How can your mentor help you ace your job interview?

Looking for a new job takes a lot of time and effort. It’s hard to muster up the energy to even consider shifting your career. A mentor can offer the most support if you come prepared to discuss the opportunity or employer. A first step I always advise when starting a job hunt: Define your why. It helps to focus on the end goal. Knowing what you ultimately want will mean you enter your search with exploration and empowerment in mind, not resentment or fear. Communicate your why to your mentor and allow them to help support your why throughout the process.

Mentors can also connect you to peers of the role you are looking to move into so you can understand the challenges better and the reality of job to be done as well as what the manger is like to work for, how does he /she treat his directs, does he promote their work etc. This will help you show up better and ask the right questions, always a good sign vs asking weak or irrelevant questions. They can also offer you invaluable insight into the challenges the manger faces and what is the perception of that team. Again allowing you to bring relevant solutions and supporting ideas to the hiring manager.

Nas minhas mentorias o que funciona muito bem é entender toda a trajetória profissional, sempre elencando os desafios e os resultados. Feito isso é necessário treinar as principais perguntas e se manter centrado. O autoconhecimento é essencial.

Mentors can provide the hiring manager's perspective on what they look out for when bringing someone in for specific roles. Their stories and questions will give you a more holistic perspective when preparing for an interview. Beyond that, mentors can also help highlight red flags and reduce your anxiety by giving you a stamp of confidence.

We are in the era of customization and personalization. The more you know the employer the more you can tailor your resume. Avoid being generic as much as possible. Understand why the need you in their team.

Practice. Practice. Practice! Out loud.... not in your head. Record if you can & review the game film when you aren't role playing. You'll have so much confidence in your answers when you already know the questions && your mentor validates a good response!

This is pretty straightforward. As the interviewee you want to feel free to ramble, mess up, go blank in these sessions. That way your mentor or coach can revisit these moments with you and calmly you can work out what it is you’re worrying about, or unclear about and strengthen that area.

Role playing is the obvious benefit of a mentor here. Playing devils advocate and giving you a hard time so you are prepared for anything.

Do mock interview. This is like a simulation of what you will expect during the main interview. The more you practice the more confident you will build toward your interview.

A good mentor can help you tell your story on a high level. While articulating your strengths in a way that shows you understand your own value. Mentors have likely been through a similar experience and will be able to give you insight into what it takes

In my experience, being prepared is key to highlighting your strengths. After you have gathered several relevant examples, trying role playing your answers aloud with your mentor or someone you trust. This is especially important for video interviews where your tone, eye contact, details and delivery are key to making your strengths stand out.

Helping a mentee position their weaknesses is key. Putting on a positive spin by reminding them or highlighting how they are working with you on improving or turning it into a strength or helping them analyse it through the lens of the potential employer.

People pleasers, and those who feel less than at times, beware of being too modest in your job interview. Too many of us hold ourselves back because we worry that we will inadvertently take credit for someone else’s work. Don’t worry about this. Recruiting managers understand people work in teams too, they get it. They are willing you to make the most of your work and achievements in the interview so they can give you an opportunity. If you struggle with this get a coach to work with you on how to internalise your own achievements and become a louder voice in the room. A major indication that you could do with support in this area is that you often feel like an outsider looking in.

You strength and weakness is important during the interview. So practicing real life application of your strength is very important. Also highlighting your weakness and showing ways you are working to make it your strength is important. It all about being comfortable talking about yourself.

One important way a mentor can help you cope with interview rejection is to frame the outcome in a constructive way. Each interview is a learning experience whether you get the job or not. No matter the result, each interview can be viewed as real life practice for the next round. A mentor can also help by reminding you that the experience is actually a two-way interview. During the process you want to make sure that it's a fit for you just as much as they are evaluating if it's a fit for them.

Anticipation can bring anxiety and fear or excitement.A mentor can help you stay calm so that you can be focus on the interview with the right frame of mind. A mentor will help you see that you not only looking for a job but the job should fit who you are. He should make you look less desperate. There will be either two options yes or no.

Post-interview follow-ups are a key differentiator; they reflect your engagement and respect for the interviewers’ time. A personalized thank-you note, referencing specifics from the conversation, adds a thoughtful touch. With an offer on the table, a mentor’s network and industry knowledge become invaluable, ensuring you make informed decisions. And should you decline, do so with promptness and courtesy—our industry is a small world, and professionalism leaves a lasting impression, keeping future doors open.

I have coached over 100+ candidates on Interview Preparation. My mentorship programs are hyper customized, designed to ensure that the candidates understands their potential. Here is an overview of what I cover :- - How to begin preparing for interviews as per the profile,organization & the industry - Review of LinkedIn profile & Resume so that the candidates understand their own work better. - Answering general & profile based questions, case/subject/technical interview questions - Level up the personality - Highlighting skills - Best practices to follow before, during & after the interview - Identifying the most common interview mistakes - Network with professionals and HR before & after interview - Practicing mock interviews

A mentor can guide you in the follow up process after the interview. Guiding you on perspective and approach to use for the follow up depending on your experience from the interview.

Have your mentor vouch for your skills, either directly to your hiring manager as your mentor (if they have that relationship) or indirectly by writing you a reference that you can use showing areas of growth and coaching.

Some organizations will offer a pre-interview tour or intro to the staff. This is deliberate and a great opportunity! As a hiring manager, I always speak to other members of the staff post interview about the candidate’s character. How talkative and personable was the candidate when they walked in and interacted with others? Everyone understands to get the job you need to put your best foot forward in the actual interview, but what I want to know is what was the candidate like when no one was looking? How you treat others is so incredibly important to whether they will be a fit or not.