By Editorial Staff
BioSpace, February 19, 2019 —
When evaluating which candidate to offer the job, employers and hiring managers are not only assessing your skill level and on-the-job competencies, but they are also on the lookout for the right “fit” for that particular role.
Being a good “fit” for a position means, of course, having the ability and experience to carry out the job duties, but it also means having the right combination of soft skills, character traits, and career goals that align with the mission and values of the organization and fits in well within the existing company culture.
So, when you’re going through the interview process, how can you demonstrate to a potential new employer that you can perform the job duties successfully but that you’re also a great fit for the position, the department, and the organization as a whole?
1. Make your case right from the start
Don’t wait for the interview to explain why you’re a good fit for the culture and organization. In fact, if you do that, you may not even make it to the interview. Instead, start making your case for your job “fitness” in your resume and cover letter.
One easy way to do this is to visit the organization’s website (the “About Us” section, for example) or social media channels and observe the way that they describe or brand themselves. Make a list of the top 10 adjectives or descriptors you see them using to describe their values and their company culture, then find corresponding synonyms for these keywords and phrases to use in your own job application materials. You’ll also want to be sure to include any accomplishments you’ve had that directly align with their core values and employer brand.
Incorporate what you have learned about them from your research and highlight your own skills and traits that speaks to their priorities.
2. Win them over in the interview
This is the best time to convince an employer that, above all other candidates, you’re the best fit for the job and for their team. The key here is to do your homework ahead of time and learn as much as you can about the organization and its culture before the interview. Of course, you’re encouraged to ask questions around things like culture, mission, priorities, approach, or philosophy during your interview, but you don’t want to go in without having a general sense of what kind of person the employer might be looking for so that you can incorporate what you have learned about them from your research and highlight your own skills and traits that speaks to their priorities.
Also, if you’ve done your due diligence in researching the company and their employees, you’ll be able to mention these personalized details or examples of their company culture to show that you understand how they work and you’re highly interested in joining their team because you share those similar values.
3. At the end of the day, be yourself
Of course, this approach to proving you are a good fit for an employer will only be highly effective if you are, in fact, a good fit. If you’re fabricating examples or anecdotes just to align with their employer brand or if you find yourself at a loss trying to explain why you’d make a great addition to the team, you may not have found the right fit… for you!
Interviewers and hiring managers, for the most part, are astute judges of character and can sense when a candidate is being disingenuous or not presenting their true self, on paper or in person. Don’t waste your time, or theirs, by advocating for a position or a team that ultimately isn’t the right fit for your personality or career goals.
