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A (11:00)

The next thing that I'm going to suggest is that you try your very best to learn exactly what they're hiring for within the interview. And this is what I like to think of as the idea of like the role's hidden pain. Job descriptions are really sanitized, but behind every bullet point is something that the organization is actually trying to solve for. If the job description says they're looking for strong communication skills. It's likely because people keep misunderstanding things. If they ask for the ability to work cross functionally, that equals the teams don't talk to each other. Your job is to decode this by asking really thoughtful questions. What problem made you open this role? Where do people usually struggle? These are good examples of great questions. Now, I want you to turn all of the research into interview ammunition, because this is where most people stop. And top candidates, well, they go one step further. Top candidates turn the research into points of view and conversational topics during the interview process. Let me give you a little example. You could offer something like this. I noticed you're expanding into new categories. Usually that creates operational challenges around the calendar and around the approval process. And I've dealt with that. And then you're going to give an example. You say, I've dealt with that. And by working closely with X, Y and Z, I saw da da da da da. That's the way you do it. Or you say something like this. I saw you recently launched a solution for whatever it might be. At my last company, that stage was where retention becomes really fragile. So I'd be curious how you're thinking about that. Notice what you're doing here. You're already operating inside the business in your interview. This completely positions you differently. It positions you as a peer and not a hopeful applicant. And there is strong research that shows that interviewers rate candidates as more competent when they demonstrate a contextual understanding of the company's specific challenges. So try it. Do a little Emma practice in the mirror. You know how much I love to do that. It's not silly and it's definitely not overkill. It's actually trying. And everyone loves a tryer. Now, this type of behavior is going to demonstrate a lot of understanding, not over enthusiasm. Next thing is that I want to talk about you, your story and how to convey it in three parts. Now, so many people may have happened to me once or twice. They come in and they like trauma, dump their resume. And career girlies do not do that. Career girlies tell strategic stories. All your answers should kind of follow this flow. You give context, you show an action and then a result. That simple. Context, action, result. You give context, offer what you did and share the result. Don't say things like I was responsible for because it just registers weak. But rather, we had X problem, I did Y. And here's what changed. You got it. And you should really quantify when possible. Our revenue grew, costs dropped, time was saved, errors were reduced. Engagement increased. And if you don't know the exact numbers, you can just estimate. Because I'm telling you, a ballpark number is better than nothing. Saying improve significantly really means nothing. But if you say reduce turnaround time by 13%, then that really, really means something to people. Now, my darlings, the most powerful interview question. Almost every interview includes, tell me about a time that you failed. I'm guilty for that over here. But I love this question because it really sorts people into two distinct piles. Those that have a deep perspective on themselves and they care about progress, and those that are really dialing it in. Now, most people answer with weakness. They say, you know, I care too much or I'm a perfectionist. You stop. Just stop, stop, stop. Don't give those answers. Here is a real answer framework. This is time to grab your pens. One, you speak to a real mistake. Two, you offer what you learned and then you say how you changed your behavior. So let me give you another example. So you say something like this. Early in my career, I underestimated how much stakeholder alignment matters. I shipped something technically strong that no one adopted. Now I never without pressure testing with the people who will actually use it and use the work. My days, it's like this shows self awareness, accountability and growth. Those are like hiring gold standards. I'm falling in love with the person that tells me that. So think about a time when failure actually really happened for you. We all have those moments because hiring managers smell the truth. They seek out authenticity. And this framework offers all of that. So many of us struggle when it comes to talking about our weaknesses, and rightly so. It's hard and it takes a lot of guts. But the fact is we all have them. And it's way better to walk into an interview with an awareness of your weaknesses than trying to prove that you don't have any. Because it just isn't realistic. And as we've said already, people love honesty. It's one of the single most important qualities for anyone that I hire. Let me help you with how you can talk about weaknesses and without shrinking. Never, ever say I'm bad at. Say I'm actively improving. Never say I don't have experience in. Say I haven't done whatever directly yet, but I've done A and B, which all use the same underlying skill. You're mapping transferable skills. That's your job here. And that is executive level thinking. Now onto the good stuff. And my favorite subject of all, you know, this money. Now write in your notes. All in caps, ladies, because salary Confidence is a career multiplier. And