Personality traits

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The job interviewâthis is where it all really begins! While your resume may have impressed the hiring manager and helped you get your foot in the door, now you really have to bring home those points on the resume in person. Failing to convey the right message in the job interview means it is game over!

Don't expect a callback from the employer if you fall short of conveying key messages. There's a lot that can be done to prepare for the job interview so that you go into it confidently. However, it's one thing to be prepared and it's another thing to perform well in the job interview.

Along with proper preparation, here are three things you must convey in the job interview...

You're A Go-Getter!

Employers desire employees who have a real passion for the work. During the job interview, demonstrate that desire, passion, and excitement for the challenges that lie ahead with the position.

Make the interviewer believe you'll be able to hit the ground running on the job by demonstrating you have the experiences and skills to succeed on the job. Ask what the biggest challenge is and present examples of previous relevant work where you've been in a similar situation and what you accomplished and achieved.

The research you've done ahead of time should also allow you to demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about the company, its business, and more.

You Fit Right In!

Fitting right in is not so much about being agreeable but being likable. Come off as friendly and share your understanding of working in a workplace like the employer's. Ask questions during the interview to further understand the type of work environment that exists and then make an effort to demonstrate you have similar experience working in such an environment.

Another way to create the feel that you'll fit right in is by building rapport with those you speak with. The interview should not take on a model of a Q&A session; you want to turn it into a dynamic conversation. Find ways to build rapport that will help show how well you understand the ins and outs of the business and working in a workplace like theirs.

You're A Character With Great Personality!

Hiring managers understand that job candidates may come into a job interview nervous, but those who are able to overcome their nerves and show some personality are more memorable and attractive as a candidate for the job opening.

When you present your personality, it's easier for employers to see how you stand out from other job candidates. Presented the right way, you can also come off even more likable.

When there's the opportunity for it, don't be afraid to add to the conversation by talking about your personal quirks or likes. It's what makes you you! When there is a lack of personality in a character, the individual can come off as boring and dry. It also doesn't hurt to show how you differentiate from the next candidate with similar experience and skills.

Find opportunities throughout your job interview to weave into the conversation these three things above. In the end, you'll come off as a more memorable and desirable candidate for the job!

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This article was originally published at an earlier date.

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3 Things To Convey In Your Job …

Are you ready to take the first step toward unlocking your true professional potential?

If so, we're inviting you to take this incredibly accurate career assessment quiz.

The Career Decoder Quiz will help you determine what your workplace persona are. That means you'll get a sense of who you are as a working professional and what makes you thrive at work. You'll find out how you like to create value and what your professional strengths are, which will help you find the right career for YOU.

Here are a few examples of what your persona could be:

Visionary

Visionaries are big-picture thinkers and conceptualize ideas to motivate others to action.

Are you: Capable of shaping a vision for those who can't see the possibilities?

Can you: See the end before the beginning? Are you able to assess from a bird's-eye view?

Do you: Have a long-term mindset and plot your course accordingly?

Optimizer

Optimizers assess, analyze, and map out improvements that directly save or make money.

Are you: Someone people rely on to make sound financial decisions?

Can you: Assess a business or project and immediately see ways to save or make money?

Do you: Gain satisfaction from knowing your work makes the business more profitable?

Builder

Builders execute a plan, managing all aspects, keeping it on time and under budget.

Are you: A specialist in your field with lots of hands-on experience?

Can you: Execute a plan and work through roadblocks to completion?

Do you: Like to focus on ways to do things better, faster, cheaper, etc.?

Educator

Educators close gaps in knowledge and ensure staff is clear on their roles and goals.

Are you: Good at organizing thoughts into oral and written communications to motivate and train others?

Can you: Take control of an idea and choose the right method for communicating it?

Do you: Excel at wordplay and use communication skills to guide conversations?

So, What's Next?

Man on computer takes Work It Daily's Career Decoder Quiz

There are eight workplace personas in total. Which one are you?

If you want to learn what your top workplace persona is, and how it impacts your ability to find career success and satisfaction, check out this free career assessment quiz.

Seriously, knowing who you are as a working professional and what makes you happy on the job will help you be successful in your career or job search.

Don't waste another day not knowing your professional strengths. Take the Career Decoder Quiz to unlock your potential today!

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Unlock Your Potential With The FREE Career …

Have you ever wondered about how you communicate with others? How you interact with others plays a major role in both your career and life in general.

It can be hard to categorize yourself, but it's extremely helpful to have an idea of how you communicate with others and get a sense of how others perceive you. This type of self-assessment is important in figuring out how to market yourself as an employee that adds value to the workplace.

Fortunately, Work It Daily has a FREE Workplace Communication Style Quiz that can help determine your communication style.

What's The Communication Style Quiz?

The Communication Style (ISAT) Quiz allows you to understand your communication style so you can work more effectively with others. It has 18 questions about your personality and how you handle certain situations.

An example of a question includes:

What describes you best?

