Let’s face it: There’s a bit of personal luck involved when it comes to landing a job. All you can do as a job seeker is put yourself in a position to get lucky.

The best way to do that is to impress your interviewer. When you impress your interviewer, you separate yourself from most of the other applicants in contention for the position.

Consider the following way you can impress at your next job interview.

1) Do your research

There is nothing an interviewer wants more than a productive conversation. The best way to achieve that is to walk in with a lot of information; about yourself, your place in the industry and what you can offer to the company if hired.

Be sure to research the position, the company and the industry. Determine what technical abilities and soft skills are needed to succeed. Find out what kind of corporate culture the company has. Look up the latest major developments in the industry and consider how they might be relevant for the company. Find out the company’s biggest competitors and the major differences among these companies.

All of this research will allow you to have an intelligent, well-informed conversation with your interviewer, and any interviewer worth their salt should be impressed by that.

2) Work on how to present yourself

If you get hired by the company, you’ll be there around 40 hours per week, 12 months out of the year. Given that fact, it’s a good idea to present yourself as very likeable.

Bring an optimistic frame of mind to your interview. Interviewers won‘t be impressed by someone who has a negative demeanor. Enthusiasm, a smile and a friendly disposition can go a long way.

Also, work on having a good, firm handshake. This is key to showing confidence and making a good first impression right off the bat.

While you want to be likeable, you still want to seem professional. If you take a laid-back approach to the interview, you may not hear back after the interview. Treat every interview, even an initial phone interview, as if it‘s your only opportunity to sell yourself to the company.

3) Focus on having a conversation

Your interviewer wants to get a solid understanding of your abilities and experience level, but they also want to get a sense of you as a person. Don‘t just fire off memorized responses to questions. Instead, have a discussion that includes safe-for-work anecdotes. We tend to recall other people who are interesting. Show your value by creating stories that tackle the primary issue for any interviewer: What can you do for our company?

It’s also crucial to show discipline. Don‘t discuss money or benefits, particularly during the first interview. Don‘t trash past employers. Don‘t talk about career aspirations beyond the job you’re seeking, or other job opportunities for that matter.

Land your next supply chain interview with ZDA!

At ZDA, we regularly help job seekers impress their interviewers by providing them with valuable information. If you’re currently looking for job search assistance, contact our leading supply chain recruiters today.

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