By Jeff Altman, Big Game Hunter
“If you think you’re too small to make an impact, try sleeping with mosquitoes in the room.” ——Anita Roddick
Thanksgiving was wonderful and we traveled so much. North Carolina to Maryland to New Jersey to Connecticut to Vermont to New Jersey to North Carolina. Along the way, I monitored a lot of coaching situations with the people I worked with, released a new book on Amazon, but it was still too much.
It’s nice to be back home and starting to get back to normal.
Executive Interview Order Agreement
You are interviewing for a senior position. These initial screenings are high risk and require accurate and unwavering focus. Interviewers aren’t just checking boxes; they’re assessing your gravitas and leadership potential. Standard rules do not solve this problem.
1. Scheduling tasks: take control of your calendar
Never let a recruiter or HR person ambush you with an impromptu phone call. At your level, you manage your time – you don’t react to their time.
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If you are ambushed: Be clear: “This sounds fun, but I’m currently in between meetings. I want to give this the attention it deserves. Let’s schedule 30 minutes. Does it fit your calendar better at time X tomorrow or time Y later this afternoon?”
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Target: You schedule meetings for times when you are focused ensureeliminate the mental clutter that comes with your primary responsibility.
2. Technical excellence: Require perfect quality
Your communication should not suffer due to poor acoustics. This goes against your planning and attention to detail.
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Unitless roulette: Avoid relying on standard mobile phone connections for critical interviews. use a Internet phone line Use a dedicated headset or a reliable, clear landline phone. The connection must be professional grade.
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test: Be sure to conduct a test call with a colleague or friend immediately before your interview begins to confirm microphone clarity, volume, and connection stability.
3. Interview Cockpit: Strategic Setup
You need a dedicated, centralized area. Think less about “home office” and more about mission control.
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Create your zone: Conduct the interview in a quiet room, seated at a sturdy table or desk. This pose changes your breathing and voice, projecting authority and confidence.
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Visual anchor: Have a notepad or even a small mirror in front of you. This is not for vanity. This is a visual cue to maintain facial expression (smile, nod) and convey energy and warmth through the sound.
4. Acquisition of strategic information
This is an open book test. Use your notes, but use them like a highly organized executive reference summary.
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Cheat sheet: Develop a one-page high-impact reference sheet. Divide it into three parts: Company indicators/name, Key Achievements (PAR/STAR Stories)and Key questions for the interviewer. Use only bullet points.
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Water Law: Keep water nearby. A dry throat can be distracting. Coughing interrupts the conversation and disrupts your narrative.
5. The solemnity and rhythm of the voice
Your voice is the only vehicle through which leadership is communicated.
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Change of pace: Avoid monotonous drones. Adjust your pitch and tempo to emphasize key accomplishments. Slow down when discussing major strategic decisions; speed up when showing enthusiasm.
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Silence is power: When you finish making a point, pause briefly. Don’t rush to fill the silence. It implies insecurity. Pause intentionally and then ask a strategic, confident question that shows you are in control of the conversation. Example: “Does this fit with the challenges faced by the current Director/VP?”
6. Absolute focus: No need to multitask
You are the vice president. You manage multiple workflows every day. Do no Do it here.
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Zero tolerance: Do not check email, mute calls to receive messages, or work on deck. Your focus must be all. Any lapse in concentration will make your answer sound less detailed, less strategic, and less convincing.
7. Rehearsals are mandatory
Even experienced VPs need to rehearse how to tell complex stories.
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Record your story: Record your own 3-5 most impactful strategic achievement stories. Listen critically. Do you sound like a leader? Is your language accurate? What you are selling is Influence and scale Are you a job, not just a task? Keep refining until the delivery is clear and compelling.
This is how a simple screening call can be transformed into a show of executive power.
Ⓒ Big Game Hunters, Asheville, NC 2025
Last week, I didn’t share an issue of No BS Coaching Advice, but I did share content on the blog, including:
What should you pay attention to when recruiting?
