The Language of
Self Promotion:
Communicating
Your Value
with Confidence
Robin Brock
Program Coordinator, Job Placement
Midlands Technical College
You’ve invested thousands of dollars and hours of effort to devel
op the skills employers seek. Your cover letter and “perfect" resume
landed the interview for your dream job. The conservative outfit you
purchased for the occasion, clean and freshly pressed, hangs in antici
pation in your closet. You have the knowledge, you’ve got the look, but
can you convince an employer that you possess the abilities and attrib
utes for the position you seek?
The following strategies can improve your interviewing confidence and
set you apart from other job candidates.
Analyze your past successes. Think about those special
moments in your life when you felt particularly proud of yourself at
work, school, home or in the community. What skills, abilities and per
sonal qualities did yoO use effectively and repeatedly to make success
happen? Chances are these same attributes will contribute to your
future career success.
Have you worked full time while attending college? If so, you
have demonstrated the highly desirable ability to effectively manage
multiple priorities.
Did you cope with a crisis that put your academic progress at
risk? You will call on your ability to handle stressful situations through
out your career. Make sure you convey these key qualities in the
employment interview.
Develop and rehearse results-oriented success stories. Be pre
pared to provide evidence of how you have used key skills and attrib
utes effectively in the past. Write down your success stories and
rehearse them aloud until you can deliver them naturally and sponta
neously. Your examples should be specific, brief and conversational.
Use action words to describe your efforts in achieving a desired objec
tive (e.g., analyzed results, implemented changes). To the extent possi
ble, quantify the outcomes of your efforts. Take time to reflect on your
successes immediately prior to your interview.
Customize your responses to interview questions. Demonstrate
effective listening skills by communicating success stories directly relat
ed to the interviewer’s expressed needs. This helps the interviewer
align your attributes with the requirements of the position and visualize
you as the candidate of choice.
Convey personal qualities that complement your skills and qualifi
cations. Final candidates for a position are typically very similar in
terms of work-specific skills and preparation. You can distinguish your
self from the competition by conveying the unique way you use your
skills. For example, a number of job seekers may be particularly adept
in solving problems. However, they may not be creative in their
approach to problem resolution.
An individual who can communicate persistently and persua
sively would be a preferred candidate for an account executive, direct
sales position.
Demonstrate desirable attributes in all your job search activities.
Your language and behavior during the selection process serve as indi
cators of the kind of employee you might be. At a minimum, you
should:
- Be prepared. Prior knowledge of the industry, organization and
position indicates initiative, genuine interest and the ability to
conduct research.
- Be punctual. Dependability is reflected by being present and
on time for all interviews.
- Be positive. A candidate with a pleasant, optimistic demeanor
will be favorably remembered.
- Be polite. Acknowledge an interviewer's gift of time immediate
ly and in writing. Correspondence that is timely and free of
spelling and grammatical errors suggests strong detail orientation
and the ability to follow through.