I recently applied for a position with one of the top brands, and part of the interview process included taking a pymetrics test that analyzed my cognitive and emotional factors using 100,000 data points acquired from me. To be honest, I found the results fascinating. Reading over my pymetrics profile allowed me to better understand myself and made me wonder whether one of the reasons we don't perform well in interviews is simply because we don't know who we are beyond our practical skillset and, as a result, we can't craft personal stories that sell us.
Since then, personal branding and storytelling have been on my mind. I've realized that in order to effectively market one's own personal brand, one must first be self-aware. Only then can one create a compelling narrative. Appropriate knowledge and expertise in your profession is crucial, but it's just as necessary to brand yourself as someone who embodies all the qualities that make you appealing, likeable, equitable, and real, among others. These attributes are responsible for keeping your personal brand from selling out.
Being self-aware means being able to tell your personal story with utmost ease. Avoid being superficial; create a narrative that highlights your best qualities and expresses your identity and life goals with clarity. Such a story prompts brand owners to throw open their doors to you because they recognize the value that your personal brand brings to the table. We must be careful not to fall into the shallow trap of fabricating tales in order to land a job. A strong, authentic personal brand is essential to moving up the corporate ladder, just as a customer-centric brand can quickly build a following of devoted customers. Let the interview panel not be the only audience for your personal tale. One of the hallmarks of a great story is its ability to evoke strong emotions in the reader. All you need to do is strive to be a well-rounded person with a real-life story that appeals to, motivates, and benefits the people you want to sell yourself to.
People who succeed do so not because they have superior knowledge to yours, but rather because they can sell their personal brands more convincingly through storytelling. Therefore, marketers shouldn't undervalue the significance of creating and maintaining our personal brands on a daily basis, just as we do for corporate brands. Make sure your brand is consistent across all of the platforms it appears on, including blogs and social media.
