Selection interviews are still the most common way of recruiting staff. In the current economy where there are more and more candidates coming on to the market, you need to stand out from the crowd if you are to be successful. So what can you do to stand out from the crowd?

Tip 1: Know yourself

The starting point for standing out from the crowd is to fully know yourself. By that I mean have a very clear understanding of:

- Where your strengths lie

- Where you need to continue to develop

This is a standard interview question that you need to answer well. You can discover your strengths and development needs by:

- Self assessment and reflection

- Asking others for feedback

- Taking some form of profiling assessment

Tip 2: Be prepared

Before you go into any interview you need to be prepared. As a minimum you need to:

- Do some background research into the organisation that is interviewing you

- Understand some of the key challenges facing the organisation or at least the sector

- Have two or three really strong questions to ask them about the business and progression opportunities

Tip 3: Sell yourself

When I refer to selling yourself, I mean demonstrating to the interviewer what you can offer and why you are the logical choice for the role.

Tip 4: Focus on your achievements

Try as much as you can to focus on your achievements or similar situations when you are answering questions. It might well be that you achieved success in circumstances very similar to what the interviewer is asking you about.

Tip 5: Be professional

Even if you decide 5 minutes into an interview that the job or organisation is not for you, be professional until the end. You never know when you might come across someone carrying out the interview in the future. Senior people often move around quite a bit and you don’t want to compromise a future opportunity by being unprofessional.

Bottom Line – In the current tough economic climate, employers will have more choice of candidates. So make sure you position yourself for success.

Duncan Brodie of Goals and Achievements (G&A) works with individuals, teams and organisations to develop their management and leadership capability. With 25 years business experience in a range of sectors, he understands first hand the real challenges of managing and leading in the demanding business world. He invites you to sign up for his free e audio course and newsletter at http://www.goalsandachievements.co.uk/

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