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The Three Commandments of Interview Success

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Public speaking is one of the most important skills that job seekers can have, but you may not realize how closely linked public speaking is with interviewing. The Three Commandments of Public Speaking at the heart of my approach in The Best Public Speaking Book are directly applicable to interview success.

Here are the three commandments of public speaking along with their relevance to job interviewees:

1. Know Thy Material

As a speaker, knowing your material is important for at least two reasons. First, to the extent that you know what you’re talking about, and know you know what you’re talking about, you’ll be more comfortable. Second, truly knowing what you’re talking about entails being able to clearly explain it to your audience, increasing the likelihood that they’ll comprehend, retain and otherwise act on your message.

As an interviewee, these same reasons apply. To the extent that you know your craft, your experiences, yourself, and your target industry, you’ll be less nervous, and your interviewer will be much more impressed. Further, when this is the case you’ll actually have something important to say – why you’re the right person for the job – and be able to clearly convey it to your host.

2. Be Thyself

To the second commandment, being yourself as a public speaker entails adopting a style, demeanor, dress and delivery that’s consistent with the real you. This has two benefits as well. To the extent that you’re genuine, you’ll feel more confident, and therefore will be less nervous. It’s also the case that your audience will likely sense your sincerity, respect you for it, and as a result pay closer attention to your message.

When you’re authentic during an interview the same benefits apply: you’ll be less nervous, your audience will like and respect you more, and as a result will listen more intently (and with more of an open mind) to what you have to say – why you’re the right person for the job.

3. Practice

Last, practicing is key. The more times you rehearse anything, the more likely you are to execute well. And the key to optimizing your rehearsal time is to practice as you intend to perform.

As a speaker that means delivering your presentation, if at all possible, on site, dressed as you intend to dress come showtime, using the same props, mannerisms, style, notes, etc. As an interviewee, that means getting ahold of sample interview questions, dressing as you intend to dress the day of, sitting as you intend to sit, reading a question and answering it in the moment – just as you will when interviewing for real. Be sure to have your basic elevator speech – your personal/professional/why you’re awesome and the right person for the job story in 90 seconds or less – down pat. But also practice reading and responding to fresh questions in the moment, embracing and pushing through that feeling of uncertainty and alarm when a tough question throws you for a loop. Take a breath, repeat the question aloud to buy some time, then sketch, unpack and reiterate the best answer you can muster.

By knowing your material, being yourself and practicing, you’re not guaranteed to land the job. But you are guaranteed to come across as much more intelligent, prepared and professional, and as a result will have a better chance of getting hired.

By Dr. Matt Deaton, author of “The Best Public Speaking Book

Dr. Deaton is a workforce planning consultant, high school ethics bowl organizer, former university lecturer, and a public speaking coach and author. Connect with him at LinkedIn.com/mattdeaton, find his The Best Public Speaking Book on Amazon here, or download chapter two “Conquering Nervousness” for free at www.BestPublicSpeakingBook.com.


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