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If you want to land a new role, you’ve got to deal successfully with the Q&A portion of the job interview. Fumble in responding to a question or offer a garbled answer, and you could miss out on that next dream role. That’s why it’s such a good idea to do your research and prepare a set of potential answers in advance. To do this, think of what questions could be asked and use the following template to build a set of answers. Having this four-step “H-I-R-E” template will also help you answer unexpected questions eloquently on the fly. (For a fuller discussion of this method, see my book The Job Seekers Script.) Step 1: HOOK Every answer should begin with a hook that provides a handshake and an introduction to whats to follow. First, take a moment to pause. This shows respect for the questioner and indicates that you are thinking about what was asked. And as you begin your answer, avoid some of the most common errors: Dont rush to answer. Rushing can make you look anxious or insecure. Doing so might also lead you to blurt out inappropriate or imprecise information. Skip that ever-so-common response: Thats a good question. You are not there to evaluate the interviewer. Youre there to answer the question. Avoid answers that begin with filler words like um, ah, or you know. They make you sound hesitant. A good hook responds positively and clearly to the question. You might say, Im glad you asked that. Or Thats something I have thought a lot about. Or if youre asked, Do you have experience with Al?your hook might simply be Yes, I do. Step 2: INSPIRE The main purpose of an answer is to inspire. Once youve reached out with your hook, get to your pointyour inspiring message. And make sure to cut to the chase. In a job interview, you might be asked to explain why youre the right person for this job. Your inspiring message could be: I have the experience you are looking for. Or your message might be even more specific: I have led teams in three separate organizations. Deliver that message with a strong voice. Your audience should hear your statement as one that you believe in. Step 3: REINFORCE Once you deliver your message, reinforce it with a series of supporting points. Choose one of the following patterns: The reasons that support your message. The ways your message can be proven. The situation and response that underlie your message. The chronological steps that prove your message. These proof points show that youve thought out your argument. For example, if the interviewer asks you why you feel ready for the advertised job, give the reasons you believe that you are a strong candidate. Or mention the ways you will contribute to that role. How many proof points will you want to have? Anywhere between two and four. Step 4: ENGAGE The final part of a great answer is engagement, or a call to action. This engagement points to next steps, or the steps you would like to take to fulfill or realize your message. Suppose you have said that you have the skills required to assume the leadership role youre discussing. You might end with, I look forward to the possibility of fulfilling this role. Or I am excited by the challenges this role represents and am confident I will be able to meet them. Ending with action gives your answer a path forward. Often, its also valuable to suggest next steps at the end of the interview. You might say, I am excited about this role and look forward to hearing from you. When can I expect that?
Category:
E-Commerce
Debate about whether artificial intelligence can replicate the intellectual labor of doctors, lawyers, or PhDs forgoes a deeper concern thats looming: Entire companiesnot just individual jobsmay be rendered obsolete by the accelerating pace of AI adoption. Reports suggesting OpenAI will charge $20,000 per month for agents trained at a PhD level spun up the ongoing debate about whose job is safe from AI and whose job is not. Ive not seen it be that impressive yet, but its likely not far off, James Villarrubia, head of digital innovation and AI at NASA CAS, told me. Sean McGregor, the founder of Responsible AI Collaborative who earned a PhD in computer science, pointed out how many jobs are about more than just a set of skills: Current AI technology is not sufficiently robust to allow unsupervised control of hazardous chemistry equipment, human experimentation, or other domains where human PhDs are currently required. The big reason I polled the audience on this one was because I wanted to broaden my perspective on what jobs would be eliminated. Instead, it changed my perspective. AI needs to outperform the system, not the role Suzanne Rabicoff, founder of the human agency think tank and fractional practice, The Pie Grower, gave me some reading assignments from her work, instead of a quote. Her work showed me that these times are unprecedented. But something clicked in my brain when she said in her writing that she liked the angle of more efficient companies rising instead of jobs being replaced at companies with a lot of tech and human capital debt. Her response to that statement? Exactly my bet. Sure, this is the first time that a robot is doing the homework for some college students. However, there is more precedent for robots moving market share than for replacing the same job function across a sector. Fortune 500 companiesespecially those bloated with legacy processes and redundant laborare always vulnerable to decline as newer, more nimble competitors rise. And not because any single job is replaced, but because the foundational economics of their business models no longer hold. AI doesnt need to outperform every employee to render an enterprise obsolete. It only needs to outperform the system. Case study: The auto industry Take, for example, the decline of American car manufacturers in the late 20th century. In the 1950s, American automakers had a stranglehold on the car industry, not unlike todays tech giants. In 1950, the U.S. produced about 75% of the world’s cars. But in the 1970s, Japanese automakers pioneered the use of robotics in auto manufacturing. These companies produced higher-quality vehicles at great value thanks to leaner operations that were also more precise. Firms like GM struggled to keep up, burdened by outdated factories and excessive human capital costsincluding bloated pensions. The seismic shift in the decades to follow paints a picture of what could be in store for large companies now. In 1960, the U.S. produced about 48% of the worlds cars, while Japan accounted for just 5%. By 1980, Japan had captured around 29% of the market, while the U.S. had fallen to 23%. Todays AI shakeup could look similar. Decades from now, we could look at Apple similarly to how we look at Ford now. AI startups with more agile structures are poised to eat market share. On top of that, startups can focus on solving specialized problems, sharpening their competitive edge. Will your company shrivel and die? The fallout has already begun. Gartner surveyed organizations in late 2023, finding that about half were developing their own AI tools. By the end of 2024, that dropped to 20%. As hype around generative AI cools, Gartner notes that many chief information officers are instead using outside vendorseither large language model providers or traditional software sellers with AI-enhanced offerings. In 2024, AI startups received nearly half of the $209 billion in global venture funding. If only 20% of legacy organizations currently feel confident competing with these upstarts, how many will feel that confidence as these startups mature? While headlines continue to fixate on whether AI can match PhD-level expertise, the deeper risk remains largely unspoken: Giant companies will shrivel and some may die. And when they do, your job is at risk whether you greet customers at the front desk or hold a PhD in an engineering discipline. But there are ways to stay afloat. One of the most impactful pieces of advice I ever received came from Jonathan Rosenberg, former SVP of products at Google and current advisor to Alphabet, when I visited the companys campus in college. You can’t just be great at what you do, you have to catch a great wave. Early people think it’s about the company, then the job, then the industry. It’s actually industry, company, job… So, how do you catch the AI wave? Ankur Patel, CEO of Multimodal, advises workers to learn how to do their current jobs using AI tools that enhance productivity. He also notes that soft skillsmobilizing people, building relationships, leading teamswill become increasingly valuable as AI takes over more technical or routine tasks. You cant have AI be a group leader or team leader, right? I just dont see that happening, even in the next generation forward, Patel said. So I think thats a huge opportunityto grow and learn from. The bottom line is this: Even if the AI wave doesnt replace you, it may replace the place you work. Will you get hit by the AI waveor will you catch it? George Kailas is CEO of Prospero.ai.
