60 Seconds & You're Hired

60 Seconds & You’re Hired! is a guide to getting your dream job thanks to impressing interviewers, focusing on your strengths, and building your confidence with a step-by-step plan of the process.

We’ve already made it clear why you need to stand out from the crowd to your potential new employer. But how do you do that? It starts with helping the interviewer remember you by focusing their mind on your strengths.

If you think trying to get the job is hard, just put yourself in the shoes of the person reviewing all the resumes. It’ll be difficult for them to pick you out unless you prepare to do so. This is where the 5 Point Agenda comes in.

To begin, make a list of your top five most marketable skills. Don’t just list any strengths, focus on those that are specific to the job you’re applying for. A graphic designer, for example, would want to focus on their portfolio and experience building websites.

Keep in mind that your list may be different for each job. Your primary objective is to focus on what you can do that matches the goals of the company. It might be a good idea to look at your potential new employer on LinkedIn and Glassdoor to find out what their values are.

Once you’ve got the list ready, practice so you can highlight all five in less than 60 seconds. Then, in the interview, continually mention each of these strengths so your interviewer remembers them.

Preparation kills fear. Every time I have to give a speech, presentation, talk to a stranger, or answer an interviewers questions, taking the time to get ready calms my nerves. The reason this works is because when you’re in the interview you have no surprises. Nothing can catch you off guard if you’ve put in the work to get ready. First, look for some of the most commonly asked questions in interviews and practice answering them. Role-playing isn’t always fun, but it does make a big difference in your confidence levels every time you do it. Also use your research to think of specific questions the company might ask about their products or services. Next, remember the details of your best performances at previous workplaces. Again, focus on those that will set you apart to succeed should you be given this new job. The main goal of the employer is to determine if you’re a good fit, and being more specific will help them do that. Last, get ready to market your specific personality as an ideal worker persona. You might not think it, but interviewers go in with biases that you have to fight. Millennials, for example, may…