What if you could completely change the way you approach a job interview? What if you could shift the entire paradigm?

Instead of feeling like you’re running a gauntlet, or sweating under the scrutiny of an interviewer who has your fate in their hands, what if you felt relaxed, engaged, and on an equal footing?

What if you reframed your job interview as a networking opportunity?

The purpose of the job interview shouldn’t be simply to get an offer. In mid-career you’re too experienced to add the wrong job to your resume. Accepting the wrong job will be a lot more damaging today than it was in your 20s or 30s.

You want to be interviewing them as much or more than they are interviewing you.

So if the job interview is about ‘fit” from both sides, then what you’re really trying to do is see if the interviewer is aligned with your professional outlook and values. If they are, regardless of whether they offer you the job or not, you’ve made a friend who is likely able to help you down the line.

Your job interview is different in mid-career. You’re not a supplicant appealing for recognition and approval (and a job). Instead, you are (and should act like) a peer. You’re a co-equal participant in a negotiated conversation about whether or not this opportunity is of mutual interest and benefit to both of you.

In my book, Boomer Reinvention, I profile an operations exec. who lost his position as COO of a manufacturing company and spent nearly a year interviewing for operations positions without receiving an offer.

To handle the frustration and the mounting sense of futility that he was experiencing, he made a radical decision. Instead of pinning his hopes on each job interview, he decided to leave his hopes and expectations at the door. Instead, he approached each interview as if he were a consultant looking to help the company identify or address a key problem or strategic issue. 

In his subsequent interviews, he channeled the interviewers’ questions into probing but helpful questions of his own about the companies’ practices, challenges, and opportunities. He then offered suggestions and best practices to address these issues.

With this consultative “servant leader” approach, he proposed at least one viable and appropriate solution that the company had not previously considered.  As a result, he left his interviews feeling like he had made a constructive contribution. Regardless of whether they made him an offer or not, he knew that he had presented his “best self” in that interview and made a lasting impression.

He was making friends and growing his network.

The effect was immediate and electric. His interviews became more strategic and reflective of his deep background and experience as a COO. 

Soon after adopting this approach, he got a call from someone who had previously turned him down for a job. This man referred him to a private equity firm looking for a seasoned operations executive to help them rescue a manufacturing company similar to the one he had once run. This opportunity led to a successful consulting engagement and opened his eyes to opportunities he had not previously considered.

As a result, he decided to network his way to more investment professionals and eventually partnered with an investor group to buy and run a manufacturing company – one that he still runs to this day.

Here are a few tips to turn the tables on your job interview, make it about building professional relationships, and opening yourself up to unexpected opportunities:

1. Turn the interview into a conversation.

All interviews follow a familiar format. Your goal is to shift the power dynamic. Let the interviewer start with their prepared questions, but then use your answers to engage them in a back-and-forth conversation. Ask questions. Go deeper. Bring up related topics. Use your answers as springboards to cover what you want to talk about.

2. Prepare your own agenda.

Do more than simply ask a few typical questions to ask the interviewer. Ask open-ended questions that push the interviewer into longer and more detailed responses. This will push their interview routine into the background and further equalize the conversation. They may actually find the experience (and you) more refreshing than they expected.

3. Use your thought leadership topics.

If you’re familiar with my 3 Elements framework, I advocate for you to stand up for what you stand for through a narrowly defined and curated set of topics in your field. If you’ve established your thought leadership activities (e.g. posting on LinkedIn or your blog, participating in an industry groups or conference,s etc.), use those topics in your interview by relating them to the goals or responsibilities of the job position and/or the company’s mission.

4. Identify areas of mutual professional interest.

Look for an opportunity to bond on your shared alignment around trends in your field or important values. This will come in handy as an expression of why you should continue to remain in contact regardless of what happens with the job.

If you establish alignment on personal and professional goals, and your mutual vision for the future of your industry, this can become another bonding moment that can lead to further engagement beyond the interview.

5. If it’s not right, tell them.

You’ll get points for turning down the job in the interview. Don’t wait for them to bring it up in the room or on the call. By removing yourself from consideration, you can open up the conversation to what you’re actually looking for. In some cases, the interviewer may reveal that a position may be opening up that’s more aligned with your goals. If you’re meeting with a recruiter, remember that they have a network! Now that they have a clearer understanding of who you are and what you want, they may be able to steer you towards other positions they’re aware of – or to other recruiters who may be helpful.

It’s time for you to feel more confident and empowered in your job interviews. You’re an established professional.  You don’t need to prove yourself to anyone. Your background speaks for itself. 

Start by expressing a clear and specific value proposition on your LinkedIn profile (including your Headline, About, and Experience sections). This is the icebreaker that you can use to build rapport with your interviewer and drive the conversation.

You’re setting yourself up to feel more empowered and more confident.