Show why you are the best candidate for the job at the interview!
I was really excited. As a recruiter I had been trying to fill a position for over three months, and finally we thought we had a candidate that seemed to fit the bill. On paper, she had it all. Her resume illustrated relevant work experience, knowledge about our industry, and membership in our most important industry-related professional associations. The day of her interview arrived and I was excited to meet the candidate and learn about how she could help our agency.
As I posed each question, the candidate seemed a bit panicked about how to answer what was being asked of her. Even in cases where I provided clarification, she never answered the questions directly. Rather than providing responses that illustrated an understanding of the challenges facing our industry and her ability to apply skills and experience to succeed in the position, her answers were vague. Even when I asked her directly about things such as her leadership experience or ability to apply certain professional skills critical to the position, she simply answered that she was confident that she could do the job. And those professional associations she listed? Turns out she had never attended any related networking event or conference, nor had she read any reports or industry-specific resources that the organization had provided for its membership. So rather help show that she was actively engaged with our industry, they exposed her lack of effort and knowledge.
Hiring is a costly process, and requires a significant investment of both time and financial resources. You need to get it right and source new hires that can do the job. So, how could this candidate have responded better?
First of all, practice for the interview and make sure you can express yourself in a professional manner! Effective communication during this stage of the job search is critical. Through preparation and practice you will gain confidence that will shine through during the interview. It will help you avoid that “deer in the headlights” look that is a major red flag for an interviewer.
Secondly, be prepared to answer questions in ways that illustrate your ability to do the job and add value to that organization. One approach that I recommend is the STAR method. Think about your past experience and how you can apply what you learned to benefit the organization and the challenges it faces. Map out the situation (S), your task (T), what action (A) you took, and the result (R) you achieved. Prepare relevant examples using that framework that can apply to questions that you will be asked by a potential employer.
For example, if they ask about your ability to deal with difficult clients, be prepared to explain how you have encountered that challenge (or one similar) in the past, and how you achieved a positive result. Just saying you can do the job won’t work, and that was my candidate’s biggest mistake. You need to show that you have the skills and experience to handle not only the job at hand, but also that challenges that come along with it. You won’t be able to anticipate every question you will be asked, so formulate STAR responses that showcase your strengths and abilities that are most relevant to the position and your industry.
The interview is your time to shine and success will come your way if you can communicate in a professional and confident manner while clearly illustrating how you possess the skills and experience necessary to help that company succeed.
