4 Strategies to Stand Out in An Interview

Imagine competing with many candidates with the same qualifications as you, how will you stand out?

Landing your dream job is tough in today’s competitive job market. You need to make a great impression during the interview that separates you from all the other qualified candidates.

Preparing for an interview takes a lot more than googling a list of commonly asked interview questions (though yes, you should 100% be ready for those). You have to make a great first impression, know about the company and its products and mission, and, of course, convey exactly why you’d be a great hire for this job.

Here are 4 proven strategies to help you steal the show and get hired.

1. Research Thoroughly

The first step is conducting in-depth research on the company, position, and interviewers. Spend time reviewing the company website, recent news articles, annual reports, and social media profiles.

What products or services do they offer? What are their goals, mission, and values? How successful have they been recently? This demonstrates your interest and initiative.

You’ll also want to research the person or people interviewing you. Look them up on LinkedIn to learn about their career paths and backgrounds. This could provide common ground to build rapport.

Sharpen your interview skills through interview coaching services and be armed with specifics about the role and organization to prove that you take the process seriously and you have what it takes to be hired.

2. Tell Engaging Stories

Shy away from just stating your qualifications – bring them to life with brief, colorful stories from your past experiences.

Behavioral interview questions like “Give an example of when you provided excellent customer service” or “Tell us about a time you overcame a challenge” can be effectively answered through a 2-minute story.

Keep it concise while highlighting the situation, the action you took, and the positive result.

For instance: “When I was an assistant manager at Retail Chain, an incident happened at our busiest shopping day before Christmas. Half my staff couldn’t make it in. I rolled up my sleeves, pitched in on the floor, and helped customers find last-minute gifts until closing. Thanks to our teamwork, we exceeded our daily sales goal despite the incident.”

Tales like this demonstrate your character and skill set memorably.

3. Ask Insightful Questions

At the end of most interviews, you’ll have a chance to ask the interviewers questions. Seize this opportunity by posing thoughtful, open-ended questions that showcase your research and interest in the role/company.

Avoid generic questions with obvious answers like “What are the working hours?” Instead, questions could be:

“What key challenges is this department currently facing and how do you envision the ideal candidate helping solve them? What recent project or initiative at the company are you most proud of and why?”

Thought-provoking questions leave a strong lasting impression of your engagement and initiative to contribute.

4. Build Rapport Through Common Ground

A recent study shows that 71% of executives said a hiring decision came down to how a candidate fits within the company culture. Finding personal connections with interviewers goes a long way toward achieving this.

Look for opportunities to discuss mutual interests, and current events, spotted on resumes/LinkedIn. Building rapport is key for acing the interview and getting hired.

In conclusion, thoroughly preparing through research, shining in your stories, asking insightful questions to interviewers, building rapport through likable traits, and following up shows your dedication to stand out from the pack.

Landing your dream job starts with making a stellar impression from the first interaction to the very last. With these 4 key strategies, you’ll be sure to leave interviewers raving about hiring you.

If you need more tips on how to ace that interview, invest in our Interview Coaching Session and have a one-on-one mock interview session with qualified professional coaches today.