What is that old line that people will say? Something about “everything in moderation”. This statement is usually made in terms of some type of consumption such as alcohol or fatty foods. You can also make it work, however, for your job search by the use of self-promotion during an interview.
Some degree of self-promotion is absolutely necessary. You want to clearly outline your skills, experience, and accomplishments, but in a way where you do not come across as arrogant or self-centered. For example, when describing a group project, it is important to communicate what you specifically did to lead the team to success. Also, in this example, you want to show how it was a collective effort and that you were a team player. As you probably know, being a good teammate is considered a crucial component for most positions.
To make this scenario even more complicated, you don’t want to dial back your self-promotion so low that, rather than displaying some self-depreciation, you appear weak or unconfident. This is a very real concern because highlighting your own accomplishments can be a very uncomfortable exercise for most people. It does not come natural to most people to speak glowingly about themselves.
It is therefore critical that you dial the appropriate level of self-promotion for the recruiter or hiring manager. So, how do you do that? Let’s look at a few suggestions for you to consider:
• Use Other Opportunities To Display Warmth: There should be numerous other opportunities, during the course of the interview, for you to display warmth and compassion. This should more than offset any concerns about you being unfriendly or selfish when you later start promoting yourself. You can begin right away when you walk through the door by greeting the front reception warmly, introducing yourself with a smile to everyone, and complimenting the hiring manager (such as when they ask a particularly good question). It is especially important to start off friendly, as first impressions can often be the most lasting image a person has of you.
• Complement Others When Self-Promoting: There is no reason why you can’t do both of these at the same time or, more specifically, during the same example. By doing this joint promotion, you are advocating for your own accomplishments, but also reinforcing how you are a team player. For example, when promoting your key role in a team project, you can also insert how much you also learned from a colleague who did “x” on the same assignment. By doing this, you are also sending the message that you are eager to learn and get better. If you don’t have someone else to complement when self-promoting, you can settle for a general statement about how well the team worked together.
• Manage Your Use Of “I”: The use of “I” by a speaker grabs the attention of the listener. It is a powerful pronoun that should be used sparingly. Consider only using it for self-promotion when you really want to drive home an accomplishment, and just use it a few times during the course of the interview. Too much use of “I” will overwhelm the listener and generally leave the person with a negative view of you.
• Use Numbers When You Can: One way to come across as less self-centered is to share numbers to promote yourself. To the typical listener, the use of analytics switches a statement from being personal and perhaps subjective to sounding unbiased and objective. You get to make a positive comment about yourself, but generally not have it attached to you as your opinion or perception. There is a further benefit that numbers can just be a very powerful and persuasive argument (“fact” v. opinion). We have become an increasingly analytically oriented work environment and by taking this approach, you can come across as progressive in your thought process.
The art of selling yourself is a critical skill for all positions and not just for those seeking a sales position. You must be able to convey to your audience why your skills, experience, and accomplishments positively differentiate you from other candidates seeking the role. The key is to dial up a level of self-promotion that will leave the hiring manager thoroughly impressed rather than concerned about your ego.
As always, best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of WNYJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein
WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at:
Joe Stein
