career

BIGGEST INTERVIEWING MISTAKES OF SCHOOL LEADERS

I’ve coached hundreds of school leaders through their interviewing process and analyzed how and why they fell short. Let me share several of the most common mistakes interviewees make and how to begin to avoid these blunders.

  1. DON’T TALK TOO MUCH—most candidates just talk too much and talk themselves out of a job. Keep your answers to two minutes. If interviewers want more, they will ask you to elaborate. Avoid repeating yourself and going off on unrelated tangents. And make sure you answer the question.
  2. DON’T SOUND LIKE THE OTHER CANDIDATES—ninety percent of your interviews will begin with “Tell us about yourself”. Most interviewees respond by walking through the highlights of their resume. BORING! They’ve already reviewed your resume. Be different and stand out from the rest of the field. Introduce yourself in interesting ways. They want to know who you are and what you stand for.
  3. AVOID BUZZWORDS—education is filled with jargon and terminologies. Candidates think that by using big words they’ll sound more professional. Interviewing committees are made up of parents, staff members, and teachers. They are laymen and practitioners who may not be familiar with all the buzzwords, and will be put off by your highfalutin, pretentious vocabulary.
  4. DON’T COME OFF AS ARROGANT—successful candidates must come off as likeable. People are put off by an arrogant personality. Don’t be that someone who boasts and is full of himself. The opposite of boastful is modest, humble. Let your accomplishments speak for you.
  5. DON’T MIS-READ YOUR AUDIENCE—watch the body language of your audience, particularly nodding heads signaling approval and shaking of heads sideways indicating disapproval. If you sense negative reactions, then deftly clarify or re-direct your answer. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
  6. NEVER BE UNPREPARED—do your homework prior to the interview. Find out about the status of the district and the school. What are the demographics? What are the student achievement levels? What are their strengths and needs? What are their points of pride? A frequent question is “what do you know about us”? This is your opportunity to demonstrate that you’ve done your homework.
  7. DON’T BE A MISFIT—candidates who appear to be a “good fit” for the school-community get the job. Therefore, scope out the values of the community. Are they proud of their winning athletic teams? Do they tout their students’ academic successes? Do they authentically celebrate the diversity within their community? Do they take pride in the physical appearance of their facilities? Are there significant opportunities for community involvement? A good candidate must demonstrate that you resonate with those values and are a good fit.
  8. DON’T CREATE A STERILE IMAGE OF YOURSELF—those responsible for making personnel decisions crave candidates who excite them. They want to like you; trust you; relate to you; be comfortable with you. Therefore, your challenge is to present yourself not only professionally, but socially and emotionally. Authentically reveal yourself to them as a real person.

How you go about presenting yourself during interviews is complex and nuanced. You need strategies as to how to navigate this tricky terrain. It can years of trial and error, resulting in rejections, before you address these and other missteps. I know the terrain. Let me guide you as your coach.

TEN LESSONS LEARNED AFTER 15 YEARS OF COACHING SCHOOL LEADERSHIP CANDIDATES

Over the last 15 years, I have successfully coached more than 800 candidates seeking school leadership jobs. My work has focused on revising resumes and preparing for job interviews. Once my clients get their new positions, they sometimes reach out to me to get advice on the next step in their careers or how to deal with problems they might be facing in their new job. Looking back and reflecting on my experiences as a coach, I decided to share my “takeaways”, lessons learned, that might help candidates be more effective.

