Canadian Government Executive - Volume 23 - Issue 08

20 / Canadian Government Executive // November 2017 Employment Conway Fraser Y ou could hear the oxygen leave the room after I asked the ques- tion. The man across the table went white, looked down and fumbled through his papers. A few other people in the room shuffled in their seats uncomfortably. I felt bad, but I was there to do a job; and, unfor- tunately, he drove into a brick wall. I was sitting on the selection committee for a company hiring an executive. The question I asked in this case was: “What’s your story and why should I care?” On the surface, it’s the easiest of ques- tions. It’s really just a variation on asking someone why he or she is the best person for a job. However, in the pressure of a job interview, unless well prepared and armed with communications skills, being asked a hard working open-ended ques- tion can often be a death shot for even the most experienced executive who knows their stuff. In most cases, this happens because of a lack of proper preparation. They’re nervous because, deep down, they know they haven’t prepared and have a fear of the unknown. 5 Things You’re DoingWrong In A Job Interview With that in mind, here are a few in- sights to get you thinking about your next interview and how to prepare for it: 1 Research Means More Than “Google” - Although most executive job interviews are behavioural in na- ture, that doesn’t mean you can’t come in loaded with information and context. Start this process right away. Hard work early will pay off later. You can’t develop your ‘main message’ without truly understand- ing the company/organization, the trends in its sector and the people who work there. Start with an online search for a strategic plan, audited financial statements, vision documents, organizational chart, news stories, etc. Absorb that information. Learn what their key internal phrases are and learn how to speak using their language. Mimicking the language and phraseology of your interviewers is an incredibly valu- able technique. Now, don’t just do online re- search. Nothing bothers me more than see- ing that the extent of someone’s research for an executive role was “Google”. Once you’ve done the online research, identify (from a communications pro)