072: How to ACE your Corporate Interviews in 2026 as a Transitioning Teacher

0:00Hello, hello, hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Pretty Rich teacher podcast. I am so excited to chat with you all today. Today we're going to talk about how to ace your interviews in 2026. How to ace your corporate interviews. I believe I have really, really nailed down the formula to interviewing. I know that how. And I'm excited for you all to get some strategy. So the last week's episode was about real reason why you have not landed the interviews, the job offers to want yet. And again, it is all about the interviewing. If you are someone who has landed interviews and have not gotten past the first round, take it round, third round, make sure you go back and look into that podcast episode. Episode 71. And let's talk about how to ace your interviews this one. So I'm going to go over my signature method of how I have been helping my clients land offers like nothing got a client last week.

1:07I think it was so I have. I met with one client one week. And then in two weeks to her two weeks time, I was that she was putting her two weeks notice. Right. Like she was ready for her interview. She applied all the strategies that I told her. And she and we got to relish in the fact that she had to put in her two weeks. We had to put her money where I'm out is. So a lot of y'all are talking cash money and the most let away possible. You want a job. You want to leave a classroom. You want a job at August. Okay. You want to talk about August. You don't want to return. If you're doing all this cash money talking, but then I'm like, okay, this is how you get the job there. Oh, I don't have time. I don't have time. So let's talk about how to ace your interviews. You should be usually practicing your interviews often. But if you have not, I believe this episode 34 teaching interviewing versus corporate interview and do believe that it's a great one for you to go listen to first to know the differences. But I'm going to tell about how to ace your interviews in 2006. Okay. This is based off me.

2:09Being an interview queen of interview lots of times. I also am the person who interviews at my company. I interview for my own business. I just did some hiring. So I'm hiring manager. So I am telling you how to ace your interviews from the hire manager. So this is this is going to be what you need to take your notes and what you need to do. I need to implement them. And client. And if you all want even more strategy because I'm about to tell you I'm going to give you all the kind of like the general just a bit. Because there are lots of methods in between, but these are main things. So I'm going to talk about how to ace your interviews. But again, number one, I think if you are getting interviews, you're not getting a job offer. It is your interviewing skills that you need to look at and you figure out what it is. Okay. Sometimes it is you don't know the job. You don't know how to do the job. You don't know how to explain how you do job and you don't know how to explain. So that is the core of it. So number one, if you are someone who has been getting interviews, you don't know why you're not going to the next round. Go back and listen to my podcast episode. That is that first, because I want to kind of go through different mindset beliefs and thoughts that maybe going through your brain.

3:16And then you'll come back and do this because mine fact comes before this strategy. Okay. So to get to the juice of what an interview actually is a company puts a job posting up. They are looking to hire someone to do a very specific job. Okay. They are wanting to interview and have a no brain or doubt that you will do the job. They do not hire people with doubts. And also a lot of y'all like to talk about. I don't know. I don't know what y'all think about. Actually, I do know. I mean, I still don't think. I think the biggest thing is just like looking at interviewing like like teaching. Like if you again, if you are new to this podcast, go listen to episode 34. Teaching interviews was a corporate interviews. It will give you the foundation for this episode. I think it makes more sense if you listen to that one.

4:16I also think it makes sense for you to listen to 71. So again, if I know I said it twice, because it really gets important. But using your interviews means to throw away everything you know about teaching interviews in the garbage can and starting all the way over. Okay. Your goal is to look at your interviews. Like you need to, especially if you're doing ed tech customer success or sales, those positions, you have to sell your services as a business. There's an activity that I have my clients do where it's like selling your CSM skills, selling your sales skills. You have to be able to show to them that you are that girl to be responsible for two million dollars worth of contracts. Right. So that's, I want to just kind of set the foundation there. So like, if you are struggling with using your interviews, if you feel nervous, typically the two reasons why people feel nervous and interviews is one. You don't know what you're talking about that. I just say that you don't know what you're talking about. You don't know how the interviews work. You don't know.

