Article by Adrianne Harris
When you go for a job interview you don’t get to see how the other candidates perform, what their answers are or how they interact with the recruitment team. This week’s blog takes a look at interviews and how you create a great response by sharing some video links that explore how you prepare for an interview and how you create a good first impression from the very first question you are asked.
Before you arrive you should review your application documents and the position description, or other information you have regarding the role. The key to success is to match your skills and experience to the skills and experience the organisation is looking for. Make it easy for the recruitment team to see how well you fit into the vacancy. Think about what the role needs to do and be prepared to share examples of when and where you have previously performed those tasks
You should think about the interview as a conversation, this video is a great introduction.
Spending time thinking about the selection criteria and examples you can use to show your experience is important, but you should also spend plenty of time thinking about the response to the very first question you will be asked: “why should we employ you/why did you apply for this job/why are you the best candidate for this job?”
Whilst is sounds like a trick question, it’s not really. It’s your opportunity, in a few sentences, to summarise your skills and experience and how it relates to the position being applied for. Focus on the needs of the organisation, not your needs.
This video is a nice summary of how you can create an opening pitch that introduces your skills and experience to the recruiter:
The next video is an excellent summary of how you match your skills and experience to the requirement of the job when answering the question “why should we hire you?”
Think of your response to these opening questions as your “elevator pitch”. The idea is that if you are in an elevator with another person and only had a minute or two to introduce yourself to them and give them an idea of your skills and experience, what would you say?
You should then tailor your elevator pitch to the job you are going for, highlighting the most relevant skills and experience that the job requires.
Finally, practice this opening out loud so that it flows easily. Practice your opening until you have a polished and professional response to the question “why should we hire you?”.
To arrange a practice interview, contact me at Broadly Speaking.