You have a job interview. You feel confident about your skills and accomplishments, and want to express that to a potential future employer. At the same time, you want to avoid sounding conceited when you talk about your own qualities.
That begs the question: how do you brag about yourself in a job interview while remaining humble at the same time? The following 5 tips will help you do just that.
Prepare your boasts: Write down at least five relevant things you have accomplished that you think will impress the person interviewing you and read them out loud. That way, you can talk about them confidently if you get the chance to deliver these points in the interview.
Edit your brags: The words you use will improve the way your brags are received. For instance, it’s good to use active verbs. Instead of saying “I was a manager,” say something more impressive like “I was a specialist and team leader.” In addition, make sure your role in any project is clearly defined and explain briefly how you solved problems in that role. Once you’ve done this, read your edited script out loud and continue building confidence in your work qualities.
Bring others into the picture: At this point, your brags will still sound self-centered. To change this, turn the “I” in your script into a more collaborative reality. For example, instead of saying “I led my team to success,” trying something more collaborative: “The team I led was successful in…’ Mentioning mentors is also a good shout as it also shows you are a good learner.
Internalize your script: Studying the lines you’ve written down will make them your own and help you say them with more confidence. It may sound like a lot of work to memorize this script, but it can pay dividends by making you sound more natural as you say them in an interview.
Deliver with confidence: Wait for the right moment to bring forward your brags, and try not to deliver them too hastily. If you follow the tips above, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Good luck!