  1. GET INPUT ON YOUR RESUME AND INTERVIEWING STRATEGIES—your resume is a work in progress. Advice you get will be well-intentioned, however, the field of public education is unique. You need to get guidance from an experienced educator who has reviewed countless resumes and interviewed 1,000’s of candidates. Don’t waste years of job searching through trial and error trying to figure it out by yourself.
  2. CRAFT YOUR NARRATIVE—the first question you will probably be asked is: “Tell us about yourself”. In response, most all candidates review their work and educational experiences. After listening to a series of 15 to 20 candidates, interviewers grow weary –begins to sound the same. They’ve already reviewed your resume. So, craft and tell your story. They are dying to find a compelling candidate.
  3. BE AUTHENTIC—your story must be coherent, credible, and relatable. Be real. Present yourself as someone who shares their school-community’s values, and will easily fit in. Tell a short story about a success you had. Mention your own experiences growing up. Talk about your family.
  4. STICK TO 2 MINUTE RULE—most candidates talk too much. They meander and repeat themselves. They go off on tangents and don’t answer the question. Discipline yourself to limit your responses to two minutes. If the interviewers want to hear more, they will ask you to elaborate.
  5. QUANTIFY ACCOMPLISHMENTS—speak to your accomplishments, not your job description. Wherever possible, quantify the accomplishment. “The result of switching to the new approach to literacy, our school-wide achievement went up by 12% over three years”.
  6. BE INFORMED BY PREVIOUS QUESTIONS—take note of the topics of questioning as you go to the next rounds of interviewing. It is reasonable to anticipate that you will be asked similar questions in future rounds. It’s an opportunity to fine tune your answers.
  7. OFFER INSIGHTS INTO THEIR PROBLEMS—do your homework in researching what’s going on in the school and the district. Find out what kind of problems they are facing. Prepare answers that will address their problems.
  8. BE AWARE OF STEREOTYPING—unfortunately, we in education tend to stereotype educational work experiences. There is a strong tendency on the part of decision makers to take a negative view of school settings that are different from their own. For instance, leaders in affluent suburban districts are dismissive of candidates from big cities, parochial and private schools, charter schools, vocational and special needs schools. This practice is not limited to suburban schools; the opposite is valid as well.
  9. STEER CLEAR OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES & DISAGREEMENTS—interviewers can be confrontational, and questions concerning controversial social issues such as critical race theory or equity can be asked. Avoid taking the bait. Try to remain neutral.
  10. GET OBJECTIVE FEEDBACK—the need to get objective and candid feedback from an experienced coach cannot be over-stated. Every interview is a learning experience. You don’t have to be in it alone.

LET ME BE YOUR COACH. larryaronstein@yahoo.com

What Questions Should Candidates for School Leadership Positions Ask When Closing the Deal?

You have survived three rounds of interviews and are now down to one of three finalists. Your last stop is with the Superintendent of Schools and two of the Assistant Superintendents. You should predict that they are going to ask you, “Do you have any questions for us?” among other questions.

Be aware, their time is limited, and they will appreciate it if you limit yourself to no more than three questions. Nevertheless, the quality of your questions does make an impact and can be a game changer. Your goal is to impress them with your professionalism, thoughtfulness, and collegiality.

These are a few questions from which you might chose:

  1. What do you want me to accomplish by the end of the year that would result in you saying that I’ve been successful?
  2. Big picture, what is your vision for this district?
  3. In your opinion, what are the assets and the liabilities in coming into this position?
  4. What advice do you have for my success?

How do these questions reflect upon you as a candidate? I would conclude that you are (1) interested in being successful; (2) willing to fit into their leadership team and fulfill their goals; (3) thoughtful and curious about their current status; and (4)  eager to gain background knowledge and get off to an effective quick start.

Asking good open-ended questions also serves as a vehicle to extend the conversation. I suggest, you briefly comment on their responses in your attempt to extend the conversation. “I have some experience dealing with______.” “How much progress are you making in your ______ initiative?” “I’m very impressed with what you are saying about _______ because ________.”

At the conclusion of the interview, you should always ask: “When can I expect to hear back from you?”

YOUR SUCCESS DURING ALL PHASES OF THE INTERVIEWING PROCESS IS DEPENDENT UPON YOUR PREPARATION AND PERFORMANCE. LET ME BE YOUR COACH—WWW.LARRYARONSTEIN@YAHOO.COM

BEWARE OF FOLLOWING WELL INTENTIONED ADVICE

Remember the adage, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. After a 48-year career in public education, 40 as a school and district leader who interviewed thousands of candidates, I would like to believe I can speak with some authority about hiring educators. Lesson #1: Be careful about following advice from well-intentioned friends, family and colleagues. Here are a few examples of advice you should not follow, why not, and what you should do.

Seek advice from people who are successful in other fields—NO. Be selective about who may be assisting you. The world of education is quite different than the business world. Private business and public education are culturally worlds apart. Also, be cautious about following the advice of educators who do not have experience in screening and interviewing.  Work with a coach who is an experienced school leader. People who give you advice are certainly well meaning, however acting upon misguided advice can be a costly mistake in time and money.

Put together a standard resume—NO. Do not conform to standard formats. Go beyond what you learned in school. Highlight your special skills and accomplishments; your resume should not look like a job description. Do you have valuable life experiences? Are you fluent or proficient in foreign languages? Have you traveled extensively and developed a deep understanding of world cultures? Can you coach sports or have expertise to run extra-curricular activities?

