If you believe you’re the right person for the job, prove it
From time to time we run pieces that we call “The view from the other side of the desk.” These are articles written with the employers in mind that, we believe, may give older job candidates some sense of how interviewers and hiring managers are thinking, what they’re looking for, and what their expectations are.
That said, have you ever put yourself in the interviewers shoes? Think about it. Try to imagine that the person with whom you are interviewing is from Missouri. You know. Missouri – the “Show Me” state. Missourians aren’t just going to take your word for it. They want you to “show me.”
Not a bad strategy for a job seeker. No doubt that when you walk into an interview, you believe that you’re the best person for the job and you’re ready to tell that to the interviewer. But are you ready to stand behind your words? Are you prepared to demonstrate to that interviewer why you are the best candidate?
The top-notch candidate is well prepared in two respects. One, the well-rehearsed candidates have done their homework on the company. They know the products, the markets, the size of the company (in terms of sales dollars and number of employees, etc.); they know what questions to ask and what the red flags are.
Two, the strong candidate has also done thorough preparation to back up what they claim about themselves – the teams they led, the products with which they’ve worked, the gains for which they were responsible, etc. They don’t just boast about themselves, they are right and ready to prove what they say.
By the time you reach the interview stage, the employer most likely sees you as a good candidate. Unfortunately, all the other people who are coming in for interviews are seen the same way. You need to separate yourself from the pack and one way to do that is to have done your homework to prove that you are as good and as qualified as you say you are.
As they say, the proof is in the pudding.
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