5:21It's a lot, you don't know, but a lot of it. You don't really know what you're talking about. You don't know the job. The other reason why people are nervous is because they're, they're making these interviews very high stakes. You're like, oh my gosh, this is this. Y'all, this is what y'all do. Y'all get an interview. Oh my gosh. Look at this company. They have great benefits. I like the salary range. Like y'all start, I can let they give you a job offer when they, when they just gave you an interview. And I'm not being me, not being me. I'm just saying, I used to think the same way. That's the only reason why I'm saying it. But y'all really be thinking that they gave you an interview that they gave you the job. And then y'all start saying, I don't know if I'm going to take this. I mean, girl, they didn't give you a job offer yet. What do you, what do you mean? They didn't give you a job offer. They did not ask you to marry them. They did not say here's a offer. Come work with us. So like y'all have to like understand when an interview presents itself, like you just need to use that as a comfortable, comfortable time to get ready to deliver the reason why you're the best candidate. And I'm going to go over all this. So I'm going to do two things. I have, I guess I have four concepts, if you will, four things. They're not really four things. I'm going to do four for my brain.

6:31Okay. So let's talk about that. So let's start with that. So I'm going to go over the basics first. So the basics are three things you need not to do. You need to know how to do the job. You need to know the job. You need to know how to do the job and know how to do the job well. That's the first thing. Know the job. Know how to do the job. Know how to do the job well. That's the bare basics. If you don't know the job, like you should be able, just like you're able to talk about your teaching job, you should be able to talk about your new one. If you don't know how to talk about your new one, if you don't know the actual job, like if you are playing, like it's like very similar, like I'll have my aunt where she's like, okay, I want interview that I'm not in interviews. That's okay. Tell me how you would approach a book of business. And she's like, what part is that again? You got to know how to do the job. You got you got to know how to do job. You're not going to ace the interview if you're trying to remember information. Like you need to know what some of you are so desperate and I'm going to use that word. Right me.

7:35Desperate on getting a job, but you are not desperate in practicing with your interviews. You should be desperate on practicing for your interviews. And you shouldn't be desperate for anything, but if you are pressuring anything, it should be you talking to yourself and ask yourself why are you not practicing with your interviews. It's easy to apply for jobs. And you should not be using any of your interviews as practice. If you do not feel 100% that it's two different things, like I know that ready is a decision. I know ready is a decision, but I need you to get ready for these interviews. And if any part in your body feels like I have my clients, there's a three day game plan. And if it says I have them rate one to 10, I feel confident in communicating my value. I don't want them to lie. So I haven't put their actual number one through 10. But if you have a seven or if you don't have a 10, like I need to just work on that before you apply for my job because you like apply for jobs, but like I want you to work on that so that way you're not I don't want you practicing for any interviews.

8:35Like you work so hard to get these interviews. I want you to nail them and you have to know the job. Like I know that your goal is okay, but I need I need a job by this time. I don't know time I can honest. I don't want to do this. Do you know the job in and out left and right steps the left step to the right. Do you know how to do the job? Do you know how to do it? So it's one thing for you to know it. Oh, I studied I studied customer success down. I know it all the way now. Do you know how to do that job? And then do you know how to do the job well? But you have another job. You didn't know how to do it. You have to know how to do the job. Do the job well. Now that's three steps. That's one main thing. Like if that is not there, everything else I'm saying does not make sense. You have to know those that those that you have to know how to do job and know it really well. Okay. And adding on to that is like you have to be able to like you have to be confident.

9:36How do I say this? You should be able to explain the job. You you know if you know the job. If you could explain it simply with confidence. If someone were to say, Hey, what is the customer success manager do? Oh, customer success managers are they work with schools and school districts to help implement technology. The main thing that they do is retention. They work on all areas to mitigate risk and retain clients. That was a little bit of a rough answer for me, but like just though I was able to do that. Simply and confidently. Simply and confidently. Do I know how do I do the job? I do the job really well. For me, I'm going to look at my low usage accounts at risk accounts first. And I really get on the route of the issue of why they're not implementing it. The ones who are doing it really well. I want to kind of look at their success stories, implement what's doing really well and implement that across the board. Yeah, I know how to do the job. I know how to do the job well. I've actually created playbooks.

