All the toes are pointing inwards.

It looks quite striking – like a synchronised swim for shoes.

The group have been instructed to select a pair and develop a character from the shoes;

How would they walk? 
How would they stand? 
What would their voice sound like? 
How do they feel about themselves?  Or the world?

This was an exercise for actors to help think about character development that starts on the outside with shoes and ends up on the inside – how they see their palace in the world.
It was so much fun to run this exercise and the results always blew me away.

When it comes to performing well at an interview it is always worthwhile spending some of your preparation time putting yourself in the shoes of your interviewer.

Take a moment to imagine that this is your opportunity to bring someone new into the business – what would you want to know about them?

Do they have the technical skills to do the job?  

Do they have the expertise and experience to carry out the job well?

Or do they have the attitude and have the ability to learn the skills needed to execute the job well?

Then what do you want to know about their personality?
 
What kind of work ethic do they have?

Would they fit into our company culture?  Or do they bring some much needed contrast to your culture?

What else do they bring that would enliven the company culture or team dynamic?

Why would you bother to do this?

So that when you answer questions during your interview you can answer your questions from these two perspectives; what I am technically capable of and what do I bring a human to this organisation?

Taking in account what you think the organisation is looking for too.  This is not to say you say what you think they want to hear, but having thought about what that organisation or team might need gives you a helpful framework to answer from your experience.

Organisations want technically competent people but more than that they want to hire people who are going to add to the organisation in bigger, more complex ways than pure technical skills.  Taking the time to think about this will really up the quality of your answers and help the interviews make good decisions about your suitability for the role.

So next time you are about to interview, put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer for a few minutes.  What would you ask yourself and why? Then frame your answers accordingly!

What is your best interview question for really getting to know your interviewee?

Would you like to nail your interview and land your dream role by being present, personable and persuasive?
If you want to book a coffee chat to discuss how you can be more present, personable and persuasive in an interview, then you can do that here.

If you are already sold on the idea then you can learn more about the programme  here.