Carole Martin – www.interviewcoach.com
The words that you use to express yourself send a strong message about who you are and what you know. In fact, your vocabulary and the use of appropriate words say more about you than the message you are trying communicate.
In the job search, the right words are essential to your success. Whether you are creating your resume or preparing answers for an interview, being aware of and using “industry jargon” is important. Each industry uses “key words” or “lingo” to describe what is required for a job.
Job descriptions or postings, are a list of qualities and skills employers are looking for in a candidate – the “wish list.” By making use of this information and using key words you can reveal yourself as a match as the “ideal” candidate.
Of course, you would never use a word just to impress your interviewer. Knowing the definition behind the word is what will convince the interviewer that you know what you are talking about.
Finding the “key” words will make your statements more powerful. Speaking the industry lingo will help you be taken more seriously as a candidate worthy of a job offer.
Changing Careers – Re-entering The World of Work
Creating a self-inventory and doing some basic preparation can make a big difference in the way you view yourself and as a result how others see you.
- Focus on your “transferable skills.”
When you change careers the focus will be on your “transferable” or “portable” skills. These are skills you have used at any and every job or situation you have been in, including volunteer work and school.
- Find your uniqueness.
One of the things that the interviewer is looking for is “someone to fit in” – who is likeable with the ability to work well with other team members. What personality traits make you unique?
- Believe in yourself.
When you believe in yourself and the fact that you have something of value to offer it will be easier to show confidence and to convince the employer that you can do the job.
Any sales person will tell you that when you believe in your product it is far easier to sell and influence someone to buy. It is your job to listen to what the interviewer is looking for and then to sell yourself as the solution to the problem.
Carole Martin
