Whether you are self-employed and looking for clients, or you are seeking employment working for someone else, you must be able to sell yourself. What about you is going to put you heads and shoulders above someone else? What you do and don’t do is as important as what you say and don’t say. In the next paragraphs I have asked some questions. These questions are an assessment of what you should take note of before and during the interview.
How do I look?
Your appearance is everything. It goes without saying that you should show up for an interview neat and clean. Your hair needs to be neat, and out of your face. When being interviewed, your prospective client or employer wants to see your eyes. That old saying “the eyes are the window to the soul”, bears a lot of weight when you are asking for a job. You can tell a lot by someone’s eyes.
Show up to an interview looking business-like. Wear a blue or black modest suit of clothes. The interview is not the place for mini skirts, and halter tops. Nor is it the place for shorts and flip flops. I was taught in business school to wear a modest white top with a navy suit. There is something about a skirt or a slack outfit and a suit jacket to match that will speak to the client or employer that you mean business.
How you sit is just as important as how you dress. Sit straight in the chair, do not slouch. Sitting on the edge of the chair says, “I’m nervous”, so be sure to sit back and straight with your feet flat on the floor. You want to look calm, cool and collected, even if you are scared to death. Fake it till you make it. You might even practice your approach to an interview in your mind many times before the actual event. You must make an impression to be chosen over someone else for the job.
How is my eye contact?
Not everyone is comfortable making eye contact during casual conversation, let alone during an important job interview. If you have a problem with maintaining eye contact you might want to practice with family members and friends. Tell them you have a problem in this area, and can they help you practice. There was a time I had problems maintaining eye contact. I asked my family to pretend they were meeting me for the first time. We practiced over and over until I was comfortable making eye contact. It is assumed that if you don’t make eye contact you may have something to hide. That may not be true; it could be a sign of a poor self-image. With a little practice, making eye contact will feel normal, and you will promote an air of confidence about yourself.
How are my manners?
When you practice meeting for the first time, make eye contact and offer your hand for a polite shake. Sit down when your interviewer invites you to have a seat. This is so important, because you need to move forward in your interview. If you fail to maintain eye contact, or display your social graces your interviewer could make a judgment about you, whether or not he/she tells you about it. You might just get the “don’t call us, we’ll call you” speech.
Why should you hire me?
I have had the question asked: “Why should I hire you?” and I must say, the first time I heard this question I didn’t know what to say. This question is not meant to put you ill-at-ease, but to see just what you will bring to the table, if you are hired. This is where you need to sell yourself. What is it about you that will make you a good fit for the company or client you wish to serve?
Since I worked in nursing, I said something like this:
I am dependable. I will be at work on time.
I am a hard worker. I am also a team worker.
I take direction well, and I am efficient. I don’t waste time.
I have a good attitude about myself and toward others I am working with.
I have leadership qualities. I can lead and follow, whichever is needed in the position I am hired for.
Whatever your strengths are, list them. You will notice that I did not say “I’m a good nurse”. They will know from my resume and my references what kind of nurse I am. What I do is give them my character attributes. When the employer or client checks my references, my record will speak for itself.
Do I have Awards and Certifications?
If you have won awards, or have been given special certifications, it is a good thing to keep a portfolio of these for a show and tell at the interview. You might have earned employee of the year at your last employment, or you might have earned a certification in a specific field that would be useful in your new job, if you get it. One of my certifications as an LPN is that I was certified to start IV therapy, and I was also certified in starting blood. As nurses we are all trained to change IV bottles or to hang blood, but we are not trained to start them. We are licensed to start these procedures after we have attended classes and earned a certification. That doesn’t mean I could use that certification at another hospital, but it does show that I have the knowledge and can again be certified by the new employer. Keeping a running portfolio is good business, when you are looking for job or a new career.
How to Sell Yourself in an Interview
Whether you are self-employed and looking for clients, or you are seeking employment working for someone else, you must be able to sell yourself. What about you is going to put you heads and shoulders above someone else? What you do and don’t do is as important as what you say and don’t say. In the next paragraphs I have asked some questions. These questions are an assessment of what you should take note of before and during the interview.
How do I look?
Your appearance is everything. It goes without saying that you should show up for an interview neat and clean. Your hair needs to be neat, and out of your face. When being interviewed, your prospective client or employer wants to see your eyes. That old saying “the eyes are the window to the soul”, bears a lot of weight when you are asking for a job. You can tell a lot by someone’s eyes.
Show up to an interview looking business-like. Wear a blue or black modest suit of clothes. The interview is not the place for mini skirts, and halter tops. Nor is it the place for shorts and flip flops. I was taught in business school to wear a modest white top with a navy suit. There is something about a skirt or a slack outfit and a suit jacket to match that will speak to the client or employer that you mean business.
How you sit is just as important as how you dress. Sit straight in the chair, do not slouch. Sitting on the edge of the chair says, “I’m nervous”, so be sure to sit back and straight with your feet flat on the floor. You want to look calm, cool and collected, even if you are scared to death. Fake it till you make it. You might even practice your approach to an interview in your mind many times before the actual event. You must make an impression to be chosen over someone else for the job.
How is my eye contact?
Not everyone is comfortable making eye contact during casual conversation, let alone during an important job interview. If you have a problem with maintaining eye contact you might want to practice with family members and friends. Tell them you have a problem in this area, and can they help you practice. There was a time I had problems maintaining eye contact. I asked my family to pretend they were meeting me for the first time. We practiced over and over until I was comfortable making eye contact. It is assumed that if you don’t make eye contact you may have something to hide. That may not be true; it could be a sign of a poor self-image. With a little practice, making eye contact will feel normal, and you will promote an air of confidence about yourself.
How are my manners?
When you practice meeting for the first time, make eye contact and offer your hand for a polite shake. Sit down when your interviewer invites you to have a seat. This is so important, because you need to move forward in your interview. If you fail to maintain eye contact, or display your social graces your interviewer could make a judgment about you, whether or not he/she tells you about it. You might just get the “don’t call us, we’ll call you” speech.
Do I have Awards and Certifications?
If you have won awards, or have been given special certifications, it is a good thing to keep a portfolio of these for a show and tell at the interview. You might have earned employee of the year at your last employment, or you might have earned a certification in a specific field that would be useful in your new job, if you get it. One of my certifications as an LPN is that I was certified to start IV therapy, and I was also certified in starting blood. As nurses we are all trained to change IV bottles or to hang blood, but we are not trained to start them. We are licensed to start these procedures after we have attended classes and earned a certification. That doesn’t mean I could use that certification at another hospital, but it does show that I have the knowledge and can again be certified by the new employer. Keeping a running portfolio is good business, when you are looking for job or a new career.
My resources are from my own experience and from class lectures given by my business instructor, Mrs. M. Wallace.
