So, congratulations! You’ve come a long way in preparing the right paperwork, presentations, networking, and other procedures, and now you’re being invited to an interview. This process has taken a lot of time and effort, but how do you ensure it’s not all for nothing? Before interviewing for a corporate director position, you need to be aware of a few things because the interview is the last step to getting the coveted role. This article will look at the main points that will help you perform well in the discussion.
You are being watched
In fact, your interview begins before you even sit in the chair. You impact your first impression in front of the admissions committee at every stage of the hiring process. Even when you talk to a friend, colleague, or top executive on the current board, you are already showing all of your values and differences from other candidates that would help make you a candidate for an interview. This is what you should keep in mind and approach every step of the way in this way.
Don’t forget the specifics of your position
Despite the title “corporate director,” this position differs from a high-ranking executive one. As a board member, you are not responsible for managing the company’s processes; you act as a supervisor and direct all of your actions to protect the company’s interests, assess risks and deal with crises. You and your colleagues must participate in strategic discussions to initiate the company’s growth and development. To demonstrate understanding in your role for the company, you should become thoroughly familiar with the organization’s history, management, competitors, and industry trends. It is also worthwhile to research board best practices, be aware of current board meeting rules, and so on. You can get valuable information from the company’s official website, press releases, and analyst reports.
Evaluate the company’s culture and your compatibility
The board of directors needs to work as a cohesive unit. To do this, there must be healthy communication between colleagues. Since you will be spending time on the board for quite some time, you need to make sure that the office’s culture suits you. You should feel comfortable with the group of people interviewing you, don’t be afraid to ask counter questions to get a clearer picture of the board’s values and strategy, employee communication style, etc.
What to prepare for in the interview itself?
After the preliminary work has been done, it’s also worth noting a few tips that would allow you to prepare mentally and feel more confident:
- Be prepared to talk as an equal – the people who are interviewing you are your potential colleagues, and therefore its form will be in a “not-so-official-style,” you are not treated as a subordinate but as an equal
- Be prepared to discuss boardroom issues; they are likely to want to hear your perspective on your future work since this is something that you will have to deal with directly
- Be prepared to talk about your motives – questions such as “why do you want to serve on the board of directors” should not be confusing, it is an expected question, and even if it is not asked, you should prepare an answer, the main thing is to be relevant, concise, and thoughtful