Do you have an upcoming job interview?
A job interview can be a high stakes, high stress situation.
In today’s episode, Lindsay talks to Rob Rudge from Energetic English.
He shares the three key things you can do to increase your chances of success in a job interview.
These tips will help you stand out from other candidates.
Rob Rudge
Rob is an EdTech entrepreneur specializing in business English content, courses, and training systems for non-native professionals.
He is a passionate entrepreneur with a sales and marketing edge.
His passion is helping businesses and individuals bridge the gap between native fluency and effective professional communication.
Rob shares that his main goal is to help non-native English speakers create more impact when communicating in English.
He has a podcast called The Business English Podcast.
Their episodes share key insights that can be immediately deployed in listeners professional lives.
The impact of job interviews
Lindsay asks Rob why he thinks job interviews are so tricky.
Rob answers that he personally thinks it is one of the final frontiers of the professional world.
There can be a lot of AI assistance out there for you to get noticed, but in a job interview you don’t have any help.
This can be a major inflection point in someone’s life.
An interview can have a profound effect on you.
Rob shares that prior planning and preparation prevents poor performance.
This is a philosophy he learned from Sun Tzu.
When you prepare for an interview, you increase the chances of landing the job.
Three tips to succeed in a job interview
Rob encourages you to take note of today’s tips so that you can wow your interviewer and land the job you want.
#1: Profiling
In this step, you have to profile the company and the role you’re interviewing for.
You have to check the past, present, and future of the company.
- How did they start?
- What are the projects they currently have?
- Where do they want to be in six months?
It is important to discover how you can be an enabler of their present and future.
You want to be the bridge and share the value you will bring to the table if they decide to hire you.
Learning about a company and articulating that in the interview shows you care enough to take time to research.
Lindsay asks how someone can go about this.
Rob advises that you should look beyond a company’s website and online platforms.
Look at adjacent companies within the industry and threats against that industry to understand the whole picture.
#2: Practice answers to common questions
Enter an interview prepared and with answers for common questions.
There are categories of questions that will be asked of you.
The interviewer can ask about your greatest achievements, challenges you’ve faced, and projects you may have spearheaded.
You can prepare relevant examples to share that will back up details in your CV.
It’s good to have foresight on what will be asked of you.
This way you can avoid a mental block when under the pressure of a job interview.
Research typical questions
Look into the typical questions asked in the field of the company you’re applying to.
Stay away from canned answers which will sound rehearsed.
Additionally, avoid giving negative answers.
When asked about your weaknesses, answer something that is both negative and positive.
It has to be an adaptive weakness.
For example, you can share that you are at times too much of a perfectionist.
You can share how this is a difficulty but how you use it to improve performance.
#3: Prepare questions
After the interviewer is done, always have questions prepared.
These questions need to show you’ve done your research about the company.
They should also show that you’re interested in personal development and the specific role.
The average interview is 30-45 minutes and time will be given at the end for you to raise your questions.
These questions demonstrate that you are paying attention and you care about the job and company.
Takeaway
Job interviews can be stressful, especially if you’re not using your native language.
You want to stand out and make sure you get your message across to the interviewer.
You also want to come prepared and maximize your time when sharing what you can bring to the company.
Always present yourself in an authentic way during a job interview.
Don’t give memorized answers.
Lastly, following the tips shared by Rob Rudge, which will put you in a powerful position to succeed and land the job you want.
For more resources from Rob, check out his website www.thebusinessenglishpodcast.com.
Do you have an upcoming job interview?
Share with us the tips you’ll implement from this episode.
Rob’s bio
Rob Rudge is an EdTech entrepreneur specialising in business English content, courses, and training systems for non-native professionals. As a passionate entrepreneur with a sales and marketing edge, Rob helps businesses and individuals bridge the gap between native fluency and effective professional communication for maximum impact.
