Making the move from middle management to executive-level roles takes business acumen and confidence. The key to standing out in an interview is to understand the perspective of recruiters, headhunters, and hiring managers. They need to be convinced that a candidate is the best person for a specific role in a clear and concise way. Follow these tips on how to ace an executive-level interview and confidently take the next career step.
Do Thorough Research
Preparing for an interview by learning as much as possible about the company is important. An executive-level interview requires the extra steps of knowing the company’s financial situation, challenges, and leaders’ backgrounds. Read up about the company in recent news releases and business journals, learn about top competitors, and determine where the company is over performing and underperforming.
Information about companies is considered public record and therefore accessible using a reliable database like GoLookUp. Users can access information about revenue, funding, industry, products, people, and news coverage on small, medium, and enterprise-level companies. A company search on GoLookUp is ready in minutes and provides reliable information that candidates can use to learn about a company.
Showing confident knowledge about the company not only demonstrates strong thinking but it also balances the power dynamic when a candidate can ask probing questions.
Show A Results-Driven Leadership Style
Executive-level candidates need to demonstrate concrete proof that they can deliver measurable results with a leadership style that fits the culture. Interviewers want to see candidates that can articulate their leadership philosophy and support it with real-life examples. Confidence comes from knowing what it takes to be successful in a role.
Prepare a few examples of past work experiences that emphasize key successes and practice articulating these examples using an Example, Result and In Hindsight technique. Craft a compelling story around the highlights of each career achievement to give answers more credibility.
Have An Executive Yet Candid Presence
Confident body language, speech patterns, and apparel help calm nerves. Practice power poses in the mirror, both sitting and standing. Strong body language can have a positive psychological impact on confidence. Sit with a relaxed but attentive posture to give an approachable and professional vibe.
Be conscious of speaking tone and pace. Nerves tend to make people tense up their vocal cords and speak in a higher-than-normal voice. Pay attention to breathing, speak at an even speed, and enunciate. Practice for the interview to gain confidence but remember to leave room to be candid. No one is perfect and it is okay to be honest about where there is room for professional growth in addition to highlighting strengths.
Hiring managers want to find a candidate with the right personality for the company. Make the interview personal by going in prepared and talk about them and use the company name. This sets a comfortable, real tone that the interviewer will likely mirror. Having a personal tone allows the executive candidate to imagine themselves working in that role.
Practice Beforehand
Candidates who do their due diligence and thoroughly prepare for an executive-level interview have a higher chance of getting the job. Executive recruiters have a wealth of knowledge about clients’ companies and cultures. Candidates should ask recruiters for prep calls to help prepare for the big interview.
A retained executive search firm like Gated Talent gives recruiters world-wide access to a highly-qualified candidate pool. Candidates can post their professional profiles and take advantage of Gated Talent’s LinkedIn Profile Optimization and Executive Resume Writing Services. Members will also benefit from career support services and webinars that offer the advantage needed to be noticed. When it comes to executive level job interviews, you need all the help you can get to land the c-suite job of your dreams!
