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Hi, I'm Aimee Bateman from Career Cake TV.
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Now, I've been speaking to the fabulous guys over at
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Firebrand Talent Set.
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And we wanted to create a video that would really add
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value to job seekers who were going for interviews.
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So we're going to talk about my favorite interview
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question, which is tell me about your biggest
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achievement.
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OK, so some career coaches and recuiters might advise you to
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pick something from your professional life.
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However, unless the interviewer tells you to do
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that, I think it's absolutely fine to pick an achievement
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from your personal life.
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Some of the best answers I've ever had have been personal
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achievements.
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Now the reason is that it's really important that you pick
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something that's genuine to you-- something that you're
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really, really proud of.
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Because when you start telling a story like that, you'll
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still reliving all of the emotion that you
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felt during that time.
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You'll probably get a big smile on your face.
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You'll probably sit up in your chair.
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Your energy levels will rise, and you'll become more
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engaging with the interviewer.
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The way that you make that interviewer feel through body
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language is also just as important
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as what you're saying.
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People remember the way you make them feel sometimes more
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than when you actually say to them.
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So as long as you're really genuine and passionate about
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what you're talking about, that should be great.
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Great answer.
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However, keep the benefit in mind.
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So we're having this interview, and we're probably
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getting on great, but I'm always thinking about what's
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the benefit to me?
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What's the benefit to the job that you are applying for.
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So if you are going to pick something from your
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professional life, say, maybe, talk about
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your leadership skills.
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You were manager of the year.
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That's brilliant.
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And I suppose I get that benefit.
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But if you tell me about something from your personal
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life, the benefit might not be as obvious.
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So make sure that if you tell me, maybe you've run a
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marathon, tell me the benefit to me.
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So that's when you would come in and say, well, everything I
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put my mind to, I achieve.
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I'm really self-motivated.
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I don't like failing.
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And that's the benefit, then, to me.
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So just keep that in mind.
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I would also say, keep it quite recent.
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I remember asking a lady that was probably about 35, asked
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her this question, and she told me her greatest
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achievement was moving away to university,
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moving away from home.
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And yes, that was an achievement for me as well.
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But I was thinking it was probably about 15 years ago.
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And I'm looking for something more recent.
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Also, this is going to sound quite harsh, and I don't mean
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to sound harsh, but be careful not to become a victim during
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this answer.
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I know that sometimes people can focus on the negative
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nitty-gritty of the situation they overcame, rather than the
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positive of the actual achievement.
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So just be really aware of that.
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And don't make it too personal.
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I know that sometimes people can talk about, maybe, an
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achievement is getting through a really messy divorce and
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standing on your own two feet or getting over an illness--
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all really, really great achievements.
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I get that.
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But just remember that certain people are more judgmental
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than others.
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And you just have to keep it really, really professional
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and positive, really upbeat.
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And my favorite ever answer to this was the chap that told me
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his achievement-- that he sold the benefit back to the job he
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was applying for, but then tell he told me that he felt
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his greatest achievement was yet to come.
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He hoped it would be yet to come.
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And I loved that.
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Absolutely loved it because that told me that he's one of
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those guys that just wants to always go out and better
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himself, always wants to achieve more
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tomorrow than he did today.
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And that's a great mentality to have when somebody's
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recruiting into their team.
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So hopefully that's added some value.
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If you want to look at some more of my videos and get some
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advice, this is my website.
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Or if you want to go and catch up with the guys over at
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Firebrand Talent Set, this is their website.
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Thank you very much for watching.
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Good luck with those interviews, and take care.