Job Interviews: Five Tips to Stand out from the Crowd

If you’re suffering from anxiety about an upcoming job interview, you’re not alone. Statistics show that 92 percent of surveyed adults have anxiety over job interviews. You know that getting this job could improve your life, and you’re also aware that the competition is intense. What can you do to help make sure you stand out from the crowd?

What Employers are Looking For: How to Create a Strong Presence

Employers take a variety of factors into consideration when hiring. If your qualifications aren’t quite what they should be, you might be wondering if you should even bother trying. Maybe you have a gap in your employment history, or perhaps you’re less educated than some of your peers. Don’t assume that you can’t be an amazing employee just because you’re not perfect. No one is perfect, and your unique skill set might be just what your potential employer is looking for.

Employers are looking for strong and driven individuals who can add something to their team. To do well in an interview, you’ll need to create a powerful presence.

1. Know What You Want

You may not have a perfect work history, but you should be aware of your own career goals. Be prepared to answer questions about where you see yourself in 10 years. Employers realise that people who know what they want will be willing to work hard to get it, and if they suspect you’re just passively floating through life, they might be tempted to choose another candidate for the job.

2. Show That You’re Proactive

Employers want to hire people who can tackle challenges on their own. Your interviewer might ask questions about how you would handle various hypothetical situations, and if so, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with your answers. Being a proactive, independent thinker will allow you to bring new ideas to the table, which might be precisely what the interviewer is looking for.

3. Demonstrate Your Research

It doesn’t matter if you’re applying for a basic clerk position or something higher. You’ll need to demonstrate that you’ve researched the background of the company you’re applying with. Employers want to bring on new team members who will be passionate about what they’re taking part in. Having a strong grasp on the company’s brand mission will give you an edge in interviews.

4. Ask the Right Questions

Interviewers want to engage with their potential hires, which means you’ll need to ask smart questions throughout the interview process. Show that you’re interested in preparing yourself for the position even though you haven’t been hired yet. Ask about the way the company measures job performance and how a person in your position could potentially advance within the company. Employers want team members who will stick around for the long term, and showing that you hope to advance will demonstrate your dedication.

5. Remember That Your Interviewer is Human

It’s easy to get caught up in the anxiety surrounding a job interview and forget that your interviewer is a human being. Beyond following HR best practices and attempting to be a good representative of the company, your interviewer likely has a family, a home and plenty of other things on their mind. Along with showing off your excellent career traits, be sure to be warm and personable. Employers want to hire people who will be nice to work with, so a little charm will help you stand out from the competition.

If you mess up a few job interviews during your hunt for work, don’t beat yourself up. Getting nervous and flubbing our words happens to the best of us. Every new interview is a new chance at success, so pick yourself up and move forward with confidence.

About the author:
Craig Middleton is a business consultant who worked in the HR and marketing industries for ten years. He stopped working in HR and marketing to start his own consulting business three years ago and has enjoyed helping others with their businesses and careers ever since.