Meeting with a prospective employer is ground zero in your job search. Success means you have to come to come out ahead in your face-to-face meeting with a prospective employer. Sadly, since most people really don’t know what an employer wants from you, they miss the boat.

In our minds we typically picture a job search interview like this:

You shake hands and say “hello.”

You sit down across the desk from an interviewer.

Your resume is sitting on the desk.

He/she asks you some questions about your experience based on your resume.

You answer to the best of your ability.

You hope you did a good job and that they’ll get back to you.

You shake hands and leave.

That kind of engagement is repeated worldwide a thousand times a day. The problem is you don’t stand a chance if you allow yourself to be just another candidate. If you’re serious about getting ahead you have to be remembered.

That means you have to bring something of value to the table. It’s what every prospective employer wants to hear from you. And if you disappoint, you’re out!

Why is it so important to bring something to the table in your face-to-face meeting with a prospective employer?

It’s really simple. A hiring decision-maker is not likely to hire you on the spot. So, he/she will go over your credentials after you’re gone. And compare you with others.

So, if you want to stand out . . . if you want to be remembered long after the session is over . . . if you want to avoid being just another face in the crowd . . . then you must BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE!

That means you can’t passively sit there and politely answer all the questions. You have to establish rapport and chemistry by demonstrating a high level of interest in the organization.

The quickest and easiest way to do that is to present information or ideas of value to the interviewer. For example:

1. Bring a newspaper of magazine article about a subject relevant to the organization. Comment on it and leave it for the interviewer to read.

2. Develop a mini-project (sales, research, financial, etc.) related to the goals of the organization. Present the results in writing.

3. Make a referral to someone who could be of value, e.g. a prospective customer, a distributor, a consultant, a reporter, an advisor, etc.

4. Offer to make an introduction, e.g. to a banker, a knowledgeable friend or neighbor, a supplier, an editor, a business manager or executive, etc.

5. Present a new product or service idea.

Demonstrating that you value the needs and expectations of the person you’re talking to is the key to being remembered. Bringing something to the table is an easy and highly productive way to make sure that you will be considered long after the meeting is over.

Image taken on 2009-09-30 00:00:41. Image Source. (Used with permission)