As a candidate, the face-to-face interview is a golden opportunity for you to impress the hiring manager and other company officials. Unfortunately, some candidates do not recognize that opportunity, and as a result, they fail to do the things necessary to set themselves apart.
It is very important that you state the case for your candidacy during the interview. Keep in mind that employers, including Animal Health employers and Veterinary employers rarely, if ever, hire “the perfect candidate” for any job that they’re looking to fill. Instead, company officials hire the person that they believe will fill the position the best and provide the most value once they become an employee.
There are a couple of things that you can do during the interview to state the case for your candidacy. First, it’s not enough to simply present your skills and experience. You must tie those skills and that experience to the position that the employer wants to fill. Make the connection between what you bring to the table and what the employer wants. You can’t depend upon the hiring manager to make the connection for you.
Second, emphasize the soft skills you possess that could give you an advantage over other candidates. Soft skills are often the deciding factor for a hiring manager. They’re looking for certain intangible skills, such as excellent communication skills, the ability to work in a group, problem-solving skills, and especially leadership. Above all else, employers want leaders within their organization.
So if you truly believe that you can do the job and you are the person that the organization should hire, then you must state the case for your candidacy in the face-to-face interview and do it as many times as you can during the course of that interview.