Page 146 - How To Sell Yourself

Selling Yourself in the Job Interview 145
• Intermission. Rarely is a job offered, or accepted, on the spot. Both parties need additional time to think about it. The interviewer will check your references. You’ll look over the company materials and publications. Often other interviews will occur during this break.
• Offer and acceptance. More discussion and exchange of information. Anything to be further negotiated regarding salary, perks, vacation, and the like are hashed out here. Then both parties make the decision.
Performing effectively
Although the circumstances may be slightly different, the job interview, as are many speaking situations, is essentially a matter of communication—the way you present yourself and your ideas and the way they are perceived by your audience, in this case, the interviewer. So, naturally, the same techniques and strategies ap- ply in both situations.
If you’ve mastered the use of your face, your gestures, and your voice, if you’re prepared and confident, and if you send the winning signals in the way you look and the way you dress, you can master any job interview that comes your way.
One final piece of advice
A job interview can be, and often is, a kind of mini-confronta- tion. An interviewer, like an aggressive reporter, may ask you ques- tions that are difficult, if not impossible, to answer. But you can turn negative questions into positive answers.
Pause, look at the interviewer, and then give honest, positive answers that will present you in the best possible light.
If your interviewer zings you with, “What do you consider your greatest weakness?” give it a positive twist with something such as, “Most of the people I work with think I’m too dedicated to my job” or “My attention to detail seems to bother some col- leagues, but usually not the boss.”
If you’re asked, “What’s the minimum salary you’ll accept?” don’t be afraid to toss it back. “I think I should be offered what- ever salary the job is worth to the company. What figure did you have in mind?”