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How to Build up Your Career by Showing Off Your Uniqueness

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How to Build up Your Career by Showing Off Your UniquenessYou have probably read every online article and magazine tip rundown on getting an employers attention that has been written in the last several years. I know that I have.

But I have noticed that the same advice is constantly given: firm handshake, eye contact, seem relaxed but diligent, remain pleasant but not too casual, ask questions about the job, etc. What they fail to mention is how to show that you are better for a position than all of the other people using the same tactics.

That is always the problem that people forget when it comes to interviews or applications, whether in the workforce or freelance. It isn’t about impressing with confidence, at least not that alone. It is about making it clear that you have something that you can bring to the table that no one else can. In the end, what you are selling is your uniqueness.

Finding Your Unique Abilities

Being clear with someone else is impossible if you don’t first know what you have yourself. Before you present your application to a client or employer, you need to take some time to list all of those special things that make you you. What can you bring to the job that no one else can? What make you unique? What qualities do you possess that they should come to appreciate and rely on?

This can be anything that is listed as a skill, talent or personality trait. If you are dedicated, tell them so. Reliable and upbeat, tenacious when dealing with a problem, or just pleasant to work with. When listing skills, be explicit but honest. Don’t say that you can type 90 words per minute if you mean 60. Don’t say you can take on more work than is realistic. Never lie about work you never did. The trick is to impress them with real qualities you possess.

Set up Your Digital Identity

Having your own site is so important because people will be able to find you and discover everything that you do.

Namify is a great site that will allow you to generate a business name representing your expertise. The tool will also help you create your logo and define your visual brand identity.

Namify

Showing Off Your Uniqueness

Everything you say will need to be proven. Some of it will be over time (such as with your personality traits), but some can be shown easily right away. Some ways you can do this are:

  • References to past clients or employers.
  • Websites that you have designed.
  • Articles that you have written have ownership of or a byline attached to.
  • A description of a former job or project.
  • Screen caps, copies, prints of samples of a completed work.
  • Your business communication practices that includes a professional email signature and a business email address
  • An online or physical portfolio.
  • A networking profile with connected employers and clients, such as LinkedIn.
  • Providing a discounted or free sample in the genre of their choice.

Keep track of your notable mentions and achievements and monitor influencers in your niche. Use a solid monitoring dashboard to keep yourself motivated and updated. Cyfe can be set up to monitor your niche influencers and career opportunities: Set it up to see your dream companies’ updates on Twitter, monitor their employeers and official hashtags and more:

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Read more about using Twitter for career building here

As Content Mart rightfully put it,

You only have one first chance to make one first impression that lasts a lifetime.

Filling in the Details

If you have stories of past projects or jobs that went well, have a couple of stories ready to regale them with. If it is related to the position you are applying for, all the better. Just make sure to be honest, never embellish the details, and be specific.

If you are asked to explain why a position ended, such as being fired, quitting or being laid off, be open about the details. Never point the finger of blame and be gentle with your explanation. If you made a mistake own up to it, but tell them how you learned from the experience and it will help you in your future endeavors.

Giving these details can be highly beneficial. It paints a more complete picture of who you are, and can help them to build trust while getting to know why you are the best person for the job.

Always Seek Opportunities for Personal Growth

These days you have so many opportunities for professional growth, it’s crazy! The best part is, you don’t have to leave your home to get a new degree or get certified.

Check out sites like Udemy for a variety of courses, Lynda and many more.

For a huge variety of professional online courses, Southern Cross University Online is one of the best options.

Showing You Have What it Takes

When it comes to a job in the workforce, you are usually safe with being direct about past experiences. They can fill in the blanks by speaking to people who you worked for in the past, contacting references and asking questions. But when you are a freelancing looking for contracts or minor projects, you have to show them a different way.

What you should do is come up with examples of how you worked through other projects. The areas you want to focus on are your reliability, your ability to work to deadline and how you can solve problems on your own. These are all very important on independent contracts, as you are completely responsible for everything from the beginning to the final product.

Freelance or Workforce, Show You’re Unique!

