CAREER PLANNING, JOB SEARCH STRATEGY, INTERVIEWS. DO YOU BRISTLE A BIT WHEN YOU HEAR THOSE WORDS?
It’s normal to have some concerns about sitting down and being asked questions about yourself where the answers will be used to determine whether you “land” the job or not.
Luckily, there are some preparation tools that can help ease the nerves that go along with job interviews.
If you don’t know your strengths when it comes to job performance, that’s a great place to start… and a must.
My recommendation is to have three to five strengths you are prepared to discuss at any time. This means memorizing them, so they are as familiar as your face in the mirror.
Whether you’re just entering the job market as a new grad, or embarking on a new career path, your strengths should be presented with specific personal stories to illustrate them.
A FEW GOOD QUESTIONS TO GET YOUR MIND GOING ON THIS ARE:
- What accomplishments are you proud of?
- What qualities do your friends and family appreciate in you?
- What have you done in previous jobs to improve the work environment or the results, or some aspect of the job? (i.e., revenue, more clients, customer satisfaction, etc).
Don’t fret if you haven’t had a lot of job experience or you’ve been out of the workforce for a period of time. Any experience where you can answer the first two questions positively (and tell a story to back it up) is good material.
WHEN COMPILING A STORY TO ILLUSTRATE YOUR STRENGTHS, KEEP IN MIND THAT THE INTERVIEWER IS LOOKING FOR WAYS YOU CAN BENEFIT THE COMPANY.
This means telling the story in such a way that frames you up as a great fit for the position.
For example, let’s say you are an organized person. Recount an instance for the interviewer where your organizational skills served you exceptionally well. Then relate how this skill will be useful in the job you are interviewing for.
By getting clear on a specific story that illustrates each of your strengths (that will serve the company you’re interviewing with), you will ease some of your job search anxiety, while also preparing to present yourself as a valuable asset with a skill set that makes you stand out.
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And if you know a friend or neighbor who could use hearing the advice in this article or needs The Job I Love Toolkit, please forward this to them.