Marketing Yourself
"Your skills can get you in the door; your people skills are what can
seal the deal." Peter Post
Since the interview is the all-important piece to getting a dream band job, it is best to have some answers and information prepared in advance.
Self-assessment is vitally important. A good start is to make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Asking a few people close to you for input can also be helpful. The qualities you bring to a band job are both job-specific training and experience, as well as personal traits, or "soft" skills. Evaluate how each of your skills will be useful to the band position you are seeking and which seem most relevant, and list those. Be prepared to answer the question "Tell me a bit about yourself."
Soft
skills are predominantly abstract people skills and can be the key to
the success of any business. An impatient, irritable band teacher, no
matter his expertise, can be responsible for a drop in students wanting
to play in marching band. At a middle- or high- school level, a teacher
with adequate music skills who can convey his pleasure in music and
teaching band will allow the program to be much more successful. These
personal skills allow you
to interact with others so your technical skills can do the most good for the most people.
These soft skills cover a wide range of competencies:
• Interpersonal skills: how easy it is to meet, know, and talk with you.
• Social interaction skills: good table manners, greeting people, being at ease in a group
• Personal work habits such as time management, organization and a good work ethic.
• Team effectiveness: enthusiasm and the ability to share ideas or draw
them out of others; ability to lead and get results.
• Business etiquette: diplomacy, arriving to meetings on time, ability to learn from criticism
• Negotiation, listening and problem-solving skills: patience and
flexibility in communication such as being able to disagree in a
non-confrontational way, innovative abilities or seeing a problem from
all sides.
Hard
skills are tangible, learned tasks you perform well. Knowing how to
play different instruments, knowledge of a specialized computer
program, fast and accurate keyboarding, composing and writing ability,
etc. Know what your hard skills are and how they will contribute to a
potential new job. In the interview, tailor your comments to highlight
your strengths to match the specific qualities the employer has listed
as required and preferred.
Music-related hobbies can be important
in band job interviews as they can convey to a potential employer good
personal as well as technical skills. Know what skills your hobby
entails or improves and how they may be relevant to the new band job.
Being secretary or treasurer of your hobby's organization can convey
organization and teamwork skills. A president position suggests
leadership potential.
After you've studied all about yourself as a successful applicant,
learn about the company and position for which you've applied. Nothing
impresses a future employer than a candidate who seems as if they could
just join the company and step into the position with no orientation or
training needed. be able to answer the question: "How much do you
already know about us and our operation?"
A successful interview can also depend somewhat on an applicant's
public speaking abilities. The perfect candidate who can't express
those ideal skills might not be given a second glance.
Self-consciousness is normal and is often fear of appearing foolish.
Being prepared ahead of time will boost confidence, and knowing that
mistakes happen, they can be corrected and need not be feared.
While
not specifically applicable to a job interview, general principles of
public speaking are useful to know. General speaking points are:
• Enlighten the audience with unique information
• Try to be entertaining without being funny
• Provoke thought
• Provide the audience with relevant information useful to them
• Use anecdotes to illustrate a point
Finally, know the pay range for band jobs in your area, as well as the value of your skills. When the time comes, you can strongly present your case as an appropriate fit somewhere in that range, depending upon your skills and experience.
