How to shine at interview

You need to do more than just show how you meet the basic job requirements if you're to stand out from other applicants. Help the hiring manager visualize you excelling in the role, by displaying these star performer characteristics 

Leadership and influencing skills 
In a recent live Q&A on how to succeed at an interview,  a recruiter specializing in marketing wrote that employers look for examples of how candidates have influenced wider teams in the business through consultation and collaboration, rather than through pulling rank. 

Identify situations where you created wide support for your initiatives to solve problems, win new business, motivate teams and colleagues, or introduce measures to cut costs or streamline procedures. 

Communication skills 
Good written and verbal communication skills are necessary for most jobs. Go beyond the basics and focus on how you've adapted your message and communication style for different audiences. You can mention successful presentations and negotiations, or occasions where you've had to work with difficult people or manage complex projects involving a range of stakeholders. Highlight your ability to develop and build relationships with people throughout the company, as well as with suppliers, clients or customers. 

Understanding the bigger picture 
Rather than a narrow focus on the role or department, broaden your appeal by demonstrating an understanding of the wider context of the business and industry. Show interest in how the role has an impact on the organisation as a whole. Where does it fit within the organisation and how will your contribution make a difference? 

Good awareness of the company culture and values is also important and you'll need to show you're a good fit not just for the role, but on a wider level. Will your managers and colleagues enjoy working with you? Is it the sort of culture where you'll be able to flourish and get great results? 

Research current industry trends so you can talk knowledgeably about how they affect the business. What opportunities or challenges is the organisation facing? Draw on your previous experience to illustrate how you've dealt with similar situations successfully before and, therefore, how you'll be able to do the same in this role. 

A good attitude 
Having the right attitude can compensate for not having exactly the right skills-set or experience. Give examples of where you've pulled out all the stops to get the work done or to exceed expectations. Be enthusiastic about the opportunity and be clear about how it relates to your personal goals and career ambitions. 

The ability to ask good questions 
Prepare thoughtful questions before your interview. Questions that mark you out as a great candidate are those which reveal your motivation to add value to the organisation (rather than just an interest in the salary and benefits.) 

Ask about what you'll be expected to achieve in the short, mid or long-term; or what differentiates a great (rather than merely average) candidate in this role.

12 Most Clever Ways to Outsmart the Booby Traps Holding Your Success Hostage

Everyone is subject to blind spots, choke holds, death grips and booby traps that have the potential to keep them from moving forward in life and career.

The challenge when getting tangled up in one of these areas is to do everything within your power to get untangled and unstuck as quickly as possible.

1. Hit the pause button

The hardest thing to do when getting tangled up and stuck is to stop fighting it, but that is exactly what we need to do. If you’ve ever had your fishing line get tangled up you know it takes patience and slow, deliberate effort to untangle it.

So I want you to imagine hitting your pause button, because that which we resist will continue to persist.

And the pause is where wisdom emerges.

2. Journal

Journaling is magical. I remember my first journal entry in 1989. Life sucks! That was all I could say, but the more I journaled, the clearer my mind got — until one day I realized I could see and felt good again.

I’ve been known to say that “journaling is a lubricant that untangles thoughts and a salve that heals hearts.”

Flannery O’Connor is quoted as saying, “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” Try it I promise it will help.

3. Shift your focus

When a person gets tangled up and stuck, they tend to slip into the victim role. And what do victims do? They spend all their time focused on the things they can do nothing about which does nothing to help them get untangled.

Now that you’ve hit the pause button, shift your focus onto the things you CAN DO.

4. Read The Magic of Thinking Big

When the mind loses traction and our thoughts get all tangled up, we lose access to our internal resourcefulness. Einstein said, it’s virtually impossible to fix a problem with the same mind that created it. Which means we need a new mind and there is no better way to gain access to a new mind than by reading a powerful book.

