Knowing your story will ensure selling you to the employer
You’ve probably heard
people compare a job search to the sales process — where you’re the product and you’re selling yourself. There’s a lot of truth to that.
Breaking it down, your preparation is the marketing component of the process with the actual job interview taking on the role of the sales pitch. When you succeed at the sales pitch, you land the job! True also.
Looking at it a bit more closely, think of it this way: You’re marketing yourself with your resume and cover letters as well as your individual efforts to land an interview. Your efforts typically will include sending out your resume, networking at a variety of levels, responding to the online jobs boards, etc.
But to sell yourself – your product, namely you – you must excel in the interview. To make your interview successful requires several things that you must master. Keep in mind, a successful sales pitch involves selling the benefits of the product. How will this product make the customer’s day better?
Before walking into that interview, you need to know how to present/sell yourself. What is your value proposition to the organization? For the 50+ job seeker, your strongest suite is probably your experience. The point you need to make during the interview is: how will your experience benefit the organization? Is that the value you bring to the table? Or, is it something else?
What is your story? What compelling aspects of your professional life – or your personality – will make you “the right fit” for this particular position? Do you have it all worked out and rehearsed ahead of time? Thinking that you can “wing it” or “fake it” probably is not the most prudent approach.
The employer (buyer) will not hire you (the product) without knowing and fully understanding how they will benefit from you working there.