Articulating the Reasons Why You Should Be Hired

These days you don’t get an interview unless the company knows or has a strong comfort level that you can do the job- the resume determines the CAN DO of the candidate, the interview determines the WILL DO of the candidate.

In most job interviews today, candidates spend 80% of their time answering behavioural questions about their attitudes, skills and abilities to ensure that they fit the job and organization. Interviewing has changed from asking technical questions about experience to situational questions about skills, personality and attitude- the technical aspects of a job can be acquired by training, but attitudes such as flexibility, willingness to change, and take responsibility cannot.

This interview style is popular because of the generally held belief that the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations. The interviewer determines the behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities required for the job, and creates situational questions to uncover the candidate’s profile in the relevant areas.

It is the interviewer’s job to understand your background and match your experience, skills and personality to the job description and the company. The only way the interviewer can fully understand your background is by you clearly giving information about yourself in response to the questions posed. Consider the interview as an information giving and information gathering process- NOT as a power struggle.

Decide on what your chief skills or strengths are and be prepared to give concrete and defendable examples including dates, names, numbers to convey the reality. Know the job description for which you are interviewing and prepare to recall specific actions and behaviors that address them.