5. Walk briskly

Your body needs to move and the psychological benefits of walking briskly are immeasurable. The chemicals produced in the mind from walking briskly help to improve how you think, see and feel.

6. Play and be playful

Science has proven that there are incredible benefits to the adult soul from play and being playful.

Imagine you’re seven again — what were the things you enjoyed doing? Sliding down a hill on cardboard? Building a fort in a cardboard box? Climbing a tree? Playing kick the can? Skipping? 

Childish? Perhaps. But if acting childish for a few hours might help you get unstuck, then isn’t it logical to at least give it a try? What’s the worse that could happen, you could have a good time?

7. Rewrite and redefine

I like to ask myself the following question, “Where is it written that I have to look at or think about this the way that I’m currently looking at and thinking about it? Who says I can’t rewrite and redefine it? Who says I can’t see it differently?”

You have the freedom and power to choose how you define everything in your life.

So remember, if you change the way you think about and look at things, the things you think about and look at… change.

8. Master your enemies dance

The vast majority of people live in a perpetual state of internal conflict and resistance. They push back, avoid and/or self-medicate, completely unaware that in doing so they’re keeping at bay the happiness, peace and joy they seek and desire. Instead of looking at life’s fears, challenges, difficulties and hardships, look at the opportunities to learn a new lesson.

Don’t resist. Embrace. Look your enemy in the eye. Ask it to dance. Then let it know, you’re taking the lead. This is your dance.

9. Drink plenty of water

The anxiety and tension associated with getting stuck can take a toll on the body. The normal tendency is to eat and drink less-healthy when what would be most helpful is exactly the opposite.

Hydrating the body also hydrates and optimizes the mind so that you can think and see more clearly.

10. Practice smiling because

Force yourself to smile from earlobe to earlobe. If your face doesn’t feel like it’s going to break then you aren’t doing it properly. Now measure how you feel. If you did it right you have to admit that you felt much better as a result and isn’t that the goal in life? To feel better.

Commit to smiling like this throughout the day and I promise you’ll have more access to your internal resourcefulness than if you don’t.

11. Make a “to do list” and a “don’t do list”

By making a “to do” and “don’t do list,” it will be much easier to focus your mind, choices and actions on the things that most need to get done.

12. Meditate and pray

I love to get real quiet and just listen. I’m amazed at the things I can hear when I shut everything down. I also like to pray and I mean pray like my prayer is going to get answered.

Isn’t faith and hope what we need when things aren’t going like we hoped?

Bonus: Clear away the clutter!

“He’s trapped in the weeds and can’t see the forest for the trees” is said about as often as the name Chuck Norris or Kevin Bacon. And for good reason, because that’s exactly what it feels like.

12 Most Imperative Steps to Changing Your Career

Changing your career isn’t easy — but when it’s time, no other solution is sufficient replacement. There are a few signs and guideposts along the way that let you know in not-so-subtle form that you’re due.
For instance, have you been nursing a bored, slightly resentful dread in the pit of your stomach for the last few months of work? Watching the clock tick slower and slower each day? Or just plain disengaged, antsy and dreamy about all the other things you’d rather be doing?
There could be more subtle signs as well. Things like: realizing you don’t want to get promoted and become your boss; spending more and more time working on your side hustle (and seeing sustainable results that you could transfer into a full-time gig); drinking every night to soften the edges nicely sharpened by time spent at work.
Whatever the case, there are 12 important steps to take to make your career change:

1. Know thyself

Socrates wasn’t wrong. The rightest navigation to your True North starts from within. You want to make the right career change, not just a knee jerk reaction to a misplaced urge to leave your mean boss once and for all. If you don’t know yourself intimately — including what your values, vision, skills and talents are — you can’t build a fulfilling and successful career.

