How To Brand Your Job Interview! TAKE TWO

In the spirit of good branding —i.e., always making one’s brand better through market research and fine-tuning to consumer need!— I offer Take Two of “How To” brand your job interview.  I’ve listened to the feedback and heard “give us some more how-to branding specifics!” Now it’s better and more actionable for you —print it out for yourself or for anyone you know about to have an interview!  The opening is pretty much the same, but I’ve really expanded the four-point inventory and the followup!

 So here it goes!  You’ve landed the big job interview.

 Congratulations!  You know the job interview how-to basics.  You've got the right clothes, you're ready to offer the firm handshake (but not too firm); look the interviewer in the eye; send a thank-you note afterwards; your resume's crisp and letter perfect... but before any of this you've got to go brand yourself!  Why?  Because the competition’s going to be using the "how to" interview basics, so you need the branding edge to ace that interview.  
  
Branding for my job interview!  I can already hear the protests from the peanut gallery: Come on Tantillo, I get why branding’s important for big companies and big products, but how does it apply to me and my job interview?  Fair enough.  Here’s how —even better, here’s my “how to” on branding for your next job interview.

Branding isn’t just about setting yourself apart from the competition… it’s also about figuring out what sets you apart from the competition.  It’s about figuring out who you are (and who you’re not) —this is your brand, after all! —and how to best express your brand.  

Most important, you need to figure this out before you walk through that interview door.   A great outfit and a decent joke are good to have in your interview “toolkit” but if you don’t know your brand —well, it’s over before it even started.

Getting to know your brand takes a little market research.  To do this, here’s the Marketing Doctor’s Four-Point Inventory:

1.      What one word do I think best describes my brand?  Are you    

“creative,” “detail oriented,” “on time,” “friendly,” “reliable?”  Give this some serious thought and try to come up with that one word that really captures your brand —trust me, you’re gonna get a lot of mileage out of this one!  One guideline: go for the “bigger” word. Example: Are you just “punctual” or are you “punctual” because you’re “detail oriented”? Given a choice I’d pick “detail oriented” because it's broader and says a lot more about your solid work ethic.

2.      How do people close to me describe my brand (family, friends, colleagues)?  (Hint, ask them!)  Here, don’t restrict them to one or two words.  Let them loose on your brand and be prepared to listen.  It might not be easy for you or them, but there’s real treasure to be found here.  This is what I like to call a real-life focus group! 

3.      What one thing do I like about my brand? Dislike?  Again, like #1, target exactly the right like and dislike.  Do you like that you're “detail oriented?”  Why?  Is it because you put a lot of value on getting things exactly right and doing a good job?  Similarly, what do you dislike about your brand?  You run late?  Well, maybe this is something you want to change, but this also might be seen as a strength.  You run late because you’re always giving full attention to whatever it is you’re doing at a given time and forget about the clock.  In other words, you don’t cut people or jobs short because you have somewhere else to go. 

4.      What one thing do people close to me like about my brand? Dislike? Same as #3, except here you’re more likely to get some real surprises. (You’ll be doing this at the same time as #2, by the way).  People will say things you would never have expected both good and bad. Take a lot of notes!

Now that you’ve got a picture of your brand in your head use it!  Here’s how: 

1.      Put that one word that describes your brand into a sentence in a way that applies to the job you’re interviewing for.  Example:  Your word is “goal-oriented” and the job is sales.  Here’s a sentence:  I’m a goal-oriented person and I won’t be satisfied until we’ve beaten our numbers.

2.      Get used to referring to what people close to you have said that they like about your brand.  Let it guide you on how to present yourself.  You might even weave some of their observations directly into your interview.  Expressing others’ viewpoints and perspectives on your brand shows your interviewer that you’re sociable and open to collaboration and other people’s input.  A plus for any potential employee.

3.      Use what you like and dislike about your brand to your advantage.  Emphasize the positives, but be prepared to acknowledge some negatives about yourself to the interviewer.  Doing this will show that you’re not someone who thinks they walk on water.  Many employers are looking for people they can groom and grow in the position and the company.  They don’t want perfect.  They want real!

4.      Like #3, use what others like/dislike about your brand to your advantage.  Suppose someone surprised you by saying you were “relaxed in a good way” even under pressure.  That’s a positive that you might not have recognized on your own.  Similarly, for the negative.  What if someone said that they thought you had bad table manners.  Wow!  That’s actionable, especially if your job interview’s happening at lunch.  You might be surprised what you find out —both good and bad.  Whatever it is, use everything to strengthen your brand.

The bottom line is that like it or not, you’ve already got a brand.  Learning more about that brand and harnessing its power will give you a real edge over people who don’t know theirs!

If you want to see me deliver this on video, go here, or view it below.

Also, check out my Fox Business take on the Bear Stearns takeover and what it means for their brand name here!