We spin ourselves all the time-to find a date or a mate, to make a good impression
on our elders, to join a club or society. Spinning merely involves presenting
those aspects of ourselves that are likely to be appealing to others. It is not
enough to come off this way or that way. You take control of the message you
convey to the interviewer. The clearer the spin, the sharper is the appeal.
All you must do, then, is figure out how to use your self-knowledge and company
knowledge to market yourself. Skip the tag line, but do formulate a coherent
message about yourself. This is the message that you want to reemphasize
throughout the interview as you answer a variety of questions. Using the
information that you gathered from the exercises in Know Yourself, make a list
of your transferable skills, your inherent qualities, and your personality
traits that would be relevant to this job.
Brainstorm what you offer the position. Suzanne's list follows.
| Experience-based Skills |
Transferable Skills |
Personal Qualities |
| HTML Coding |
Project Management |
Dependable |
| Vendor Relations |
Clear Communication |
Accessible |
| Client Relations |
Writing |
Focused |
| Product Development |
Organization |
Flexible |
| Quality Assurance Practices |
Team Leadership |
Initiative |
| Web Writing |
Negotiation |
Creative |
|
Problem-solving |
Fast Learner |
Take a careful look at your list to determine which of the skills and qualities seem
most relevant to the position you are seeking. For the consultant position that
Suzanne is seeking, client relations and quality assurance practices seem most
relevant from the experience-based skills category. Each of the skill from the
transferable skills category is relevant, so she chooses to emphasize
negotiation, problem-solving, project management, and writing. She anticipates
that the personal qualities required for this position include creativity,
dependability, initiative, and flexibility.
Generate concise anecdotes. Once you have created a short-list of skills and
qualities that you offer the company, compile a set of stories and facts that
illustrate your unique abilities. When doing so, remember a few guidelines:
- Your goal is to convince the interviewer that you are right for the job.
- Be specific.
- Highlight information readily understood as transferable.
- Accentuate accomplishments.
- Connect your past experience to the position you seek.
- Reveal your values.
- Remember your audience and their values.
- Keep your presentation under two minutes.
Identify your basic message. With her skill profile, knowledge of the employer and
job, and these guidelines in mind, Suzanne might develop an overall interview
message like the following.
"I will bring to this consultancy position a combination of skills and
qualities that I am confident would make me a valuable contributor to the
company. In my previous position as a Project Manager, I spearheaded the
development of multi-media projects that exceeded the expectations of our
clients. I could not succeed without my teams. Although my teams and I faced
multiple obstacles, I used my problem-solving skills and judgment to overcome
barriers in a way that satisfied the interests of our clients, my company, and
my teams. I was able to gain the trust and confidence of the team members. My
communication and negotiation skills enabled me to lead frazzled and sometimes
antagonistic teams of people to work together in a focused and productive way.
Since this pressure-cooker experience, I have gained licensure as a court
mediator, and I have a master's degree in conflict resolution.
"In addition to my ability to mobilize teams by overcoming conflict and
confusion, my company made use of my organizational skills and my
self-initiative. I was able to work with a minimum of supervision, but consulted
the company directors when I needed their input, guidance, or support. Since I
was responsible for creating the concepts and content of the projects that I
managed, my self-direction enabled me to balance multiple responsibilities while
still carving out time to generate winning ideas and write content."
Identify the bottom line. Knowing that she wants to communicate her basic message
throughout the interview, Suzanne then clarifies the core of what she has to
offer:
"I offer your company and this position effective negotiation and
communication abilities, creative problem solving and project management skills,
inner drive and initiative, and strong writing skills. My colleagues here would
find me dependable and flexible."
Continue to the 'Know the Employer' article