2. Career change or vacation?

Figure out if you really need a career change: Do you need a new role within your company, a similar job in a new company or an entirely new career? There is a difference in being fed up with your boss and being poorly placed in the wrong role.
One key indicator that we coaches use to determine if you need a career change or just need a break is to figure out if you’re tired or drained. Tired requires more rest and relaxation. It means you’ve been working hard without giving yourself the required time to rejuvenate.
Drained is an indication that you’re not just tired, but actually bone dry. What you’re doing at work is in no way providing you the stimulation and fulfillment that you require. Every day you return to that work is leaking out any juice you were able to replenish with sleep, a glass of wine and a good dinner.
Drained is like exhaustion. And as David Whyte says, “the antidote for exhaustion is not necessarily rest… [it is] wholeheartedness.” That means finding work and a career that you can engage with wholeheartedly.

3. Assess yourself

If you do decide you want to change your career, it will be tremendously helpful to evaluate your values, skills, personality and interests using self assessment tools. Sign up to take the Meyers Briggs test and other skills assessment tests or hire a career coach to help you figure out the bigger picture of who you are.

4. Keep a career journal

It’s also important to know what your strengths and weaknesses are. You can’t figure this out from a test, however. You have to find it for yourself. The smartest way to do this comes from Markus Buckingham who tells us that a strength is that which makes us stronger. Brilliant, right? So figure out, what makes you lit up, strong, buzzed, engaged or as if time disappeared? Conversely, when do you feel weak, drained, despondent, or disengaged?
Keep a log or journal to track the times you feel strong and weak so you have a written record of each and know, concretely, what your strengths and weaknesses are.

5. Brainstorm

After you’ve taken time to figure out who you are, what you want, what you’re good at and when you’re at your best, you’re now ready to sit down with pen and paper (or blank screen) and write down every single idea that comes to mind for what you might do for work. Don’t discriminate. In fact, do this over the course of a few days or a week so you give your brain time to explore like a curious anthropologist.
You could even take it a step further and ask people for ideas. Do a few online searches. Be open to both the realistic and fantastical right now. Treat this as a curiosity and idea gathering exercise.

6. Research

Once you have your list of ideas, pare down your choices by filtering them through what you know of your values, vision, strengths and weaknesses. Then, do research on your top choices. Find out the particulars like the needed skills and background, education requirements and average salary. Using LinkedIn, find out who you know that already has a similar career, or who knows others that are in that career. Make a list of the people you can talk to.

7. Commit

Now you have a short list of options. Before going forward, it’s important to check in with yourself and your commitment levels.
Up to this point you’ve been quietly collecting data, no more. From here on out, that will change. Check in with yourself now to reassess if you still want to change your career or simply change the company you work for.
If you’re sure you want a career change, excellent! Make the commitment to see this through.

8. Gather support

Changing your career is exhilarating, but it can be exhausting, too. While you hold down the job you already have, you’ll be taking on another: the job search. You’ll need support, especially from those closest to you. Have a conversation with your spouse or partner and make sure they support your decision. Share your ideas with your best friend and closest family members. Tell them all that you’ll likely need to call on them for support in the coming weeks or months as you change your life and career.

9. Make it public

Once you have your inner circle supporting you and you’ve shored up your resources, it’s time to take it public. You’ll want to write a simple, to-the-point letter telling people what you’re up to, why and what you need.
Take that info and tidy it up into a brief email that you could send out to everybody you know telling them what you want to do and asking them for help in the way of a) suggestions, support, and good mojo and, b) introductions to people they know that you can chat with for 15 minutes.
Know that you’ll likely need a few different iterations of that email. What you send to your aunt in Duluth is not the same one you’d send to your former colleague.

10. Say “yes”

Once you’ve reached out and started telling your people what you’re up to and what you’re heading towards, you’ll be surprised at the options and opportunities that start coming your way. Don’t worry if it doesn’t come at you all at once— keep sending emails and making phone calls to people on your list. Taking risks pays off. You will gain traction. And when you do, be prepared to say “Yes.” Say yes to coffees, lunches, informational interviews and telephone chats. Say yes to introductions and referrals, even if it doesn’t seem directly related or you don’t see the immediate connection. You never know what conversation or meeting will lead you to the opportunity that is just right for you.

