Getting a Job = Selling Yourself!
When you interview for a job, you are essentially asking for money. If you can show that the value you bring to the position is greater than the salary you are seeking, the job is yours. Just as with sales, you do this by building trust.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Read the job description and identify the problem the company is hiring you to solve. Why do they need this position filled? We call this the target problem. (Also, make sure you actually understand what the company does. Read their Website!)
Step 2: Review your skill list (You have one, right?), resume, past job experiences, degrees, and interests and try to come up with a compelling argument for why you are the best solution to the target problem.
Step 3: Make a list of questions you expect to be asked at the interview. Prepare answers to these questions. When you answer the questions, try to show yourself as a solution to the company’s target problem by citing the specific accomplishments or experiences you identified in step 2 and explaining why they are relevant.
Step 4: Practice. Have a friend drill you with questions. Make sure you can answer each of these questions effectively in 90 seconds or less.
Step 5: Cut out any responses or behaviors that make you look like a problem. If your behavior or responses to the interviewer’s questions make you appear to be a potential liability (rather than an asset), you will not get the job. Don’t ask to reschedule the interview. Don’t complain if the company makes the interview inconvenient for you. They may just be testing you!
Step 6: Send a thank you note after the interview. Gratitude builds trust.
Happy selling!