Interview Tip: SHOW them

Don’t just tell an interviewer what you can do 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 from other candidates and wow your interviewer. Instead of telling the interviewer what you can do or will do (like everyone else does), focus on SHOWING your interviewer what you can do and will do to be successful in the role in question. That’s right, SHOW them. Below are two examples of success stories.

Example #1

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 with 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.

Example #2

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 the interview panel 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.

You can do it too!

➡ Interviewing to be a cook or chef? You can bring a recently prepared dish and/or pull up a video (on an iPad) of you cooking one of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

➡ Interviewing to be a grant writer? You can bring a plan that visually outlines which government, private sector, foundation, and nonprofit grants you will apply for – and that SHOWS your relationship to these funders. 

➡ Interviewing to be a welder? You can bring relevant items you’ve recently welded and/or pull up a video of you welding material that you’d be welding for the company you are interviewing with.

For most jobs, if you get imaginative and creative, you’ll discover a way to SHOW the interviewer what you can and will do for them – and thus enhance your candidacy.

In summary, SHOWING the interviewer what you can and will do benefits you in at least three ways:

1.)     Showcases your technical and/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 showcase your skills, help make the interview more engaging, and stand out in a positive way from other candidates, present a plan, work sample, or some other document that SHOWS specifically how you can and will be successful in the role, add immediate value, and/or solve the company’s pain points. 

🗝 All other things being equal, SHOWING the interviewer what you’ll do is more impressive than telling them. 

[This article was originally published on LinkedIn on 4/17/23: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/interview-tip-show-them-bill-leonard-mhrm-1e%3FtrackingId=eoCBEqA2R4GPU5cc%252BcsjKA%253D%253D/?trackingId=eoCBEqA2R4GPU5cc%2BcsjKA%3D%3D]