Personal Branding for Technical Professionals - Your Career Intel

Personal Branding for Technical Professionals - Your Career IntelThe concept of branding yourself should be a familiar one you probably think about it as something that public figures do to shape the way they are perceived by the masses.But what if youre not a public figure and you dont care about what the masses think about you? What if youre a professional in a technical field who wants to shape how people in your industry think about you? Do you need to know how to brand yourself? The answer is a resounding YES.Branding yourself or rebranding yourself is about controlling the way you are perceived and positioning yourself in a way that will help you achieve goals. As a senior partner at Lucas Group placing technical professionals, I have identified several unique elements of branding yourself in small technical industries. Here is what you should knowYou already have a brand (even if you dont know it)When you work in a small field, you already have a reputation. You need to thi nk carefully about how you are already perceived before trying to establish a personal brand, and its essential to be honest with yourself. Ask a few trusted colleagues for adjectives they would use to describe you and what they consider to be your strengths. If any of the answers surprise you, give some thought to why that is the case.Its important to manage your expectations if you are trying to alter the way you are perceived. That takes time and consistency, but its well worth the effort.Take care of yourselfTechnical fields can be demanding and stressful. But bringing positive energy to your work is one of the best things you can do for your personal brand. Colleagues pick up on negative energy even when you think youre hiding it. Make the time to exercise, spend time with your family, and pursue hobbies. By taking care of yourself it will help you to be someone people enjoy being around and someone people want to work with.Always take the high roadThere is an old Russian sayi ng, Do not spit into a well you might have to drink from it. In small industries, word spreads fast. Treating people poorly, improper resignation, and being combative in the face of conflict will always come back to bite you. You want to be someone known for providing solutions, not creating problems.Dont over apply to jobsWhen it comes to applying for jobs, less is more. If it gets around that you are applying to jobs all over the distributions-mix either because you are uploading your resume on job sites or emailing loads of people that is negative branding. It reads as desperate, it calls your skill set into question, and it decreases the likelihood that you will be compensated properly once you get an offer. Be discreet and selective during a job search.Focus your initial branding efforts internallyIn most fields, you would start building a public profile with social media, blogging and networking events, then work your way up to white papers, articles and speaking appearances . Small, technical fields are a bit different you have to earn the opportunity to appear at networking events and to put your personenname on papers and patents.Focus your efforts on becoming the go-to person for solutions within your company first. Volunteer for special projects. When you are sought out with technical questions, invest your time in talking to people. When you have great ideas, run them by people. By driving discussion, you increase your visibility. Managers will reward you by including your name on patents and asking you to attend special events and thats the beginning of branding on a larger scale.Remember that a personal brand has to be continually reinforced to be effective, so stay consistent and watch your career blossom.What other techniques have you used to brand yourself? Share your tips and tricks.

Gifts for Job Seekers Holiday Gift Guide for Your Job Seeking Friends

Gifts for Job Seekers Holiday Gift Guide for Your Job Seeking FriendsPosted on December 15, 2016October 23, 2018 by James Hu Searching and applying for jobs can be overwhelming and tedious. You may know of a friend or relative whos looking for a new job and could use some assistance. The holiday season is a great time to offer a toxikum to help them improve their resume for job applications in the new year.Consider this your holiday guide to gifts for job seekers in your life. The following are all useful ideas that will assist any family or friends that are looking for a new job or to expand their professional skills.1. Resume Editing and einstellungsgesprch Coaching ServicesProfessional resume and interview assistance are among the best gifts you can give to a job seeker. A professionally written resume, for example, can help a job seeker to expertly word, organize, and format their resume so that it gets past a companys applicant tracking system. Getting past the applicant trackin g system means a better chance of an interview.Professional resume and job support services are offered from Noelle Gross, Debra Wheatman, and Amie Thompson. Some of their career resources include cover letter and resume help, interview coaching, networking advice, and guides and workshops about advancing a career. These types of services can serve as a beneficial gift for your family or friend, who may be uncomfortable with peer-editing or afraid to ask for professional job assistance.2. LinkedIn PremiumHelp the job seeker in your life upgrade a basic LinkedIn account with a premium membership. This gift is a great tool during the holiday season because companies typically receive fewer job applications in December. Its a great time for a job seeker to improve their resume and send out applications since competition is low. LinkedIn Premium will show them how to improve their resume for recruiters, how they compare to other applicants for a position, and who is interested in their profile. It will also provide them with advanced search tools. This way, your friend or family member can stand out from the crowd before theflood of January applications.The tools and benefits of LinkedIn Premium for job seekers.3. Jobscan PremiumThis is a more affordable gift alternative to a professional editing or coaching service. You can give the job seeker a Jobscan Premium account. This gift can help them to improve their resume by boosting their chances of making it past a companys automated applicant tracking system. The first month is free, so you can give them a few months to use this tool. As a holiday gift, theyll be able to optimize their resume before the surge of January applicants, which will increase their chances of landing an initial interview.4. Online EducationGive the gift of an verbunden education this holiday season. An online class is a great way for a job seeker to learn new skills toenhance their resume. New skills will help increase their chances of get ting a new job. Send your family or friend a gift subscription to an online educational service like Lynda or Udemy, or give them a gift card to pay for a class or two. An online class can help them break into a new industry or learn new, in-demand skills (such as how to code or use Adobe Photoshop). Online education shows employers that they are actively improving their resume for 2017 job applications.5. Professional AttireWhat someone wears for a job interview shows their level of professionalism, respect for the company, and maybe even an element of their personality. Its an opportunity to make that first great impression and increase their chances of getting hired. Unfortunately, business attire can often be expensive, even during the holiday sale season. Items to consider include a suit, a tie, slacks, a collared shirt, dress shoes, a sweater, a shift dress or pencil skirt, or a blazer. Gap and J.Crew are great stores for finding professional attire. Worried about size or gett ing the right item for your family member or friend? If a gift receipt wont do, a store gift card is another option.facebook inc Commentswpdevar_comment_1 span,wpdevar_comment_1 iframewidth100% important