You see an accounting or other professional role advertised.
You apply and are called for interview. So far so good.
Deep down you know the following:
- You have a lot to offer.
- The competition will be strong.
- You can all do the job to a technically competent level.
Armed with this you know that you are going to have to stand out.
Conceptually easy to do. In practice much more difficult.
Now before you get deflated, let me re-assure you that it’s by no means impossible to stand out.
A great way of doing this is to think about what are your unique selling points.
You may think that’s something that only applies in business and in sales.
But think again. Whether we like to look at this way or not, a job interview is a type of selling situation.
The hiring manager has a need for someone to deliver specific results.
You have things to offer that can help deliver those specific results.
So essentially as a candidates you are in sales. Your job in the interview is to demonstrate why you are the best candidate.
Part of that is knowing what your unique selling points are.
You can look at this from several angles.
Experience
Is there something a little different from others in terms of your experience.
Maybe you have worked in a more commercial role before moving into Finance.
Maybe you have worked overseas.
Maybe you have great experience in large scale projects.
Skills
Perhaps you have some skills that are differentiators.
Perhaps you can communicate fluently in several languages.
Maybe you are a great people person and are great at building relationships.
It could be that you are able to be really creative when it comes to problem solving.
Personal Traits
Our personal traits are ultimately what makes us the person we are.
You might be someone who is empathetic and is able to see things through the lens of others.
Perhaps you are someone who can bring people together and get consensus.
Alternatively you might be the person who can take something really complex and simplify it.
In truth finding your unique selling points takes time and effort. On the other hand it will help you to more effectively sell yourself in job interviews.
Be More Successful In Job Interviews
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