I was looking at interview tips and I came along some tips for selling yourself in an interview. I thought these were some helpful tips and they could relate to our class.
1. Be the solution
Companies fill or create positions because they have problems they want to solve — for instance, ineffective advertising or long customer-service lines. So prepare for an interview by identifying the problems hinted at in the job ad. (If there’s no job ad, research the company and industry.) Then, prepare examples detailing how you’ll solve those problems — and how you’ve solved similar problems in the past. Practice telling stories about specific results you’ve achieved.
2. Be specific
Avoid empty clichés. Be prepared to back up your claims about your skills or characteristics with relevant and specific stories. For example, don’t just say you “work well with others” — talk about the types of teams you’ve worked with and what you’ve learned from them. Or if you plan to say you’re “detail-oriented,” come to the interview prepared with a story about how your attention to detail saved a former employer money (or otherwise saved the day).
3. Prepare sound bites
Prepare three or four effective sound bites that highlight your skills and past successes. A sound bite is succinct and direct, so it’s catchy and easy to remember — for example, “I’ve designed logos for three Fortune 500 companies” or “My efficiency plan decreased product-delivery times by 15 percent without costing the company a cent.”
4. Prepare to talk about your resume
Your resume and cover letter will likely form an outline for at least part of your interview. Because a resume has to be brief, it probably says many things that could be elaborated on or explained in more detail. Often a resume explains the “what” (for instance, “supervised two people”). Use the interview to talk about the “how,” as well as skills you gained, praise you received and so on.
5. Be aware of nonverbal communication
You say a lot about yourself with nonverbal language: your posture and your facial expressions, for instance. Sit up straight — leaning forward can make you seem closed off, as can holding a briefcase or purse in your lap. Maintain eye contact when answering interview questions, and smile frequently. Also, practice your handshake with a friend: An overly aggressive handshake can be as off-putting as a limp o
6. Be positive
Avoid complaining about a former employer or laying blame at a former manager’s feet — doing so will likely make you seem difficult to work with (or disloyal). Even if you quit your last job in a rage because you had an incompetent manager, saying something like “I felt I was ready for a more challenging position — like this one seems to be” turns a potentially interview-killing situation into something that makes you look very attractive to a hiring manager.
BoweryJE22
I’ll have to remember to be specific in future interviews about my skills. I think that might be the number one thing that people don’t do in interviews. Being a team player is great, until every single advice forum tells you to be a team player to look good in an interview and so everybody sounds the same. Specific examples of your skills sounds like a great way to differentiate yourself.
This is a great list. One addition that I have found to be extremely beneficial is figuring out exactly what the employer is looking for: through research, or bluntly asking them and then giving examples of how you fit the criteria of what they are looking for in an employee.
That is another great point. By doing that you also reassure them as to why you would be a good future employee as well as being able to tell them more about yourself.
Non-verbal communication is a factor that I didn’t realize many employers are looking for. Are you fidgety? Are you making eye contact the entire time? These signs, in a matter of seconds, can make or break an interview. Great reminder for all of us!
Awesome post! I’ll for sure keep these tips in mind while interviewing for future jobs! Thanks!