Selling yourself during a job interview requires striking a balance between bold self-promotion and humble confidence. Because the purpose of the interview is to market yourself and to demonstrate how you stand out from the crowd, interviewers expect personal salesmanship. The key is to sell yourself confidently but to highlight your accomplishments only when the hiring manager asks questions and gives you the opportunity to do so.
How To Promote Your Personal Brand
Selling yourself means marketing yourself, or promoting your personal brand, to the company you are interviewing with. Effectively selling yourself depends on much more than the content of your resume. Dressing professionally for the interview, greeting the hiring manager with a firm handshake and carrying yourself with confidence are a few key things to remember. Remember to be excited about your achievements and discuss your professional success with enthusiasm. Let your energy and personality shine through but remain authentic in your conversion with the interviewer.
Using Numbers and Examples to Support Your Success
Support your success by offering numbers and examples. For sales professionals, this might mean highlighting sales figures or describing unique methods for prospecting new customers. For other positions such as accounting or human resources, review the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for these roles and use these metrics to frame your accomplishments. Be familiar with the details of the job description and make sure your examples are relevant to the role.
Research common interview questions and practice your responses ahead of time. Focus on general topics rather than specific questions and avoid memorizing answers word for word in order to remain flexible. Be prepared to talk about yourself and why you are the best candidate. Other common topics that provide excellent opportunities to sell yourself include the following:
- Tough decisions you’ve made
- The biggest challenge you’ve overcome
- Conflicts faced in the workplace
- How you handle deadlines and pressure
- What you do if you disagree with management’s decision
Most importantly, answer the question that is asked. Be careful not to over-rehearse to the extent your answers are rigid and difficult to adapt at the moment.
In the video below, Josh Rhodes, Recruiting Leader, summarizes the advice above:
Selling yourself means thoroughly explaining your strengths and highlighting why you are the best candidate for the job. In the interview seat, it’s acceptable to be confident in your own story and your own brand. Ultimately, the best advice is to be yourself, highlight your natural strengths, and don’t hold back when the hiring manager presents the opportunity for you to sell yourself.
