How to Nail an Interview

As author of the bestselling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey has studied the behavior of winners in the workplace. Here, he offers three words of advice for job seekers.

Become the solution. When embarking on a job search in today’s tough times, many people still stick to refining their résumés and honing their people skills. Experience is good. Strong interpersonal skills are great. Integrity matters. But the thing that makes all the difference today is presenting yourself as a problem solver.

Research the industry and your prospective employer. Study the employees, customers, suppliers, and business partners. Then use all the background information you’ve gathered to inform your interview.

If, with humility, you can show how to marry your own passions and talents to the employer’s challenges, you have an opening and a real opportunity. This research involves so much time and effort that only one in ten people will do it. But I don’t know anyone who has done the hard work who hasn’t been hired.

From Reader's Digest - August 2009

 

• • Work & Career