After the job interview: stay consistent with your personal brand
You had a great interview and you strongly believe that you are one of the top candidates for the position. Maybe the interviewer even told you that you are the number 1 choice. Still, this is not the time to rest on your laurels. how do you introduce yourself after An interview is just as important as what you did before and during the interview. In fact, some candidates have made mistakes after their interviews that landed them from the top of the list to the bottom of the list.
The solution? Defining and communicating a strong “job seeker personal brand” can help you maintain your place and become not only the number 1 choice, but also tea candidate hired for the position. Personal branding when it comes to a job search is all about how you want potential employers to perceive, think, and feel about you relative to other candidates. Therefore, branding yourself helps you influence potential employers and allows you to build a strong connection and relationship with your interviewer both before and during the interview. However, what many applicants forget is that staying consistent with your personal brand after the interview is just as important.
For example, if you’ve established a very professional personal brand before and during your interview, how might you be perceived if you suddenly start emailing your interviewer with emoticons? You may think it’s okay to be informal because you’ve built a friendly enough rapport with the interviewer, but be careful. Stay true to your desired personal brand of professionalism, and you’ll have a much better chance at that great job you want so badly! Here are some tips to keep your brand in check after an interview:
Oh Before doing anything else… The first thing to do after an interview is to sit down and summarize it while everything is fresh in your mind. Don’t put it off! Just download your mind before anything leaves your memory. It’s vital to remember the most important points you discussed with the interviewer so you can refer to them in subsequent emails and interviews. You won’t communicate a conscientious personal brand if the interviewer pulls up something from your first interview that you no longer remember. However, if you can recall your discussion in great detail, your interviewer will be impressed and you will stand out from the crowd.
After you’ve written the most important parts of the interview, take the time to also note anything you think could be improved. How well did you answer the difficult questions? Could you do better in a later interview? If so, how? Take note of whether you lost your cool or reacted to a challenge by becoming nervous. If you notice where you need to improve your interview skills, you can develop an action plan later. Even if you feel like you did poorly in the interview, don’t worry. Just look ahead and use it as a way to learn from your mistakes.
Oh Be thankful. Statistics show that only 10% of job applicants write a thank you note after their interviews. So this is a very simple yet powerful way to communicate polite personal branding. Within 24 hours, send a thank you email or postal mail to your interviewer. It only takes a few minutes, but it will stand out from the other 90% of applicants who won’t bother. Take the time to say that you enjoyed meeting the interviewer, and personalize the note to specifically refer to what you discussed in some way. Reiterate your excitement about the prospect of joining the company and why you are a great fit for the job. If you interviewed with more than one person, send a thank you note to each of them.
Oh Don’t drop the ball. Another thing few job seekers do is follow up after the interview. If the interviewer does not give you a specific time when you will be notified, give them about a week before you call, leave a voicemail, or send an email to say that you are still interested in working for the company and that you think it is suitable for work. You will communicate a diligent and serious personal brand, presenting yourself as someone who will give yourself to the job.
how about you have Have you been told when a decision will be made? Let’s say your interviewer says someone will be chosen within two weeks of your interview. Send a follow up a few days before the two weeks. If you don’t hear back, feel free to follow up again in another week or two. If you haven’t gotten a response after following up two or three times, your energy is probably better transferred to finding a different job. But don’t hesitate to show that you are excited about working with the company. The simple fact that you follow up may be enough to put you ahead of another applicant who is your equal in other ways.
Oh The second time. If you are called in for a second or third interview, don’t discourage your interviewer by suddenly changing your strategy! Be consistent with your personal brand. He got you the second interview, so you did something right the first time. Continue to communicate the same qualities and attributes. If you switch now, your potential employer might think you were faking it in the first interview and that the personal brand you previously communicated isn’t who you really are.
This is also valid to combine with the company dress. Suppose that during your first interview he noticed that all the employees of a company were dressed in business casual clothes. So should you dress more casually for your second or third interview? Most HR professionals agree that it is better to err on the side of caution. An interview is a more formal gathering than a normal work day, so unless the interviewer specifically tells you to dress more casually for an upcoming interview, dress as formally as you did the first time. You don’t want to act like you’re already part of the team before they say, “You’re hired!”
Oh The word “no” may not be the end. First of all, don’t let a rejection defeat you. Just focus your efforts on the next job and assume that the one you lost wasn’t right for you. Baseball players miss more balls than they hit, and even the best movie stars occasionally put out a movie that loses money. If you don’t get the job, take the time anyway to send a follow-up thank you note via email or snail mail. Tell the interviewer that you would like to be considered for other openings at the company. You never know what can come out of a note like this. People have actually gotten jobs later this way. If you were second in contention, the person who was hired may not work or leave soon after you start. You never know! If you’re still interested in the company, keep your name in the hat.
Many job seekers fail to stay on track with their personal bests during the job search process. If it remains constant before, during, and even after your interviews, you’ll gain a head start and find yourself one step closer to the job you really want.