1. Results
What is something you do better than anyone else in the world?’ Those who understand the rules and conduct of business but are not afraid to push the envelope a bit in the name of a job well done.
2. Good fit
“There is no giant totem poll of qualities that makes one person more impressive or better than another. People who excel in one position are going to flounder in another if it doesn’t fit their talents, interests and skills.” — Ann Latham
3. Preparation
“Showing that they have done their research by knowing something about me, and my business.” — Kenneth Sean
1. Results
“Something I always ask anyone I interview is, ‘what is something you do better than anyone else in the world?’ with the follow-up of, ‘what is the evidence of this gift?’ I think that truly driven, passionate people leave behind them a wake of results wherever they go. Talking about measurable outcomes separates the contenders from pretenders.” — C. Daniel Crosby, corporate psychologist and president, Crosby Performance Consulting
“Candidates that can tell me an anecdote about how they got something done, against all odds, really impress me the most. Those who understand the rules and conduct of business but are not afraid to push the envelope a bit in the name of a job well done.” — Jennifer Prosek, author “Army of Entrepreneurs” and CEO, CJP Communications
2. Good fit
“There is no giant totem poll of qualities that makes one person more impressive or better than another. People who excel in one position are going to flounder in another if it doesn’t fit their talents, interests and skills.” — Ann Latham, president of Uncommon Clarity
3. Preparation
“Showing that they have done their research by knowing something about me, and my business.” — Kenneth Sean
4. Initiative
“I look for the ability to take a project and run with it, to function independently and creatively with a minimum of oversight.” — Kathryn Minshew
5. Sense of humor
“Going over a recruitment cycle is long and very often annoying listening to the same pre-prepared answers. A candidate with faith and sense of humor de-dramatizes the atmosphere.” — Sarah Licha
6. Passion
“Typical candidates answer questions the way they believe they should. I want to see their passion for the company, the job opening and the industry. I want them to tell me why they are truly excited about the opportunity rather than every other opportunity out there. For me, passion is the ticket to a second round of interviews.” — Abby Kohu
“Passion is energy, drive, motivation and commitment. Candidates who are infused with this quality demonstrate an enthusiasm and aliveness that is contagious to their colleagues and “Truly passionate candidates are not only likely to excel in their role, but, because they enjoy what they do, they will also remain engaged in their responsibilities
1. Results
“Something I always ask anyone I interview is, ‘what is something you do better than anyone else in the world?’ with the follow-up of, ‘what is the evidence of this gift?’ I think that truly driven, passionate people leave behind them a wake of results wherever they go. Talking about measurable outcomes separates the contenders from pretenders.” — C. Daniel Crosby, corporate psychologist and president, Crosby Performance Consulting
“Candidates that can tell me an anecdote about how they got something done, against all odds, really impress me the most. Those who understand the rules and conduct of business but are not afraid to push the envelope a bit in the name of a job well done.” — Jennifer Prosek, author “Army of Entrepreneurs” and CEO, CJP Communications
2. Good fit
“There is no giant totem poll of qualities that makes one person more impressive or better than another. People who excel in one position are going to flounder in another if it doesn’t fit their talents, interests and skills.” — Ann Latham, president of Uncommon Clarity
3. Preparation
“Showing that they have done their research by knowing something about me, and my business.” — Kenneth Sean Polley, president, Global Asset Management Group
“When a candidate asks really great questions it demonstrates not only their interest in our company and the issues we’re facing, but also their research skills. Most impressive are those who think about what they discovered in their research and then ask really great questions.” — Anita S. Fisher, marketing communications manager, Briggs & Stratton Corporation
4. Initiative
“I look for the ability to take a project and run with it, to function independently and creatively with a minimum of oversight.” — Kathryn Minshew
5. Sense of humor
“Going over a recruitment cycle is long and very often annoying listening to the same pre-prepared answers. A candidate with faith and sense of humor de-dramatizes the atmosphere.” — Sarah Licha
6. Passion
“Typical candidates answer questions the way they believe they should. I want to see their passion for the company, the job opening and the industry. I want them to tell me why they are truly excited about the opportunity rather than every other opportunity out there. For me, passion is the ticket to a second round of interviews.” — Abby Kohut
7. Confidence
“I coin the most impressive quality in a job candidate ‘humble confidence.’ Humble confidence shines as knowledge, humility, skilled verbal and written communication, friendliness and appreciation.” — Stacey Hawley
8. Professionalism
“At the interview, it is all about how the candidate presents him or herself. Are they projecting an image of professionalism? Are they showing enthusiasm and motivation for the position? Are they really listening to the questions and answering them accordingly? These are the qualities that are not shown on a résumé and are near impossible to teach.” — Darlene Johnson
9. Body language
“The hand shake: it has got to be strong and firm from the get-go. Candidates usually come prepared to an interview, but I’m looking for people come to the interview telling me what they can do for the job and what they can add to the job. These are usually the ones I recommend for second interviews.” — Muriel Alloune
10. Longevity
“What will wow me about a candidate is a consistent job history. I like to see that people have been in a position for at least five years and that they have grown in the position. [A candidate with] lots of short stints [or who has] been in the same position for 10 years and their responsibilities have not changed is a big turn off.” — Carmel Napolitano
11. Communication
“Qualifications in the form of experience and tangible skills aren’t enough to grab a hiring manager’s attention these days. You need to be a creative, proactive problem solver. Hiring managers want to know how you (and only you) can solve the needs of their organization. Read between the job description lines. What are you bringing to the table that the next person with a similar background is not? If you educate yourself and build awareness around what keeps your next potential boss up at night, and you clearly communicate how you can help to solve that, chances are you’ve got their attention.” — Dana Leavy
12. Attitude
“The most impressive quality is to be a ‘high performer,’ a package of the right attitude, a passion for doing the work and the skill. ‘Attitude’ may mean different things to different people, but it boils down to having an ‘I can’ attitude. Everyone thinks his or her attitude is fine, however, some of these same people think it’s OK to blame, make excuses and declare something cannot be done. That’s the attitude employers are looking to expose during the interview and avoid extending a job offer to.” — Carol Quinn
