12 Most Compelling Reasons to Hire YOU

For job seekers, interns, recent college graduates and career management professionals, there’s one question that trumps all others: Why Hire You? As part of my new book on delivering your best elevator pitch, I wanted to showcase a real-life story (as opposed to a bookshelf strategy) for moving your career forward. And someone who knows how to get hired is the Millennial CEO.

You probably know the Millennial CEO, Dan Newman - He’s the guy who got to the Big Chair before his 30th birthday (and not at a company he founded). What’s his secret for career acceleration? There’s never been a more compelling time for this sort of information. Many Millennials and Gen Y job seekers are taking it on the chin in the summertime job market – not to mention Baby Boomers, Gen X, and the Silent Generation. People deserve every possible insight to move their careers forward. No matter what your generation, there’s a lot to learn from the 12most powerful answers to the question, “Why should I hire YOU?” – compliments of the Millennial CEO.

1. Competence

You have to be able to do the job. If you’re there on the interview the assumption is that you have the skills. Dan explains, “As a professional, you want to be taken seriously about doing a role. You have to have the know-how, bottom line.” But going beyond the resume requires something more…

2. Confidence

Or more precisely, a “humble confidence” – you have to know that you are able to do the job. Dan explains, “The team has to believe that you can deliver value that they can’t find somewhere else.” Confidence is the differentiator; if you don’t believe in you, no one else will, either.

3. Inspiration

“A big part of my success has hinged on my ability to convince others that I can do what they need me to do. I refer to past accomplishments, and experience, but at the end of the day, people have to believe that you can get the job done.” Transferring your beliefs to another is one of the hallmarks of inspiration, and a key to getting others to take action.

4. Results

“It’s all about packaging your accomplishments”, according to Dan. Does your resume reflect your results, or just your skills? When you are asked for your elevator pitch, do you deliver those results in clear package for the interviewer?

5. Empathy

A broad understanding of the players, the products and the industry is important for your career to advance. “But being able to speak intelligently about the various aspects of the business”, Dan says with newly-trademarked humble confidence, “has really accelerated my career.” If a company is going to invest in you, you have to show that you really understand what they’re trying to accomplish – and the implication of their challenges.

6. The Antidote for “Can’t”

“You have to remove the word ‘can’t’ from your vocabulary,” Dan says, without hesitation. “For any business, there are things that they can’t accomplish. You have to demonstrate how they can – with you, because you can turn obstacles into opportunity. And you have to make sure the company understands and believes that –with you in place – that overcoming their challenge is now possible.”

7. Delivery

“What’s the path to that profitability that all businesses seek?” You have to demonstrate that you understand how to deliver the results that are needed – even if those results are in engineering, customer service or cost accounting. Every role and every department has results; explain your role as part of that accomplishment.

8. Go Beyond Your Experience

What about new responsibilities – things you haven’t got on your resume? “You have to show extraordinary competence in the area of your expertise – and then connect that track record to new opportunities and new challenges.” Remember, the hiring manager hasn’t been able to solve the puzzle yet, either. “Delivering can expand the conversation. Look at the experience you do have, and explain how it relates.”

9. Leadership without Authority

“If you want to move into a new role with new responsibility, you have to show how you’ve been able to marshal resources from diverse departments.” Leadership without a title is the first step towards getting one.

10. Paying Attention

Nobody wants to be sold, but everyone wants to buy. “Have you shown that you understand the industry, and the company.

11. Authenticity

You Can’t Fake It. Anybody can write a great resume, but you can’t fake your elevator pitch. “The first 30 seconds of the conversation is so meaningful,” Dan explains, because presentation matters. “You have to demonstrate that you ‘get it’, whatever the issue might be, because without that connection, you’re done.”

12. Research

Know the company, and know your audience. “Do you know enough about me and my business,” Dan asks matter-of-factly, “before you ask me to buy YOU?”

What the experts don't tell you about interviewing

Interviews in the private sector vary from the well-planned assessment day, with group tasks and a panel interview, to a more hurried, informal chat with your potential line manager. Watch out for unpredictable factors that can influence the outcome. 

Your interviewer might not be trained 
Interviewing is often part of a manager's responsibilities, but they aren't always trained in techniques such as competency-based interviews, where questions about past behaviour in particular situations are used to predict how candidates would act if they were doing a particular job. Don't assume your interviewer has prepared thoughtful, probing questions that will elicit a compelling picture of your abilities and potential. 

Thorough research and preparation help you counteract even the most unprepared or untrained interviewer. Focus on the challenges of the role, and give examples showing that you have the skills and experience to succeed. Use a 'CAR' story-telling format (describing the challenge, your action and the result) and provide figures proving the impact you've made in similar situations. Weave in four or five of these relevant stories during the interview. 

Be ready for standard questions such as asking about your strengths and weaknesses. Prepare specific examples of where you add value. In the live Q&A, Rowan Manahan said: "Do some work on what you excel at – what has made the difference in jobs/projects in the past? Build a list and then, when you have an interview coming up, start mapping your identifiable, provable skills against the interviewing company's needs. The subtext to the strengths question is: "What are you good at that's going to make life better right here, right now in this company?" The subtext to the weakness question is "Do you have self-knowledge? Now you have this awareness of a chink in your armour, what are you doing about it?" 

Interviewing is a flawed science 
The best person doesn't always get the job. Some candidates are better at presenting themselves, while interviewers are also prone to making errors of judgement, such as giving preference to candidates who are similar in background or personality, or taking the score from one aspect of a candidate's performance and applying it to all aspects. 

Work this to your advantage. Pick up on any hints of shared experience, which move you from being an outsider to a known quantity. Listen attentively for what the interviewer wants from the ideal candidate. Address these concerns directly and reply succinctly, checking you've answered in sufficient detail. 

Never underestimate the personality factor 
In Job Interview Success, Be Your Own Coach, (http://www.mcgraw-hill.co.uk/html/0077130189.html) Jenny Rogers says that likeability, motivation and social skills are crucial. In addition to job-related competence, show you're easy to work with (or manage) and that you would fit in. 

Give the interviewer a reason to like you. Be enthusiastic about the role and the company, and appear motivated about how you can contribute to its success. 

Don't complain about your previous boss, avoid confrontation and be pleasant without being obsequious. Ask about the working culture to reinforce the impression you'd slot in easily. 

It's hard to overturn a negative first impression 
What you wear – too much aftershave or perfume, your posture or handshake – these seemingly trivial things count. Any hint that you're not the poised, polished professional can irreparably damage your chances. 

If you show you've made an effort, you can score points. An experienced interviewer, Denise Taylor, said, "When you see a well-put-together outfit, you're drawn to the candidate. They still have to give effective answers, but you warm to them." 

Get a trusted friend to give you a critique of your entrance into a room. Do you come across as assured, arrogant or apprehensive? Meeting people at formal and informal networking events can also help improve your social confidence.