You’re too smart to make those silly mistakes like reeking of cologne at a job interview or forgetting to turn off your phone. But maybe you’re still not getting offers. How can you change that?
This post and next week’s will identify some less-obvious pitfalls to eliminate.
Not being proactive about marketing yourself.
There may be 500 reasons why the company should hire you, but they won’t remember 500. They may remember three, or five. So go into your interviews knowing what your key selling points are and make sure they come across clearly and memorably. This is also known as your unique selling proposition.
Wasting the “first impression answer.”
Your answer to the first question interviewers ask – usually something like “Would you tell me a bit about yourself?” – can set the tone for the whole interview. People tend to remember what they hear first. So make sure your first answer focuses the interviewer’s attention where you want it – on those crucial key selling points. Here are some tips on answering this crucial question.
Being vague rather than concrete.
Too-general answers sound generic and unconvincing. Be specific. Tell stories that demonstrate your outstanding skills.
It generally takes several hours to prepare your key selling points, craft a great “Tell me about yourself” answer and plan the right interview stories. For step-by-step guidance, you may want to read my book, Get That Job, The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Interview.
Key selling points, an effective first answer and compelling stories will help you get that job offer a lot sooner!
See next week’s post for “4 More Interview Mistakes Smart People Make.”
This article was originally published in July 2017 and has been updated.
