Present with Power

"Presenting with power" means showing all evaluators that you are the solution to their organizational problems. How can you convince them of this?

1. All evaluation processes (i.e. internships, jobs, graduate schools, fellowships/scholarships) have specific criteria about who the ideal person(s) are for their needs.
   
   
2. These criteria are determined by what knowledge, skills and qualities a person needs to perform that job well and fit within its organizational culture.
   
   
3. Every part of your application (i.e., resume, cover letter, interviews, and personal statements) is a way to help the evaluator see if you will be the solution to his or her problems.
   
   
4. Start any application process by determining what knowledge, skills, and qualities the evaluator is looking for. How do you know?
   a) Look at the job description/requirements
   b) Identify 6 to 8 major qualifications that are essential to the job or internship
   
   
5. Target your materials so that every part of your application explicitly addresses these job/internship qualifications, in the nouns and verbs that the evaluator has articulated.
   
   
6. Remember that an employer/internship sponsor can ask you about any experience on your resume, whether it seems related or not. You should be able to explain specifically what you learned and how that experience will help you perform better in their internship, job or graduate program.
   
   
7. Be prepared for when an interviewer tries to knock you off script. These questions could range from "How well do you know yourself?" to "Why are you specifically interested in this organization rather than our competitor?" The more you practice interviewing, the better you'll be at handling unexpected questions.