Why Personal Branding is Here to Stay

Why “Personal Branding” is Here to Stay The term personal brand is one that always makes me quiver. The concept has now been around quite a long time, and ultimately is not rocket science, but amazingly enough it is still a concept that many people are challenged by. Whether it is just the term itself that makes you quiver as it does me, accepting the concept of personal branding and how to make it work for you is imperative in the current job market. What is a brand? From a business perspective, the brand is their product or service. What they are known for and what people recognise them for. Brands are what we develop a relationship with, something that is a lot of time a sub-conscious engagement with that brand that entices us to it time and time again. Think about the food we eat, what we drink, where we shop and products we buy. Each of these are a brand and it is our relationship with that brand that has us going to it time and time again. What is a personal brand? The personal brand is what we are putting out there to allow others to build a relationship with us. What is our unique identifier that allows others to recognise who we are, what we bring and where our expertise is? It is the bits that make people remember us; both good and bad. It is in how we present, how we communicate, how we define what we want to do and how we have become capable individuals in a role or in our field. It may be a brand developed through volunteer work, it may be a brand that drives our professional careers. Whatever the focus is for you, it is about being unique and authentic to our brand. Where can branding go wrong? I use an example here of 2 consumer brands that wanted to try something different. Let’s start with good old Australian vegemite. Vegemite launched a new product that they named iSnack 2.0. Relationship to the brand; none. Relationship to the product; none. Relationship with consumers; none. Outcome, back to the drawing board. More recently, another Australian brand Gladwrap thought a simple change to the design of its product, a design that consumers had been purchasing for years, would breathe new life in to the product and increase engagement with the consumers. This simple branding change was an overnight disaster. Immediately, consumers stopped purchasing the brand as they could no longer relate to it and it no longer represented the relationship that they had with the product that drove them to buy it time and time again. There are dozens of stories of where branding has gone drastically wrong for businesses. And this also can have an impact on individuals when developing their own personal brand. For individuals looking to transition their career, moving away from what people understand about your brand and what you now want them to see in your brand is challenging. Done without proper reflection, you can end up with a disastrous outcome just as the brands above had. You need to truly understand what it is you need from your brand to put in place something that will help with building that brand. How do I build my personal brand? Your brand needs to be strategic, it needs to allow people to build a relationship with you and with what you bring as part of your brand. When developing this, it needs to be slow and strategic. If your brand doesn’t exist, it needs to start with you developing your own understanding of what your brand is to deliver. This needs to happen before you even take your brand to the market. Once you understand this, you need to look at what is it about your brand that can reflect your purpose; how do you present yourself, what experiences do you need to demonstrate, who do you need to connect with. Working slowly is important in building your brand as it will allow you to redirect your brand if necessary without going through a whole reinvention process. Reinvention can be challenging and is not something that can occur overnight so it is best to avoid this sort of thing if possible. Why is personal brand so important to candidates? In the current market, where roles are sourced predominantly through the hidden job market or “under the radar”, your candidates brand is what will provide them with access to these roles. Building relationships using their brand and having a clear brand purpose will assist them in aligning these opportunities to them. Eventually their brand can become a calling card; one where people feel comfortable approaching your candidate as they know what their brand delivers and the value that comes with it. Your candidates brand is something that needs to be developed and managed consistently. Online and offline, no one can ever do enough to manage their brand even when it seems overly time consuming. The best approach to brand management is to ensure that they look at this on a regular basis and reflect on where your brand is at. Does their brand as it sits still align with their direction or are small tweaks required? Do they need to review their brand strategy to assist in achieving their long term goals? Is this something they may need to consider in the future? These sorts of questions drive the link between your candidates brand and their career and this is the reason it is so important. What their brand represents needs to be effective in demonstrating what they can deliver in their career. Whether or not they are starting out in their career, or you are looking at transitioning out of their career, their brand is important and the concept is here to stay. If it makes you quiver as it does me, get over this and ask yourself what value will my  candidates brand bring to me?

