Modern-day job hunting has changed completely, long gone are the days when everyone was pouring over the job section in the local newspaper. There are many new ways that you can both research a company and contact potential employers. You may already be on social networking sites but may never have used them for your…
Category: Workplace
Employee experience can seriously impact your bottom line. The Employer Brand Index gives you insight into what talent really thinks about your company.
Job hunters must keep in mind that countless employers and human resources personnel are utilizing the web and, in particular, social networks to get additional information on prospective employees. This growing method of gaining information on applicants has provoked many job seekers to “get off the grid.” But it’s important to note that information gleaned…
Your online brand is an essential part of your job search. Employers are searching for your name in search engines and on social networking sites. They’re looking to get a sense of who you are, what you’re passionate about and how you will fit in with their current team. What does your online brand convey about you?
The following mistakes can hurt a job seeker’s chance at landing an open position. Are you guilty of any of these?
1. Weak presence on social and professional networking sites.
One of the first places an employer will look for your online presence is Facebook. After that, they might look to LinkedIn to verify employment history and read your recommendations. Will they find a profile for you? If so, is it professional? Is it complete? Your online profiles need to show a potential employer how valuable you are—or they might move on to a more desirable candidate.
2. Failing to monitor your online personal brand.
There are a variety of reputation monitoring tools available online today, such as Google Alerts. Set up searches and alerts on your name to receive instant notification about recent information posted about you. It can also be a great way to identify any cyber twins – individuals who share your name — that might hurt your job search if an employer confuses you with them.
3. Trying to be everything to everyone.
A personal brand needs to focus on a specific niche – so don’t try to be an expert in several fields if you’re searching for a job. Instead, focus on building a strong online brand as an expert in one field. It will help avoid confusion and you’ll build better relationships with folks in that particular niche as well.
4. Lack of focus or consistency.
If you plan on building a brand on social networking sites, writing a blog or doing other activities to enhance your visibility in the space, you need to be consistent. For example, don’t spend two weeks tweeting, creating content and making connections and then drop off the face of the Earth. It takes time to build an online brand—and you’ll see your effort pay off through search engine optimization, a growing network and positive search results for your name.
5. Only talking about yourself.
No one wants to follow or friend someone who is constantly pushing their own content or talking about their job search activities. In order to brand yourself as a thought leader in your niche, share content related to your field, interact with other professionals and provide value. That’s how you’ll make the most meaningful relationships that can ultimately help your career.
What other online branding mistakes do you see people making?
Tony Morrison is the Vice President at Cachinko, a unique professional community where social networking and job opportunities come together. His roles include sales, marketing, and business development. He is passionate about building B2B and B2C client relationships and brings this passion to Cachinko where he focuses on helping job seekers to find their ideal job and employers to find, attract, and engage their next rock star candidates. Find him on
Sometimes in the world of marketing, we get a little “cart before the horse”. Everyone is always focused on marketing a brand, selling a brand, pushing a brand. This is all well and good, but how does one create a brand? What are the steps required to make sure that the brand created is functional and memorable? In short, how is a brand made? While it can be daunting to attempt to boil any idea, business, or physical entity, down into a recognizable two-dimensional visual representation, there are some steps one can take to make the process easier and more successful.
Since branding can take many forms, for the sake of this article, we will focus primarily on the process of personal branding, and the effective creation of a personal business identity. A brand is what was formerly referred to as a trademark. As defined by the American Marketing Association, it is a “name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.” In the case of a personal brand, it is also referred to as a “trade name”. To generate a personal brand successfully, use the three steps below as a jumping off point.
A. Define Yourself
This is actually the most difficult step, and the portion of the process you should plan to spend the most time developing. Ask yourself how people perceive you. What words do they use to describe you and your business? What aspect of yourself are you attempting to sell or market? What aspect of yourself or business is unique and sets you apart from other similar types or companies? What is your niche market? Look at the answers to these questions.
It may also be helpful to create a map, or plan of what you hope to accomplish by branding yourself. Make sure that you use the information you glean from those around you, to further your goals for yourself. Finally, create a name, based on these ideas.
