UPDATE: This article was originally posted on October 8, 2018. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

All those nights spent studying for the GMAT, the hours of essay writing and excelling in your career have finally paid off: you’ve been invited to an MBA interview. 

At this point, the admissions committee has seen your essays and test scores, read your recommendation letters and knows your career trajectory from your CV. 

But these alone can’t tell them everything they need to know about you. One of the most important parts of the MBA application process, the interview is the program’s opportunity to really get to know you, your fit with the program and understand your brand.

Yes, your brand. It’s what people think of when your name comes to mind. It’s how people recognize you and what they associate with you. Your values, goals, personal style, industry, culture, online presence, career and education all shape your personal brand.

While it may seem more natural to think about brands in terms of companies like Coca Cola or Nike, consider the immediately recognizable personal brands of Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. Each of these people has a personal brand that you can identify immediately, from Richard Branson’s carefree spirit and long hair to Elon Musk’s intensity, pursuit of innovation and quirky interviews.

But you don’t need to launch SpaceX or build a $100B fortune to have a personal brand. 

Instead, as you prepare for your MBA interviews, this is the ideal time to think about and build your personal brand and how it’ll appear before, during and after your MBA interviews. 

 

How to brand yourself before the interview

Long before you sit down for your interview, you’ll need to think about your brand within the context of the interview. 

Ask yourself questions like:

• How can I be authentic and fit the program’s values? As much as you want to get accepted, you’ll want your authentic self to be accepted, not an artificial version, so think of how to balance the two.
• Who is the program looking for and how do I compare? Consider the traits and values of the program and how your own values match or contrast.
• How might the interviewer’s background influence how they perceive me? Do your due diligence on the interviewer, learning about their career, communication style and culture through the magic of Google, LinkedIn and social media.

You should also consider that the interviewer has likely researched you, too. Consider what you’ve posted to social media, what images of you exist online and if the interviewer may enter the interview with a preconceived notion about who you are, good or bad.

Speaking of research and preparation, this is your chance to build your brand as a prepared and polished professional. Knowing the program inside and out as well as a bit about the interviewer shows you take this process seriously and bring some curiosity and emotional intelligence to the table. 

And that’s good for any personal brand.

 

How to brand yourself during your MBA interview

On the day of the interview, you’ll be prepared and practiced having polished your answers and developed a list of great questions to ask the interviewer. This is your time to shine!

During the interview, you’ll want to keep these three rules in mind.

 

1. No interview is one-size-fits-all.

With each MBA program having its own values, it may come as no surprise that each interview is different and how your brand will be perceived will differ as well.

For example, an interview with HBS may center upon leadership while an interview with Stanford may focus on entrepreneurship.

For HBS, you’d brand yourself as a leader, discussing your university leadership experience and long-term leadership goals.

For Stanford, it’s more appropriate to discuss the side venture you founded with your university roommate and your post-MBA plans to scale the business from suburban garage to Silicon Valley.

Consider, too, how culture influences your brand. If you’re a warm, personable Brazilian you may find some differences in schools like LBS or HBS which tend to be more reserved and formal—bringing us to the importance of nonverbal behavior.

 

2. Your nonverbal behavior speaks loudly.

Nonverbal behavior, which includes everything from your body language to your clothing to the tone of your voice, is part of your brand and perception. Think about how your nonverbal behavior portrays you during the interview.

If you’re speaking about becoming a CMO during an interview with Kellogg, but you’re slouched over, speaking softly and avoiding eye contact, it doesn’t build a brand image of someone who is going to lead Deutsche Bank’s marketing one day.

Your clothing, another element of nonverbal communication, will tell much about your brand. Consider the culture of the program; a black or navy suit with a conservative tie may be perfect for LBS while a more trendy yet professional suit may be better suited for Stanford.

Showing up in a hooded sweatshirt and T-shirt doesn’t fare well for your brand, even if you’re leaning into the Stanford entrepreneur/startup image.

Finally, just because your interview is likely to happen on Zoom this year doesn’t mean you can relax and assume your non-verbal cues don’t matter. Though body language is not as apparent on camera as in person, it’s still an important aspect of the interview you want to make sure to take charge of. 

 

3. Always be consistent.

It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to impress the interviewer, be a fit for the program and tailor your brand to accomplish this. However, consistency (and authenticity) is key.

If your essays covered your desire to work in investment banking, don’t come into the interview talking about your dream of starting the Uber of dog walking. If your LinkedIn is full of posts about your desire to live abroad, it doesn’t show consistency to talk about returning to your hometown to launch a new business.

Not only does it confuse the interviewer who has a much different understanding of your goals and interests, but it may also come across as dishonest or flaky. 

Don’t think of being consistent as repeating yourself, think of it as reinforcing your ideas and confirming your essays.

Be sure to also build the consistency between your experience and goals. Showing the interviewer the clear growth and trajectory of your career and education can help them understand more about who you are and what your future looks like. 

For example, discussing your extensive work in investment banking lines up well with your essays and interview answers about why you’re eager to study at Columbia Business School.

Consistency and authenticity have considerable overlap. It’s wise and strategic to mention or not mention certain aspects of your experience or goals, like how you might approach an interview with HBS vs. Stanford, however, your brand should remain consistent and authentic to who you are. There’s no point in joining a program where you don’t organically fit; it should be a fit for you and the program.

By being consistent and authentic, you can rely on your CV, essay and experience as a foundation to work from, even as you answer some of the toughest MBA interview questions.

When you stick to these three interview rules, tailoring your brand to each interview, being aware of your nonverbal behavior and remaining consistent, you have a powerful combination that will help you avoid critical MBA interview mistakes and get accepted.

 

How to Brand Yourself After Your MBA Interview

Success! Your MBA interview is over. You relied on your MBA interview practice, showing your true personal brand and how it connects to the program’s values.

Before popping that bottle of champagne and celebrating, wait! Your exercise in branding hasn’t ended just yet.

After the interview, there are a few ways to continue branding yourself.

First, write a thoughtful thank you note or email to the interviewer. Refer to specific parts of your conversation, their experiences or anecdotes and offer to reconnect if any further questions arise.

Next, send them a LinkedIn request with a short, friendly note. Not only is this a smart, professional gesture, but it also allows them to view your LinkedIn recommendations, network, education and career, reminding them of the talented, eager professional they just interviewed.

 

What’s the next step in building your brand?

Building a consistent brand, especially in MBA interviews which eliminate up to 50% of candidates, is a vitally important aspect of a successful MBA application process.

But building a brand without the objective feedback and professional guidance of an MBA expert isn’t easy or effective. This is why our team of MBA experts offers personalized interview preparation and personal branding help, ensuring you’re on-brand and on-message while remaining authentic to your values and who you are.

That’s the approach we took with our client Matias, who was admitted to his top choice program, MIT Sloan.

Interested in learning more about MBA interview preparation and practice, personal branding, essay editing or any other aspects of the MBA application process? 

Get in touch with us here for a free consultation and discover why, after helping dozens of candidates get accepted into top MBA programs, we have a 98.5% success rate.