Branding me? This is new….

Posted on March 31, 2011 | 1 Comment

Leaving the workforce in 2002 there was an emerging consulting business that focused on start-up companies that needed to create a brand.  Now that I’m rethinking my working status, I have observed the concept of branding has drilled down to the individual level.  I believe this stems from the shift from persons working at one job or company their entire career to how we now switch and change jobs multiple times.  This has caused our loyalties to be placed on the self before the company.  In the workforce we have become our own commodity.  We are our own asset or product and need to market accordingly.    Now we need our own brand.

This changes how I need to look at presenting myself.  There are so many avenues that I could communicate with a potential employer or client my “look” and “message” needs to be more thoroughly thought out and consistent.  I realize I have much to learn on this subject.  Not only does my initial branding need to be impressive but I need to back it up with quality “product” or skill set with the hopes of creating a great first impression and lasting trust.

There are many, many resources out there to help get started.   There are books, consultants, classes and websites.  I pulled ideas from these sites and found them interesting.

Brand_yourself.com

DittoAndCo.com

Why Branding Yourself is Important

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Posted in branding, career-rebuilding, career-transition, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help, Uncategorized

And so it begins…

Posted on March 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

Moving from the “casual” job hunter to the “I’m really serious about finding something” job hunter has been eye-opening.  There is an obvious gap between my last employment date and today.  My self talk is saying, I did good things during my last employment run.  I was successful what I did.   I won awards, was top performer and in president’s club  but it has just been a few years.  That said, the reality is I have not been receiving a paycheck for almost ten years.  So now discussing and highlighting awards won eleven to fifteen years ago seem wrong and listing that great training I did in the 90′s seems off ….but then how to work in that I did sell a lot of LOTUS 1-2-3 training? There is always that.

What has become quite apparent is I need a new way to help me identify what I do well and highlight those things.  Those strengths did not go away they just have been used in other ways for the last few years.  After discussing my situation with a recruiter friend, she suggested that I try a tool she has found quite helpful.  It is a resource that helps us find our core competencies or strengths.  It is a book written by Tom Rath of Gallup, StrengthsFinder 2.0. It is paired with a brief online assessment that will helps identify your own top five talents from a pool of 34.

The premise is that these strengths when developed are what will propel us to success no matter what job we are in.  As long as we are focusing on what we do well as an individual we will not only be successful but fulfilled.  I have taken many variations of personality style tests based on Myers Briggs.  This tool is different.  It narrows in on the tactical way we work combined with the interpersonal.  I really feel that coming back into the workforce it is spot on.  I am planning on using my top five strengths in how I position my resume and profile on LinkedIn.

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Posted in career-rebuilding, career-transition, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help, Uncategorized

A new way to think….

Posted on March 28, 2011 | Leave a comment

Getting back into the workforce has not been anything like I thought it would be.  I had great and grandiose visions of landing a job much like the one I had left, oh nine or ten years ago.  Why would I worry?  I never had a problem getting a job before.  Somehow, I felt that time should have stood still and my accomplishments should still have glimmered as brightly as they did when I left the workforce to stay home with my young family.

I have been jarred into the reality that not working in ten years and being ten years older, is not an atribute to most HR staffing personnel. I am no longer kidding myself that my resume is getting a second glance.  The only time that is occurring is if it has made its way into the recycling bin somewhere.  My skills, although great in my mind, are not current on paper and my client contact list is non-existent when my Linkedin profile is searched.

So, here I sit.  I have felt sorry for my status for a few months now and shed a few tears.  I have been humbled by old co-workers not calling back and inability to land that next interview on the phone.  I needed to create a new plan for myself.  I am now turning my ideas and resources inward and searching for my own next thought….my own next idea that will help me on my journey to that next “big thing”.  I must say, it is exciting to think about.  This is what will be keeping me up at night.

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Posted in career-rebuilding, career-transition, re-entering-the-workforce, self-help