we all have been in jobs and situations where we've been undervalued. And that has to stop right here. Women consistently undervalue themselves in compensation discussions. This is not an opinion, not an opinion of mine. Multiple labor economic studies shows that women are much less likely to negotiate and more likely to anchor low. There are many, many reason for this and we'll go into them when we cover negotiating later in this series. But there are a few basic rules that I want you to know right now that are super easy to adopt. Rule one, never ever give a single number. Always give a range, and always tie it to market and value. So for example, when you're asked your salary expectations, here's what you say. Based on market data and the scope of this role, I'm targeting between 170 and $185,000, depending on total compensation and the growth path. You see what we did there? Calm, neutral, no apology. You're not asking, you're stating. And then you go silent, completely silent. Don't fill the space, don't backtrack, don't do nothing. Just leave some space and smile with your eyes, not your teeth. Usually at the end of an interview, you're asked if you've got any questions and you're. You always, always, always need questions. If somebody answers no, I think you covered it all during the interview. I'm like, you are lazy and even if you don't have a question, ask a question. You have to signal interest and curiosity and intelligence. So just ask a question. Your questions really should signal power. Don't ask. What's the culture like? Is this a fast paced environment? No, please don't do that. That feels lazy. Don't ask anything that sounds like you're optimizing for comfort. Over impact. Nothing about, about holiday entitlement. You haven't even got the job yet and you're thinking about a holiday. Please don't do that. Those are meaningless both to you and to the interviewer. Just don't do it. Power questions sound like this. They go like this. What does success look like in the first six months of my employment? What are the biggest problems you need this role to solve right now? How are performance and promotional decisions made in this organization? What differentiates top performers from average performers here? How do you support growth for someone who's consistently performing at a high level? By the way, you're like, that's me. What tends to cause people to struggle or fail in this role? Is there anything else I can Help clarify. That would help you with your decision. I mean, these are the golden questions. Somebody asked me something like this. I'm already dying for them. I think you ask two to four questions max with your eyes on the time that's allotted for your interview. Don't be a time waster. But these questions do a couple of things. They make you look senior. They make you demonstrate. Demonstrate strategic curiosity. And they protect you from bad situations. Career goals. We optimize forward, not backwards. Right? You're going into the future. Moving into your future quite literally. So a couple of final things I want you to know. Your body language and your voice can signal authority. Research on communication shows that perceived confidence is driven heavily by slower speech, fewer filler words, upright posture and pauses, not volume and dominance. You should practice speaking slightly slower than feels natural. And silence after a question is okay. In fact, it's more than okay. It's optimal thinking is not a weakness. It makes you appear considered. And rushing gives all the wrong signs. So just don't do it. Now this last part, the post interview strategy. Always, always, always send a follow up. But not like thank you for your time. No, instead reference a business topic that you actually discussed. You could say I've been thinking about our conversation around onboarding friction and I'm excited by the opportunity to help streamline that process. You're reinforcing your value. Not just follow up politeness but like real understanding. And let me leave you with this. You are not lucky to be in the room. You earned your way into that room. And interviewing is not about convinc. You deserve a chance. It's about demonstrating. I solve a problem, I create value and I move things forward. That energy is magnetic. That energy gets offers. And honestly, that energy builds careers. And career girlies, they don't wait to be chosen. We choose ourselves. Stay tuned for next week where we'll be talking all things negotiation.

C (21:51)

If you're loving this podcast, be sure to click follow on your favorite listening platform. While you're there, give us a review and a five star rating and share an episode you loved with a friend.

A (21:59)

You'll be so grateful.

C (22:01)

Aspire with Emma Greed is presented by Audacy. I'm your host, Emma Greed, executive producer Ashley McShann, Derek Brown and me, our executive producers from Audacy. Leah Rhys Dennis, Asha Saludja, Lauren Legrasso Producer KK Sublime Stephen Key is our senior producer. Sound design and engineering by Bill Schultz Angela Peluso is our booker. Original music by Charles Black Video production by Evan Cox Kirk Courtney Andrew Steele and Carlos Delgado. Social media by Olivia Homan, Katherine Bale Special thanks to Brittany Smith, Sydney Ford,

A (22:37)

my teams at the Lead company and

C (22:39)

wme Maura Curran, Joseph Athena Francis, Hilary Schuff, Eric Donnelly, Kate Hutchinson, Rose Tim Meikol, Sean Cherry, and Lauren Vieira. If you have questions for me, you can DM me at Aspire with Emma Greed. Greed is spelled G r e D e. That's Aspire A s P I r e with Emma Greed. Or you can submit a question to

A (23:02)

me on my website.

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Emma Greed Me.