Congratulations! If you are reading this blog, you have been successful in the resume vetting process and are invited for a job interview. All the time and effort you invested into your resume has paid off. Now it is time to prepare for your in-person meeting. It is important to dedicate some careful planning and strategizing for your executive interview. Therefore, we would like to highlight four tips tailored specifically for an executive role.
Do your research
First and foremost, if you haven’t done so already, you must research the company. While it is expected for all candidates to understand the role, company, and industry, it is even more imperative for someone who is seeking to step into an executive role. Ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of the company. This should include their mission, challenges, accomplishments, values, and company culture. It is also a good idea to research industry trends to give you well-rounded information to draw from if needed. Having this expertise will demonstrate your understanding of the organization and will help to align your responses with their goals.
Demonstrate leadership
For executive positions, leadership has a significant impact on the success of your role. Therefore, you want to ensure you are prepared to provide concrete examples of how you have been a successful leader in previous positions. You can do so by communicating your leadership style, while also sharing proof of what you have done to help motivate employees or teams, how you have cultivated a positive work environment, and offer stories of how you have garnered results from your effective leadership.
Perfect your problem solving
As an executive, you will be faced with many complex and challenging issues where you will be required to make critical decisions, often under significant pressure. Prior to your interview, spend some time thinking about examples that you can speak about that showcase your problem-solving abilities as well as your decision-making skills. In doing so, be sure to use specifics. This can include how you assessed and approached a challenging situation, how you clearly identified a solution, and what you did to resolve the issue. Researching the organization will help, as it will enable you to offer your thoughts and suggestions in implementing effective strategies that can benefit the position for which you are applying.
Demonstrate relationship building
It is key to clearly communicate your ability to build relationships and successfully collaborate with others. When working in an executive role, you are expected to cultivate strong relationships throughout the company and outside business interests. Therefore, highlight your relationship skills, and use examples of how you have done this effectively across all levels in previous positions. From employees to stakeholders, you will want to have examples of cultivating relationships at the ready.
You should also consider a few thoughtful questions to ask the hiring manager(s) at the end of your interview. This could include questions regarding the future of the organization, challenges, or expectations. In doing this, it will help solidify your interest in the position, while also showing you have put time into preparing for the interview.
By following these tips, you will better position yourself as a strong candidate for the executive role. If you have questions about preparing for your executive interview, or your executive resume, please contact our team today.