A famous coach, of Green Bay Packer fame, spoke frankly when he said, "Perfect practice makes perfect." Mr. Lombardi's intent was CLEAR. He wanted his players to concentrate on PRACTICE, drilling on the "little things", the basics, so that they became instinct during the heat of real life. Such is productive mindset during any career transition, specifically related to your ability to answer questions effectively.
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Practice your two minute drill every chance you get.... its the fundamental building material of your communication strategy--your verbal collaterals!
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Practice your exit and qualification statements... most all potential employers and networking contacts will want to know your current situation and why you are available.
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Practice answering both common and tough questions... including pre-offer negotiation tactics.
Let's apply that perfectly practiced approach with the following guidelines to answering question effectively during career transition....
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ANSWER THE QUESTION... The implication, here, is that you have heard and fully understand the nature of the question. If this is true, simply answer the question in a straight forward, brief manner... and then stop talking! Often the challenges come in knowing when to stop talking. If the question is not clear, CLARIFY before answering. Q: What are your goals? A: I am quite motivated by goal-setting... Are you most interested in my personal or professional goals (a context issue)? Be prepared for the more common questions relative to your positioning ... the three most common are permutations of "Tell me about yourself."... "What is your current situation?" ... and, "What are your key strengths for this position?"
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LISTEN FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO INTEGRATE AND CONFIRM YOUR STRENGTHS... Your purpose is to drive home your communication strategy--that set of key words and strengths that define your "message." So, when a question is asked that relative to a job related strength, answer the question and confirm the strength by stating a behavioral example. For example, you are applying for a recruiting job with a major firm and are asked, Q: Have you ever conducted nationwide recruitment programs? A: Yes (the answer...now confirm it as a strength), while with Johnson Controls I conducted a needs analysis looking at least one year forward in the operational plans. I developed and implemented a recruitment strategy, unique for each of our operational centers... resulting in 80% cost-per-hire savings. Whenever possible, state actions and results as a value add to your purpose.
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AT LEAST ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF A QUESTION Before blocking, turning around, or in any other way changing the subject... Salary negotiation, illegal questions and other non-standard questions often call for extraordinary responses. Stay focused, get results... but never manipulate or deceive with your answer. Q: How much did you make in base salary last year? A: I am surprised the salary is an issue this early in our discussion of your opportunity... could you tell me more about...
Often you can build in credibility by talking about yourself as others see you, in the third person. "My customers have always valued my responsive problem-solving nature. Why, just last week...." -or- "I 've been complimented for my expertise in..."
"If you
practice the way you play, there shouldn't be any difference. That's why I practiced so hard.I wanted to be prepared for the game."
Michael Jordan (1963- )
American basketball player & business person
regarded by many as the greatest basketball
player who ever played the game
ANSWERING QUESTIONS EFFECTIVELY | Answering TOUGH Questions
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Bob Maher, CMF... The Careerpilot
Bob created his online presence, www.careerpilot.com, in 1994. He has over twenty years of successful experience in Corporate Recruitment, performance management and Career Management Services. He is an entrepreneur and innovator in the use of information technology in the recruitment and employment process. On the Founder's Council of the Association of Career Professionals - International and quite active in their Professional Development, Technology and Chapter Growth initiatives--a frequent speaker at industry conferences and seminars. Awarded the prestigious "LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD" in 2006.