Interview Styles in Nashville

From the Examiner:

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Interviewing is often treated like a game - sometimes by the employer, sometimes by the candidates. This is not a disparaging statement as much as it is a conditional statement. If interviewers or interviewees are treating the interview as a game, then how does one win?

By knowing the rules, and playing better than the others.

Remember, all interview questions are attempting to find out one of three things:

A) Why does this candidate want the job?
B) Why should the company hire you?
C) What value do you add?

By knowing that, and by preparing on how to answer interview questions,  the candidate can play the interview game better than others. But first, the candidate must identify which type of game the interviewer is playing:

"American Idol"
Interviewers sometimes are simply looking for "red flags" on the candidate. Just like certain judges on America's favorite singing competition look for imperfection, some interviewers do the same. Give these interviewers little to pick on, and you'll do well.

Behavioral Interviews
The most fair, and most misunderstood of all interviewing techniques, the behavioral interview is designed to learn more about soft skills. Candidates do well to keep to the "STAR" format (Situation / Task - Action - Result). Prepare in advance with a few situations, and write out your answers, and you will find that all other interview questions become immensely easier.

"Get 'em talkin'"
Some interviewers are simply trying to learn about you, the candidate. They want to know what makes you tick, what ticks you off, and how they will be able to relate to you on a daily basis. While not as exact a science as a behavioral interview, this process is not to be underestimated in value. Keep the basic three questions in mind on each answer, and you will do well.

Canned Interviews.
Questions in a canned interview seem like they came out of a can. They are uniform in appearance to so many other questions out there, they generally require little or no thought to answer properly, and they generally provide little real insight on the candidate. Employers that use these a lot rarely find quality help, and often will seem bitter at the hiring experience as a whole. Some employers like answers that are "outside the box," other employers prefer the tried and true. Stick to tried and true answers, and try to show a likable personality, and you will have an edge.