Has this ever happened to you? You’ve planned to achieve a goal (SMART Goal and the works) and done the required actions.

You’ve reached milestones along the way and actually getting close to goal achievement only to fail at the last hurdle?

It happens.

I’ve seen this more times than I can remember when it comes to job hunting whether it’s been my experience or that of others.

And it’s confusing. Especially if you’re on a job hunt, passing all the rounds only to get stumped at the final interview.

The head-hunter tells you that the prospective employer liked you but there was another stronger candidate who got the prize trophy – the job offer and appointment letter.

That’s exactly what happened with a professional who contacted me on LinkedIn looking for answers for failed last round interviews.

In her case, it wasn’t a one off but a series of interviews for jobs where she appeared to be well-qualified and then losing out in the final round.

This lady is a complete stranger and I don’t know her which made it difficult to assess if she was doing something wrong or dig into the deeper issues.

Since she wasn’t interested in talking to me and was looking for a Band-Aid solution. She didn’t understand that there could be deeper issues or the fact that she was positioning herself as a commodity.

The only suggestions I could give her were to get feedback from the head-hunter who was sending her for interviews, reflect on what could be a common factor in all these failed interviews and fix it.

That seemed to be her quick fix solution and hopefully she’ll get the job next time round.

But there is more to nailing the final job interview in a market where there is no dearth of talent. One simply has to stand out from the noise at each step of the job hunt process starting right from the job application to the last round.

It requires shifts in behaviour and especially mind-set to emerge a winner.

If you too have had this experience, then this post is meant for you. I’m outlining a 4-step reverse goal setting process that will improve your chances of getting the job.

A different approach to goal achievement – Reverse Engineering

In goal setting, whether it’s for a new job or desired results, most of us normally begin building our plan from start to finish that would move us from Point A to Point B.

We set up the S.M.A.R.T Goal, outlining the steps we’d take as well as the date by which each step would need to be completed.

In essence we create a forward-looking plan.

With reverse goal setting or goal engineering, we aren’t simply reversing the direction of the plan but are adopting a different perspective to enable us to identify what it’s actually going to take to achieve our desired result.

Instead of looking at chronological steps first, we look at the activities we need to do and then put them in a chronological order.

It changes our perspective because we might discover there are steps where more effort or research is required in the goal achievement process.

This approach ties up with out of the box thinking and is a complementary resource to traditional goal setting because it provides us with more alternatives and a robust plan of action to achieve the end result.

There are different approaches to reverse goal setting depending upon the goal to be achieved.

It could be a case of outlining milestones that will lead to the final outcome or prioritizing activities and then taking action to achieve them.

Here’s how I would approach it using the example of performing well in the final interview round.

Step 1: Begin with the end in mind – what’s your ultimate goal?

This step is no different from the traditional goal planning method because in order to achieve a goal, we need to determine what our desired end result is.

We need to determine the outcome and a specific date of completion and then move to the second step.

In our final interview round example, we’d state our ultimate goal as

By X date, I will have an appointment letter for Y job.

Considering that we need to take into account factors that are outside our control or sphere of influence, let’s rephrase it to a more realistic goal

By X date, I will give an interview that makes me the most viable candidate for the job and the hiring company considers my candidature seriously.

Step 2: The Brain Dump

The next step is to get all the ideas that you have to achieve your goal down in writing and organize them.

Get a piece of paper and pen or open a document on your computer and set the timer for 15 minutes.

During these 15 minutes write down every idea you have to achieve the goal.

Don’t stop to consider if it’s a good idea or not or whether it’s a workable idea. That comes later. Right now, we need to brainstorm on what possible actions we can take to achieve our goal.

Now look at the list and sort out the activities that are doable and will help you get to your goal and those that while they sound good on paper are not feasible for the goal or not that important.

Make as good a note as you can about the time and resources you will need for each activity.

Transfer the doable ones which you think are important on a clean sheet of paper.

In our example the brainstorming ideas could include:

Read the papers for any news about the company

Find out more about the interviewing team

Get teeth cleaned by a dentist before final round so I have a shiny toothy smile (grooming for executive presence)

Research the company for details that I can use to show I’m aware about their corporate culture

What kind of questions can I be asked, how do I prepare for them?