How to Write a Resume Cover Letter - The Best Option For Free Template

How to Write a Resume Cover Letter - The Best Option For Free TemplateIn order to write a resume cover letter, it is always better to choose the best option of template free software. This will help you in writing a letter as a professional one that will not only catch the attention of your target audience but will also be effective in expressing your skills and knowledge related to your position.The template of free application can be easily used and can be customized according to your personal needs. It is created to be user friendly with an easy-to-use interface. It has been designed by experienced and knowledgeable people in the field of technology, thereby giving out a versatile and well organized output.The template will save your time and will help you to put into proper perspective what you are going to say in your cover letter. It will take less time as compared to writing a letter from scratch. If you want to make a professional yet well-written resume cover letter, then it is advisable to use this free template.The application will always have a number of features that will help you in writing a cover letter. It has been designed keeping in mind the most basic requirements. A template with the features like Quick Response feature, Embedded Signature, Image Manipulation, Advanced Search, etc. will surely serve you for a longer time.You will never regret using this simple and cost effective application if you really consider the advantages that it offers to you. It is such a nice experience to work on a well-structured content through a simple application that is free. For example, the editing of the cover letter and the introduction will be made easier as this application will allow you to change the spelling of certain words.For those who need to send an application by mail to the same company, it will be good enough to have a template that contains all the details about the applicant's skills and education. Thus, you will not waste your time and eff orts on sending a resume to the wrong company.Free template applications will always make your job easy. They will also aid you in organizing the various details in a very well structured manner. Besides, these applications are very easy to use and will not require you to get any complicated technical knowledge to make your application more efficient.There are a lot of applications that can be downloaded free for a limited period. It will only be advisable to download a copy of such an application before you actually start creating your resume cover letter. This will make your job easier as you will get an idea about the options available in the applications that you are going to use.

Quantifying Your Experience

Quantifying Your Experience Everyone knows that your resume must include information about your skills and experience. But almost no one understands how to make that information stand out in a crowd of candidates with similar skills and experience. Most people take the paint-by-numbers approach to writing their resumes. They take a copy of their current job description and cut and paste their job duties into bullet points under their title. So their resume reads something like this: 2010 â€" 2014               Mortgage Processor                                             Some Bank Served as initial point of contact for the program Acted as a liaison between borrower, underwriter, loan originator and lender Provided customer with timely and periodic status updates of their loan application Established, maintained, and updated files, databases, records, and/or other documents for recurring internal reports Process the documents received for each file, verifying the accuracy and completeness of each document. Other duties as assigned. Here’s what’s wrong with this resume: it doesn’t tell a hiring manager what she really wants to know. I’m pretty sure that someone who hires and manages mortgage processors is aware of the usual duties assigned to those workers. She wrote the job description. What she really wants to know is this: How good are you at what you do? How complex was your work? How demanding was your workload? How did your customers rate your work? How effective were your outcomes? None of that information appears in your job description or your typical cut and paste resume writing. But you can fix that. Here’s how. First, we assume you were good at your job. If not, you may not have much to say. If that’s the case, I strongly suggest you build experience and competence before looking for another position. But assuming you are skilled, there are ways to make your experience more compelling for a recruiter or hiring manager. First, quantify your workload. See if you find one of these descriptions more compelling than the other. Managed a portfolio of pending loans Managed a monthly portfolio of 25 loans with an average closing time of 12 business days It’s easy to see which candidate makes a better case for getting hired. Adding quantitative details helps a hiring manager decide whether your experience is a match for the workload on his team. Whenever you can, you should add details about the amount of work you did. “Front office receptionist, responsible for greeting visitors, accepting deliveries and answering 10 incoming lines which transferred to over 120 extensions.” You should also mention any accomplishments that set you apart from other workers. Were you selected to serve on â€" or lead â€" a special project? Did you receive a customer service or perfect attendance award? Did you set a sales record or receive consistent performance bonuses? All helpful to someone who’s trying to decide among candidates. When you compete against other professionals with the same title and job description, quantifying your experience and accomplishments will help point out why you’re the right match for the job.

