A job interview is no time to be modest
Amid all the tips & tricks and advice put forward regarding job interviews (most of which is very good) there is one overriding concept that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. When you get right down to it, a job interview is not much more than a conversation. A conversation (usually) between two people about a common topic: in this case, the job.
One of the oldest names in the online jobs world, monster.com, says “Many job seekers fail to recognize that often the best interviews don't feel as much like interviews as they do compelling conversations.”
To hold up your end of the conversation, you had better be knowledgeable about the job and the company. In addition, whatever questions you may have about either had better be at the front of your mind, at the tip of your tongue.
To make it a truly effective conversation, you also had be a pretty good listener. Many people assume that a good salesperson succeeds because of a “gift of gab.” Not so say most sales experts. Most successful sales people rise to the top because they listen.
If you listen carefully during a job interview, the interviewer will tell you what’s important about the job, what’s important to the company, and what they expect from the successful candidate. Armed with that knowledge, you should be a shoe in.
A true conversation is a balanced effort. Yes, you want to ask about the job. Yes, you want to be knowledgeable about the company, etc., etc. But you won’t get the job until you convince them that you – and everything about you – are the best possible candidate that they could possibly hire.
The other side of the coin from listening is not being afraid to talk about yourself. A job interview is no time to be modest. Take this advice from singer Toby Keith.