10:36I'm able to notice gaps in between. So every tech company does not have the best robust customer success system. That's why I always make money because I have the ability to find gaps and find solutions. I don't just find the gaps. I have the solutions. Okay. I'm going to my clients again. Shout out to Tammy again. She's like, I should get shout out. Okay. But she was able to say, in that interview, say, yeah, there's a couple of playbooks that I would create for you all based off what I'm hearing. Again, you have to know how to do a job really well. And if you don't know those core things and you don't know how to simply confidently. Like if you don't know how to confidently explain those simply. Like, it should be simple. If you're having a record brain about it, you don't know the job well. You don't know how to do it and you don't know how to do it well. That's the core thing, how to ace your interviews. Okay. Simple with confidence. Simply with confidence. Okay. I can simply explain to you all the best rides in Epic Universe and all the theme parks because I've gone over and over again with confidence.

11:39You will not diss me. I'm not a. I have a friend who loves dizzying down. Who knows all the answer. I cannot confidently talk about this right now. I can't. Again, I'm just giving out example just for your world to kind of see. But like you have to know your job to ace your interviews. You have that you just simply happen to the job. You have to know how to do it. You have to know how to do it. You have to know how to do it well. Okay. That's like the first thing. Second. I want to teach out my ace method. So ace is. It stays for analyze. See context. E. Explain how you do it well. Okay. I'm sure I'm missing more. I'm going to give you a little dinner with just a bit. Client to you. I'll see this on the six figure interview sheet. But. I want you to kind of take a job. I'm going to give you an example. Because I want you on a really ace your interview. So I'm going to give you an example. So let's say that you are applying for a customer success manager position. And one of the job descriptions. So part of it is like knowing the job description. So everything that I'm saying it.

12:40The first step is going to have to be there. So like. Yes. It should be a no brainer that you know the job description. You've read the job description. You know exactly what the job is doing with what they're looking for. In a position. In order for you to do this. So what I have my clients do is like they break down each part of the job description. And they create an ace for each one. So let's say this role calls for. Strategizing low usage accounts. And that's a little advanced. But I want to kind of give you all an example. And if it feels advanced. If you don't know what I'm talking about. Even more so you don't know the job well enough. So go learn it. Come learn it with me. I can help you or however you want to do it. Side note. There are two ways to talk more with me. If you if you everything I'm delivering. If you want to not aware of me. There are two ways. You can join my exit plan course. And the show notes. You will get a DIY into five different career paths as a teacher. Even if you are not a teacher. If you are a professional. If you live outside the United States. You are able to download that course.

13:42I mean, by the course and get the course and create your exit plan. And get me to review your resume right now. I won't be doing that forever. But my course is still new. I'm having a lot of people doing. And I'm excited about being able to help you with that. So that's one way. If you want to get one on one. Support or if you want to get more hands on. Get a certification. Get lots of support of lifetime access of like talking to people to get your job. Having a community of other women who are. So again, I do only work with women. I'm a tornado. I don't. Don't work with men. Don't work with. I don't work with men to catch myself. I don't work with men. I only work with women. So if you want to be a community with other women who are wanting to who are interested in new careers, who are transitioning. It's a great place to be. I have a lot of my clients who are in their jobs who still come to the calls. And it's such a beautiful space. So that's that way. So if you want to work with me. Getting into tech. And to add tech specifically. These six figure positions. Book a call. And we can talk about it. So that's that. But back to the ace format.

14:42So like I want to talk about classroom to that. So the role may call for you to again. Help people who have not been successful with their program. So I have my client to three things. So it's ace. So first off, I want them to make sure that they analyze and understand exactly what it is they're looking for. So what it means to strategize a low used account means to truly be able to figure out the root issue of why they are low usage. So you need to be able in the interview to add your perspective. You need to be able to say that. So when they say tell me about a time that you have helped to reluctant educator implement technology. You should not disclose straight into yeah. There's one time that I helped a teacher. No, it should be at your perspective. And like let them understand that you understand. Okay. So like I understand when it comes to low used accounts. There's usually either skill or will they be able to don't have the. Information required to do the job. Do the technology tool or you don't want to do it. So for me, I always start with the why I really try to get down to the root issue of why. That's something you should be saying in the interview.

