Here’s how I did.
So I’m sitting in this huge room interviewing with the Cleveland Cavaliers . . . I couldn’t tell you specifically what they asked. Why? Because I was more concerned with landing that job and really didn’t have good responses to answer their questions. I was not prepared for what they were going to ask! Ninety minutes later, I knew that I bombed that interview. My gut told me so. I needed to know from the panel interviewer’s point of view what they thought, so I called Pam and asked for some feedback.
Pam immediately responded – honestly and frankly (which to this day, I so appreciated), “Michelle, you didn’t answer the questions!” I said to her, “what do you mean?” She explained, “when you were posed a question, you went on a tangent…and circled around the response they were looking for…you never came back to answer the question.” “Ah, I see,” I said disappointed. My nervousness, lack of preparation, and not responding and validating that I answered the questions thoroughly took me down the path of losing a missed opportunity.
My advice to those out there – heed it carefully. #1 – Be prepared. #2 – Listen carefully to what they’re asking you. #3 – Validate that you answered their question by saying, “did that answer your question?” Mind you, don’t ask that after every interview question, but keep your answers as succinct as possible. #4 – Think about the end result. Yes, you ultimately want that job, but don’t let pride get in the way of your success. I wanted that job so bad I could taste it and didn’t think that I wouldn’t get it. #5 – Lastly, just because there’s more than one person interviewing you, doesn’t mean you won’t succeed. Be calm, be yourself, and think of “conversing” with the panel. It’s hard not to be nervous, but the right balance of self-confidence (not haughtiness) will get you through to the next round.