Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/599553
The Art of Manliness Continued JOBS for TEAMS | 8 www.jobsfor teams.com mind that there are traits employers are prohibited from advertising for, but desire nonetheless. For example, a construction company may be looking for someone young and strong, while a library prefers someone who's quiet and mature. List as many traits as possible that the potential employer may be seeking. On one side of the paper, write the skills/traits an employer is likely looking for in a hire. On the other side, write the skills/ traits you possess that match those requirements. Now in the right-side column, write down any experiences, skills, interests, etc. you possess that match up with each trait or skill you listed on the left side. Making some of these matches will be easy, but some may require a little more thought and imagination. If you think an employer is looking for someone older, and you're in your twenties, write down the fact that you're mature beyond your years due to the fact that you learned patience, responsibility, and organization in taking care of a sick parent while you were growing up. If you think the employer is looking for an energetic young buck, and you're longer in the tooth, put down the fact that you work out 5X a week and do triathlons. If they're looking for on-the-job experience, but you've just graduated, think of projects, community service, and other things you've done that demonstrate the same kind of skills and training. Review your matchups several times before your interview, and then during, weave the information from the right side column into as many questions as you can. Oftentimes the questions the interviewers ask make this easy — your experience/ skills are relevant, and all you have to do is emphasize and highlight the information that best parallels what they're looking for. You don't have to always make explicit parallels between the job's requirements and your own traits, though you can when they ask something like, "What makes you the right person for this job?" "The job description says you're looking for someone with experience with social media. In my last job, I grew the company's Facebook page by 10,000 fans." Or: "I can tell this job requires physical stamina. I still go to the gym 5 times a week and am entering my fifth triathlon this summer. I love physical challenges and enjoy being up and doing things all the time." Peppering your answers with the information from your matchup sheet is an easy way to guide an interview. But what if the interviewer simply isn't asking questions that give you the opportunity to highlight your strengths? You can control the questions you get by adjusting them to your advantage. Turn Questions Around to Your Advantage In our primer on answering difficult questions, we shared Woodall's advice on how to respond to challenging queries. The trick is often to adjust or turn the question around in such a way that you can