HOW TO SELL YOURSELF
A typical interview may take from only thirty minutes to an hour, yet it could determine your business career for years to come. Obviously, therefore, it's well worth taking the time to prepare for the interview so that your confidence will be increased and you'll be able to make the most of your qualifications.
Your primary objective, of course, is to convince the interviewer that you are the most qualified candidate. You need to "sell" your experience, qualifications and ability.
If you make your living in a field other than sales, you may feel that you don't have a sales personality. But consider this: all of us are selling all the time. Every day of your life you are selling your views and ideas to your family, friends and business associates. Every time you persuade your colleagues to use your solution to a business problem you use your selling skills. All you need is a basic sales strategy that anyone can use:
Find out what the prospect (the interviewer) really needs; then package your product (your experience, qualifications, ability) to meet those needs.
This sales approach involves more than simply listing the virtues of your product (which you really do when you prepare your resume). It means that you must evaluate all of your past responsibilities and accomplishments in terms of the position to be filled.
To use this strategy effectively for your interview, you need some advance preparation:
1. Research the company
2. Review your experience and your qualifications
3. Review your resume to be sure that it emphasizes the experience and qualifications most pertinent to the needs of your potential employer
RESEARCH THE COMPANY
If you've ever conducted an interview, you know how impressive it is to talk with a candidate who has shown enough interest to find out more about the company than its name and address.
You should know about the company's products or services, markets, sales volume and growth. Check out its plant locations, website, recent stock market activity, and its standing in its particular field. Once you've found out as much as possible about the company and the job, you're ready for the next step in your pre-interview strategy.
REVIEW YOUR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
Review your experience and qualifications in terms of the specific job. Suppose, for example, that your ability to solve marketing problems or reduce production costs is a significant feature of your experience and would be a valuable benefit to your prospective employer. Be prepared to offer specifics about the savings or profits that resulted from your efforts, or about other contributions you've made to the success of the companies you've worked for.
REVIEW YOUR RESUME
Prepare a brief resume (two pages at most) showing your work experience chronologically and highlighting at least one major accomplishment for each position held in the past 10 years. If at all possible, choose examples that show experience that could be of special value to your prospective employer. Proofread your resume carefully for misspellings and grammar, and be sure it is laser printed.
QUESTIONS TO PREPARE FOR
Think about your answers to questions you're likely to be asked. To help you consider answers ahead of time, we're listing some of the probable questions and answers. To view them, click on Questions and Answers.
YOUR PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE AND DEMEANOR
Visual first impressions are important. Consider your personal grooming.
Your own personal taste in clothes may not always be the most appropriate for a job interview. You are safer to err on the side of conservative attire. Try to appear as businesslike as possible.
THE INTERVIEW
Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early for your interview. Carry a briefcase or portfolio with several copies of your resume and some examples of your work.
Be sure you know how to pronounce and spell the name of the person who will interview you. Greet your interviewer with a firm handshake and maintain eye contact at all times.
