The Six Minute Interview! .
A job interview is a daunting prospect, even for the most confident of us.
It’s said to be the third thing people fear the most. The first being death and the second, public speaking.
While every second is critical, six minutes make all the difference.
The Beginning:
The First Impression which is difficult to change
The Persona you present:
The way you Appear
The way you Walk
The way you Talk
The way you make Eye Contact
The Way you Smile
The way you Shake hands
The energy and enthusiasm you display
The way you Treat People
The Values that come through your
Personality, which make people see you as a certain ‘kind of person’.
The most likely first question ‘Tell me Something about Yourself’ gives you the chance to tell your career story in a concise, focused and structured manner.
Connect your experience and skills to the role and display how you fit in the culture and mission of the company.
It’s in these First 3 minutes that you build rapport and make yourself likeable.
Tell a story the interviewer would like to hear and you have her hooked.
What about the Last 3 minutes?
The final moments are your critical last impression.
That’s what they’ll remember as they leave the interview.
Make your last impression a lasting one.
This is all about the quality of the questions you ask.
Prepare a list of 6/7 potential questions you can ask. Decide on 2/3 as the interview progresses.
This is your chance to showcase: -that you have researched the company thoroughly
– You resonate with its values and culture
– You are excited about the Company and the role.
Candidates who can make the most of these 6 minutes – the first 3 & last 3 are the Winners.
They’re the ones the interviewer will remember as they leave the interviews.
The psychological principle of Serial Position Effect comes into play here
We’re more likely to remember the first and last in a series.
The interview, like a conversation is a series.
The beginning and the end are the critical parts.
Make the most of them!
What other factors do you think are the critical to the decision process?
Do share your thoughts in the comments below.

Leave a comment