Your Personal Brand and the Job Interview
Your Personal Brand and the Job Interview
Your personal brand is built upon your core strengths and competencies. Many of us may be good communicators or have strong sales ability, but it is in how you package these skills to reflect your unique style that reflects your brand. Job seekers must be sure that the personal brand they create in the online space translates appropriately into the job interview.
Social media is fast becoming the most popular forum for employers and job seekers to meet. In a recent study conducted by CareerBuilder.com, it was found that nearly 22% of employers regularly review profiles on the social networking sites when in search of candidates for available openings. It was also found that an additional 9% of employers plan to add this method to their current recruitment efforts.
Many of the employers in the CareerBuilder.com survey said they review networking sites in order to gain a sense of the person behind the profile or resume. Employers want to identify possible matches, not solely in terms of skill set and experience but to gauge if there might be a cultural fit as well.
On the candidate side, social media sites permit users to create profiles which can also serve as an online resume. Knowing what employers are looking for when perusing the sites will help candidates to understand that creating a professional and unique image will enhance their candidacy. It is through personal branding that you can differentiate your candidacy from others in the job market. Since the goal of job search is to garner an interview, any method which allows you to stand apart from the crowd is well worth the time and effort.
Profile Branding and Interview Strategy
Just as a resume and cover letter have been your first introduction to potential employers in traditional job search, your profile serves as the first introduction in a social media search.
As with corporate branding, the goal of personal branding is to foster an impression of consistency and reliability. In light of this, be sure that the image you convey in your profile follows through to the image you present in any interview, whether on the phone or face to face.
Visual branding refers to how you dress, walk, gesture, or approach someone to shake his or her hand. In essence, your visual brand is your overall style and how you create a unique look. This also refers to the colors you choose for your job search marketing material (e.g., resume, cover letter, thank-you letter). Each element should match in terms of color, texture, and overall style.
Visual branding should also be reflected in your social media content with regard to the picture you post to your profile, your posture, and facial expression along with the colors you choose for your clothing. If you can include a background color in your profile, it should match the color of your resume, cover letter, and any other materials.
During any face-to-face job interview, ensure that your clothing matches in the style and, ideally, color that you wore for your profile shot. If your body posture in the picture gave off an approachable style with a warm smile, be sure to replicate this attitude during any interviews. Smile as you are introduced to the interviewer; lean forward slightly as you shake hands.
If the first interview will be a phone screen, you can still convey a warm attitude by smiling as you talk and speaking in a low volume with a slow and measured cadence. Don't rush; give the interview a chance to digest what you are saying.
Written Communication
This refers to the marketing message you create to convey your unique skills and abilities. This description will play a key part of your profile description. If you incorporate a resume-like profile, your brand will be evident in the way you compose your career summary, as well as in the way you order and word your past accomplishments
While a resume is somewhat technical in nature, all other job search correspondence, such as profile descriptions, cover letters, and follow-up letters should convey the same tone. If your brand is "approachable and warm," then your writing should reflect this mood but not be overly familiar or incorporate slang language.
As a potential employer peruses your resume or profile they will be looking to see if the wording and phrasing matches the visual impression they have obtained from your photo and other images. Any dissonance may give them pause in pursuing things further. For example, dressing conservatively in your photo but using slang terminology in your profile might raise a red flag for a recruiter.
It is often the case that the interview process involves the completion of an application. Use the same wording and terminology on the application that you used on your resume. Be sure the dates of employment and school attendance match as the interviewer may well take some time to review each in a side-by-side manner.
Do not place the words "see resume" under the Job Responsibilities section. Take the time to complete the application in full. Go slowly to avoid mistakes. If you do make one, place one line through the text and make the correction above.
If the interview process includes the submission of a writing sample, be sure to write in the same tone in which you composed all of your other job search material. When it comes to personal branding and the job interview, the name of the came is consistency. Employers want to see that you are who you say you are--onine, offline, in writing and in person.
Good luck on your next job interview!
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