10 reasons why YOU should have a personal brand

Establishing a personal brand can help you land a job.

A recruiter recently asked me how to find qualified job seekers through social media. More companies like hers are searching for candidates on the web, and people who are well represented are more likely to be considered.

In marketing, the definition of branding is the sum total of a company’s value, including products, services, people, advertising and culture. That includes logos, symbols and designs that promote consumer awareness of goods and services. Personal branding is the process whereby people and their careers are marketed as brands.

A personal brand can help you ...

7 seconds to a stronger first impression

First impressions count whether you
are networking or interviewing.

You know the 30-second elevator speech you’ve crafted to impress interviewers and clients? It’s four times too long to make an effective first impression according to a study by New York University’s Stern Graduate School of Business. The study found that people make decisions about others in just seven seconds.

Seven seconds! Count that out “one-Mississippi”-style. Done? Now you know there’s nothing you can say that quickly to give a great first impression, which means you have to use non-verbal cues first to truly impress. Based on suggestions from executive coach Carol Kinsey Goman, here are seven things to do – without saying a word – to create stronger connections and better first impressions in those crucial first seven seconds:

10 silly mistakes dooming your job prospects that are a cinch to fix

Are you making silly mistakes that are hurting
your job prospects?

I see it over and over again. Job seekers make silly mistakes that cost them the jobs they seek.

Do you make these mistakes? They are easy to fix. Here’s how:

Convinced you are too old, too fat, too something to land a job? You might be right. So whatcha gonna do about it?

Are your fears keeping you from
what you really want to do?

A lot of job seekers won’t say out loud what they’re really afraid of. 

What they fear is hiring companies will perceive them as being too old, too young, too old fashioned, too foreign, too disabled, too something to be considered … and you know what? 

They might be absolutely right.

People may very well pigeon-hole you by your age, nationality, race, religion, gender, etc. It’s not right, but it happens. 

So whatcha gonna do about it?

Can’t get THE job because you lack experience? 10 ways to get the knowledge, plus a tip that really works

No excuses. Gain the knowledge
you lack.

One job seeker wants to move into sales. Another wants to move up in her current field but lacks on-the-job experience in a critical area. 

How do you get a great job when you aren’t quite qualified? You must …

Gain the knowledge on your OWN time

Many deficiencies that may be keeping you from career advancement can be rectified through free or low cost means that don’t require learning in an actual job situation. Whether you are unemployed or miserable in a current job, now’s the time to focus on your own career self improvement. Here’s how:

• Assess your work strengths, experience, and weaknesses (list both the things you could do better and the duties you don’t know how to do at all, but need to learn).
• Complete an action plan to improve.
• Gain the knowledge using these free or low cost methods:

1. Take free classes at a local library or low-cost classes at a community college or trade school.
2. Ask a knowledgeable friend to show you how, or take an expert for coffee or lunch and pick his/her brain.
3. Research the subject online. Wikipedia and Google are great places to start.
4. Review the help section of applications on your computer (like Word and Excel) and take the online tutorials.
5. Watch instructional videos on You Tube.
6. Sign up for free webinars and subscribe to relevant blogs.
7. Participate in local networking clubs within your targeted field and learn from club presentations.
8. Shadow a person on the job.
9. Subscribe to free e-newsletters.
10. Join and participate in relevant LinkedIn groups.

SUPER TIP
Create your own white papers

• Copy what you’ve learned about a particular subject from online or e-mail sources into Notepad (to strip out unnecessary online formatting)
• Paste the plain text into a Word document.
• Edit the text to just the information you need to know.
• Rewrite what you’ve learned in your own words so you really understand it.
• Save the document by topic name … and voila! You’ve created your own white paper which you can study before applying for jobs or going on interviews.

Note: This is how I learned to blog and use social networking and how I regularly further my knowledge about advancements in my field. It really works! This tip also gives you a fantastic answer when interviewers ask, “How are you keeping up to date with changes in your field?”

Prove your new-found knowledge

• Create PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, videos, Word documents, lead workshops, etc. using the knowledge and skills you have gained.
• Add your new abilities into your resume and cover letter.
• Pump up your LinkedIn profile by adding your new competencies in the summary section.
• Volunteer to help a charity using the skills you need to build. Include quantifiable results about how your capabilities helped the charity in your resume and cover letter.
• Include samples in e-mails to recruiters or post them on online application sites that allow support documents.
• Post samples on your LinkedIn profile in your Summary (About), Experience, and Education sections.
• Show your samples on interviews.

Strengthen your capabilities starting NOW … after all; such efforts could help you land a job or get a better one! -- Kathy

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Look to WiserU
WiserU provides LinkedIn training and services and career training and services for individuals and organizations that can transform your future or grow your business. Visit WiserU.com to learn more.

• Businesses arrange for WiserU to maximize their use of LinkedIn for sales, marketing, and fundraising through training and services. Learn more 
• The unemployed and miserably employed hire WiserU for career training, coaching, interview preparation, and LinkedIn profile and resume creation services. Learn more at wiseru.com/services/
• Subscribe to WiserUTips.com for weekly LinkedIn and career tips!

Job seeker: Don’t accept your weaknesses … fix them!

Fix your weaknesses that are keeping
you from the jobs you want.

If the same lack of experience is repeatedly keeping you from being eligible for positions you really want, take active steps to get the knowledge or experience you need to be a viable candidate.

Review your skills and deficiencies and then create an action plan to become strong in all key areas. 

You may be pleasantly surprised to find that many deficiencies can be improved through free or low cost means that don’t require having to learn them in an actual job situation.

For example, if you need to beef up your understanding of Microsoft Office Suite products such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint:

• Take free classes at your local library or low-cost classes at a community college.
• Research the programs online.
• Take the online tutorials and review the help section within each application.
• Watch instructional videos on You Tube.
• Ask a knowledgeable friend to show you the basics.
• Most importantly, create PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, etc. using the skills that you have learned.
• Show potential employers these documents as proof of your abilities.
• Add your new abilities into your resume and cover letter.

Other ways to improve your knowledge and experience:

• Sign up for free webinars.
• Take an expert for coffee or lunch and pick their brain.
• Shadow a person on the job.
• Volunteer to help a local charity using the skills that you need to build.

It's not OK to wallow in your weaknesses! 
Strengthen your abilities right now, while you are unemployed … after all, such efforts could help you land a job that you will love!

How do you improve your abilities to make you a more viable job candidate? Share add your comments! -- Kathy

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Look to WiserU
WiserU provides LinkedIn training and services and career training and services for individuals and organizations that can transform your future or grow your business. Visit WiserU.com to learn more.

• Businesses arrange for WiserU to maximize their use of LinkedIn for sales, marketing, and fundraising through training and services. Learn more 
• The unemployed and miserably employed hire WiserU for career training, coaching, interview preparation, and LinkedIn profile and resume creation services. Learn more at wiseru.com/services/
• Subscribe to WiserUTips.com for weekly LinkedIn and career tips!