Getting your player ready...
Have you wondered how to distinguish yourself from competitors in your job search?
An effective approach is to prove you are a goal-oriented employee. In this respect, your most important forum is the interview. It always is a good idea to sell yourself as a goal-oriented employee because employers are goal-oriented themselves. One of their goals is to find the best qualified people who can make an immediate contribution to the company’s bottom line. They also have specific objectives for company growth, and are looking for people who will fit easily into the organization. The interview is the make-or-break point in your job hunt. If you do not make an outstanding impression, you will not be offered the job. If you demonstrate your ability to set and meet goals, no matter what the time constraints, you will help distinguish yourself from the six or more other job seekers who are being seriously considered for the same position. How can you accomplish this objective? Listen for clues from the employer about the needs of the company. When it is your turn to respond, give examples from previous jobs that show your ability to formulate and implement plans that were directly tied to the company’s goals for the future. Keep in mind that you are at the interview to discuss the prospective employer’s objectives, not your own personal goals. The interviewing executive is “buying” your services needed for the company, and is interested in how well you can meet the company’s objectives. If you insist on talking about your personal requirements, you most likely will lose the interviewer’s attention and bring the session to a premature end. In other words, check the ego at the door. By presenting specific examples of how you helped former employers increase profitability, market share and/or visibility, your resumé should emphasize how you achieved your former employers’ goals rather than your own. You should cite case histories with statistics to prove your statements. No resumé alone will win you the job, but follow the same approach in your verbal presentation. You should always prefer to discuss your accomplishments rather than rely on the written word. Employers today need to hire employees who have the ability to think and plan into the future. Due to increasing worldwide competition, companies need to find new ways of distinguishing themselves. If you approach the interview by planning a strategy which complements this trend, you will be on target.


