In today's competitive professional landscape, it's almost a guarantee that companies will interview multiple people for the same role. Thus, making a lasting impression is key to increasing the likelihood of being hired as a candidate.
Most interview prep focuses on skillfully answering behavioral questions asked during the interview itself, but we wanted to share an incredibly powerful interview tool that takes the form of a question you ask the interviewer. It's called the Robinson Close, and it looks like this:
At the end of the interview, the interviewer will most likely ask, "What, if any, questions do you have for me?" This is a great opportunity to be genuinely curious about any aspects of the job, role, or company you need more clarity on, but it's also a great opportunity to close out the interview in a strong fashion.
After you've asked clarification or curiosity questions about the role or company, and if it feels natural, you'll end your questions with, "What would you say are the top three traits of someone who is successful in this role?"
The interviewer will respond with three traits, say for example Leadership, Open Communication, and Curiosity
You'll then respond, "Great. I actually exemplify all three of those traits." You'll then go on to reiterate the trait given, and then provide context as to how you exemplify that characteristic. For example, "I am a Leader. In my last role, I led a team of contract workers in the visioning, management, and execution of multiple contracts for our Enterprise tier clients. I had to do XYZ in this role."
The Robinson Close can be a killer interview closer when done naturally and artfully. It's a great way to summarize and reiterate the fit you see between yourself and the role you're interviewing for, and it's not regularly done, so you will stand out amongst other.
A word of caution: Practice this close many times before the actual interview. It's a strong close, and if not done naturally can feel pushy or salesy.
Have you used this close before?
What do you see for yourself in trying this out?
CareerBloom Contributor: Hayden Humphrey
Hayden Humphrey is a professionally trained Success Coach, Speaker, and Workshop Facilitator, out to document and elevate the human experience.
As a Success Coach, Hayden works 1:1 with individuals who feel stuck or unfulfilled in life to help them redefine success and create lives they can be excited about every single day.
Outside of his private practice, he partners with organizations and teams to help them more effectively create, collaborate, and communicate through training workshops and speaking engagements. He lives in the Chicago area and is an avid improv enthusiast.