How to SELL Yourself - Three Ways to Seal the Deal

September 8th, 2008 by steve

Interviewing can be daunting. But here are three ways to help you get a leg up on the competition.

The “Dress For Success” Mystique

Human beings have a funny way of judging things very quickly. Likes and dislikes are subjective, and one thing we can’t seem to get a handle on is why employers tend to hire people they like. With that said, employers like people who dress well, make good first impressions, and appear to be professional - employers believe those people will make good decisions in their job. And they’re usually right. The best rule of thumb for dressing for success is to dress for the job you “want”, not the job you “have”. Dress for a job above yours - observe the dress patterns of the people you admire at work - those people understand the importance of dressing well to get noticed.

The “Tell Me About Yourself” rumour

Its the most commonly known interview question in the world. The reason most employers ask it is to break the ice with “something easy”. Trouble is, it’s not so easy when you’re nervous, under pressure, and unprepared to “just talk” for a couple of minutes. The best thing to do is to prepare yourself for a concise, but easy-going answer. Include personal (not business) information that might give the interviewer a chance to learn a little bit about who you are. You’ve already dressed to reflect some of your business goals, so now you might consider telling the interviewer where you’re from originally, what you do in your spare time, the sports you enjoy most, your favourite books or movies, and perhaps the name of the person you look up to most. Ideally, give them one or two irresistible nuggets of information that they feel compelled to ask you to elaborate on - it’s what they want, and it’ll help get the interview going smoothly. Your answer should, above all, be natural, unrehearsed, and honest. Nothing endears people to you more than honesty and integrity. And if you prove to be easy to talk to, you’ll be in their “good books” from the start.

The Importance of “Closing” the Deal

Do your very best to offer insightful answers throughout the interview. But when the interviewer has finished asking you all of her questions, it’s your chance to really shine: get her impression of how good your chances are. You’ve given your best answers, you were thoughtful and calm, and now you need to find out if the interviewer is likely to give you the offer. And here’s how you’ll know: Ask. “Is there any reason I would not be considered for this role?” If the employer does her job, she should try not to commit to hiring you during an interview. They will likely answer you by telling you they can not make a decision until she has completed the rest of her interviews. But that’s not your cue to quit: “If I were the last interview, would I be your first choice for this role?” If the employer answers with anything but “yes”, it’s your job to forge ahead with more questions. “Is there anything in my application that would prevent me from being your first choice for this role?” Above all, your job at this stage is to parlay your interest, eagerness, and preparedness for this role. These days, the right attitude and fit are the deciding factors in extending offers of employment. Make sure you stand out by “closing” your excitement about this job.

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Steve Baldwin is CEO of Officejobs.com. With dual head offices in Canada, Officejobs.com serves reputable employers nationally. Expert recruiters provide insight and advice to employers and job seekers alike, combining advanced online recruitment technologies with old fashioned wisdom.

7 Responses to “How to SELL Yourself - Three Ways to Seal the Deal”

Vidhya says:
September 8th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Hi Steve,

That was indeed a great insight and especially the last point on how to close the deal. These tips are very useful and surely facilitate most of the us (job seekers) to be well prepared for the interviews.

But would like to know your opinion & any suggestion on the same about my candidature.
I have 7 years of HR & recruitment experience from India. I have a good English conversational skills, both written & verbal and of course I understand the HR practices & process quite well. But still I am not able to secure a permanent job. I would like to know the reason for this and what exactly is that Canadian employers look for in a person to even be called for interview.

I feel there is a lot discrimination with skilled people from other countries. Please correct me if I am wrong. And also please let me know how to sell my Indian qualification and experience here in Canada.

Any suggestion will be highly appreciated.

Thank you,
Vidhya K
Margot Lepage says:
September 8th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
I live in the Montreal region (South Shore). I am looking for a part-time secretarial job.