B. The Two-Dimensional You
Remember that a personal brand is, in essence, your visual package. It’s the athlete on the box of Wheaties at the grocery store. The baby, sitting in the Michelin tire. The little boy fishing that opens every motion picture produced by Dreamworks.
Now that you have defined yourself, it’s time to create a visual representation of that definition. This visual representation of yourself needs to appear everywhere, on any and all media associated with you. Do not be overly esoteric with your design. It is helpful to sit down with friends or associates and brainstorm how the verbal definitions you discovered via Part A, can be visually represented.
Once you have some ideas, look at them across media. Print some out on your computer and see how they look as stationary, as homepage images, as logos on business cards. Ask strangers what the various logos mean to them. Once you are clear about which logo or design is most effective, you are ready to begin to brand yourself publicly.
C. The Media Juggernaut
If you are at the point of creating a personal brand, it is assumed that you have already examined and defined where you want your business to be in one year, three years, five years, etc., and that you have created a solid business plan. It is important to have these ideas in place before you begin to introduce your brand to a wider audience, because the last thing you want to have happen is for your brand to gain negative associations because you were unprepared for business.
Creating a positive reputation is much more effective than attempting to repair a poor one. If you have not yet created a solid business model, do that, then proceed with Part C. In order for people to find you, you must place your brand where it can be discovered. In today’s market, that means, literally, everywhere. Create an online presence with a clear and recognizable email address, a personal website, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn profiles, blog posts, press releases, Internet business cards and email marketing, the use of an online portfolio, and targeted online advertising.
Create a physical presence with business cards, resumes, reference documents, and carry representative work on your handheld device, CD, DVD, or flash drive, so that it can be shown to somebody immediately, if necessary. With all of these marketing tools, the presence of your brand, the design that represents you, is vital. Your personal brand should appear on everything. Repetition breeds recognition, so the more you can get your name, and the images associated with it, out there into the public eye, the more successful your brand will be.
Bottom Line
Though it may seem like a lot to take on, personal branding is incredibly important in the development of a thriving personal business. Done correctly, it can propel you, and your product or company, into an incredible future. You owe it to yourself to take the time to create the best representation of yourself that you can. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and in this age of multimedia and online marketing, that first impression is your brand.
To learn more, check out our Personal Branding Workshops running in the UK and further afield.
Susan Black is a tech and web geek who spends most of her working week reading and writing on marketing techniques, both online and off. She writes here for discount sofa specialists sofasandsectionals (dot com).
People tend to get consumed in financial compensation in their jobs that they tend to overlook the really important things that will actually provide you with a sense of happiness. Programmes such as The Apprentice enforce the idea that bright sparks can get to the top quickly, with big salaries and big titles to their name. This may well be true and feasible for many, but it’s worth considering the other factors that are involved with job contentment.
There’s more to your career than the money
A company may offer you an incredible salary, but will you actually enjoy your job? As money-driven as we are in western society, we would do well to evaluate our priorities first.
Before you jump for a job strictly based on salary, ask yourself, if this is something you will really enjoy? Is it something you are keen to integrate into your life? Most career jobs by default become something heavily linked to our day-to-day lives.
This is important because in most cases, it’s better to start at a moderate level and work your way up, in which the money will ultimately increase and so will your skill-set and progression.
But money does pay the bills at the end of the day
Now, that doesn’t mean that you should take a lowly paying job in hopes of it one day turn into a top-dog position, but rather, think about how you can create a balance: this is when it becomes important to evaluate the pros and cons.
In one sense, it may be attractive to go for the high paying job, but will you still be at the same salary and position within a year? Or, is it better to take the lower-end of the scale and know that within six-months to one year there are opportunities for advancement within the department or the company! That’s for you to decide, but then this is also time for you to find out exactly what drives you to go to work every day, or what motivates point blank. Often, employees find that they start at the very bottom and slowly but surely work their way to the top, establishing themselves as a core member of the workplace and a loyal one too.
For some people, it’s going into an office where people are motivated and work in a team environment, for others it’s a competitive drive that inspires their work ethic. Either way, it’s important to take note of your wants and needs because you may be over-extending your skills and expectations. The last thing you want to do is to accept a job based on having a high salary only for the company to realise that you are not necessarily a good fit for the job.
