Accelerate Your Search™ Now

What is the best answer or best way to sell myself to land the job I want?

Not a week goes by that someone does not ask this question – there is not one best answer or one best way.   No two people are alike and no two candidates are alike.

The most successful approach it to focus on who you are, your strengths, what you offer and your unique talents.  That’s what sets you apart from the other candidates who will interview for the job you want. 

This approach is not hard but does require focus.  Begin with an assessment of your strengths, skills and talents.  Then plan how to communicate your value in each area.  Build your marketing message and tools showing how you can and will use your talents to provide consistent, performance to help an organization achieve its crucial business goals.  

The reason this is hard for most people to sell their talent and strengths during a job search is they get too focused on the past, or on what is missing or what’s wrong.  Focus first on you and your value. 

It is easy to get focused on what you don’t have, what you need to “fix” or what your weaknesses are, and move into comparison mode, but that is a dead end road to mediocrity.  Invest some time and focus on assessing your strengths, what you do well, your talents and how you can best apply these to the marketplace. 

When you know yourself, your value, your talents, your strengths, and how to communicate what you want, then you don’t dread an interview or talking to a potential employer.  Nor do you need to spend hours fixating on re-wording a résumé or writing a cover letter to fit a job posting, instead you can spend your time on targeted interactions within the organizations who can use and are looking for your skills and talent.

What are your natural talents? 

What pertinent knowledge and skills do you offer the marketplace? 

How can you use your talent to help the organization achieve a significant return on their investment in your salary?

Can you clearly share this information with a potential employer in a few minutes?

Here are five tips for improving your online visibility with your personal portal profile:

1.  Have a plan.  Think about your brand, what you want to communicate and how do you want to show up online.  Be consistent.  Stay on message and stay on brand.  Start with one site, use it and maintain it. Don’t know where to start?  Explore about.me.

2. Add your photo or branded background.  If you just started your search you may not be ready to do that, so until you have the photo you want to use on your page, or your branded background ready to go, select one of the many backgrounds in a gallery that is a good fit for your brand.  There are many for you to select and use.  You can change and update your background easily in the future.  The prior background photo is saved giving you instant flexibility.  I suggest you add a high quality personal picture that captures you and your brand.  But if you are not ready to do this, or your appointment with the photographer is next week – the background gallery is fine for now and helpful.

3. Personalize your page.  Selecting the font that is right for you and on brand.

4. Add your brief bio. It is easy to go to your Branded Bio file, copy and paste.  Style the page to fit you, be sure to view and proof.  The features on most sites allow you to select color and location of your brief bio.  These features help you stay on brand.

5. Add links to tell visitors to your page where your web content is – make it “one click” away.  Consider adding an email link so visitors can email you directly from your page.

Do you still have a question?

Post it below or join the next Q & A and ask your question or contact me.

Summer is a great time of year. Summer in New England is very different than the HOT summer days of West Texas.  I love summer and the abundance of fresh vegetables, watermelon and the ease of finding good ice cream.

One of New England’s big surprises was the number of great easy to find little ice cream shops.  To find one I discovered I could just look for where people are lined up waiting to purchase ice cream on a summer evening or afternoon.  The second part of this surprise for me was that most of the ice cream shops close on or about Labor Day! 

The impact is that it feels like ice cream is in short supply in the fall and winter.  That of course is nonsense, good ice cream is not in short supply in the fall, winter or spring, it is just not as convenient to get and takes a bit of effort to find it during the other seasons of the year.  The result, if I want ice cream in the other seasons I have to make an effort to locate it.
 
Sometimes in a job search it is easy to feel ‘lack’ or think jobs are in short supply like ice cream in the off season.  That too is nonsense. 

Once you spend a little time reflecting on where you are and what you want from your career and your next position, you will also discover an abundane of opportunities.  These may not be as convenient as going around the corner and looking for the line or opening an email with a long list of your ideal positions.

Your ideal job is not in short supply, but effort is required to locate it.  You must be willing to market yourself, and you need to know what you are looking for and be willing to seek it out. 

Your talent, skills and abilities are wanted and needed, opportunities are abundant.  Are you willing to do the work for the ideal opportunity?

Most of the people lined up outside the ice cream place, knew where to go because of word of mouth marketing.  Someone told them about the great ice cream, they went and experienced it, they told others and line grew! 

This word of mouth marketing did not happen without work, a plan and day-to-day execution on the part of the ice cream shop owners.

Are you leveraging your word of mouth marketing?   Why not?

Sure there is a shop, a place for people to go to experience and learn more, (your online profile), the unique story of the ice cream shop and the ice cream it sells.  How it is made, what makes it different and the best in the area (your USP, your brand, your story).  The shop has a sign out front, (your job title, your business card), a menu board of the ice cream they offer (your résumé). 

The ice cream shop communicates their message and they help others communicate and share their message.  Maybe in print with a flyer, a storyboard, and as people gather in the line they are talking about the ice cream.  The line and those conversations are part of their social proof that the ice cream is good (your recommendations, references, your network).

All of these marketing elements are critical to drawing people to the shop to experience the ice cream.  They built the message and their reputation over time.  This did just happen. 