Bring a Portfolio—NO. Your first screening interview usually will last 10 to 15 minutes. The interviewers are busy people. They will not have time to review your portfolio.

Apply and then wait patiently—NO. You need to be active; passivity doesn’t work. Networking is a key. Contact everyone you know who might have a connection into schools. You may get a courtesy interview—but be aware that it’s only a foot in the door.

Look for geographical regions that are hiring—YES. But be careful. There is a reason why some regions find it difficult to find good candidates. In addition, most of us are unable and unwilling to relocate. It’s difficult and lonely to go somewhere where you don’t know anyone. If you’re adventurous, or have friends or support systems in another region, then seriously consider it. However, anticipate that you may be in for culture shock.

Dr. Aronstein is a career coach who works with educators in preparing their resumes and preparing for interviews. For more information go to his website: www.larryaronstein.com

BEWARE OF FOLLOWING WELL-INTENTIONED ADVICE

Remember the adage, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. After a 48-year career in public education, 40 as a school and district leader who interviewed thousands of candidates, I would like to believe I can speak with some authority about hiring educators. Lesson #1: Be careful about following advice from well-intentioned friends, family and colleagues. Here are a few examples of advice you should not follow, why not, and what you should do.

Seek advice from people who are successful in other fields—NO. Be selective about who may be assisting you. The world of education is quite different than the business world. Private business and public education are culturally worlds apart. Also, be cautious about following the advice of educators who do not have experience in screening and interviewing.  Work with a coach who is an experienced school leader. People who give you advice are certainly well meaning, however acting upon misguided advice can be a costly mistake in time and money.

Put together a standard resume—NO. Do not conform to standard formats. Go beyond what you learned in school. Highlight your special skills and accomplishments; your resume should not look like a job description. Do you have valuable life experiences? Are you fluent or proficient in foreign languages? Have you traveled extensively and developed a deep understanding of world cultures? Can you coach sports or have expertise to run extra-curricular activities?

Bring a Portfolio—NO. Your first screening interview usually will last 10 to 15 minutes. The interviewers are busy people. They will not have time to review your portfolio.

Apply and then wait patiently—NO. You need to be active; passivity doesn’t work. Networking is a key. Contact everyone you know who might have a connection into schools. You may get a courtesy interview—but be aware that it’s only a foot in the door.

Look for geographical regions that are hiring—YES. But be careful. There is a reason why some regions find it difficult to find good candidates. In addition, most of us are unable and unwilling to relocate. It’s difficult and lonely to go somewhere where you don’t know anyone. If you’re adventurous, or have friends or support systems in another region, then seriously consider it. However, anticipate that you may be in for culture shock.

Dr. Aronstein is a career coach who works with educators in preparing their resumes and preparing for interviews. For more information go to his website: www.larryaronstein.com

WHAT DOES SCHOOL LEADERSHIP COACHING CONSIST OF?

Recently, a suburban school district posted an ad for an assistant principal. The district attracted more than 150 applicants, met with 18 for a screening interview, and then had a hiring committee interview 8 semi-finalists. At about the same time, the Kentucky Derby had 19 horses “Run for the Roses.” Those horses had the benefit of the best trainers in the world to prepare them. Trying to get a leadership job is very much like a horse race.

How much of an investment does a serious candidate make in just getting certified as a leader? There are application fees, tuition, books, commuting costs and time. That can easily add up to more than $20,000. Getting the job can get you a 10% raise in salary. Does spending a few hundred dollars for a coach make sense to you?

Being a well-prepared competitive candidate is the difference between playing a good game of checkers and being a fine chess player. A good coach will prepare you to hone your resume and cover letter; confidently present yourself during an interview; tell a compelling story about why you are the right match for the job; anticipate and prepare impressive and unique responses to interviewers’ questions; strategize your narrative; and how to read body language. Yes, coaching does work. Those who receive coaching and mentoring do so confidentially.

The right school leadership coach has walked the walk. He or she has a diverse and well-positioned network of former clients and colleagues; knows the schools and districts, and the inside stories of what they need and want. You will be guided on how to fashion your approach to the special needs and wants of the specific school and district. People who play horses get lots of tips—some good, some shaky. Practically everyone gets, and oftentimes uses, tips on how to invest, restaurants to dine, and places to shop. A tip, of course, is only an opinion. Most of us have been disappointed with tips. But good preparation goes far beyond informal “tips.” Good preparation often requires a good coach who teaches you actionable strategies based on thoughtful analysis of tried and tested practices in getting school leadership jobs.

