It’s Time to Rewrite Your Interview Script

The latest buzz on the street is that the job market is about to open up. Businesses seem more optimistic about potential growth than at any point during the past four years, and the San Diego unemployment rate seems to be gradually improving

Like a lot of other job seekers, you might have struggled to find a new job for several months, maybe longer. You know the drill, though: make sure your résumé has all the right points on it and that you’re ready for your next interview.

Stop right there.

Interviewing can become repetitious. If you’ve had more than a few in recent months, you might have found yourself saying the same things over and over again. Maybe it’s time you took another approach.

Here are five points you’ll want to convey in your next interview. Think about each point and pull episodes out of your work life that apply to them.

Demonstrate your ability to work with others. One of the first things any interviewer is going to try to discover about you during the hiring process is whether you are a good fit for that employer’s culture. The ability to demonstrate that you work well with others is a key step toward winning acceptance. Maybe it’s a story about being stumped by a job problem, but after sharing it with a co-worker you got a different perspective that helped you resolve it.

Demonstrate your creativity. Again, come up with a story about your resourcefulness. The ability to think on the move can’t be overvalued. Managers want workers who will think for themselves.

Show that you like to learn. Every employer wants to know that their employees are willing to take on bigger challenges. Show the interviewer that you understand that you have to move forward and improve your skills to be a good employee. You can’t overstate this.

Let the interviewer know you understand the computer world. This isn’t just about understanding how to use a computer on the job. It’s about using the computer to reach out for additional resources and communicate with others to make you a more efficient worker. Employers like workers who see a bigger world.

Show you have a commitment to the company. Employers love it when their workers talk about their company and its plans for the future. Not only does it show that the worker has an interest in the company operations, but it displays a willingness to change and grow with new work assignments.

These suggestions give you a chance to demonstrate your talent and value in a different way than your résumé does. But you have to come up with appropriate examples and stories and they must be authentic and honest, or you will undermine your changes of being hired. Find the right stories to address these and you’ll find yourself at the front of the hiring line.