How to Confidently Align Your Skills in a Job Interview

Hello from sunny Santa Teresa, Costa Rica!
I landed in this small surf town thanks to a friend who calls it home. It’s been the perfect backdrop to reflect on some of the coaching work I’ve been doing lately, including a session today that inspired this post.

I spent time with a client walking through one of the most important parts of interviewing: how to clearly align your skills and experience with what the company actually needs.

It’s not enough to rattle off your resume. You want to show them you get their challenges, and that you’re the person who can solve them.

Here are some practical ways to do that:

✏️ Ask targeted questions

Don’t wait until the end of the interview to throw out generic questions. Instead, weave in thoughtful prompts that uncover exactly what they’re looking for. Try asking at the start of your interview:

• What problems are you looking to solve by hiring for this role?

• What’s the biggest challenge your team is facing right now?

• In an ideal world, what would success look like for this person in 6 months?

The answers give you a blueprint for how to position yourself.

✏️ Position yourself as the solution

Once you understand their needs, explicitly connect the dots. Share how your background, skills, and approach make you the right person to tackle their biggest pain points.

Frame it as: “I’ve handled similar challenges by [specific example], and I’d be excited to bring that experience here to help you achieve [their goal].”

✏️ Identify the top 3 skill sets they need

Study the job description and listen carefully during interviews. What three skills or experiences seem absolutely critical?

Once you pinpoint them, prepare stories that show how you’ve excelled in these areas. The goal is to make it easy for them to see you checking every box.

✏️ Highlight your unique value

Don’t just stop at “I can do the job.” Show how you go above and beyond.

Say something like: “Beyond meeting the core requirements, I also bring [specific strengths, such as streamlining processes, building high-trust teams, or driving creative solutions], which can be instrumental to your success.”

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, companies want to know:

• Can you solve our problems?

• Will you make our lives easier?

• Are you someone we’d enjoy working with every day?

The clearer you make these answers, the more confident — and memorable — you’ll be.

If you’d like tailored support practicing these strategies, check out my interview coaching services or grab a spot for a free 15-minute confidence boost call. I’d love to help you land that next opportunity.