Commanding Confidence: Interview Secrets for Aspiring Women Leaders
You’ve secured the interview — now what?
For ambitious women aiming for leadership roles, the job interview process can be daunting. Having hired executives for top companies like Amazon and Google, I know it can be hard to articulate your value to employers and show why you’re the right fit.
Landing that coveted leadership role requires more than just reciting past achievements; it demands a strategic alignment of your experiences with the company’s needs, understanding the flow of the job interview process, and fully engaging with it.
Much like learning the steps to a dance — once you’ve got the hang of it, you can make it look effortless without faking it or getting all worked up.
Expert Tips to Ace Your Next Job Interview
By now, you’ve likely had enough interviews to know that you need to do more than just answer questions to move on to the next one and ultimately cross the finish line. You need to get ready with the right tools and strategies to ace your next job interview. So let’s dive into some expert tips!
1. Connect Your Experiences to Company Needs
Remember, they’ve already seen your resume and looked at your LinkedIn profile. They know about your experience and achievements. So instead of focusing solely on your past accomplishments during the interview, find a way to tie your experiences and accomplishments to what the company needs. Paint the picture for them—what’s it like to have you lead their teams?
2. Identify Your Talking Points
Executive recruiters ask questions not just to learn about your insights, but also to understand your thought process, job commitment, and cultural fit. For instance, a question seemingly about time management could also be evaluating how well you handle pressure.
One way to prepare for these kinds of questions is to create your talking points. These are short sentences that are easy to memorize and act as prompts for answering anticipated interview questions.
You can start by choosing your work experiences or past achievements that directly align with the job description. Then, come up with anecdotes around those talking points and practice articulating them using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or SAR (Situation, Action, Result) framework—describe the situation or challenge you faced, the actions you took to address it, and the results or outcomes of your actions.
When you talk about a time you failed, always include what you learned from it. This shows how you view failure as a learning opportunity while demonstrating adaptability and resilience.
3. Prepare with Mock Interviews
Even the most seasoned professionals may encounter moments of self-doubt during interviews—sometimes your posture conveys a lack of confidence, your tone sounds unsure or hesitant, you trip over words, or you wish you had answered questions differently.
You might think you’re doing well, but one unexpected question can throw you off. This is why mock interviews are important to keep your composure even in those situations. You can practice with a friend or with a recruiter or expert who’s done tons of interviews and can provide constructive feedback to help you refine your responses and build confidence.
Do as many mock interviews as you need to boost your confidence!
Letting Go of Control: Embracing Ease
Finally, release the pressure of striving for perfection. You can’t control every question or what happens in the interview, so if you can relax about everything going perfectly, you’ll feel more at ease and in control.
Relax and trust in your preparation. This sense of ease and control will radiate during the interview, leaving a lasting impression.
Conclusion: Partnering with BossmakeHer
We understand the nuances of the interview process. At BossmakeHer, we have interview experts who can provide valuable feedback and support to refine your techniques. We also help you craft targeted talking points and articulate your career story for the leadership positions you want and deserve.
Ready to take the next step? Book a free discovery call with us to learn more about how BossmakeHer can empower you throughout your job search journey.
