There is a wealth of knowledge provided in this final episode of Awards Insider! With so much beneficial information previously shared concerning the written part of the submission, Chance and Miranda welcome Warwick Shanks into the studio to discuss preparation for the interview process. Warwick has been working for KPMG for over 25 years and is an active local community member of the Illawarra, having represented a wide range of community organisations on a variety of boards and committees. Most impressively, this is his 13th consecutive year as the Chair of Judges for the Illawarra Business Awards. Warwick certainly knows his stuff and he’s here to share it all with you today.
Outline of episode
- How to prepare for an interview with the judges
- Why it is essential to demonstrate your passion
- The importance of having a multitude of good examples of your success
- Understanding the themes of the questions
- First impressions are crucial
A bit more detail
Warwick begins with a piece of advice that essentially lays the foundation for the remainder of the episode: take it seriously but demonstrate your passion. The interview is your chance to make your submission real and to really communicate to the judges that you are knowledgeable and that you are passionate about what you do. Take the interview seriously by simply preparing – you’ll have to listen to the episode to know exactly how to do this though! Demonstrate your passion through strong stories and a variety of examples. Again, Warwick has some seriously commendable advice you can apply throughout your interview concerning the discussion of examples that illustrate your success.
Throughout the episode, there is quite an emphasis on the importance of first impressions. Did you know that the first impression could have quite easily been made by the judge before they even visit your business premises for the interview? In addition to an incredibly insightful discussion on first impressions and the judge’s visit, Warwick provides you with practical advice including what to wear, what is expected, the number of people that should attend the interview, how to calm those (unnecessary!) nerves and exactly how you can go above and beyond in the interview…Make sure you tune in for the final piece of advice on crafting that killer awards entry!
Links from episode conversations
Again, a huge thank you to TAFE NSW, Australia’s leading provider of vocational education and training, for sponsoring our show, and to the HEV Studio where we record and produce the show.
It’s been thoroughly enjoyable sharing this abundance of knowledge with you. Chance, Miranda, myself and all of our guests truly hope you take away this information and create an award winning entry and develop your overall business strategy while you’re at it. Please review us in iTunes here!
Best of luck!
Lucy O
