Crush Your Interview
Standout with these three skills
It takes work to get work.
Looking for a new job is like having a full time job and not getting paid for it. So when you finally land an interview you need to make a lasting impression.Â
On the hiring side of the table, I have run countless interviews and have learned that these three soft skills in combination make a candidate stand out.
Curiosity
Creativity
Humility
A good question is more valuable than a good answer.
Anyone can BS their way through an answer to the standard interview questions. But it takes skill to ask a great question. When interviewing, I often learned more about a candidate through their questions than their answers.
Questions are born from a kernel of truth - a statement, a fact, a piece of information that builds upon itself. Good questions take research and a curious mind that seeks to know more. Good questions lead to new insights.
Curiosity is an essential soft skill that drives teams forward to find better solutions. When interviewing for a job - do your research and come up with three key questions that you will ask.
The difference between can and can’t is the spark of creativity.
In a work environment where there are infinite reasons why things can’t be done and finite resources to use, a creative mind will find a way forward.
We all have the capacity to be creative, to look at an old problem in a new way, to rise above the noise and distractions to accomplish our goals. But the gravity of the status quo is constantly pulling us back down.
Creativity is the momentum that breaks through the status quo and finds a reason why something CAN be done. Make sure you highlight examples of your own creativity in your interview.
Humility is your secret sauce
If curiosity and creativity are the hamburger and bun, then humility is the secret sauce that sets your burger apart. I’ve written about this soft skill in more detail here but here’s what you need to know - humility is the essential ingredient in our own personal and professional growth.
It's easy to assume that in an interview you need to display confidence. This is true but it does not mean you need to flex too hard. Overconfidence is a guaranteed ticket out the door.
Don’t shy away from your mistakes. Express them as key learning moments that you’ve grown from. Have at least three examples that you can pull from when the time is right.
The Trifecta
Any one of these three soft skills alone will move you up the list of candidates all vying for the same job. But these three skills in combination will set you apart.Â
Be curious, be creative, be humble and crush your interview!
Further Reading