Professional Branding and Interview Communication Course Notes

Instructor Introduction

• Name: William
• Position: Strategic Partnerships Manager for Google Search and Google Assistant
• Background:
  • High school at Canisius College, Jakarta
  • College: University of Washington, transferred to UC Berkeley
  • Experience in interviews, leadership roles in student organizations, and event management
  • Started working at Google in 2015 after overcoming job search challenges during an oil slump

Course Objectives

• By the end of this course, you will learn:
  1. How to make your resume shine
  2. How to stand out during networking
  3. How to ace your interviews

Importance of Hard Work and Differentiation

• Hard work is crucial at every step:
  • Resume creation
  • Networking
  • Interviewing
• Differentiation is key! Stand out from the crowd.

Making Your Resume Shine

• Purpose of a Resume:
  • Enable a significant change in your life
  • Open doors for interviews
• Core Goals:
  • Convey an impactful, clear, and memorable message
  • Showcase differentiation

Resume Building Process

1. Expansive Thinking:
   • Gather all achievements, projects, activities, certifications, etc.
   • Highlight personal contributions with data and facts.
2. Reductive Thinking:
   • Prioritize information ruthlessly.
   • Aim for one-page resumes.
   • Use reverse chronological order.
   • Keep 3-5 key achievements.

Resources for Resume Writing

• Search guides from top universities (e.g., Oxford, MIT) for templates and tips.
• Use resume templates as a guideline, not a verbatim copy.
• Tailor resumes for specific job descriptions.

Anatomy of a Resume

1. Identity / Personal Details
2. Professional Summary / Objective
3. Skills and Qualifications
4. Work Experience / Projects
5. Educational Background

Professional Summary Tips

• Keep it concise (1 paragraph maximum)
• Use first-person narrative
• Highlight specialties using keywords
• Reflect your passions

Skills and Qualifications

• Differentiate between minimum and preferred qualifications.
• Ensure your skills align with job descriptions.

Work Experience

• Demonstrate quantifiable impact.
• Use specific examples to showcase uniqueness.
• Include relevant extracurricular activities if lacking professional experience.

Educational Background

• Include relevant education only (usually tertiary and above)
• Present information in reverse chronological order.

Networking

• Importance of networking often overlooked.
• Check clubs, organizations, and LinkedIn.
• Develop relationships with seniors for job referrals.
• Prepare an Elevator Pitch:
  • Who are you?
  • Objective, strengths, accomplishments, passion.
  • Refine and record it for feedback.

Interviewing Skills

• What Employers Look For:
  • Relevant experience, critical thinking, adaptability, positivity, teamwork, and results.
• Interview Structure:
  • Welcome, overview, Q&A, closing next steps.
• Types of Interview Questions:
  • Behavioral, Hypothetical, Case-based (use STAR method for responses).

Interview Preparation Tips

• Tailor preparations to the company and role.
• Dress appropriately, be punctual, and have documents ready.
• Practice responses to common questions and prepare questions for the interviewer.

Post-Interview Actions

• Express gratitude, ask about next steps.

Conclusion

• Focus on resume preparation, networking, and interview practice for future success.
• Practice makes perfect!