The Empty-Handed Job Interview Candidate

An empty hand overlaid with the universal red circle "no" symbol.Are you going for a job interview? If so, assume all the interviewers are from Missouri! Why? Missouri, of course, is nicknamed the “show me” state. All joking aside, most interviewers, regardless of their home state, tend to have a “show me” state of mind. Let me explain.

Suppose you and your fiancé are making plans for the big day and searching for a wedding photographer. You check out a photographer’s website but notice there are no sample photos. That seems odd. Assuming maybe you somehow simply missed the portfolio link, you contact the photographer. “Oh, I don’t have any samples to show,” says the photographer, “Trust me, I’m good.” Based on that response, you’re ready to sign a contract and plop down a big deposit, right? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Yet, this is exactly what happens during many job interviews! Candidates have the opportunity to show some form of evidence of their abilities but do not. In fields like photography, graphic arts, music, writing, and others, the norm is for applicants to bring a portfolio or samples of their work. But what about fields where this is not typically the norm? Continue reading

Don’t be a Clone at Your Job Interview!

Multiple images of the exact same job interview candidate.Have a job interview coming up soon? That’s great! However, take a moment and put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes. When looking at all the candidates who applied for this job, what does the interviewer see? If the job posting and applicant tracking system worked, the interviewer may be looking at a collection of clones! What do I mean? Remember, the candidates who were selected for an interview all have:

  • The same required degree
  • Similar work experience
  • The same required license, certification, or other credentials

After all, these candidates—including you—had to meet the same basic job requirements or else they wouldn’t even be considered, right? Not just that, if they prepared themselves for the interview, they will all likely:

  • Be professionally dressed
  • Have professionally-prepared resumes and cover letters
  • Be polite and well-spoken

So, what makes you anything special?

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