The second and final part of our “Marketing Yourself” post explores this idea a little more and shares 3 more tips to help you from the perspective of the hiring manager.
One major bit of advice that always works is thinking about what the company’s Movie in the Mind could be for this position. Once you have an idea of what the hiring manager might be expecting from a candidate, you can tailor your skills, experience and stories to the movie that is playing in his/her mind. Try to position yourself as the star of the movie, and there’s a higher chance you will rise as one of the top candidates for the job.
Last week we wrote about the first three key elements that can help you with your job search. We are back with 3 more that sound like common sense but that candidates somehow still get wrong. We hope that after reading this, you will feel more prepared to apply for your dream internship or job! We hope to hear from you.
4. Read the company blog
We’ve said this before; we’ll probably say it a few hundred more times in our lives. Some of the best insight into the culture and values of a company is to really dig into their blog and social media postings. From there, it’s up to you to incorporate what you learn into the application and interview process. For example, we’ve written about volunteering. If you are someone who volunteers his or her time, it’s something we would want to know about. It would be an indication that you might be a good culture fit with us. You won’t get hired just from that, but every interaction either builds or erodes the brand of You. Look for information that lets you shine.
5. Show up on time
Your first interaction with a company will dictate how we believe all of the following ones will be if we decide to hire you. Hopefully, everyone knows not to be late to an interview so don’t cut it close. Hiring managers really don’t care if the 6 train had delays – and he or she might not even believe you. One thing you might not think about is that showing up on time also means not showing up too early. The interviewer likely has a busy schedule that is fairly tightly planned. Showing up 30 minutes early means they now need to figure out what to do with you until the scheduled meeting time. Plan to arrive 5-10 minutes early to allow time for security to check your ID, get upstairs and take off your coat. If you arrive earlier than that, hang out in a nearby Starbucks. We are sure there’s one.
6. Thank you
Some candidates still don’t send a thank you, even after so much has been written about doing so. In our experience, skipping the thank-you note won’t keep the best candidate from getting the offer, nor will sending one magically put a candidate who’s not a fit into the running. But it’s good old-fashioned common courtesy, and the team here at BrandTuitive always appreciates getting one.