“I can’t sell” I hear you cry. “I can’t sell myself in an interview, I’d be too nervous, too self conscious…” OK – let me ask you this:
- Are you married or in a relationship?
- Do you have a job or ever held one?
- Do you have a mortgage or car loan?
If you’ve answered Yes to any of the above questions, then you’ve ‘sold yourself’ on each occasion – to your partner, your current or previous employer or your bank manager. Youare the most important ‘product’ you will ever sell (and have sold) and yet you think, just because you probably don’t work in sales, that you can’t sell!
What is selling anyway? Selling is all about presenting the features and benefits of your product to a prospective buyer or customer. Counter any objections raised and then close the deal by ‘Asking for the Order’ (or in this case – the job).
How does this relate to a job interview? Well every interview is a sales opportunity to sell your most valuable commodity – You – with all your skills and experience. So what are you afraid of? Is the product you are selling not high quality, durable, reliable, skilled, experienced, enthusiastic, energetic and willing to learn?
Right then, let’s give you a little guide to selling yourself really well and increasing your chances of getting that job.
Start by sitting down (with your partner, a friend or colleague) and make a list of your ‘features and benefits’. Use your resume as a guide but focus on the following table:
| Item | Feature | Benefit |
| Education | Education Your educational qualifications e.g. HSC, Certificate, Diploma, Degree |
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| Experience | Your work and non-career experience e.g. Industry(ies) you have worked in, jobs you have held, levels of responsibility, management of staff (number) |
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| Skills | Specific job skills, computer skills, people skills, communication skills, selling skills, management skills |
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| Strengths | Usually people have strengths in areas like literacy, numeracy, creativity, attention to detail, ability to work in a team or alone |
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| Weaknesses | The hardest one to discuss and should be though of more as areas you need to work on or improve in, which could be literacy, numeracy, creativity, attention to detail, ability to work in a team or alone |
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Once you’ve completed this task, you will see just how much you have to offer. Add to the top of the list the number of years you have been working. Don’t be ashamed of this, rather promote it as a badge of honour! Think of all the situations you’ve faced, the challenges you’ve met and mastered, the hurdles you’ve overcome, the tricks and tips you’ve learnt in all those years. You can’t buy that sort of experience off the shelf.
Then, if you have worked in just one industry, highlight your specialized expertise in that industry, but check how many roles you’ve held. Each one of those roles will have required different skills which add to your versatility.
If you’ve worked in a few different industries, then highlight your flexibility and adaptability – taking your skills from industry to industry and learning along the way. Always look for the positive angle on your previous experience and present it that way.
TIP – Make sure you take the list with you to interview, so that if you are nervous and can’t remember key points, they’ll be written down in front of you to jog your memory.
Everyone wants to buy a car with ‘Added Extras at NO Extra Cost’ so sell yourself to the prospective employer on that same basis. ‘I bring all this accumulated knowledge, skill and experience with me to the role, and you only have to pay me the same as anyone else for the role’. Of course, don’t sell yourself short – make sure you are being paid the appropriate wage or salary for the job you apply for, but really emphasise the additional value you will add to the company.
And if you’re inclined, you can offer to mentor or train the younger staff members in your area of expertise. They say knowledge is power, but the greatest use of that power is to share the knowledge, to increase the performance of the whole company!
Ron Browne
Director
PLUS40 Pty Ltd