15:43Analyzing it and providing your perspective. Then you go into an example. Okay. I have a method called CRA context result. Action. You took to get that result. Okay. Now this is a very strategy based podcast. So I if it's going over your head. Listen to it a couple times. But also know this is what I helped my clients with over and over in my program. I have clients who have asked this and it still kind of goes over their head. And that's the benefit of being able to coach them. Weekly because I get to kind of give them that assistance. Okay. That's why all the programs that I don't I don't just buy courses all the time. I like to be able to talk to people. There are some things that I just buy a course for. I have done that where I just I just need the information. I know how to do it and see the information. But for the people who want to have that one on one and being able to talk to people. That's my program. And that's why I joined most of the things I joined our programs. To be able to talk back and forth. Like I talked about this in my last episode. I joined the LinkedIn program. And this weekend I'm going to be going. And I want to watch all the courses before the first call.

16:43So that way when I come to the call. I have all the information she's already given me. And I want to ask questions so I can ensure that I set it myself up for success. Um, so. Back to the sea. If you have heard of star method, star method is like situation task action result. I don't use star method. I use the R a is a method I came up with. And essentially what you want to be able to do in your interview is give the recruiter. The hiring manager. Um, context in which you have the experience. Results that you've been able to produce with that experience. And then action you took the result. So let's use the same example of strategizing low usage accounts. So you're going to say okay. So in my role. I was responsible. For helping roll out different technology tools. And there's a situation in which we had very low usage. We had only 50% of our admin and teachers using the platform. And I was able to get 100% of all users. Implementing that product in less than 30 days. The way I was able to do that was I. Again, I went through issues.

17:43And I was able to disseminate. User guides. I was also able to give refresher trainings. And I was able to. User guides. I was also able to give refresher trainings. And I was able to strategize with admin to roll. Re-roll this out and making it non-negotiable. Okay. I tied to the belief. I tied to standards. And that's that. That's enough. That's my seat. I'm able to give them the context in which I have the example. Notice how I didn't go too deep in the woods. I did not talk about students. I did not talk about the program. I just said. A situation. I gave a result of how I was able to get from 50% to 100%. And then I was able to get to the point of how I was able to do that. That's my R. I mean, that's my C. My C-R-A. So that's the C in my A's. Okay. And then the E is I want to explain how I'm going to do it in this position. This is most important. It's more important that you lean into the E. So. In this position. To say I'm working at ABC. Maths. At that company. In this position, I will do the same thing.

18:44My goal from day one. Any account that I have that are flying as low risk or I use it. Low risk. Or at risk. I'm going to make that my priority. And getting contact with them and start coming up with plans. I want to develop immediate success plans. And ways to get them to even using the product and thriving with the product. Okay. That's what I'm going to do first. But I'm telling them exactly what I'm going to do. Okay. I'm going to figure out and segment my. I'm not only going to take all my accounts. But I'm going to segment my low uses to count. Is it that we don't have a point of contact? Is it that they aren't using it? Is it that they don't know how to use it? Is it that they don't see the reason why they should use it? I'm going to segment it. That's an example. I am going to deep in the wood where they're like, wow, I need her. Like I'm explaining exactly how I'm going to do the job. Again, I don't expect you to have that advanced knowledge if you don't know how to do the job. But that's my ace method. I'm going to have my client do that for every part of the job description. So that way, no matter what's asked, they can either one have examples ready.

19:47But it should be from the top of the dome. I didn't even know what example I was going to use on this box. I just came up with that example and I came up with the answers. Because I know the job really well. I know how to do it. And I know how to do the job well. Okay. So that's my ace. You can just learn how to ace your interviews. That's one. That was a strategy. Another one, which is my method, my eyes in an article method. Okay. I tell my clients the way you should be interviewing the way that I teach my clients with interviews. So that's strategy. But this is another reminder that you need to be selling ice to people in an article. And what I mean by this is. If people every job that you're applying for, especially at tech, they already have ice. They are in an article. They are in an article. They have igloo, they have polar bears. They have everything isolated. They have hot cocoa. They have hot tea. They have ice skating. And you are ice coming to their interview. We already have ice. Why should I? Why should I? Why should I invest in?

