| Introduction | 1 |
| About This Book | 1 |
| Icons Used in This Book | 2 |
| Beyond the Book | 2 |
| Where To Go from Here | 2 |
| Part 1 | Learning to Ace Any Job Interview | 3 |
| Chapter 1 | Accelerating Your Career with interview Skills | 5 |
| Mastering the Simple Techniques to Ace Any Job Interview | 6 |
| Preparing for success | 6 |
| Projecting confidence | 7 |
| Being authentic | 9 |
| Understanding the interviewer's perspective | 10 |
| Embracing Interviewing as a Life Skill | 11 |
| Recognizing that job change is inevitable | 11 |
| Staying ready to seize opportunity | 12 |
| Bouncing back from layoffs | 12 |
| Leveling the playing field | 12 |
| Improving your hiring and mentoring skills | 13 |
| Gaining presentation confidence | 13 |
| Avoiding Common Mistakes | 14 |
| Skipping preparation | 14 |
| Lacking professionalism | 14 |
| Selling yourself short | 14 |
| Boring them with generic fluff | 15 |
| Going negative | 15 |
| Rambling | 15 |
| Dodging questions | 15 |
| Knowledge Is Power | 16 |
| Chapter 2 | Understanding the New World of Interviewing | 17 |
| Keeping Up with Trends and Technology | 18 |
| Looking at job market trends | 19 |
| Charting the rise of remote work | 22 |
| Focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion | 24 |
| Dealing with video interviews | 25 |
| Evaluating AI for screening | 26 |
| Keeping up with social media | 28 |
| Knowing Your Rights | 29 |
| Handling legal considerations | 29 |
| Dealing with discriminatory questions | 31 |
| Accommodating candidates with disabilities | 32 |
| Dissecting the Interview/Hiring Cycle | 33 |
| Sourcing candidates | 34 |
| Resume screening | 34 |
| Screening interviews | 34 |
| Assessment | 35 |
| Conducting interviews with the hiring team | 36 |
| Making the hiring decision | 36 |
| Checking references and credentials and managing other red tape | 38 |
| Negotiating and accepting the offer | 39 |
| Onboarding | 40 |
| Following the New Interview-Etiquette Rules | 41 |
| Rules to interview by | 41 |
| Working with recruiters | 45 |
| After the Interview | 48 |
| Sending a thank-you note | 49 |
| Writing an effective thank-you email | 49 |
| A thank-you email example | 50 |
| Dealing with the after-the-thank-you-email blues | 51 |
| Chapter 3 | Getting to Know the Players and the Rules | 53 |
| Assessing Your Interviewers | 54 |
| The screening recruiter | 54 |
| The hiring manager | 57 |
| The senior manager | 58 |
| The team member | 59 |
| The direct report | 60 |
| The bar raiser | 60 |
| Mastering the Various Interview Formats | 62 |
| Traditional one-on-one | 63 |
| Live on video | 64 |
| Prerecorded video | 72 |
| Phone interview | 75 |
| Panel interview | 76 |
| Group interview | 79 |
| Case interview | 80 |
| Informational interview | 82 |
| Internal interview | 84 |
| Part 2 | Using the Big Interview Approach to Interview Preparation | 87 |
| Chapter 4 | Understanding Your Mission | 89 |
| Knowing the requirements | 91 |
| Identifying the priorities | 92 |
| Spotting red flags | 94 |
| Evaluating Your Fit | 96 |
| Focusing on your strengths | 96 |
| Knowing your weaknesses | 97 |
| Researching the Opportunity | 98 |
| Learning about the organization | 99 |
| Getting to know your interviewers | 101 |
| Investigating the work environment | 102 |
| Researching salary ranges | 103 |
| Chapter 5 | Preparing to Impress | 105 |
| Anticipating Questions | 106 |
| Predict behavioral questions | 107 |
| Identify other critical questions | 108 |
| Drafting Your Speaking Points | 109 |
| Don't script it | 110 |
| Save time with frameworks | 110 |
| Practicing the Right Way | 111 |
| Recognizing the power of practice | 112 |
| Perfecting your practice | 112 |
| Learning to shift into Interview mode | 113 |
| Moving past self-consciousness | 114 |
| Gathering feedback | 115 |
| Staying fit | 116 |
| Chapter 6 | "Tell Me About Yourself' | 117 |
| Understanding Why They Ask | 118 |
| Creating Your Elevator Pitch | 119 |
| Benefitting from the Big Interview 3-Part Model | 120 |
| Part 1 | Who I am | 121 |
| Part 2 | Why I'm qualified | 121 |
| Part 3 | Why I'm here | 122 |
| Putting it all together | 122 |
| Avoiding Common Mistakes | 123 |
| Know what not to do | 123 |
| Keep it concise | 124 |
| Focus on what's relevant | 125 |
| Sell yourself | 126 |
| Be human | 127 |
| Practice | 127 |
| Sample Answers | 128 |
| New graduate | 128 |
| Career changer | 129 |
| Senior-level | 130 |
