How to impress an Employer in Interview by adding value to his business

How to impress an Employer in Interview by adding value to his business

What employers look for in a candidate:

Most employers want a candidate who can not only do the job as per the job description but who will go above and beyond the call of duty and put in 110% effort at all times. This may mean arriving slightly earlier than scheduled, leaving slightly later and putting in extra effort to secure a sale or contract etc. Whether you choose to go that extra mile for your employer is up to you, but generally those people who work that bit harder than the rest, are the ones who get the promotions. Add value to your company and you will be noticed!

So how do you let the employer know that you are an employee who will add value to their business and deliver 110%?

Points for adding value to your CV

• Professional clear presentation

• Concise- well written, not typo's or grammatical errors

• Include references you have already obtained as well as details for referees

• Cover letter and CV include details specific to that job you are applying for

• Extra curricular activities listed to demonstrate wide range of ability/skills

• Reasons in cover letter for wanting to work specifically for that employer

• Include details of how you added value to past organizations, list your contributions that exceed requirements of the job description. Such as increasing their profits, raising their public profile, customer service award etc.

• Emphasize not what you want the company to do for you but what you can do for them.

• Highlight any higher qualifications/awards so that they stand out.

• At the beginning of your employment sections write a brief paragraph describing what you did in that role, and then add a subheading identifying 'Contributions.'

All the above helps the employer to decide whether they want to shortlist YOU for an Interview. Add value to your CV and you increase your chances of getting through to the next round!

Key point to add value at the interview

• Arrive slightly early for the interview, turned out immaculately.

• Prepare to the maximum with research on the company.

• Bring a copy of your CV with you.

• Make sure you have some examples of scenarios where you added value in previous jobs or at school/college etc.

Even if this is your first job, you can reflect back on other areas where you 'added value'. Captain of a sports team, member of the school council, volunteer etc. Consider what your contribution was to those roles and be prepared to discuss them at the interview. Discuss them in terms that will appeal to the employer, such as:

• I stayed late to tidy up afterwards and left the place better than we found it

• I volunteered to clean the local park and cleared more rubbish per hour than any other park clearer.

• I was a member of the school council and had a new idea for xyz, which proved very popular.

• I increased my last employers profits by 15% - by implementing these strategies

• I reduced company expenditure by reducing paper waste - introducing xyz measures

The task mentioned does not need to be complex and can be fairly simple but it is how you performed the task that counts and that is what you need to express to the prospective employer. Detail how you went above and beyond the call of duty and gave 110%. If you can impress the employer with your 110% effort you will fair better than the other job search candidates.

How to impress your employer once hired

Adding value to your job once hired can be done in many ways.

The main points to focus on are looking at ways to:

• Maximize profits

• Build the client list

• Improve client relations

• Improve the public image of the company

• Improve time management for self and others

• Streamline processes by introducing new time effective systems

• Reduce costs by identifying and eliminating unnecessary expenditure

• Reduce waste by identifying areas where waste occurs and implement measures to reduce it.

• Increase productivity of staff if you are in a supervisory or management role etc.

• Improve employee morale

• Contribute to any suggestion box with helpful ideas re any of the above

• Arrive to work slightly earlier and leave slightly later than scheduled.

• Ensure your customer service skills are second to none and that no customer ever has a justifiable reason to complain about you

• Never let problems from home effect your performance at work

• Ask for extra responsibilities and demonstrate that you are ready for more.

• Don't take too much time off for being sick

• Don't hang around gossiping to colleagues during work hours

• Compete quietly with others (and yourself!) when in sales/performance environment

• Keep your desk area tidy and free of clutter

• Don't make personal phone calls during work hours using the company phone

Some of the things listed above sound pretty obvious, such as don't arrive late, don't take too many sickles or make personal phone calls. You'd be surprised how many employees behave like this on a regular basis. They are the ones who will be overlooked when a promotion is due. By performing 110% all the time and valuing yourself and your employer you will be better positioned when a promotion is up for grabs!

Add value by being indispensable.