How can I demonstrate Executive Presence? (The checklist and extra tips in the below freebie answers this question)

Step 3: Prioritize your activities

Armed with our list, the next step is to prioritize our activities and list them in the order that we need to achieve them.

Think about creating a starting outline to begin the sequencing.

Each of these activities might require being set up as mini-goals in which case, subject them to the SMART Goal layout. These will also become your milestones if required.

In our example, it would be the activities and things we need to do to prepare for the interview.

Step 4: Implementing our goal based strategy

We know our goal and priority of our activities. We also have timelines for each activity.

Ask yourself what top priority milestone or activity you need to accomplish, in order to achieve your ultimate goal. What do you have to do and by when, so that you’re in a position to reach your final objective.

It is much easier to create your calendar by working backwards – keeping the end in mind.

• Identify the date by which your goal should be completed.
• Identify the last step you must do before the goal’s due date.
• Identify the next to the last step; the third to the last, and continue until you finish putting all the steps in reverse order.

It’s possible that you might have to move the steps around until you create your final plan of action.

In our example, it is obviously to give an excellent final round interview that makes us the most viable candidate but we need to prepare for the final interview.

In the following section, I’m going to share 4 suggestions about the preparation for the final interview which should appear in your brainstorming step as well as in your implementation step.

4 Prep for Success Interview Questions you need to Nail

Position yourself apart from the crowd

This comes back to standing out from above the noise and being noticed by the interviewers as having something more to offer.

Considering everyone who has applied for the job had the same qualifications and those with better credentials and experience have also reached the final round, how will you position yourself?

The short answer is to avoid positioning yourself as a commodity but as a resource that will give the employer a high ROI.

Get clear on the message that you want to convey in the final round and the skills that you bring to the table that nobody else will.

Research and understand the problems that the prospective employer has and demonstrate your strengths  as well as  USP (Unique Selling Proposition) to solve those problems.

Get feedback and support from your head-hunter or referral source

I recommend preparing for the interview by checking in with the recruiter or referral about the nature of the interview. Ask for any specific information that can help you.

Every company conducts final interviews differently and it’s better to be prepared.

Will there be a personality assessment? A Group setting? Anything that you need to pay attention to?

Once you know you’ve made it to the final round, ask the recruiter questions like

What advice do you have for me going into the final interview?

Don’t get fobbed off with advice like be yourself. You need to know which strengths are to be highlighted as well as the interview format so you come in prepared.

Prepare for the cultural fit question

Cultural fit is an important factor nowadays and you might be asked this question.

It’s time to do some due diligence on the company and their culture.

Prepare for this question by reaching out to your network for people who know about the company.

Check them out on Google and LinkedIn for any information that can give you insights. (This blog post has more ideas for the due diligence sources)

Being technically competent for the job might not be enough.

Your answers should demonstrate your awareness about the company’s vision, mission and other information. Show how you would adapt quickly to the workplace.

How will you handle the compensation question?

This question often comes up at the final interview. You need to be prepared to answer it even if the recruiter has already shared the salary range.

Compensation is only one factor in changing jobs. Gain a handle on what you earn so you can provide it to the potential employer upfront when they ask about your Cost to Company (CTC). Many of the job adverts also talk in terms of CTC.

Your compensation is not just your salary but all the other benefits that you receive. Different companies have different compensation programs and some of them can be quite complicated.

Nevertheless, some idea is better than no idea. Some of the considerations include your base salary, band increments, bonus, employee stock options, restricted stock units, profit sharing distributions, overtime compensation, annual paid leave, medical leave, health insurance cover and other related insurance programs, car loans, car allowances, corporate credit card, superannuation, pension fund.

Research what compensation packages are offered in your industry for the position you are being interviewed for.

Nowadays, a Google search or looking at industry specific websites can provide you with the additional information.

Don’t worry if you don’t have an exact figure. You need to simply have a good figure to compare with any job that you decide to target or get interviewed for.

Also consider asking questions about the package that is being offered and be open to negotiation.

Your turn, how do you prepare for the final interview round?

Will your resume jump out at the Hiring Manager whose desk is already flooded with applications for that position?

Facts of life, for any given vacancy, there will always be lots of applicants and your first task if you really want to guarantee that you will get an invite for an interview is to get shortlisted –no easy task.