Shop around and see what works for you
Whatever you do, just make sure you take all aspects into consideration. Going for the gold means a lot more than the coin, there’s your integrity, reputation, ability and happiness as well –remember your quality of life matters too. Have a real look around before applying; websites like reed.co.uk offer up a wide and interesting range of jobs in financial, creative and media fields, and will illustrate a diversity of roles to think about.
A career as an entrepreneur is quite lucrative. To become an entrepreneur, you need to have plenty of confidence, motivation and the courage to take risks. In the modern-day world, there are multiple examples of successful entrepreneurs. If the story of an entrepreneur highly motivates you and you dream to make your own mark, you can decide to start on an entrepreneurial journey.
If you haven’t decided to leave work just yet, check out So You Want to Leave a Job You Hate. If you are already on your way, here are the 6 ways to becoming an entrepreneur:
1. Think of a Unique Idea
The journey of an entrepreneur begins with an idea which has the potential to bring success. If you want to prove your entrepreneurial talent to the world, you should start brainstorming to come up with a great idea.
If you are already working in an industry, you should try to figure out the gaps that other businesses have been unable to fill up. Once you have identified the loopholes in an industry, you can rack your brains to come up with an idea in the form of an effective solution.
2. Believe in that Idea
Whether or not you have strong belief in the idea you have come up with can make all the difference. If you don’t believe in an idea really strongly, it will fail even if it was a unique one.
Once you have thought of a great idea, you should have enough confidence to make it work for you. It is your determination which will matter more than actually the idea that you hit upon.
3. Write Out a Plan
To make an idea really work well, you should prepare a concrete plan. Successful entrepreneurs have always put their entire plan in written. Right from creating the product to marketing it to the target audience, you need to focus on every detail. Don’t forget to do extensive industry research to write out a great plan to make the business idea come to life.
4. Get the First Round of Financing
In the initial stage of your entrepreneurial journey, you will need to arrange for the first round of financing. This is where putting your entire business plan to paper comes in handy. When you have a written plan in hand, you can easily put across your point to venture capitalists.
5. Start Working
When you have the finance available to start your entrepreneurial venture, it’s time to prove yourself. Use appropriate resources to accomplish the project within the pre-decided timeframe. You should also have the motivation to overcome the barriers that you might face while moving ahead. Be inspired and continue to move on with a positive attitude.
6. Connect with Other Entrepreneurs
You must have heard the line that ‘being with a winner makes you a winner’. Now that you are in business, you should adopt the habit of networking with other successful entrepreneurs. Networking with other entrepreneurs keeps you motivated as well as abreast of the latest tips and tricks of the trade.
So, are you determined enough to set out on your entrepreneurial journey?
Related: The Pros and Cons of Being a Freelancer.
James Tomerson writes regularly on career, education and latest job trends. To read more from him, you can visit Jobdiagnosis.com, which also offers jobseekers a free career test to choose a career which is in tune with their career, aptitude and skills.
Getting hired is tough. What’s even tougher is getting hired into a job that you actually want. Between resumes, applications, and cover letters, many job seekers fear that their documents aren’t making the right impression.
Introducing the one-page proposal. Based on Patrick G. Riley’s book, The Resume is Dead!, the one-page proposal is lauded as the solution to the common resume. As CEO of The One-Page Company, I clearly agree.
However, how will people turn to one-page proposals if they don’t know what they are? Better yet, how will they change if they don’t know the difference between that and the resume?
Here is a side-by-side comparison of the resume and the one-page proposal:
1. What are they?
Resumes are traditional. Since the dawn of time, job seekers have used resumes to court prospective employers. They’re commonplace and generally expected in hiring situations.
One-page proposals are new. The one-page job proposal is a relatively new concept and it’s not especially common in hiring situations. Hiring managers don’t explicitly ask for one-page proposals.
2. Focus
Resumes focus on the job-seeker. It’s all about the job seeker. My experience, my skills, me, me, me. The employer oftentimes needs to connect the dots between the resume and the actual job.
One-page proposals focus on the employer. Attention shifts to the employer, company, and position in question. The proposal discusses the company and how the job seeker will fit into the overall picture.
