SIX TIPS FOR MAKING AN INTERVIEWER LOVE YOU
I'm not a Romantic, but I will commandeer Valentine's Day to talk about LOVE as it relates to the job hunt.
You see, too many people apologize for themselves. They downplay their positive attributes and cast doubt on their true abilities and talents. And many of them do it in interviews.
Take for instance the following exchange:
Interviewer: “I see here you won the yearly sales award in your last position. Tell me about that.”
Interviewee: “Oh, well, yeah, it’s really a small award. There weren’t a lot of other candidates for the award, but yeah, I received it. I only sold five percent more than the guy who came in second.”
Interviewer: <awkward silence.>
Would you hire that candidate?
Maybe you would. Maybe the rest of the interview was phenomenal. Maybe the applicant has a unique skill set or stellar resume. Maybe you’d interpret the applicant as merely being “humble.”
Here are SIX tips for making the interviewer love you:
As we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, there’s no better time to show yourself a little love: make sure you aren’t selling yourself and your accomplishments short in the interview. When sharing your accomplishments, make sure that you are focusing on positively representing what you can bring to an organization.
It's not bragging in an interview; it's showing a version of your self that the employer would LOVE to have on their staff!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Jamie
You see, too many people apologize for themselves. They downplay their positive attributes and cast doubt on their true abilities and talents. And many of them do it in interviews.
Take for instance the following exchange:
Interviewer: “I see here you won the yearly sales award in your last position. Tell me about that.”
Interviewee: “Oh, well, yeah, it’s really a small award. There weren’t a lot of other candidates for the award, but yeah, I received it. I only sold five percent more than the guy who came in second.”
Interviewer: <awkward silence.>
Would you hire that candidate?
Maybe you would. Maybe the rest of the interview was phenomenal. Maybe the applicant has a unique skill set or stellar resume. Maybe you’d interpret the applicant as merely being “humble.”
Here are SIX tips for making the interviewer love you:
- Be truthful. You shouldn’t make stories up in which you are the hero. Each of us should be able to come up with at least two career related stories (based on our resume) that show the outstanding candidate we are.
- Be Specific. Don’t speak conceptually or theoretically. Talk about real and concrete instances.
- Don’t exaggerate. If you successfully sold 5,000 widgets; don’t claim to have sold 10,000. A real, but small success is better than a hyperbolized success.
- But don’t understate. Don’t downplay the value of what you did. If it is a success, call it one.
- Take credit where it’s due. Don’t attribute success to a group if you accomplished it on your own, and don’t pass over the central role you played in a successful group.
- Speak in plain language. Want to come off as arrogant? Use two dollar words when a fifty cent word will do. Successful, but approachable people can connect with others through common language.
As we’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, there’s no better time to show yourself a little love: make sure you aren’t selling yourself and your accomplishments short in the interview. When sharing your accomplishments, make sure that you are focusing on positively representing what you can bring to an organization.
It's not bragging in an interview; it's showing a version of your self that the employer would LOVE to have on their staff!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Jamie
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