All Experts Consultant

Here’s how:

i)Do your homework

As an interviewee, your job isn’t to show up at the interview prepared to answer questions. Your job is to have answers prepared in anticipation of questions.

If the very thought of this makes you shudder with fear, fret not. It’ll take some work, but it’s easier than you think.

Whether the interview is a done deal or you’re trying to break into a new business, knowing what issues your hiring manager is facing is the key to getting noticed.

• Interview people. Reach out to people in the business. Use your network to create warm introductions. When speaking to the employees, ask them about challenges they face in the business and their team. Get as much detail as you can.
• Go online. Many businesses participate in industry forums and communities. LinkedIn is the biggest place. Seek out where your target employer is and read the latest updates. A wealth of information awaits you.
• Speak to competitors. Businesses in the same industry face similar issues. Again, ask your network to make warm introductions and speak to employees of competing businesses. As well as understanding what challenges they face, this will help in researching the competition of your interviewer. Everyone likes inside information.

ii)Bulletproof your resume

Armed with your background information, your next step is to show them what you capable of.

Given the challenges and issues you’ve noted, what can you do to solve them? What have you done in the past that displays your skills and abilities in fixing the issues? What expertise can you provide that the employer doesn’t already have?

This is difficult to do. It’s up to you to think creatively and dig deep. Once you know what the answers are, write your resume to include them for every relevant job you’ve done. Use different formatting techniques (bold, italic, changing text size) to draw the eye to those specific areas.

And while you’re perfecting your resume, know this: 80 percent of your competition won’t think of doing this. They’ll turn up at the interview ready to answer questions using knowledge of their experience alone. And you? You’ll turn up with the answers the employer previously only wished had existed.

iii)Interview day

D-day arrives. Are you prepared? You will be, right? Because in addition to research on competitors and the killer resume you created, you also prepared examples of how you can be of value to the interviewer, didn’t you?

No? Let’s fix that.

When you note the key issues facing the interviewer and find solutions, your focus will be on how you can lead those solutions. Write these down in detail, create a case study and make your solution visible. Why?

The power of paper: When you’re in the interview room and you’re ready to talk about your solutions, don’t just discuss them. Pull out the paper that has the magic case study or detailed description on it and hand it over to the employer. “Let me show you something I’ve created,” you’ll exclaim, handing them your paper.

What impact does this have? It gives them a solution to their problem. It shows them you have initiative. And it makes their decision to hire you easy.

Much like if the assistant had brought those black, fur-trimmed boots with a good grip.

Taking these steps will put you in the front line of 80 percent of those competing for the same job. You’ll have done your homework. You’ll have networked with your future colleagues already.

And the interview? It’ll be a mere formality.