In the end, you are showing that you are special, you have what it takes to get the job done better than anyone else, and you can deliver results. This is all based on you being unique, and so you should always show how those qualities that make you you are the ones that will get things completed the right way.

If you are able to get that across, then there is nothing you cannot achieve.

Image source: Pixabay

How Entrepreneurs Can Build a Stronger Personal Brand

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By Michael

While your company’s brand is key to its success, building a strong, personal brand around yourself is just as vital.

Since the modern consumer trusts people more than corporations, personal branding is more important than ever. Many people believe organizations and companies speak and act with only profits in mind.

When employees share content, it receives 8 times more engagement than the content shared by the brand’s social media accounts. Considering that we are bombarded by advertisements everywhere, this may not be so surprising.

Personal branding allows you to build an identity within your industry and gain a reputation that will benefit your business.

To establish a personal brand, you need to find a recognizable voice of your own, a signature image, and a standard that your customers, readers, and fans will recognize—just as with traditional branding.

Assess What You Already Have

Which of your skills do people need? What do people already know you for? What do you want to be known for?

Begin by evaluating what you have already done. For instance, if you have published some content, see which posts have performed the best. If you haven’t written anything yet, think about what people ask you about the most.

Your specialty doesn’t have to be the same as that of your business, but it should encapsulate something you want people to associate your business with.

For instance, Richard Branson, a master of personal branding, is famous for being adventurous. Because of this, many see Virgin as an exciting, risk-taking brand.

Keep in mind that quite a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs are devoted to personal branding. If you want to stand out, it’s best to develop a personal brand within a specific niche.

Choosing a general field like “human resources” or “marketing” isn’t enough, as they are far too competitive. So, for instance, if you are a marketer, you could focus on a very specific niche such as print marketing for small businesses, where the competition is lower.

You’ll have a better chance of proving your expertise with a niche focus. Even though your target audience will be smaller, it will be much more relevant.

Build Up Your Online Presence

Sophomoric Facebook activities, unprofessional Twitter feeds, and incomplete LinkedIn profiles are a strict no-no. One survey found that 70% of employers screen social media profiles of candidates.

As a self-employed entrepreneur, you don’t have to worry about HR checking out your Insta feed, but you do have to consider what impression you’re leaving on your customers and clients. Think of them as your employers.

Social media is the engine of personal branding, so one must treat it with respect.

Your audience will want to know more about you as a person. Social media gives you a chance to present yourself as a relatable individual, but still a professional.

LinkedIn has proved to be an excellent platform for personal branding, thanks to its organic reach. It’s a great place to share problem-solving strategies and personal success stories.

Short, 200 to 400-word posts with captivating headlines and interesting openers will grab people’s attention. By regularly posting content, you can increase your brand awareness.

You can search Medium and similar content-sharing platforms to check what topics are hot at the moment. Then, you can use those topics to jump-off your next video or blog post. You can stay relevant by offering your personal take on a current topic.

Get Others to Promote You

While social media is your greatest ally, you must exercise restraint while using it. You don’t want your audience to see you as a self-promoter. Jeffrey Pfeffer, a Stanford Business School professor, wrote about how self-promoting behavior can turn people off in his book “Power.”

Too much self-promotion will damage your reputation. Pfeffer suggests asking others to help you develop your personal brand.

For instance, if you are an SEO specialist who has helped a buddy with their business site, ask them to give you a LinkedIn recommendation or to share a story on how you helped them rank better.

Make a Business Plan

Treat your brand like a company asset. You need a 3-month plan with concrete steps that lead to your goals. Be as specific as you can. For instance, you can aim to have your first guest post published within the next 3-months or to create 2 pieces of content every month.

Just like with any other type of plan, accountability is key. You can find an accountability buddy who will help you stay on track.

Building a personal brand takes time. You’ll have to publish quite a few blog posts before you become a keynote speaker at a conference.

But, if you put enough time and effort into personal branding, you can expect a great ROI. You owe it to your business to start.

 

Author Bio:

Michael has been working in marketing for almost a decade and has worked with a huge range of clients, which has made him knowledgeable on many different subjects. He has recently rediscovered a passion for writing and hopes to make it a daily habit. You can read more of Michael’s work at Qeedle.

