How to “Sell” Yourself at Interview
Recruiters often advise candidates to “sell” themselves at interview. First of all, this is vague advice and furthermore, often off putting. “Selling” to some people feels forced, pushy and unnatural.
Candidates often think of the stereotypical 1980’s salesperson who says whatever it takes to get the sale over the line. This is in direct contrast to modern sales techniques which focus more on matching the solution on offer to those who can benefit from it. Consequently, this is a more successful and honourable sales technique!
The same applies to “selling” yourself at interview.
Interviews are not about telling the interviewer what he/she wants to hear. Some people are skilled interviewees who can present in an impressive way but don’t necessarily have the relevant experience to back up their presentation. In contrast, interviewees with great relevant experience can shy away from telling the interviewer about their great skills. Shying away from telling the interviewer why you are relevant for the role is pointless. Rather than thinking of “selling”, think of interview presentation a little differently.
“Selling” at Interview = “Explaining” Your Relevant Experience Clearly
Rather than “Selling” your Experience, you are “Explaining” your Experience.
- Explain your experience clearly
- Include information of your relevant experience i.e. avoid tangents
- Keep your answers concise and use good vocabulary to maximise the impact of your content
- Structure your responses – have a start, a middle and an end – don’t ramble
- Use content from the job description when explaining your experience to demonstrate how relevant your experience is to the job you are interviewing for
Achieve Success at Interview
This method of explaining your experience will result in more job offers from interviews for relevant jobs. Interviews are time consuming to prepare for. Certainly, it is best to maximise your interview success by explaining your experience. Fewer job interviews with a higher percentage of job offers is the aim. If you wish to get more advice in achieving your career aspirations, feel free to get in touch. We would be delighted to assist you.