The shop assessed what they had to offer, worked to understand the wants and needs of their customer, and then they create and enhance a market for the ice cream as they communicatie and encourage others to share the story.  They focus on the experience and they have customers willing to stand in the long summer lines for ice cream!

The behind the scenes to creating the end result – a great reputation, long lines, perception of short supply, and high value, began with a careful assessment of the value available, how to communicate the value offered to the marketplace, followed by the creation of a plan and the daily execution and evaluation of the plan.   Time and hard work!

Have you taken the time to assess, plan and execute your personal marketing plan to land your next job? 

What is your story? 

You are unique, in short supply (there is only one of you).  You will be available for only a short time, and you have a high value in the marketplace.  What are you doing to tell your story, to pull people and interested employers toward you? 

Wouldn’t you rather have employers seeking you out? 

What would it be like to be like the ice cream shop in the summer with long lines of people waiting for you? 

How would it feel having people standing in line to interview you, experience you, to talk to you and to want to work with you? 

Would that lead to having several offers to review and then select the ideal one for you?

Have a question about creating your personal marketing plan? Sign up and join me on the next Q & A call, ask your question and get an answer.

Need specific ways to speed up your search?  Look to the right and request my gift to you – “162 Ways to Accelerate Your Job Search and Land the Job You Want”.

Have a comment or thought?  Post it below.

Has it been more than 90 days since you last updated your résumé?

If so that is a business quarter and you should update it. Why?  You always need a current résumé to help you leverage opportunities.  Take a look at your LinkedIn profile, too – does it need to be updated?

Your résumé and your LinkedIn profile are vehicles for your marketing message.  Your marketing message is your connection to the marketplace.  The marketing message you deliver needs to be clear and compelling, if it is not you will not get the results you want.

Read your résumé and your LinkedIn profile.  Then ask yourself these questions.

What does this person do and for who (the target audience)?

People read résumés that are targeted to them.  If they must stop and figure out, who you are talking to and what you can do, your résumé will be put aside.  Who is the summary speaking to?  Would the reader believe you are speaking or writing directly to her?  Does it clearly define your industry experience, what you can do and the level of work you perform?

What problems do you solve and what do you offer?

Managers hire people to solve their problems.  Be clear about the problems that you solve and be sure they are relevant to the reader of your résumé.  If you are a manager, think about the needs of the person who will hire you.  What do they need, want and what is important to them?

How do you solve the problem or meet the needs?

Do you explain or provide enough information to help someone believe you can meet the need?  Create interest and provide proof, without these elements you will not land a conversation.  What have you done and what where the results of your actions.

Why should someone read your résumé and call you?

If you are posting or sending out your résumé, it must appeal to those you will read it.  It must make them want to take action.  Most résumés don’t do this.  I suggest you never use your résumé as the first connection people have with you when you can avoid it.  When you must do this, at least add a cover letter with a call to action and your follow up action.

Your résumé is not to land you a job.  Its goal is to open a door, start a conversation or encourage someone to learn more about you and what you can do for the organization.

Is your résumé up to date and working for you?  If not, maybe it is time to take a hard look at it and update or redo your résumé.

Want less stress in your job search?  REALLY – focus your search!

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” ~ Tony Robbins

Once you discover the power of your brand and the secret of niche marketing you will wonder why you pushed back at this idea at all.  The truth is your value increases when you focus on a specific niche.

You have many skills and a wealth of experience, so you could do many jobs and do them well.  Instead of “being open” or looking at every job you could do examine your niche.

What is on brand for you? Where do your strengths fit and serve best?  What experience do you have that is in demand?  What interest or experience do you have that you want to use? What industry or company do you want to work in and why?

If  you are a comptroller or a manager you could work almost anywhere.  If you have experience in three different channels of trade or industries your possible market is very big and general.  Instead of marketing yourself to all three industries and all the companies within those industries who could use the services of a comptroller or manager – STOP. Ask the questions above.  These will help you narrow your niche.

Within an industry there are many companies, large, small, old new, socially active or not so much – get specific as you answer the questions.  Then ask again, “why do I want to work for this industry and company?”

Suppose your spouse is cardiac nurse and your father-in law in a cardiologist, you have experience in the medical device manufacturing industry. Your passions are software and gadgets.  You understand and relate to those who work in cardiac care, cardiac services and you have an interest in companies that provide products and services to cardiac patients, and those who serve those patients.

As you answered the questions you discover you want to work for a company that provides services to that are specific to providing products or services related to cardiac care or connected to that segment of the medical industry.  You have defined your niche – companies that serve or provide products or services connected to cardiac care.  That is still a large segment so you can narrow it more as needed.

When you niche to a specific segment of the population, business or industry you gain focus.  You can quickly learn more about the companies in that segment.  You can locate people in that segment to talk to and learn from.  You can find professional organizations to join.  You can focus the marketing of your skills and experience to the needs and wants of that segment.

Focus like this reduces stress, saves time and resources as you market yourself.

It has been said that in marketing you always want to enter the conversation that is already going on the prospects head.  In a job search you want to enter the conversation that is going on the hiring manager’s head.  To do that you must know who the possible hiring managers are, where to find them and how to connect and have a conversation.

