Yes Indeed, You Do Have A (Personal) Brand

Yes Indeed, You Do Have A (Personal) Brand Every once in a while I hear the negative about personal branding. Ive seen blog posts from really big/influential (in their space) bloggers who say that personal branding is a crock. Heres a thoughtful piece called Personal Branding RIP by Mitch Joel, something of a god in the digital marketing space.  Make sure to read the comments, which are very good. Yesterday I got a note on Facebook, in response to my blog post about Donald McMichaels website here is some of the dialog: I know some people think that the term branding or personal branding is not the best term for what were talking about. I dont really care what you call it, though, you have a personal brand. I use that term because its the most acceptable term, and I think its here to stick. I dont care as much about the term, though, as the concept behind it. You are known for something.  Some people have a personal brand that is on purpose.  That is, they strategically work on it and know how to define it, and help others understand what it is based on what theyve thought about. Others (many of us) have a personal brand that just kind of happened. Like that guy at work who always gets out of work. Like that lady who talks way too much. Like that guy who doesnt say much but is 1,000% dependable. Like the lady who makes THE BEST powerpoint presentations. Like the guy in school who always got an A, and who you wanted on your team project. Like the antagonist, or the peace maker, or the bully These are examples of unintentional personal brands.  They just kind of happen you do your thing and people know you for it. Yesterdays post was an example of a guy who has done an awesome job of defining, intentionally, his personal brand. Perhaps personal branding doesnt matter to you right now.  When I was the general manager of a software company it didnt matter to me because my assumed brand was very strong. But when I became Jason the unemployed guy, and the assumed brand of general manager went away, I found myself in a bad place.  It was time to create my own personal brand (even though I hadnt heard that term at the time). What about you?  Is your brand intentional or unintentional right now? More posts that go into the semantics of personal branding: Personal Branding Real or Fake? Why I Hate the Term Personal Branding (read the comments!) Yes Indeed, You Do Have A (Personal) Brand Every once in a while I hear the negative about personal branding. Ive seen blog posts from really big/influential (in their space) bloggers who say that personal branding is a crock. Heres a thoughtful piece called Personal Branding RIP by Mitch Joel, something of a god in the digital marketing space.  Make sure to read the comments, which are very good. Yesterday I got a note on Facebook, in response to my blog post about Donald McMichaels website here is some of the dialog: I know some people think that the term branding or personal branding is not the best term for what were talking about. I dont really care what you call it, though, you have a personal brand. I use that term because its the most acceptable term, and I think its here to stick. I dont care as much about the term, though, as the concept behind it. You are known for something.  Some people have a personal brand that is on purpose.  That is, they strategically work on it and know how to define it, and help others understand what it is based on what theyve thought about. Others (many of us) have a personal brand that just kind of happened. Like that guy at work who always gets out of work. Like that lady who talks way too much. Like that guy who doesnt say much but is 1,000% dependable. Like the lady who makes THE BEST powerpoint presentations. Like the guy in school who always got an A, and who you wanted on your team project. Like the antagonist, or the peace maker, or the bully These are examples of unintentional personal brands.  They just kind of happen you do your thing and people know you for it. Yesterdays post was an example of a guy who has done an awesome job of defining, intentionally, his personal brand. Perhaps personal branding doesnt matter to you right now.  When I was the general manager of a software company it didnt matter to me because my assumed brand was very strong. But when I became Jason the unemployed guy, and the assumed brand of general manager went away, I found myself in a bad place.  It was time to create my own personal brand (even though I hadnt heard that term at the time). What about you?  Is your brand intentional or unintentional right now? More posts that go into the semantics of personal branding: Personal Branding Real or Fake? Why I Hate the Term Personal Branding (read the comments!)

