One-Minute Interview Tip: Review Your Own Work History Before the Interview

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pianoOne of the first things you need to do when prepping for an interview is review your own work history and experience. It’s hard enough to remember what you did two weeks ago, let alone two years ago. Specific examples of workplace wins over the years won’t come back to you as easily as you might expect when you’re sitting across from an interviewer, especially when your nerves kick in. It’s better to be prepared.

The best way to ensure you’re able to fully articulate the scope of your capabilities and the results you can generate for a potential employer is to have full command of your work history. You need to be able to prove that your experience puts you in a position to be successful in the role for which you are applying. The interviewer will directly and indirectly try to assess your ability to take on the responsibilities outlined in the job description. You can prove you’re capable by sharing, in specific detail, your past successes and how those successes were achieved. Don’t underestimate the power of specificity. You may be great at your job, but if you’re not able to clearly describe how you do what you do, you won’t instill confidence in the interviewer.

Ultimately, if the interviewer is impressed, they will be your advocate within the organization, team, or department you hope to join. Interviewers will dig for facts. They’ll want to know what you did, why you left certain jobs, what you accomplished, and where you failed. When presented with two candidates equally accomplished on paper, interviewers will choose the one who can clearly articulate their accomplishments in person over the one who can’t every time.

Ready to learn the best ways to prep yourself on your own work history? Check out the following video for important tips:

A version of this article originally appeared on the Atrium Staffing blog.

Michele Mavi is Atrium Staffing ‘s resident career expert.

By Michele Mavi