5 Ways to Distinguish Yourself from Other Candidates

1) Talk about your Accomplishments – Think of your top accomplishments. What have you done in the past, whether it’s from a paying job, in school, volunteer work,  internships, projects, or consulting.  Write them up in this format:  What problem did you solve?  What action did you take?  What was the result?  Create a short story that adds some detail and personal touch to the accomplishment and use that story during the interview.

2) Use metrics – Quantify as much as you can.  Use numbers to answer these questions:  Did you save money? Generate revenue/ save time?  Improve a process?  How much? How many? How long did it take?  If you can’t remember, try a guesstimate or a percentage.

3) Go above and beyond – Provide samples of your work.  Create a proposal suggesting how you would solve one of the company’s problems.  Create a newsletter or blog for the company.  Do something that separates you from the rest of the pack.

4) Ask good questions during the interview..What is their biggest challenge?  What keeps the hiring manager up at night?  What do you want to accomplish in the next 6 months?  And show them what you can do to make that happen. Never ask what is the salary, what are the benefits, what are the chances for promotion and raises.

5) Follow up – How many people actually write a follow-up letter that tries to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack?  If you are just writing a “thank you for your time and I am very interested in the job” type of letter, you are missing an opportunity to distinguish yourself once again.  Reiterate your accomplishments that are relevant.  Respond to a problem the company is experiencing and how you would solve the problem.  A couple of days later call the hiring manager to reinforce what you said and reiterate your interest in the position.

(c) Amy Geffen All rights reserved 2017.