1. A Weak Opening Statement
Frequently, at the start of the interview, the interviewer may ask you to “take a couple of minutes to introduce yourself and indicate why you are interested in the position.” Your opening statement is a great opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the interview. Don’t just recite your resume experience; the interviewers have already reviewed that. You can provide a brief overall summary, but the real question (not usually explicitly asked) is “Why are you here talking with us today?”
They are not looking for someone who is simply interested in applying for a job. They are looking for someone who really knows the organization and is enthusiastic about its mission. Take the opportunity to demonstrate how your experience can help the organization achieve its goals and objectives. Also, notice the time frame specified. The interviewer said “a couple of minutes,” so don’t carry on longer than that. Be succinct and to the point.
Before your interview, consider:
- What makes you stand out among candidates?
- Have you done your homework? Interviewers want to see that you have, and with so much information readily available online, there is no excuse not to be well informed about the organization.
- How can your experience help solve the challenges of the job?
- Can you relate your experience to the requirements of the position description?
2. Not answering the question asked or giving a rambling response
I hear this all the time from clients: “They didn’t answer my questions!” If they ask about your management style, don’t carry on for five minutes about strategic partnerships before finally mentioning something about management. Stay focused and listen carefully to the question asked.
3. Not providing specific examples or anecdotes
An interviewer may ask a question about how you handled a specific situation in the past. This is known as behavioral interviewing. The interviewer will ask you to tell them about a time when you had to handle a specific situation, what your role was and the action you took, and what the results were. When a candidate provides specific examples, the interview team often takes note and then mentions that in their feedback after the interview.
There is a lot of information about behavioral interviewing on the Internet, so it is worth doing a little research on it. Review the position description and think about questions that might arise from it. What experience or specific examples do you have from your career that relates to those topics? Be prepared for interview questions relating to leadership, management style, relating to clients/members, ability to generate new sources of revenue, and budgeting/financial matters.
4. Being unprepared for your virtual interview
During the COVID-19 pandemic, interviews shifted to being largely virtual through Zoom or other platforms. As of June 2021, clients are starting to conduct some interviews in person, in particular the final round. But virtual interviews are probably here to stay at least for the near future. You should have some facility with Zoom and other virtual tools. It is likely you will continue to use them under any circumstances to interact with colleagues and clients. In effect, your comfort with virtual interaction is part of the interview process. Be sure you have downloaded any software well before interview time and be prepared to join the call a few minutes early. You do not want to have a Search Committee sitting there while you are trying to figure out the technology.
How is your lighting? The lighting should ideally be in front of you to illuminate your face rather than behind you. You don’t want to have bright sunlight shining in from a window directly behind you or to your side.
Try to look at the camera when responding to questions, rather than looking at the people on your screen. By looking at the camera, it appears to the interviewers that you are making eye contact with them. Try to have the camera at eye level.
We still recommend business attire for the interview. Yes, things have gotten more casual during the pandemic, but you are interviewing for an executive level position. Look your best!
Try to prevent distractions like pets, etc. If you have family at home, let them know you have an important meeting and ask them not to use technology that will use bandwidth during your interview if possible. This can cause freeze ups. We know one candidate whose teenager decided to reboot the home’s router during her interview!
5. Preparing “overly creative” materials for follow-up interviews
It is not unusual to be asked to prepare a presentation, such as a PowerPoint, for a follow-up interview. While it is fine to be somewhat creative, don’t go overboard. Doing something outlandish can backfire and cause you to be disqualified. A small dose of creativity or humor goes a long way, but don’t be excessive. Be certain to answer the question(s) they have asked you to address.
Bonus tip: Saving some questions for the end of the interview
Prior to your interview, you should prepare a list of several questions you would like to ask the interviewers. Many of them will likely be answered during the conversation. Plan enough questions so that you don’t finish empty-handed. Try to have one or two original, relevant, thought-provoking questions in your “back pocket.” Then you won’t find yourself in the position of saying: “All of my questions have been answered,” at the end of the interview, which may fall a little flat.