Job Interviews and The Secret of Selling Yourself

A very effective and persuasive tactic when selling something is to promote its benefits as well as its features.

Very simply, features are what something has; benefits are what those features do for you.

For example, if you're selling your used Oldsmobile, one of the features you might mention is its large trunk.

If you focus only on the feature, you'll say, "This car has a large trunk." (Yawn) But if you promote that feature with its benefit, you could say, "The trunk is huge. You can get three suitcases and your golf bag in there for a trip to Disneyland and still have plenty of room for all the souvenirs you'll want to bring home!" See how that makes a more powerful impression?

The potential buyer can visualize how this car with its large trunk can make packing for his next trip much easier. Use the same tactic for each feature of the car, and (Ka-ching!) you have a much quicker sale.

When you're preparing your resume or answering questions during an interview, you're selling yourself, so use that same tactic: sell your benefits along with your features! Here's how:

Consider these typical "features" a job applicant might mention during an interview:

? 10 Years of Experience

? Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute

? Strong Organizational Skills

? Dedicated

? Excellent Communicator

? 2004 Administrator of the Year, Acme International Inc.

Those are pretty impressive. Now let's see how you can turn those "features" into "benefits:"

? Feature: 10 Years of Experience. Benefits: "I know what to expect in this type of position; I've handled this type of work before; I won't need much training or supervision; I'll hit the ground running and will start producing right away."

? Feature: Ability to Type 90 Words Per Minute. Benefits: "I can get your 10-page reports done in less than an hour; I will speed up your work flow."

? Feature: Strong Organizational Skills. Benefits: "I'll keep track of your schedule so you'll always be on time and have the materials you need; I will be able to quickly retrieve any document; I will prioritize my workload to ensure the most critical projects are don e first; I will save you time; I'll help you make your boss happy."

? Feature: Dedicated. Benefits: "I will support the company's overall mission and do whatever I can to help achieve it; I won't complain about hard work or long hours; I will faithfully do my job to the best of my ability."

? Feature: Excellent Communicator. Benefits: "I will easily be able to give you and your staff the information you and they need, whether in verbal or written form; I will be able to compose much of your correspondence, relieving you of that duty; I will save you time and effort."

? Feature: Administrator of the Year, 2003, Acme International Inc. Benefits: "I'm very good at what I do, and you don't have to take my word for it ? here's proof that others have recognized my skill, professionalism, and outstanding contributions."

Even more impressive! See how that works? A "feature" is nice. But even better is answering the hiring manager's unspoken question, "So why is that important?" You do that by selling your "benefits."

Make a list of your own features and their corresponding benefits. Learn to promote these benefits to your potential employer. Do this in your cover letter, your resume, and during your interview to make a powerful impression.

You will SELL yourself into a new job!

Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com.

---

Why Well Produced Career Portfolios Are Replacing CVs

What is a Career Portfolio?The original portfolio used by artists... Read More

Dont Settle

Chuck was the best of the twenty-four candidates. Still, he... Read More

Last Year Physician Resident Checklist

Here is a last year resident checklist not to forget:LICENSING:Licensing... Read More

Sample Resume Objectives: What They All Tend To Miss

Sample resume objectives. When a harried and possibly panicked job... Read More

Using Freelance Websites to Telecommute

How is your job hunting going? Have you had problems... Read More

Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic

A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used... Read More

Building a Solid Network

A client who has a fine arts degree wanted to... Read More

4 Tips for Making Successful Job Offers

The interviews are completed, the paperwork is all filled out... Read More

The Perfect Fit: Women & Franchising

An interesting combination of factors at this time in history... Read More

The Background on Background Checks

In one of my past lives I held a Top... Read More

Common Resume Myths & Misconceptions

For the person crafting their first résumé the task can... Read More

How Much Can You Earn Working As A Proofreader?

Thinking of a career as a proofreader? Then you will... Read More

Signs of a Healthy Work Environment

There's no denying that a healthy work environment is a... Read More

Hey, You Cant Ask Me That! (How to Respond to Inappropriate Job Interview Questions)

I received the following questions from a visitor to my... Read More

What Me? Lie On My Resume? Who Will Know?

The temptation to lie on a resume is great! How... Read More

Five Facts You Must Know When Changing Careers

Too often in life, we fail. We fail not because... Read More

How Long Does It Take To Write A Resume?

Many people can easily write a resume in just a... Read More

My Career is in the Doldrums - Do I Need a Coach or a Therapist?

Is Monday the worst day of your week? Can you... Read More

The Not-So-Effective Cover Letter

Here's a newsflash: Cover letters work, plain and simple. This... Read More

To Get Hired or Get Promoted, Attitude Is The Key

When you're looking to get hired or get promoted, what... Read More

Seven Steps to Making a Successful Career Change

My first job was secretary to Moses. Having to transcribe... Read More

You Are Not Entitled to a Job!

Résumé TipsSome basics about job hunting...First of all, nobody owes... Read More

Creating Traffic Jams

It's hard to imagine why anyone would pick up a... Read More

Reviving Your Resume

A resume may not be who you are, but to... Read More

Top Ten Reasons to Start A Catering Business

There is little doubt that Americans still have a deep... Read More

How to Change Career Horses in Mid-Stream

You'll get wet but the reward just might be a... Read More

How to Answer The Most Difficult Interview Questions

The following 'difficult' questions are common to most tricky or... Read More

Working From Home - Could You Cope?

It is a well-known fact that more and more people... Read More

Successful Job Seeking ? The Importance of Your Cover Letter

As an employer I receive many job applications each week.... Read More

Rich Career, Poor Career

What makes for a rich career? It is more than... Read More

Do What You Love, Love What You Do

Everyone dreams of a life full of love and adventure.... Read More

Your Interview Questions Are a Serious Matter

Of course interviews are mainly about you answering the questions... Read More

10 Things to Do to Get the Job

10. Understand all of the opportunities available to you. Don't... Read More