You are faced with a very competitive market place where employers have the upper hand in most industries. They are able to interview as many candidates they choose to in order to get the ‘best’ candidate for the position. The number of people seeking jobs outnumbers the jobs that are available.
Even if you get an interview, how are you going to differentiate yourself from all the other candidates who may be just as qualified or even more qualified than you are for the position?
It comes down to being prepared with a succinct and confident personal statement and a strong focus on what makes you different or unique. You need to be able to clearly explain what makes you the person for the job. Your preparation will mean you have done your homework, understood what they are looking on and focused on your strengths or attributes that will absolutely deliver.
Go through the job advertisement in detail and make a list of the skills and experiences that they require. Then, think about and identify your five strengths. These will include your transferable skills such as: time-management, communication and interpersonal skills, negotiation, conflict resolution, customer service skills. The list will also include the personal traits that make you unique such as: taking initiative, a positive attitude, good judgment.
With the five personal strengths you have identified, write down examples of when you had to demonstrate these skills and how they helped you achieve positive outcomes in a work environment or if you lack work experience, on a project at university or something similar. You need to be able to prove the skills you are communicating to the employer have been adequately tested and the result is something they would like to mirror in their organisation.
With the job advertisements in mind, divide a piece of paper in two and on one side place all the skills you believe those ads are communicating are required and on the other place your five strengths and what you have to offer. This will help you identify any skill gaps and also determine what you should focus on when you are being interviewed. You need to effectively articulate how you ‘fit’ or match what they are looking for and guide the conversation to your five strengths and other traits that make you unique.
Your stories or ability to give examples of when your skills and personal traits led to successful outcomes will give you credibility and you will move from being just another candidate to someone who is able to effectively and confidently set themselves apart. It is so important that you tell the interviewer things which will make an impression (a positive one) and help him/her remember you. Become the benchmark and make the most of your opportunity.
Christine Connors is a personal interview coach with Interview for Success. For more details on how she can help you realise your potential visit www.interviewforsuccess.com.au
© Copyright 2008, Christine Connors, Interview for Success
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment