By Jean Baur
Lee Hecht Harrison
NFL Player Engagement Has a relationship with Lee Hecht Harrison, a talent solutions company focused on delivering Career Transition, Leadership Development, Career Development, and Change Management solutions. Through this relationship, current and former NFL players can receive one-on-one coaching sessions with Lee Hecht Harrison to help them put together resumes, practice interview techniques, learn the most effective methods for searching for jobs, and various other career development and transition skills.
In this article, Lee Hecht Harrison provides tips on how to prepare for an interview.
Being prepared for an interview is probably the most important factor in getting an offer. Part of being prepared is to practice talking about yourself, your skills and accomplishments and the value you offer. For many people, “rehearsing” for an interview feels awkward and they fail to devote themselves to the practice needed to improve. Fortunately, while networking, you have a lot of opportunities to practice presenting yourself. Here are a few tips:
- Attend professional associations and introduce yourself to at least three people you’ve never met before. Ask them about their backgrounds and they’ll ask you about yours. Tell them about your function or title, key competencies and an example of an accomplishment that illustrates where you excel.
- Set up networking meetings with people you don’t know. This is wonderful preparation for interviews. You want to perform at your best when meeting new people, but a networking meeting doesn’t carry the intense pressure of a real interview. You might select people who do what you do, people in a new industry you’re targeting, or others who have a strong network.
- Be videotaped or recorded responding to mock interview questions. You’ll have an opportunity to see how you look and hear how you sound when answering. You want to make sure that your voice and body language support your message about yourself. Ask for feedback, including: How did I sound? Did my gestures make the key points come alive? Did I provide strong proof of my abilities? Did I look professional?
- Whether you’re actively seeking a new position or currently working, interview readiness ensures you’re always making the best impression. All of us improve with practice, so look for those opportunities to “rehearse,” so that when you have that interview, you’ll be able to convey with confidence that you can do the job.
If you are a current or former NFL player who would like to take advantage of Lee Hecht Harrison’s services, contact your Director of Player Engagement or call the NFL Player Engagement department at 855-4PE-2472.
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