The job interview process is undoubtedly one of the most stressful things you can undertake. Ultimately, the aim is to be successful and secure a role within a company, but it can be difficult to stand out in such a competitive marketplace. It is important to remember through all of the emotions and uncertainty that you are in the process because you have impressed the hiring managers relating to the role. This is a positive start and can be built upon.
Having the confidence to sell yourself will be how you can make an impact on those interviewing you. So, knowing your qualities and how they will integrate into a role is something to consider strongly. The more strings you can add to your bow, the easier this may feel to do so. Further education or training can help you stand out even further in a job application; here are some options to consider.
Practical Perfection Away From Paper
You can make all the claims you want about your efficiency and how you will contribute to a role, but there need to be ways you can practically demonstrate this skill. A workplace environment will always be a place that company owners can improve to become more productive. Illustrating that you have the skills that will immediately add to a company and help them do that is sure to get you noticed.
For example, office environments with requirements for data entry, secretarial skills or journalistic talent are all perfectly suited to someone with touch typing abilities. Touch typing is a skill that is widely recognised as being beneficial to productivity. It is encouraged in NHS materials for GPs, across all areas of coding and content creation; it definitely is a skill that opens up many avenues.
First Aid Could Make You First Up
Desirable qualifications don’t always have to be expensive or time-consuming. Becoming a qualified first aider is proof of that. The right course may only take a few hours to complete and can cost less than £50. Despite this, it is undoubtedly one of the most valuable skills you can learn, and it doesn’t have to directly apply to the job you might be doing – it is transferable to any environment. Of course, it won’t be the first thing an employer looks for, but it is sure to be noticed as a supplementary skill to add to the CV.
Certain companies even have requirements on the number of staff that they have to employ who are adequately first-aid trained. At the same time, all businesses must have at least one appointee; you would be putting yourself at an advantage in those scenarios. A valuable skill for life: both in a professional and personal application. Being first aid trained emulates values to an employer that are important. Having a nature that puts thought for others first will be beneficial and show that you can do this in a calm and controlled way. This is something that will bode very well with the qualities needed in future leadership candidates.
Add A Differentiation In The Digital Age
It is likely that whatever role you take on in a company, there will be an element of technology involved in the things you’re required to do. Everybody is expected to have some form of understanding of word processing in all job specifications you read, for example. In an age where everything is digital, this allows the advancement of your skills even further than the normal level; expanding into areas that require a bit more complexity to their understanding is really desirable.
One area that is particularly short on expertise going into 2022 is that of cybersecurity. As a result, any tech company will undoubtedly be interested in a candidate with experience in security programmes or coding. The UK’s average cost of data breaches is rising and was particularly noticeable throughout the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. These such events also damage the reputation of companies immensely. Further education in a related field could be priceless when pursuing a career like this.
Be A Business Leader
Having a career path plan is always a good idea when you go into an interview, as it will demonstrate how you can organise your own thoughts constructively and organise them to fit with the direction they wish to go. However, you may have already started your career and are looking for the next step in what you do; taking the skills you have now and elevating them to another level is the best way to achieve progression.
You need to highlight to those in higher positions that you are capable of being a leader and planning forwards, a key asset in things like the business industry. A proactive approach could be to suggest during your interview how you see the development of your career progressing, with actionable examples like an executive leadership programme that illustrates a highly-skilled nature. Having the ability to navigate complex challenges and empower teams to succeed is sure to be a valued asset and make a standout application.
Transport And Logistics Can Create A Path
The growth of the e-commerce boom has meant that most people are making their purchases online and having things delivered to them. It is predicted that by 2040 around 95% of purchases made worldwide will be made online, following a trend that has emerged in recent years. The COVID pandemic shutdown is likely to develop a ‘new normal’ further, where even demographics like the elderly are savvier with technology and taking advantage of the benefits.
This obviously has a clear impact on the transport and logistics industry in how they successfully meet that demand. Not every company will be able to create the infrastructure to that of Amazon with their delivery service, but they will be looking for smart thinkers with new approaches. Priming yourself by undertaking a course that will demonstrate workable expertise of these challenges could be achieved through something like industry-recognised qualification with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).
Remember, Research The Company
Making yourself more desirable by putting in the effort to acquire new skills will pay dividends. It might not work every time, but there are no downsides. Being ‘overqualified’ has often been something that is discussed, but that isn’t down to qualifications, more that the job search isn’t targeted enough. Another important way of paving the way to success is often simply by researching your prospective company to help you understand if they are for you.
It will also help you answer questions about the company because they are certain to be asked. Your interviewer will be looking for signs of real interest in what they do and that you have the commitment to prepare for situations beforehand. Such initiative and information gathering is pretty much universally required, so review the history and target audience to give yourself details that can make your responses concise and targeted to the area you can achieve the most in.
Remember that no matter what you are doing to improve, there are continually new things that you do and learn to get better. Standing out in the interview process is crucial when wanting to achieve your dream job role, so what are you waiting for?