In my post 10 Tips guaranteed to make your Cold Call CV impress, I point out that 85% of Curriculum Vitaes never get read or even looked at. Given that most employers do not spend more than 2-3 minutes reading the CV, you need to make sure that your covering letter and Resume catch their attention right from the word “Go”.

One of the 10 tips I recommend is:

Put your career objectives or a career statement after your name and contact details. Your career objectives/statement should reflect what you intend to do with your career now and in the future, your career aspirations and level of ambition.

So I was surprised when I read a post a few weeks back which recommended job hunters to remove the Objectives paragraph entirely because the writer felt that in “most cases employees used the paragraph with 5 sentences of fluff which came off as delusions of grandeur.”

Was that true?

I admit that some people get the Objective Statement wrong but it still did not feel quite correct. And I reverted to a trusted Career Coaches Group back at LinkedIn for some consultation and confirmed that yes, the current trend is to use a summary or profile statement.

That being said, there are exceptions to the rule when using an Objective is a better choice.

The purpose of including an Objective in your Resume

In the past, most job seekers included a Career Objective on their Curriculum Vitae to let the recruiter or hiring manager know what type of a position they were looking for.

However, the current trend is towards indicating the value that you can offer to the prospective company and improve your chance of being invited for an interview by drafting this section to help an employer fill an open position rather than to tell them what you want.

There are exceptions to the rule of course and in some sectors and countries, job applicants are expected to include an objective.

Another exception would be if you are new to the workforce and do not have much work experience. In such a case, including an Objective with or without a professional summary is useful because you are telling the recruiter or hiring manager about the type of position that you are interested in.

If you are in such a situation, always remember to reword the Objective Statement to match the Job Title or position for which you are submitting your application. Generic objectives do not help your cause.

What about more experienced professionals?

Although the recent trend is to include a summary statement or professional profile in place of an objective, some professionals include both an objective and a summary tailored for the specific job that they are applying for.

This can be done in 2 ways. It depends on what you wish to highlight and which you feel will serve the purpose of helping you to position yourself better to get that coveted job interview invitation.

If your intention is to highlight key things that you want the recruiter or hiring manager to know about you, then a Career Profile which summarizes your experience and highlights specific skills or experience focusing on accomplishments that are relevant to the vacancy might be a good option.

On the other hand, if you want to place emphasis on your experience and skill sets that you believe you will need for the advertised job, then a Summary Statement highlighting the key points of your Curriculum Vitae in a short paragraph or bullet points would be a better fit.

How to position yourself and improve job interview chances 

This section is premium real estate when it comes to catching the recruiter’s attention and you need to apply your judgment on how to capitalize your 10 seconds of eyeball time.

Here are a few essential guidelines to keep in mind:

The decision to use an Objective Statement, Objective & Summary, a Career Profile or a Summary Statement will depend upon your work experience, the requirements of the position advertised, the norms of the relevant industry and what you believe will showcase you in the best light possible as a strong candidate.  I suggest you do your research about the prospective employer and industrial norms before you draft this section of your resume.

Read the job description carefully and focus on writing this section with the view of helping the prospective employer to short list you as a desired candidate. To achieve this, modify your objective or professional statements to fit in with the core requirements of the position. Make sure that you stay authentic otherwise your resume may still get binned!

Before drafting this section, brain storm and decide the most important idea about yourself that you want to convey in this section. Keep it brief and succinct – no 5 sentences of fluff.

Depending upon what you come up with, you can write a sentence or two about what value you can bring to the organization in that position or even a few bullet points that list your relevant skills and achievements that enable you to add value.

Are there any words that are relevant for the position that you are applying for, or any key words in that industry? Include these in your summary where relevant so that it jumps out at the hiring manager.

You may have the best resume in town for the job but a poorly formatted one with spelling mistakes is the best way to indicate that you are careless. Pay extra attention to this point.

You will find more pointers in the post Get your CV past the online gatekeeper .

Your turn now, which one of these statements do you use to position your resume for the job interview invite? Is it based on your industry, work experience or a tactic that works well for your goal? Do share in the comments box below!

PS. Need more guidance on filling out online job applications? Click on the ebook image and acquire your exclusive copy of this special report.

Written By: Vatsala Shukla