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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."