Really Want That Job? Don’t Make These Six Mistakes. Mistake #1: Overselling Your Strengths
If you want to avoid turning hiring managers off with an excessively keen attitude, make sure to fix these bad habits.
1. Overselling your strengths
Have you ever been to a department store where the salespeople keep trying to push the store credit card? With every “No, thanks” the salesperson gets, the more they list benefits and tell you how great the card is and why you’d be a fool to walk out without it. Interviews can go the same way. You have to sell your strengths without overselling.
The Fix: Ask strategic questions, listen, and treat the interview like a business meeting–which is what it is.
If the interviewer says, “We’re looking for someone who can expand our product market to Canada,” your response should consist of more than, “Sure, I can do that!” Go deeper. Ask about their strategic plan and the biggest issues they face as they try to accomplish the expansion.
You may not have the job yet, but offer suggestions as if you do. Tie the topic to an example from your own career, where you overcame a business expansion challenge. Give them specifics about the results you got.
By simply having a business conversation, you’re able to sell yourself without overselling. Remember, it’s not about you–it’s about the company’s needs. How can you solve their problem?
