Understand what interviewers are looking for

In a nutshell, most employers are looking for three key factors when choosing the right person for the job. These three factors can be understood as the 3 C’s.

Competence- Employers are looking to hire people who have the right skills and personal qualities in order to do the job without much supervision.

Commitment– Employers look for candidates who are dedicated and hard working. Such candidates are those who are well motivated and who persevere when faced with difficulties as opposed to giving up at the first sign of trouble.

Chemistry– Employers seek candidates who they feel they will get along with and fit into the company culture without any problems.

You can win the interviewer over by demonstrating your competence and commitment by giving good answers to the barrage of questions thrown at you. In addition, you can create chemistry by your body language and by the tone of your voice. This will help the interviewer understand that you are a likeable and approachable person.

Communication Skills

For any job you may apply for, you need good communication skills. Employers are particularly keen on this area. If you can, relate back to examples of occasions when you did the following:

  • Handled difficult customers, face to face or via telephone
  • Demonstrated listening skills and understanding needs of customers or colleagues
  • Conveyed information to a person or persons
  • Used your written skills in

Ability to influence others

Employers seek candidates with powers of persuasion. If you can successfully persuade the interviewer, you are likely to persuade their clients and that is good for business. Interviewers are keen to hear examples of the following:

  • When you had managed to successfully change someone’s mind
  • Expressing your viewpoint to someone and helping them understand your point
  • Persuading someone to take a line of action that they were initially not inclined towards

Analysing situations

Managers and Directors hire people who have the ability to assess situations, people who can do research and make informed decisions. You may be asked on your experience of the following:

  • When you last broke up a complex problem into small steps
  • When you weighed up the pros and cons of different opinions and made a conclusion
  • When you gathered information about a particular topic