Interview Tip: SHOW THEM

Don’t just tell an interviewer what you have done or will do. SHOW THEM.

Securing a job interview is tough. Securing a job offer is even tougher. In a competitive job market, you need to stand out and wow your interviewer. Instead of focusing exclusively on explaining your past experience like everyone else, you need to SHOW your interviewer what you will do to be successful in the role in question. That’s right, show them.  Below are two examples of success stories.

Several years ago, while preparing for an interview for a Recruiter/HR Generalist position, I created a PowerPoint presentation titled “Sourcing and Recruiting Plan.” This plan laid out the strategy I would implement to develop a talent pipeline to meet organizational objectives. The interviewer commented that no other candidate had provided him such a document. I knew when preparing for the interview that this could set me apart from other candidates. I also knew that in presenting the plan, I could showcase my research, preparation, communication, and critical thinking abilities. I like to believe that the plan I presented played a part in me getting the job.

More recently I had lunch with a friend who was just hired to run a nonprofit. In discussing the interview, he indicated that he too provided a presentation that laid out his vision for the organization. He commented that this provided him the opportunity to engage in a more interactive interview experience. He was able to walk them through his plan, and at his pace. Contrast this with a typical interview – waiting for the interviewer to lead you through standard questions. This takes the typical interview process from transactional to engaging.

In summary, providing a plan or presentation to your interviewer benefits you in at least three ways:

1.      Showcases your technical or people skills, be it research, presentation, organization, communication, design, marketing, critical thinking, etc.

2.      Provides the opportunity for everyone to be more engaged during the interview.

3.      Distinguishes you from other candidates.

If you want to stand out in a positive way from other candidates, and help make the interview process more engaging, walk in with a presentation that explains specifically how you will solve your interviewer’s pain points. If nothing else, you will be remembered.

[Originally published on LinkedIn on September 15, 2019: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/interview-tip-show-them-bill-leonard-mhrm/]