|
Janice Chalmers
It's not just what you say, but the way that you say it. Here, Workthing has compiled five forget-me-nots of how to pitch yourself to a potential employer
You, not I
The only place where 'I' comes before 'you' should be in the alphabet. In your cover letters and interviews it's your 'you attitude' that counts. In other words, the needs of your potential employer should come first. It's not about what you need, but what you can offer them.
Compare "I have just been made redundant, and am looking for something in media sales" to "I believe that my five years' experience in media sales would allow me to bring the level of expertise you seek to help expand your business".
What the interviewer is thinking: "What can this person do for me?"
Results over responsibilities
Too many CVs look like long shopping lists. The would-be employer is actually more interested in what you've achieved than what you've done.
Compare "As customer service executive, I liaised with customers, responded to queries, logged complaints, and was involved in customer service meetings" to "As customer service executive I reduced query response time from four to two days, contributing to a 15% improvement in customer satisfaction ratings".
What the interviewer is thinking: "Does this person make a difference to their company?"
Highlights over history
Resist the urge to present every little detail of your career history to date - especially in the interview. A good rule of thumb is to stick to information that is most relevant to the job. Give them the big picture of your career first, and let them focus you down to the detail. Interviewers know what they want to find out.
Compare these two answers to the question 'Can you tell me about yourself?' Answer one: 'I left school at 16, and then went to work at the check-out in Safeways, which was OK, although a bit dull, so then I went back to college and took my HND in marketing, although at the time I would have liked to do media studies, but it was oversubscribed, and then I..." Answer two: "I'm a marketing graduate, and have over 15 years' experience in FMCG marketing across both national and more recently European client bases."
What the interviewer is thinking: "Let's test this person to see what they pull out as important."
Expertise as well as experience
Experience is what you've done and achieved; expertise is your skills and abilities. For many jobs, the skills you can offer a new employer will count for as much, if not more, than the experience you have.
Compare "I have 12 years' experience as PA /executive assistant at MD/CEO level" to "I am a highly organised, self-motivated senior level PA, qualified in Pitman, type at 90wpm, and am fully proficient in Microsoft Office, Access and Project."
What the interviewer is thinking: "Besides their technical knowledge, what is this person good at?"
Sell, don't just tell
This tip is all about angle. Great sales people sell on the strength of a product's USPs - unique selling propositions. In the interview, you need to think of yours - what makes you stand out from the crowd. You should assume the interviewer will be seeing several people like you, qualified enough to do the job. Any time they ask you question, tell them the answer, but incorporate into it what it means for them as a potential employer. A good way to do this is to try to make them picture you in the job.
Compare "I have considerable experience of running a large team of telesales people" to "From my experience of running a large telesales team, I can imagine you're currently facing problem x, so what I would do in this position would be y".
What the interviewer is thinking: "So what makes you so special?"
| Ever tried the 'elevator pitch'? |
The CV is past its sell-by date. Author Bill Faust recommends a new alternative - the elevator pitch - where candidates learn to pitch themselves to a prospective employer within the space of a short ride in a lift. The pitch is made up of three main parts:- Who you are
- What you do
- How you do it
The whole pitch combined should be a sound bite of salesmanship - showing why you're so special, and leaving them begging for more.
It's not as easy as it seems. You have to condense your key skills, experience and achievements into a few short phrases. Then all you have to do is find yourself alone in the lift with an unsuspecting employer. Stalking is strictly prohibited!
Buy Pitch Yourself by Bill and Michael Faust here. |
|
Back to top
|
© Workthing Limited 2001. All rights reserved. Workthing Limited
registered in England and Wales No. 3873867 Registered Office: 164 Deansgate Manchester M62 2RD
|
|
