How Do You Sell Yourself in an Interview

Interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience; you don’t know the people interviewing you and you have no idea what questions they might ask. Even the most confident candidates can go to pieces at the prospect of undertaking an interview, but it is important that you keep calm and don’t let the pressure get to you. These are some ways to help ensure you sell yourself during the interview.

Dress to Impress

Although interviewers should not judge you on your appearance, they will make some assumptions by the way you have dressed for the interview. If you dress smartly and make an effort, this will show you as a professional and will give you some points with the interviewer. If you dress like you have just crawled out of bed, the interviewers probably won’t consider you as someone who is serious about the job.

Research the Company

It is important that you understand the company you are being interviewed for, as it is highly likely that the interviewers will ask some questions related to the business. This may include what you know about them, why you want to work with them and what makes them stand out to you. If you have a clear vision of what makes them a good company to work for, you’ll show more enthusiasm when asked any questions. 

Be Attentive

It can be easy to get caught up in the nerves of interviews, as the whole experience can be quite overwhelming. Some candidates get so swept up with answering questions, they fail to listen to the interviewers, and this can often lead to the repetition of comments already discussed. It is important to keep calm during the interview, and make sure you listen and understand what the interviewer is asking you. If you are unsure, just ask them to repeat the question.

Show your Personality

You’ll never just get the job based on your skills and experience alone, a lot of the decision will come down to the rapport you build with the interviewers, and the impression they have of you. If you show yourself as a positive, happy and warm person, you will be much more likely to get them to buy into you. Most people spend the majority of their lives at work, so it is important they get on with their colleagues.

Give Examples

It is not enough to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to questions, you must always have examples to show. For instance, if the interviewer asks if you have ever worked as part of a team, they will expect you to answer it by providing details on when you worked as a team and what you enjoyed about it.

A yes or no answer to questions will never get you the job, especially as part of a competency-based interview, even if you have all the skills and experience required. Interviewers usually have set guidelines to adhere to when undertaking interviews and if you don’t answer your questions fully, they won’t be able to offer you the job – even if they want to.

Whether you feel like the interview has went well or not, it is always worth sending out an interview follow up email. This will show you are still interested in the job and will keep you at the forefront of the interviewer’s minds when making a decision. If you are not quite at the interview stage, but still looking for new opportunities, take a look at Job Search Place, where you will find a selection of roles to choose from. You can also create a profile at Sell Yourself Club to help increase your chances of being discovered by employers. If you have any comments on this topic, we’d love to hear from you.  Why not share this article on your social media too!