Executive Interview Help
Discussion
I've worked for the same company for 15 years in a pretty wide variety of management roles. I was asked to apply (following a call with the MD) for an executive role in my area of expertise (but a completely different market sector).
I have been asked to go to interview with the recruitment company next week, and this will be my first interview for 12 years!
I'm pretty nervous, and will prepare my notes over the next few evenings - typically around real world evidence on the following questions:
Am I capable to meet or surpass expectations in the role
Why do I want to work in this sector and will I be passionate / promote the right behaviours with my team
Will I fit with the team culture / why will they want to work with me
I would appreciate any tips or pointers from either recruiters / employers of senior managers, I really believe I would be a good fit for this post!
I have been asked to go to interview with the recruitment company next week, and this will be my first interview for 12 years!
I'm pretty nervous, and will prepare my notes over the next few evenings - typically around real world evidence on the following questions:
Am I capable to meet or surpass expectations in the role
Why do I want to work in this sector and will I be passionate / promote the right behaviours with my team
Will I fit with the team culture / why will they want to work with me
I would appreciate any tips or pointers from either recruiters / employers of senior managers, I really believe I would be a good fit for this post!
[/quote]
Am I capable to meet or surpass expectations in the role
Why do I want to work in this sector and will I be passionate / promote the right behaviours with my team
Will I fit with the team culture / why will they want to work with me
[/quote]
In terms of the question set they should put to you; you're spot on! Whether they do or not is another question, so make sure you get those three points across regardless of the questions posed.
As to the rest of the prep for interview, there's an afternoon's work there around interview skills to go in as good as you could (dress/body language/pre interview research/interview day procedure etc, etc).
Good luck!
Have lots of examples of stuff you have done fresh in your mind. There will likely be some competancy questions. E.g. Give me an example of a time that you had to drive cost savings in your department? Then there will be probing questions if you don't give all the detail they want like; How much did you save? How did you maintain quality? What where the challenges?
Your answer should be structured, concise and not hypothetical, use the STAR model.
Situation - What was your role, company and the background to the story.
Task - What needed to be done
Action - What actions did you take
Result - What was the result
Your answer should be structured, concise and not hypothetical, use the STAR model.
Situation - What was your role, company and the background to the story.
Task - What needed to be done
Action - What actions did you take
Result - What was the result
Edited by Nick Grant on Friday 29th November 10:03
A bit harsh. I was in the same position, and asked a good friend who coaches execs for some advice. The STAR approach can be a bit long winded - she taught me the PAR technique:
Problem - what was the business problem
Action - what you did
Results - what was the outcome
WRITE DOWN some of these, so you have the examples of your success ready to go.
Plan the strengths/weaknesses question response too. Don't do the obvious weakness answers (I'm a perfectionist etc), but find something real. For example, "I can get very interested in the detail of a problem/design, and I deal with that by... for example..." - then into PAR again. My favourite: "I don't like conflict, so I work with colleagues in project situations with an evidence-based approach: - then into PAR on a particularly knotty project that I sorted out.
Problem - what was the business problem
Action - what you did
Results - what was the outcome
WRITE DOWN some of these, so you have the examples of your success ready to go.
Plan the strengths/weaknesses question response too. Don't do the obvious weakness answers (I'm a perfectionist etc), but find something real. For example, "I can get very interested in the detail of a problem/design, and I deal with that by... for example..." - then into PAR again. My favourite: "I don't like conflict, so I work with colleagues in project situations with an evidence-based approach: - then into PAR on a particularly knotty project that I sorted out.
Thanks for the responses. Deej, I'm not asking for help regarding the role expectations or being capable - I haven't interviewed for a very long time, so wanted tips on prep and arranging experiences.
I'm fine talking around what I do and what I've achieved, just looking for real world exerience with interview techniques.
I'm fine talking around what I do and what I've achieved, just looking for real world exerience with interview techniques.
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