What are interviewers looking for when they are searching for the perfect new candidate. They want to grasp the essence of what makes you great. This is what all their questions are aimed to achieve. So without any further ado, let’s take a look at these 5 questions and what employers are trying to uncover about you.
1. What Sets You Apart from Other Candidates?
With a question like this the interviewer wants to know what makes you a stronger candidate. Do you have any stand out skills or previous experience. They have already read you resume and cover letter but they want you to delineate exactly how you outshine other candidates.
2. What Measurable Results Have Your Achieved?
Interviewers want clear proof that you can achieve measurable results. Bring 4-5 ‘CAR’s (challenge/action/results) to your interview. This should be clear examples that describe the challenges you took on, the actions you took to solve them, and the measurable results you achieved with your previous employers. The more numeric and quantitative you can be the more convincing your CARs are.
3. Do You Have Communication Skills?
We challenge you to find a resume in the whole World that does not claim to have excellent communications skills. You need to learn how to showcase your communication skills without seeming like every other applicant. One good trick is to highlight a few personal values that are important to you and give examples of how you honor these values in the workplace.
4. Are You A Great Leader?
This is especially relevant if you are interviewing for a leadership role. You need to be able to explain what leadership means to you and how you will embody this. Briefly outline your previous management experience so far in your career. Which leadership strategies proved to be particularly successful and empowering. What results did this help you and your team achieve.
5. Will You Achieve Our Goals?
The interviewer wants to know if you will succeed at achieving their company goals. A great way to demonstrate this is to select a few great CAR stories from your past job. Identify the key steps you took with your previous companies to help them fundamentally achieve their goals and explain how you can do the same for you new employer.
If you are able to tell your interviewer exactly what they want to hear, your 1 step closer to getting the job. Remember to get specific with CAR stories to really drive the point home. Happy job hunting!