview
·
Will Bad Credit Hurt Your Job Chances?
Establishing trust is essential for success in any role. What will you do to
establish a high degree of trust within your piece of the company or amongst
your peers?
Consider the following when drafting your plan:
Goals and Objectives
Setting goals and objectives is simply good business practice. You need to fully
understand your new role in order to be successful, and you must approach it as
a business. In doing so, it’s critical that you identify your personal goals and
objectives for success in this new capacity.
Consider the following when drafting your plan:
Setting yourself apart from the rest of the candidates is mission critical to
having a lasting impact on the person or team that is interviewing you.
No doubt, you’ve heard the phrase “raise the bar.” My perspective is that the
candidate before and after you can raise the bar all they want. By entering into
the second round interview prepared with a 60/90-Day Strategic Plan, you are
sure to launch yourself over any bar that is set before you!
Dean Tracy
is a Professional Recruiter, Public Speaker and Career Coach based in Northern
California with an emphasis on placing and coaching professionals at a national
level. He also serves on the Leadership Team for Job Connections, which is
recognized as one of Northern California's largest and most reputable
Professional Networking Groups.
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