What to Say About Yourself
Dwelling on one’s document and practical qualifications when you are asked to market yourself is an overkill; your CV already says this. Equally disastrous is emphasizing which renowned professors taught you in college or the industry gurus you have worked under. They might take your praise for these people as an insult. Do not ask who you will be working under and whether there will be opportunities for advancement in the job like some over enthusiastic young people do. Remember you have not yet been taken on board and this your last chance to convince them to hire you.
Being overly earnest can be dangerous during an interview. Say only what relates to your performance at work and leave out unnecessary personal details unless they are obvious. For example if your hand is in a cast following an accident, the interviewers might want to know when it will be removed and whether you will regain full use of your limb. Similarly a pregnant interviewee might need to tell the panelist how long she has to go before taking maternity leave.. use plenty of humor and courtesy to fending off unacceptable probing into your personal life. Which often deliberate during interviews.
You will often be asked to state your expected salary. Find out before hand and get a working figure of what people with your qualifications at the company earn. Avoid showing desperation by accepting anything offered if your estimate is shot down. Some panelist ask interviewees to give a breakdown of how they would spend their salaries if employed. This is done to gauge your lifestyle and values and to see whether you are appropriate for the position they want to fill. If you’re asked to do so, present a realistic budget commensurate with the social standing where the prospective job would place you. It would be suicidal say, to state that owing to the current inflation, you would factor in your lunch in a dingy backstreet establishment when applying for a public relations officer’s job. Do not also dwell too much on your philanthropic and sacrificing side by giving away a lot and leaving nothing for yourself in your proposed budget. This may make them wonder as to your true character and worth to the organization.
However, do not present the image of a carefree fashionable. It can ruin your chances of being employed. Balance between your needs and those of your family or extended kin as this shows responsibility. What the interviewers want to see is how you priorities your obligations and whether they might hamper your productivity if employed. When talking about yourself, leave your religious conviction out. Being related to a prominent family is also a no-go zone and should be alluded too under any circumstances;this may have already been inferred from your CV.. keep your answers short and succinct without providing any additional information that is not in public domain. If you have a hobby or passion, this is the time to talk about it. This is a safe area where they might not have an immediate way of verifying and there is room for you to make up if employed.
When marketing yourself one’s knowledge of the job being applied for is still relevant and can be sneaked in in a less formal way. Talk about your short-and long-term goals and stay level-headed, sensible and talk pleasantly. There is no telling how the interview will go, but these tips should help.
