Set Yourself Apart in a Job Interview

We’ve been in a tight job market for a while now but I frequently hear hiring managers say they just can’t find talented people to fill their openings.  Why do we have this disconnect?  I think it is partly because applicants don’t know how to “sell” their skills and partly because there are a lot of hiring managers who aren’t good interviewers.  While I’d like to train every manager in interviewing techniques, that is probably not going to happen but perhaps, we can have some impact on job seekers to help them develop the skills they need to showcase themselves AND to get the job!

Network—Tell everyone you know you are looking for a position. This means EVERYONE!  It is amazing to me where people get job leads. I have a colleague who was getting her hair cut one day and mentioned to the stylist that her son was looking for a new job in the area. The stylist asked what field he was in and she said he was an auto mechanic and the stylist said, “My husband owns the largest Chevy dealership in this area and they are looking for mechanics.”  Long story short—the young man got the job and might not have if his mother hadn’t mentioned it.  Everyone means family, friends, neighbors, professors, friends, former bosses,–you never know where a job lead will come from or take you!

Attend every networking event you can and be prepared to sell yourself. You may have heard the phrase “60 second commercial.” Well, this is a quick summary of who you are and what you are looking for.  You should be prepared to give this commercial at any time and any place.  Practice until you know it really well but can say it without sounding like it is memorized.

Networking is all about the quality of the contact you make—not the number of contacts you make!  Some people feel they just get a lot of business cards and that is a successful networking event. It isn’t successful if you don’t follow up with the people you meet.  If you know who will be there, come up with a strategy to meet those people and to be sure you leave them with a positive impression of you. That means a strong handshake, an easy smile, and good conversation.  Always ask anyone you meet at a networking event if there is anything you can do for them! That sets the tone for an on-going relationship—they will want to help you if you help them!

Research–Job seekers should focus a lot more attention on researching the organization before they go for the interview. There is a lot of information available on the web to help you learn as much as possible about the structure, mission, values, culture and more!  Take time to use your Linkedin contacts to find at least one person you know who works there and ask questions about the leadership, the culture and whatever you think you need to know to be prepared for the interview.  Check out the organization’s reputation on sites such as Glassdoor.com.

Knowing a lot about the organization will help you prepare the questions you will ask of the interviewer.

Prepare your stories— Focus on how your skills fit what they are looking for and then, craft short stories (examples) of how your skills will meet their needs. These stories must be true and focused on how you are going to really add value to the organization. Practice your stories to get comfortable with them but don’t memorize them—be sure you can tailor your stories to whatever question you are asked.  Ask a trusted colleague to ask you some questions so that you get really comfortable with responding with what sounds like a spontaneous comment.

No matter how prepared you are, you will probably be asked a question you haven’t prepared for—don’t panic. Take a quick breath and answer to the best of your ability. This will demonstrate your ability to think on your feet!

Attire—Dress appropriately for the interview. Find out from the people you contact what the dress code is and dress one level above. For example, if it is a casual workplace, men should wear a jacket and collared shirt but probably not a tie and women a simple pantsuit.  Be sure to wear something you feel comfortable in but that doesn’t mean shorts, tee shirts or flip flops!

Listen—Let the interviewer set the pace. No matter how frustrating this may be, listen carefully and answer each question honestly.  Don’t ever interrupt the interviewer!  If you feel you haven’t had the chance to tell your story, at the end of the interview, ask if you might share some of your skills that haven’t already been discussed.

Be prepared with questions– Most people who are in the market for a new position focus most of their attention on preparing for the questions the interviewer will ask them.  Possibly as important as being ready with examples of your strengths and how you will contribute to the organization, is having questions to ask the interviewer.

Any good interviewer will ask the applicant, “What questions do you have for me?” and trust me; they WANT you to ask questions.  The questions you ask will be evaluated by the interviewer and will tell them a lot about you.

So, why not prepare some questions in advance so that you are prepared.  You will be doing extensive research on the organization (you’d better be…!) so, while you are doing that, think of some questions that will set you apart from all the other applicants because that is your whole purpose in the interview—selling yourself as the best applicant EVER for this position.

Consult the organization’s website for information you can use to prepare your questions but don’t overlook other sources such as Glassdoor.com, a site that aggregates third-party comments about organizations.  Use your Linkedin and Facebook connections to find people you know who work at the company and ask them questions.  You also should follow the organization’s Twitter feed on what’s new there.

This is the time to find out whether or not this is a place where you want to work and where you will be happy and fulfilled in your work.  This is not the time to focus on what this job will do for your career.  Please know that the interviewer really doesn’t care that you think this job will prepare you for something greater or will fulfill some lifelong dream—all he/she wants to know is what you can do for the organization!

Here are some possible questions to ask in any interview (see below for questions to ask the person you would be working for):

•    “Tell me about the culture here.”
•    “What is the average length of service for employees here?”
•    “Why is this position open at this time?”
•    “Why isn’t the position being filled with someone from inside the organization?”
•    “Why did you choose to work at the XYZ Company?”
•    “Tell me about the organization’s structure and leadership?”
•    “What are the greatest challenges facing this organization over the next year or so?”

Questions to ask the person who would be your manager:

•    “Tell me about your managerial style?”
•    “If I am selected for this position, what would be my greatest challenges?”
•    “What are the skills and traits of someone who would be successful in this position?”
•    “Can you tell me what a typical day would be like if I am selected for this position?”
•    “With whom would I be working the most closely?”
•    “How do you see me benefiting the organization?”
•    “How is performance evaluated here?  What success factors do you apply?
•    “Are there other job duties not mentioned in the job posting?”
•    “After I prove myself to be a good contributor, are there opportunities for training and development and, down the road, for promotion?”
•    “When will you be making a decision on this position?”
•    “May I call you if I have additional questions?”

Realistically, you will not be able to ask all these questions but pick out 3-4 that will help you understand the job, the organization and the management.  Write them down and take them with you to the interview and keep in mind that having no questions is not a good thing—sends the message you aren’t a deep thinker and you don’t want that impression to be left with the interviewer.  Send us questions you’ve used that have provided you with good information to make a decision on whether or not to join an organization.  Remember—it is as important for you to like them as for them to like you!

Bottom line—The interviewer wants to know what you can do for his/her organization so be sure you make that point early and often.

Follow-up—Always ask for a business card and send a note or email immediately following the interview and summarize your skills and how absolutely perfectly your skills match what their job requires (if this is true).

Yes, there is a lot of competition for jobs for recent grads but you can stand out from the crowd—take time to prepare for what is ahead and network, network, network!  That will provide you with the opportunity you need to sell yourself!  Good luck!

About The Big Book of HR:

The Big Book of HR (EAN 978-1-60163-189-3, pages: 320, price: $19.99) was published by Career Press. The book is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, and many other booksellers.
 
About the author:

Barbara Mitchell is a human resources professional and management consultant who is a recognized expert in the HR field. She is co-author of The Essential HR Handbook. Prior to co-founding The Millennium Group International, LLC, much of her HR career was spent with Marriott International. She is now managing partner of The Mitchell Group, an HR consulting practice.