Job Interviews and The Secret of Selling Yourself
A very effective and persuasive tactic when selling something is to promote its benefits as well as its features.
Very simply, features are what something has; benefits are what those features do for you.
For example, if you're selling your used Oldsmobile, one of the features you might mention is its large trunk.
If you focus only on the feature, you'll say, "This car has a large trunk." (Yawn) But if you promote that feature with its benefit, you could say, "The trunk is huge. You can get three suitcases and your golf bag in there for a trip to Disneyland and still have plenty of room for all the souvenirs you'll want to bring home!" See how that makes a more powerful impression?
The potential buyer can visualize how this car with its large trunk can make packing for his next trip much easier. Use the same tactic for each feature of the car, and (Ka-ching!) you have a much quicker sale.
When you're preparing your resume or answering questions during an interview, you're selling yourself, so use that same tactic: sell your benefits along with your features! Here's how:
Consider these typical "features" a job applicant might mention during an interview:
? 10 Years of Experience
? Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute
? Strong Organizational Skills
? Dedicated
? Excellent Communicator
? 2004 Administrator of the Year, Acme International Inc.
Those are pretty impressive. Now let's see how you can turn those "features" into "benefits:"
? Feature: 10 Years of Experience. Benefits: "I know what to expect in this type of position; I've handled this type of work before; I won't need much training or supervision; I'll hit the ground running and will start producing right away."
? Feature: Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute. Benefits: "I can get your 10-page reports done in less than an hour; I will speed up your work flow."
? Feature: Strong Organizational Skills. Benefits: "I'll keep track of your schedule so you'll always be on time and have the materials you need; I will be able to quickly retrieve any document; I will prioritize my workload to ensure the most critical projects are don e first; I will save you time; I'll help you make your boss happy."
? Feature: Dedicated. Benefits: "I will support the company's overall mission and do whatever I can to help achieve it; I won't complain about hard work or long hours; I will faithfully do my job to the best of my ability."
? Feature: Excellent Communicator. Benefits: "I will easily be able to give you and your staff the information you and they need, whether in verbal or written form; I will be able to compose much of your correspondence, relieving you of that duty; I will save you time and effort."
? Feature: Administrator of the Year, 2003, Acme International Inc. Benefits: "I'm very good at what I do, and you don't have to take my word for it - here's proof that others have recognized my skill, professionalism, and outstanding contributions."
Even more impressive! See how that works? A "feature" is nice. But even better is answering the hiring manager's unspoken question, "So why is that important?" You do that by selling your "benefits."
Make a list of your own features and their corresponding benefits. Learn to promote these benefits to your potential employer. Do this in your cover letter, your resume, and during your interview to make a powerful impression.
You will SELL yourself into a new job!
Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com.
Latest News
Cagle awards Lanier Charter Career Academy $3.1 million Access North Georgia, GA - The academies are unique centers of learning that provide Georgia's high school students with exceptional pathways to rewarding jobs, great careers and an ... |
 Voice of America | When One Job Isn't Enough LongIslandPress.com, NY - Lloyd Staffing offers temporary, contract and full-time employment services on a regional and national basis. Send your career-related questions to ... The Job Hunt: Despite Slowing Economy, Older Workers Continue Job ... |
Recession-proof your career - Employment expert offers job ... MyWebTimes.com, IL - ... understandable to be concerned about employment, there are steps workers can take to help them be more indispensable and “recession-proof” their career. ... |
State agency posts personal data online Sun-Sentinel.com, FL - For 19 days in October, the sensitive personal information of at least 250000 Floridians was posted on a state government employment agency Web site, ... |
‘Brain drain’ grant supports effort to prepare students for ... University of Indianapolis, United States - A substation of the university’s Office of Career Services will focus on employment opportunities for older students who have returned to higher education ... Butler to Use Grant to Deal With "Brain Drain" |
JA distributes guide to jewelry careers National Jeweler Network, NY - "Our industry offers countless employment opportunities for young people." The effort is part of JA's long-term strategy of examining and increasing ... |
Applied Marketing Science Research Study Instrumental in ... PR Web (press release), WA - Thus far, MIT has graduated two classes from the program, and nearly all have found suitable employment within their field. According to Jenny Stine, ... |
UIndy will use $750000 to address 'brain drain' Indianapolis Star, United States - ... high-need employment areas" such as the healthcare professions. UIndy also would provide additional career services for adults returning to learning, ... |
Graduates face difficulty starting careers East Tennessean Online Edition (subscription), TN - The employment total in Johnson City has gone down from 53956 in the third quarter last year to 53171 this year. The difference does not seem to be much but ... |
 Boston Globe | Losing jobs in unequal numbers Boston Globe, United States - (Robert E. Klein for The Boston Globe) By Robert Gavin The careers of Neal Boyle and Scott Hacker couldn't be more different. Boyle, whose education ended ... |
Resources
-
Sorry there are no resources available at this time