“How do we know what you can offer us if you don’t tell us, or if you’re too modest”, so say employers. A peacock spreads its fabulous fan tail to draw attention to itself, the rest of the time he looks quite ordinary.
This is true for you as well – you need to stand out from the crowd when trying to attract potential employers, and for the rest of the time you can go back to being your usual unassuming self.
Promoting yourself is essential if you want people to know what your strengths are and how you can contribute to their organisation. Companies, recruiters, managers, research group leaders and other employers want to be clear about your particular skills and achievements, so that they can make a judgment about whether you will be a good fit for their team.
This is especially true at interview, where there is absolutely no room for modesty. It’s not being boastful or ostentatious, it’s about being truthful and transparent about your talents. It’s not lying or over-playing your worth, it’s simply telling it as it is.
Here are some tips about how to promote yourself at interview (and in other situations where you need to ‘boast’ about your abilities):
- Know the employer:
Research and examine the employer, whoever they are. Companies and research groups all have a presence on the internet, whether it’s a website or social media. They post up their latest news and achievements, publications and products. You can investigate their employees, researchers, culture and values. You can read their mission statement, find out who are their collaborators and/or competitors. And so on…. The more you know about who will be sitting on their other side of the table interviewing you, the more you will be able to show your suitability for the role and the organisation. - Know the role:
A job description is like an exam question – you have to answer to the employer’s requirements. Refer back to their list and match up your own skills and achievements with theirs to identify which of your experiences are likely to be most relevant to the role. They usually list them in order of importance, so be prepared for the interview to focus these particular aspects, as well as including more minor tasks. - Know yourself:
Your application has been successful and perhaps your online presence has also attracted the employer to invite you to interview. Make sure you revise your CV, covering letter, profile, etc. to ensure you can remember what you said that impressed them. This will form the basis of the examples you will give to prove your suitability for the role during the interview. You’ll need to provide a variety of examples from different parts of your career; try to use those that are the most recent or related to your professional experiences, ahead of those from your personal life. - Know your interview technique
Employers usually have an idea in their head about who they consider to be the strongest candidate for the role before the interviews begin. You may not be top of that list, but don’t be disheartened – with preparation and using tried and tested interview techniques to answer the questions, you can propel yourself to the top of that list by giving an impressive interview performance. Key tips include:
– Predicting the questions.
– Practicing your answers, especially to tricky questions such as, “What’s your greatest strength?”, – “Give an example of when you had a resolve a conflict at work”, and even “Why do you want this job?”!
– Using the STAR and other techniques to answer questions succinctly.
– Relating your answers to the employer needs and making them relevant.
– Having questions to ask the employer at the end of the interview.
You can find out more about interview technique and other aspects of the career planning process by visiting my blog archive.