11. Invest daily

Think of your career change as a piggy bank. With just a tiny slot on its back, it’s impossible to give your piggy bank a cash infusion. It’s one-coin-at-a-time, patiently and methodically. Then, one day without you noticing, it’s full.
Instead of infusing a few weeks with all of your intense, passionate desire to change careers, look at it as a long term investment. It will likely take time. And that time might not fit your preferred timeframe.

12. Face fear

We’ve all experienced this. You open up to an idea, apply your energy and smarts and then, Zoom! You’re swept up into momentum. Things start happening more quickly than you expected or in ways you didn’t predict. Suddenly, out of surprise and discomfort, you’re hitting the brakes. This is fear at work.
Know that this might happen. Likely, it will. So when it shows up, be ready for it. When you find yourself procrastinating, making excuses, complaining or criticizing when direct action or decision making is a far smarter option — take heed. Recognize it for what it is and choose differently.
Many people ask how long a career change can (or should) take. My answer is, it depends. It depends on many factors including the energy and time you can put into your change, the resources you have available to you, and whether or not you need to learn new skills to qualify for the career you want to transition into.
More important than how long it will take, remember to stay focused on why you’re choosing the change. You’re making this decision for a reason, and probably a very good one that. It’s worth taking your time and creating something meaningful for yourself.

12 Most “Must Attain” Traits for Today’s Unemployed

Today’s job market is the most challenging the US has faced in living memory. To many, the path their predecessors from Generation X and the Baby Boomers took (go to college… get a degree… get a good job) – looks like a fairy tale written millennia ago.

What to do? Settle for being under-employed, move back home with parents… go back to grad school and incur even more student loan debt? Sit around and wait for economy to improve? Put our futures off… to the future?

For those that are succeeding despite the challenging times, the answer is an emphatic “none of the above”.

For the rare few who have beaten the odds to succeed – there seems to be a shared set of skills and personal characteristics that undoubtedly set them apart.

The best news: the clear pattern in this list of traits shows that none of them are “given” – that is to say that these characteristics are not inherited through our parents or bestowed upon us by professors, supervisors or spouses. These “12 Most” traits that can be acquired and developed by anyone – and relatively quickly.

1. Confidence and Charisma

Think you have to be a textbook example of an extrovert to show confidence and charisma? Wrong. Not all of us are Lady Gaga or Oprah – we exude confidence in our own ways, sometimes quietly – and other times, God help us.

2. Serve as Teacher and Student

We love to teach. We love to learn. In today’s workforce and entrepreneurial world, those who may employ or work with us want to know we can do both, simultaneously.

3. The Desire – even the Need – to Communicate

Choose your weapon: in-person, email, phone, social media – or preferably all of the above. Effective communication with others – sometimes in the instant form – is expected. No… it’s demanded.

4. Problem Solving

Anyone can panic when a challenge arises. Employers want to know you can use data points, common sense and poise to rise above a problem – and turn into as much of a positive as possible.

5. Balance of Passion

No one wants to work with a Type A, matriarchal, Omarosa-type. Balance your passion – and expect and enable others to do the same. Golden rule: 50% life; 50% making a living.

6. Respect for Social Issues

A healthy respect for social issues and the desire to improve their world – both in your immediate environment and in a global sense – shows you are well grounded and you understand “big picture” issues.

7. Self-Discipline

Your personal drama, the 2,412 friends you have on Facebook, Halo 4 and designing your next tattoo should not be distractions. At work, you work. Period.

8. Barriers Not Allowed

Your refusal to allow any barriers to impede your success – including gender, culture, economics and education – is a sure sign you are willing to fight for what you believe in, even when it would be easier to quit.

