It’s time to stand out from the crowd! Whether you like it or not, you need to sell yourself in your cover letter, resume, and job interview when you’re applying for a job. Your application needs to grab the attention of recruiters to increase your chances of being shortlisted for an interview. You need to make a great impression throughout the recruitment process. It’s up to you to sell your skills and demonstrate the value you can add to the role and, ultimately, the business.
It may not come naturally to sell yourself and prove that you would be perfect for the role for some of you. Well, don’t let the word ‘sell’ put you off. There are a few tactics to implement that will help you be a stand-out applicant for the job!
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Visualise and Focus on the Business Needs
Visualise yourself working in the company you’re applying for. Picture yourself in the role, your duties and responsibilities, and how you can use your skills and knowledge for the job. This process will help with your confidence and prepare you for the interview. The key is to demonstrate how you will fit into their business and the job role. Although you are the one being interviewed, this interview is actually about the employer. They want to ensure that you are a good fit for the business. They want to know what you will bring to the role. This is your opportunity to sell yourself.
If you dream it and believe it, you can achieve it! You just need to take the necessary steps to make it a reality!
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Research the Role
Ensure you do your research and find out as much as you can about the company and the role you’re applying for.
You need to tailor your cover letter and resume to ensure your response follows the requirements of the application. From the job ad, identify the key skills, experience, and qualifications the employer is looking for and include these words in your written application and interview.
This research will also help you answer interview questions, particularly when they ask you, “Why do you want to work here?” and “What do you know about us?”
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Your Capabilities
You need to demonstrate that you are capable of doing the job. Focus on your key skills, abilities and attributes. Be open and honest about your strengths and show that your capabilities are linked to the role’s requirements. You need to be able to talk about yourself and your experience confidently.
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Demonstrate your Soft Skills
Employers place a high value on soft skills. Research shows 58% of employers are now open to hiring job seekers who can display the right skills, even if they don’t have all the experience1. Teamwork, communication, problem-solving, attention to detail, self-motivation and initiative, and time management are sought-after skills by employers. You need to show evidence and prove you have these skills by providing examples.
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Attitude
To be a stand-out applicant for the role, you need to have the right attitude. Employers are looking for staff who are passionate about the role or industry and want to be in the business. They want staff who enjoy what they do at work and have a positive mindset to support and contribute towards the goals of the business. You need to demonstrate this in an interview to show you are honest, genuine and trustworthy, as these are personal qualities business owners look for. Remember, when employers recruit, they are investing their time and money into their staff, so they want to ensure they recruit the right people who are committed to the job and the business.
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Preparation
Preparation is key for a successful interview. It is through preparation that you will be able to sell yourself with ease and speak with confidence. There are many things you can do to prepare, including:
- Ensure you are familiar with your resume to confidently speak about previous work experience, projects, your skillset and strengths and how you can apply this to the role.
- Also, be familiar with the job ad and position description so you can align your skills and experience to the requirements of the role, confidently speaking about this.
- As mentioned above, doing your research about the company and finding out who works there and their role will help create a better 2-way conversation in the interview. It will help when answering questions and assist you with questions that you can ask the interviewer.
Click here for 7 tips on how to prepare for a job interview
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Your Presentation
First impressions are everything. Always ensure you are well presented and appropriately dressed for the role you’re applying for. Even if it’s an informal meeting over coffee, dress as you are going to an interview. If you feel good about what you are wearing, you will feel more confident about yourself and what you can bring to the business. You want to dress as if you are already working there and try to dress in a way that mirrors the business or the person interviewing you.
Don’t forget that your body language also plays a big part in how you present yourself. Ensure you are displaying positive body language to win over the interviewer.
Click here to read about 7 positive body language tips to help you in your next job interview
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Thank You and Follow Up
Finally, always thank the interviewer for the opportunity for the interview and say that you look forward to hearing back from them. If it hasn’t been discussed, ask what the next stage of the interview process is and when you should expect to hear from them again.
After the interview, a nice little touch is to send a follow-up email thanking them for the interview. Employers value when staff go above and beyond, and sending a follow-up ‘thank you’ email shows initiative. If you don’t hear back from them when they said they would contact you, send a follow-up email or give them a call. Again, this follow-up shows initiative and enthusiasm for the job.
Click here to read How to follow-up on a job opportunity
It is a combination of these subtle steps which helps you sell yourself for the role you are applying for. Give it your best go, and if you need more help, contact us at Keyba Careers!
