Executive Interviewing Preparation Tips You'd Never Think Of (and Some You Might)

Are you preparing for an executive interview and seriously concerned that you won’t be ready when you sit across from the interviewer? This is a concern that many other executives have, no matter how many interviews they’ve been on (or have conducted). You’ve probably heard a ton of advice about ways to prepare for an interview, but just when you think you’ve heard it all, something jumps out that could actually work for you. So if you’re preparing for an interview, consider some of the following tips that you may never have thought of in a million years. Prepare in an Office Space While preparing for your interview, it doesn’t hurt to do so in a space that reminds you of a serious, office environment. For instance, if you have an office in your home, it’s good to organize your thoughts in this space. While there’s fundamentally no harm in doing so in front of the TV or while you’re watching the kids play, it’s often easier to place yourself in an interviewing “zone” if you’re in a quiet area reminiscent of an interviewing location. Rehearse in Front of a Mirror Another quirky, yet helpful, preparation tip is to consider rehearsing in front of a mirror. While you should have professional conversation down to a science, sometimes it’s good to be aware of the facial expressions you’re giving off, as well as how you hold your body during an interview. Often times, we don’t know what type of message we’re sending by the way we sit, hold our arms, or look at others. By practicing in front of the mirror, you could possibly fine-tune your reactions and even cure a few nervous ticks. Talk in Front of Your Kids A large aspect of interviewing at the executive level is being able to tell a good story about who you are and what you’ve accomplished while keeping the attention of everyone in the room. Everyone knows that children have the shortest attention spans in the world, so if you try to tell your “story” to your school-aged kids and they hurriedly get back to their toys, video games or TV show, you know that you may need to work harder on telling your story (and delivering it) in a more interesting fashion. Don’t Rely On Your Resume While you want to know what’s in your resume, executive biography and any other documents you’ve submitted, you don’t want the interviewer to feel as though you’re reading from them as you answer questions in your interview. If you do, the interview will not feel genuine. So as you practice, think about who you are, what you’ve accomplished, and what you’d like to accomplish on the job. You don’t need help to answer these questions if you answer them honestly, so do that and you’ll be fine. You know the basics of preparing for your interview, so it’s always good to learn about those tips that may be a bit more quirky but could still work. So if you’re preparing for your interview, don’t be shy about including some of these ideas in your process.