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If you’ve ever looked for a job (and who hasn’t??), you know how difficult it is to differentiate yourself from all the other candidates clamoring for that same position. Finding a way to prove to interviewers that YOU — and only you — are the best person for the job can make — or break — that interview. This article from Jennifer Little-Fleck, 3 Steps to Convincing a Hiring Manager You’re the Solution to All His Problems, reprinted from The Muse website, has a few great hints to help you ace your next interview. (from Patricia Tu, Job Developer, Western Addition Career Center)

 

 

3 Steps to Convincing a Hiring Manager You’re the
Solution to All His Problems

By Jennifer Little-Fleck (originally published on The Muse website)

“It’s not about you, it’s about them.”

If you remember that one phrase throughout your whole job search process, you’ll be ahead of the majority of the other candidates.

I know what you’re thinking: This is supposed to be about me; I am here because this company wants to know what I have to offer. Kind of. But the fact is that the hiring manager really doesn’t care about you (yet).

You’re there because he has a problem (a list of tasks that is so great a whole human being is needed to complete them) and is looking for a solution (a person qualified to complete them). You need to position your value as the answer to that burning need. And to do that, you first need to find out the problem.

If you’ve ever been involved in the sales world, this concept might sound familiar. It might also sound like I’m recommending you sell yourself. Yes, this is a sales concept, but no I’m not suggesting that. Rather, I’m proposing you prepare for your interview with the idea of proving your value in mind.

How does this work in practice?

1. Ask Questions That Let You Show Your Value

It’s OK to ask questions at any point during your conversation—you don’t have to wait until the end. In fact, it actually makes for a smoother conversation if it’s not the hiring manager shooting off questions and you just sitting there responding on autopilot.

Here are a few ideas that’ll give you an opportunity to shine, while emphasizing your keen awareness of the company and the team you’re applying to:

Here’s how that first one might play out:

Interviewer: “Tell me about your experience with project management.”

You:I have experience in several areas of project management, from being the
actual project lead that designs the workflow process to various roles that include
content development and subject matter expertise. Could you share with me any
project management gaps that exist on your current team and how that contributes
to some of your challenges?”

Interviewer: “Well right now we don’t really have anyone who can manage
the relationship between the subject matter expert, content developer,
and our regulatory team. Our project lead is fantastic at identifying timelines,
and task ownership, but something keeps getting lost in translation
between team members. We could really use help with our workflow design.”

You: “That’s an important part of any project, and one I’ve dealt with a lot. I’d like to
share with you an example of how I was able to take an existing process, identify the weak
points that contributed to most of the time delays, and then reconfigure it so that we were
ahead of schedule by three weeks.”

This response shows off your value by highlighting your experience, but without any rambling on your part. Because you’ve stopped to qualify which area the team needs the most help with, you’re further demonstrating your value. And this is actually quite similar to what happens in sales. The successful salesperson doesn’t drop a hundred reasons in one minute about why her product is so great. Instead, she asks her customer a few questions to figure out what one or two features will bring the most value.

Next, you’ve asked not only about gaps, but also about a specific problem, which gives you intel as to the need. Having the need identified allows you to offer a targeted example of your experience that applies directly to a problem he’s experiencing. That right there is value-based interviewing, and it’s the stuff offers are made from!

2. How to Drive the Point Home

After asking thoughtful, probing questions, taking notes, and getting a sense of the organization’s needs and giving relevant examples, you should have a pretty clear idea of what the hiring manager’s looking for. Use this to your advantage in your follow-up note. Rather than just sending a form “thank you,” try this: Recall key points of your conversation, including any ideas you generated as to how your value would translate into helping the company achieve goals:

This type of letter is completely focused on the interviewer’s challenges and needs, and the ways that your experience can potentially provide a solution.
It’s important to note the ratio of the use of second-person pronouns “you/yours” vs. first-person pronouns “I/me/my”—it’s six to three. Place the focus on the hiring manager and not on yourself, which brings me to my third point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Remember: It’s Not About You, It’s About Them

The most successful salesperson knows that if a customer cannot envision himself using a product or service, he won’t make the sale. Similarly, in value-based interviewing you need to make sure the hiring manager has a clear vision of how you’re going to solve problems for him. This is done both through specific questioning and targeted answers that tell stories about who you are, what you’ve accomplished professionally, and what you will continue to do if hired.
 
So, the next time you are preparing for an interview, take a little extra time to practice inserting questions that get the hiring manager candidly discussing his needs and, in turn, customizing your responses. This will help you avoid going off on tangents or failing to demonstrate how your background and experience can be a part of the solution. Yes, this strategy requires a little bit more thought—but it’ll all be worth it when you land the job.

This article was reprinted from The Muse website.

(https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-steps-to-convincing-a-hiring-manager-youre-the-solution-to-all-his-problems)