How to Describe Yourself in an Interview to Sell Your Personal Brand

In order to sell your personal brand in an interview, you need to be able to describe yourself in a way that is both positive and engaging.

This can be tricky, as you don't want to come across as boastful or arrogant.

However, if you can find the right balance between confidence and humility, you will be able to present yourself in a way that is both memorable and appealing to potential employers.

Here are some tips on how to describe yourself in an interview:

Paint a picture of who you are as a professional.

• Your resume may give employers an overview of your work history, but it doesn't tell them who you are as a professional.
• Use your words to paint a picture of what kind of employee you are and what kind of value you would bring to their company. (Ideas: outspoken contributor in a collaborative environment, able to play along and adapt with company scaling down during tight periods though flexitime arrangements)
• Create a step-based sequence when presenting. It is easier to digest your profile by chunking content; this helps the content stay organised during the conversation. And when you describe yourself, demonstrate a sequence or logical flow.

Be honest. Speak semi-formally.

• It's hard to describe yourself without being candid. So, be genuine about what you have accomplished and what kind of employee you would be. Don't be too stuck up and overly formal. Potential employers will appreciate your honesty.
• Don't try to exaggerate your accomplishments or skills.
• Use real numbers, statistics and awards to put evidence to your work and efforts. Authentic evidence will prevent you from sounding like a boastful braggart since the figures and prizes show your true worth.

Highlight unique selling points by making it a competition against other candidates

• What makes you different from other candidates? Everything you say should make you outshine everyone else. Remember, there is only one job, and there's many people fighting for the same place.
• What are your unique skills and qualities? Gear your profile to why you would be an asset to the company. Increase relevancy to the interviewer.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses? Be sure to focus on the former and downplay the latter. Spin those bad stuff, twist into something neutral or off-topic to avoid detrimental effects, or best if you can make it sound good.
• Avoid coming across as arrogant or cocky, but at the same time, you want to make sure that the interviewer knows that you are confident in your abilities.
• Focus on these aspects of yourself when describing yourself in an interview so that potential employers remember you for all the right reasons.

Content focus

• Talk about your strengths and what makes you unique
• Focus on what value you can bring to the company. Take the time to research the company and position so that you can tailor responses to their needs.
• Reuse the points you've prepared from a previous interview - even back in college. (example: leadership strengths in college and a school environment can be duplicated at work)
• Reuse the points from your first or second interview. Even if the interviewer shows up in this interview, he may not even recall your self-description. Repeating your story from a previous interview is fine and will not lessen your chances.
• Avoid using jargon or buzzwords: Simplify complex ideas and "dumb it down"
• Keep it brief: General content and don't reach for depth initially during the interview. When further questioned or probed, then you should delve into details

Practice prior. Make an impression during your self introduction.

• Take some time before the interview to think about how you would like to describe yourself.
• Write down key points that you want to make sure to mention during the conversation. Go by a script, memorise the key points in your self introduction, then try to paraphrase during the real interview.
• Practice answering common interview questions (that accompany "describe yourself" questions) out loud so that you are comfortable with them when it comes time for the real thing.
• This will help ensure that you stay on track during the actual interview.

Project confidence

• Confidence is key when selling your personal brand. You need to believe in yourself and your abilities in order to convince the interviewer.
• Ask a friend to help you overcome nervousness. Practice with them in person, over Zoom, etc.
• Be prepared to talk about difficult topics.
• When talking about your weaknesses, be less nervous. Practice speaking aloud so you get past the panic or fear.
• When asked why did you quit your last job, reasons for putting in your notice period or quitting, make sure your answers sound logical, reasonable and valid.

Selling your personal brand when describing yourself

When you are asked to describe yourself in an interview, it is important to sell your personal brand.

This means that you need to be clear about what makes you unique and how this will benefit the company.

• You should avoid using general terms such as “hard worker” or “team player”, which could apply to anyone.
• Instead, focus on specific examples of times when you have demonstrated these qualities.

For example:

• If you are a hard worker, you could talk about a time when you went above and beyond your job duties to get the job done.
• If you are a team player, you could talk about a time when you worked collaboratively with others to achieve success.

By being specific and highlighting your unique strengths, you will be able to sell your personal brand in an interview and stand out from the competition.

Conclusion

When it comes to interviews, practice makes perfect.

The more you do, the better you'll get at describing yourself in a way that sells your personal brand.

Keep these tips in mind and you'll be sure to make a great impression in your next interview.