| |
| |
|
Careers & Employment Information |
|
|
|
Why Should We Hire You?
This is one of those broad questions that can take you down the wrong road unless you have done some thinking about what to say ahead of time. This question deals with your ability to sell yourself. Think of yourself as the product. Why should the customer buy? Answers that WON'T WORK - 'Because I need a job.' -- This answer is about YOU -- 'they' want to know what you can do for 'them.' 'I am a hard worker.' -- This is a really trite answer -- almost anyone can say he or she is a hard worker. 'I saw your ad and could do the job.' -- This answers lacks passion and purpose. STRONGER ANSWERS that would get the interviewer's attention -- 'Because I have three years experience working with customers in a very similar environment.' 'Because I have what it takes to fill the requirements of this job - solve customer problems using my excellent customer service skills.' 'Because I have the experience and expertise in the area of customer support that is required in this position.' This is a time to let the customer (the interviewer) know what your product (YOU) can do for them and why they should listen to what you have to offer. The more detail you give the stronger your answer will be. This is not a time to talk about what you want. It is a time to summarize your accomplishments and relate what makes you unique and therefore a viable fit for this position. Product Inventory Exercise Start by looking at the job description or posting. What is the employer emphasizing as requirements of the job? What will it take to get the job done? Make a list of those requirements on one side of a piece of paper. Next, do an inventory to determine what you have to offer as a fit against those requirements. List your skills on the other side of the paper. Think of two or three key qualities you have to offer that match each requirement that the employer is seeking. Don't underestimate personal traits that make you unique -- your energy, personality type, working style, and people skills. The Sales Pitch -- You are the Solution From the list of requirements and your matching list of what you have to offer, merge the two into a summary statement. This is your sales pitch. It should be no more than two minutes long and should stress the traits that make you unique and a good match for the job. Example 'With my seven years of experience working with financial databases, I have saved companies thousands of dollars by streamlining systems. My high energy, and quick learning style enable me to hit the ground running and rapidly size up problems. I have the ability to stay focused in stressful situations, and can be counted on when the going gets tough. I know I would be a great addition to your team.' Preparing this statement ahead of the interview will give you the edge when asked questions like, 'Why should we hire you?' or 'What can you bring to this position?' This will be your chance to let the interviewers know that you are the solution to their problem. About The Author Carole Martin is a celebrated author, trainer, and an interview coach. Her books, 'Interview Fitness Training Workbook' and 'Boost Your Interview IQ' (McGraw Hill) have sold thousands of copies world-wide. Receive Carole's FREE 9-week job interview e-course by visiting her web site at: http://www.interviewcoach.com or http://www.interviewfitnesstraining.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Employment - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Career Killers to Avoid Many professionals and managers are so involved in day-to-day crises and fighting fires that they forget about a key leadership characteristic: self-management. Effective leaders are first of all effective in managing themselves - their time, their focus, their emotions and their careers. Unlimit Your Life! Do you have a tendency to think in absolutes?Is everything good or bad, black or white?This type of thinking can severely limit your options. Or worse, prevent you from getting an accurate picture of what's possible. Telecommuting Resumes Your resume needs to outline your skills and experience, as most know. What some may not know is that employers want to know what you'll bring to the table. Your Interview Questions Are a Serious Matter Of course interviews are mainly about you answering the questions they put to you, but at the end of your allotted interview time, the questions that really matter most are yours. You should hope to hear the interviewer ask you:"Have you any questions?"But even if they don't ask, you should grasp the opportunity and say:"Do you mind if I ask a couple of questions?" However you must be careful when planning what questions you're going to ask, and make sure that they are not ones that you should already know the answer to because it's been covered in the interview. Ten Things To Do When You Really, Really Hate Your Job 1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how much you want to escape. 