Nominate Personal Branding Blog as Forbes Top Website For Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Nominate Personal Branding Blog as Forbes Top Website For Your Career - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I hope youve enjoyed reading PersonalBrandingBlog.com and that it has made you make better career and branding decisions in your own life. Since I started the blog in 2007, weve had over 100 contributors, writing nearly 3,000 blog posts, which have been seen by over 3 million people. Our current blog team stable, managed by the lovely Maria Duron, is as strong as ever and weve covered everything from the basics of personal branding to how to strategically use social networks sites to boost your career. Today, I have a favor to ask you in hopes that you will support this blog. Forbes is looking to highlight the top career sites and we hope you will nominate this blog. In order to do so, you can do one of three things: Tweet your nomination to @JacquelynVSmith Email careerwebsites@forbes.com Leave a comment on her blog post I sincerely appreciate your support and regardless of the outcome, we will continue to deliver high quality personal branding and career-related content to you every day. Thanks for being a reader! Hey @jacquelynvsmith, I want to nominate @danschawbels Personal Branding Blog for @forbes Top Career Sites. Dan is the man. â€" Ryan Paugh (@ryanpaugh) August 3, 2012

Tips for Becoming Certified in Resume Writing

Tips for Becoming Certified in Resume WritingMaking the decision to become certified in resume writing can make a huge difference to your career. You will be earning a substantial income and working with a respected company. In order to attain this status, you must first complete your education.Resume writing is an essential part of business and professional careers. If you don't have a resume, you might not be able to find a job that suits your qualifications or current skills. An excellent resume will help the employer to determine if you are a good fit for the position. Some of the characteristics that employers look for in a resume include your previous work experience, educational background, and work experience.One of the key characteristics of writing resumes is the content. With hundreds of applicants looking for the same job, they are going to be reviewing resumes on a daily basis. They need to be able to read your resume and determine if it is professional and updated. Ther e are several different ways to prepare your resume. Below are just a few tips that can help you become certified in resume writing.One important characteristic is to write something that catches the eye of the employer. It is important to go over your resume several times before you submit it. Writing something that looks original will grab the employer's attention. Employers want to meet people that are willing to communicate openly and provide them with a clear description of their previous work experiences.Another common reason for people to have trouble in creating resumes is because they don't understand how the resume works. To be able to successfully become certified in resume writing, you should be familiar with the different resume formats. Creating a resume that is specific to the job you are applying for is an important aspect of the process. The length of a resume is an important factor to consider as well.Recruiters and hiring managers will want to see your resume in i ts entirety. The format should be highlighted and concise and you should include your contact information at the top. The hiring manager is going to look for all the information they need before making a decision as to whether or not to interview you.There are some additional tips when creating a resume. A resume should be able to provide a cohesive and concise summary of your qualifications. Be sure to include these qualities in a chronological order as they will aid the recruiter in evaluating your resume. When reviewing resumes, the goal is to identify a vacancy that best fits what you have to offer.You can become certified in resume writing by taking an active role in creating a quality resume. By keeping a variety of files and creating a resume for each job opportunity, you will find that your resume will reflect your personal and professional style. This will enable you to quickly and easily make the transition from being an average writer to a professional writer.

Advice for older job seekers - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

