The Job Interview: Can You Sell Yourself?

In our post Covid world, lots of people are leaving jobs, looking for new jobs and creating their own business. What do all these things have in common? Sales. Even if you are looking for a job where you don’t have to sell anything, your first order of business is to sell yourself… in the job interview. I’m guessing that if you don’t love sales, then you don’t like interviewing for a job either.

The secret to being successful in any kind of sales is to create the proper mindset and this is also critical in a job interview. The word interview comes from a Latin word that means to see about each other and this is how you should look at the job interview. You and your prospective employer are seeing about each other and you should be just as curious about him as he is to learn about you. Here are some tips:

Practice asking questions: just as you should practice answering questions for the interview, you should also practice asking questions. Don’t leave it all to chance but instead be prepared with a list of questions which illustrate your interest in the problems and challenges the business faces and your ability to help solve those issues. One of the main questions a business wants answered is how will hiring you benefit the company?

Be prepared to share the character traits you exemplify: A wise employer will be interested in your character as much as your experience. Skill sets can be taught. Character not so much. An important piece of the equation is for you to be clear about your own mission and goals in addition to your skills and experience. Be ready to show how the mission and goals of the company are aligned with your own.

Showcase your ability to be an asset to the company: You will create confidence in your experience, expertise and talent. Remember, the company is not interested in what they can do for you, but what you can do for them.