Personality vs Qualifications By: Jun Loayza
Under: Interview, WorkplaceWhat is the most important factor that determines if you get the offer? Is it your looks and personality or is it your resume and previous experiences? Lets take a step back and analyze what companies are looking for in potential new hires.
Companies are ultimately looking for 2 things:
- Can this person bring value to my company?
- Can this person fit in the company culture?
That is it, plain and simple. If you can show these two things, then you will get the offer. If you can demonstrate only one or neither, then you will not get the offer.
How does personality address these 2 key components?
Think about the people that you hang out with. You will notice that you and your group of friends are very similar: you guys all dress the same, act the same, watch the same sports, or shop at the same places. The point is that people love to hang out with people that are similar to them.
Likewise, people love to work with people that are similar. Companies want to have a tight-knit company culture where their employees hang out outside of the office walls. This is because what truly makes people happy at work is not the amount of money that they make, but rather, it is the people who they work with that bring happiness. Professionals go into work sleepy and tired. The thing that truly cheers them up is their friends at work who they joke around with, go out with, and maybe even have a crush on.
This is why personality matters. If you truly want to work for a company, you need to show that you fit in and can contribute to the company culture.
How do your qualifications address the 2 key components?
The company wants to know if you have the previous experiences that will enable you to learn quickly, contribute, and ultimately bring value to the company. The majority of companies look to hire and retain people for a long time. They spend a lot of time and energy training and recruiting you, so they definitely want to make sure that you would be the type of person that could bring value as a new hire and eventually as a director in the company.
How do I show that I can bring value?
You can show that you can bring value through your resume and through your interview. Instead of writing what you did and what your responsibilities were on your resume, write what value you brought to the company. Quantify your bullet points by writing: “Raised revenues by 35%” or “Brought 3x more traffic by implementing marketing campaign.” Quantifying you value propositions is concrete and will allow the company to truly relate your experiences to how you can apply it to the company.
During your interview, you can show your value by answering the company’s questions with simple, concrete stories. Every answer that you give must be accompanied by an example of a time you showed your value and ability to contribute. Do not speak in generalities because the interviewer will not remember what you said after the interview is over.
So which one is more important? The truth is, they are both equally important. Your looks and personality address the culture fit question, and your experiences address the value creation question. Make sure to perfect both sides of your value creation for when you interview with a company.
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