Being prepared for an upcoming interview is the secret to success. You have to get a leg up on the competition and show the employer
why they should hire
you. One tip I would like to share is completing a skills inventory on yourself. Remember, 90% of employers say that the primary reason they do not hire a candidate is because the interviewee
could not clearly state his or her skills. You need to know your skills well enough that you can verbalize them in the interview process. You do this through a skills inventory. Let's look at the components of a skills inventory:
- General skills - skills that can be found in every industry. These include things like managing, filing, communicating verbally or in writing, budgeting, etc.
- Job-Specific skills - abilities that you need to succeed in your particular job in your particular industry. For example, if you are a computer programmer then some of your job-specific skills include computer languages and platforms.
- Personal Traits - these are the personal characteristics that you possess. There are a huge list of traits, but some to help you get startedinclude charismatic, balanced, ambitious, intelligent, detail oriented, ethical.
- Competencies - these are clusters of skills and they are very quickly becoming the criteria upon which all employees are judged. Some of the most valued competencies include: flexibility, adaptability, problem-solving skills, interpersonal communication and ability and willingness to learn.
- Your Gift - this is about
who you are instead of
what you do. Here are some questions to help you discover your gift: What is the most compelling thing about you? What do people compliment you on? What is a quality, under any circumstance, that you would never give up? What quality would you like people to remember you for upon your death?
Grab a few sheets of paper and start listing out your answers to this skills inventory. You must be able to communicate to the interviewer what your skills are and provide backup as well. List examples that demonstrate these skills. Practice out loud with your spouse or friend. In my next blog post, I will discuss how to develop powerful answers using your skills inventory.
Remember, I offer a FREE 10 minute interview analysis. Visit my site at
www.intcoach.com and click on Job Seekerson the top navigation bar. There is a short form on that page for you to complete and e-mail me your toughest interview question that you would like help with.
Until next time, keep your chin up, stay active and stay healthy!