Sunday 15 July 2012

Making a Memorable Impression!

Personal branding!  In a world where there are so many products and choices, it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed!  Now job candidates strive to be remembered in much the same way you hum those catchy jingles for your favourite car or candy bar. 

So take some time to figure out what makes YOU stand out!  Get clear about what your values are and why you are the best possible match for the company or industry you are aligning yourself to.    

From the Experts:  how to leave an indelible impression in any chance meeting, networking event, conference or interview!

·         Personal Branding: 5 Secrets of Success from Guy Kawasaki
·         Fast Company Magazine:  The Brand Called YOU 

And all of this comes together in that good old Elevator Speech (or 60 Second Sell).
VIDEO/Article:   5 Real People Giving … 5 Truly Adequate Elevator Pitches  (with commentary by author.)  Non-intimidating!  You, too, can do this!!!



Thursday 5 July 2012

How to Compose a Stand-Out LinkedIn Profile

Part 1:  Put on the EMPLOYER’s GLASSES and read other people’s profiles. 

There are many ways to write effective, job-catching profiles.  And it’s always good to put your own spin/flavor on it.  If you’re a fun, light-hearted person, you can find ways to inject that energy into a profile, carefully, of course, as this is a Business/Professional site and you don’t want to sound too flippant or irreverent.

But read with another purpose, as well.  Read it fast; assess for impact and memorability.    Was it densely written or easy for your eye to move over and pick out important information?

Read it quickly – just the Profile section and Specialties, not the “resume” part.

Then ask yourself:

1)      Was it easy to scan?  Did you pick get a clear sense of this person’s skillsets and talents in a 5-10 second scan of the profile section?   If not, why not?   

2)      Was it densely written… with not enough white space?  In this world of computers and calculated content writing, we won’t read wordy text sections.  So keep it targeted and concise, otherwise people just won’t read it. 

3)      Which profile was the most memorable?  Break it down and figure out why.
Once you’ve done this exercise, you’ll get a lot more ideas about how you want to write your profile and what you want to say about yourself.

Next: Using your LinkedIn Header to Make a Standout Impression