As you walk into an interview you should have two lists in your head. First you should have a list of key qualifications and achievements that you’ll want to showcase at some point in the interview. These should, of course, refer to skills that are relevant to the position under consideration.
You may choose to present them at random as opportunities arise, or you might want to plan putting them into a logical sequence. When it comes time to negotiate your future salary, you’ll want to be able to quickly summarize all the high points in as few sentences as possible.
If you have any particular weaknesses, you might want to emphasize those positive qualities that can offset your negatives. (Example: You might emphasize how computer savvy and energetic you are when your age is a problem.)
The areas you’ll want to present include:
1) Your best skills
2) Your greatest personal strengths
3) Your most important accomplishments
4) Your key knowledge/expertise
5) The tasks you do best
6) Why you love your chosen field
If you are fortune enough to have any unique skills or experience that other applicants probably don’t possess, be sure to include that in your comment. When you have your list assembled, search through it and carefully assess each point for its uniqueness and relevance to the position under consideration. The more unique you can appear, the better.
Always be sure to describe the “growth” you’ve experienced as your career has unfolded. Employers are always interested in those who have made progress. You are not a know-it-all, instead you know a lot but also are keenly aware that you have a lot to learn and are eager to learn it.
Never blame past employment problems on anyone else, not even partially. Such “scapegoating” is frowned upon in employment circles. You believe that employees owe their employers a high degree of loyalty and can’t understand how anyone could view the relationship otherwise.
Your work experiences have helped you learn to more openly accept criticism without resentment. You’re a hard working energetic self-starter who has a problem accepting delays. You seldom get angry now as you’ve learned the importance of preventing conflict.
You might want to mention the “rewards” you receive from your work also. However you present your personal life, be sure it’s a picture of a balanced life that generates a high degree of personal satisfaction.
In the past you had a problem clearly defining your career objectives but now are focused on firm career goals. Your love of learning drives you to read on a wide range of topics. You’ve made some mistakes but you now view them as learning opportunities and embrace the lessons they contained. You are also certain you’ll never repeat them.
Secondly, you need to have a list of questions you want answered during this particular interview session. Do not fear asking questions as they express enthusiasm for the position which is always a good thing – provided your questions are intelligent and relevant.
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