Choosing a career path and configuring your resume to convey your best qualities is only half the battle in landing your ideal job. The other half is the interview.  It is extremely important to understand the interview process and its purpose. We have put together a tool for understanding the interviewing process that is as simple as “A-B-C.”
 
Over the past 35-plus years as an executive recruiter, I've discovered that most employers look to answer the same three basic questions when interviewing a potential new hire:
 
1. Does this candidate possess the professional skills (A) to do the job?
2. Does this candidate possess the general skills (B) to do the job?
3. Does this candidate possess the right personality (C) to fit within our corporate culture?
 
In other words, professional skills (A) + general skills (B) + personality (C) = the right candidate for this job (J).
 
A+B+C=J

Professional Skills (A)

What types of professional, job-specific skills (A) do employers look for? For instance, there are specific skills, experience and know-how that define your profession. An employer looks for these in their candidates.

The desired skills specific to each industry are usually identified within the body of the “help wanted” ad/job description.

For example, if you did procurement for the military and would like to pursue a similar line of work in the civilian market, the specific skills required might include: working with suppliers, negotiating prices, and using the specialized procurement software. 

General Skills (B)
 
What types of general skills (B) do most employers look for? These are the skills that are easily transferable from one profession to another and are often useful in daily life.

Highly desired general skills often include management, communication, computer, organizational and time/crisis management skills. This category also encompasses having general business knowledge. Having a basic or in-depth understanding of various departments within organizations such as finance, human resources, sales/marketing and accounting — to name a few — is valuable to any employer and will be useful in any job.
 
Personality (C)

What types of personality traits (C) do employers look for?

Personality in the workplace is really about chemistry and your personal work style.  Chemistry has to do with your E.Q. (emotional quotient) as opposed to your I.Q.

Can you get along with and mesh well with others? Do you have strong interpersonal skills?

Work style has to do with how well you can seamlessly assimilate within and add to the established corporate culture of a company.

Are you a natural leader? Are you a fast learner? Do you function well with deadlines? Are you able to keep your composure in stressful situations? Can you think “fast on your feet”? These are some of the aspects of your personality that employers look for when interviewing potential new hires.   
 
The Job interview is a sales process.
 
A job interview is essentially a sales presentation and meeting.  The employer is selling you on his company and you are selling yourself as a potential asset to their organization. The best salespeople in the world usually have two things in common:
 
1. They know more about their product than anybody else.
2. They understand the various needs of the client.
 
In the case of a job interview, you are the product and the employer is the client.  This gives you a great advantage. If you have done your homework and know what type of employee the company is looking for, you should be able to make a strong case for why you fit the bill. After all, you know yourself better than anyone else.
 
The take-away point is that employers want to hire candidates who possess the right ABC’s for their open positions. 
 
Professional skills (A) + General skills (B) + Personality (C) = Job (J). 

Next time we’ll discuss how to make a winning sales presentation for any job interview.