How to craft accomplishments for career growth success!

According to a study conducted by Everest College, a whopping 92% of Americans fear job interviews. Why? One of the most cited reasons is performance based. Candidates are unsure of what to say to answer those perceived complicated questions. But what if we told you there was a simple and effective way to reduce your interview anxiety, leave a positive lasting impression and increase your chances of getting the job? The answer is in Success Stories!

 

What do interviewers look for in candidates? Most often, they attempt to gauge your listening skills. They want to establish a base line for your experience, get a feel for your personality and determine how you might perform on the job if hired. Your job is to share your skills and abilities by demonstrating your expertise. It is your goal to show your potential boss what your background is, let them see your skills and describe for them your experience as well as your interest in the position.

 

The secret to your success is establishing success stories and learning how to effectively showcase your knowledge. This strategy can best be describe as the What, How and Proof method.  When interviewing, you will want to prepare and practice answer delivery following this approach:

 

1. Describe what the situation was that you were dealing with or what prompted your need to respond
2. Detail how you approached the situation. Be specific with examples related to solving the issue.
3. Provide proof that your direct oversight of the situation made a difference and describe what resulted from your actions.

 

Here’s an example of what you might describe:

 

What: Slashed overhead to increase profitability for business.

How: Analyzed 6 months of expenses, identified areas to trim including moving to a cheaper location and cutting back on employee hours.

Proof: Within 2 months, profits increased by 20%

 

Being prepared with concrete and descriptive answers will help set you apart from your competition in an interview and help to increase your chances of receiving an offer!