Would you buy… you?
Let’s face it - not all of us are in the profession of outside sales. When it comes to interviewing - it is ALL about selling yourself. I tell my candidates prior to their interview - You have to play the game and tell your interviewer what they want to hear. Now, I’m not advising dishonesty in marketing your skills and abilities, however there is truth to the fact that the candidate who wins the job isn’t always the most qualified. It’s imperative that you prepare for your interview by mastering your sales technique rather than stumbling in and winging it.
- First and foremost, mastering selling yourself during an interview doesn’t involve a boastful and conceited attitude but rather confidence in what you bring to the table.
- Research! Do check out the company, their products or services, their competition and any other factoids that you can spout out during an interview - at the appropriate moment. Interviewers need to know you care about the opportunity they are offering.
- Be mindful of the environment in which you are interviewing. If you have a friend that works at the company, ask that person what you can expect in terms of the management style within the department. Are they looking for someone who is more assertive or someone who exemplifies a compliant nature.
- List your accomplishments on your resume that are relative to the position you are interviewing for and be prepared to discuss them in detail. Hitting the ground running in your new role and adding immediate value is of most importance to a hiring manager.
- Be honest. It’s best to be truthful about what skills you bring to the table and what skills you need additional training on. Fabricating facts about your qualifications or even stretching them will undoubtedly surface and bite you at some point - don’t do it.
- Be yourself ! I always coach candidates that “The interviewer will either like you, or they will not.” If not - then it’s not the right position for you. A company wants to know what they see - is what they get. If you know they are looking for someone who is assertive and you happen to be mild mannered Clark Kent - don’t act as if you are something else. If you happen to get the position, the job will undoubtedly be short lived.
Practice role-playing with friends, family members or any ususpecting person you can recruit. Preparation is the key to success when it comes to selling yourself. Learn from each interview. If you stumble when answering specific questions, write those down and prepare answers that you can master for your next interview.
