Job interviews can often feel like a passive experience, where you’re simply responding to the questions you’re being asked. However, this is a great opportunity to be proactive about demonstrating your skills, proving that you’re the best person for the role and most likely to be a good fit for the business. On average, 118 candidates apply for one single job with only 20% getting to the interview stage, and if you get a job offer you are amongst the 30.89% of interviewees to be selected so it’s important to get this stage right*. Being prepared in your approach can make all the difference to the outcomes you can achieve with the interviews that you go to and get ahead in the talent sourcing process.
Here’s how to do it -
Focus on how your skills with benefit the business
While interview questions might seem to be focused on general skill, the context behind each one is how the skills you have will fit within, and benefit, the business, so make sure that you highlight those skills that are going to be of particular interest to the business and make it clear how this will make you an asset. How did your skills achieve results in a previous role and what kind of impact were you able to make? If you have any inside information about challenges the business currently faces, make your answers specific to that.
It’s not just about the hard skills
Today, employers are not just looking for people who fulfill technical requirements but those who can bring something more to a project and a team environment. So, this is a great opportunity to highlight your soft skills, as it’s these that will set you apart in the final decision-making. Leadership, for example, is very highly valued in most organizations and soft skills like communication and critical thinking will make you a key contributor to the team. When you’re thinking about how to demonstrate your soft skills, make sure that you integrate this into questions, rather than talking about soft skills on their own. For example, most projects will require a combination of hard and soft skills so you can use your work examples to demonstrate both to enhance the perception that the potential employer has of your expertise.
Use a well-established interview technique to get your information across
For example, STAR = Situation, Action, Task, Result. Remembering this simple formula can help to ensure that you don’t forget any of the details when it comes to demonstrating your skills in a job interview. It will help to ensure that you paint a picture of where you were required to use your skills, how you did that and what the results were. It’s also much easier to provide answers under pressure when you’re using this kind of structure - and to ensure that you’re being clear and concise.
Be ready to ask questions at the end
This isn’t about just asking any old question but ensuring that your questions continue the opportunity to demonstrate your skills. For example, asking questions about systems or technology that will show how well informed and experienced you are or questions about the company culture that could be an opportunity to talk more about soft skills.
Every job interview is an opportunity to demonstrate what you can do and ensure your skills are front and center for the employer.
At Volt we believe that people are more than a collection of keywords on a CV. Personality and ambition are as much a part of your value as your workforce experience, so we strive to get to know each candidate, because we want to provide more than a job – we want to find you a position where you can thrive. Whether you are seeking contract or permanent opportunity you can count on Volt, get in touch today with our team.
*Job interview Statistics and Trends for 2023, Author Simplilearn, November, 2022
https://www.simplilearn.com/job-interview-statistics-article#:~:text=Only%2020%25%20Of%20the%20Applicants%20Get%20to%20the%20Interview%20Round.&text=On%20average%2C%20118%20candidates%20apply,of%20interviewees%20to%20be%20selected.