20:47Why should I hire you for this specific position when we already have ice? Not only to have ice in the company, but there are other people who are also qualified. I don't think teachers understand like when you're interviewing for corporate, you are not the only person who is interviewing. You are not the only person who has the experience. A lot of my clients are, they don't know this, but I know like some people are going up for the same job because of the way that I've been able to get them. And not in a way that's competing. I have four co-workers, y'all. Just because one person working at this, I mean two of y'all can't work there. I literally have, there's four companies right now. Okay. I have two clients working at this. There's eight clients who were able to get jobs. So some people are like, oh, I feel like I'm competing with other people. Yeah, you are. Okay, but you also can join them. Because there are other people who don't have the same experience that you have. I have one client. Well, honestly, oh, my clients get this, but like, I have one client, have a manager say, you are the unicorn we've been looking for. Because the thing is, I think what a lot of teachers like to lean in on is,

21:49oh, I'm a teacher. I've worked with this product. Like, I can do a great job. No, you need to do more than just the product. I need you to know how to do the job that we are doing. Like, it's one thing. Like, it's one thing for you to, like, know the product. It's another thing for you to know how to do the job well. So that they're not hiring you to be a pro at the product. Like, if they just want to do to be a pro at the product, they'd have a testimonial on their website about you. They are looking at hire you for customer success or sales. So you have to bring the eyes like why you out of other people. Everybody's going like, I have one client where her background was music. And she's working at a music company now. She's in before. And she said, like, I could have taken the easy way out. Oh, I was a band director. I did this. I worked with this product. But she said, no, I have that. But also this role is customer success. So even though that would be a great piece to my thing. I'm sure there are other band owners and other music people who are coming on to the interview saying that.

22:49She said, I am a CSM. So I'm coming in with that angle. And the manager was like, you know what? I have a lot of people who come on these calls who have the music experience. But they don't have the customer success experience. They don't understand what I'm saying. And you are unicorn. Okay. And the only difference is she just learned how to be a customer success manager for me. That's it. It's not it's not rocket science. It's very simple. So like when you come on these interviews, you need to do three things. So ice is an acronym. Individuality, contribution and excellence. So when you come into these interviews. So they have ice. Individual. Who are you as an individual? As an individual, who are you? I don't just want your knowledge. I want to know that you are an individual. Doesn't come to the team. Right. I don't want to robot. I don't want another person. I want an individual new, unique person. I'm adding to my team. Right. I want an individual coming to my team. So who are you as a person? For me, again, every time I thought of an interviewer. I talked to anybody. They're going to know what my, my, my most recent obsession is.

23:51Like right now, everybody going to hear about Disney. How are you doing? Great one. Disney tomorrow. Or just came back to Disney. Saw fireworks. Or I. I'm going to. The sci-fi. Dining. Theater. Movie. Restaurant. Soon. Got guardians. Got this. My favorite ride. I love adventure. I'm so excited. Like. But these are genuine things. You need to meet. Okay. I'm excited about a new challenge. I. Have. I'm a certified professor. I'm a. I'm an assistant manager. Superintendent. I'm a. I'm a. And a. I'm. Job. I'm an assistant manager. Super excited about being able to come work for ABC-Math. I see that you are looking for someone you had experienced. I'm so excited. I've worked with admin. I've worked with multiple implementations. I'm so excited about working with you. How are you? I'm an individual. I'm an individual. been like, dude, like small little things about me. But who are you as an individual?