A good coach or mentor gives you feedback on your interviews and assists you in closing the deal and negotiating your contract. The difference between a coach and a mentor is that coaches are experienced professionals, while mentors are well-intentioned friends and colleagues whose experiences and insights may be limited. Like any good service, you should not expect coaching to come free of charge; however, the cost of coaching is much more modest than you think. Getting a good leadership job is a lifetime gain that requires a modest short-term investment. But remember: the best investment you can ever make is in yourself. All of these “investments” increase your chances of winning that position. In some respects, it is a game of probability. All things being equal, my experience has taught me that the best prepared candidate has the best chance of landing that job.

         If you are serious about your future as a leader, then getting job coaching is a great investment. If you are not getting interviews, consider seeking feedback on your resume from someone who has done hiring. The purpose of your resume and cover letter is to get you an interview. If you happen to be getting interviews but are not moving along to the next step in the process, then you need help in interviewing strategies.

        You should feel comfortable in relating to a coach and sharing your life story, your strengths and self-perceived insecurities. A good coach will help you craft your message, teach you strategies, help build your self-confidence, give you model responses, role-play both sides of the table with you, and offer honest and constructive feedback. Coaching is, pure and simple, a vital critical investment you can make in yourself.

ARE YOU PREPARED TO BE A COMPETITIVE CANDIDATE?

Assume that you are a well-qualified applicant who is applying for a mid-level leadership position and are 1 out of a total of 150 applicants. Assume that there are 10 other candidates who are at least as equally qualified. Therefore, you need to be better prepared than the rest of the field in order to out-compete them. What must you know and do so you stand out from rest of the candidates? Consider the following:

  1. Do you know how to strategically organize and design a resume that gets the reviewers’ attention?
  2. Do you know how to differentiate yourself in your response to the inevitable question, “Tell us about yourself”?
  3. Do you know the best order in which to be interviewed and how to get, like in a horse race, the best “post position”?
  4. Do you know what to do in order to accurately anticipate most of the questions you’ll be asked?
  5. Do you know long to take in answering a question?
  6. Do you know how to read the “body language” of the interviewers?
  7. Do you know what questions to ask at the conclusion of your interview?
  8. Do you know how to frame a final statement at the conclusion of an interview?
  9. Do you have a strategy as to how to present yourself as someone who is likeable and a good fit for the school-community?
  10. Do you know how to adjust your interviewing approach as you move from screening to committee to leadership to Board interviews?
  11. Do you know how to create an entry plan in anticipation to getting the job, and how to go about creating your priorities?
  12. Do you know how to “close the deal” if you are a finalist”?
  13. Do you know how to negotiate the best deal for yourself if you’re offered the job?
  14. Do you how to make a good impression during your first 100 days?

There are many other things that you must know in order to be a highly competitive candidate. I have coached 100’s of my clients get their dream jobs. Let me help you, too.

SCHOOL LEADERS: ARE YOU HAVING SERIOUS ON-THE-JOB PROBLEMS?

Coaching school leaders goes way beyond revising your resume and preparing for job interviews. Are you prepared to successfully transition into your new position? Are you struggling, even as an experienced leader, with coping with on-going problems? Who do you turn to in order to get strategic advice regarding on-the -job problems and crises?  Do you need guidance in planning the steps for your future career development? Getting objective and confidential sage advice from a highly experienced career coach can be essential to keeping out of trouble and assuring your success. There is no one out there who can coach you with the degree of insight and compassion that I provide to my clients.

Here are a few scenarios of school leaders who needed career coaching:

  • Mr. Smith just started a new job as a principal. He had served successfully and enjoyed popularity in his old job as an assistant principal where he had also been previously teaching for seven years. His assistant principal, Laura, was the runner up for Smith’s new position. Smith has asked Laura for her help in filling him in on matters like procedural things, “how do you handle …”, or “give me some background on Mr. Jones”. Laura’s responses are vague and generic. Smith sometimes observes his secretary whispering to Laura and as he gets closer, they abruptly end their conversation. When he enters the teachers’ cafeteria, it goes silent. He is feeling isolated and unsupported.
  • Mrs. Green is finishing her second year as the district director of social studies. It is generally agreed that she has done a good job and succeeded in solving some difficult problems. Her supervisor just notified her that the superintendent is considering re-organizing the directors’ positions as a possible cost saving initiative and that her job may to eliminated, although no decisions have been made at this time.
  • Dr. White is in his third year as superintendent of schools. Of the 7-member Board who selected him, only three remain. The newer members oppose some of White’s decisions regarding issues such as policies on student use of cell phones, and embracing policies promoting DEI, among other issues. Although White has one and one-half years left on his contract, he feels that his time is running out.