Reviewing Your Personal Interests on Resume

Reviewing Your Personal Interests on ResumeThe personal interests section is usually in the summary of your qualifications. It shows why you are qualified for the job. It is very important to review these carefully. It will help you decide if this is something that is applicable in your future career.There are many things that can show up in the personal interests area. Some include hobbies, music, art, and writing. They could be interesting, but they could also be irrelevant or even be unprofessional.These may not make a great impression on a potential employer. Your personal interests on resume can be totally irrelevant to the job you are applying for. This may seem obvious, but there are some who don't pay attention to the personal interests section. If you find out that they are applying for a job you want and you were unaware of their interests, this could hurt your chances.That is one important fact about the personal interests on resume. There should be some attention paid to it, even though it may not seem like an important thing to do. This is a reason why you need to review your personal interests on resume frequently.It may be due to financial hardship. If you have bad credit and your credit card bills are too high to qualify for low interest loans, you may want to consider closing those accounts or working out a payment plan. Maybe you can consolidate your loans.Personal interests may be based on financial information that is not correct. It is possible that the line about your hobbies was just someone's guess or opinion. You should be careful about this. If you find that the information is incorrect, then this is a clear sign that the writer is not as well-educated about financial matters as you are.You need to find out if you are qualified to apply for a job with the personal interests on resume as well. You should check out your record and see what other jobs you have held. Maybe they need a change. After all, it is possible that someone could lo ok at the financial information and determine that you aren't qualified.Consider reviewing your personal interests on resume regularly. You don't want to hire someone who won't be good for your company.

Dont Prolong the Rejection - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Dont Prolong the Rejection - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Sometimes we don’t want to put our art out there for fear of it being rejected. That was the case with Jeff Kinney. He is the author and creator of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of bestselling books. After a successful stint at drawing a comic strip for his college newspaper he found he could not find a publisher for his work. So, he took a job working on video games. While he was working that job be continued to work on his passion project. He worked on it for eight years. He never gave up, but he did Prolong the Rejection. Perhaps it was tied to a fear that if his art was  rejected it meant he was  rejected. Which is  perfectly normal and natural fear. He persevered  and continued to work on his passion project and continued to push his art out into the world. Eventually a potential publisher saw it and immediately envisioned his art as being for a different audience than he had envisioned. Don’t Let Your Vision Get In The Way of Your Success He had a vision that his book (his art), which was 1300 pages now, was for an adult market. His new publisher had a different idea. And, they were right. They envisioned his book for an audience of kids. Now, after over 150 million books in print it seems his art was great, but his vision was a little off. Would his art have succeeded in the adult market? That’s hard to say. However, we do know that kids loved it and became raving fans. Question: Whats the difference between an opportunity and a roadblock? Answer: Perspective The point is … Fight for your art. Fight to get it out there. But, let other experts weigh in on distribution and other aspects. You never know when they might have a great idea that you might have overlooked. Don’t prolong the rejection … real or imagined. If You Are Afraid of the Answer Ask the question Don’t be afraid to put your art out there. Don’t be afraid to ask the questions that scare you. Don’t be afraid to put it all on the line. But first, put your best effort forward. Put your best work into your art. Then … Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. And finally … Ship It! You may be denied the dream youve gone after. Or you may find that the dream you thought you wanted could be improved with some guidance from other experts that may have a flair for a different kind of art. In Jeff Kinney’s case that flair was identifying the right market. What does this mean for you? Careers are the art most of us put forth every day. Putting our best art out there takes practice. It takes preparation. It also takes listening and asking those hard questions. Standing out in our careers is a goal everyone has. No matter what form that career takes.  Asking the hard questions. Really listening for the answers and taking action on them is both hard and required. Even though you may not want to put it out there it’s critical that you do. Don’t prolong the rejection. Ship your art! In the end you’ll be glad you did. As hard is it may seem at the time. You know you need to ship your art. You know you want to ship your art. Don’t Deny The Dream You Want To Go After. Ship your Art!

