tips for a job promotion interview, please!

[mosaica]

Hi,

I've posted this in the Chat section but haven't had much response, I think this section is probably more appropriate.

So. I have this interview next week. I really want to get the job as it is a rare opportunity to get promoted in the area I like and I have expertise in. I think I stand a reasonably good chance as my profile fits the role requirements quite well, but other experienced colleagues have been shortlisted so I'm going to have to fight my corner.

I have to do a 10-min presentation on the challenges I anticipate for this position and how I would tackle them.Then there will be questions for a further 50 minutes.

How do you prepare for interviews and particularly, how do you psyche yourself up? Also, as this is quite a senior position, is there anything in particular you think I should keep in mind?

Any tips/advice will be most welcome. Thanks!!!

Be really thorough in your preparation. It's an exam and you're the subject.

For every point on the person spec / criteria / competences etc, ask yourself:

When have I done this / what experience do I have of this
AND
How would I do this in this role.

Preparing this means you will have answers to fall back on that can demonstrate all the experience you have that suits you for the role, as well as having answers ready that show how you have thought yourself into the new role.

It is really important to have thought of what the job will be like, and be able to describe yourself doing it so that they can "picture you in the role". If they can do this, you are most of the way there.

Don't plant any idea in their heads that this is a step-up for you. Or that you will be on a learning curve / find it challenging. It's OK that the job will present challenges, but you need to show just how geared up you are to tackle them.

Hope that helps, happy to suggest more specific things - I coach people on how to be interviewed.

Don't plant any idea in their heads that this is a step-up for you.
Fantastic advice from Luvvies there!

Dress like people in that role, talk like people in that role. If people in that role wear dark colours but you usually wear brights, wear something dark. If they all carry iPads round with them, see if you can borrow one. I know it sounds wanky but its about making it easy for them to see you in that position.

Personally I would think of some answers to likely questions and practice them out loud. Not to learn the answer by rote but so you get used to saying the words. Don't be afraid of pausing while you think of an answer, it can appear quite powerful (much more so than saying "er...it's kind of...er...").

Good luck!!!

Yes, definitely agree with practising out loud. Be prepared with all your best stuff to talk about, but don't shoehorn a good example into the wrong question.

If they use a "tell me about a time when you have... (insert competence)" approach, structure your answer using STAR
Situation
Task
Action
Result

i.e.
a very brief overview of the context
what the situation required you to do
what YOU actually did (again painting the picture with good descriptives so they can see you doing it)
what the result or impact was

Definitely prepare for "tell me a bit about yourself" "run through your current role" "talk me through your career" "why do you want this job". Interviewers mistakenly believe these are simple warm up questions, but candidates hate them.
Use this as an opportunity to give a pen portrait of yourself that highlights RELEVANT things for the new role.

Also prepare for the "what are your weaknesses" question. Rubbish question IMO but it gets asked.
2 ways to answer it.
1 - If you have the balls, come up with something that is actually a strength, but taken too far becomes a weakness.
"I'm really detail conscious and sometimes I need to step back to avoid becoming too engrossed. I get around this by thinking carefully about who I can delegate the detailed work to"
2 - describe something that is a development need rather than a fundamental flaw "well, for this role, I would need to develop my knowledge of xyz process"

On the dress / personal presentation side, definitely mirror what people at that level tend to wear - if in doubt go smarter than you think is required. But something that is really comfortable too, not clothing that you have to fiddle with and adjust.

What else?

Great tips here, thanks, please keep them coming!