Interviewing? 9 Tips to Translate Your Qualifications From Your Resume

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Welcome to Recruiter Q&A, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers!

Today’s Question: Even when a candidate is more than qualified on paper, they may not do well at impressing during an interview. What advice would you give them for better translating that qualification during their interview?

These answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization composed of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and have created tens of thousands of jobs in the employment market.


1. Plan Out Your Answers

I suggest planning for questions if you want to impress during an interview. In most cases, people get flustered when they’re not prepared for a question, which makes them appear less than impressive during the interview. However, if you can anticipate what interviewers might ask and formulate your answer in advance, you can approach your interview with an increased level of confidence. — John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC

2. Describe How Your Skills Can Lead to Positive Outcomes

Qualifications for a job are only as good as a candidate’s real-world ability to deliver them. Because of this, job candidates need to imagine some scenarios in which the organization can fully leverage their skills. Being able to articulate how their qualifications translate into positive outcomes that wouldn’t be possible without their expertise is key. — Richard Fong, SecurityForward.com

3. Study the Company You’re Interviewing For

Be well-educated on the company you are interviewing for. If you can relate your experience and qualifications to the needs of the position you are applying for, you can make it clear to the interviewer that you have the skillset and understanding the position requires.— Nic DeAngelo, Saint Investment Group

4. Practice With Mock Interviews

Very few people are comfortable and confident getting in front of people and sharing details about themselves, whether in front of two people or 200 people. A great piece of advice would be for candidates to practice and use mock interviews. Many tools and services are available that can help a candidate prepare and become more comfortable under the interview spotlight. — Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

5. Speak With Integrity and Authenticity

Authenticity and speaking with integrity are key. This means saying what you mean and meaning what you say, so what’s on your resume is merely a supplement to your character. If speaking is not your strongest point, consider joining groups like Toastmasters to improve your public speaking. It also helps to circle back to your values and beliefs when explaining how you operated in past jobs. — Givelle Lamano, Lamano Law Office

6. Find Ways to Use Your Qualifications During the Interview

If you want a job, prove you can do it. Ask your interviewer if they have a test or sample for you to complete. Walk them through how you work. If you know how you like to work, you might communicate it better while doing. This starts moving the conversation toward the actual job and not your personality. — Matthew Capala, Alphametic

7. Bring Samples With You

Bring examples of your work to the job interview. Writers should bring writing samples; artists should bring portfolios, and marketers should bring reports of conversion increases and client numbers. Prepare to recite them with a “situation,” “action,” and “result” for each one. SAR refers to how you achieved a tangible goal at a previous job or project, showing that you have successes under your belt.— Duran Inci, Optimum7

8. Give Specific Details

Provide deep walk-throughs of your skill sets and give specific examples of your work from previous places of employment. Do not shy away from providing specific details, as it can show transparency and insight into your thought process. — Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC

9. Share Your Real-World Experience

Employers value a candidate’s qualifications, but a disconnect happens when it’s not clear that the candidate can apply their knowledge to practical issues. Job seekers should try to do capstone projects or gain some real-life experience. Then they should share these experiences as examples with the hiring staff to help them understand just how qualified they are.  — Blair Williams, MemberPress

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