24:52Like, why, like, who are you? Like, if I don't, like, I tell my guys all the time when they're like doing their interview, practice and recording videos, I'm like, is you, are you in the room with this interview? Cause I don't see you. I don't see your personality. Clients that I have that are like big personalities in, when they practice my interview, I don't see you in here. You need to bring individualism to your interview. The other thing is contribution. What are you contributing to this company? They are hiring you to contribute. What are you contributing? Okay. And how is it excellent? How is it excellent? So let's say even with you having a playbook is one thing for you to say, yeah, I'm going to come in. I'm going to analyze my accounts. No, I'm going to come in and segment my accounts. It's excellent. I'm going to come in and build systems that y'all don't even have if given the opportunity. It's definitely what you want me to do. I've done that in this one in this company. I'm excellent. I'm excellent. Excellent. So it's that simple. Like I said, we believe you don't have this Orlando ice. Let me tell you a little bit about myself.

25:52I'm glad. Let me tell you a little bit about myself. Ice in an article. If you don't, and I think it's you need to know why you add up other people. You need to know why to trust you with $2 million. If you don't have an answer to that, you have to have the answer. Find your answer. Okay. That's my ice. The last thing I'm going to talk about is breaking the ice. This is another thing that people skip over. And one of my clients, I love her. K.O. Shout out to Kayla. I have a video in my interview mastery vault that talks about how to nail the panel interviews with clients. So like, again, if you want a deep down strategy dive, like I've had clients who join my course, my DIY course, and they're like, yeah, this is great, but I want the program. And they haven't been able to do that. So I do have a special discount for people who join my course that join my program. So if you really want to get a taste of working with me and you're still like, have a check on the price, go join my course. Then you have special benefits to kind of go into my program. Um, but one of the things that my thought I put in the video about having a panel

26:55interview is y'all need to understand these are human beings, human beings. You are talking to humans. So when you want to interview, I need you to break the ice, ask them how the weather is on their side of town. Let's talk about what you did last weekend, ask them what they did last weekend. Give them a compliment, ask how are you and actually wait for a response. Ask what they have any exciting plans, break that ice, talk to them. Cause I feel like break the ice and it makes you feel comfortable and makes them feel comfortable and then you get to be able to like talk to a human. So we all be coming on the interview. Hi, how are you? My name is Jasmine and I have five age experience and education. I'm super center of my business role. Yeah, I have all this experience. I work with them and I feel good to be a good fit with some of my experience. Versus, hi, how are you? I'm good. How are you?

27:56I'm, I'm excellent. I just came out from Disney last day. So I'm still riding the way. Garry's a galaxy like my mouth. Have you been to Disney? I asked a question back because even I don't, I try to make it about the other person. Um, I'm going to show this book again. How to win friends and influence people. This is a good book that you should read. You should learn how to talk to people. You are talking to people. It is not a pie. I saw my clients. It is not a podcast interview. When I bring clients on my podcast to interview them, yeah, it's a podcast interview. I genuinely want to know about them. I want to hear about their stories. I don't have a get factor. All I want to do is get them to share their story so I can share it with other people. That's it. So that's a podcast interview. But for these jobs, it's not a podcast interview. They want to know what you can do for them. And you have to break the ice and for them to be able to like be comfortable because you want them to be memorable. I had one time where I said happy Friday, do a new junior. And she's like, I'm going to, I'm going to remember that. And then the next round interview, she's like happy Friday, a junior.

28:57She remembers that about me. Hey, because I broke the ice, I could have just went straight to talking. Y'all are so tense and like, oh, I want to do a great job. Break the ice, break the ice. Okay, so that's the four things. Knowing how to do a job, know how to do a job well and be able to simply confidently explain it. That's one thing to ace your interviews with that method I mentioned. Analyze what they're asking for. Provide context and talk about how you're going to do it in your new job. Ice in Antarctica, you need to bring your individuality. What you're contributing. How's it excellent? And then you need to break the ice. So that was a lot I gave you. This is a strategy based episode. And that was a lot. But I wanted to, for y'all asking me it, okay, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Here's actually how to ace your interviews. Okay, and if you want to be able to get that assistance and implementing what I went over, like for each thing I gave you, I can go high level overview. For each of these things, I have entire lessons, work sheets and clients who gone through that to give you this in my program. So know that that is available to you.

29:59All right. I think that's it. I hope that this was helpful. I hope that you ace your interviews to them. And I will see you all on the next podcast episode. Bye.