 

Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash

6 Inspirational Keynote Speaker Events Professionals Should Attend in 2019

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By Kayla Matthews

To keep pace with business best practices, you need to stay at peak professional prowess. Your skill in the workplace depends on constant self-improvement, and there are few better — or more entertaining — ways to get inspired than by attending one of next year’s keynote speaker events.

At the best in their industry and the top of their class, keynote speakers offer insight that has guided them toward success in their careers. The advice of top executives, CEOs and thought leaders is invaluable, and professionals with high aspirations should reserve their passes as soon as possible.

In this article, we’ll list six inspirational keynote speaker events every businessperson should attend in 2019.

1. SXSW

South by Southwest began in 1987 and has only continued to grow in size and popularity. Based in Austin, Texas, the conference runs for 10 days from March 8 to 17 and attracts talent from the film, music and interactive media industries. Simply put, those in the entertainment sector can’t afford to skip SXSW.

Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, television showrunner Marti Noxon and singers Shirley Manson and Lauren Mayberry are all set to appear on stage in 2019, providing a diverse lineup that’s sure to keep the interest of anyone involved in the creative community. Don’t miss out on this prime opportunity!

2. IBM Think

From one of the most famous names in innovation comes an exciting event every tech professional should make time to see. Hosted in San Francisco’s Moscone Center, IBM Think 2019 runs from Feb. 12 to 15, and promises to thrill attendees with incredible advances in their field, offering discussions with IBM experts.

Whether you’re a fledgling IT administrator, a software developer or the head of your own Silicon Valley startup, IBM Think 2019 will give you ample opportunity to network with like-minded individuals in your profession. This is one speaker event that’s mandatory for those who want to keep current.

3. Inspiring Women Leaders Conference

Relevant to businesspeople of any gender, the 2019 Inspiring Women Leaders Conference will host speakers who have overcome biases and barriers in male-dominated industries. Their success stories and actionable advice are an inspiration to those who struggle with similar obstacles every day.

Both men and women can learn from the trials of these individuals and their push for fair business practices. Interested professionals should set aside time from March 7 to 8 to attend the conference in Gainesville, Fla., hosted at the University of Florida’s Hilton Conference Center.

4. Inspire: Leading Authorities’ Day of Ideas

Leading Authorities, a Washington, D.C.-headquartered speakers bureau, is hosting a can’t-miss, one-day-only event featuring some of their most sought-after keynote speakers. The 2019 Day of Ideas event, held on March 8, is your opportunity to hear presentations on engaging topics, while networking with top professional meeting planners.

5. World Conference on Quality and Improvement

Representing attendees from a wide variety of industries and nationalities, the 2019 WCQI brings professionals together to discuss the challenges they face in today’s unpredictable marketing landscape. The 2019 theme is Leading Change, with a focus on how businesspeople can approach problems proactively.

From May 20 to 22 in Fort Worth, Texas, professionals will learn how they can engage tomorrow’s problems with today’s solutions. They’ll hear from inspirational speakers on how best to address subjects like AI, big data, cybersecurity, smart manufacturing and other relevant topics.

6. Adobe Summit

Adobe is a familiar brand in dozens of different industries, from advertising to finance to data management. Last year’s summit saw leaders from Coca-Cola, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn contribute to the conversation, and this year’s summit will introduce more big names in business.

Those interested in Adobe’s latest innovations will have a chance to hear from speakers who share their passion, and from March 26 to 28 in Las Vegas, Nev., professionals will meet in the Sands Convention Center and Venetian Congress Center to network and talk shop about their occupations.

Don’t Get Left Behind!

As an essential part of your company, you have a responsibility to stay up to date and ahead of the curve. Any of the six events listed here can help you on your way toward professional growth, so don’t hesitate!

Research an event and secure a spot today.

About the Author: Kayla Matthews writes about communication and workplace productivity on her blog, Productivity Theory. Her work has also appeared on Talent Culture, MakeUseOf, The Muse and Fast Company.

