Have you ever been selected for a job interview and all you could think about was the competition? Who else was interviewing for the same position and what you could do to set yourself apart from the other candidates? I have thought about this, and in my history of job searches there were times I was successful in setting myself apart, and there were times when I walked out of the room and knew I had said nothing which would set me apart from the other job candidates.
With this in mind I took the liberty of polling a few hiring managers. I asked them to share with me what type of candidate they are looking for during the interview process and what sets the person apart who is hired from the rest of the people who interviewed for the same position. Below are their responses:
Schanel Thomas │ Director, Preferred Success – Customer Success, NA at SAP
- Knowledge and/or experience with cloud products
- Account and time management
- Confidence and executive presence when delivering content
- Managing support escalations
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Consistent follow-through
Carol Adams │ Account Support Director at Express Docs
- Professionalism and potential to provide evidence that they can perform the job well
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- A mature work ethic
- Time management, attendance and punctuality
- The potential to be promoted to the next level within the company
- Morals and values align with the culture of the company and clients
- Knows what they are looking for and can articulate why they chose our company to apply for
Vila Fisher │ Supervisory Legal Administrative Specialist at Executive Office of Immigration Review
- People who have a “serving” spirit
- Appreciate being of service to others and not make it entirely about themselves
I appreciate the responses from these hiring managers. There were some commonalities in their responses. Outside of just knowing how to perform the duties of a job, candidates must be able to display the following skills to set themselves apart:
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Knowledge of the organization they are applying for
- Time management
- Commitment to serving others.
Do not present to an interview unprepared. Do your homework. Know the company for which you are applying and why you are applying to work there. Have someone conduct a mock interview with you. Be able to communicate your answers efficiently and professionally. And, as from my prior hiring manager days, I would recommend you listen very carefully to the interviewer so you can properly answer the questions. In today’s job market with the unemployment rate being so high, and there being so many seeking employment,
it is imperative you are able to set yourself apart from others who are seeking the same opportunity.
This is a great article with valuable information that will help job seekers get ahead.
Being prepared is key!
Lots of information here. Being prepared is key.