Preparation is the key to sell yourself in an interview each time you sit for an interview. In order to sell yourself (i.e. your skills and expertise) to the hubs, research the company and career position well
Finding the right role means pitting yourself against qualified and other experienced candidates, so being able to sell yourself to employers gives you an edge over other applicants who have good “paper” qualifications or better than yours. The key to making sure that you are the first candidate for the job is your verbal communication.
Ultimately, making sure you are the ideal candidate for jobs at any level means impressing the interviewees in the right way to suit the role you want. For example, you need to talk about past experience, with the appropriate links to the job being offered in order for your valuable skills to be seen as the perfect match for the role.
The job market has changed radically since the recession, forcing recruitment to take on a new shape. Of course, CVs are still the backbone of any job application, but there are also ways to differentiate other candidates when it comes to meeting you. First impressions are counted and you will get a very small window to show what you can offer.
During a job interview, your goal is to sell your personal brand to an employer without being arrogant, conceited, or hopeless. It can be frustrating – but promoting yourself effectively is what the interviews are all about. Learn to speak with confidence and persuade your skills, knowledge, accomplishments and the unique value that you would add if you were hired.
Make sure to research the market you are looking to enter. Most of the interviews failed due to lack of preparedness or nerves. Kill two birds with one stone here with over-preparation. If you have researched well you will find that you are more confident.
How to sell yourself in an interview
Play on your strength
The goal is to include your most unique features, leaving the reader with more knowledge and curiosity. If you’re not sure what to include as your strengths, check out your CV. Please If your CV is conducted correctly, all you want to include in the interview is that the POS must already be listed there.
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If you did not find your key messages in your CV, do a brainstorming session. Write down everything you can think of as one of your strengths, then narrow down the list to the most important.
Listen more than you talk
While it is tempting to want to share all your accomplishments, you will come across a better chance if you are sure that you listen a lot. A study by Harvard University’s Sociology of Cognitive and Emotional Neuroscience revealed that people spend 60% of their conversations talking about themselves, and when they don’t talk about themselves, they think about what they’ll say next.
Be precise in your answers
When you speak, keep your answers short. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the average human attention span is eight seconds – and it’s dropping. So be careful to focus. If the attention of the person or people interviewing you starts to fall after eight seconds, you will want to cut the chase and clarify your point of view within this short time frame.
Be positive about your previous employers
Most people had difficult jobs that may not have ended as friendly as they could have been. This doesn’t mean you can’t talk about it – just stay positive.
You do not need to give all of the details and do not want to appear negative. Focus on the positives that you took from the job, such as the skills you learned or the team’s impressive culture. Most importantly, stress how these lessons can benefit your new job.
Solve problems
Businesses will open new roles to tackle the problems you want to solve – so if you can demonstrate that you are the one who solves this problem, you will have a good chance of success. Selling your own skills to address specific problems that may be mentioned in the job posting can have a major impact. Explain how you have solved similar problems in the past, and practice telling these stories in your own time.
Show Gratitude
It’s always a good idea to show gratitude, and doing so will naturally reduce the tone of self-promotion. I am not suggesting that you eat a humble pie and clap for anyone other than yourself. Instead, cover your accomplishments in recognition of their accomplishment with the help of others.
