Acing your next interview. That’s your next goal. Or is it?
Dozens of candidates will apply for your coveted role. Perhaps hundreds. Agents working in Christian agencies like ChurchStaffing or the likes would assure you that the Great Resignation affects churches. There are many open positions. But unlike Jesus’ quote on the laborers being few, there is a bounty of available candidates. It is a buyer’s market, we could say.
So, acing the interview is not the goal. Standing out is. Standing out gives you a second opportunity. Acing means you perfectly answered the questions, researched who was interviewing you and memorized the church’s mission statements. You know what? Most of those who were interviewed likely did so, as well! So why would an interviewer, church committee, or agent choose you over, let’s say, 20 or even 50 able candidates?
Indeed and Glassdoor will give you some ideas to be noticeable. Your friends might help as well. They will all offer great methods. Yet, let me share with you 13 ways to stand out in your next interview. It won’t guarantee you the ministry position you desire, but it will leave a lasting impression, create a network of connections, and you’ll be comfortable being yourself.
1. Rely on God and trust Him
Don’t take this one as an excuse not to prepare. You should get ready for the time you have with your interviewer. Know the role, the requirements, and the church’s basic information like their website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channel. Prepare as if everything depended on you. And pray as if everything depends on God.
The Holy Spirit knows what you need and want. He is also very aware of what the church or organization is looking for. Pray and rely on what God shows you. Pray for yourself AND sincerely pray for the church and interviewer.
2. Know Yourself
Before you get ready for the actual interview, get to know yourself. Really. Pastoral mentorship will clarify your calling or a DISC assessment with a professional coach will deepen your self-awareness. Why is it so important? Trained interviewers intuitively know when there is a lack of self-knowledge. Your words and work experience won’t match. Plus, self-awareness will help you discover blind spots and be honest about them. An additional bonus is that you’ll be able to lead your answers from your strengths, not your weakness and wounds.
Authenticity is vital in this process. You want to be honest, truthful, and wear integrity as a mantle. Be real, be yourself. There’s no use pretending.
3. See Eye to Eye
If you’re interviewing in person, look them in the eye. Smile. This communicates confidence and security. If you’re interviewing virtually, a good camera is a must. The placement of your camera is also critical. You want to have it sitting directly in front of you to look straight into the camera.
4. Cats and Great Backgrounds
If you are interviewing virtually, your background matters! First, you should have a light facing you, not above or behind you. This means your camera will also catch the background. A cat walking behind you or dirty clothes piled up obviously won’t cut it. You’ll stand out for all the wrong reasons. Forget the blurry or green screen backgrounds.
A great background is your library, office, or even a piece of art. Greeneries like plants and books are always a great background. I’ve interviewed someone who had a whiteboard where he noted all the great reasons to work at a church. All this to say, your background can help you stand out from the crowd.
5. Character and Skills
Churches are always looking for people with godly character who can perform the needed work. This is normal when you think about it. The church will be paying you to get a job done while making sure you passionately pursue God.
Mix character and skill when you answer. “At my previous church, I planned all components of the Fall event (skill). Working hard (character) with the great team I led (skill), it allowed us to reach out to our community (character and heart)”.
When your capacities match the integrity of your character, you stand out in a crowd of people auto-promoting themselves just to get a job.
6. People and Tasks
People are the key component of a church. After all, it is built on the sacrifices of many, not on the talents of a few. When you value the people you work with and praise the accomplishments of the people you lead, you’re actually proving the job was getting done with people!
Tasks and achievements are important to mention. Highlighting teammates and volunteers along the way communicates tons. It conveys your love of people, but it also reveals how secure you are in your calling.
7. Killer Questions and Great Answers
An interview is like a date. You’re trying to discover if this work/ministry relationship can work out. You want to present yourself as the perfect candidate, but it’s also a moment for you to discover if the church is a good fit.
Giving great answers is just one part of the equation. When you ask killer questions like “What could I ask you to better understand the vision” or “What makes working here so good,” you’re gaining insight into values and processes while showing real interest. Allowing a church to woo you is a good thing! Give them the opportunity.
8. Commonality is Key
There is often what we call small talk when the interview begins. Take note; this is useful! You may notice quickly something you have in common with the interviewer or the church. Similarity helps the church find you relatable. It can go from a range of subjects. Noticing a book on the shelf behind the interviewer and mentioning how much you enjoyed reading it (only if you really did!) or discovering you both love sci-fi movies is good. Common friends or cities you’ve lived in are another example of this.
9. Connect, Don’t Impress
Many candidates want to impress churches with their accomplishments, education, or ministry background. They believe this is how you get valued, recognized, and stand out. Most will try to strike the organization’s attention. Forget that.
Stand out by connecting with the people you are meeting. They are investing their time in getting to know you. Use language and words they are familiar with, look them in the eye, and take the time to see them as individuals. Be present and not distracted.
10. Communicate
Words count only for a small portion of communication. Some studies state the 7-38-55 rule. READ IT HERE In your communication, 7% pertains to your words, 38% to the way you use them (tone, rhythm), and 55% is non-verbal, most of it being your facial expressions. This is especially true in virtual interviews.
Communicate by smiling, nodding your head, and opening your eyes wide. If you want to stand out, match your body language to what you’re trying to communicate. Saying you love people by shaking your head “no” sends a mixed signal.
11. Humility and Self-Confidence
C.S. Lewis is known for having coined a great definition of humility: “It’s not about thinking less of yourself but thinking about yourself less.” The interviewer knows you are looking for another position for a reason. You can validate your humility by pointing out the great things about your actual church or the greatness of your teammates. Your self-confidence is acknowledging the role you had in that.
12. Kindness Times 3
Kindness is so underrated. Paul says that since we are God’s holy people, “clothe yourselves with … kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12 NLT).
Be kind about your actual church. Even if the parting ways are not perfect, take the higher road.
Honor the people who helped you get to this place in life. Mentors, pastors and coaches should be mentioned in your interview. No one gets to where they are on their own.
Be kind to the church or interviewer as well. Speak well of their process, communication, or availability. If none of these are true, find something to say that will show your kindness.
13. Follow-Up
Following up, in this case, is all about showing gratitude, interest in the role and the church, and being open to the next steps. Many candidates will do this. You can stand out by doing a double follow up.
Send an email (soon after the interview) to say thank you for the time invested. Thank them for the opportunity and consideration for the role. Secondly, reach out two work days later. Reiterate your desire to minister with the church while mentioning a couple of specific reasons why. You can tell them you are praying for them in this time of searching. Oddly enough, this will make you stand out for a good reason.
Having done all this, you still may not get the position. Be OK with that. By being the man or woman of God you aspire to be before doing His work, you will uncover the place where your character and capabilities will bloom. David was in the fields, tending his father’s sheep, forgotten by his family, while the prophet Samuel was searching for the new king on God’s behalf. God knew where David was. He knew who he was, and nothing could prevent the young shepherd boy to receive the anointing God had intended for him. The same goes for you!
