Creating & Selling Your Personal
Brand – Interviewing Authentically
CSUN EY Seminar In Professional Leadership
Spring 2009
Ron Roberts, Jr. – CSUN Lead Recruiter
A Little About Ernst & Young
Who is Ernst & Young?
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A global leader in professional services
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Three Core Service Lines:
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Assurance and Advisory Business Services (AABS)
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Core Audit
Advisory Services
Tax
Transaction Advisory Services (TAS)
$24+ billion in revenue
130,000 people
More than 640 locations in 140 countries
Serving clients from startups to multinationals in every industry
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3 2008
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Who is Ernst & Young?
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A continuous learning firm
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An inclusive firm
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You are recognized as an individual (insights and interests)
Strategic focus on inclusiveness from the top and throughout the firm
Sponsors a range of inclusive programs, initiatives, and affinity groups (e.g. EY
Latino Professional Network; Professional Women’s Network; EcoCare Team;
Working Parents Network; bEYond; Working With Disabilities)
A community involved firm
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Exceptional training programs (e.g EYU)
World-class knowledge tools and technology
Focus on making a difference in the communities we live and work primarily in
three areas (education, entrepreneurship and environment)
We partner with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, The United Way, and
Junior Achievement
A socially engaged firm
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Office socials, holiday parties, engagement team gatherings, end of busy season
parties, athletic teams (e.g. softball, basketball, volleyball)
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Who Is Ernst & Young?
An Award Winning Firm
11 Consecutive Years on FORTUNE’s
“100 Best Companies to Work For®” list
#1 on BusinessWeek’s “Best Places
to Launch a Career” and . . .
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5 2008
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Recruiting Opportunities With EY
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Summer Internships – Juniors
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Summer Leadership Program – Sophomores
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Recruiting this Spring (Spring/Summer 2010 grads)
2 day intensive and interactive program to provide exposure to
EY and professional services in general
Recruiting in Spring (Spring/Summer 2011 grads)
Notes
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Apply for these opportunities online through the EY Center for
Careers in Accounting & Information Systems
Active full-time recruiting will resume in Fall 2009 (December
2009 and Spring/Summer 2010 grads)
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Want To Learn More About Ernst & Young?
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Visit our web site (www.ey.com/us/eyinsight)
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Explore various career paths within Ernst & Young
Testimonials from Ernst & Young professionals in different
practice areas, industries and offices
Follow up with the Ernst & Young professionals that you
have already met
Attend the February 10th Meet The Firms event
Get involved with student groups like the Accounting
Association, Beta Alpha Psi, & MISA
Questions? Contact Ron Roberts, Jr. (CSUN Recruiter)
at Ron.Roberts@ey.com
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Presentation title
Creating & Selling Your Personal
Brand – Interviewing Authentically
Creating & Selling Your Brand For Interviews
Creating & Selling Your Brand For Interviews
What are some
recognizable
brands?
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10 2008
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A Couple Of Definitions Of “Brand”
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kind, grade, or make, as indicated by a stamp,
trademark, or the like: the best brand of coffee.
a kind or variety of something distinguished by some
distinctive characteristic: The movie was filled with
slapstick—a brand of humor he did not find funny.
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Ron’s Very Loose Definition Of “Brand”
(As It Relates To Interviews)
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Brand: your values and your strengths; who you are and
how you can contribute to a prospective employer
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Creating Your Brand For Interviews
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Be aware of your values and strengths (these will play
into the brand that you endeavor to sell during the
interview process)
Know how your strengths can contribute to prospective
employers
Identify the employers that share your values
Figure out which employers are most interested in
someone with your brand (combination of values and
strengths)
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13 2008
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Selling Your Brand For Interviews
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Share how your values are in alignment with that of the
employer that you are interviewing with
Share concrete examples of how you can contribute (via
your strengths) to the employer that you are interviewing
with
Be sure that what you say and do during your interview
does not conflict with the brand that you are purporting to
sell to the employer
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Interviewing Authentically
A Couple Of Definitions Of “Authentic”
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not false or copied; genuine; real: an authentic antique.
entitled to acceptance or belief because of agreement
with known facts or experience; reliable; trustworthy: an
authentic report on poverty in Africa.