On-the job problems and crises come in a wide variety of forms. School leaders often feel isolated and uncomfortable in sharing their problems with colleagues who may not be trustworthy or may judge them as being weak or incompetent. I suggest what you need is a highly experienced career coach who will maintain your confidentiality and provide you with well-thought out actionable advice.

CONTACT DR. LARRY ARONSTEIN at larryaronstein@yahoo.com, or text at 516-423-0240. Check out his website larryaronstein.com

The Interview Process in Four Stages: Making Adjustments

Most interview processes have four stages: the screening interview, a committee interview, a small group interview with some Central Office administrators, and an interview with the Superintendent which may include the Board. The nature of each step is different, calling for different interviewing strategies. How you make adjustments to your approach of interviewing at each stage of the process is critical to your success in getting to the next step. You can compare the four-step process to the four quarters of a football game. A successful team makes adjustments each quarter; that means they change their game plan.

In interviewing, each step is different with regard to the duration of the interview, the cast of characters you meet, the nature of the questions that are asked, the questions that you might ask, and what the interviewers are looking for.

Step 1–Screening interviews usually run 10 to 15 minutes. Typically, there are about three people who will be interviewing about 12 to 18 candidates. Let’s assume you are a candidate for an assistant principal position; you will probably meet the principal, an assistant principal and a teacher (usually an officer in the Teachers’ Union). Their goal is to get an impression of you to determine whether or not you’d be a good fit. Likely, they’ll probably ask you: “Tell us about yourself”; “What do you know about us?”; “Why do you want to be a leader?” They’ll only have time for about 4 or 5 questions.

Step 2–The committee interview team may vary in size from about 6 to 10, depending on the time of year. After schools close in late June, fewer teachers and parents are available. They will probably speak to 6 to 8 candidates for about 30 minutes each. Be prepared to wait because it’s difficult for a large group to stay on time. Oftentimes, the committee will receive a list of suggested questions, and each member will be asked to choose a question. The senior members usually will go last. Expect that they will turn up the heat by getting specific, following up on your previous answers, and picking over your resume. You should also be prepared to solve an open-ended scenario, or even role play how you’d deal with a challenging problem.

Step3–If you make it to the next step, they’ll be down to 3 or 4 candidates. Expect to meet with Central Office people for about 45 minutes. They will pick apart your resume and challenge your judgment. Example questions might include: “Why did you leave…?”; “How would you deal with a veteran teacher who is not responsive to your suggestions? “; “What if you disagree with your supervisor’s decision?”

Step 4–The final step may be with the Superintendent, or even the Board. I call this “closing the deal”. Don’t be surprised if the Superintendent does more of the talking. She/he may want to give you some background and share some of potential problems with which you’ll be faced. Try to make the interaction into more of a conversation rather than an interrogation. Expect that you’ll be asked about how you’d deal with these problems. They will probably ask you about how you spend your first two months on the job, and how you’d go about setting your priorities. Be prepared at the end of this interview to ask one or two of your questions of them. I also suggest that you prepare a closing statement.

Each step in the process has its own inherent challenges. You have to be prepared to make strategic adjustments. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of having a good coach along the way to help you strategize and make those adjustments. As any experienced football or basketball coach would tell you, don’t expect what works in the first quarter will necessarily work in the next quarter.

Dr. Aronstein is a career coach who assists his clients prepare for interviews and in the preparation of their resumes. Find out more about Larry Aronstein and read his blogs on http://www.Larryaronstein.com.

YOUR CANDIDACY: WHAT ARE THEY REALLY LOOKING FOR AND HOW DO YOU PRESENT YOURSELF?

As a candidate, everything you write and say contribute to building your narrative; the story you tell about yourself. This includes your resume and cover letter, how you present yourself in person or virtually, your answers to the interviewers’ questions, the questions you ask, your letters of reference, and what your references say about you. It’s about developing a picture of yourself, creating a chemistry, demonstrating you are a good match, an easy good fit for what they’re really looking for, and what their community wants.

Creating an attractive narrative requires many strategies for each unique position. However, the commonalities out-weigh the differences. Before describing some of the strategies that go into building your narrative, we first must understand what the interviewers are really looking for.