Executive Playbook: C Suite Transition
Artificial Intelligence and LinkedIn: Here’s another way it can help i/p4alk1-orB
10 Unusual Ways to Find Job Opportunities Without Asking for Recommendations i/p4alk1-oqo
Final interview reminder. . . i/p4alk1-orc
Use a portfolio in interviews i/p4ak1-m2x
24 hour rule i/p4alk1-orP
Your resume may be rejected on LinkedIn for this reason! i/p4alk1-orT
Find the skills that suit you: Skills Matching Tool i/p4alk1-oia
Stupid Recruiting Mistakes: You Lie to Potential Employees i/p4ak1-av0
The truth about employment agencies
Two people submitted my resume! i/p4alk1-aPX
How to Get More Interviews: Give Up the Goal i/p4alk1-jMT
Please be aware of this when using artificial intelligence i/p4alk1-m6L
Apply for two different types of jobs at the same company i/p4alk1-7UL
Debunking Myths About HR and Job Search i/p4alk1-le1
Tough interview question: What are your weaknesses?
How do you sell yourself in a cover letter? me/p4alk1-人
No BS Career Advice: November 16, 2025 me/p4alk1-osy
Simple body language reminders during interviews i/p4ak1-os1
Why should they choose you? i/p4ak1-h50
When you are laid off, laid off, laid off, RIF i/p4alk1-ha1
Tough interview question: What are your weaknesses?
How Recruiters Spot Fake Degrees my/p4alk1-osr
Don’t act desperate! i/p4alk1-osJ
How to stand out to recruiters when applying for a job i/p4alk1-ost
A piece of advice for career changers i/p4alk1-liH
Tough interview question: “How do you deal with stress?” i/p4ak1-32Z
Executive Job Search: The Intangible Market
Tough interview question: Are you a leader or a follower?
what is the best i/p4ak1-h8w
Employer Branding: Don’t Punish Your Best Employees i/p4alk1-jLp
Recruiters know something you don’t: They won’t fill that many positions i/p4alk1-otq
Who do you assign to do a hard job? i/p4alk1-h5f
If you want to help someone prepare for an interview i/p4alk1-otu
The Invisible Professional: How to Stand Out in Today’s Job Market i/p4ak1-bow
College graduates’ misunderstandings about job hunting me/p4alk1-hBR
When can I quit without notice?
you just lack experience me/p4alk1-hiV
Tough interview question: What are your weaknesses? i/p4ak1-kss
The fable of the monkey and the fisherman i/p4ak1-8aY
The truth about employment agencies i/p4alk1-oilJ
How many years will 10 years of entrepreneurship shorten your resume? me/p4alk1-ou6
Avoid a bad hire i/p4alk1-hct
How to succeed in life and sales me/p4alk1-h5O
networking? I don’t know what to say! i/p4ak1-grq
Tailoring doesn’t always refer to your wardrobe i/p4ak1-3s
Nurture your network i/p4alk1-jTl
Why do so many interviews? i/p4ak1-ouh
15 applications, zero interviews? i/p4ak1-oul
Executive Job Search: The Intangible Market i/p4alk1-oiY
What recruiters know you don’t: They don’t care about smart resumes i/p4alk1-jgN
Smart ways to find a job
I’ve also released a few Kindle books that I’ve been working on for a while. They will be there soon job search community as part of any membership. I will also make them available as PDF via Gumroad
Executive Edge: Strategic Interviewing for C-suite Finalists
Pass the ATS: How to Bypass the Applicant Tracking System and Get an Interview
Leaders’ Job Search Secrets: The Executive Advantage
Schedule a free discovery call with me: www.TheBigGameHunter.us/schedule Discuss my guidance for you during your job search and beyond. I tend to work with more senior talent rather than individual contributors.
Subscribe to the BS-free job search advice broadcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen or watch podcasts. I’ll be posting new episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
become an insider job search community Get your questions answered, get mentored by me, and access all of my video courses, books, and guides.
#BeGreat
Jeff Altman, MSW, CCTC Author
People hire me worldwide to provide no-nonsense job coaching and career advice because I make your job search and success in your new job easier | 5x LinkedIn Top Voices | Career Coach | Former Recruiter | job search community