A) Do not like pressure situations.

B) Don't mind pressure situations if can move things forward.

At the end of the quiz, you'll get your result. An individual's communication style falls into one of these four categories: Empathizer, Energizer, Contemplator, and Commander. Which one are you?

What Do My Results Mean?

Happy coworkers at work who know their communication style

The communication style results page gives a full rundown of each style, including each style's strengths and weaknesses. Can you guess what communication style you are?

Here are a few characteristics of each one:

Empathizer: Warm, tactful, avoids conflict.

Energizer: Open, upbeat, and outgoing.

Contemplator: Calm and reserved.

Commander: Serious and direct.

You might be surprised by your results. The only way to know for sure is to take the quiz.

How Do I Apply My Results To My Career?

Understanding your communication style can help you better interact with your co-workers. Understanding how you interact with fellow co-workers is especially important if you just started a new job and are the "office newbie."

Although you might think you have a firm grasp on how you communicate with others, you might not realize how you could be misinterpreted by co-workers, which could lead to some awkward situations and unwanted workplace conflict.

Having a better understanding of your communication style is also helpful for networking and job interviews.

Networking can be tough, so having a handle on how you communicate will help you adapt your networking strategy, while potential employers usually ask job seekers to describe themselves during job interviews.

Don't Let Your Communication Style Hold You Back At Work

There are so many reasons to understand your communication style. In fact, if you don't take the time to learn the pros and cons of your communication style, you could seriously hurt your career.

If you feel out of place at work or constantly get passed over for promotions, your communication style could be to blame.

We want to help. You deserve to know this information about yourself so you can unleash your career potential and get what you want from work.

So, take our FREE Communication Style Quiz today. Your career will thank you.

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What’s Your Workplace Communication Style?

Why is your personal brand so important anyway? Do you REALLY need one?

Great questions. Allow me to explain...

Here are four personal branding tips absolutely EVERYONE should know:

Brand Or BE Branded!

Whether you like it or not, you've got a brand. Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room. It's what comes to mind when people think about you, and how people describe you to their friends.

Chances are, you want SOME say in what people say about you. You want to make sure people are perceiving you the way YOU want to be perceived, right?

In order to do that, you need to create a brand for yourselfâa brand that represents you, your goals, and your accomplishments. As Work It Daily founder and CEO, J.T. O'Donnell, says, you must "brand or BE branded!"

Be Honest About Your Brand

This is important. Don't build a brand that's not true to you. Not only is it exhausting to try and keep up with something you're not, but everyone can see right through it. Don't strip your brand of its true flavor! Embrace who you areâall of your quirks included.

Strategically Polarize

One of the biggest keys to a strong brand is to strategically polarizeâto fully embrace who you are (your brand) with no apologies.

"I think for a lot of us, we want so much to be liked that we boil ourselves down to this grey, watery mush," says Sally Hogshead, author of FASCINATE, in an interview with bestselling author and web TV host Marie Forleo. "If you're trying to create messages for everybody, you end up speaking to nobody."

Yes, there will be people who don't agree with your brand. They may even hate it. But the people who love you will REALLY love you. They will be able to connect with you, engage with you, and trust you because your brand is honest. And, in the end, who else do you need? You can't please everyone, so be selective. Who do you want to associate with your brand?

Style Your Brand

Don't just keep your awesome, quirky, AMAZING brand to yourselfâlet it shine! Embrace your brand and reinforce it in everything you do. This isn't just limited to your work. Think about your style and behavior, too!

"Develop your personal dress style, appearance, and image that consistently screams what you are about," writes Deborah Shane in her article "How To Be Memorable: Develop Your Unique Brand Style."

Who are you? How can you reinforce your brand through your personal style and behavior? Don't just brand yourself on paper. Live your brand!

Need more help with your personal brand?

Join our community to learn how to build your personal brand and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

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4 Personal Branding Tips EVERYONE Needs To …

A dear friend of mine, who I've known for decades now, has an amazing personality. She’s fun (ready for a good time), outgoing (can easily engage in conversation with just about anyone), and personable (people just like her). She’s also a talented and successful marketing executive. On top of all this, she’s an unbelievable athlete. She’s run numerous marathons, but if that wasn’t enough, will throw in a couple of Ironman competitions to sprinkle on top for some excitement, courage, and inspiration. If I was to define her personality as a brand, she would be Starbucks (fun, outgoing, & personable), Google (confident & successful), and Red Bull (courageous, exciting, athletic, who happens to be a redhead) all rolled into one. And by the way, these combined brands generated over $263 BILLION in revenue last year.

When someone has a great personality we are drawn to them. We want to be with them because they make us feel good. A brand’s personality works the same way. Brands, just like humans, have personality traits that help make them relatable, mirroring the characteristics you value. Let’s explore further what a brand personality is, why a brand personality matters, and how to create your brand personality.

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What Is A Brand Personality?

