One Tip that Wins Every Job Interview: Live Office Hours: Andrew LaCivita

Andrew LaCivita・2 minutes read

The key to acing job interviews is effective communication and addressing both past experiences and future plans to provide a complete picture to employers. Employers often speculate about a candidate's fit based on past stories, but candidates can control the interview narrative by showcasing their skills and experience through detailed storytelling.

Insights

  • Employers focus on past experiences in interviews, assuming they predict future behavior, but candidates should emphasize how they will operate in the employer's environment in the future to provide a complete picture.
  • When interviewing with higher-ups, prioritize discussing corporate strategy and revenue generation to align with their priorities and emphasize making their life easier by offloading tasks from their boss onto you.

Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free

Recent questions

  • How can I ace job interviews?

    By focusing on effective communication and addressing both past experiences and future plans, candidates can ensure they provide a complete picture to employers. It is essential to control the interview by discussing how you will operate in the employer's environment in the future, offering detailed examples of past experiences, and outlining step-by-step approaches to handling situations. Emphasizing storytelling during interviews and providing thorough responses can showcase your skills and experience effectively. Additionally, maintaining a distraction-free environment for phone interviews, establishing eye contact during video interviews, and aligning questions with the level of the interviewer can leave a positive impression.

  • What should I prioritize in interviews with higher-ups?

    When interviewing with higher-ups, it is crucial to focus on corporate strategy and how you can contribute to revenue generation. By emphasizing making the boss's life easier, showcasing an understanding of the company's direction, and offloading tasks from their boss onto you, you can demonstrate your value. Avoid asking role-specific questions and concentrate on broader company goals and strategies to align with the priorities of higher-ups effectively.

  • How can I recover from a bad interview answer?

    To recover from a bad interview answer, it is essential to explain any misunderstandings clearly and introduce new information that may strengthen your response. Acknowledge any missteps gracefully, offer additional insights or examples to clarify your point, and demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in addressing the interviewer's concerns. By showing resilience and the ability to recover from setbacks, you can leave a positive impression despite initial challenges during the interview.

  • What is the best approach to listing consulting experience on a resume?

    When listing consulting experience on a resume, it is advisable to aggregate responsibilities and highlight key areas such as sales, delivery, and infrastructure building. Mentioning notable clients or industries worked with can enhance the credibility of your consulting experience. Emphasize specific achievements, quantifiable results, and the impact of your contributions in each consulting role to provide a comprehensive overview of your capabilities to potential employers.

  • How can I combat ageism in job interviews?

    To combat ageism in job interviews, showcase your current knowledge, eagerness to learn, and relevance to the commercial industry by translating academic achievements into practical skills. Project energy, enthusiasm, and a willingness to adapt to new trends and technologies during interviews to dispel age biases. Research interviewers on platforms like LinkedIn beforehand, stay updated on industry trends, and engage with resources that offer guidance on navigating age discrimination effectively. By demonstrating your value, expertise, and commitment to continuous learning, you can overcome age-related challenges in the job market.

Related videos

Summary

00:00

Mastering Job Interviews: Past and Future Success

  • Andy is hosting live office hours about job interviews, focusing on a winning tip.
  • The key to acing job interviews is effective communication, not just qualifications.
  • Employers invite candidates for interviews because they are already deemed qualified.
  • Miscommunication is a common reason for failing job interviews.
  • Employers often ask questions about the past rather than the future.
  • Employers believe past performance predicts future behavior, which is a false assumption.
  • Candidates need to provide information on how they will operate in the employer's environment in the future.
  • Employers often speculate about a candidate's fit based on past stories without considering future capabilities.
  • Candidates should control the interview by addressing both past and future aspects of questions.
  • By discussing both past experiences and future plans, candidates can ensure they provide a complete picture to employers.

