When applying for a new job, it’s important to show the hiring manager that you have the skills, experience and personality to be the right fit for the role. Here are some tips on how to demonstrate you are a strong candidate during the application and interview process.
Tailor Your CV and Cover Letter
Carefully read through the job description and highlight the main responsibilities, required skills and qualifications. Make sure your CV is formatted in a way that draws attention to your relevant experience, education and achievements. Mention specifics in your cover letter, explaining why you are an ideal match for what they are looking for in a candidate. Avoid just repeating your whole CV – be selective and link to examples that prove you can handle key parts of the job. Check out some different cover letter examples to ensure your application stands out.
Do Your Research
Before interviewing, learn as much as you can about the company by browsing their website and reading recent news articles or social media posts. Understanding their mission, values, objectives and work culture will help you explain why you want to work there and how you can contribute to their goals. Having some background knowledge also allows you to ask informed questions later on.
Prepare Strong Examples
Come equipped with stories that showcase times you successfully used the abilities required for the role. Structure each example using the STAR method – explain the Situation, Task you had to complete, Action you took and Result of your efforts. Quantify your accomplishments with numbers when possible. Have examples ready for likely interview questions around strengths, challenges, working styles and areas of expertise.
Highlight Transferable Skills
Even if you lack direct experience in the advertised field, draw connections to how your skills translate. For instance, as a teacher you had to handle discipline issues (conflict resolution), juggle lesson planning (organisational skills) and track student progress (data analysis). Explain how these experiences make you capable of excelling in the responsibilities outlined for the new job.
Ask Insightful Questions
The interview is a two-way street – you are also assessing if the job is a good match for you. Come prepared with thoughtful questions that show your interest in the company’s goals and that you have done research. You can ask about challenges they want to solve, new projects on the horizon or company culture. Avoid questions with answers easily found on their website.
Show Enthusiasm and Confidence
During the interview, maintain a positive attitude while answering questions. Make eye contact, sit up straight and avoid fidgeting or nervous tics. Express genuine enthusiasm for the job opening and convey confidence that your abilities make you the right person to fill this role. However, take care not to appear overly boastful or cocky. Back up your statements with specific examples.
Follow Up Promptly
After the interview, promptly send a thank you email to each person you met with. Mention something unique you discussed and reiterate your interest in the position. Follow up if you haven’t heard back by the time frame they mentioned for making a hiring decision. During the waiting period, you can also reach out to politely check on the status of their hiring timeline.
Signs You Might Be a Bad Fit for a Role
- You don’t have the required qualifications, skills or experience outlined in the job description. Attempting to fake competencies rather than being honest about transferable skills and ability to learn quickly could backfire.
- The day-to-day responsibilities don’t align with your interests and strengths. For example, if you dislike public speaking, a client-facing role may not be a good choice long-term.
- You disagree with or don’t understand the company’s mission, values and objectives. Not buying into their goals can hinder your performance and enthusiasm.
- The work environment or culture seems ill-suited to your personality and working style. If you thrive on collaboration but the role is solitary, it may not be fulfilling.
- You cannot clearly articulate why you want this specific job other than needing employment. Lack of passion for the role typically leads to lacklustre performance.
- The position does not offer opportunities to continuously develop your skills and work towards career goals. A dead-end job quickly leads to boredom.
- You have serious doubts or reservations about the role that you can’t resolve during the interview process. Trust your instincts – a bad gut feeling likely means it’s not the right fit.
By taking time to prepare, conducting thorough research and presenting relevant examples, you can successfully demonstrate to a potential employer that your skills, experience and personality make you a great fit for their open position.
