The fundamentals of marketing apply whether you are going for a job interview or applying for a spot at a college or graduate school. During an interview, you are marketing a product – and that product is you. How can you earn that coveted spot? Of course you need to be qualified with the right credentials, but how can you nail the interview and stand out from the crowd?
The Secret to Successfully Marketing Yourself in an Interview
Tell a Story. In marketing yourself, you want to be remembered, you want to differentiate yourself, and you need to make a memorable impression. Answering questions during an interview with facts matters, but it is never enough. You need to add color, personality and life to your answers.
“Story helps the person doing the interviewing answer the question, why should I choose the person sitting in front of me?”
If you were trying to get one of 10 spots in a graduate school program, you know that the interviewer is going to ask why you are interested in the this position in this field at their school or business. How can you earn that opportunity?
Have a story to tell.
- You should be able to tell your story in less than two minutes.
- It should touch on a human and emotional aspect of your motivation.
- It should connect a theme from your personal life and this opportunity.
- It should be genuine and authentic to your motivation, but when told as a story, it helps to separate you from the other candidates.
If I were applying to graduate school in communications today, here is a story I would tell. This example illustrates my point.
Interviewer: Why should I pick you over the other thirty qualified candidates for this opportunity?
Me: Let me tell you a brief story.
In 1910, my paternal grandfather arrived in America as an orphan. He was ten years old. He came by himself from Russia. He went to live in Newark, New Jersey with his uncle Henry, who agreed to care for him. His uncle was a commercial photographer and taught my Poppa George how to make a living taking pictures.
In 1968, my grandfather put a camera in my hands when I was just fourteen years old. He inspired me to express myself through images. He encouraged me to see the world through a different perspective. I would watch him photograph a street scene by lying on the ground so he could get a fresh angle. He taught me how to capture the spirit of a person through portraits.
Throughout high school, I worked with my grandfather taking pictures with him. He was so creative in his ability to express himself that it made me want to be like George. I wanted to tap into my creative spirit and find my path in life as a skilled communications professional.
So, when you ask me why I want to be part of your communications graduate program, I want to continue my education to help me develop my unique creative point of view. However, most of all, I want to be like my Poppa George.
By telling an emotional and personal story, you are helping to be remembered by the person who interviews you. The story needs to be relevant to the position and authentic. Others may burden the interviewer with facts – but facts are difficult to connect with, and everyone has facts.
[Tweet “During an interview, anyone can repeat their grades, if I tell my story it is unique to me. “]
Stories are powerful.
You get to use sharp, emotional words. You get to speak from the heart. Instead of sounding robotic, you seem human. Moreover, an interviewer wants to meet the real person who showed up – not a pile of facts read from a resume or application.
If I were applying for that graduate school position, I would tell my story and take out of my wallet the photograph of George Ginsberg that I carry around with me for inspiration. Instead of a thousand words, I would not be surprised if that picture will help me stand out from the crowd and be remembered.
What story are you telling to market yourself?
Are you using the story in your brand marketing narrative to deeply connect with your customers? Do you need coaching to help you with marketing yourself for a job or a position in a graduate school program? Click here to schedule a conversation. I might even tell you a story.
Photograph: This beautiful photograph was taken around 1914 showing my Great Uncle Henry on the left and my grandfather, George Ginsberg on the right. Note the camera boxes that say Ginsberg Photo Studios, Newark, NJ. To read more about my grandfather’s remarkable life, read his obituary from the NY Times.
