An Honest Presentation of Yourself Before The Interview

So, you have lost your last job. Of course, you will be disappointed. But, do not let the disappointment stop you from looking ahead. Be objective and try to understand what happened. Truths are heart breakers. Yet, if you accept the defeat, you will be prepared and able to avoid the same problem in future.

Not everyone has a chance to learn his or her mistakes. If you are given a second chance, that is good. Take the opportunity and make the best of it. If not, move on. Life is too short to wallow in such disappointment.

At this juncture, ask yourself these questions:

- What have I learnt from this lesson?

- Where can I make improvements?

- What do I really want from this job (or a new job)?

- What can I do so that the outcome can be different?

If you cannot answer the questions, give yourself two hours to grieve and then look past the failures. Bury the past as soon as possible.

Now it is the time to analyze yourself. You need to reassess you strengths, capabilities and talents. First, identify your core competencies. Take time to identify your abilities.

· What are you good at?

· What are your strengths?

· Where does your passion lie?

These are the questions you need to ask yourself. Think hard and list down the answers. Go through the answers again and again until you are sure and satisfied. This will make you more prepared when you are asked in the next interview.

Focus on what you are good at in every job hunt. The chance of you landing a job that suits you will increase significantly. However, always be honest about your strengths and weaknesses.

Think about your competitors. They are also job hunting like you. Some of them have more years of experience and receive higher education than you. However, you need to be better than anyone of them. You need to present yourself as the best candidate for the position. You may want to present your core strengths and competencies along with your personality and appearance that will ultimately put you in a better position to get that job.

The key here is to identify your selling points to make yourself appealing to your potential employers. Get a sheet of paper and do the exercise below, answer the questions honestly.

· List your Personality Traits

(outgoing/social/emphatic/creative/motivated/etc)

· List your Work-related Personality Traits

(team oriented/detail oriented/multi-tasking/etc)

· List your Personal Achievements

(charity/community services/etc)

· List your Job-related Accomplishments

(awards/certificates/featured in company’s news/etc)

· List your Cognitive Skills

(interpersonal/problem-solving/creativity/etc)

· List your Functional Skills

(managing people/reducing expenses/processing payroll/copywriting/managing projects/etc)

· List your Job-related Knowledge

(year-end reporting/procurement/marketing/accounting/etc)

· List your Credentials

(educational institutions and professional body certifications/degrees/etc)

This exercise helps to keep you in focus, build your confidence as well as helping you to find the right job for yourself. If you focus on the good in you, you will definite have better outcomes.

It is all right if you have not discovered some of the work-related personality traits or functional skills. Remember it takes some time to acquire these skills as not everyone has them. However, you can still answer the question, “Why should we hire you over the other candidates?”

Tell them about your achievements. Remember to identify your positive attributes that are relevant to your targeted job. You also have to know your selling points well. Let them know how hiring you will benefit the company! Whatever you say, always be honest!