I’ve worked for one of the Northwest’s most prominent staffing & recruiting companies, contributed at Forbes on job search strategy and blogged on nearly every impact that has shaped our local job market in recent years. I’ve also had a unique insight into the behind-the-scenes of what the Northwest’s largest and most sought after employers are looking for in the hiring process. Part of my career’s mission has been to help people launch successful job searches, so that their career opportunities reflect what they are truly capable of! 

Across economic downturns, upticks, every business industry and job category there is one thing I have seen to be true in my time putting thousands of Northwest job seekers to work: A job offer doesn’t go to the most qualified candidate, it goes to the candidate that best displays their value.

“But I have the exact experience and skill set they are looking for, shouldn’t that speak volumes?”

That means even if you have a phenomenal resume chalked with extensive experience at great companies, apparent passion for what you do, or a fantastic personality – you still won’t land the job offer if you don’t have great interview abilities that display your value. 

Understanding the secrets of how to interview well is the pathway to a successful career and landing the jobs you want at the companies you dream about working for.

You need to be able to articulate your value at the drop of a hat, which includes:

• Respond to interview questions off the cuff
• Provide behavioral examples with the pressure of the hiring manager or panel watching
• Make a positive impression that they can’t help but want to bring aboard their team!

Time and time again, I see that candidates who can do this radiate competence and confidence in job interviews attract top choice employers like bees to honey.

Over the course of their career, candidates who can do this land multiple job offers and feel in control of their career!

So how is this done?

1. Make sure you have a clear focus or a “niche”. There’s a misconception we’ve all once fallen victim to during a job search – that we’ve got to cast a wide net and apply to as many jobs as we can to make sure we end up with a job at the end. While the “Jack/ Jill of all trades” persona may sound like a good idea, it can be a major roadblock in your job search where employers are looking for you to fulfill a specific function within their operations perfectly. Learn more about how to find focus in your job search here.
2. Learn the STAR method! It’s a nearly foolproof method to convey your ability to perform on the job by aligning your previous experiences with what you are likely to experience in the new job. With interviewers increasingly using what is called ‘behavioral interviews’ to evaluate a candidate’s “fit for a job”, candidates need to come to interviews prepared to provide real life examples of how they have handled certain situations in past jobs
3. When it’s your turn to ask the interviewer questions, make sure you ask great ones! One of the most important parts of an interview to nail is no doubt towards the end of the interview when they flip the interview in your hands and it’s your turn to ask some thoughtful questions to truly convey just how much you want the job and that you are innately curious about the company and role. Learn how to do this here!

While it may be frustrating (especially if you’ve got really great skills and an awesome resume!) to think about how we need to learn the job interview and self-branding skills just to learn how to get jobs and be successful in our careers but time and time again, I have seen these job search strategies and skills help our candidates at PACE land great jobs. I hope that in your next job search, you’ll be able to put these teachings into practice and land the career opportunities you have been dreaming about!

PACE Staffing Network is one of the Puget Sound’s premier staffing /recruiting agencies and has been helping  Northwest job seekers find their “just right” jobs for over 40 years. A  5-time winner of the coveted “Best in Staffing” designation , PACE is ranked in the top 2% of staffing agencies nationwide based on annual surveys of customer satisfaction.

PACE provides multiple placement options:

• Direct Placement – Full or Part Time
• Temp to Hire Auditions
• Short or Long Term Temporary Assignments – Full or Part Time
• Contracts & Projects

For more information on how the PACE Staffing Network can help you find the right Temp-to-Hire audition for you, give our Candidate Services team a call today at 425-637-3311 or send us an Email