The 13 Best-Kept Cover Letter Secrets

The 13 Best-Kept Cover Letter Secrets Think no one reads a cover letter? WRONG!   The small things really do make the difference. Some hiring managers only look at a cover letter because it should give them everything they really want to know about you. Some hiring managers find resumes boring and they only want to see the good stuff where you really brag about yourself and tell them exactly why they should hire you. That is why an AWESOME cover letter truly is important! [Note: Remember to get your Cover Letter Checklist here] Here are 13 secrets that will turn your cover letter from boring to AWESOME: Send a customized cover letter for each application you submit.  The letter can be similar to other jobs you have applied to, but you want to change the company name and job title in each cover letter. You also want to show that you have done some research on the company and why you would make a great fit. Make sure you connect the skills and experiences  listed in the job description to your actual skills and experiences on your resume. Make it easy for them by highlighting exactly what they are looking for. Your cover letter should complement, not duplicate your resume.  Dont make it terribly long and just repeat what you have on your resume. Less is more! Get right to the point.  You only need three to four paragraphs with three to four sentences each. Send as a PDF. It’s cleaner and not every office can read certain doc files. Have a FABULOUS closer to keep you #1 in their mind! Have a FABULOUS introduction to make sure they keep reading! Your cover letter should show that you have done research about what the company does and how you can help them cut costs/increase profits (or whatever your specialty is). Tell them what makes you special. Complete the statement I like your company because.. Compliment the organization on what they have done right and what you admire about them. Discuss your soft skills and strengths and what makes you passionate about your career and this job that you are applying for. Show your enthusiasm!! Dont be boring and make them want to fall asleep! Brag about yourself and talk about all of your awesome achievements! Keep it conversational and show your personality off! Anna’s Cover Letter Template I have always received a ton of compliments from recruiters and hiring managers on my cover letter.   Please feel free to use it as your template but please revise it to make it unique to you!!! Dear (Name of Company), If you are looking for a dynamic team member with career coaching and training experience, please consider me for your (name of position). I am a positive and energetic individual who is willing to work hard and has a strong desire to succeed. Due to my experiences and educational history, I feel that I would be an excellent (name of position) at (name of company). I have an MBA from the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego and through my education have acquired the understanding of business management, problem-solving and communications.   I am also a Career Coach and Publisher of one of the top 50 up and coming HR blogs for career development.   I teach recent college students and young professionals in an online environment about personal development, time management, and interview preparation. My career advice has been featured on Forbes, People StyleWatch magazine, and Yahoo Finance. Previous speaking engagements include Wake Forest University, Purdue University, and the Girls Empowerment Conference. I have excellent written and verbal communication skills and I am passionate about helping students find jobs they love. Furthermore, I have gained confidence in real-life business situations by consulting for a Navy Ship program and leading the training and development programs for the past 7 years at Booz Allen Hamilton. I feel that my positive attitude, responsibility, and experience teaching and training others would be beneficial in the position of (name of position) at (name of company). Due to my educational and business experience, I believe that you will find I am well qualified.   Enclosed is my resume for your review.   I look forward to talking with you and learning more about (name of company).   You may reach me at (phone number).   Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Anna Runyan My Address My Phone Number [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Do You Know How To Use A Resume Writing Experts Quiz?

Do You Know How To Use A Resume Writing Experts Quiz?Have you seen this particular resume writing expert quiz? Well, I sure hope it will be a useful tip for all those who are planning to take this test.As there are many resumes on the market, it is not easy to differentiate which resume is the most favorable one. Resume writing experts quiz should give you a start point when you are writing your resume. The quiz can also be an extra practice before writing your resume for the first time.The entire form is not very complicated. You just have to answer some simple questions related to your occupation. You have to answer yes or no in each question. When you feel that you understand the questions you are asked, you have to move on to the next question and so on until you complete the quiz.The best thing about this quiz is that it does not need you to think very much. In fact, the quiz makes you think and gives you the guidelines about your job that can help you when you are writing your resume. The resume writing experts quiz is also helpful if you are a beginner or want to improve on your resume writing skills.Well, you have to know what you are writing in your resume and the steps you need to take to write a great resume. All you have to do is to check the correct answers. The quiz can also help you in making a list of the things you need to do in order to write a great resume. It will also help you prepare for your job interview.First of all, you have to consider about the subject you want to write in your resume. Then, you have to prepare a personal statement which contains a positive note about yourself and the organization. Finally, you have to include the contact details and a contact address.On the other hand, you have to check the resume as a whole. The resume consists of information on one or two lines which requires you to fill them up with the right information. If you are lucky enough, you might get the interview and if not, you can make the best of th e situation.Resume writing experts quiz is a great practice to get familiar with the format of resume. This can help you write a good resume. So, go ahead and start writing your resume today!

Take the Whiteboard Challenge - and help improve it - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Take the Whiteboard Challenge - and help improve it - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog A loooong while back we shared the idea of?playing a game in the office, where you challenge coworkers to come up with ideas that combine two existing themes. You may even offer a small prize for the funniest or most creatives replies. Here are two examples contributed by Destiney from?Colorado Mountain College Steamboat Springs: Destiney is also looking for more ideas for themes. Here are two I came up with: Baked goods?+ TV show:?Game of scones. Breading bad. Celebrity + Car:?Harrison Ford :) Too easy? There must be a million more. What combination would you suggest? Write a comment! Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

My book inspires a cartoon - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

My book inspires a cartoon - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Gene Fowler, the CEO of Fatkat Studios was so inspired by my book Happy Hour is 9 to 5 that hes now writing a review of it for Progress Magazine. And while thats really nice of him, the best thing is the great cartoon he did based on the book. Go check it out its hilarious :o) Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related