A brand personality can be defined as the set of human characteristics associated with your brand. It’s communicated through tone of voice, visuals, and even policies. They’re expressed as adjectives that convey how you want people to perceive your brand. For example, is your brand cheerful, funny, friendly, youthful, innovative, spirited, dependable, responsible, credible, sophisticated, rebellious, cunning, powerful, honest, and so on? Here is a list of 200+ adjectives to get you started.

Let’s look at an example. Coca-Cola is considered real and authentic while Pepsi tends to be young, spirited, and exciting, and Dr. Pepper is seen as nonconforming, unique, and fun. Source.

A brand can also be described by demographics (age, gender, social class, and race), lifestyle (activities, interests, and opinions), or human personality traits (extroversion, agreeableness, and dependability). Source.

For example:

If Harley Davidson were a person? It would be a man. Lululemon? A woman.
Tesla would be innovative while Red Cross would be traditional.
Kylie Cosmetics would live in a mansion and Goodwill would rent an apartment.

Why Does Brand Personality Matter?

If your brand neglects to define its personality, rest assured that people will form their own perceptions of you whether you like it or not. Take control of your brand by developing a well-defined brand personality. Here's why…

Develops An Emotional Connection: According to Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman, “95% of purchase decision making takes place in the subconscious mind.” People buy emotionally, even if they don’t realize it, and then justify their decisions rationally. Brands that present themselves in a human and personal way will do better than brands that rely on facts and figures.
Drives Competitive Differentiation: A brand personality is an important factor in differentiating you from your competitors, especially when brands are similar with respect to product attributes.
Guides Communication: A brand personality statement provides depth and texture that make it easier to keep the communication effort on target. Source. In fact, your brand personality can help reinforce the way you communicate your story and message to your audience.
Enhances Brand Loyalty: As customers get to know and love your brand personality, their connection to your brand grows stronger, just like getting to know a new friend better. Over time and consistent communication, you will build strong brand loyalty.

How To Create A Brand Personality

There are three approaches on how to find your brand personality; use the one that best fits your needs.

Let’s first look at Jennifer Aaker’s Dimensions of Brand Personality framework which contains 15 traits organized into five factors.

https://www.hausmanmarketingletter.com/the-right-brand-personality/

Sincerity (Dove, Volvo, Hallmark)

Down-To-Earth: family-oriented, small-town, conventional, blue-collar, all-American
Honest: sincere, real, ethical, thoughtful, caring
Wholesome: original, genuine, ageless, classic, old-fashioned
Cheerful: sentimental, friendly, warm, happy

Excitement (BuzzFeed, Nike, Red Bull)

Daring: trendy, exciting, off-beat, flashy, provocative
Spirited: cool, young, lively, outgoing, adventurous
Imaginative: unique, humorous, surprising, artistic, fun
Up-To-Date: independent, contemporary, innovative, aggressive

Competence (SpaceX, Rolex, Microsoft)

Reliable: hardworking, secure, efficient, trustworthy, careful
Intelligent: technical, corporate, serious
Successful: leader, confident, influential

Sophistication (Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Apple)

Upper Class: glamorous, good-looking, pretentious, sophisticated
Charming: feminine, smooth, sexy, gentle

Ruggedness (REI, Old Spice, Harley-Davidson)

Outdoorsy: masculine, Western, active, athletic
Tough: rugged, strong, no-nonsense

Here are three steps to developing your brand personality under this model:

Brainstorm: Begin by brainstorming a list of personality traits (here's a list of 200+ adjectives to get you started) that best represent your brand. Group these traits under one of the five brand personality dimensions. For example, adventure, exploration, and self-discovery represent Patagonia and fall under Ruggedness.
Rate: Rate each brand personality trait on a scale from one to five. One being the least descriptive and five being the most descriptive of your brand. This process helps determine which of the brand personality traits represents your brand the most.
Organize: Organize your findings to see where your brand rates on a scale from high to low. Determine where your brand should focus within the five brand personality dimensions.

Next, is Brand Archetypes Framework by Carl Jung. Carl Jung believed that archetypes were models of people, behaviors, or personalities, thus making them more recognizable and relatable to target audiences. Jung identified 12 archetypes. The idea is that any brand can relate to one of the 12 archetypes that help define the brand.

https://iconicfox.com.au/brand-archetypes/

As you evaluate the Brand Archetypes Framework, start by thinking about the following:

Does your brand connect with one of the archetypes better than another?
What personality traits do your customers tend to value and aspire to?
What brand archetype feels right?
Be sure that your brand messaging supports your brand personality.

Finally, there is the Combo Brand Archetypes & Brand Personality Frameworks. This model combines the Brand Archetypes and the Dimensions of Brand Personality Frameworks mentioned above.

https://conversionminded.com/brand-personality/

The flexibility of this method allows you to create your own framework using your best judgment.

In conclusion, your brand personality is one of the most powerful strategic tools to humanize your brand. Defining your brand personality will help you make better decisions across each aspect of your business. Start building your brand leadership today. You’ve got this!

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