3. Content
Resumes record the past. It’s all about past experience, schooling, and skills developed. It is important for employers to learn about what an applicant has taken away from the past, but are left without an idea of what is to come.
One-page proposals look to the future. Proposals include past experience, but are chiefly centered on what will happen. Applicants tell employers what they will do and how that will happen.
4. Goal
Resumes are broad. It’s not uncommon for a job seeker to use the same resume time and time again for dozens of different companies. The goal is to get a job in an industry, not taking the company or position into account.
One-page proposals are targeted. One-page proposals are meant for one company, position, and reader. They are unique to other applications and get down to the specifics of the position and company.
There you have it. The next time someone asks you about resumes or one-page proposals, you now know what makes each similar and unique.
While I have a fairly obvious opinion about resumes, I feel that job seekers are entitled to a choice in the hiring process, selecting the document that best suits their needs and expectations.
When applying to a job, would you choose a one-page proposal over a resume?
Related: CV vs. Resume: What’s the Difference?
Joanna Riley Weidenmiller is the CEO of The One-Page Company and is responsible for executing the company’s strategic development plan. Prior to launching One-Page, Joanna was the CEO of Performance Advertising. Joanna earned her B.A. in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and lives between Beijing, China, and San Francisco.
Have you ever wondered how Kim Kardashian became famous? While some might refer to her as a “television personality” or “socialite,” Kim Kardashian is an archetypical personal brand. From her start in a reality television series to subsequent guest appearances on television shows and in movies, her efforts both on and offline have somehow made many people believe that she is not only valuable, but deserving of her fame.
Whatever your opinion is of the Kardashians, their story is a lesson about the power of marketing yourself. In this job market, a resume isn’t enough to make you stand out, even if it’s done by the best professional resume writing service. But even if you’re not actively looking for a job, when it comes to increasing your exposure to future employers and experts in your industry, it’s important to find appropriate ways to define and project your personal brand.
Find your niche
It’s not flattering to think of yourself as a commodity, but when it comes to getting recognized by employers and influencers, you’re only as good as the value you bring to the table. Most people tend to buy products that are very good at accomplishing one or two tasks. Products that can do many things in a mediocre way are generally not as popular.
Think of your brand the same way. You may know five languages, program in C++, like different types of artisan breads, and occasionally work out. That might make you interesting to your friends, but when you push out too many messages about yourself to your audience, it’s not only confusing, but makes you look unfocused.
Pinpoint one or two strengths that you feel comfortable being the go-to person for. Make sure you’re always up to date on the newest information and trends about whatever you choose as your specialty. For instance, if you decide to promote yourself as a graphic designer, it would be embarrassing if you didn’t know about new Photoshop features and releases. Set up a simple Google Alert to capture information about your specialty from a wide variety of sources.
Promote yourself in the right venues
Online social profiles are certainly nothing new. Sites like KnowEm and NameChk make it easy to claim hundreds of profiles across multiple social networking sites. Claiming your online profiles is a great way to prevent someone from snatching up your identity, but dedicating yourself to maintaining all of these profiles can be daunting.
Rather than spreading yourself thin, use top social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for a more focused reach. You can link updates from all of these accounts rather than posting separate updates on each. To reach a focused audience, pick one or two niche social networks. For graphic designers, Meetup where you can meet other industry professionals and employers. Most major office supply shops offer business card printing services. Have them printed with addresses of your social profiles to maximize your exposure.
Contribute to the discourse
Employers and recruiters won’t notice you if you simply sit back and read discussion forums. Participate! You don’t have to offer the most groundbreaking view on a topic, but sharing an informed opinion will showcase your expertise. If you’re really stumped on what to add to a discussion, ask the questions no one else is asking.
Remember to keep discussions polite, both online and offline. Once you’ve refined your prowess, it might be easier for you to pick out the flaws in others’ opinions. Employers and influencers don’t like bullies. Politely share your knowledge, and show that you’re someone who can help others with their professional development.
The majority of us won’t be able to market ourselves like the Kardashians. While frantic outbursts, self-indulgence, and vanity work for a small percentage of the population, the rest of us will get further by becoming informed industry experts, sharing our expertise, and demonstrating our value.