I have been looking for 6 months with no positive response in sight. The good news is that 90% of employers whom I send my resume to call me for an interview. The bad news is I never get the job. Why? Maybe because I am 60 years old.

What do you think?
Hawa Jackson says:
September 8th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Hi Steve,
I’m in a dead end job that i have had for nearly 6 years. My problem is that i do not like interviews, I haven’t had one in 6 years, I’m very bnervous. Also I’m not sure if my resume would secure me a job let alone an interview. Where can I go to get help with my resume?
steve says:
September 9th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Hi Vidhya,
Thank you for your comment. It sounds like you are well qualified to work in Canada, although I’m not well-versed in the technical requirements for an HR professional for many companies. I noticed in your message that you have a strong command of written English, however there are some nuances that you may need to pollish up to perform optimally in a professional role. There are some advanced English language courses available that might help clarify some of the small (but noticeable) mistakes in your writing.
What Canadian Employers are usually looking for are proven ability to make a positive impact on their goals (you must be able to show them proof that you have specifically accomplished real results for another employer, presentation skills, and “fit” within their organization and its people. (You may wish to review an earlier blog post I wrote called “The Only 3 Things Employers Care About”).
I don’t think there is an overriding discrimination in Canada toward candidates from other countries. However, I do believe that some employers are unsure of the similarity in business practices in other countries, as compared to how things are done in Canada. Given that uncertainty, some employers may be more comfortable hiring the candidate who has worked in a market the employer understands.
I hope this helps.
steve says:
September 9th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Hi Margot,
Thanks for reading my Blog. I’m sorry to hear you have not been able to secure a job for 6 months. However, I am encouraged to hear that you have an unbelievable ratio of interviews! You’ve pretty much surpassed all other ratios for our industry, so your resume deserves some credit! Without being at the interview with you, its hard for me to comment on why you haven’t been given an offer. Perhaps employers you’re applying with are not seeking Part time workers. Or, maybe your personality isn’t a fit for the existing culture of the company. Or, maybe the recruiters you met feel that your age really is a barrier (do they think you might want to retire in 12 months?)Or, maybe your interview skills need some practice! Interviewing is an art form - and you need to be able to properly convey your message in a short amount of time. Practice with someone you trust - someone who understands that you need sound business advice, not coddling, and that you require honest feedback. Your confidence should soar, you should be excited to tell people what you can deliver to the bottom line, and the interviewer should leave the meeting with 2 or 3 clear ideas of why they should hire you.
Good luck - its not easy perfecting your interview techniques, but with some elbow grease, your resume will give you plenty of new opportunities to practice them!
steve says:
September 9th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Hello Hawa,
You might want to read my reply to Margot’s post - it has to do with the quality of your interview technique. With practice, maybe a LOT of practice, you’ll become more confident and comfortable with the process. The pain of going through an interview is probably better than suffering through another 6 years in the job you have now.

Margot seems to have a terrific resume that’s getting her a ton of interviews. You don’t seem too sure about yours. There’s no easy way to build a perfect resume so you might have to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Its a tough job to concisely capture, on paper, all the qualities and experience you bring to a new employer. It must reflect your experience, but also a little bit of your personality and professionalism. If you have a “dead end” job, you might have to reach a little deeper to find some meaningful contributions you’ve made to the organization. Be specific! Give stats, numbers, percentages, ratios, client interactions - prove that you’ve made the best out of a difficult situation. No employer wants to “save” you from a dead end job. But every employer wants a positive, eager, and productive new employee. If you have great difficulty in getting started, there are dozens of Professional Resume Writers out there who can help guide yo. If you let them, they’ll build your entire resume. But if you decide to employ the services of a pro, do yourself a favour and make sure to REwrite it yourself, with your own personality. Its an important process that serves you well in understanding your own goals and thought processes; you’ll find a more suitable job that way too. You can do it- just take baby steps.
Avery Emerson says:
January 9th, 2009 at 3:41 am
hi
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good luck