14:49

Mastering Interviews: Showcasing Skills with Stories

  • When discussing past experiences with potential employers, offer to share how you handled situations in the past and inquire about current or future scenarios they'd like you to address.
  • By providing detailed examples of how you would operate in their environment, you control the narrative and eliminate speculation about your capabilities.
  • If asked about handling a situation in their environment, outline your approach step by step and offer to share a similar past experience to demonstrate your expertise.
  • Focus on storytelling during interviews to give a comprehensive view of your abilities, especially in scenarios where you need to walk through a situation step by step.
  • Ensure your responses are detailed and thorough when telling a story, as these moments are crucial in showcasing your skills and experience.
  • If a potential employer declines further discussion on a topic, accept it and move on, recognizing that asking insightful questions can still leave a positive impression.
  • During phone interviews, ensure you are in a quiet, distraction-free environment to maintain focus and clarity.
  • For video interviews, maintain eye contact by looking at the camera rather than the screen to establish a connection with the interviewer.
  • When quantifying work experience on a resume, consider using daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly figures based on the nature of your role and the impact of your contributions.
  • Utilize a career profile at the top of your resume to aggregate and highlight key accomplishments, then break down specific figures and achievements in the professional experience section to provide a detailed overview of your capabilities.

30:48

"Strategic Focus in Interviews Boosts Success"

  • Higher-ups in a company prioritize corporate strategy and profit, especially in sales support roles.
  • When interviewing with higher-ups, focus on corporate strategy and how you can contribute to revenue generation.
  • Elevate your questions to align with the level of the person you're speaking to.
  • Emphasize making the boss's life easier by offloading tasks from their boss onto you.
  • Avoid asking role-specific questions to higher-ups; concentrate on the company's direction.
  • When choosing interview times, consider being first for a one-day process or last for a week-long process.
  • Being last in an interview allows you to inquire about other candidates and gather valuable information.
  • Always aim to recover from a bad interview answer by explaining a misunderstanding or introducing new information.
  • When listing consulting experience on a resume, aggregate responsibilities and highlight sales, delivery, and infrastructure building.
  • Consider mentioning notable clients or industries worked with, if possible, to enhance your consulting experience on the resume.

47:10

"Resume Tips: Prioritize Achievements, Not Titles"

  • Recruiters and HR professionals prioritize reputable company names over job titles on resumes.
  • Emphasize articulating responsibilities and achievements rather than job titles on resumes.
  • Applicant tracking systems focus more on keywords than job titles.
  • Use the Jobscan tool to match your resume with job descriptions effectively.
  • Age discrimination exists but is not as prevalent as perceived.
  • Overcome age biases in interviews by showcasing current knowledge and eagerness to learn.
  • Translate academic achievements into commercial industry relevance for job applications.
  • Include a professional resume layout with a separate attachment for extensive research or academic work.
  • Andrew advises against hiring resume writers and recommends self-writing with his guidance in the bootcamp.
  • Prioritize pursuing personal interests like drone pilot training over immediate job applications if desired.

01:03:04

"Job Interview Tips and Career Development Support"

  • The speaker emphasizes the importance of staying updated on industry trends and showcasing knowledge during interviews.
  • They mention a webinar offering a free booklet with tips on acing job interviews, including 43 variations of common questions.
  • The speaker promotes a job search boot camp with live sessions and on-demand versions, offering comprehensive career development support.
  • They highlight the availability of a special offer for the boot camp, providing significant discounts for interested individuals.
  • The speaker encourages viewers to engage with their content, offering resources like webinars, ebooks, and coaching sessions for career development.
  • They mention a video on age discrimination and advise on combating ageism in job interviews by projecting energy and checking out the video.
  • The speaker recommends researching interviewers on LinkedIn before interviews, emphasizing the importance of doing thorough homework.
  • They conclude by encouraging viewers to like, share, and engage with their content, offering opportunities for free resources like the Interview Intervention digital experience and a relaunched book.
Channel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatar

Try it yourself — It’s free.