Gavin recently met with a group of UCD Law students to offer some career advice.
While speaking to the group, Gavin posed the inevitable question. “You’re all hardworking, intelligent people , you have tons of ambition and I’m sure that any one of you would make a great candidate for an internship programme….. but what I want to know is what really sets you apart from the person sitting next to you?”.
The room was filled with silence as each student glanced to their left and right. I could almost sense the panic and hear what each one was thinking “You mean to tell me I’ve worked hard, sacrificed my social life and it still might not be enough?”
In the fast paced, ever changing competitive world we live in, the pressure to succeed is intense.
Gavin’s advice? You have got to be memorable. To do that you simply have to make a connection with the person you are trying to impress. During an interview situation for example, interviewers are constantly listening to the same pitch from candidates, “excellent time-keeping skills, hardworking, great communicator,” the list goes on, but how do you really make an impact? How can you make yourself memorable for that moment when the interviewer is narrowing it down from one hundred candidates to one and make sure that that candidate is you.
You have got to make a connection, a real tangible connection not simply based on company values or ethos but a personal connection – something that you both share. Gavin’s advice? Do your homework, find out about a similar interest, mention it during the conversation and use it to your advantage. Sport, horse-riding or running could be their ‘thing’ – do you have a similar synergy? Use it to set yourself apart from the next candidate.
Gavin’s second piece of advice. Don’t simply list off your skills in an interview, paint the picture and tell your story. Are you a great organiser? Tell them what you did that demonstrates that skill – tell the interviewer about that time you used your skills to single-handedly backpack across Europe.
Be more than one dimensional. Be memorable. Stand out from the crowd and reap the rewards.
To have Gavin speak at your next business event or for info on our Leadership Development Programme please contact jayann@mediatrainng.ie or grainne@mediatrainnig.ie