Selling yourself.

I had an interview on Wednesday. If you follow me on the twitter you know this. Besides all my stupid posts about music, it's all I'm talking about. Because it's a Very Big Deal.

There have been a number of hoops I've had to jump through already, the phone interview, the behavioral/competency tests, the background check, to get to the interview. It's been this long-ass process, which I'm hoping is one of those "What is worth having is worth working for" deals, because seriously, this kind of effort should result in something good, right? *insert sigh here* Anyway, the interview itself was about 45 minutes. It was a panel, which I'm familiar with from Starbucks, but there were three of them (we always did two) and it felt a little like standing in front of a firing squad. It was all behavioral interviewing, "tell me about a time..." questions based on competencies like decision-making, customer service, written communication skills (Ha! Fail). I felt confident with my ability to answer the questions specifically and thoroughly. I almost felt good about the interview. Then I got smacked.

"We have eight interviews scheduled for this position and you're the first. Two of those candidates have experience in this field, whereas you don't. Why should we hire you? Sell yourself."

*Dies* Sell myself? Are you kidding me? Couldn't they have just asked me to perform a song and dance number? Wrestle a bear? Either one of those activities would have been less stressful. I mean, I can sell product. And I'm really good at finding other people's positives. But my own? I spend so much time trying to develop myself into someone worth being. I'm uncertain. I have huge opportunities.

I am never the girl who could tell you to "Pick me" because I know better than anyone else why you wouldn't.

And yet, to get this job I had to. So I came up with a three-part answer, because everything I do is in threes, and delivered it. Certainly, I was nervous and thrown for a loop, but I hope I was recovered enough to make some sense. Then I smiled and did the whole eye contact thing like it wasn't the end of the world. And maybe it wasn't. They let me know that it would be a week until I heard anything back about a second interview. (Good lord, there will be more?) I thanked them, then went to my car to freak out.

But it got me thinking. I'm always talking about how I'm this person in progress, a person becoming. I'm also this person who *is*. And there are things in me I can be proud of. Maybe I don't spend enough time selling myself to me. Maybe none of us do.

Listening to: I'm not telling :P

xo. kb.