Telling Your Interviewer You're a Great "Communicator" and "Leader" isn't Enough

According to the August 2013 article “When Clubs Mean Business” by Jennifer L. Blanck in Toastmaster Magazine, “Communication and leadership skills ranked at the top of employers’ list of attributes desired in new hires, in both 2011 and 2012 Corporate Recruiters Survey.” This is consistent with many other studies that show the importance of communicating, influencing, and inspiring. Go back and read some of your past performance appraisals and talk with past managers, friends, and colleagues, to learn which specific skills you have and which ones you need to refine. Strong communication and leadership skills are a requirement to not only land most jobs but to succeed in them. When you can prove that you can do both, companies will be willing to pay for these skills.

“Why should we hire you?” This standard question often throws off too many people. Simply saying that you have these skills out loud won’t get you very far. Many people already know the importance of these skills and will say, “I’m a great communicator and leader.” However, what is that person really saying? It’s hard to tell. When you go down this route, you must provide tangible examples of both. More importantly, it’s important to clearly articulate what value you will add to the company. Do you truly understand your unique value? How can you distinguish yourself?

In addition to the experiences that may help, what is your expertise? I liked to provide examples of instances when I showed extreme flexibility, cleaned up some messes, or started up brand new pieces of the business. I will caution you of the dangers of living in the past only. To be effective, you should be able to take these past experiences and translate them into your future—how you will make the new business better. Have your differentiating story come alive. Support your leadership and communication stories with specific context and details that support your value proposition.