photo credit: SOCIALisBETTER

This week’s question should be easy for you to prepare for.  After all, so far you’ve answered it through your resume and your cover letter.  And what you’ve said there has gotten you to the next stage — the interview.  So what should you say when you’re sitting across the table from an employer?

1. Briefly reference your written documents and/or previous discussions to highlight your work experience. Most likely, you’ve provided this information in multiple forms.  So, make a brief summary and remind them of the points you’ve made already.  If you haven’t had a chance to discuss your work history, or if the interviewer hasn’t read your application materials, you may want to spend a bit more time here hitting the high points.
2. Share concrete examples of soft skills. Soft skills typically either aren’t listed on the resume, or if they are listed, the information is vague and unverifiable.  Demonstrating the value of your soft skills is easier in an interview, where you can provide context and answer follow-up questions.  So, if you know you can add value through your public speaking, negotiations, or coaching skills, have a couple of good concrete examples at the ready.
3. Reposition your experience based on what you learn in the interview. This one you have to handle on the fly, but if you learn about a job responsibility, key competency, or strategic challenge in the interview, you can hand-pick a talking point or two that connects your experience directly to the employer’s need.
4. Surprise them. A resume doesn’t say everything about you; it can’t, in two pages or less.  So, what have you left off that’s both interesting and pertinent?  Maybe you’re a certified skydiver, and that shows an openness to risk and adventure.  Or, perhaps you’ve traveled to all 50 states, and you can make a case for how that has kept you in touch with local trends across the country.  Consider plugging it in here.  It can give them a new point of view, start a great conversation, show that you’re well-rounded, and generally inject some energy into the interview.

Sample Answer:

Well, as you can see from my resume I have fifteen years sales experience in the industry, with a range of roles that have given me the opportunity to also gain an operational and financial perspective.  What may be more difficult to see from the written materials is how I’ve been able to deliver results by building a cohesive, high-performing team and consistently challenging them to push the envelope.  The quality of the team has brought not only a 300% increase in revenue, but also the highest ratings in the region for customer satisfaction and employee engagement.  I like to think I’ve facilitated a situation where the whole vastly exceeds the sum of the parts, and I’m certain I can replicate that kind of success here.

As we’ve talked today, your focus on the need for relationship building has been clear, and positive relationships have been critical part of my sales strategy with ABC Company.  But my belief in the power of relationship building stretches beyond my sales experience.  I have also worked as a community liaison for the Sample Foundation, reaching out to business owners, educators, and local officials to make sure the Foundation’s programs were meeting the community’s needs and that information about the programs was getting to those who needed it.  It’s been a great opportunity to help an organization that I believe in, while honing my communications and relationship building skills.  The lessons I’ve learned would be directly applicable to my work in this position.

Related posts:

1. Interview Question of the Week: What would your last supervisor say about you?
2. Interview Question of the Week: What have you done recently to improve your skills?
3. Interview Question of the Week: Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
4. Interview Question of the Week: Would your supervisor be surprised to learn that you are seeking new employment?
5. Interview Question of the Week: Tell Me About Yourself

Tagged as: Career, interview, interview prep, job change, job hunt, job search, preparation