March 19, 2012

It's interview time: Do you know what your skills are?

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If someone said to you in an interview, "Tell me what you're good at," what would you say? Hopefully now you've banished the hackneyed "I'm a people person" response from your interviewing repertoire and have focused on providing more detailed answers.

One common response is to list your job skills. Most people describe what positions they've had in the past, degrees they've earned and projects they've managed. Others go over their experiences with the many computer programs they've used.

All of this is good information, but it doesn't really answer the question. The manager already knows about your technical skills, education and work history from your resume; that's why you made it to the interview stage. What they need to know now are your more intangible qualities -- the adaptable or transferable skills that can be applied to a wide range of professional positions and industries.

Self-assessment is a skill in and of itself, and one that most people find difficult to master, says resume expert Louise M. Kursmark in the recently released third edition of her book, Same-Day Resume. "One employer survey found that about 80 percent of those who made it to the interview did not do a good job presenting the skills they had to do the job," Kursmark writes. "If you don't know what you are good at and how this relates to a particular job, you can't write a good resume, can't do a good interview and are unlikely to get a good job."

You can mention dozens of wonderful adjectives (trustworthy, punctual, dedicated, responsible, creative, honest, etc.) but interviewers don't want to hire a thesaurus. They want to hear about specific results. In the interview process, you can move beyond the bullet points of the resume and share some anecdotes about major accomplishments. It's not enough to just say, "I work well in a group setting." Be sure to back that statement up with examples.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to get you thinking about skills you may not even realize you have:

Have you ever saved an employer money? If so, describe briefly what the project entailed and your specific role in accomplishing it. This suggests that you are a good problem solver and can make sound decisions when the pressure is on.

Are you good at brainstorming? Many people, especially in technical jobs, may not realize how much potential they have in coming up with innovative ideas. Think back to any time where your boss asked you to come up with a new, more efficient way of doing your job. Describe how it was adopted into the company's standard operating procedure.

Have you ever shown a capacity for leadership? Even if you were the lowest person on the totem pole at your last few jobs, describe any instances where you tackled a project with your co-workers and led the group to make sure the goal was met. This is especially helpful if you took on the initiative yourself and stepped up to save a project that was about to veer off course. Such on-the-fly thinking as this is one of the greatest ways to demonstrate your sense of responsibility.

What have you done that is above and beyond your job description? Even if you aren't an engineer, perhaps you're also good with numbers and were able to help out with budget calculations. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, perhaps you're an accountant who happens to have a knack for writing blog entries for the company e-newsletter. This kind of flexibility is irresistible to hiring managers who often are looking for candidates who can fill more than one role at the company.

Having several of these stories and descriptions at the ready may not always lead to a second interview, but they can help you feel less tongue-tied and more self-confident when the spotlight is turned on you.

Randy Woods writes about job-search tools, networking techniques and other tips to help you land your dream job.

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interviewing, presenting, resumes, self-confidence, skills

1 Comments

Jennifer Olsen on March 19, 2012 10:27 AM | Reply

I agree. During an interview you have the opportunity to talk about your accomplishments in a way that speaks to the hiring manager sitting in front of you. They are most likely to be impressed with specific examples that have to do with the bottom line. Examples that can easily be translated from that company to this one will get you noticed. I offer additional tips in my blog, "Distinguish Yourself - Interviewing Tips for Job Seekers" (http://springboard.resourcefulhr.com/?p=1935)

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