5 Ways to Stand Out in the Interview Process!

1. Results oriented resume

Don’t write about what you did. Write about the impact you made and results you drove for the business. 

Bring attention to results, data, metrics, and impact. 

Add in context and color where needed.

If you cannot justify a resume writer, at minimum have a friend or colleague who has lots of hiring experience review your resume and other documents objectively. A second (and third) set of eyes are always helpful.

Example 1: 

Responsible for managing and growing LinkedIn business account

vs.

Spearheaded new content strategy resulting in +1,815% follower growth in <30 days.

Example 2: 

Oversaw the team’s social media account and content calendar. 

vs. 

Forecasted and developed content that drove over 1M impressions per week and resulted in >$3M in revenue coming through organic social discovery. 

Example 3:

Managed 250 regional accounts

vs. 

Built relationships with 250 retail accounts that resulted in a 28% increase in West Coast retail sales 

2. Update your LinkedIn Profile & Social

Having an updated photo, flushed-out career experiences, schools, certifications are all ways to be found through SEO, and for hiring managers and recruiters to understand your background better. 

Authentic content speaks volumes.  Don’t be intimidated by thinking you have to write thought-leadership pieces.  Simply engaging authentically on industry content is a great way to start, and signals to recruiters that you are active/engaged (i.e. reachable) on LinkedIn.

Double check you are showing up the way you want to be seen on any public-facing social media accounts.  (Yes, recruiters do sometimes look to understand who you are a bit better through IG, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.)

3. Humanize yourself and find a way to stand out 

Send a Loom or video as part of your application explaining who you are, what you do, and why you want the role you’re applying for. 

Tailor what you talk about in your application and interview to the role and company specifically. 

Do your research on the product/brand, team the role sits on, and the hiring manager. Know how to personalize the conversation. 

Reach out to the hiring manager or direct team members for the role you’re applying for with a concise, but meaningful message that shows you genuinely care about the role…and aren’t copying and pasting from a mass outreach template.

4. Loop in storytelling and passion

Be prepared to explain why you’re interested in the company and role, based on your prior experiences (personal or professional). This could be category related, ethos or mission of the company, etc.  If it’s more about the role, demonstrate how you are uniquely prepared to lead in the role.

Have a clear narration of your career story. Start with a hook that ties to your unique background & why you’re in your chosen field. Preemptively share career transitions between roles.  Know the growth and revenue metrics you’ve driven, how you did it, who you worked with, problems you solved, software and systems you used, and why you’re looking to move into your next role. Using the STAR method (situation, task, action, results) can be a really helpful way to review your impact in past roles & prepare for interviews.

Paint the picture for what sets you apart and the impact you’d like to drive within the company or team.

Don’t talk about your age, marital status, health status, how many kids you have, etc. 

Talk about you. Talk about what drives you and why you’ve chosen your current industry and style of work.  Talk about what lights you up. 

Hiring decisions are not purely logical but biological too; many times the hiring manager really needs to feel a “full body yes” to want to hire you, and this is done through building a connection, which leads to trust.

5. Have crisp, upbeat, timely, and transparent communication

Both written and verbal!

Initiate and respond to follow-up within 12 hours; the quicker the better in an interview process.. 

Demonstrate confidence in being able to do the role you’re interviewing for well.  

Show up authentically. People want to know when they’re hiring, “Can I stand elbow to elbow with this person at a trade-show for 8 hours and still want to grab dinner after?”

Have a short list of questions prepared about the role, team or company. 

Know when to stop talking; some silence is golden.