Do you make a difference? #2
Tell us, why should we hire you for this role? And what sets you apart from other professionals?
These questions are among the top five most frequently asked questions in job interviews. At G-Nius, we also ask these questions during introductory meetings. It is striking how few professionals can provide a strong answer, and what stands out is that many responses also seem similar.
In the G-Nius series ‘Do you make a difference?’ our colleague Sjoerd provides you with tools through a set of questions, tips, and ‘homework assignments.’ With these, you can identify and transform your distinctive qualities as a professional or employer into powerful and personal answers to the above questions.
Part 2: The power of SIMPLICITY.
“What sets you apart?” Professionals often think that we are looking for exceptional achievements or rare characteristics with this interview question, and that is correct! The misconception is that they believe we mean ‘exceptional’ achievements that are almost impossible, and that ‘rare’ characteristics are reserved for recognized geniuses.
However, nothing could be further from the truth! During progress and evaluation conversations with clients about the performance of our professionals, it turns out that they can distinguish themselves with surprisingly basic skills or qualities.
“Do ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
I still pass on the lesson from my mentor at my first job to every professional who starts at G-Nius. He taught me, “Sjoerd, we don’t determine your added value based on the extraordinary things you do well, but based on the ordinary things you do extraordinarily well!”
Insight: So, you don’t have to perform ‘extraordinary’ stunts to stand out. By doing ‘ordinary’ things extraordinarily well, you rise above average. Among the list of ‘ordinary’ skills that employers find very valuable are: preparation, perseverance, active listening, a positive attitude, and adaptability. With every investment in your development and better execution of those ‘ordinary’ skills, your distinctive qualities grow.
Assignment: Excelling in something can only happen when you are willing to invest more time in practicing and developing that skill. Take plenty of time and answer the following questions and write them down:
- How would you rate yourself from 1 to 10 on each of these ‘ordinary’ skills?
- How often and how much attention do you pay to these skills?
- What effect does doubling your attention to these skills have on their score?
- How will your life and career change when those scores are consistently two points higher?
