Let me share a quote from one of my most beloved mentors, Eliober 💙:

“Bring the best version of yourself when you show up and you’ll never need to worry about being out of a job.”

This was one of the finest lessons I’ve ever been taught, in this case by a 40 year old cuban who led a team of banana plantation harvesters. He demonstrated it day in and day out, putting in love and care to all he did. He loved his job! 😄

He was enthusiastic about it, always learning and challenging himself and others. I worked side by side with him for 3-months and was regularly inspired by his attitude and mindset.

As a manager, and ex-recruiter, I regularly interview people, looking for those with talent and passion to join my teams. For me, the most important thing to understand about the hiring process is that it goes two ways. On one side there is a group of people looking to grow and bring in someone to be part of their mission. On the other, a group of people presenting themselves to be that person that joins the mission party. This means that when looking for a job you should understand why you want to be part of that group of people. Equally, those that hire will strive to clarify what qualities a new joiner should demonstrate.

So, what do I look for when I hire someone?

• First filter - hard skills that might be needed for the job
• Standing out - your unique passion for doing things
• Mindset - self-awareness

🏋️‍♂️ First filter - Hard skills that might be needed for the job

Think of this as the bare minimum to pass a first filter. If I am trying to fill a junior coder position, I’m going to look for someone who has coded, likely in a specific coding language. Equally, when looking to hire an apprentice product designer, I’ll look for someone who has some design knowledge, likely digital graphics.

I’d be silly to hire someone who has never seen or read a line of code for a software development position, no matter how much that person states their passion for coding. 😛

PRO TIP: Job openings you’ll see will usually display long lists of these hard skills, even for junior positions. This can feel daunting! I know, I’ve been there. 🙂

But don’t let it fool you. Apply the 20-40-60 rule! If you believe you can do at least 20% of the things on the list pretty well, can make sense of another 40%, and can like to learn the rest, you’re already looking at a possible job for you.

⚙️ Standing out - Your unique passion

When applying to a job role, ask yourself the following: among the tens or hundreds of people applying, why should they want to speak to me? What have I done that others haven’t?

This is the first major differentiator that will make one CV stand out over another. When you do things, your CV will tell a story based on experiences that you’ve gone out and looked for. Say, for example, I hold two profiles in my hands when hiring for an apprentice product manager role. In the job description it was required to have university studies as “hard skills”, together with some knowledge of basic office tools (powerpoint, word editors, spreadsheets, etc…). After that, all that is mentioned is “enthusiasm and vibrant energy to venture into a high stakes market”. Or something of the sort.

The first candidate I consider has indeed completed a university degree and lists out all the tools that were on the job offer. It’s a junior role so I don’t expect there to be much, if any, professional experience on the CV, but the candidate does not present anything other than a list of academic studies, languages, and certificates.

The second candidate comes from the same university, having studied the same degree as the previous. The list of tools is indeed there too and, again, I don’t see any professional experience. So far, they might as well be the same person. However, this time instead of looking at a list of certificates, I see a couple mentions of passion projects, competitions the person has joined, and/or extracurricular groups. This person will stand out immediately over the previous one. Not because they mentioned a competition the got first prize in. Heck! They might not even mention where they finished! The fact is they were there.

When someone shows passion for something in their life and gets involved beyond the basic world of study and exams, they instantly become more experienced since they will be doing things with the knowledge they have acquired, polishing it in the process. These are people that I’ll want to speak with and get to know.

LATERAL PRO-TIP: One thing people forget is to curate their presentation card. While the CV will only get you so far, having one that stands out, nice to look at and easy to read will put the recruiter’s mind in a more receptive state. I recommend using professional platforms like Enhancv to create yours. They tend to have a free offering and templates that already give excellent results.

🧘‍♂️ Mindset - Self-awareness

At this point I know I’m in front of someone who covers the minimum hard-skill needs of the role and has experienced things in life beyond academic studies. Now I’m looking to meet the person and nothing matters more to me than one’s ability to be aware of themselves.

So, what do I mean with this? Self-awareness in the context of an interview is the ability for someone to acknowledge their strengths and areas where they can improve. It is what you see when someone shows they know what they like and what they don’t, what they have done well and where they failed. It is what you see when someone talks about an experience they really enjoyed that was full of ups, downs, and learnings.

When I see someone that shows this quality during an interview, I’m filled with joy! Often I even learn things myself. 😃

PRO-TIP: Commonly, interviewers will ask you about the most significant past experiences you’ve lived. Take some time before any interview you attend to think about challenges you’ve faced in the past that you really enjoyed and, most importantly, what you learned from them. Think of it as a way to not forget the last step of the 🌟 STAR Rule: Stop, Think, Act, Review.

👣 Closing words

Being part of the hiring process is something I love, getting to know people and hearing their stories. When you follow your passions and unbound curiosity leads your way, anyone you speak to, be it through a CV or face to face, will feel it. If I can recommend you to do something is to have fun and get yourself out there! Be authentic! Be you, through and through! And always bring the best version of yourself, wherever you show up.