You may feel too awkward to sell yourself in your application forms and, unfortunately, perform poorly during interviews if you are naturally shy. Modest individuals frequently downplay their skills.
Consequently, they avoid discussing their strengths with recruiters in fear of seeming boastful. Most of the time, they’re unaware of their capabilities. As a result, this doesn’t give employers an incentive to provide you with a position or offer you a job.
These shouldn’t hold you back from pursuing your goals and aspirations. Here, we’ll show excellent career advice on how to remain humble but still sell yourself effectively. Follow these three effective methods to pitch yourself when you’re job hunting:
Method #1: Know Your Abilities
The first step in marketing yourself is to realise your abilities and strengths. Start by looking at the many activities that make up your life and list down your talents. Think of examples of your written and vocal communication skills, including teamwork and organisational skills, leadership, and motivating others if you were a captain or a project head.
If you’ve ever had to balance part-time jobs, share examples to show you are capable of managing your time and priorities. Make a list in addition to any other credentials or courses you may have taken, such as first aid certifications or IT training. Moreover, consult relatives and friends, your previous colleagues and supervisors about your performance.
Method #2: Change Your Mentality
If you're afraid to oversell yourself or seem arrogant to recruiters, it’s about time to change your mentality. Take note that confidently discussing what you can do is not flaunting, but it only shows recruiters that you are the perfect person for the position.
If recruiters know and feel that you can handle the job, they will probably not employ anybody else. Apply, send in your improved resume, and attend an interview. These are great opportunities to showcase your abilities that are relevant to the position.
Method #3: Believe that you are good, not the best
Believing that you are good at something implies that you are skilled without claiming that you are the best. This way, you put your best foot forward without seeming boastful or arrogant. For instance, use the CAR technique (describe the Circumstances, your Actions and the Results).
Talk about a situation or occurrence that you handled with grace and provided a solution effectively. An example of this is telling a story about taking your time wisely. Talk about when you completed tasks with tight deadlines while you had other responsibilities, such as volunteer work. You may also let the recruiter know the duration of the said situation, be it weeks or months.
You may even allude to your previous supervisor’s positive comments about your performance or show in your application that you are a recipient of awards. Your interviewer will be surely impressed by this point. In this case, you don’t explicitly directly declare that you are the best at self-management, but it is obvious that you are good.
Conclusion
If you are truly a great candidate, then you shouldn’t have any reason to hide your skills, talents, and accomplishments. Be proud of what you have achieved and use this confidence to advance your career. Headhunters and recruiters prefer candidates who seem humble yet credible, so strive to be one of them. Thus, put your best foot forward and don’t sell yourself short!
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