Interview this week for a way up there senior role

[SupremeCommanderServalan]

So. After many years in a previous toxic workplace where I worked my arse off and became more and more stressed, I jumped ship this year and am in a new company in a role that is slightly more junior, with zero stress. But I am bored. Saw a role advertised recently, and reading the job ad, thought I might as well put in an application. For which I now have an interview next week.

Have been doing some prep for the interview today, and am only just realising just how senior the role is. I can only guess that I am being interviewed as an outlier to make up the numbers. I am already cringing at what the interview will be like.

Thoughts and prayers please.

Hey! People don’t get interviewed for senior roles “to make up the numbers”. You are being interviewed because they saw sufficient in your application to think that you might be a viable candidate for the role.
Give yourself a metaphorical kick in the pants and remind yourself that no man would have written this post. Prep for the interview and go out there and knock their socks off! You can do it!

What's the role, do you have the job description and can you provide an example for each of the key responsibilities?

Also, as someone who regularly hires people, we never interview to make up the numbers, we want the number of interviews to be as small as possible they are time consuming and honestly not very much fun to do. They use up time I could otherwise be using to do my job and mean I end up having to work late to get the BAU done.

So if you're through to interview then they see something in your CV that they want to explore.

Agreed.

Congratulations. They would not bother with the cost and time of interviewing you if they didn't think you would be capable of success in this role.

Take a few minutes out of your prep time to Google imposter syndrome.

One of the reasons for the gender pay gap is that men go for roles if they think they have 50% of the qualifications required while women only apply if they think they have more than 100% of what's required.

Have at it, you are going to be a great success whatever you do. Enjoy.

I think I need to take it seriously then, don't I? I just had this conversation with a woman I used to work with who rattled off a list of all the mediocre men that we both know who have done this role.

The thing is, I genuinely fulfil everything they asked for on the job ad - but not so much on the JD/person spec. Best case is the ad was worded around the strengths they are looking for.

Will keep you posted!

This happened to me! Thought I was applying for one particular role but then realised once I got through stages 1 and 2 what the role actually was! Convinced myself ahead of the formal interview that I’d never get it and then did! Go for it, you’ve got past the application part and you’ve stood out enough to be interviewed. We’ll done!

My advice for senior interviews, if you’d like some, is to demonstrate the impact of what you did.

Junior candidates will happily talk all day about what they did, senior candidates outline the problem, the tasks undertaken (or strategy set) and the business benefit/outcome.

We also look for candidates who are able to confidently and politely set the tone of the conversation, they are less passive than their junior counterparts.

Best of luck.

People do not get interviews to make up the numbers. Recruiting is a time consuming pain in the bum. You do not interview people you don't think can do the job!

Of course they are taking your application seriously!

Get cracking on the prep, and keep us posted how it goes. If you need any feedback, there's loads of us here who could help.

Bearing in mind I don't know what the role/industry is.

What you tend to find as roles become more senior they want you demonstrate the ability to think "strategically". By this they mean look at the bigger picture. In a Team lead type role you need to demonstrate that you can work with the team to bring about efficiency, get the best from your team, improve team quality.

In a more senior management role you need to demonstrate that you understand how the different teams can work together, where you could link to the Business strategic goals to drive revenue or growth, where there may be duplication across the broader organisation, what trends in your industry are and how they may influence the mid and long term direction that you need to take your teams in, who your competitors and customers are, what new demographics you need to try to appeal to. It's a broader view, you need to step back from the low level detail and allow others to take that on while you have a more high level view.

The presentation they have set me is to outline my strategy for the dept in the first year in post. So fairly straightforward stuff, I think.

Yeah that's a good solid task.

I like to use the Fix, Focus, Grow model

What are my quick win fixes I can deliver in the first 3 months

What will need a little more focus and involvement from other teams with a 6 month goal

What are the growth projects that may require investment and wider company involvement and will be 12 month goals. Things like aligning technology across all departments to reduce licensing costs, other more flexibility, drive efficiency, give transparency for data analysis...

I like your Fix, Focus, Grow model @CyberCritical

I'd also want to talk about People-related elements for example , the culture Id want to engender, based in the stated values of the organisation (you might be able to find this out on the corporate website) and how this would further the progress of the strategic objectives of the organisation.

maybe throw in a bit about Lean Thinking and Agile and how these skills can unlock capacity in the organisation.

Thanks everyone for your input. I did quite a bit of work on the presentation yesterday, but will need to review and refine it ahead of the interview.

Good luck OP! Do research the company, look at standard answers to interview questions in your sector and personalise those answers to you. Practise with a loved one a few times. Think about what you want to ask and what you will bring to the role. Take your passion and your genuine self belief and you will smash it!

Good luck! I did similar a couple of years ago and, despite a serious case of imposter syndrome in the beginning, it was the best move I could have made.

Best of luck!

Interview is this afternoon. I've been up since 3am refining my presentation, because my brain decided that was a good idea.

Heading to my day job soon, so hoping I won't be too knackered by the time I have to perform!

Good luck!

Good luck, you will be fine re lack of sleep the adrenaline will carry you through and maybe have a chocolate bar before you go in so you get that little sugar rush. My DH read somewhere that a high % of Olympic athletes struggle to sleep the night before the big event but then go out and win gold - so that's you today!

Hope it goes really well!

Caffeine and chocolate and I expect adrenaline will get you through. Good luck OP!

Good luck!

Good luck!