| Part 3 | Acing Common Questions | 133 |
| Chapter 7 | "Why Do You Want to Work Here?" | 135 |
| Understanding Why They Ask | 136 |
| Conveying Your Enthusiasm | 137 |
| Handling Special Challenges | 138 |
| When you're not sure | 138 |
| Exploring multiple options | 138 |
| Covering the Two Key Factors in Any Terrific WDYWTWH Answer | 139 |
| Why this organization? | 139 |
| Why this role? | 142 |
| Chapter 8 | "What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?" | 145 |
| Understanding Why They Ask | 146 |
| Selling Your Strengths | 147 |
| Recognizing similar questions | 147 |
| The proof-point approach | 148 |
| Choosing your best strengths | 151 |
| Avoiding common mistakes | 151 |
| Sample answers: What are your strengths? | 152 |
| Addressing Weaknesses | 154 |
| Figuring out how to answer weakness questions | 154 |
| Avoiding red flags | 156 |
| Looking at Sample Questions and (Excellent) Sample Answers | 157 |
| Example 1: Delegation | 158 |
| Example 2: Too direct | 158 |
| Example 3: Public speaking | 159 |
| Chapter 9 | "Where Do You See Yourself In Five Years?" | 161 |
| Understanding Why They Ask | 161 |
| Discussing Your Career Goals | 163 |
| Keeping things general (for once) | 163 |
| Avoiding red flags | 164 |
| Sample Answers | 166 |
| Example 1: Building a career | 166 |
| Why I like it | 166 |
| Example 2: Learning and development | 166 |
| Why I like it | 166 |
| Chapter 10 | "Why Are You Looking for a New Role Now?" | 167 |
| Understanding Why They Ask | 167 |
| Accentuating the Positive | 168 |
| Answering the Question | 169 |
| Handling Common Challenges | 170 |
| When you're currently employed | 170 |
| When you're not employed | 171 |
| When you've been out of work for a while | 172 |
| Sample Answers to "Why Are You Looking Now?" | 173 |
| Sample answer 1: Seeking a bigger role | 173 |
| Why I like it | 173 |
| Sample answer 2: Leaving after nine months | 173 |
| Why I like it | 174 |
| Sample answer 3: Layoff | 174 |
| Why I like it | 174 |
| Sample answer 4: Let go | 175 |
| Why I like it | 175 |
| Chapter 11 | Mastering Behavioral Questions | 177 |
| Understanding Behavioral Questions | 177 |
| Defining the "behavioral" in behavioral questions | 178 |
| Knowing why they're asked | 178 |
| Making behavioral questions work for you | 178 |
| Analyzing Common Behavioral Questions | 179 |
| Examples by competency area | 179 |
| Trending behavioral questions | 183 |
| Tricky behavioral questions | 184 |
| Preparing for Behavioral Questions | 184 |
| Introducing the STAR format | 184 |
| Crafting your greatest-hits stories with STAR | 185 |
| Taking a Closer Look at STAR Examples | 188 |
| STAR story example #1: Customer service hero | 188 |
| STAR story example #2: Leadership challenge | 190 |
| Chapter 12 | Answering Tricky Questions | 193 |
| Talking About Resume Red Flags | 194 |
| Explaining gaps | 194 |
| Discussing job-hopping | 199 |
| Addressing unusual career moves | 202 |
| Remembering to practice | 203 |
| Fielding Questions About Compensation | 203 |
| Preparing for compensation questions | 203 |
| Talking strategically about money | 204 |
| Staying Cool When You Don't Know the Answer | 208 |
| Buy some time if you draw a blank | 208 |
| Reframe and redirect | 209 |
| Try the honest approach | 209 |
| Chapter 13 | Asking Smart Questions | 211 |
| Recognizing the Power of Good Questions | 212 |
| Asking (at least two) questions | 212 |
| Keeping a closing statement in mind | 213 |
| Preparing Informed Questions | 214 |
| Asking about the day-to-day work | 214 |
| Asking about priorities | 215 |
| Asking about challenges | 215 |
| Asking about work culture | 215 |
| Asking for their perspective | 216 |
| Avoiding the Wrong Questions | 216 |
| Don't lead with money or benefits | 217 |
| Don't be negative | 217 |
| Don't put them on the spot | 217 |
| Don't ask this question! | 218 |
| My Go-To Questions List | 219 |
| Questions to ask hiring managers | 219 |
| Questions to ask any interviewer | 220 |
| Part 4 | Pulling Everything Together | 221 |
| Chapter 14 | Your Interview Success Plan | 223 |
| Creating Your Prep Strategy | 224 |
| Step 1: Analyze the job description | 224 |
| Step 2: Research the company | 225 |
| Step 3: Anticipate questions | 225 |
| Step 4: Outline your bullet points | 228 |
| Step 5: Practice round 1 | 229 |
| Step 6: Refine and adjust | 230 |
| Step 7: Hold a dress rehearsal | 230 |
| Step 8: Step up on interview day | 231 |
