Selling Yourself In The Interview

Selling yourself is one of the most important steps of the interview process. It gives the interviewer a sense of who you are and whether you are a proper fit for the position you are applying for. Even more importantly, it allows the interviewer to know if you will be an asset to the organization/ company you will be working for. Remember, the interviewer wants you to succeed and prosper, so let your personality shine through.

One of the first things to remember when selling yourself to an interviewer is to remove your emotions (the best you can) from the selling process. You need to think of yourself as the product. In sales the product must have key features and benefits to be attractive to the buyer. You will need to determine your key features and benefits the same as a product for sale. Your features are your abilities, skills, experience, etc., and your benefits are problem solving, time management, efficiency, etc.. Understanding your key features and benefits will help to boost your confidence as the product and why you would make a desirable employee.

When you first meet your interviewer remember to smile, give him/her a firm hand shake and look him/her straight in the eye. This will immediately show your confidence in yourself and that you are comfortable with him/her and the interview process. Try to make polite small talk, but do not control the introduction process, this can make your interviewer feel uncomfortable and perceive you as pushy. Remember you are on their playing field, let them have the home field advantage. Let your personality shine through and be engaging. Show interest in the company, the interviewer, and the position you are applying for. Hopefully you will have done your homework and are familiar with the company and job requirements. The cold hard fact is, that just because you are qualified for the position and have the experience to back it up, that does not mean you will get the job. You need to have the personality to assure the interviewer that you are well suited for the position and that if he/she hires you, you will excel at the job thus making the interviewer look good.

So sell yourself as the product!