Selling Yourself

A job interview is the exact situation in life when you have to sell yourself. 

Even though the manager or interviewer has seen your resume’, a resume is an introduction to your job history and a glimpse of your professional accomplishments, it can never take the place of actually meeting you. It’s your job to sell your uniqueness to the company in a way that makes them see you. They are looking for a good fit for the position not just in job experience but in work ethic and personal traits. 

Even if the job is not your first choice, don’t act as if the company has to sell themselves to you. The actual face-to-face is when it is so important to be prepared to sell yourself. It can really pay off in a way that nothing else can. It’s why you have been invited in. 

To help you make an impression immediately, it’s a really good idea to come up with a 30-second “commercial” that tells your professional story. Of course it should coincide with what is on your resume, but this is where you have the opportunity to quickly add background to things you can’t offer on a resume’, Such as, “I’ve been working as an actuary for 15 years, and over the years I have helped my employers be more profitable. In the process I’ve really enjoyed learning and growing as a result of the opportunities I’ve had. Now I am looking and ready for my next challenge.” For help with an actuarial resume, contact us.

5 Things to wrap up your interview

1. Make sure that before you leave the interview meeting, you clearly express your interest in the position. Be genuinely enthusiastic about how you are looking forward to working with them in the future.

2. Even if you’ve already discussed it, you can end with a summary of how you feel you can be of benefit to the company. 

3. Ask about the next step. It is perfectly fine to ask when they anticipate making a decision about the position. 

If you are working with us at Actuarial Careers, you have the benefit of knowing we will be in touch with the company to follow up on your interview. We will be able to give you feedback on the interview from the manager’s perspective. And we will keep in touch until they make a decision. 

4. After the stress of an interview it can be so easy to forget the simple things we do every day, like saying thank you! Don’t forget to thank the interviewer for their time.

5. When you get back home, always follow up any interview with a prompt thank-you letter. Make it short and professional. It’s will help to make you memorable. 

For help with your job search contact us.

How strong are you at strengths?

You can expect every job interviewer to ask you what you feel are your strengths. When you think about it, your strengths are the things you do within the scope of your position that make you stand out from others who do the same thing.

It can be difficult sometimes to identify our own strengths. Most of us tend to minimize them because they are natural and easy for us, so they don’t feel special. What you may discover is that others recognize them before you do, which is why you might find that some responsibilities get delegated to you more often than others. 

For instance, you may be a natural at organizing your office space or files, and you find that others ask you for ideas they can implement. 

You may be really adept a seeing the bigger picture, so you often find yourself appointed as the project leader.

You may be good at explaining concepts, which puts you in front of the room or in charge of creating a presentation for the executives in your company. 

Once view your strengths from that perspective, you also have the examples to share during an interview, of how your strengths could benefit the prospective employer. 

If you work with a professional and experienced recruiter, he or she can help you prepare for your interview. A good recruiter who really knows you, and knows the position and the company can help you tailor the presentation of your strengths to the requirements of the position. 

How do you define your strengths?  

Let us help you make the most of your strengths. www.actuarialcareers.com