The Biggest Secret You Need to Know About Interviewing

Most people suck at being interviewed because they don’t approach it strategically.  When you read a job description and think about your background, what you NEED to do is boil it down to the 5-10 reasons why you should get the job.  Think of these as key selling points.  Your challenge is to make sure those reasons come across in the interview.  Most people don’t do this and that’s why most people don’t get hired.

 

Over the course of the interview, your goal should be to fit in as many of your 5-10 key selling points / stories as possible. However, don’t just haphazardly answer the interview questions with your key selling points.  You will only have so many opportunities to talk and share your stories, so you need to use those chances wisely and demonstrate why you’re the best candidate for the job.  For example, if you’re asked about a situation in which you worked on a project with a tight deadline, there are probably several examples you COULD choose but you SHOULD choose the one that most closely relates to the job you want. This will help the interviewer see you succeeding in the job you’re interviewing for.

 

In past interviews, what I would do is write my 5-10 reasons why I should get the job using key words (just 1 word for each) in very small writing on the top right corner of the copy of my resume that would be in front of me during the interview.  Every so often I’d glance at the list to see how I was doing at sharing those stories and ultimately leveraging them to help me get the job.

Try this approach in your next interview and you’ll be surprised at how great you feel leaving the interview.  You’ll never have that, “I wish I had said….” feeling again.  I guarantee this strategic approach to interviewing will help you win and get the offer!

 

If you want more tips on how to ace an interview, check out my online course.  If you want me to prep you for your next interview, it’s possible!  Learn more here.

Until next time, follow me on Twitter at @MadeToHire, Instagram, and on Facebook.

Merryn Roberts-Huntley