10 Key Career Success Questions At some point in every professional or managerial career, there is a time when one start thinking: Is it time to move on or do something else? However, before you quit your job and take a fling at something else, realistically evaluate your career and potential options by asking yourself these ten career success questions: Do I really like my work or am I hanging on marking time? Am I promotable or am I seen as a disposable commodity? Am I visible to potential employers, as well as my current boss? Am I growing or stagnating or just standing still waiting for the next wave of change? How smooth are my interpersonal relationships with my boss and co-workers? Am I being rewarded at my true worth? Have I recently checked out my value in the marketplace? How valued and diversified are my skills and competencies? How can I distinguish myself from competitors? What will it take to get where I want to go from the place I am right now? While setting distinct goals is a critical factor in career advancement, remaining flexible is important too. Climbing the career ladder with blinders on could mean missed opportunity. Avoid Mistakes and Gaffes in Your Job Resume Having mistakes and gaffes in your job resume spell disaster for your job search. The last thing an employer needs is to look at a poorly written resume. Using Recruiters: How To Get A Step Ahead Of The Crowd When there is an opening to fill, a company has four basic approaches at their disposal:? Advertise the position on Internet job sites? Network? Probe the Internet for viable candidates? Use recruitersWhen a company advertises an opening on an Internet job site, they receive hundreds of resumes. It simply is too long of a process and financially prohibitive to review every resume and move through each step of the interviewing and selection process to fill the opening. Petite Modeling: is There a Career for You? PEtite modeling is a tough industry to break into. Especially since most modeling agencies won't represent models unless they're 5 feet and 9 inches tall or taller. Your Goals Must Be Within Your Reach FIRST STEP -- Set short-term, incremental goals. Work up to larger plans later. Need a Job? Put a Gun to Your Head A legendary marketing genius once said that, if he had to write a killer sales letter, he would imagine he had a gun pointed at his head and that he would be shot if his advertising didn't deliver.This motivated him to create some of the world's most-profitable ads. Mastering The Lunch Interview Interviews can be nerve-racking, brain-draining, headache-inducing experiences. These days, recruiters have found a way to make the interview even more difficult by combining the experience with a meal. Telecommuting Website (Part Two) Last article I discussed why a telecommuter would benefit from starting a website, and what you should include on the website. This article, I'm going to cover how to market the website and the basics of getting one set up. Creating Traffic Jams It's hard to imagine why anyone would pick up a newspaper to find a job any more. With a seemingly endless array of career sites, mailing lists, corporate sites and newsgroups, job seekers have more options online than ever before. Job Search Techniques: Smashing The Gray Ceiling For decades, women have chaffed at the invisible glass ceiling which prevents their moving into the high executive brackets that their competence, knowledge and skills have earned. The same amorphous barrier confronts older workers both in terms of advancement within a company and, most especially, when a job change is required. The Ripple Effect of Fear Unemployment carries a lot of emotional baggage for most of us and fear is a major component. We fear the financial fallout of no longer receiving regular wages. Book Summary: How to Work with Just About Anyone This article is based on the following book:How to Work with Just About Anyone"A Three-step Solution For Getting Difficult People To Change"By Lucy GillPublished by Fireside/ Simon and Schuster 1999ISBN 0-684-85527-5206 pages"I just can't seem to get along with this person!"Every office has that one difficult person to work with, who affects productivity due to a terrible attitude, chronic tardiness, or simply drives everyone else up the wall. Here is the answer to common problems in conflict management. Negotiate Better Job Offers with This Twelve-Point Checklist You've been through an employer's interview process successfully and have now been extended a job offer. And you think the offer could be better. What is Contract Programming? An Alternative to the Conformity of Everyday Employment What is contract programming, you ask? Well, when companies need specific computer programming expertise, for temporary periods of time, they generally hire a contract programmer or an employee of a consulting firm. Contractors almost always have a higher hourly wage than a salaried employee and are often paid for overtime. Unemployment Blues: Mind Over Mood Our lives are tranquil and smooth so seldom, it seems. We have our ups-and-downs, our good days and bad days, our sunny moods and black moods.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