Advice for older job seekers It is a fact that older job seekers who are looking for an employment should expect to search for weeks or months longer and get fewer job opportunities than young adults. Over 50 people experience a major penalty toward how fast they will find an employment. This article will give some advice for older people to help them in searching for jobs. Skills and Capabilities The barriers to re-employment success grow out not just from perspectives of employer regarding older workforce, but also from age-associated gaps in knowledge, skills, and capabilities, and the nature of work people want to get. In fact, age, skills and capabilities of an individual change over time and they may frequently search for a different nature of job. If we consider workers in the construction field it is necessary for them to carry heavy objects. In case if they switch their jobs and go to a different one, this approach might slow their search. Besides these, social networks, certain needs of marketplace, search techniques, and what people want out of an employment are also pertinent determinants. It has been established that people’s social networks tend to get smaller just like their age, and indeed this can have impacts on the quality of people’s capability of networking effectively. As far as the marketplace needs are concerned, the field or industry an individual went into as a fresh young employee might not be as rewarding and beneficial in his or her future career. So, skill obsolescence can contribute a role and it is recommended to older job seekers to maintain and improve their skills as per the changing marketplace needs. Do These Things For a majority of the older people who want jobs, the potential of a prolonged and potentially unsuccessful search for job may prematurely compel them out of the labor market and even further shrink the chance for getting job again in their later life. Check out the following five best suggestions for older individual: Stay up-to-date with market needs, required skills and industry Older job seekers must stay up-to-date with market needs and hence the required skills and capabilities. For this, older people need to find ways to develop and improve their skills and stay current with the relevant field or industry, even if an individual is employed right now. Enhance skills of job search Older job seekers tend to have prolonged tenure of employment, and so may not be or less aware of the new and innovative technological developments in the world and practices in the current job search marketplace. Older job seekers need to develop their skills of online job searching and then explore many job search websites, along with candidate requirements, and the industry’s hiring trends and nature of employment an individual wants to get. Be persistent Job searching may take enough time but older job seekers need to understand and realize that they will find an employment. They just need to be persistent and wait for a smart opportunity. Understanding their specific life and family situation and how it may contribute a role in their job search will really assist with the process. Make clear re-employment objectives In fact, losing a job is one of the painful experiences in any individual’s life, mainly for older people. Older people as job seekers should contemplate which attributes of a new employment are very crucial and set clear goals and objectives of re-employment to guide their employment search. Develop and expand social networks As humans become old, they incline to shrink their social networks more toward closer relatives and family that can negative affect the pace of their re-employment. Older job seekers should realize the importance of developing and expanding social networks that can really help them in job searching. Author Bio: John Kelly is a renowned article and blog writer also an HR consultant in a reputable academic writing service company. He usually provides tips for an interview taking and giving because he have Master degree of MBA (HR Management).

Searching for a Career not a Job - CareerAlley

Searching for a Career not a Job - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Written by Arlene Chandler. Arlene acquired her experience in a Seattle real estate firm. After spending her days writing articles for Suncorp, she enjoys evenings and weekends trying out new restaurants and taking long walks. There is a difference between having a job and having a career, and its not always the hours you have to put in or the money you get out. A job is an occupation that you do, unhappily or not, because you have to put bread on the table and pay the bills. A career is something you excel at and find fulfilling in every aspect. If youre unemployed and need the money, take a job, it can keep you afloat until you can make the right move into a fulfilling career. Confucius said it best; Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Photo-Credit Which career is right for me? Thats an excellent question and can be answered by digging a little deeper. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Do you naturally take control of things? If you are a doer and dont have to wait for others to tell you what to do, you might have what it takes to lead and take it all the way to the top. Are your insecure? If you are insecure it will show and you are probably better fit to follow, than to lead. Insecurity in oneself reflects on ones actions as well. This is not a negative thing, au contraire, where would the leaders be without followers? Are you focused? Having focus is a great attribute when you are dealing with detail oriented positions, such as found in accounting, controlling etc. Do you know what you want? The kind of person that has a goal and will do everything in their power to reach it, is a winner in every sense of the word. Only when you know what you want can you find out what needs to be done to achieve it. Do you change your mind often? Changing your mind indicates that you dont have a set goal and are still searching for that one thing that will blow your mind away. Searching means, that careers arent going to be top choice, in this case a job is the way to go. Are you emotional? A career in the arts would probably best suit you. These are careers where you learn to channel your emotions into your work. You will need discipline and you will probably have to learn to deal with rejection, but its just another emotion you can use in your art oriented career. Can you empathize? Empathy, not to be confused with sympathy and emotionality, is a key component for a person working in social careers, such as nursing, social workers etc. How can I be sure? The best way to see if you are looking at the right career for yourself is to get your feet wet. If youre still in college while contemplating these questions, you can volunteer during your semester breaks. Not only will you know if its the right move for you, it will also give you the possibility to show an employer that you have what it takes for this career. If youre already working, unhappy with your job and want to make a change, there are possibilities as well. Visit a company website of the sector youre interested in. Many companies have job descriptions accompanying open positions. Reading through these will give you an idea of what the positions require and if its something you can see yourself doing for the unforeseeable future. The main issue, with any decision that brings about change, is to know what you want and where you want it to lead you. You cant build a house without a foundation and you cant build a career on a position you arent happy with. Choose wisely! This is a Guest post. If you would like to submit a guest post to CareerAlley, please follow these guest post guidelines. Good luck in your search. Joey Trebif