Anyone can have a captivating resume and acclaimed recommendations. Once you land the interview, it's up to you to sell yourself to the company. You have to be the most qualified person for the job - or at least seem like it. Your first impression is crucial, so you must master your elevator pitch before you enter the building. You can use these five pieces of advice not to sound desperate, arrogant, or corny - but to be likable and authentic.
Proving you are qualified:
In order to sell yourself in an interview, you need to display that you possess strong traits that can benefit the company. You need to prove to them that you are qualified. What makes you different from the other people that are also interviewing for the ame job? First, you need to become comfortable speaking about your accomplishments and yourself. Next, you need to aim your traits to tailor to what the company is looking for. Then, you outline your talking points, practice, and prepare how you will portray yourself as the best candidate. Finally, make sure you ask meaningful questions so the interviewer knows you were listening and intrigued.
Attire:
Dress and act appropriately. This is your elevator pitch. First impressions are crucial for any interview. Displaying yourself as an appealing professional will immediately give you a leg up over someone who is dressed too casually or doesn't have a smile on their face. As a generality; For men, favor a gray or navy blue suit. Favor a pocket square over a tie, as well with brown dress shoes and belt. It is wise for both men and women that their business attire stay in neutral colors: blue, brown, black, white, and gray.
Knowing your past:
You have to become comfortable with talking about yourself. Be prepared to speak about your past work experience, and connect previous stories with examples that align with what they are looking for. Companies like to see that you know how to manage similar situations that you would be facing with them. You need to allow yourself to brag about what you have accomplished. There is a fine line between arrogance and confidence, and it's all about your tonality and word choice.
Backing up claims:
Avoid empty claims. Anyone can say that they are motivated or a leader. You need to give an example of a story backing up your claim. Perhaps a story of when you were a crucial part of completing a strenuous project or provided leadership on a team which in turn resulted in success. Everyone is going to use some boastful adjective to describe themselves, but by applying it to a real world scenario that caters to the company, you can create a narrative and distinguish yourself.
Be likable:
You need to be authentic and energetic. You can have an amazing resume with even better recommendations. However, when it gets to game time, you have to build rapport and be passionate. The company not only wants to hire the qualified person, but they want someone who is a decent human being, and someone they can actually work with everyday. The things you say have to be genuine and dynamic - and do it with a smile. https://www.topinterview.com/interview-advice/sound-authentic-in-job-interview
You have to be memorable in an interview. Companies love to hear about accomplishments, effort, and interests that can make an impact in the company. Be a storyteller. Communicate what you've done, and how you can help them achieve their goals. If you can nail these five basic tactics, you will distinguish yourself against the competition and place yourself in a different threshold than the person interviewed before or after you. Remember, companies are hiring because they lack in a certain area - be that solution that they need.
Works Cited:
- https://www.liveabout.com/business-casual-dress-code-4051117
- https://careersidekick.com/sell-yourself-in-interview/
- https://www.thebalancemoney.com/how-to-sell-yourself-during-a-job-interview-4153288
- https://www.wikihow.com/Sell-Yourself-in-Any-Job-Interview
- https://www.hiration.com/blog/how-to-sell-yourself-in-an-interview/