Especially now, your personal brand is more than just a buzzword. It’s an expectation. Between social media and plentiful networking opportunities, it’s important to think about how you present yourself. It can be hard to talk yourself up in an interview. It’s even more difficult when you consider how we, as women, tend to err on the side of caution. We live in fear of sounding arrogant or conceited — because who wants to be that girl?

If there’s one consolation here, at least we know we’re not alone. If you’ve read “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis you know she also writes about downplaying her career success. Why do we do that? We should be shouting our successes from the rooftop and cheering each other on! The one person who will always be your best advocate and there to support you is YOU. If you work on building that mentality and building yourself up from within, presenting yourself will start to become more natural.

With that, I’d love to share four tips for promoting yourself in an interview so you can come across as confident in yourself and your experience:

1. Be human
This is my favorite interviewing tip. At the end of the day, we are all human. We all put our pants on one leg at a time. Don’t be afraid to share a passion of yours or things you like to do outside of work, like biking, reading or cooking. You might strike up a common interest with the interviewer. And a common interest can be a great thing to build on with a future colleague or boss.

2. Don’t minimize your accomplishments
If you worked your way up to a promotion in a previous position, mention that. Talk about the plan you made to improve yourself and the steps you took to push yourself to the next level. Are you often the leader of a team keeping track of details for everyone? Own that role and be proud of it! Recognize your accomplishments and be proud enough to share them.

3. Use definitive words and phrases
There is a big difference between “I think I have done a good job in previous roles” and “I’ve honed my skills in previous roles.” In the same vein of being proud of what you have accomplished, stick with phrases like “I have,” I know” and “I will.” Those project confidence. “I think” and “I guess” do not. These are small word adjustments that can make a big difference.

4. Get specific with your strengths
Focus on things you do really well and review how you would utilize those skills in the role you are applying for. This will show self-awareness. You clearly know your skills and have thought about how you can excel at the job and crush your assigned duties. Not sure of your top strengths? Take CliftonStrengths online and learn more about your top five personal strengths.
At Strategic America, we leverage CliftonStrengths agency-wide in our performance review process. We all have things we can work on, but Clifton states we are more productive when we focus on how we can leverage what we do well in our day-to-day roles and activities.

To build on this and to touch on ever-evolving personal brands, I’d also like to highlight four tips for promoting your personal brand on a daily basis. First impressions are formed within 30 seconds. We form those on a daily basis, not just when we are first introduced to new people. Ever walk into a meeting room and gather an immediate feeling about how things will go just from how other people’s faces look? Someone slumped over the table on their phone puts off a different vibe than someone who is sitting up straight and gives you a friendly greeting. Keep that difference in mind when you are considering how you are projecting yourself on a daily basis.

1. Honesty is still the best policy
If you are not sure what someone is trying to convey or you are questioning whether you understand their meaning, ask a clarifying question: “Just to ensure we are on the same page …” If something doesn’t make sense to you, just say so: “I think I missed that detail, can we review that again?”

It can be intimidating to ask questions in a meeting with a senior level director or your boss. You don’t want to come across as inattentive, but any person in a meeting should appreciate your effort to seek to truly understand. This will become easier each time you do it. You’ll eventually build this skill like a mental muscle — and it will pay off in the long run.

2. A little goes a long way
Common courtesies are always appreciated. Remember to ask someone if they have a minute to chat before interrupting their flow. This shows you are being respectful of their time and schedule. Or start even smaller, smile and say hello to co-workers you are passing by in the hallway. Definitely never be afraid to introduce yourself to someone you have never talked to before. You work for the same company — you already have that in common.

3. Watch and learn
Surround yourself with others who do a great job promoting themselves and learn from the things they do well. There’s no sense in re-creating the wheel! There are plenty of networking groups in the Des Moines area full of polished professionals who have a lot to offer. Young Professionals, MOIsson and Fem City Des Moines — just to name a few.

4. Stay true to yourself
I saved the best for last. Never compromise who you are for who you are meeting with. I repeat, we are all human. Those who know me will not be surprised that I am a huge fan of finger-guns. The first time I met with a VP about a project in the works, I fired off a round after I listed a hefty list of action items. I barely cracked a smile on her face but later learned she appreciated that side of me. Sure, there’s something to be said about knowing your audience, but never be afraid to let your human side shine through. You might inspire others to do the same.