Whether you’re looking to change your career path or move vertically in your sector, potential employers will all have one thing in common: they will want you to be self-aware.

In a working environment, this means being able to use your professional achievements and personal skills to make decisions during your day without the need to be micro-managed. At interview level, however, this will require you to accurately demonstrate how your skills have helped you to achieve success in your career thus far, and why they may make you suitable for the role.

This type of reflection helps you to understand your strengths, and tends to be the focal point of the interview. It offers you an opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer, and leave them with the impression that the competition will not match up to your experience.

In order to effectively portray your top achievements, it is recommended that you prepare this portion of the interview in advance; you will need to research yourself. Scan your CV and extract a list of educational and professional highlights. Try to have an example of how they were helpful to your past employers, and integrate these learnings into why they make you a good fit for this new position.

Be careful, though. Speaking hyperbolically about one’s experience can lead to inflated expectations on the employer’s behalf: do not exaggerate your learnings or abilities – just be honest.

In researching yourself you may discover that there are areas of your background that you are worried about mentioning in the interview, be that a gap in employment or even underachievement of grades. Again, prepare in advance to be asked about these elements of your CV. For every negative, prepare to turn it into a positive and the interview will run smoothly. For example:

“There is a gap in my employment for the Summer of 2016. Whilst applying and interviewing, I used my free time here to brush up on my _______ skills, which I know is an essential requirement for this position.”

In an interview setting you are presented with a limited time slot in which to make an impression; make every second count. After all, there is nothing easier than talking about oneself.

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Still not feeling inspired about an upcoming interview? Our motivational ‘Quote of the Week’ could help:

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsh