I would not be where I am today in my career were it not for the interview. You can only put so much on paper, and no dialogue. After doing commission retail sales for a living long ago, I learned how to tell people just what they want to hear, and then shut my mouth and let them say the next thing. Selling yourself is no different than selling a 75 Maverick. You have to be able to read your customer, build an instant rapport with them, and confidently convince them you have what they want and are the only person they can get it from. Beyond any other job skill I have, that gets me the job when I have absolutely no credentials on paper to have the job. The way it usually goes is I start at or near the bottom of the list at the start of my interview. It's because on paper I don't have this huge stack of diplomas and formal training and certifications. But as we progress through the interview, I know just enough of the technical aspects of this work and how this industry functions on a general level that I can "sell the package" as being just what they are looking for, with the right experience, the right knowledge, and most importantly, the right level of confidence.

The technical skills are what allow you to keep the job, and I figured out a long time ago that I can learn what I need to do my job once I get there pretty much, but what gets me in the door has very little to do with actual technical skills, and everything to do with being able to read the interviewer(s) whether in person or over the phone, and being able to tell them what they want to hear, with confidence. Heck, most of the time they practically give me the answers anyways. By the time I get out of the interview, I have become one of the top two candidates for the job, and all that's left then is a quick follow up and negotiation and I am in, if I want it. And the beauty is anyone can do this, all they have to do is practice, just like I did selling waterbeds and used cars for a living a long time ago.

If there's one piece of advice I offer to anyone in any interview about what to say about themselves, it is this. If you can convince the interviewer that you are an expert problem solver, you are most likely going to get the job. Go through your life history, especially your work history, but if that is lean use whatever life experience you can to demonstrate that you can solve whatever problem you are faced with. That one aspect of yourself will pretty much make or break the deal, all other aspects being more or less relative amongst the candidates. You may not have the best set of technical skills, but you will have the advantage over the rest of the applicants if you can make the boss believe you are can rise to the occasion.