What They Really Want

  1. They want to know who you are, and what you’ve accomplished.
  2. They want to like you. Too often interviews are sterile; you must create an emotional and compelling context through your story telling.
  3. They want to be assured that you share their values and aspirations.
  4. They want to see that you look and act the role.
  5. They want to be sure that you’ll easily fit in and not cause conflict.
  6. You need to come across as humble, self-effacing, sincere, direct, plain spoken, good humored, and authentic.

If this is what the interviewers want, then how do you go about creating a narrative and presenting yourself as that candidate? What strategies should you employee?

Useful Strategies

  1. Find out everything you can about the school-community from a variety of sources. How many students do they have; what are the demographics; what are they proud of; who are their leaders; what is their reputation; what is their fiscal and physical status.
  2. Figure out what they really want you to do. Do not solely rely upon their job description—that’s what they think they want; it may not be what they really want. Do they want a change agent? Are they happy with their current status?
  3. What problems do they have? Speak to how you have addressed similar problems and solved them.
  4. Analyze your resume, particularly your accomplishments, and emphasize those aspects that they are looking for and that are consistent with their values as a community, and their needs. It is not enough to assert, “I’m creative and hardworking”. Provide specific and vivid examples of your accomplishments, both professional and personal. Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible.
  5. Elude to some personal information, which is not on your resume and which they can’t ask you about. If you are married and a parent, let them know. School people love family-oriented candidates who can relate to children and parents.

The tactics as to how you go about carrying out these strategies requires careful planning and practice. However, the reward of moving through the steps of your candidacy and winning the job will be worth all of the effort.

Dr. Larry Aronstein is an experienced career coach who assists school leaders, aspiring leaders, and teachers in their resume and interviewing preparation. Find out more at www.larryaronstein.com. Contact him at larryaronstein@yahoo.com

OVERCOMING NERVOUSNESS

“I get so nervous when I interview that I freeze.” For many of us, interviewing is an unfamiliar, somewhat intimidating, and uncomfortable experience. It is natural that interviewees feel nervous. There’s a lot at stake. You have invested a great deal of time, effort and money in trying to take the next step in your career. You’re walking into a room all alone to meet a group of strangers who are going to ask you difficult questions and make judgments whether they like you, if you’re a good fit, if you’re qualified and ready. Your feelings of rejection are real. So, what can you do to calm your nerves and be effective?

You should take some comfort in knowing that the interviewers who are seated across the table have also been on your side of the table and empathize with your nervousness. They will be quite forgiving of a shaky voice and a little perspiration. But how do you avoid being anxious and freezing? My formula for shedding your nervousness is:

(1) educate yourself about each step of the interview process so that there are no unnerving surprises;

(2) know exactly where you are going and how to get there to avoid running late and the stress that will be generated;

(3) be prepared by anticipating many of the questions and practicing your answers;

(4) learn how to read and respond to the interviewers’ body language and non-verb clues;

(5) find comfort in knowing that your knowledge and skillfulness are well-developed;

(6) stay out of “your own head” (how am I doing; are they liking me) and try to stay in the moment by just focusing on answering the question;

(7) direct your response to each individual around the table one at a time (avoid looking at the group as a whole);

(8) plant seeds in your answers that will lead the interviewers to ask a follow up question for which you will be well prepared, thus gaining some control over the direction of the course of the interview.

An analogous situation might serve to illustrate my approach. I must confess that sometimes I get anxious when I travel. I imagine that the taxi is going to drop me at the wrong terminal; the flight will be over-booked and I’ll get bumped; the plane will leave late and I’ll miss my connecting flight; upon arrival I’ll find that my hotel reservation was for last week and they are now all booked up. However, I’m happy to report that over time I have figured out ways to alleviate most of my anxieties. I take a page from my own formula by preparing myself. I familiarize myself in advance with my ticket which identifies the terminal; I book non-stop direct flights; I re-confirm my hotel reservation; I research alternative connections and nearby hotels in advance; and if unanticipated problems arise, I have copies of all the documentation and contact phone numbers—you get the idea.

A good coach will walk you through the interview process step-by-step. You will learn what forms of body language to look for and how you should respond verbally and non-verbally. You will analyze and practice answering the most often asked questions. I can confidently predict at least 60% of the questions you’ll be asked. You will role play and have a mock interview. You will report back to your coach as to your actual performance and get feedback on how you might make adjustments. You will find comfort and self-confidence in the knowledge that you are well prepared, and as a result your nervousness will be minimized.