Featured image: Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

4 Powerfully Creative Ways to Build Your Personal Brand

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By Kayla Matthews

Creative marketing can boost your personal brand to ample recognition.

While some mistakenly assume that effective marketing requires a big budget to match, there are several powerful ways you can use creativity and savvy to compensate for a more conservative budget.

1. Latch On To Emerging Consumer Trends

Your brand’s recognition can soar by catering to a niche where your expertise is valued. Naturally, your niche-specific expertise can lead to your fingers on the pulse of emerging consumer trends in that industry.

Seizing upon these emerging consumer trends can help cement your brand and product as attentive toward its consumers, helping attract attention even in crowded niches.

Coca-Cola, although a huge brand, is an excellent example of implementing emerging consumer trends in personal branding for favorable results. Coca-Cola has shifted their branding to a “total beverage company,” compared to one that specializes in soft drinks.

This transition is primarily in response to data that shows consumers are switching to less-sugary drinks and losing faith in grocery store brands. Coca-Cola has consequently invested more time and resources into pushing Vitamin Water, sensing that consumers as a whole are moving toward a more health-conscious focus.

If a largely recognized brand like Coca-Cola considers ditching tradition in favor of emerging consumer trends, it should be an indication that smaller personal brands can successfully pursue a similar strategy.

If you notice your brand and business struggling to attract attention, it’s worthwhile to examine your intended audience. They may consider your approach too dated to engage.

2. Embrace Alternative Mediums For Your Ads

What do you think of when you envision a traditional ad? Likely a billboard or ad placement in a newspaper or magazine, right? However, there is a world of exciting advertising options that go far beyond your basic printed ad.

For example, vehicle wraps provide an eye-catching form of PR that can raise brand awareness. Even better, vehicle wraps can generate between 30,000 and 70,000 brand impressions in a single day. Industry experts also estimate that this offers the lowest cost-per-impression of any form of advertising.

A Nielsen study recently showing that out-of-home advertising like this is the most effective offline medium to drive online activity. And, with more and more consumers turning to micro-gigs as supplemental forms of income, you can consider ad options like these a win-win.

3. Make Your Brand a Lifestyle

Businesses like Urban Outfitters and Whole Foods have crafted their marketing to portray a lifestyle that consumers aspire to.

Urban Outfitters, for example, developed a blog that covered new music and youth-minded events to help enforce the notion that they are more than a mere clothing brand. Whole Foods, meanwhile, is synonymous with organic and farm-to-table food, to the point of many of their consumers prioritizing items that they can find only in their stores. Another example is Lululemon, the yoga-inspired sportswear company that holds frequent yoga-centric events to foster the use of their product and the activities that require them.

Although propelling your personal brand into a lifestyle is a considerable challenge, much of it has to do with outreach.

If you show a passion for your niche within your personal brand marketing, then consumers are likely to embrace what you’re putting out, whether it’s a product or specific event geared toward it.

Similar to how Lululemon hosts yoga events and promotes their yoga products by doing so, you can boost your brand by hosting events about your product’s niche rather than the product itself.

4. Showcase Your Expertise

The accessibility of digital media makes showcasing your expertise easy. For example, you can arrange a Facebook Live chat with interested consumers who can ask any questions they like and receive a response.

No longer is a physical space necessary to hold an event to boost your branding. Another option is to create a tutorial video in your branding’s niche, uploading it to YouTube and Facebook so those seeking answers can find them and stumble upon your brand and business.

Fulfilling a need among consumers will immediately show expertise and lead to trust as a result.

These creative ideas can help to build your personal brand immensely, helping attract new customers and demonstrating your expertise.

 

About the Author: Kayla Matthews writes about communication and workplace productivity on her blog, Productivity Theory. Her work has also appeared on Talent Culture, MakeUseOf, The Muse and Fast Company.

Featured image via Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/9IBqihqhuHc

5 Tips to Getting the Best Job

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Word Tags Circular Wordcloud Of ResumeIn the job market that is latter 2016; many Americans are keeping their fingers crossed for the New Year.

