“Empathy [em-puh-thee] the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else’s feeling.”…Merriam-Webster dictionary
Have some empathy for your interviewers. Time and time again, they have to report back about the candidates they met and say, “The candidate was nice enough but nothing stood out, let’s keep searching.” Or “The candidate looked better on paper than in person.” These are the most typical reasons for candidates being rejected, particularly for college students because they do not have industry experience to fall back on during interviews. Help your interviewers break this pattern by giving them great reasons to hire you because of who you are.
When it comes to career planning, your brand is comprised of the two or three personality traits or skills you want your interviewer to remember. I suggest two or three because any more than that would be difficult for the interviewer to remember and support with any conviction. In the thirty or forty-five minutes of the typical on-campus interview, it is challenging, if not impossible, for interviewers to discern these traits or skills unless you proactively spell them out.
Hiring managers, as their title suggests, are looking to hire people: it is your job to provide your interviewers with ammunition to help them fight for your candidacy. Convey your traits through your resume, answers to their questions, and the questions you prepare for your interviewers. Just as companies establish brands to differentiate products and services, you can also develop your own personal brand to help communicate who you are and help you stand out from the competition. All interviewers will consider your personality to some degree, consciously or not, when assessing you for a position.
Personal branding traits can include intellectual curiosity, contrarian viewpoints, self-confidence, and possessing a great attitude. Prepare your answers to interview questions by providing several examples to reveal and reinforce each trait or skill. Avoid characteristics which are difficult to demonstrate, such as smart (may sound self-serving), hard-working (already expected) or love of learning (challenging to construct a compelling story).
In any sales situation, identifying and addressing the needs and requirements of your client is key to successfully closing a transaction. As you think about the image you want to establish, consider the perspectives and concerns of potential employers. Doing so will help you highlight attributes that companies value and preempt negative stereotypes. Prepare examples such as situations where you demonstrated initiative, teamwork and leadership; show you are a low-maintenance employee. Include a manual labor or fast-food position to show you are not afraid of “getting your hands dirty” and dispel any concerns of a sense of entitlement.
It can be challenging to be introspective and specific about what makes you you, but the exercise is well worth the effort – you will be able to present yourself as a complete package to prospective employers!
Jerome Wong
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