Senior people need support too

Lately I have started to place a range of senior people, some of which – to my astonishment – have never signed up with a recruitment agency or even had an interview since they left University. This got me thinking that even the most senior people in business need some support when it comes to looking for new roles and preparing for that all important interview.

No matter how wise, experienced or senior you are, an interview is a very daunting thing. You may be used to conducting them regularly but when was the last time you were on the other side of the table?

I have come up with a few handy tips for those of you out there that might need a little guidance when it comes to preparing for your interview; even if (or perhaps especially if!) it is for the role of MD!

1.         Practise makes perfect – before you even enter the interview room you need to make sure you are fully prepared and that means practising your interview answers! I know that role play can feel a bit strange sometimes but making sure you act out the interview process with someone else beforehand is fundamental. As a recruiter we often do practise interviews with candidates and it is a great way for us to not only help the candidate prepare, but also for us to gain a deeper understanding of the candidate and  other roles for which you might be right.

2.         Keep a bank of examples – Senior people have many years’ worth of examples but under pressure it can be difficult to present the best to your prospective employer. Keep a bank of the best examples of how you have driven business growth, shown innovation or learnt from a particular situation and make sure you use the appropriate one for each individual business and role. This means doing your research!

3.       Structure the interview – Once you have done the prep and you have your bank of examples ready, it is time to provide a winning performance. I always tell my candidate to split the interview into three sections. 1. Start by asking some open questions. This allows you to delve deeper into the detail of the role, the business and its culture. You can also gain some pointers on what examples might work for later on in the interview. 2. Sell yourself. This is the time to share your examples and wow your prospective employer with your previous experience. And make sure you always share a story with a positive outcome, whether it be specific growth stats or a certain innovation showing how you have achieved something substantial. Give detail to make your example as tangible as possible. 3. Close the interview with some ‘to the point’ questions. Don’t be afraid to ask what reservations the interviewer may have about you and most importantly ask whether they will be considering you for the next stage. Or at the very least, when you will hear back. And if you are nervous about being so abrupt, do it with a smile. 

So if you are a senior person looking for a new role, remember; it’s ok to ask for support.