11 Ways to Brag About Yourself in an Interview

Interviews are some of the most intimidating parts of the job searching process, especially when you are caught off-guard by an unexpected question. Here are some fool-proof ways to rock your next interview even when you do not know what questions to expect. 

 

#1 Share a Story

Instead of giving straight facts about your experience, try telling a story. You can do this by giving the context around your experience, as much as is appropriate, and then explain how those factors affected your decision; or tell a story that shows your experience and skills. However you decide to tell it, be sure to stay focused on the main point so your listeners do not get lost in what you are trying to say. 

#2 Show Gratitude for Your Past Success

If your success came because of an amazing mentor or supportive team, do not be afraid to say it. We all like someone who will give credit where it is due, and it shows that you recognize the people in your life who support you. This can be as easy as saying, “I was only able to do this because my exceptional team had my back.” 

#3 Use Numbers to Show Off Your Skills

Do you know how many products you sold, or people you served on a daily or weekly basis? Do you have a good estimate of how much you improved a program? Use those numbers. Numbers that show your ability to improve a program, or just how much you can handle, is a great way to show off your skills, ability, and concrete applications of those skills. You will find the interviewer is far more impressed when you share the stats that prove you can do the job.

#4 Talk About Your Achievements

Did you do something amazing? Talk about it. You do not need to try to hide the fact that you went to an elite school, or won an award for excellent work, or created a really cool project. If they ask, they want to know. It is okay to be proud of your work, and to share that accomplishment with people who will appreciate it. 

#5 Use Some Humor

Interviews do not have to be stiff, formal meetings. It is okay to crack a joke, or make a light-hearted comment. It will help you and the interviewer feel a little more comfortable. If you have a good moment to make a little joke, do not be afraid to. 

#6 Focus on How Your Experience Relates to the Job Description 

Before going into the interview, read over the job description again and think of ways you can directly tie your experience to the requirements. This is usually easy if you have previous experience in the field, but if you are changing industries this can help you get your foot in the door without needing extensive previous experience. No matter your situation, it is hard to think you are not qualified when you can prove how your past experience directly relates to the job description. 

#7 Ask Others to Recommend You

Use recommendations from your coworkers, boss, or people working under you to help you shine. If you have an in with someone in the company, do not be afraid to ask them to put in a good word for you. We are more likely to like a person that someone we trust recommends.

#8 Avoid False Modesty, or Humblebragging

Many people have a bad habit of undermining themselves in an interview. You may start explaining your great experience and skills, and at the end say something to make it seem like it was not actually that impressive or important. This not only hurts your chances of getting the job you want; it also comes across as fake. Either you have the good experience or you do not. Which is it? You can still brag about yourself without having to undermine yourself. If you are afraid that bragging about your experience will make you sound like a jerk, practice interview questions with someone you trust and ask for feedback on how you come across. You will be surprised at how much you can brag about before you start sounding pompous.

#9 Get Straight to the Point

Try to say what you need to in the fewest words possible. You do not want to lose your listeners in a run-on sentence that does not clearly state your point, and you do not want to lose your train of thought because you accidentally went on a tangent. The clearer you can be, the better!

#10 Show That You Care

Throw in a few tidbits here and there to show that you know the industry, the company, and how it relates to your experience. This can be as simple as “I’ve noticed the products your company makes are widely used in industry. I believe I can help you expand further into that industry because of my past experience”

#11 Be Yourself

In the end, the most important tip is to be yourself. Some companies and jobs are just not for you, even if they seem amazing. It is better to be rejected after an interview because you do not fit well with company culture than to get the job, be miserable, and quit a few months later. There is always someone out there who will appreciate you for who you are and what you can do. So do not lose hope if the first few interviews do not work out. 

 

Want more advice? Check out Monster’s Humble Brag Your Way to a New Job, or Business Insider’s 10 Ways to Talk About Yourself Without Sounding Like a Jerk

 

 

 

/by

Could a Remote Team Be the Key to Building Your Business?

This week, we have the pleasure of posting a guest blog post by Tina Martin. Learn more about Tina at the end of the article.

 

New technologies are always changing the dynamics of how we work, and for today’s business owners, digital tools have made remote work easier and more popular than ever. For employees, a desire for work-life balance and the flexibility of remote work is a big draw. Flexibility is a huge benefit for business owners, too, because hiring remotely allows you to get help without the cost of on-site staff. Hiring remote employees is a smart way to grow your business, but you don’t want to jump in without a plan.

What kind of jobs should you hire remotely?

Remote work can actually be whatever makes the most sense for your business. You may need full-time, off-site employees who keep everyday operations running, or you may only need part-time or short-term freelancers. 

Sometimes as you’re growing a business, you have jobs that could be done more efficiently if you hire someone to help. A perfect solution is to hire a virtual assistant who can take these smaller roles off your plate. Common tasks that virtual assistant freelancers handle include all kinds of administrative functions, such as taking phone calls, coordinating your schedule, proofreading documents, and completing data entry. 

Hiring someone to do these tasks is very affordable, and of course, it allows you to focus more time and energy on what your business needs most to grow and succeed. When you’re ready to hire an assistant, your best bet is to search for a candidate through an online job board. The best job boards are dedicated to matching employers with reliable freelancers who have the specific skills you need. 

What makes remote work work?

The number one thing that makes a remote team successful is communication. Before bringing on remote staff, your primary goals should be to set a communication strategy and choose the right tools to make it happen.

Collaboration

Communication is how team members can work together on shared projects, while ensuring important tasks don’t get dropped. The best strategy for keeping everyone on the same page is to use digital apps that make virtual meetings possible, along with tools for transcribing notes so that all team members stay in the loop, even when they aren’t able to join a live call. You can find automated speech-to-text transcription services online, which are easy to use and provide a quick turnaround time on delivering your notes. Plus, these digital tools cost much less than hiring someone for this job, with some services offering accurate transcripts for as little as 10 cents per minute. 

Expectations

Communication with remote workers is also how you make sure they know exactly what a project entails and the timeline for when it should be done. Many business owners worry about not being able to check in on their team’s progress, but Workforce explains how a good remote team member will typically live up to expectations that are set clearly. Setting clear expectations can be as simple as writing a set of guidelines that you go over with new hires, and including a policy for how you would like your team to keep communication ongoing. Make sure your expectations are achievable and that you follow up with your employees on a regular basis.

Feedback

Providing feedback is something that tends to happen naturally in an office setting, but it takes a little extra effort when you’re managing a remote team. Along with providing individual feedback to team members, using apps like Slack can make it easy to keep everyone connected. This way, team members can lift each other up when a project is done successfully. Plus, it’s an efficient way of communicating to the group when something needs to go in a different direction.

Above all, effective communication is what makes everything else you do possible. When you approach it with a plan, bringing on help from remote employees can be the boost your small business needs to reach new heights. Managing remote employees can seem intimidating, but businesses that are willing to innovate are the ones that reap the rewards of taking risks.

 

Photo from Pexels

 

Tina Martin stays busy as a life coach and works hard to help herself and her clients achieve a healthy work-life balance. She started ideaspired.com as a side project to reach as many people as possible, and encourage them to put their dreams first. 

/by