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A Word To The Wise
an interview –
Be Yourself, But Be Your
Best Self!!!
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The Interview: Before, During & After
Three Key Actions
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Preparation
Performance
Punctuation
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Step 1: Preparation
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Resume
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Research
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Bring a copy with you
Remember, everything on it is fair game
Company, industry and position that you are interviewing for
Be sure that your research is current
Think of questions that you can ask the interviewer
Personal
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Prepare to come to the interview dressed appropriately
Plan to arrive to the interview site a few minutes early
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Step 2: Performance
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Strategy
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Know your strengths
Know the answers to traditional interview questions
Be prepared to ask the interviewer questions
Experiences
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Skills that employers look for
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Communication; teaming; organization
Problem solving; leadership
Fact vs. Fiction
Organize your story (have a theme)
Communication
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Non-verbal cues
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Body language; hand shake; eye contact
No fidgeting; posture; smiling
Know when to stop talking
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Performance: The Campus Interview
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What is it?
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A two way dialogue
Candidate assessment
Generally 30-45 minutes in length
Who Interviews?
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Recruiter
Manager, Sr. Manager, or Partner
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Performance: The Campus Interview
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Introduction
Employer Questions
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The “standard” questions
Behavioral interview questions
Candidate Questions
Close
Follow Up
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(continued)
Performance: The In-House Interview
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What is it?
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Occurs after the on campus interview
Usually the final round interview
Plan on it lasting all day
Who Interviews?
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23 2008
Partner
Sr. Manager
Manager
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Performance: The In-House Interview
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Welcome/Breakfast
Company Overview
Informational Presentations
Individual Interviews
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30-45 minutes each (usually 3)
Lunch
Closing
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(continued)
Performance: The In-House Interview
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(continued)
What you should get out of the in house interview:
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Did you like the people and the office culture?
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Does the company provide opportunities for personal growth?
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Do your personal goals and values align with those of the
company?
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Performance: What Is Behaviorial Interviewing
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What is behavioral interviewing:
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Based on the premise that past behavior predicts future behavior
Focuses on knowledge, skills, and abilities
Behavioral questions ask for specific examples
Example:
“ Tell me about a time that you had to deal with an extremely difficult
person? What was the situation and how did you handle the situation?”
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Performance: Behavioral Interview Preparation
How To Prepare for Behavioral Interviews
► Read a lot of questions
► Practice answering them
► Prepare several examples you can “adjust” on-the-fly to
suit a question
► Go through a mock interview with friends
► Know the company and interviewer as thoroughly as
possible
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Performance: Sample Behavioral Questions
Example Interview Questions
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“Tell me about a time when you failed.”
“Tell me about a time when you had to motivate someone.”
“Give an example of a time you were embarrassed.”
“Give an example of a time when you succeeded despite great
opposition.”
“Describe the last problem you solved in a creative manner.”
“Describe a situation when you didn’t get along with someone.”
General Answer Format
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REAL
Relevant Experience, Action Led to…
Be prepared for interviewer to probe for details
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Performance: Interview Deal Breakers
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Things to avoid at all costs
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Rehearsed responses that
don’t answer the question
#$%*&#%!!
Bad small talk or bad topics
Insincerity
Step 3: Punctuation
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Correspondence
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Connections
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Send a “thank you” note
Make the call
Timing is everything!
Play the name game
Alumni
Creativity
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Not appropriate with resume or “thank you” notes
Remind us why you are great for the job!
You never get a second chance to make a first impression
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Interviewing Authentically – A Recap
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Be Yourself – Be Your Best Self!
Three Key Actions
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Preparation
Performance
Punctuation
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Questions
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