8 HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE INTERVIEWER Write down the 4-5 most important points or highlights you want the interviewer to remember. In an interview, you are a salesperson. Your task is to promote your most important skills, strengths, experiences and values or anything that shows the interviewer that you are the best fit for the job and the company. Short, 2-3 minute stories about your most important characteristics should be the foundation of the talking points of your sales pitch. These talking points should also shape the responses you prepare for your next interview. Anyone can claim to be “hardworking and dedicated.” Employers are interested in proof. It is important to have evidence and examples to demonstrate this to a potential employer. PREPARE KEY STRENGTHS STATEMENTS Many employers value five key strengths as critical for any job: customer satisfaction, team work, communication skills, interpersonal skills and adaptability. Make sure you have developed good examples that demonstrate you have these five key strengths. WHY KEY STRENGTHS STATEMENTS ARE IMPORTANT • Understanding your interests, skills and attitudes will increase your confidence and help you promote yourself to an employer • Increased self-confidence sends a positive message to employers • The key to a successful interview is to be able to match and describe the skills you have that directly correspond to the specific requirements outlined in the job advertisement COMMUNICATION SKILLS Listening, speaking and writing. Employers want people who can accurately interpret what others are saying and organize and express their thoughts clearly. TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION Highlight how you have built long term relationships with internal and external teams and how you can work in a team to achieve the organization's goals. ANALYTICAL AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS Employers want people who can use creativity, reasoning and past experiences to identify and solve problems effectively. PERSONAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS The ability to plan and manage multiple assignments and tasks, set priorities and adapt to changing conditions and work assignments. INTERPERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS Employers usually note whether an employee can relate to co-workers and build relationships with others in the organization. ELEVATOR PITCH – A TOOL TO MARKET YOURSELF An elevator pitch gives a brief and persuasive snapshot of why an employer should hire you. The term “elevator pitch” is named after the possibility of a jobseeker meeting a hiring manager in an elevator and having a brief opportunity to promote their qualifications. The pitch or commercial shows that you are prepared for the interview, have researched the company and are the ideal candidate for the job.
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