Interview Guide

The Interview Preparation Guide: How to Prepare and Stand Out in a Job Interview

Most candidates do not adequately prepare for interviews. A lot of professionals take the attitude of “I am a polished executive. I am an expert in procurement & supply chain. Therefore, my expertise should carry me through the interview”. However, in our professional experience, very often it isn’t the best candidate that usually gets the job. It’s the candidate that was the best prepared. One mistake in the interview process can kill the candidate’s chances for the position. We have designed a comprehensive guide to prepare you for the interview and avoid the common mistakes made by candidates in this crucial part of the process.

Six Steps to Prepare for an InterviewDownload the Interview Prep Guide

  1. Preparing & Answering Interview Questions
  2. Energy & Enthusiasm
  3. Pace
  4. Addressing Weaknesses
  5. Asking Questions
  6. Interview Checklist

Four Action Items to Consider Before Your Interview Preparation Begins

  1. Why are you looking to leave your current company?
  2. Why are you interested in this role and our company?
  3. What strategic sourcing process do you follow?
  4. What are your salary expectations?

Now that the interview strategy has been defined, you need to prepare to use this strategy. A couple days before the interview, concentrate on your previous experience and come up with 4-5 projects you worked on that were complex and had good results. Once you have identified these 4-5 projects, go back and read any old documentation you have to re-familiarize yourself with them. Now that you know five complex projects in depth, you can tailor these projects to any behavioral question that is asked. In addition, you need to prepare for the standard interview questions and how to handle them. I recommend you write all the obvious questions on a piece of paper and write down your answer. By writing your answers you will internalize them and be able to easier recall them when the questions are asked in the interview.

Finally, it is important to remember that preparation is the key to getting past the crucial interview stage. Most top candidates make the horrible mistake of believing that their many years of experience is all they will need in order to excel in an interview. Looking past the interview process – perhaps the most important process in making a career move – is a mistake that has cost many “A” players from moving towards receiving an offer. Remember, in our professional experience, very often it isn’t the best candidate that usually gets the job; It’s the candidate that was the best prepared.