Expert Advice On Interview Skills

As an executive coach here in Santa Monica California I find myself talking to a lot of people day in and day out. This weekend I was talking with recruitment expert Nicole Spicer and she has superb advice to help you amp up your interview skills and I wanted to share this advice!

"Make sure you ask for all the basics: copy of the job description, interview location, parking details, several internal phone numbers in case there is a last minute problem and if there is an online application you can fill out ahead of time," says Spicer.

She also suggests that you find out who you who you will be interviewing with and what his or her title is. If you are being interviewed by multiple people, it's often helpful to know in what order these interviews will occur. Ask who they are in the process, i.e. decision maker or influencer. (This is key.) I love this advice and highly suggest it as well! You can find more advice on Interview skills at my blog at the Huffington Post.

Job Interview...Visualize Success

I really feel the next important step before that big interview is to visualize success!!

Olympic athletes visualize themselves winning their competition. You can use that same technique. (I do.) See, feel, and hear that you already have the job. Yesterday, I had an interview for a TV show. To be honest I was intimidated since several of the folks involved are big honking stars. On the drive to the interview I visualized that I was simply driving to work since I already had the job. It worked. Before the first interview was over the executives asked me to come back for a second one. Srinivasan Pillay writes a good article on The Science Of Visualization if you need to brush up on that!

Don't forget to get prepared mentally!

The Importance of Preparing For The Interview

As an Executive Coach I truly do know the importance of the interview. It is important to have a game plan once you have jumped through all the enormous hurdles to land an interview.

If you find you are not having luck with landing interviews, please take a look at these important articles to help get you to the interview: They will give you tools to get focused, burn your one page resume and network so that you get your foot in the door.

It's important to have your Game On! Once you are contacted for an interview respond back quickly to the internal employee who contacted you. Get all their contact information and what their role is in the interviewing/ hiring process. Be professional, accessible and engaging no matter what their role. You are being evaluated from this first contact. Take a few moments to breathe and get very centered before you call or email.

Never underestimate the power of being prepared!!