Interview Skills, for Success (With Examples to Illustrate)
Recognising the Importance of Interview Skills. During interviews employers are interested in understanding your skills. How they relate to the job. Effectively answering questions about your skills demonstrates your competence. Helps you stand out from candidates. Lets explore why interview preparation matters, why employers ask about skills and the key competencies that should be highlighted during interviews.
The Reason Behind Employers Interest in Skills.
In the screening process many companies use automated tools. These tools scan resumes for keywords to determine if a candidate meets the requirements for the job. However, simply claiming that you have the skills to secure an interview is not enough; you also need to provide experiences that support those claims.
To excel in interviews and increase your chances of receiving job offers it’s important to explain how your skills have produced results. This helps interviewers assess your suitability for the role understand your strengths and weaknesses and evaluate how well you would fit into their team.
Evaluating Suitability for the Job.
The purpose of questions related to skills is to determine if you align with the requirements of the job. By reviewing the job description and researching about the company you can tailor your responses to include both soft skills that are relevant, to that particular role. To make your answers more compelling provide real life examples that demonstrate how your skills contributed to the success of your employers. For example while some candidates may exaggerate their language effectiveness a true language expert could mention negotiating million dollar contracts, in Mandarin as proof.
When it comes to identifying strengths and weaknesses employers use skills related questions to assess your suitability for the role. You should identify the skills required for the job and craft responses that position you as a candidate. Support your claims with data that highlights how you used these skills to achieve or surpass objectives.
For instance if you’re applying for a sales role you could emphasise your proficiency in customer relationship management software. Explain how this expertise resulted in a 15% business growth despite competition. Employers also use skills related queries to evaluate fit. Candidates should demonstrate a combination of fundamental and teamwork skills. It’s important for candidates to understand that cultural fit is a two way street where both the candidate and the company need to align in terms of values and practices.
For example if an extroverted candidate applies to a company that values contributions over team dynamics it becomes crucial to have a conversation, about potential misalignment. Here are some top interview skills worth highlighting along with responses;
Here are eight important skills that you should emphasise during interviews, along with some examples of how to incorporate them into your responses;
Communication; Effective communication is crucial in any job. When answering interview questions make sure to highlight your ability to convey information clearly and concisely. You can mention communication skills like writing, active listening and presentation abilities. Example response; “I’ve always placed an emphasis on communication. I continuously work on improving my communication skills through courses focused on writing and presentations. In my role I excel at creating and delivering presentations.”
Business Acumen; Demonstrate your knowledge of the industry and your understanding of the organisations mission, market, competition and strategies for generating revenue. Business acumen is particularly important for roles in sales or customer facing positions. Example response; “This company operates in a niche market. Based on my experience I’ve observed that many industry players heavily rely on media for market outreach. However, I advocate for a approach which resulted in a 15% business growth, in my previous position.”
Collaboration or Teamwork. Highlight your capacity to build working relationships and effectively collaborate. Demonstrating strong teamwork skills is crucial, for roles that involve collaboration. Example response; “I highly value the power of teamwork and have a proven track record of coordinating teams leveraging strengths. While I am capable of working I thrive when collaborating with minded individuals to achieve shared objectives.”
Adaptability. Employers appreciate employees who can adapt quickly when faced with challenges. Showcase your flexibility and problem solving abilities. Example response; “I have a level of adaptability and always remain focused on delivering results. For instance when we encountered a situation where a contractor had to withdraw from a project midway I promptly executed a contingency plan by securing a vendor and ensuring that we met our deadline.”
Problem Solving. Companies seek individuals who can identify opportunities within challenges. Exceptional problem solvers demonstrate initiative and innovative thinking. Example response; “Known as the go to problem solver on my team I excel at exploring solutions to find the optimal outcomes. Furthermore I have cultivated a network within the industry which enables me to assemble teams swiftly.”
Displaying positivity and resilience in the face of setbacks is highly valued by employers. Highlight your ability to learn from adversity and inspire others.
Example response; “I believe in maintaining a mindset when confronted with setbacks as it allows me to learn valuable lessons, from adversity while inspiring my peers along the way.”Example response; “I’ve always had a mindset, which has played a role in overcoming various challenges throughout my career. For instance there was a time when one of my clients rejected my work due, to disputes. However, I quickly adapted the project. Made adjustments to meet the needs of another client ultimately securing a new deal.”
Being able to lead a team is crucial in professional roles. One experience that stands out is when I worked as a level manager. In this position I focused on providing motivation giving feedback and removing any obstacles that hindered my teams productivity.
Additional Valuable Skills to Highlight.
During interviews it’s important to showcase skills beyond the basics. Here are some sought after skills you can emphasize;
- Having negotiation and persuasion skills can be extremely valuable in roles such as sales or customer service. I have had success in negotiating by understanding both parties needs and finding beneficial solutions.
- Maintaining a balance, between assertiveness and humility is key when showcasing decision making abilities and self assuredness.
- Perseverance; Demonstrate your determination and resilience, in overcoming challenges to achieve desired results.
- Self Motivation; Highlight your ability to stay complete projects independently without requiring supervision.
- Ability to Thrive Under Pressure; Showcase your capacity to excel in stress or paced environments while maintaining the quality of your work.
- IT Skills; In todays era having IT skills is crucial. Discuss your efficiency in using software tools and troubleshooting issues.
- Continuous Improvement of Interview Skills; It is important to refine your interview skills, when you are not actively seeking a job opportunity. You never know when the perfect chance might arise so staying prepared is essential.
To learn more about any of these individual skills or to be more adaptable in your next interview, contact our team for more information on our interview coaching and training programs designed to help you land that job.
David Alssema is a Body Language Expert and Motivational Speaker. As a performer in the personal development industry in Australia he has introduced and created new ways to inspire, motivate and develop individuals.
David Alssema started his training career with companies such as Telstra and Optus Communications, and then developed Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) within workplace training as principal of Paramount Training & Development.
As an author/media consultant on body language and professional development David has influenced workplaces across Australia. He contributes to Media such as The West Australian, ABC Radio, Australian Magazines and other Australia Media Sources.
