How to Stand Out in a Job Interview: Insights from Johnson & Johnson

How major companies evaluate candidates is changing radically. During an exclusive session for Rome Business School students, Alessandro Marangi, Global Senior Talent Acquisition Partner at Johnson & Johnson, unveiled the key strategies to navigate every stage of the hiring process — from crafting the perfect elevator pitch to negotiating the final offer.

Here are the core pillars that emerged from the session to help you read the room and steer the conversation toward success.

1. The Elevator Pitch: When, Where and How to Make an Impact

The elevator pitch isn’t just a tool for chance encounters in an elevator. It’s a strategic asset that comes into play across a wide range of contexts: industry fairs, company events, career fairs, the workplace itself, job interviews, and your professional social media profiles.

To capture attention in just a few seconds, a strong pitch must include three essential elements:

Spark interest

Open with something memorable. Lead with a key achievement, ask a thought-provoking question, or share a surprising fact about yourself.

Communicate your value

Who are you, what do you do, and why should it matter to the person in front of you? Connect your skills and experience directly to their world.

Make your ask

What do you want to get out of this conversation? Be direct. A clear request signals professionalism and shows respect for everyone’s time.

How to stand out: Define your goal clearly and tailor your message to your audience, highlighting the specific value you bring. Prepare and practice until you sound both credible and natural. Use your authentic voice, speak at a measured pace, and project confidence. And never skip the follow-up — send an email or message after the meeting.

2. The 2026 Revolution: Skills-Based Hiring

The job market is undergoing a seismic shift: the focus is moving decisively away from academic credentials and toward real, practical abilities.

• 85% of employers have now adopted a skills-based hiring strategy.
• This approach has proven to be 5 times more predictive of job success than educational background alone.
• 70% of companies now prioritize skills over traditional degree requirements.

In today’s selection processes, you can expect practical assignments, structured competency assessments, portfolio reviews, and situational judgment tests designed to evaluate areas such as teamwork, problem-solving, initiative, and leadership.

More specifically, companies use technical and problem-solving interviews to verify that candidates possess the required expertise — testing analytical skills through targeted questions or live demonstrations such as coding exercises, whiteboard sessions, or technical tests. Structured interviews, on the other hand, focus on motivation, CV review, and cultural fit, exploring the values and leadership qualities that bring out the best in others.

3. Structuring Your Answers: The STAR Method

In behavioral interviews — centered on teamwork, problem-solving, initiative, and leadership — how you structure your answer is just as important as what you say. The STAR Method is the gold standard for delivering clear, high-impact responses:

• S (Situation): Set the scene. Describe the context you were in, with specific details about the environment.
• T (Task): Explain what your direct responsibility was in that situation.
• A (Action): Walk through the specific actions you personally took — not what the team did.
• R (Result): Describe the concrete outcomes and the final result.

4. The 5-Level Research Framework

Preparation accounts for 80% of the work. To make an impression at a company like Johnson & Johnson, skimming the homepage simply isn’t enough. You need to apply a structured, five-level research framework:

• The Company: Review the annual report, the Investor Relations page, and employee reviews on platforms like Glassdoor and LinkedIn.
• The Leaders: Look up the CEO or MD’s latest public interview or keynote, as well as recent statements from the Chief Commercial or Revenue Officer.
• The Role: Decode the job description. What specific problem was this role created to solve? Analyze the team structure carefully.
• The Industry: Study the two or three most recent key reports on the market and sector.
• Yourself: Map out your five best personal stories — structured using the STAR method — and connect each one directly to the key requirements of the position.

5. Virtual Interviews: Your Environment Matters

In digital interviews, your screen is your first impression. Make sure you’re in a stable, quiet, distraction-free environment with a reliable internet connection. Dress as you would for an in-person office meeting. Pay attention to lighting and background: sit facing a window or a light source, and keep your backdrop neutral and tidy. Organize your desk so everything you need is within reach. Remember: it’s perfectly fine to pause and think, and never hesitate to ask for clarification.