Thank you to all of you, who joined us for the IPWS Thought Activator last Wednesday, November 25th. Despite the heavy rain that night, we had a full house, and enjoyed the evening together.
We could not have asked for a better speaker to talk about how to succeed in job interviews! We were honored to have Dr. Natalie Koeppe, Head of Talent Partnering APAC at adidas sharing her expertise. Natalie leads the talent function focusing on performance culture, leadership development and learning for 10,000 employees in the region. She also holds a guest professorship at the Toulouse Business School as well as at the Lyon School of Management, teaching MBA students about career development and talent management.
Whether you are a recent college graduate or a seasoned employee, job interviews often come with a feeling of dread and huge stress. How to prepare for the next interview and maximize your chances of success?
Natalie explained the “3 PILLARS OF SUCCESS”:
- Before the interview: pre-work
- During the interview: first impression, message: 60-30-10
- After the interview: post-work
“If you get those 3 pillars right, it can really make a difference for you in landing your next job. According to the research, it increases your chances by 80% to succeed in the interview!”
Before the interview: PRE-WORK
- Company & Job:
Products, recent changes, challenges, trends, mission statement, competitors, connect/chat to people who work there etc.
→ WIN through a strong “value proposition” by linking your narrative to company data, and decreasing the “knowledge gap” between you and internal candidates
- Interviewer:
Working experience, tenure with the company, career path, etc.
→ WIN through “bias reduction”. Find out similarities/differences, use “bias” in your favor!
- You:
“Customized storyline” for this company/role, “difficult questions”, etc.
→ WIN through smooth flow & relevant information
…THEN, REHEARSE FOR CONFIDENCE!
“Preparation is the key – you prepare yourself for the confidence, for landing the right message and for owning your story line.”
During the interview: MASTER THE 3 Vs
- 60% VISUAL
Dress to impress – corporate culture, respect, interest
Body adaptors – hair, long necklace, new jewellery, etc.
Body language – eye contact, gestures, facial expression, posture
- 30% VOCAL
Volume, intonation, rate (approx. 165 words/min)
Pause
Speech mannerisms (hmmm, I think/hope/feel/believe…)
- 10% VERBAL (→ 60% with Board Level)
60 seconds to break the ice – personal anecdote/compliment/question
Self-introduction – walk backwards starting today and highlighting milestones
S.T.A.R method answering questions – Situation Task Action Result
Engage in a dialogue – ‘pre-emptive strike’, ask ‘smart’ questions throughout the interview
Post-Interview: highlights, low lights, to dos
- Follow-up – inquiry, thank you note, reflection outcome, etc.
- Prepare yourself for any outcome – reflect, conclude, distract
- Don’t lose perspective – all the effort you put in this time is setting yourself up for your next time
- Wait & have a cup of tea 😉
Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.
Natalie has graciously shared her presentation with the IPWS community. You will not only find Natalie’s content on the “3 PILLARS OF SUCCESS”, but also the links to helpful resources that can help you to go through all 3 stages of interviews before – during – after successfully. Download the presentation here: November Thought Activator Women in Interviews
We hope that with this knowledge you will excel at your next interviews. We are wishing you all the best in landing your dream job or promotion!
Thank you to our wonderful venue for the evening, Funkadeli on Yanping Road.
A special thanks to our talented photographer Jenna. You can contact her on WeChat: jennaoh or visit her blog at shanghaista.com for more information and inspiration.
