Hire Me Please: Why You Are the Best for the Job

Your resume reads like a text book example. You have several degrees all related to the industry that you are interviewing for. You have excellent communication skills and are highly organized. Your former boss still mourns your loss, and as an added bonus, you look really, really good in a suit. So, does all of that make you the best for the job?

Of course, there countless other factors to consider when you are seeking a job, and one of them is simply this: sometimes even the very best candidate for a job does not interview well. Knowing that, as well as a few strategies that will help you to fare better, should put you over the top in the interview arena.

To start, you should certainly make sure that your resume is current and free from any errors. If you have had a very bad experience with a previous employer and you would rather not have to rehash it, then take that reference out. An exception to this would be if that is the only reference relevant to the position you are seeking, or the only reference that you have at all. Keep the employer's information in and then explain that things did not work out there as planned, but that you would not feel comfortable discussing it at this time. (This shows that you are not eager to badmouth a previous employer and that you were not trying to hide anything.)

Be confident in yourself, but be wary of overselling. I sat in an interview where the young man sounded like he was too good to be true. My gut instinct said that he had over embellished and overstated much of what he had said, but the company overruled my instincts and hired him anyway. One month later my supervisor was pulling her hair out and lamenting that she should have listened to me in the first place. This fellow had not only oversold himself, he had flat out lied about nearly everything on his resume. Be truthful- a little PR is fine, as long as you can actually bring the goods.

Know your own strengths and weaknesses. The interviewer does not know you- that is why they ask you so many questions. You know what you are really good at, and what you are a little flat with: make sure that you talk up the strong suits, and explain how you compensate for the weaker portions of your skills set. Again, honesty is the best policy here.

Make everyone see that you are the best for the job by knowing what you are talking about and being able to convey that with confidence and candor. Show yourself to be courteous, conscientious, and organized. Leave them talking about your interview and make sure that they not only remember your name, but other key facts about yourself as well. A well-written resume is a good start, but if you have other relevant information, leave that as well.