More and more students (and their parents) have discovered in recent years that graduating from college no longer guarantees a good job. They realize that there are fewer well-paying jobs for them in today’s hyper-competitive environment due to contractions in the economy as well as systemic changes in some industries.
Beyond Qualifications – How to Stand Out From the Crowd
Students often ask me how they can compete with candidates who had more experience in an industry, attended more “prestigious” schools, or had internships at marquee institutions. My answer is, “Tell your authentic story and explain who you are.” This may be surprising for students as the metrics they have previously been evaluated on were test scores, GPAs, and other relatively objective criteria.
Inspire Hiring Managers with Your Personal Brand
“Empathy [em-puh-thee] the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else’s feeling.”…Merriam-Webster dictionary
Have some empathy for your interviewers. Time and time again, they have to report back about the candidates they met and say, “The candidate was nice enough but nothing stood out, let’s keep searching.” Or “The candidate looked better on paper than in person.” These are the most typical reasons for candidates being rejected, particularly for college students because they do not have industry experience to fall back on during interviews. Help your interviewers break this pattern by giving them great reasons to hire you because of who you are.
Uncommon Answers to Common Interview Questions
The type of answers I propose may sound unorthodox compared to what students would typically hear from conventional career development resources but that is exactly what will make you stand out. A common question/statement may be, “Tell me about yourself.” The reason this request causes so much anxiety is because it is so open-ended, particularly at the beginning of an interview; candidates don’t know what type of answer the interviewer is looking for – personal, academic, or professional.
The Undervalued Power of Candidate Questions
“The quality of your life is determined by the questions you ask.”…Anthony Robbins, author and motivational speaker
This quote is never more important than when it is applied to the interview process, particularly for students. In speaking with hiring managers across many industries, just about all of them agree that they are more impressed by insightful questions candidates ask them than the answers candidates provide to questions they’re asked. This doesn’t mean that it is not important to provide differentiating answers to interviewers’ questions because it most definitely is. Rather, it is to highlight the fact that often candidates do not realize the importance of the questions they ask interviewers and treat the questions as a formality at the end of the interview.
Sales 101: A Prerequisite for All Job Seekers
Every year many students graduate with degrees in Marketing, with focuses on brand management, advertising, consumer behavior and a host of others. Career advisors promote similar marketing strategies for job seekers; the development of a personal brand to market your candidacy to potential employers. The goal is to present a consistent image of your traits, values and skills at every stage of the recruiting process. This marketing exercise is important to reinforce the ideas you want to convey but this is just the first step; closing a transaction requires sales skills.
All Work and No Play Makes For a Dull Candidate
There is a misconception by some students that employers are only concerned about a candidate’s ability to do the job. They are surprised when interviewers ask them about their outside interests, which appear unrelated to their careers. A typical question is “What do you like to do for fun?” or “How do you relax?” There are several reasons for the hiring manager to engage in this line of questions: are you multi-dimensional so you don’t burn out on the job, are you an interesting person they want to work with 8 – 10 hours a day, or are you able to carry on a conversation and establish rapport?
Interview Performance: Gaining the Psychological Edge
Would you enter a competitive athletic event without the proper preparation and training? If not, why would you go into interviews without similar mental and psychological preparation to ensure your peak performance? This training is the most underappreciated aspect of improving interview skills and can be the difference between success and failure. Make no mistake about it, when you are interviewing you are engaged in a performance.