To learn more, check out our Personal Branding Workshops running in the UK and further afield.
Leslie Williams is a writer for Jobfox Resumes, the largest resume writing service online. She specializes in using social media to connect to the right job.
“I can’t believe I just said that…”
I’d be interested to see statistics on what percentage of job interviewees have suffered such a thought. And I wonder how often the interviewer even noticed or was bothered by the interviewer’s supposed gaff.
Twenty-two years ago, a young Tim Schafer made a big gaff…and the interviewer certainly noticed. But after some creative thinking, he landed the job. Today, he’s a computer game industry icon.
Check out these excerpts from his fantastic blog (where you can even see copies of his rejection letters for even more inspiration!):
“My job hunt was getting kind of depressing. I was building up a pile of rejection letters, most of them from jobs I didn’t even want.”
But then, one bright summer day, I walked into the campus career center and saw this:
That’s the original posting for the “Assistant Designer / Programmer” position at Lucasfilm, Games Division.
I called David Fox right away and scribbled all the notes you see while I was talking to him. I told him how much I wanted to work at Lucasfilm, not because of Star Wars, but because I loved, “Ball Blaster.”
“Ball Blaster, eh?” he said.
“Yeah! I love Ball Blaster!” I said. It was true. I had broken a joystick playing that game on my Atari 800.
“Well, the name of the game is Ball Blazer.” Mr. Fox said, curtly. “It was only called Ball Blaster in the pirated version.”
Gulp.
Totally busted. It was true—I had played the pirated version. There, I said it…
The rest of the phone call didn’t go much better. But at the end of it, David told me to send in my resume, along with a cover letter describing my ideal job. Since I figured I had blown the interview, I had nothing to lose. So I did my cover letter in the form of a semi-graphic adventure.
It worked.
What we can learn from Tim’s application:
1. Know how to sell your strengths
Tim could easily have penned a typical cover letter, but his creativity wouldn’t nearly have been apparent. Granted, the traditional cover email/CV combination is more appropriate for the vast majority of positions. But candidates must still use these mediums to demonstrate their skills and capabilities. That’s why we’ve given candidates the option to attach multi-media work samples to their Innovate CV. After all, sometimes a candidate needs to go beyond ‘telling’ and start ‘showing’ in order to stand out.
2. Exclusive applications
I’d be willing to bet that Lucas Films were more taken aback by Tim’s sincerity than by his creativity. After all, this wasn’t merely a creative application that Lucas Arts had received…along with a hundred other companies. Tim’s application was designed and created exclusively for them! Imagine that.
Hiring staff can tell immediately tell when they’re receiving a generic CV (as good as it may be) versus a customised CV. The tailored approach takes into account the industry, organisation, and position. When candidates respectively make the effort to personalise an application, they present themselves as a far more professional and thoughtful. Innovate CV’s management system allows you to easily oversee your various CVs.
3. Play with the rules
Lucas Film’s asked Tim to submit ‘a cover letter describing [his] ideal job.’ Tim understood that they likely wanted to ascertain his writing skills and creativity. So with that in mind, he took a risk, and took a different route.
Hiring managers want the best, and unless the organisation is stuck in her procedure, they don’t mind if candidates break the rules to stand out. Read between the lines to determine where you have space to try something different. But of course, know your limits. Common sense applies.
4. Be proactive, even if when it hurts
Tim’s job hunt wasn’t going well, yet he persisted. His proactive visit to a campus career centre led him to his dream opportunity.
Job hunting is emotionally exhausting. When the lousy jobs even seem out of reach, it’s easy to give up on one’s dreams. There’s a world of gamers out there who are forever grateful that Tim didn’t do just that, no matter how tempting the option may have been.
5. Interviews aren’t everything
Despite a lousy interview, Tim’s fantastic follow-up won him the position. One strike doesn’t mean you’re out.
Candidates who struggle in an interview can confidently bounce back. Take stock of what went wrong and remedy the issues with a thoughtfully worded follow-up email or letter.
Well done, Tim. Thanks for sharing your story.
What else can we learn from Tim? What have been your nightmare interview moments?
Related: The 7 Qualities Employees are Looking for in Candidates.