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The Interview Guts: What You Need to Get the Job

In this tough economic time, the job market is particularly tough to compete in. More and more layoffs and company closings happen each day, and more and more unemployed people join the ranks of job seekers. It can all seem very overwhelming for anyone facing these odds. This is why we’ve devised the following info- to ensure you know how to best handle the guts of any interview. No matter the field or position that you may be applying for there are some constants in any interview- variables that every interviewer is looking for when deciding who to hire or pass over for a particular job. We give you the best ways to answer the toughest questions below with the right types of work stories:

1.  Crisis- One of the most important things-and probably one of the first-that a potential employer may ask      you is to tell them about a particular crisis or problem that you were faced with in a previous job and how      you faced it. The best way to answer this is to have an event prepared in which a deadline was close or a      client needed to be won back. This is your opportunity to show key attributes that you used to make the      deadline or win the client back.

2.  Money- Another great type of story that shows your value to a potential employer is a financial one. This      means you must eloquently describe a time in your work history when you either made money for or saved      your company money by an idea or initiative. This is one of the most attractive characteristics that you can                                                                        offer any company. Their bottom line is always how much money                                                                        they are making and saving.

                                                                  3.  Leadership- Also crucial to making yourself look attractive and a                                                                        worthy candidate for the position you are applying to is to tell a                                                                        story in which you demonstrate optimal leadership skills. This                                                                        would be a time in your previous employment when you stepped                                                                        up to bat to save your company from peril or conversely to boost                                                                        your company’s success. Either way, having an exceptional leader                                                                        who knows when to take the reins is a valuable resource to any                                                                        company.

                                                                  4.  Team Member- On the other hand, it is also absolutely necessary                                                                        that even as a born leader, you can also be a great team                                                                        member at any company. This said, you should have a great                                                                        example of where you excelled as a part of a team. Tell them                                                                        what the project or problem was and what you contributed to                                                                        make the end successful.

                                                                  5.  Failure- This is a toughie, but many employers will ask it so you                                                                        better be prepared with an example. Brainstorm a failure in your past employment history, and think of how you were able to turn it around successfully. It is wise to avoid large scale failures as no potential employer wants to put trust in someone who is prone to large mistakes. Instead, think of a fairly mild mistake-one that did not alter the success of the company drastically.

6.  Stress- Lastly, typically a potential employer will want to knw a time when you encountered a highly      stressful incident or event, and how you handled it. Though many people do not handle stress well, you      should never say this. Instead, think of a time when a big project was put in your hands for the first time or      a seemingly un-meetable deadline met. Talk about the strategy you used to find success on the other side      of the stressful problem. 6. A failure that occurred in your job and how you overcame it.