We are in a Stand Out world. With the speed of today’s world, anything that is ordinary, regular, or bland is quickly forgotten. If you blend, you lose.

The goal is to be remembered – but remembered in a meaningful way. Sure, you can do some outrageous things and be remembered, but that won’t be what will get you the job. Standing out in a meaningful way in the mind of the hiring manager is key. So how do you do that?

Here are some tips to develop your “Stand Out” abilities in the job interview:
1. Be upbeat, personal and share a story of you and your perspectives. Facts are sometimes hard to remember. So to stand out and get remembered, share some meaningful information about yourself in a story. The story is easy for the hiring manager to remember, and remembering your story helps him remember your information.
2. Look sharp. Wear an impressive tie/shirt combination. Wear a unique piece of family jewelry and a well-tailored outfit. Shine your shoes. Ensure your clothes are pressed and clean. How you look gets your remembered. Be professional.
3. Speak the language of value. Remember you are being hired to make a difference in a company. Be sure to relate your performance in previous roles to your impact – how you made a difference. Back it up with numbers or data. This gets your remembered.
4. Have courage. Ask about situations you will encounter in the workplace and offer how you might handle them. Stand out by showing you are a take-charge person, aware of the requirements of the role and able to respond.

I find most people come to an interview in one of two ways – either too timid, and they leave no impression – or too bold and they leave the wrong impression.

Instead, commit to leaving a “stand out” impression. Impress them with your knowledge, capabilities, passion and confidence. If you blend, you lose. If you freak them out, you lose. Learn how to get noticed and remembered – for the right reasons.

Please forward this to someone who can benefit from it. Contact me if you need my help.