Why You Can’t Sell Yourself Too Much in the Job Search

It’s something you might have done during an interview – in your eagerness to prove your value to the hiring manager, you exaggerate on your background or your skills. You embellish a little more than you should, and you end up giving the impression that you know more than you do or that you have done more than you have.

Your overselling may have started with the resume. Maybe you put a few things on it that are not exactly the whole truth. You are pushing the limits. It’s all part of wanting to make a good impression.

Why People Oversell

There are different reasons why people oversell themselves. One is overconfidence. It is certainly true that you need to be confident about your skills and abilities, but some people go a little too far. They are convinced they can handle aspects of a job they may not be prepared for. They just want to get that job offer, and the rest will take care of itself, they believe.

Others oversell themselves because they are desperate. They may have been doing a job search for a long time, with little to show for it. When they finally get an interview, they feel that inflating their credentials is the only way to land the job.

Some are simply impulsive. They blurt out what they think the hiring manager wants to hear. With others, it is not so much a matter of overselling as not understanding what is required. They have a vision in their minds about what the job entails and believe they can do it, but it is not really what the hiring manager has in mind.

Some people believe that “fake it until you make it” is a good practice to follow, that they will simply grow into the job.

Why Overselling is Not a Good Idea

But overselling yourself – giving information you know clearly does not accurately represent you or your abilities – is a poor choice to make for several reasons.

The first is that you may not have time to “fake it ‘till you make it.” The hiring manager may want you to show your stuff right away, and if you cannot do what you say you can, you may not be in the job very long.

Another reason is the image you give of your character. If after you are hired, the hiring manager sees that you have not been completely honest, it does not reflect well on you. It is not a good way to begin a new job.

In the end, being truthful really is the best policy to follow.

If you are looking for a job, Arrow Staffing knows how to sell you to employers. We know what companies in the Inland Empire are looking for, and we know how to match you with the right job. Give Arrow a call today.
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