Any professionally trained interviewer can attest these questions are the most asked by people involved with job-hunting. How important is it? Absolutely vital! ? How difficult is it? Not hard at all.
I can demonstrate the importance with a true story from my book 'The Art of the Interview'. [*Now on CD-ROM]
In the early 1980s I interviewed a young man who, in our meeting, began to quote information pertaining to the company he was applying. He cited the previous year's corporate gross revenue figures, the number of employees' country wide, projected new product launches and other related information. Needless to say, I was impressed. He got the job.
In retrospect, although I tried to be unbiased, when comparing him to the other candidates I interviewed, his knowledge of the company [The Company I worked for and Loved] colored, in his favor, the whole interview. My impression was he had spent much time researching the organization which showed considerable interest and effort on his part. Not one of his competitors had done so.
Months later, I asked him where he'd done his research to find so much about the company. He smiled and said, "Remember our meeting was scheduled for 2: PM that day you were running 15-minutes behind?" I nodded affirmatively. "Well, as I sat in the reception area waiting for you, I noticed, among the magazines on the coffee table, a Corporate year-end report in which, among other things, contained the company's complete history. Fifteen minutes gave me plenty of time to 'research' the company." [And then he grinned]
This story is true although the important lesson here is; he did something so simple, that in the end, made such a huge difference. He beat out twenty other candidates - many of whom had more impressive credentials than he. The fact remains, when the moment counted, and with little effort, "He was Impressive!"
You may think me a little unyielding as to the importance of this point. The fact remains, 'Little Things' can make 'All the Difference'. For other examples of this we need only look at Olympic athletes.
The runner that crosses the finish line 1/100th of a second faster than the next, wins Gold. A Gold Medal can mean the difference of millions of dollars in future endorsements.
One might ask; Is this Gold Medal winner ten times faster or better than the second runner? No, he is only 1/100th of a second faster ? the length of a pencil. Decades of training and practice to become a Gold Medal winner, a celebrity and a multi-millionaire all came down to 7-inches ? When It Counted!
For us, the other important factor to remember is that when interviewing for a new job, there is no Silver Medal, second place, so to speak. We either get the job or we don't.
The Bottom Line:
Although it's easy to see the task of standing apart in an interview, a little daunting. It is, nevertheless, absolutely integral to anyone's success in today's Unique Value-Add driven marketplace whether it's products, services - especially when it relates to us. In the end, we are all trying to make a sale. Potential employers must buy-off on the value and uniqueness of us.
The good news? Standing out in a 'Huge' way is rarely necessary and often we find, standing out a 'Little' - not all that difficult.
Good Job Hunting!
About The Author
Paul Shearstone aka The 'Pragmatic Persuasionist' is one of North America's foremost experts on Sales and Persuasion. An International Keynote Speaker, Author, Writer, Motivation, Corporate Ethics, / Time & Stress Management, Recruiting Specialist, Paul enlightens and challenges audiences as he informs, motivates and entertains. To comment on this article or to book the Pragmatic Persuasionist for your next successful event we invite to contact Paul Shearstone directly @ 416-728-5556 or www.success150.com or paul@success150.com
For more detailed information on Interviewing Skills, visit [www.success150.com]. On the 'Speaker Profile' page, there is a hot-link to "The Art of the Interview" There you can order [$5 Admin-Fee] an E-Book that guarantees better interviewing results. It details the specific types of questions trained interviewers will ask and the reasons why they ask them. The do's and don'ts of a good résumé's as well as ways to better prepare mentally for an interview are also there in a comprehensive easy to read format.
*Just Released: The Art of the Interview on CD ROM [Narrated by Paul Shearstone] Please send $19.95 usd + $5 S&H to:
Paul Shearstone
c/o Success 150 Group Inc
7305 Woodbine Ave, Suite 458
Markham Ontario Canada
L3R 3V7
paul@success150.com
Make sure that your resume is up to date with... Read More
They say that most people do complete and total career... Read More
I'm the type of person that considers a healthy, enjoyable... Read More
Are you a new graduate with little or no work... Read More
Whether you've been right-sized, downsized, underutilized, or just plain fired,... Read More
Of course, she then offered me a six-month process, costing... Read More
The economy is picking up, budgets are new, positions are... Read More
Use these interview tips for job hunting success!It's a tough... Read More
All Presidential candidates (before and after) make all kinds of... Read More
If you want to land an interview, you'll need more... Read More
Are you thinking about switching careers? If you are, you're... Read More
If you're looking into making the petite modeling industry your... Read More
"Doing a good job is one of the most important... Read More
Your career, like any journey, has a beginning, an end... Read More
I always look forward to the December issue of... Read More
The rapid growth of technology, greater exposure to knowledge, higher... Read More
Is every job description you read the same? No.Is every... Read More
You can learn a lot about how to do something... Read More
I am going to give you a breakdown of my... Read More
Excerpt of Death By Workers' Compensation"The Bleeding Rose"In this Excerpt... Read More
Planning and preparing before you begin to send out resumes... Read More
Human Resources personnel, professional recruiters and various other career experts... Read More
At this present time I have a job. It pays... Read More
How good are you at standing up for yourself?Do you... Read More
No one should be fired and be surprised about it.... Read More
Getting a job is not just about your performance in... Read More
Happy New Year! The forecasts are in agreement: Hiring is... Read More
Effective follow-up after a job interview is often a key... Read More
1.0 A timely reminderIn a recent decision in a New... Read More
I have something to say that's driving me batty. It's... Read More
In today's competitive job market you can't afford a résumé... Read More
A paperweight sits on my desk, etched in... Read More
How much of our career path is destiny and how... Read More
It seems like a good idea, harmless in fact. Your... Read More
So here you are?stuck in a dead end job. Are... Read More
The increasing globalization of business has created a demand for... Read More
In this ever changing world, we need to think out... Read More
You have worked hard at finding your next job. You... Read More
Sometime last summer I decided to host a pity party... Read More
"Doing a good job is one of the most important... Read More
It's hard to believe that there are people in today's... Read More
Downloading a free resume template can be so alluring. No... Read More
What's wrong with an objective on a resume? The problem... Read More
Most of us are aware that we need to grieve... Read More
If only there were no questions involved in getting a... Read More
Tough words... but I truly believe that folks who make... Read More
Informational interviews are designed to get as much information as... Read More
Is there a company in your area that you'd love... Read More
There is an end to the job search tunnel!It has... Read More
Two weeks ago, I received a newsy email from a... Read More
Hello Fellow Seekers!I don't know about you? but I'm pretty... Read More
Unexpectedly loosing your job can be a very traumatic and... Read More
If published statistics are accurate, employment agencies and search firms... Read More
In the 80s while I was an account executive for... Read More
Over 70% of single employees will become romantically involved with... Read More
Were you once a successful, professional woman who had a... Read More
Today we hear much talk of the 'global village'. People... Read More
The "hard" skills necessary for an executive protection specialist (EPS)... Read More
Let me introduce you to Ben. He made it happenBen... Read More
The answer may be easier than you think, but there's... Read More
So you are interested in seeking a job with an... Read More
Your boss is the gatekeeper of your career. Unless you... Read More
The mortgage industry accounted for $1,815,949,279,000 in loan transactions in... Read More
Fear in starting a job search is a four letter... Read More
There is one little practice that is vital to generating... Read More
If you are a pro-active, get-things-done type, sooner or later... Read More
Careers, Jobs & Employment |