Selling Yourself in the Job Interview 145
- Intermission. Rarely is a job offered, or accepted, on the
spot. Both parties need additional time to think about it.
The interviewer will check your references. You’ll look
over the company materials and publications. Often other
interviews will occur during this break. - Offer and acceptance. More discussion and exchange of
information. Anything to be further negotiated regarding
salary, perks, vacation, and the like are hashed out here.
Then both parties make the decision.
Performing effectively
Although the circumstances may be slightly different, the job
interview, as are many speaking situations, is essentially a matter
of communication—the way you present yourself and your ideas
and the way they are perceived by your audience, in this case, the
interviewer. So, naturally, the same techniques and strategies ap-
ply in both situations.
If you’ve mastered the use of your face, your gestures, and
your voice, if you’re prepared and confident, and if you send the
winning signals in the way you look and the way you dress, you
can master any job interview that comes your way.
One final piece of advice
A job interview can be, and often is, a kind of mini-confronta-
tion. An interviewer, like an aggressive reporter, may ask you ques-
tions that are difficult, if not impossible, to answer. But you can
turn negative questions into positive answers.
Pause, look at the interviewer, and then give honest, positive
answers that will present you in the best possible light.
If your interviewer zings you with, “What do you consider
your greatest weakness?” give it a positive twist with something
such as, “Most of the people I work with think I’m too dedicated
to my job” or “My attention to detail seems to bother some col-
leagues, but usually not the boss.”
If you’re asked, “What’s the minimum salary you’ll accept?”
don’t be afraid to toss it back. “I think I should be offered what-
ever salary the job is worth to the company. What figure did you
have in mind?”