Kevin Downey

When I started my career in business management, branding, and marketing, I believed in the company I worked for. The company was growing, they operated with integrity, and it was truly a fun place to work. They had a great brand; people loved shopping there. I was popular just because I worked there. To this day, I am grateful for everything the company gave me and how it changed my life for the better. That’s the kind of place you want to work - a place that feels like a good fit for you. This should be the mutual goal of both the interviewer and the interviewee. I knew that going into my interview for that job, and I knocked it out of the park. When I was recruited into management, I had no idea what I was getting into. I assumed the harder I worked, the faster I’d rise through the ranks. But I had no idea how much I had to grow and develop personally and professionally to get there. I accepted the challenge, but it was an uphill battle, nonetheless. Not too many people helped me out, either. There was a lot of competition, and I was just thrown to the wolves. And there were not only wolves but sharks in that tank. Talk about tough. So I learned most of my leadership skills the hard way, and the journey was long.

Conducting interviews is an art form. As a leader, my favorite parts of the job were interviewing, recruiting, building the perfect team, and mentoring and coaching those on my team. Every single individual I mentored advanced far ahead of their peers. But it all starts with that interview and making sure the job was the right fit for them.

I love coaching so much that I later volunteered my services at career fairs and trade schools. I left my management career behind me and am now a full-time writer. Yet, I still love coaching others to succeed, and I love writing for mockquestions.com for this very reason.

Not everybody knows their way around crafting the perfect CV and resume, the secrets to delivering a flawless interview, or how to negotiate a decent raise. It’s hard to navigate that terrain without a map, and I enjoy giving people directions. Here’s what I said to a friend I mentored long ago: “Every single thing you do, at every stage, can alter the perception others have of your professional worth. My goal is to make you look like an asset worth fighting for.”

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