Your 60 Second Sell is like your professional blueprint. It tells the interviewer everything they need to know about you. It’s brief, well laid out, and to the point.

One common pitfall for job candidates is ‘The Talking Head’: it’s the person who goes on, and on, and on (like a bad love-song) – loses focus, relevance and everyone’s attention – including that of even the most romantic, die-hard lover.

There’s nothing more annoying, or more ridiculed than a windbag. Instead of rambling and boring your potential employer, focus on communicating effectively. Tell a story in 60 seconds: talk about how you have overcome challenging situations and problem-solved with positive results. This will set a precedent – and show the interviewer how together and well prepared you are. Use that precious first minute to cut to the chase and land that job.

Another common pitfall is ‘the friendly faux-pas’: sometimes interviews happen in a casual setting. While this may put you at ease, many interviewees get too comfortable, and begin rambling or talking about too many personal things, or worse: they fall for the old “I think we’re becoming friends!” trap. If you’re looking for friendship, you’re looking in the wrong place. You’re there to talk about what you do best and what you can bring to this job.

A word of advice: start with “here’s what I was asked to do, here’s how I tackled it, and here’s what I learned and achieved.” No matter what, always keep it short and professional. And remember: it doesn’t matter how nice an interviewer may be – they’re not your friend – they’re your potential boss.

Use the power of focus. Focus will not only allow you to get your point across, but it will keep your answers sharp, clean and concise. It shows your interviewer that you understand the job, and you can get it done right, no matter how much pressure you’re under.

Don’t be a Talking Head! Use the 60 Second Sell and ‘get ahead’ instead. Want to know how?

Read the next interview coach article: Just You ‘Guesstimate’ a Minute!

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