Career and Leadership Development

Know the Brand of YOU!

When looking for an internship or job, you are in essence marketing yourself. You are a Brand. Your brand gives potential employers an overall idea of who you are as a person and as a potential employee for their company.

Your brand develops over time and needs to be able to change with the changing job market. Think about where you are presently (with skills and motivation), who you want to be, and create a plan of how you want to get there.

Creating Your Brand is a Process

  • Exploration & Discovery: As you learn more about yourself and create your goals, you will be establishing your brand.
    • Interests – What draws you to your intended field of work?  Why do you like the major and/or minor you chose? 
      • Answering the above questions can help you gain a clearer picture of why you will do what you’ll be doing.
    • Career Goals – What type of career do you want to have? What are some short-term and long-term goals for your future career path?
    • Strengths/Weaknesses – What do you do well and what can you do better?
      • Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can help you figure out a plan to develop a skill base that will be helpful in your future career.
  • Expand Your Horizons
    • Push yourself outside of your comfort zone to try new things and to have new experiences.
      • Volunteer, join an organization (professional or student), or take a class outside your major that interests you (for the fun of it!)

Pieces of Your Brand
The college and university blog on www.stateuniversity.com offers some good advice about personal branding. The blog states that there are four elements that encompass a personal brand: appearance, personality, competencies, and differentiation.

  • Appearance: Your first impression is key. Your appearance encompasses at not only how you dress, but also your behavior in-person, on paper, and on-line. As social networking becomes more mainstream, your presentation on-line (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.) can impact how a potential employer views you. Also Google yourself to see what comes up on the internet. Check out our information on networking and how to use social networking to your advantage.
  • Personality: Your personality develops over time and is formed by how you interact with others (especially with peers and colleagues).
  • Competencies: The combination of your experiences and skills are your competencies. Most often you show a potential employer your competencies through your cover letter and resume.  The more diverse skills you have, the wider variety of jobs you can pursue.
  • Differentiation: What makes you unique? This is the heart of your personal brand and what makes you stand out from the rest of the competition.

One of the biggest things to remember when establishing your brand is to be consistent. Make sure that your cover letter, resume, on-line image (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.), and you are all sending the same message to a potential employer.

Resumes

Resumes, like everything else in the job search process, evolve and develop over time. The resume is your chance to wow a potential employer. It is your tool to market your brand. Everyone’s resume will look different because each person is unique and has different experiences and skill sets.

Sites to Check Out:

Cover Letters

Cover letters can be tricky to write, but they are significant because they are the first piece a potential employer sees about you. Along with the resume, think of your cover letter as a marketing piece that promotes who you are and what you can contribute to the organization that is reading it.

Often, application materials need to be submitted electronically. If you are submitting the materials via e-mail, use the body of the e-mail as your cover letter.

For further information and ideas about cover letters, take a look at these Career websites:

Interview Preparation

Being prepared for an interview is critical. Knowing who you are and what you can bring to an organization BEFORE the interview can help calm the nerves while you are IN the interview. Not only will a potential employer learn more about you, but you will have the opportunity to learn more about a potential work environment.

Sites to Check Out:

References

References should be listed on a separate page that includes a header similar to the one on your resume. Information to include: person’s name, title, organization name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. Make sure to ask each person to be a reference before listing them; also find out what is their preferred way to be contacted by an employer.

Generally, you should list 3-4 references. A mixture of academic and work references can give a potential employer a well-rounded idea of who you are. Be sure to give your references a copy of your resume and information about the general type of internship/job that you will be looking for.

Sites to Check Out: