Tips for job hunters: Do you have a brand? YES!!
By: Karen S. Sieczka | Posted: 19th August 2005
Question: Name some well known brands. What do they stand for?
Question: Do you have a brand?
When you talk about brands, what comes to mind? Probably Levi jeans,
Sony televisions or Starbucks Coffee, names that instantly bring a
picture to mind--a picture of certain products, price, and
reputation of the company. Although you are one person and certainly
don't have the name recognition of Wal-Mart, you do have a brand. In
short, your brand is what potential employers think you are. Your
brand is their perceptions, for the good or bad. So, how do you make
your brand the one they want?
It is not a complex process to cultivate a good brand. Try these
simple tips.
Appearances matter. People make their first judgments of you based
on how professionally you present yourself within the first 15
seconds! Look the part for the position you seek. Do your research.
How would someone in your chosen industry dress and present himself
or herself?
Do a "self" SWOT analysis. Spend a lot of time with this. What are
your strengths and weaknesses? What types of situations do you
perceive as opportunities or threats? Think back to experiences
where you did exceptionally well. What were the basic elements of
the situations? What skills did you use to get through? What could
you have done differently or better?
Get to know yourself. Look at your self concept. Identify your self- limiting attitudes or negative images you may have of yourself.
Where did these come from? How do you deal with rejection,
disappointment or criticism? Are you persistent? Think about what
values are important to you in your work and for your life. Self
knowledge is empowerment.
Find your niche. What are your interests and hobbies? What
transferable skills do you have? Transferable skills are ones you
may use enjoying hobbies, while volunteering or during the
educational process. Most of these skills can be used within the
working world.
Know what you excel at and then strive to become known for
excellence. Emphasize that quality.
Be honest and consistent in your dealings with people. Never make
promises you can't keep. Be confident but realistic about your
abilities. One person cannot be good at everything. Be willing to
learn what you don't know. If you don't know the answer, "Say I
don't know, but I will find out."
Keep in close contact with people you plan to use as references.
Don't just call when you need them. Give them a heads up on the
types of jobs you are seeking and what skills you need them to
emphasize if they are called. Stay in touch with them after you find
a job. Let them know you appreciate their input. They are "selling"
your brand to potential employers.
Show you care. Treat people well. Return phone calls and emails
promptly. Be courteous to everyone, even if it's the secretary or
janitor. Show that every member of the team is important to you.
Treat tasks the same way. Always strive to give your best no matter
how small the task might be.
Be an information sponge. The Internet is a great resource for
keeping up on the latest news and trends. How is your prospective
industry changing? What is cutting edge? Strive to be a life-long
learner. Education never stops.
More Details at: http://home.earthlink.net/~ksieczka/
Karen S. Sieczka is the founder of Karen S. Sieczka Training and
Curriculum Development, http://home.earthlink.net/~ksieczka/. She is
the author of Foundations of Leadership, a workbook on leadership
development and has developed short trainings on employee enrichment
issues. Sieczka also writes articles and tip sheets on various
subjects including aging, literacy, and crisis communications
issues. She can be reached at ksieczka@earthlink.net
About the Author
Occupation: Webmaster
Karen S. Sieczka is the founder of Karen S. Sieczka Training and Curriculum Development, http://home.earthlink.net/~ksieczka/. She is the author of Foundations of Leadership, a workbook on leadership development and has developed short trainings on employee enrichment issues. Sieczka also writes articles and tip sheets on various subjects including aging, literacy, and crisis communications issues. She can be reached at ksieczka@earthlink.net
Contact him at
http://home.earthlink.net
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Tags: disappointment, strengths and weaknesses, interests and hobbies, swot analysis, rejection, basic elements, wal mart, judgments, perceptions, self knowledge, starbucks, what are your interests, what are your strengths and weaknesses, transferable skills, self concept