One of the most common Finnish stereotypes is our modesty.

It’s not only a stereotype, but nation-wide unwritten law aimed to prohibit boasting. For some reason, way too many Finns (and probably quite many other nationalities too) believe that someone else’s fortune and happiness are somehow away from them and if they even dare to mention a promotion or their child’s excellent grades, they are instantly labeled as selfish swanks. All this bad blood and jealousy has led to a situation where Finns are also well known of their almost non-existing ability to sell themselves.

It wasn’t a problem when we were a small isolated country focused on farming. Today, after years of globalisation and the raise of Finnish IT industry, it is starting to be an issue.

The competition over the best positions is tougher, as you are not anymore competing against the IT gurus of Helsinki, for example, but the IT gurus of the whole Europe.

While modesty isn’t a bad personality trait, on the contrary, too much is always too much. You really need to learn how to sell yourself, without hesitation.

Know Who You Are

It all starts from confidence.

Know who you are, know your strengths and don’t hesitate to mention them. Never, never, ever feel ashamed to talk about your skills and abilities. Being honest and open is not bragging. If you apply for a job, you usually have a good reason why you chose that particular position – make sure also the hiring manager knows it.

If it doesn’t come naturally, start by listing things that you’ve heard others to praise you for – even the little things count, also those mentioned by your primary school teacher. After that thinking process, you probably already have some skills in mind that you would like to add to the list. Add them all.

Also create a different list of things you are fascinated about and would like to learn – it shows motivation and ambition if you have a clear idea of the areas you want to improve in.

Then think about your personality and friends. How do you act in a group? You probably have some awesome friends. If they are so awesome, you must be too as they have chosen you to be their friend. If you don’t have any idea why they have chosen to be friends with you, ask. Your friends and family know you best.

Learn How to Score

Once you have completed a list of your skills and personal competence, pick the things that are most important, and practice. Repeat it over the mirror, add the skills to your social media profiles, update your CV.

When you are writing a job application, keep the recipient in mind and explain (shortly) why you would be a great pick for THEM. It is a form of art – while writing about yourself, focus on the point of view of the recipient. Instead of repeating me, myself and I, repeat you and your.

Selling yourself is not all about having awesome selling points. It is about answering a need. Open position is a need. In order to answer to that, think about the company – where it is aiming, what is the culture like.

You are more likely to score, if you can offer more than just meet the requirements in the job ad – if the hiring manager sees you would fit the culture well, or offer something the company might need in future, they are more likely to hire you.

Don’t Kill the Magic

Lastly, over-selling is not a good idea. One of the most frequently asked interview questions is ”What are your weaknesses?”. You might feel like mentioning perfectionism or too hard work, but don’t fall to that trap.

Honesty and openness are valuable traits and mentioning a true weakness (that you are perhaps already working on) will impress the hiring manager more than badly hidden bragging.