7 Proven Strategies to Stand Out and Land Your Dream Job.
Do you want to be an exceptional candidate that stands out from the crowd?
Want to increase your chances of landing your dream job?
It's time to stand out as an exceptional candidate! Not only will this improve your chances of getting hired, but it will also set you up for long-term career success by building a strong professional reputation, expanding your network, and opening up opportunities for advancement.
The opportunity to stand out as an exceptional candidate starts long before the interview, and it's all about preparation. Employers are looking for interesting candidates with a positive attitude who can bring great value to the team. So, how can you be that standout candidate that hiring managers can't ignore? Here are some tips to help you prepare for your next job interview:
Do your research: Take the time to thoroughly research the company and interviewer(s). Understand their goals, values, and reporting lines. Review the company website, LinkedIn page, annual reports, and recent media to gain insights and identify potential alignment with your values and goals. This will not only help you prepare for the commonly asked interview question "What do you know about our company?" but also help you demonstrate your genuine interest in the company and the role.
Study the position description: Review the position description to understand the core responsibilities, goals, objectives, and role scope. This will enable you to form relevant questions to ask during the interview and demonstrate your level of preparation. You are likely to be asked about your understanding of the role during the interview, so be ready to showcase your knowledge and understanding.
Prepare for interview questions: Prepare for interview questions that are directly related to the key selection criteria, as well as your skills and experiences specific to the job. Behavioural questions are commonly used to establish how you will manage in similar scenarios, so be ready to draw upon previous examples and experiences to showcase your soft skills such as problem-solving, negotiation, leadership, people management, organisational agility, time management, and resilience.
Reflect on key achievements: Employers seek growth, and that means on-boarding employees who strive towards exceptional standards. Reflect on your key achievements related to company or departmental growth, productivity, efficiency, ROI, cost savings, process improvements, or operational effectiveness. These examples demonstrate a growth mindset and ability and make a memorable impact during the interview.
Show your motivation: Have a clear and compelling reason for wanting the role. Show your motivation and enthusiasm for the job during the interview as this is highly apparent to the interviewer and can set you apart from other candidates.
Be confident: Be confident and articulate in the way you present yourself during the interview. Treat the interview as a self-marketing process, lean into your influencing skills, and focus on the key message to each question. Relate to the interviewer's needs and showcase how your skills can solve their problems.
Ask questions: Ask thoughtful and relevant questions during the interview to demonstrate your genuine interest in the role and the company. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who can help them with their needs, so use this opportunity to demonstrate that you have seriously thought about the role.
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