Looking for a new role and want to stand out from the crowd of applicants? Rosemary Mac Cabe shares how.
We all know the clichés when it comes to job interview spiel – describing yourself as a “perfectionist” when asked what your greatest weakness is, and waxing lyrical about your “passion” for the industry and your “great work ethic”.
These phrases are bandied around so often that they’ve become practically meaningless in a recruitment context; who among us is going to tell a potential employer that they don’t have a great work ethic, for crying out loud?!
But that can leave us with a dearth of ideas when it comes to ways to describe ourselves that aren’t seriously overused and entirely run-of-the-mill. So what do you say when you’re trying to impress upon a prospective employer just why they should hire you over another of the dozens of candidates vying for the same role?
“I’m data-driven”
Are you someone who likes to do their research before making any big decisions? Do you rely on data to support the steps you take in your work? This is a great way of assuring any prospective employer that you’ll always be able to explain and back up your decisions, which will play particularly well if you’re going for a retail management or product development role.
“Organisation is my middle name”
Your CV may already have outlined your proficiency at Excel, but talking about your organisational nous gives you the opportunity to delve a little deeper into your savvy skills. Take the time to detail exactly how you like to organise your daily tasks, perhaps by listing the specific apps you use to segment your time and priorities, and explaining how you’d use them to maximise your efficiency, and that of your team.
“I’m a really supportive colleague”
This might just be a more modern way of calling yourself a great team player, but talking about how supportive you are in a team context allows you to outline the different ways in which your role intersects with those around you. There are also a lot of aspects of being supportive––showing compassion, empathy and cooperation––that can be applied to a professional context and show you in a super positive light.
“I’m driven”
Like saying you’re “highly motivated”, talking about your drive will give you the chance to touch on your career ambitions without seeming overly-confident. This also offers you an opportunity to talk about how this has manifested in your previous roles. Maybe you took the initiative to enact a new strategy, or took responsibility for a task that had previously been floating between teams and kept being de-prioritised, despite being important for overall company success.
“I’m self-aware”
A word of warning: do not say this if it’s not true. If you’re someone who’s previously been blindsided by feedback, positive or negative, it might not be ideal to tell porkies about just how self-aware you are. But this can be a useful way to discuss the weaknesses you’ve seen in yourself and your work in previous roles, and how you’ve worked to overcome them. Just don’t be tempted to talk about how your “perfectionism” caused you to do too well…
While job interviews often mean treading that fine line between bragging and selling yourself, don’t forget that they also offer a great opportunity to talk about all of the things you’ve accomplished in your career thus far, and how any company would be lucky to count you among their staff.
Looking to bring your skills to a new arena? Look no further than the three roles below, and you can discover many more on the Professional Beauty Job Board.
Clinic Receptionist, Laser Clinics Australia
Laser Clinics Australia is looking for a part-time Clinic Receptionist at its Logan City location, to assist its beauty therapists, clinic managers and owners. The role would be ideal for someone with previous customer service or administration experience, with a Cert IV or Diploma in Beauty Therapy highly desirable. With more than 200 clinics and 70 staff in head office, Laser Clinics Australia offers a range of career pathways within the company.
For a more detailed job description, see the Clinic Receptionist listing here, along with further vacancies at Laser Clinics Australia.
Macro Space Coordinator, MECCA
MECCA is hiring a Macro Space Coordinator to join its merchandise space team in optimising range and space across over 30 MECCA stores. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing space changes in all stores which includes installing new brands, brand removals, existing brand space changes and associated signage allocations. Ideally, you will bring experience in floor planning, Adobe Illustrator and Excel and experience in visual merchandising, particularly in creating temporary VM displays.
For further details on this Macro Space Coordinator role, or find other jobs at MECCA.
E-Commerce Coordinator, Sephora
Sephora Australia is recruiting an E-Commerce Coordinator to assist in the execution and management of below-the-line marketing campaigns. This Sydney-based role will campaign execution for AU and NZ campaigns across on-site, app and email as part of the marketing and ecommerce team. Among the job requirements are one to two years’ experience in campaign management, ecommerce or marketing; an excellent understanding of existing and emerging digital marketing trends; and previous experience with a beauty and/or retail brand.
See more on this E-Commerce Coordinator role as well as a range of openings at Sephora Australia.
Did you know that Professional Beauty has a dedicated job board?
See a range of opportunities within the industry here.
This article was produced in partnership with Jobbio.
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