9. Integrity

This is a simple issue in the workplace: 1) say what you’re going to do; 2) do it before you said you’d have it done. That’s it. (Okay-okay… some old school ethics help quite a bit, too. If you wouldn’t do it in church in front of your grandmother – don’t do it at work!)

10. Independent Thought and Teamwork

These two terms are not mutually exclusive. Employers know that “group-think” and being a “yes man” do not make for creative, complimentary teams. State your position. At the same time, make sure your ideas expand the effort to accomplish team goals.

11. Humility

Think you can’t be all these things – and be humble, too? Wrong. Your humility inspires others to speak up, shows you are willing to take a step back and that the team mission is more important than you (which makes you a great role model).

12. Leadership

See “Humility” above.

Don’t have all these traits and skills now? Of course you don’t – not many do. So focus on three or four of them you don’t feel confident about right now. Then set your sites on mastering three or four – plus those you already possess – will put you far ahead of 95% of your workplace competition.

The first step: Surround yourself with the human spirit that embodies these traits – and be coach-able. You’ll begin to emulate and build these traits in yourself, work through each day with greater inspiration – and maintain a clearer focus on building your future.

12 Most Imperative Steps to Changing Your Career

Changing your career isn’t easy — but when it’s time, no other solution is sufficient replacement. There are a few signs and guideposts along the way that let you know in not-so-subtle form that you’re due.
For instance, have you been nursing a bored, slightly resentful dread in the pit of your stomach for the last few months of work? Watching the clock tick slower and slower each day? Or just plain disengaged, antsy and dreamy about all the other things you’d rather be doing?
There could be more subtle signs as well. Things like: realizing you don’t want to get promoted and become your boss; spending more and more time working on your side hustle (and seeing sustainable results that you could transfer into a full-time gig); drinking every night to soften the edges nicely sharpened by time spent at work.
Whatever the case, there are 12 important steps to take to make your career change:

1. Know thyself

Socrates wasn’t wrong. The rightest navigation to your True North starts from within. You want to make the right career change, not just a knee jerk reaction to a misplaced urge to leave your mean boss once and for all. If you don’t know yourself intimately — including what your values, vision, skills and talents are — you can’t build a fulfilling and successful career.

2. Career change or vacation?

Figure out if you really need a career change: Do you need a new role within your company, a similar job in a new company or an entirely new career? There is a difference in being fed up with your boss and being poorly placed in the wrong role.
One key indicator that we coaches use to determine if you need a career change or just need a break is to figure out if you’re tired or drained. Tired requires more rest and relaxation. It means you’ve been working hard without giving yourself the required time to rejuvenate.
Drained is an indication that you’re not just tired, but actually bone dry. What you’re doing at work is in no way providing you the stimulation and fulfillment that you require. Every day you return to that work is leaking out any juice you were able to replenish with sleep, a glass of wine and a good dinner.
Drained is like exhaustion. And as David Whyte says, “the antidote for exhaustion is not necessarily rest… [it is] wholeheartedness.” That means finding work and a career that you can engage with wholeheartedly.

3. Assess yourself

If you do decide you want to change your career, it will be tremendously helpful to evaluate your values, skills, personality and interests using self assessment tools. Sign up to take the Meyers Briggs test and other skills assessment tests or hire a career coach to help you figure out the bigger picture of who you are.

4. Keep a career journal

It’s also important to know what your strengths and weaknesses are. You can’t figure this out from a test, however. You have to find it for yourself. The smartest way to do this comes from Markus Buckingham who tells us that a strength is that which makes us stronger. Brilliant, right? So figure out, what makes you lit up, strong, buzzed, engaged or as if time disappeared? Conversely, when do you feel weak, drained, despondent, or disengaged?
Keep a log or journal to track the times you feel strong and weak so you have a written record of each and know, concretely, what your strengths and weaknesses are.