The result of this type of focus is you are able to have conversations and to join the conversations that are going on about the business, the future, opportunities, and the needs.  It allows you opening to connect with hiring managers who say “this is the candidate for my next open spot”.

They buy you.   The tables turn and your role is not that of a candidate looking a job, but a professional with skills, interest, knowledge, experience  to help the hiring manager achieve the his/her goals and the goals of the organization.

Second benefit of focus, you are who you are and although you are marketing yourself to a specific segment, what you offer is the same.  When you find yourself  talking to a hiring manager in a different segment or industry, he will connect the dots, see your value, how you could solve his problems and how you could be successful in the role his has  “open”.  Do not be surprised when someone asks you if you would consider XYZ  company or changing industries.

Why focus?

Less work, less stress, and higher perceived value to the marketplace.

Let me know how focus works for you.

Are you hoping to sort out some of what is out and about on personal branding?

Meg Guiseppi, C-level Executive Job Search Coach and fellow CPBS offered this keen insight worth sharing in her recent post Personal Branding Hype and Myths vs Reality.

Major companies know investing and building a strong brand and communicating it well improves ROI.

Have you invested in discovering and communicating your brand?

Enjoy!

How did you accelerate your search today?

Do you want to dramatically increase the number of personal referrals to the job you want?

Then engage your personal advocates! Personal advocates are people who know you, like you, trust you and want the best for you and it is up to you to educate your personal advocates, and be sure they know what you’re up to, your goals, who your target companies are, what positions you are targeting and why you are a good fit for both the target position and the target companies.

When you start your job search prepare what I call an “update letter” and send it to your personal advocates. I suggest sharing what you have been up to, what you are looking forward to doing, your one-paragraph résumé, and as appropriate a personal update. Next review your contacts, network, colleagues and co-workers. Create an initial list of possible advocates. Create your plan to engage your advocates. Execute – send your “update letter” and don’t to follow up.

Accelerate your search today!

Do you have tips that have helped you engage your advocates? I would enjoy hearing about them. Feel free to share them here.

Will you look at what it takes to accelerate your sucess in 2011?  Will you step up, step out and truly shape your world and the perception others have about you, your brand, your career, your business and your industry?  Or will you leave that and your success to others?

If you have decided to be serious about your personal brand and are looking for some solid resources here is a list good list, 50 Excellent Blogs to Help You Build Your Online Brand.

Take a look at your personal brand and how it can help you accelerate your job search, your career and your success in the new year.  If you have questions about how personal branding can help you accelerate your success join my Q & A calls and learn more or read some of the 50 Excellent Blogs to Help You Build Your Online Brand and take action.

Small consistent actions will accelerate your search, build your brand and help you create the success you deserve.   How did you accelerate your search today?

For years video has been used in career management to help the career minded advance their career.  However, again the Internet is changing how we use video.

Early in 2009, there was an explosion of people recording 60-second video clips and video resumes as local Cable TV groups and others began to help job seekers produce videos designed to grab attention and help people land jobs.

Some of these videos popped and made a great impression and others, well a not so great impression.  This trend was like the early use of VHS tapes mailed to firms by new grads with a goal of landing an interview, some were top quality, well done and others were not.

In December 2009, William Arruda, the Founder of Reach Personal Branding shared his predictions on the top trends for 2010 in Personal Branding.  His top prediction was “Video, Video, Video”.  On Thursday, William Arruda and the Reach team launched personalbranding.TV (PB.TV) if you are interested in how video can help you advance your career and your personal brand you must check this new site out.

I have followed the work of William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson since 2007, when I first read “Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand”.  This is a book I have re-read several times and share with others often.  In my view William is the top expert on Personal Branding and watching his new site and learning from him and team of Personal Branding experts is worth your time.

Instead of just using video to land an interview or to be better prepared to interview by seeing ourselves as others see us, today’s trend is to use video to help communicate your brand.  Are you ready to communicate your brand via video?

We all have a personal brand.  Most of us understand little about how to leverage our personal brand, communicate our personal brand and really build a strong personal brand.  Just as strong corporate brands fair better in economic downturns, so do individuals with strong personal brands.  If you have a strong personal brand and you are clear about your target audience and communicate your unique points of differentiation to the companies you are interested in, it makes a difference in the value proposition.

Check out personalbranding.TV and let me know your thoughts.

What does your brand say about your value in the marketplace?

What do you do to communicate your brand?

To your accelerated success,

Cindy Key

If you missed Jason Alba’s December 29th blog post be sure to check it out and download the e-book referenced.

What a great gift! This is an e-book packed with wisdom and tips.

For my readers in New England you will recognize many of the names and faces who have shared 100 solid tips and job search resources. For those in the Merrimack Valley don’t miss page 11.

If you know Mitchell Schneir, you know the value of the information he shares to help others. If you have had the pleasure of hearing Mitchell Schneir speak, no doubt you have benefited from his tips and you will not be surprised by his wisdom or the wisdom shared by the company he keeps.

Download your copy of the book. Read it more than once, then pass it on.