I get asked a lot about “the best answer” to various interview questions, like what your biggest weakness is or why you should be hired or what your future plans are. Most people recognize that answers will vary based on the person answering the question. Joey Candidate will have different answers than Suzy Candidate because they are different people with different backgrounds.
However, what trips up even smart, talented professionals is that “the best answer” depends, not just on who is giving the answer (whether Joey or Suzy) but also who the audience is (who Joey or Suzy is talking to). In fact, Joey might give two completely different answers to the same question and still be genuine, if he’s tailoring his answer to two different employers. “The best answer” is not just about you, but also the other person – communication is two-way, and the listener matters a lot.
If Joey Candidate is interviewing for a sales role at one company but a marketing role at another company, when he responds to “Tell me about yourself” (that’s a very popular first question), he should highlight things most relevant to sales for the sales role and to marketing for the marketing role. That doesn’t make him hypocritical or disingenuous. In fact, the tailoring of his answer shows genuine interest in the jobs at hand because he’s making the effort to give the information that specific employer/ decision-maker/ listener needs at that time.
The same goes for your elevator pitch. When I’m teaching at Columbia, most of my students are in the finance and banking concentration because my early career was in finance. I introduce myself by highlighting my banking background because that will most quickly establish credibility and rapport with those students. But put me at a networking event for small business owners and I’ll talk about my businesses. If I’m with a group of women business owners specifically, I’ll talk about what it’s like to have my husband as a business partner or to juggle entrepreneurship with two kids. I’m always a mom, always married, and have always had my first career in banking – even when I highlight different things. The elevator pitch is not for me. It’s for my audience, so my primary goal is for my message to land.
If you want people to hear you – employers to hire you, networking connections to refer you, senior leaders to think of you for the next big role – then you need to tailor your message and actions to be noticed by the relevant decision-makers. If you’re not getting results, you’re not tailoring enough or you’re tailoring incorrectly.
I use my years at the decision table for hiring, promotions and other career issues to create tailored strategies that get results. Check out Behind The Scenes In The Hiring Process, my online course with 48 video lessons on all aspects of the job search – from identifying what you want to negotiating and closing the offer.