For many, the hope is that 2017 will produce more job opportunities, opportunities that rise above either part-time work or low salaries for full-time work. Either way, 2016 has been a rough year for many individuals either out of work or working several jobs just to make ends meet.

How many of these workers got in the positions they are in today varies.

For some, they’re stuck in low-paying jobs; jobs that at least help keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. Others, meantime, can’t get their foot in the door for an interview, this after either being let go via layoffs or firings.

If you find yourself in the position of needing a job (or at least a better one at that), what are you doing to improve your odds?

Review Your Approach to Finding Work

For starters, how you go about getting interviews and ultimately offers is as important as anything else you will do.

While there are no guarantees that a stellar resume and/or a great interview will provide you with an offer, they are critical nonetheless.

That said remember these 5 tips to getting the best job possible:

  1. Resume – First and foremost, how good is your resume? Given how competitive the job market is these days, an average resume just won’t cut it. Although you may think you are a wordsmith extraordinaire, you are better off turning to the pros in putting together this critical document. Take note that great resumes can make the difference when searching for that ideal position. Don’t hesitate for a moment to use a professional resume writing service if that is what it will take to get you noticed;
  2. Interview – Once you get your foot in the door for an interview, you simply can’t blow it. The interview will tell a prospective employer much about you. He or she will not only want to know your background and how it benefits their company, but also how you’d work with others. It sounds like commonsense, but you’d be amazed how many people flunk the part of the interview that involves being on time, dressing appropriately etc. Don’t take any of those important tasks for granted.

How Bad Do You Want the Position?

  1. Motivation – Just how motivated are you for the position you’re interviewing for? While some candidates can pull off the fake smile and/or the fake attitude, many others simply can’t. Go into your interview knowing as much as possible about your prospective employer. Without turning the interview around on them, ask pertinent questions about the position, the company, the staff etc. When someone sees you’re motivated, it tends to rub off positively on you;
  2. Personality – Even though it is great to be motivated about a potential job (you should be), don’t go overboard. Most employers and/or recruiters can see through someone’s fake exterior. While you should definitely show interest in the job and the people working there, don’t lay it on too thickly;
  3. Follow-up – After your interview, be sure to send a thank you note to the employer and/or recruiter. Letting them know (in writing) that you appreciated their time can go a long way. Even if you don’t get the position this time around, another one could open down the road. When an employer sees that you took a few minutes to thank them for having you in, it can separate you from others not choosing to do so.

Finding the right job in today’s world can prove challenging, but would you have it any other way?

Accepting the challenge and meeting it head-on can do wonders for you. If you’re still looking for the right job, don’t give up hope.

Remember…. quitters never win, winners never quit.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

Listen to your branding

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Quick…when I say “branding,” what’s the first word that pops into your head?

Is it logo? Style? Design?

Probably something visual. Maybe your mind goes to “brand guidelines” for fonts, colors, and artwork.

Have you ever considered your auditory branding?

Now that live streaming, podcasting, and voice commands are pervasive, you need to add audio to your branding checklist.

Here are some key considerations to make sure that you’re up to speed:

  • If you are using live streaming tools, what’s your tone of voice? Is your speech clear? Do you use profanity or not? How formal/casual are your words?
  • For podcasting, are you using professional audio tools? Do you do leveling or post-production, if you’ve got multiple input sources? Do you have a “voice for radio?” If you don’t have a pleasant cadence or tone, what can you do to improve your speaking voice?
  • If your company name or product name is spoken into a natural language voice command system (like Siri or Amazon’s Echo device), is it easy to produce correct results? Do you have hyphens, apostrophes, synonyms or other roadblocks to easy voice entry?
  • Think of all possible customer touch points where audio might come into play…from your “on hold” music to the background sounds in your office when you’re on a conference call. Are you projecting the right sensation to your customers or partners? (Do they hear your dog barking and realize you’re working from home, or do they hear Starbucks noise and wonder about your professionalism?) Nothing wrong with either of those scenarios, as long as they match the rest of your branding.

Take some time today to do an “audio audit” to make sure that this important aspect of your branding is supporting your mission.

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image via Flickr CC: Patrick Breitenbach