Category:
E-Commerce
Congratulations! Youve just closed a funding round or hit a major milestone in your companys journey. Now, its time to share this exciting moment with the world. As a founder or company leader, you know how important it is to communicate major news to investors, partners, customers, and other stakeholders. But the steps you take when developing your communications strategy can make or break its true impact. Here is your communications playbook for developing a well-planned strategy that ensures your next milestone attracts the attention of media, employees, partners, and those who matter most. 1. Establish your North Star. As a first order of business, you need to align internally on your goals for this announcement as they relate to your broader business priorities. Determining what success looks like from the beginning is the baseline for developing a strategy that will actually get you there. Theres often an inherent, unintentional disconnect in communications priorities and planning across teams no matter how big or small the company. Its important to ensure there is internal alignment, so everyone is working toward the same goalor often, goals (plural). 2. Tap your agency (or agencies) for help. Planning and timing are everything. The sooner you tap your communications agency to support you on this journey, the better. Remember: Most agencies have NDAs, so any confidential information pre-announcement should be secureand if you have doubts, its probably time to revisit that partnership. Best practice would be to update your agency as soon as possible to ensure proper planning, prep and media outreach. Realistically speaking, though, the right partner is there to support you, evenand especially!in a crunch. This is one of the many reasons why having the right agency partner is so important. You want to feel confident and secure in the choice youve made in an agency partner when youre heading into big moments. Remember, they do this often across multiple clients, and have the war stories to inform their suggested approach. 3. Nail down your narrative. Milestones are perfect opportunities to evaluate your current messaging and ensure it aligns with your evolving business and priorities. Take a moment to update any outdated messaging as part of your broader corporate narrative, and be sure to develop key talking points around this specific announcement. Leverage this moment to share how youve progressed as a company and tip your proverbial hat to the future. Also be mindful of the varied audiences youre trying to reach and tailor your talking points to those specific personas. “Funding announcements, in particular, validate everything you’ve told external audiencesaffirming the strength of your business model, the potential for future growth, and the unique value you bring to your industry, explains Dinh Lai, chief marketing officer at bolt[DA1] , a leading distribution platform for property and casualty insurance. They’re proof from a third party that has done the due diligence and, most importantly, backed you with their capital. 4. Develop your media strategy. A strong media strategy is the backbone of your announcement. Its important to work with your agency to determine which outlets and journalists are going to be most interested in this story and to develop a proper execution plan. Media relations, like much in life, is about balancing urgency with strategy. The more time you allow for proper outreach, the betterparticularly as newsrooms evolve and breaking news happens seemingly every second. If you have a compelling story to tell, aim for an exclusive. Exclusives give journalists a reason to prioritize your story by providing early access before the news is shared more broadly. However, you need to ensure youre giving reporters ample time to do their job. As part of your media strategy, dont forget to consider ways to get more mileage out of this moment. Leverage the announcement as an opportunity to nurture media relationships for the future and tie back to this milestone in future announcements. 5. Equip your spokespeople. Determine your spokespeople for the announcement and ensure they are aligned on key messaging, so everyone is telling a cohesive story. While consistency is important, it can also be powerful to include a variety of voices and incorporate unique experiences whenever possible. For example, funding announcements and major milestones are an opportunity for the founder or cofounders to share the journey that brought the company to where it is today, while the broader leadership team can speak to how they’re helping to shape its future. Similarly, enlisting partners, investors, or outside experts for third-party validation also can be a powerful addition to your narrative and help attract the attention of the mediaparticularly if youre aiming for an exclusive. 6. Leverage your teams network. Ensure you have a strategy for rolling out this news internally. While building excitement with your team can deepen the impact of your external communications, its important to take a balanced approach and avoid oversharing to safeguard against any confidential information being shared before your announcement. After the announcement is live, encourage your team and your broader network to help amplify the news and any resulting media coverage on social media. LinkedIn, for example, is a good connector and a cost-effective way to increase reach and engagement around big moments. Milestones are not only powerful externally, but they are also a source of pride and confidence internally. Maximize reach by bringing to bear your entire network, including investors and agency partners, Lai says. 7. Dont forget to celebrate. And finally, take the time to appreciate this milestone. Its easy to immediately shift your focus to whats next or how this announcement could have gone in a different direction. Save that for laterhindsight is 20/20. Acknowledge your wins and celebrate your progress as a team. After all, youve come so far! Grace Keith Rodriguez is CEO of Caliber Corporate Advisers.
Category:
E-Commerce
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