Discuss Your Accomplishments During the Interview

When preparing for your interview, you need to be ready to discuss your accomplishments. Surprisingly, many people are reluctant to talk about their accomplishments. But this is exactly what the interviewer wants to hear from you.

Discussing your accomplishments separates you from the rest of the people applying for the job. It helps you stand out and show that you are more qualified than the others. Remember, the whole point of an interview is to sell yourself to the interviewer. He or she needs to know that you are the right person for the position.

Below are some of the subjects you need to be ready to discuss during the interview. Think of what accomplishments you made in each of these subjects. For the last subject, which is about the company you want to work for, make sure you do your research on the company before the interview.

If the interviewer asks you what do you know about their company, and you don't know what industry their in, their mission statement, who their customers are, then the interviewer will probably determine that you aren't the right person to represent their company. Here are the subjects:

Work History

Where did you work?
How long did you work there?
How much did you make at your current or previous job?
What position(s) did you hold there?

Skills

What skills do you have?
What skills do you plan on learning?
How have those skills helped you in your previous positions?

Personal Characteristics

What are your career short term and long term goals?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What are you looking for in a company if employed there?

The Company Where You Want To Be Hired

What is the company's mission statement?
What is their product or service?
What are the requirements for the job?
Does the company offer opportunities for advancement?

If you want the job, you have to sell yourself. The interviewer wants to hear about your accomplishments because it helps them determine whether you are the perfect person for the job or not.

Michelle Roebuck provides job interview tips and resume writing advice at http://www.job-interview-and-resume-tips.com. Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.job-interview-and-resume-tips.com/newsletter.html

More resources:

RELATED ARTICLES

Personal Contacts: The Key to Successful Networking
When the word "networking" is used, we tend to think of upwardly mobile college graduates with a bursting day timer in hand chatting up the competition at business meetings, conventions, or workshops. The average blue/pink/white collar worker disconnects, feeling that they could never be that pushy, don't know enough people to even start the attempt, and that the method only works in competitive business environments.

Writing A Great Resume, Part 1
Need a great resume to land that great job coming up? We are going to learn to create an eye-catching resume, using Microsoft Word.First, you need to collect all the information you will need to complete your Resume (dates of employment, education dates.

5 Resume Mistakes Telecommuters Often Make
Finding a legit telecommute job can be difficult. Telecommute jobs are in high demand and hundreds if not thousands of other people are competing for the same position.

How To Write A Resume, Avoid These Resume Mistakes
HOW TO WRITE A RESUME-MISTAKE #1NEVER USE THE WRONG PAPER! What kind of paper should you choose when typing your resume? The color of paper you will want to use will be white or ivory. You will also want to type your resume on a heavier paper, such as a 20 lb.

Why a Professional Resume?
As a job search tool your Resume is your main calling card. It explains who you are and what you have to offer.

Just a Series of Choices
Steve's a pretty regular guy - wife, 4 kids in their blended family, 12+ years of engineering experience, a degree, mortgage, car payments, some debt? and feeling depressed because he waited to look till the end. Last time he transitioned was 5 years ago for more money and he liked some of the people and it was simple?this time he's heard some in his professional association have been looking for almost a year.

Job Hunting Tips: Organizing Your Attack
Looking for work is an energy-devouring ordeal, often leading to running in circles and not getting anywhere. A systematic approach can help you focus on your goal, avoid wasting the energy you need to conserve for interviews and employer contacts, and lower your stress level.

Helping Mid-Life Employees Find Meaning
People work to live, but most also live to work. A study on the meaning of work conducted back in 1987 revealed a strong attachment to work as a way of life.

Seven Steps to Better Networking
If published statistics are accurate, employment agencies and search firms fill about 20% of all jobs in the US. Job boards fill anywhere between 2% and 8%.

Is Pursuing a Career in Patent Law the Right Move for You?
What's It All About? The field of patent law is wide open to Biologists, Chemists, Engineers, Computer Scientists, and many other science and technology professionals. And it's true; individuals with the proper science or engineering degree need only pass the Patent Bar to become registered Patent Agents.

Three Myths About Resume Writing
Your perspective on resumes - what they are and how they function - will doubtless influence how well you can write your own. To create an outstanding resume, begin by questioning and replacing some of the commonly held assumptions about resume writing.

TMI: The Resume Destroyer
"They say my r�sum� should be only one page long. Is that correct?"Not necessarily.

Feng Shui Your Desk for Career Success
Have you used feng shui around your desk? It's a great way to "test drive" feng shui, to see how well it works for you.In feng shui, we work with a 3x3 grid called a bagua (said "bagg-wahh").

The 10-Step Resume Critique
Your resume will generally receive a 15- to 30-second scan upon first review by an employer. With that in mind, it is critical that your resume -- your "paper handshake" -- makes a positive first impression and compels the reader to put your resume in the "yes" pile and possibly call you in for an interview.

Common Resume Myths & Misconceptions
For the person crafting their first r�sum� the task can seem a little bit daunting, even a bit frightening. Human Resources [HR] specialists, r�sum� writing professionals, school advisors, and even friends and family members all have their say.

Dress For Success
You have heard the phrase, "Dress for Success." This is very important in your job search.

Don't Be Too Passionate About Your Work
Of course, she then offered me a six-month process, costing thousands of dollars to get me back on track. However, I must say she was ethical in her approach and suggested I get a medical check up to rule out any physical or mental-health issues.

Salary Negotiation Secrets Revealed
Before you go into the interview, it is important to know what salary you want, what you need to live on, and what you will be prepared to accept. Spend some time working out your budget.

Why Do Interviews Die: That Sinking Feeling and How to Prevent it!
Interviews die because a mistake occurred. Sometimes, you've made a mistake; sometimes they die because someone who screened a resume did.

In Control - Inside Tips on Interview Success
No, you can't control how the interview will be conducted, nor can you control the outcome. But you can influence it greatly by the way you present your personality and your skills.