This is Part 3 of our 4 Part Series on Job Hunting:

•Part 1: the LinkedIn Power Profile vs the Resume;
•Part 2: Job Hunting vs Applying,
•Part 3: The Magic 4-Step Interview
•Part Four: Follow Up and Mindset

Here is what one person said going through this method:

“I had an opportunity to interview for a new position, and I have not been in the job market for a long time. I knew I was rusty, so I seek out Don for help. Don helped me put together a 'story line' that clearly laid out my professional life, and not just talking points. The story line is logically laid out, and truly afforded me the best vehicle to deliver the best of my professional and personal experience. I would strongly recommend Don Markland if you are looking for a career coach. I definitely would leverage Mr. Markland's services again.”

In a survey from FAST Company in 2019, they illustrated that more than half of all recruiters cite the number one trait they look for when finding a strong candidate is “high potential.” This includes problem-skills, the willingness to learn, and the ability to make decisions.

Further, Eric Wargo from Psychological Science.org suggests that people make their first impressions of you in the first seven seconds.

So now you’ve got some data. You have to demonstrate high potentional, problem-solving ability, a willing-ness to learn, and the ability to make decisions, all in the first seven seconds.

How do we do that?

Step #1 – The Meet and Greet

This is all about asserting dominance and demonstrating potential and letting them know you stand out from the crowd.

•Rule #1: Be the Alpha and be the First to Speak.

If you are walking into an office to meet an interviewer or joining a phone call, do not wait for them. Start the conversation first.

“Hi, this is Rebecca, right?” Demonstrate you want to own the conversation. Not in an aggressive way. But in a confident way.

•Rule #2: Speak with Confidence Always. Remember, you have a great story and and I tell my clients to imagine they have already won the interview. Imagine as if they already told you that you are hired but want to recap everything for documentation purposes. In this process, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

•Rule #3: Use a firm Handshake (or if over the phone), and demonstrate early and genuine gratitude:

“thank you for this opportunity. I’m really excited to share some thoughts and ideas about the [insert position] and see if this is the right fit.

This is already planting seeds that you feel good about the position and feel confident you can do the role. In addition, you want to learn from them about their ideas which demonstrates a willingness to learn as cited before.

Next, we will walk through your story.

The number one most commonly asked question in an interview according to multiple sites, and its how nearly every single interview starts out, is:

“Tell me about yourself.”

I’ve heard this question blundered and messed up so many times.

This question is gold! Which leads us into

Step #2 The Hero’s Journey

Before you get to the interview, you will know this “Tell me about yourself” question is coming, so I’d take time to prepare this part of the process.

Don’t give a long list, job by job, of what you’ve done. That is boring and exhausting.

Use the Hero’s Journey Method.

The Hero’s Journey should only take 3-4 minutes and should be a very tightly prepared script you’ve memorized. This is your story. You should know it by heart.

And remember, it’s stories that make us memorable. That’s what will connect them to you.

Next, we will move into what’s called the Lob & Volley portion of an interview.

Here is when interviewers ask you a series of questions about your experience and you respond with answers.

Step #3 Answer Problems with Stories

Remember this, stories are memorable. Answers are not. Every question, should have a story associated with it in some way.

For example, when they ask you about your experience with XX type of work, When asked, do have any experience with XX type of work? Your response could include, “Actually, that reminds me of how I used to work with…” and continue with the story. This gives you a chance to demonstrate who you solved problems or did something incredible.

Keep your stories focused on problem solving and under three minutes long. You will want to rehearse stories and have 5-6 stories prepared from your history that demonstrate a wide array of problem solving.

The Final Step #4 Is Asking Dynamic Questions. Be focused on the emotional ego of the interviewer not necessarily you getting answers.

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Don Markland is the CEO and owner of Accountability Now™, an Executive Coaching and Business Strategy company out of Jacksonville, Florida. As a Forbes.com contributor for Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Sales, he has over 20 years of experience in the world of sales, marketing, leadership and business growth.

Currently, he is leading the sales efforts for one of the most successful digital marketing agencies in the US, 411Locals. In addition to building businesses with clients, he was the Chief Revenue Officer for MoneySolver™, a private equity financial services company, where he lead the nationally recognized company of over 350 employees.

As CRO, Don has spearheaded the radical growth of MoneySolver™ where they have become the nationally recognized and largest Tax Resolution digital marketing financial services company in the U.S.

Prior to MoneySolver™, Don spent time as a Global Customer Care Executive for working with Amazon in Jamaica and Guatemala. He has also managed $100M Care Centers for State Farm Insurance, All State, and Geico. Don spent time in the startup world as an Owner and Chief Operating Officer for Launch Leads, a marketing startup in Salt Lake City, Utah where he helped them achieve record performance in both client and revenue growth and was named to Utah Business Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 for leading businesses executives in the entire state.

Prior to Launch Leads, Don spent the previous 12 years with Focus Services, helping them grow from $7M to over $45M, and into four different countries, in under five years.

Follow Don online at

www.accountabilitynow.net

@DonMarkland on Twitter

Executivecoach.don on Instagram

@DonMarkland on Facebook

linkedin.com/in/donmarkland on LinkedIn