In a job market where it seems as if everyone needs a job and competition is insurmountable, you must differentiate yourself by adopting an outwardly tracked mind set. Instead of concerning yourself with how well you will perform during the job interview, ask yourself, “How can I service this person I am about to meet and the company they represent?”
As you nervously meet your interviewer, redirect your energy and focus. Transform that entire interview into an order-taking session by making it about the person across from you. Assess your interviewer's body language, listen attentively, identify their needs, and, yes… service them! Help them solve the problem of finding the ideal candidate.
When you redirect your focus onto the interviewer, you’ll learn they are concerned about finding the right candidate and making the right decision for their company—help them! Don’t look at this as an interview—this is a consultation in which you will ascertain the wants of your customer (interviewer/company) and excel at communicating how you meet those needs in order to solve their most pressing problems. Analyze their questions and then answer by accentuating the value and forecasting the solutions your employment offers them. In fact, ask them a few questions. Asking the interviewer questions demonstrates your desire to understand, connect with them, and to begin servicing your new employer!
Suggestions on questions you can pose:
What is (name company) looking for in the ideal candidate?
How it is that (name company) is in need of fulfilling this position?
How does (name company) see this position affecting the entire department?
What would employees say they most like about (name company)?
A simple redirect of your focus can turn your nervousness into attentiveness and win over your interviewer. Notice the questions suggested above do not address the interviewer by using the word “you.” By avoiding the use of “you,” the interviewer feels less interrogated or interviewed and will not misinterpret your intentions.
You will find that if you are more concerned and involved in helping the interviewer than on scrutinizing the answers you provide, great answers will quickly come and the value your answers convey will immediately position you as an employer-oriented candidate. In the process, you’ll worry less about your performance, which will allow you to make a genuine connection, outdistancing other candidates. You would have been servicing your new employer even before you are on payroll!
Best,
Rosa E. Vargas
Certified Resume Writer
