Military Careers, Second Careers - Marine Corps Times

Interview clincher comes in many guises

There are plenty of unknowns when it comes to looking for a second career. But if you plan on working anywhere, there’s at least one certainty in the future — a one-on-one conversation with a hiring manager. No matter what or how many questions you field, be prepared to answer this one: “Why should I hire you?”

Interview coach Carole Martin has spent 18 years in human resources and staffing and is an interview coach for Monster.com. As the head of her own business, the Web site www.interviewcoach.com, she coaches people through career changes and counsels them on making the most of their interview opportunities. She works with clients in career fields from law enforcement to medicine, sales to information technology.

The author of four books on the subject of interviewing, Martin has a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in career counseling.

Martin offered the following advice to service members about to take on interviews — and the task of explaining why they should be hired.

How common is it for hiring managers to come right out and ask, “Why should I hire you?” Are there other questions intended to get the same response?

There are many questions that fall under the same category. “Why should I hire you?” is one of them. This is no different than asking someone, “Why should I buy the product that you are selling?” It could also be asked this way: “What can you bring to the job that the next person cannot?” or “What makes you unique?” Some hiring managers may just say, “Tell me about yourself.” The point is they’re looking for you to tell them what you have to offer.

Should job seekers prepare for these questions and, if so, what points should they highlight?

Candidates should be able to tell the interviewer exactly what they have to offer. What experiences have they had that prepares or qualifies them for this job? As for rehearsing, you should be prepared but not have a memorized speech.

What is a good example of what someone should or could say in response to that question?

Candidates should be able to talk about their education or experience or both. They should be able to tell the employer what they know a great deal about, hopefully in relation to the job opportunity. This information should be about the knowledge they have through experience and education, such as hard skills. They should be able to talk about their strength — some skill that they have that is a general or transferable skill. They also should be able to talk about their work style or work ethic or explain what others have said about them in the past, such as performance appraisal information. And I recommend they tell a hiring manager one or two personal traits about themselves. This could be, “I’m great with detail,” or “I’m known to be very punctual or organized.” A hobby or sport could be included if it would in any way relate to the field for which they are applying.

What details should a candidate leave out when it comes to this question?

It’s not a good idea to tell too much about irrelevant information. By that I mean, for example, “I was born in Cincinnati and my father was an attorney and my mother was a teacher and I have three brothers and sisters. After high school, I went to college and then went to work in the IT industry as a programmer.” People tend to start at the bottom of the résumé and work up, when the résumé itself starts at the top and moves down. So give them the most current and relevant information first.

If a job seeker isn’t asked, how can a candidate create the opportunity to provide this information?

The end of the interview is the perfect time to say, “I would like to summarize what I would bring to this position.” Then in about a minute, list three to five points that you’d like to highlight.

(Decision Times writer Tranette Ledford interviews a career transition expert each month for the Ask an Expert column.)