You’re awesome! You should know this, and now the challenge is to get other people to realize this. While modesty might be a charming trait in theory, a productive career will involve a solid pattern of selling oneself. Whether its for an interview or a performance review, one should always be comfortable enthusiastically answering these sorts of questions:
What’s your greatest achievement?
What are your strengths?
What value do you add to an organization?
Why are you the right fit for the position?
Don’t just say it in an old-school resume mission statement, be able to state your greatest characteristics to an interviewer, so you can sell yourself in person!
Be professional
This means listening to everything your grade school teacher told you: Stand up straight, don’t fidget, speak clearly. Try to speak directly to the point without too many adjectives or adverbs. Express yourself confidently, even if it means practicing in front of a mirror. Pace yourself so you don’t feel rushed, but you don’t drag on. And try to dress nicely for an interview.
Be Prepared!
Plan out the sort of things you want to pinpoint in an interview. Maybe have an anecdote exemplifying your leadership or your strengths ready to go! Know what exactly it is you can offer the employer. Sort out your best attributes and show where they’ve brought you and others success in your career! Predict this sort of question and have an answer that goes into greater depth than your resume will.
Give examples with results
Don’t just say things, back it up! Statistics and achievements sound much more legitimate than waving your words in a general direction. Tell them you were responsible for a 5% increase in productivity or a $10,000 increase in revenue over the first quarter. Numbers are your friends. Illustrate your management style and how you’ve handled problems in the past and how they were resolved. Stories ring true when they are true!
Let someone else do the talking
While your old manager there to give you two thumbs up would be nice, probably not going to happen. What could happen is bringing his/her words to prop you up! Feel free to paraphrase praise you’ve received or even tuck in a letter of recommendation. Have a good summary of previous appraisals and reviews you’ve undergone and bring them up as they help you! Try to align praise you’ve received with qualities your interviewer would likely appreciate, and that message could go far!
With these tools, you can prepare yourself to interview like a champ and really sell yourself!