Interviewing is hard work. I tell my clients, “You can prepare for 1,000 questions – and you will get asked question 1,001 – the one for which you did not prepare.”
Most of the hiring managers I have interviewed and spoken to about applicant interviews – they all tell me: “The applicants are not prepared, and it is obvious.”
One hiring manager was interviewing an early-career applicant. She could see he was nervous, and she decided to “break the ice” by asking him to tell her about himself. He asked, “What do you want to know?” She told me that because of his response, the interview was basically over. She assessed his response as unprepared, unwilling to engage, and uninterested in the process.
The hiring managers tell me that applicants do not do their homework:
- They are unaware of the company’s mission and vision
- They are unaware of the company’s competitors
- They are unaware of the company’s key leaders
- They sometimes do not even know for sure which company they are interviewing for
- They do not have a professional background during a Zoom or an asynchronous interview
- They do not present coherent responses – instead, they ramble and respond with 10+ minute stories that make no sense and have no tangible result
- They do not listen to the questions, and instead of answering a direct question, they answer using their rote memorized responses
Interview Coaching
As career coaches, we can help our clients navigate the interview process and progress through it effectively. Through interview coaching, I engage my clients in rigorous interview preparation and practice phases.
First, I ask them to prepare and write 12 accomplishment stories in the CPR (Context, Process, Results) format. These CPR stories position the client to respond to behavior-based questions. Most behavior-based questions are open-ended questions and begin with “describe a time, explain, or tell me about…”
These 12 stories will serve well for potentially dozens of questions.
For example, if the client prepares a story that says something like:
Context: As the estimator, engineer, and project manager for a small company specializing in the design and installation of customized commercial windows, aluminum doors, sliding glass doors, storefronts, and curtain wall systems, I collaborated with the owners and their representatives to develop the optimal system for their projects. I noticed that larger general contracting firms tended to obtain the contracts even if it was not their specialty. I decided to diversify our core business as a means of sustaining our operations and competing with larger contractors. I recommended to leadership that if we bid on smaller projects with smaller profit margins and diversified into other construction areas that were not our core business, we could increase revenue by bidding on lower-value, smaller projects. Management staff were only bidding on large projects as they believed it would bring higher profits, and they pushed back against my innovative concept.
Process: Taking action, I developed a plan that included bidding on smaller projects, utilizing a highly visible construction project as a pilot. I drafted a proposal to renovate and modernize a school for a contractor. I saw this as a long-term partnership and solution. We had a strong possibility of securing return business if we provided them with a competitive proposal and completed the project on budget and within their schedule. Leadership reluctantly approved my request, and I developed a proposal worth a total cost of $50,000 to furnish and install the windows. I led the project, selected the team, and trained them, and we completed the project on schedule, achieving the predicted small profit margin. The quality of the work we provided, along with the professionalism of the team, had the intended positive effect.
Results: As a result of my strategic plan, innovation, changing leadership’s mindset, and taking a risk on smaller projects, my company was awarded a “no-bid” contract with a contractor for a 10-year period. What began as a $ 50,000 project netted over $20 million in business across our core areas and the new, diversified construction areas, which I had predicted would be the future. Additionally, I was designated as the primary representative from my company. I provided them with proposals for all projects and was also selected to assist in developing solutions to address their construction challenges.
This story can then be used for many potential questions covering varied skill sets and competencies:
| Skill Set or Competency | Behavior-Based Question | Potential Response Based on the CPR Stories |
| Conflict Management: | Describe a conflict you addressed and how you resolved it. | Created a plan and influenced management to allow my plan to unfold by using a pilot program |
| Key Career Accomplishment: | Describe a significant career accomplishment. | Describe the story and highlight the multi-million-dollar revenue production for the company. |
| Team Leadership: | Describe your leadership/team leadership. | Selected a team for this vital project, trained the team, and motivated the project team to meet all milestones. Nominated them for monetary awards and professionally expanded the team to take on additional projects. |
| Project Management: | Describe a time you managed a project, the team, and the outcome. | Describe the entire story and focus on PM principles and methodologies. Describe the proposal development and pilot project. |
| Resource Management: | Give an example of managing resources and the outcome. | Tell the story and describe the management of money, expand on the budgeting aspect, and describe the talent management and training of the team. |
He can use this one story to answer questions about conflict management, project management, resource management, key accomplishments, team leadership, and more. If he uses the story and is asked another question where he knows he wants to use this story again, the client says, “As I described in my previous response, I also worked with _____________. Let me tell you more.” He spins the storyline to address the new question, focusing on a specific competency or skill set.
Each of the 12 stories a client develops will work within a grid, allowing the applicant to practice telling the stories and identifying which competencies and skill sets will work best based on the question posed by the interviewer. This process prevents the client from having to develop responses to 1,000 questions.
After my client has developed their stories and we refine them together, I engage the client in live/Zoom interview practice sessions, so they can become comfortable answering the questions and thinking about the questions posed.
I record the sessions, I time their responses (four to six-minute responses are plenty in most cases), and take copious notes. If a client lapses into responding to questions with answers like, “I am a hard worker and will make you successful,” I remind them to listen carefully to each question and respond with specific facts and stories of their accomplishments.
If a client veers off and jumbles a response, I coach them to review their CPR story and use the framework/grid to refocus their responses.
I always ask them, “What value does your response bring to the potential employer?”
This interviewing coaching process provides great confidence for my clients. I engage them in several interview coaching sessions to refine their experience and comfort with the interview process.
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