How to sell yourself at that interview
WHEN you have applied for a new job and really want the position, it is important to prepare for the interview process. After all, the pressure will be on. Research suggests 93 per cent of interview candidates suffer interview anxiety at some point in their working lives.
But at its core, an interview is a conversation. It’s a speaking exercise.
My last job interview was for a role I’d wanted for years. After an inevitable period of fretting, I made a decision. I decided to treat the interview like a chat – because that’s what it was.
I was totally myself and totally honest. It worked. Here are four strategies that will help you to have a productive conversation during your next interview.
Remember your interviewer is human, someone with worries, concerns and joys and who probably wants to be liked as much as you do. They may even be nervous themselves – they will be aware that the interview is also your opportunity to assess if they are a good fit for you.
No one likes rejection, even employers. And everyone likes to feel validated, respected and appreciated. So do your pre-interview homework. Check out the organisation website and social-media platforms. Google them. Read their press coverage. Perhaps there won’t be an opportunity to use all this information (resist crowbarring) but this knowledge in your back pocket will boost your confidence and potentially allow you to impress and leave the interviewer with warm, fuzzy feelings. Remember, you want them to like you.
Always be authentic. By their very nature, interviews are a little unnatural – mostly affable but with a gladiatorial subtext. You’re there to win. But remember that the you that is sold at the job interview is the you the employer will expect to turn up for work.
Inevitably there is an element of performance but be wary of straying too far from the version of you that inhabits 99.9 per cent of your life. People are sensitive to façades. They will recognise if you’re putting on an act and it won’t endear you to them. Being honest and authentic does not require a script or for you to adopt a character.
Be a listener. It’s easy to think job interviews are all about what is said but listening is just as important. Open body language, eye contact and responsiveness is behaviour you exhibit when talking to a friend or loved one because you’re genuinely engaged with what they have to say.
Apply this in interviews, whether listening or replying to a question. Actions speak louder than words and any brilliance you display when speaking is undermined if you are staring at your feet when someone else is talking.
Be as interested as you are interesting. Asking questions of the interviewer is a classic piece of interview technique. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to walk in with a prepared list but do cultivate curiosity – be genuinely inquisitive.
Where appropriate, weave in questions throughout the interview to encourage conversation – showing interest is endearing. But things such as hours, wages and other contractual details can be clarified once you have the job.