The Job Search
Business Tips to Sell Your Skills
When you’re searching for a job, you’re selling your skills to potential employers. You have to prove to employers – your customers – that you’re the right one for the job and have what it takes to complete the tasks successfully. So, why not take cues from a salesperson and sell your skills to your customers? Try these five business techniques in your search to market yourself as the best person for the job.
Market Yourself. The top sales people in any industry are highly skilled at selling their product or service to their target market. Think of your product as your qualifications for the job. Then, work on your sales pitch to potential employers. Start by creating an elevator speech. In sales, an elevator speech is a 15-30 second introduction about yourself that includes who you are and what you can offer to clients and customers. When you meet potential employers or other contacts, you can quickly share your job search elevator speech with them to let them know you’re looking for a job and what qualifications you have. If they’re interested, you can start a great conversation that could lead to an interview.
Network with Other Professionals. Networking is essential for a successful job search, because often, your network of contacts can land you a job interview. Make sure to get to know new people – whether they work in your industry or not – at meetings, events, and social gatherings. Exchange contact information and begin to build a relationship with each person. Then, when the time comes and you need a job, they can recommend you or let you know about an opening that might not be publicized yet.
Create Personal Business Cards. Carrying around your résumé can be tricky when you’re networking, so try using personal business cards. This gives you a quick and easy way to leave your contact information with people you meet. This card, similar in size and shape to a regular business card, includes your name, contact information (such as address, phone number, and e-mail address), and a brief sentence that demonstrates experience or qualifications. If you’re a recent college graduate, phrase your objective in terms of your education.
Make it Your Full Time “Job.” A thorough job search is a full-time proposition. So, think like a salesperson by keeping “office hours” while you’re on the hunt for a new employment opportunity. Between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, focus on your job search. This includes customizing your résumé, practicing your interview skills, applying for jobs, and physically going out in search of new opportunities. If you use your time wisely, you’ll increase your chances of finding the right jobs to apply for and have time to focus on tailoring your résumé, networking, and other high-level job search tactics.
Dress the Part. If you want to be seen as professional and knowledgeable during your job search, you must dress the part to effectively sell your skills to potential employers. So whether you’re networking, picking up an application, dropping off your résumé, or heading to an interview, make sure you’re dressed appropriately for the type of job you want. It can be easy to wear your sweatpants and a T-shirt every day, but the positive power of dressing sharp can keep you feeling like a professional. This can give you confidence and keep your outlook positive – which can quickly wear off! Remember, you don’t get to redo first impressions, so be sure that you’re always presenting yourself appropriately – you never know when you’ll cross paths with your future employer.
Selling your skills to potential employers is like selling your product or service to a customer – you have to know what you’re selling and how it’ll benefit your customer. Then, you have to hit the streets! So, the next time you’re searching for a job, take the approach of a salesperson and use your time wisely to market yourself and make new contacts. You’ll soon earn the customer you want – a great employer to work for.
More Helpful Job Search Tips
• Using Networking Opportunities
• Writing a Stand-Out Résumé
• Building a Career Wardrobe
Interview Techniques
Polish Your Skills for a Smooth Interview
Most interview advice focuses on speaking, presentation, and appearance. But the No. 1 most important part is selling your unique qualifications. Your experience and education are important to potential employers, but if you lack the interview skills to accurately portray yourself as the right person for the job, you may hurt your chances of receiving an offer of employment. Here’s how to focus on your strengths and share your qualifications in an interview.
Establish a Plan. Before you begin working on your interview techniques, it’s important to have a plan in place. First, determine why you want the job you’re interviewing for. Second, find out the specifics of the job requirements, including the required education, experience, and skills. Then, match your qualifications with the listed job skills. To do this, look at the job description and write down the experience or skills you have that will fulfill each requirement. Make sure you complete this step fully before moving on.
Toss Out the Old. Over time you gain new experiences, skills, and knowledge, but not everything you learn will be required in every job you apply for. So, look at the list of your qualifications that match the job description. This is the foundation for what you need to talk about in your interview. If you didn’t write down your part-time summer stint at the smoothie stand, don’t plan to bring it up in conversation. In an interview, your time with a potential employer is limited, so focus on the qualifications they’re looking for and avoid talking about experiences or skills that aren’t relevant to the job. You don’t want to run out of time before you share the reasons why you’re qualified.
Find a Place for Everything. Once you toss out the information that you don’t need to share with a potential employer, take another look at your list of job qualifications. You wrote down the information you need to share – now find a place in the interview for you to bring up each one. You can anticipate that employers will ask several typical interview questions, so prepare to answer each one of these popular questions using a different qualification from your list. For example, if an employer asks about leadership capabilities, you could take the opportunity to explain how you successfully led a team project or initiative. Toward the end of your interview, employers typically ask for additional information that may be pertinent to the job. This is your opportunity to cover remaining qualifications that you hadn’t found an opportunity to discuss yet. Once you cover all of your skills, the employer will have a clear picture of how qualified you are for the job.
There’s always room to improve your skills, including those you use during an interview. So as you prepare for your next interview, don’t forget to practice selling your qualifications. By polishing your techniques, your interview is sure to stand out.
More Helpful Interview Tips
• Responding to Interview Questions
• The Real Questions Behind Interview Questions
• 7 Must-Dos Before a Job Interview
Job Search Struggles
10 People Who Didn’t Get Hired
Hiring managers receive tons of résumés for each of the positions they’re trying to fill, but few candidates will make it to the interview process. And only one person will get the job. Have you ever wondered why the others didn’t get hired? Check out our list of 10 people who didn’t get hired and how they ruined their chances.
1. The Inexperienced Expert – They claim to be an expert on a subject, but conversation and their job history reveal they have no real experience. This leaves experienced hiring managers unimpressed.
2. The Overly Persistent Inquirer –Repeatedly calling the interviewer to ask if a decision about the position has been made demonstrates this candidate’s lack of finesse and may cross the line into stalking. These are not the skills employers are looking for.
3. The Flirt – Obviously more interested in landing a date with the interviewer than the job, the flirt is a walking HR disaster and a liability employers will quickly dismiss. Employers will quickly question the flirt’s ethics and professionalism.
4. The Liar – Lying about their education or experience to make themselves appear more qualified for the position makes an impression – a negative one that will hurt their long-term job search.
5. The HR Nightmare – They share too much personal information about their lifestyle choices, political views, or religious beliefs in every interview question, leaving employers bewildered and ready to move on to more thoughtful candidates.
6. The Champion – Claiming in the interview they’ll outshine all current staff members is a turn off and an insult to a hiring manager’s sensibility and decision-making skills.
7. The Overachiever – They can’t come up with a personal weakness to describe and talk about themselves as near super-human. This makes employers wonder if the candidate is just naïve, or worse, completely self-centered.
8. The Begger – With desperation, they beg the hiring manager to choose them because they’re tired of looking for a job. This leaves the hiring manager wondering about loyalty, competency, and common sense.
9. The Aggressor – Refusing to leave the interviewer’s office until they’re offered a job, the candidate’s aggressive behavior lands them an armed escort out of the building, rather than an invitation to start a new job.
10. The Casual Candidate – They dress inappropriately, show up late, and can’t provide specific answers to questions. This causes employers to question whether this is the candidate’s idea of a good impression and what they would act like in the office every day.
Make sure you aren’t ruining your chances of a job by exhibiting any of these behaviors. If you see yourself on the list, practice your interview skills now before you miss out on another job opportunity.
Job Genius is a publication of Express Services, Inc. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.