Suck It Up and Sell Yourself

Suck It Up and Sell Yourself No one likes a bragger, and no one really  wants to be known as one.  In fact, its fairly natural for us  to shy away from  any limelight which will catapult us into cockiness  territory in the eyes of our peers. Especially at work, arrogant big shots  who shove their successes down the throats of others are less than inspiring, and create passive enemies pretty quickly. We know this, and this is why selling ourselves during an interview is  difficult. Overt self-promotion and self-praise dont mirror  the way we speak about ourselves in normal everyday life. A recent study by  LinkedIn  has revealed that, of the pool of professionals  from  18 countries surveyed, almost half do not feel comfortable talking about their achievements or  selling themselves in an interview. A similar number says  it feels  like bragging when they do.  Only 35% actually do feel comfortable outlining their achievements, and 52% generally  prefer to talk about the achievements of their colleagues than their own. Apparently  were actually more likely to publish  health updates and political views on social media,  than we are news of a professional  promotion! Bragging is very unattractive. Strive to be humble and modest. Megan Miller (@Megoooo_5) March 18, 2016 People respect  people who are outrageously successful, but maintain their modesty.  This video of Angelina Jolie accepting an award at the 2013 Governors Awards  has been doing the rounds on the internet AGAIN recently. People cant get enough, but why? Because Angelina has every reason to be the biggest bragger known to man, but time and time again, she chooses to be humble and show appreciation for the privileges she has had, that others havent. If only we could all strike a balance like this! While  giving up all  bragging rights is great in theory,  there will still be times when we have to sell ourselves. And, its amidst our job hunt that  were most likely to have to face these  fears! The  LinkedIn survey also reveals that 86% of  recruitment decision makers believe its important  for candidates to be able to express their achievements. Whether we like it or not, to get ahead in our careers and get our dream job, we need to  feel comfortable answering the following types of questions: What are your strengths? Why should we choose you over others? Why are you the right person for this role? What value can you add? Whats your best achievement to date? For some reason, writing diligent, enthusiastic and intelligent learner who is quick to grasp new concepts in a CV is so much easier  than actually saying those words about ourselves out loud to someone. Many of us go to town with our CVs, describe how great we are, win an interview and then shudder at the thought of having to sell ourselves in person.  Here are a few tips on how to approach these hard asks: 1.  Plan prepare Before you go to an interview, plan and practice marketing yourself. Be sure you actually pinpoint and understand your value as an employee, and what exactly it is you have to offer an employer. Work out clearly beforehand what your best attributes are and where you have seen the greatest success so far in your career.  Dont let yourself be caught off guard by questions about your strengths; and have to scramble for ways to sell yourself. Instead, do your preparation, understand youre going to have to say  all those things you wrote in your CV, and then  just  focus on the execution. 2. Be professional and business-like Forget getting embarrassed or making slightly self-deprecating comments when you have to sell yourself. Instead, view it  the same way you would selling a car. When selling anything, you have to clearly outline the benefits of the product. An interview is no different this time the product just happens to be you. So, youre best to take all  the emotion out of it. When youre talking, you can minimise  your use of  adjectives such as incredible, great, captivating, amazing, respected and high-achieving. These are all opinions  and can prompt  a if you dont say so yourself type of response.  Instead, go for cold hard facts! 3. Use examples results Have statistics at hand to back your achievement claims up. If you have increased revenue by 10% in 6 months, say it. Statistics  and statements based on clear evidence are easier to deliver. If your profession isnt really numbers-driven, try describing a scenario where you were able to change or improve something. For managers, detailing improvements to your own staff will highlight your capability as a leader, without you saying, Im a great leader! 4.  Let others do the talking It would be nice to bring your manager in with you, to sing your praise for you, but thats not realistic  for a number of reasons. The next best thing here is to paraphrase feedback and praise you have received from others, during appraisals or reviews. Talking about common themes that come up when people are analysing your work and approach takes the pressure off, because you are not saying YOU think you are amazing, rather relaying what others have told you. Starting sentences with Ive been told or It regularly comes up that helps you deliver the same message, in a less  gloating way. We cant just leave it there though; you have to  make sure you actually get to the interview stage. To do this, you should check you have a  convincing and professional online presence. Why? Because you WILL be searched by potential employers. According to the LinkedIn survey, a whopping  76% or participants believe  its hard to overcome a first impression, and 65% believe the one you make online is just as important as the one you make in person. So before you enter into your jobhunt, be sure to give your online presence a good going over too, and show your best bits! Image: Shutterstock