5. Brainstorm

After you’ve taken time to figure out who you are, what you want, what you’re good at and when you’re at your best, you’re now ready to sit down with pen and paper (or blank screen) and write down every single idea that comes to mind for what you might do for work. Don’t discriminate. In fact, do this over the course of a few days or a week so you give your brain time to explore like a curious anthropologist.
You could even take it a step further and ask people for ideas. Do a few online searches. Be open to both the realistic and fantastical right now. Treat this as a curiosity and idea gathering exercise.

6. Research

Once you have your list of ideas, pare down your choices by filtering them through what you know of your values, vision, strengths and weaknesses. Then, do research on your top choices. Find out the particulars like the needed skills and background, education requirements and average salary. Using LinkedIn, find out who you know that already has a similar career, or who knows others that are in that career. Make a list of the people you can talk to.

7. Commit

Now you have a short list of options. Before going forward, it’s important to check in with yourself and your commitment levels.
Up to this point you’ve been quietly collecting data, no more. From here on out, that will change. Check in with yourself now to reassess if you still want to change your career or simply change the company you work for.
If you’re sure you want a career change, excellent! Make the commitment to see this through.

8. Gather support

Changing your career is exhilarating, but it can be exhausting, too. While you hold down the job you already have, you’ll be taking on another: the job search. You’ll need support, especially from those closest to you. Have a conversation with your spouse or partner and make sure they support your decision. Share your ideas with your best friend and closest family members. Tell them all that you’ll likely need to call on them for support in the coming weeks or months as you change your life and career.

9. Make it public

Once you have your inner circle supporting you and you’ve shored up your resources, it’s time to take it public. You’ll want to write a simple, to-the-point letter telling people what you’re up to, why and what you need.
Take that info and tidy it up into a brief email that you could send out to everybody you know telling them what you want to do and asking them for help in the way of a) suggestions, support, and good mojo and, b) introductions to people they know that you can chat with for 15 minutes.
Know that you’ll likely need a few different iterations of that email. What you send to your aunt in Duluth is not the same one you’d send to your former colleague.

10. Say “yes”

Once you’ve reached out and started telling your people what you’re up to and what you’re heading towards, you’ll be surprised at the options and opportunities that start coming your way. Don’t worry if it doesn’t come at you all at once— keep sending emails and making phone calls to people on your list. Taking risks pays off. You will gain traction. And when you do, be prepared to say “Yes.” Say yes to coffees, lunches, informational interviews and telephone chats. Say yes to introductions and referrals, even if it doesn’t seem directly related or you don’t see the immediate connection. You never know what conversation or meeting will lead you to the opportunity that is just right for you.

11. Invest daily

Think of your career change as a piggy bank. With just a tiny slot on its back, it’s impossible to give your piggy bank a cash infusion. It’s one-coin-at-a-time, patiently and methodically. Then, one day without you noticing, it’s full.
Instead of infusing a few weeks with all of your intense, passionate desire to change careers, look at it as a long term investment. It will likely take time. And that time might not fit your preferred timeframe.

12. Face fear

We’ve all experienced this. You open up to an idea, apply your energy and smarts and then, Zoom! You’re swept up into momentum. Things start happening more quickly than you expected or in ways you didn’t predict. Suddenly, out of surprise and discomfort, you’re hitting the brakes. This is fear at work.
Know that this might happen. Likely, it will. So when it shows up, be ready for it. When you find yourself procrastinating, making excuses, complaining or criticizing when direct action or decision making is a far smarter option — take heed. Recognize it for what it is and choose differently.
Many people ask how long a career change can (or should) take. My answer is, it depends. It depends on many factors including the energy and time you can put into your change, the resources you have available to you, and whether or not you need to learn new skills to qualify for the career you want to transition into.
More important than how long it will take, remember to stay focused on why you’re choosing the change. You’re making this decision for a reason, and probably a very good one that. It’s worth taking your time and creating something meaningful for yourself.

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.