| Step 9: Take a moment for post-interview analysis | 231 |
| Step 10: Follow up | 232 |
| Bonus step: Refresh the plan | 232 |
| Outlining Your Key Speaking Points | 232 |
| Focusing on "selling" yourself | 233 |
| Working on your bullet points | 236 |
| Practicing Like a Pro | 239 |
| Starting practice NOW - just do it! | 240 |
| Assessing how you come across on camera | 240 |
| Eliminating nervous habits | 241 |
| Reducing Interview Anxiety | 241 |
| Recognizing what's scary about a job interview | 242 |
| Preventing your nerves from becoming a problem | 242 |
| Curing interview anxiety | 243 |
| Preparing for curveballs | 246 |
| Chapter 15 | Mastering Nonverbal Communications | 249 |
| Dressing for the job You Want | 250 |
| General guidelines | 251 |
| Gender presentation | 253 |
| Improving Nonverbal Communications | 254 |
| The challenge of self-analysis | 255 |
| The value of practice | 256 |
| Making Eye Contact | 257 |
| Recognizing the importance of eye contact | 258 |
| Improving your eye contact | 260 |
| Editing Your Body Language | 262 |
| Posture | 262 |
| Facial expression | 265 |
| Fidgeting | 267 |
| Finding Your Voice | 268 |
| Pace | 269 |
| Filler words | 270 |
| Pauses | 272 |
| Tone and vocal variety | 272 |
| Chapter 16 | Overcoming Common Interview Challenges | 277 |
| "Help! My Interview Is Tomorrow and I Need to Prepare Quickly" | 278 |
| Brush up on best practices | 278 |
| Analyze your fit | 278 |
| Prepare for the most likely questions | 278 |
| "I Haven't Interviewed in Years and I'm Rusty" | 279 |
| Identify what's new | 280 |
| Ace common interview questions | 281 |
| Now, practice! | 282 |
| "I Hate Selling Myself" | 283 |
| "I Need to Convey 'Executive' Presence" | 283 |
| The three C's | 284 |
| Wardrobe | 284 |
| Body language | 285 |
| Vocal quality | 286 |
| Language | 286 |
| Answering key questions like a boss | 287 |
| Putting it all together | 288 |
| "I'm Changing Careers" | 288 |
| Grab them with 'Tell me about yourself' | 289 |
| Inspire them with "Why do you want to work here?" | 290 |
| Become an expert on the job description | 291 |
| Sell your strengths | 291 |
| Play defense on weaknesses | 291 |
| Show, don't tell | 292 |
| Show that you're committed | 293 |
| Make it stick with practice | 293 |
| "I Don't Have Much Real Experience" | 294 |
| Show your potential | 294 |
| Get creative with your examples | 295 |
| Practice | 296 |
| "I just Got Laid Off!" | 296 |
| Evaluate your options | 296 |
| Identify your resources | 297 |
| Update your resume and start your job search | 297 |
| Work on your interview skills | 298 |
| "English Isn't My First Language" | 298 |
| Challenge 1: Self promotion | 299 |
| Challenge 2: Speaking the same language | 299 |
| Challenge 3: Accent | 300 |
| Challenge 4: Nonverbal communications | 301 |
| Challenge 5: Confidence | 301 |
| Part 5 | The Part of Tens | 303 |
| Chapter 17 | Ten Interview Tips from Hiring Managers | 305 |
| "Never Lie to Me in An Interview!" | 305 |
| "Showing Up is Not Enough" | 307 |
| "Don't Trash-Talk Your Previous Boss" | 307 |
| "Tell Me What You (and You Alone) Actually Did" | 308 |
| "Always Follow Up" | 309 |
| "Don't Stop Looking" | 310 |
| "It's Okay to Negotiate" | 310 |
| "It's Okay to Be Quiet" | 311 |
| "Interview Them While They Interview You" | 312 |
| "Be Prepared, but Not Too Prepared" | 313 |
| Chapter 18 | Ten Red Flags You're Interviewing at a Toxic Workplace | 315 |
| They Say They're "Like a Family" | 316 |
| You Notice a "This Is Just How We Do It" Mentality | 316 |
| They Avoid Questions about Company Turnover | 317 |
| They're Confusing Company Culture with Benefits | 317 |
| They Immediately Dismiss Any Negotiation Attempts | 318 |
| They Ask Inappropriate Interview Questions | 318 |
| Your Future Manager Is "a Character" | 319 |
| They Trash-Talk Former Employees | 320 |
| They Don't Care to Answer Your Questions | 320 |
| They Take Pride in Their "Fast-Paced" and "Demanding" Environment | 321 |
| Chapter 19 | Ten Tips for Landing More Interviews | 323 |
| Invest Time In Analysis | 323 |
| Use a Targeted Strategy | 324 |
| Treat Your Job Search Like a Marketing Challenge | 324 |
| Pay Attention to Your Application Materials | 325 |
| Get Active on Linkedln | 326 |
| Invest Time in Networking | 327 |
| Start Doing Cold Outreach | 329 |
| Always Follow Up | 329 |
| Make Your Search Visible (If Possible) | 330 |
| Make Your Social Media Profiles Private | 330 |
| Index | 331 |
