6 Tips for Women To Get Hired!

 By Terri Murphy with Dr. Paul Green

When interviewing, women can sometimes have the advantage during the process… due in part to the intuitive part of our nature.  We’ve put together top tips for woman who want to get hired from my interview on WomensWisdomNetwork.com with Dr. Paul Green, author of the best seller, “Get Hired!:”  (www.PaulCGreenphd.com)

Your first tip is this: Be Prepared.  Today, many of the interviewers who control access to good jobs are experienced and well trained.  They look for reasons NOT to hire you … and your only security is diligent preparation.

 And a great way to prepare is by offering skill-benefit statements.   Each statement should consist of two parts:

• (1) A description of what you can do, and
• A benefit that you are “able to” deliver         

 Begin your skill-benefit statement with a phrase that describes your skill. For example,       “I can instruct and coach on the use of your laser instruments. Note the word “can,” emphasizes actions.  This is makes a stronger statement than saying “I know how to instruct and coach on the use of your laser instruments. Although they mean much the same thing, “can” conveys that you both know how to and are able to use the skill.   Then, to complete your skill-benefit statement, add the words “able to”.     

     “I can instruct and coach on the use of laser instruments, so I am able to begin training your people on the day I start the job.”  “Can do,” plus “able to,” plus a benefit, equals powerful phrasing. 

Here’s a STATEMENT to help you:·      

  “I can develop a marketing plan, write ad copy around it, and develop a quality sales training program.  So, I am able to produce immediate results in the marketing department.”  

Tip #2.  Is Give Specifics.  Interviewers are trained to move beyond generalities and into specifics.

  Generalities indicate self-promotion, not past-performance.  Instead of giving general answers, give specific examples of times when you used a skill.  Describe what you actually did, in a real situation with real obstacles.  Then describe the results you got and evaluate your performance.   

Here are a couple of examples of some behavioral interviewing questions. 

• Resilience: “Tell me about a time when you were not able to bounce back from criticism?” 
• Goal Setting: “Tell me about a specific time when you converted a performance gap at work into a specific, measurable, and realistic goal.”  Instead of talking about feelings, and generalities--- give candid, accurate examples of a time when you used a specific skill.   

Tip #3.  Present Your own “Brand.”  Be concerned about your personal presentation – how you actually look for the interview Should you wear a suit, or be more casual? What about wearing glasses?  Should you wear your hair up, or down?  It all of course, depends on the position you are applying for. 

But…The basics apply … look clean, conservative, and collected.  Dress for the interview slightly better than you would dress for work.  And try to not distract the interviewer with too much skin, flashy jewelry, expensive clothing and avoid the use of heavy perfumes. 

It is also important for you to avoid using slang, and inappropriate words in a professional setting.  

Tip #4.  Emphasize Skills Over Personality.  We’ll assume that you are well-adjusted, likeable, and a team player.  Plus, you have a happy family life and are respected in your community.  This is a great backdrop for what you need to emphasize in your job skills.  And although your personal attributes are definitely a plus, interviewers need to know what you CAN DO.  Don’t focus only on WHO you are … show what you can get DONE.

 Tip #5.  Develop A Strategy For Those Killer Questions. What’s the thing we all fear most about being interviewed?  Being asked a question you can’t answer or don’t want to answer.   Incompetent or mediocre interviewers may ask you questions that are illegal, irrelevant, incomprehensible, or intended to trip you up.  

A good interviewer will ask you questions that challenge you, stretch your ability to answer, and let you demonstrate what kinds of skills you really do have to offer. Don’t worry; for every tough question, there’s a good, honest answer.  As long as you’re prepared to answer in a way that will keep you in the running as a candidate, you don’t have to fear questions.  Some of the questions can even be used to your advantage.  If you can give a dynamite answer, you can earn extra points too.    ·                   

• Illegitimate questions.  Questions relating to gender, race, color, national origin, religion, age, or disabilities are subject to legal scrutiny. 
  And in the case of women – they can get asked the most inappropriate questions –like a question about children,  “How will you take care of your children when they are sick?”  is out of line and assumes that the mother will have problems with child care.  Whether asked of women or men, probes into family, home, and personal life are questionable, but not uncommon.                   
• Hot-topic questions.  You may have parts of your history that you’d rather no one knew about -- bankruptcy,  a nasty divorce, or a health challenge.  Some of these facts may be public information that are easily accessible in a background search.  You can’t rewrite your life, so be prepared! You can handle killer questions by using some of these techniques.  Each is aimed at a particular kind of question, but the best way to use them is to find ways to combine them.  As an example:·        Highlight a compensating strength·        Show learning from your mistakes·       It's okay to admit that you are not perfect  

And our last tip… is Tip #6.  Get An Advocate. An advocate can do a great service for both the employer and the job candidate by matching a highly qualified person with a crucial employer need. Your advocates can be people on the selection team, someone else within the organization, or even outside the organization -- in any case, people whose reputation, credibility, and influence can sway the decision in your favor.  Advocates must know your skills and character and be able to describe what you could do for the organization.  They can speak for you when you’re not there, answer questions about you, and help communicate important information about your skills to support your getting hired. 

Interviewing can be a bit nerve wracking, but being prepared to handle questions with well thought out answers and a professional look will help insure your best performance.

 Terri Murphy is the founder and president of WomensWisdomNetwork.com - A video feature of this article is available on WomensWisdomNetwork.com under VIDEO's and to hear from Dr. Green, visit the RADIO section of WWN.com -

For more about Terri, her programs, books, consulting and coaching, visit: www.TerriMurphy.com or email: Terri@TerriMurphy.com