Mark Anthony Dyson, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

Personal Branding for College Graduates

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For college students, building, managing, and marketing his or her personal branding efforts can be quite complex. It’s possible that grads will change jobs up to an average of 20 times during their career. But you know what, that is OK to experiment and try different things. My guest and fellow podcaster Ryan Rhoten as done it himself. Through the advice he shares, he tells his story of graduating from college with the intention of building and flying planes.

Are you clear and intention about your personal branding efforts? I would love to hear from you in one of three ways:

1) Leave a voice mail or text message at 708-365-9822. Let me know if I can share it on future shows
2) Email me: [email protected]
3) Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com and press the “Send Voicemail” button to leave a message online

Let me tell you a little more about Ryan. He is a personal branding and online reputation strategist, founder of the podcast “Brand New You,” all found at RyanRhoten online. By the time this aired, Ryan had already reached out to me to be a guest on his podcast. Little did he know he was already on my guest wish list. He has been featured on Forbes, The Muse, and Mashable as well as speaking at various conferences such as FinCon.

Here are some highlights from our discussion:

As a college grad experiment and look at different careers. School is still the foundation in the real world
Many more options are available, nothing wrong with trying and moving on
Your brand evolves and changes…monitor and manage it
Ryan defines personal brand is who you are at the core. Personal branding is telling the world who you are, the value you offer mostly online
Putting the real you online is as important so your personal brand and personal branding are congruent
High school and college students aren’t helping themselves in the way they come across online. College administrators are looking at your online activities
Clean up your social media profiles, delete updates considered “questionable”
All of your social media accounts should have the same professional pictures
Check all of the images on Google and work to get rid of the unflattering pictures. You may need to contact the website hosting the originals to ask him or her to take them down. Remove the ones you host on your profiles. Google ranks pictures by amount of times it is clicked on
Put more good content out there to minimize bad images or unfavorable content
Everyone should start their own blog – not necessarily your website. Medium, branded.me, and LinkedIn helps push content out
Think about the job you want, what you’re learning in school, and write about it. It’s hard but it is a way to stand out above the competition
Google loves videos and in-depth articles. Written, audio, and video are all popular and rank well. A WordPress blog is one of the top platforms to blog
Have a strategy when using any platform

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts? Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it!Also, join our Linkedin community! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

I would still like to help self-published career professionals promote their books. If you’re interested, find more info here.

For the first time in 1 1/2 years, I am opening to career professionals to write guest articles. If you’re interested, you can go here for further topics and directions to submit.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

4 Ways to Land on a Recruiter’s Mobile

Editor’s note: This is my guest article originally published on YouTern! Let me know your thoughts!

In today’s marketplace, job seekers must be effective marketers.

Yes, marketers.

That’s what today’s job search is about: marketing your services, expertise and personality effectively enough that you put yourself in a recruiter’s ears, eyes and brain.

And what method are professional marketers using to get their product noticed more than any other?

Through the one thing, no one ever seems to put down anymore: their mobile device.

Marketers predict mobile will soon influence decision-making far more than any other media. So why not use this same approach to get your personal brand in front of a hiring manager? Why not appeal to their eyes and ears – and get much further then your resume can take you?

Sure, you’ll hear from your friends, parents, and career centers to create, recreate and perfect your resume and cover letter. But that is what everyone’s doing; it will not provide you a competitive advantage.

While your competition is tweaking those resumes, crafting those cover letters and filling out a never-ending stream of online job applications – through audio and video you will be discovered by employers looking for someone exactly like you: innovative, creative and courageous.

Here are four ways to reach recruiters on their mobile device… no resume required.

Click To Tweet

Use Blab or Periscope Video Streaming Apps

Blab and Periscope are two relatively new entries into the video content delivery space – and you and recruiters can use both apps on your phone.

Jessica Miller-Merrell recently shared on her blog two compelling reasons to use these apps:

Many companies use video interviews to initially screen applicants, so Blab and Periscope are now fairly common and trusted technologies
Using Blab and Periscope enables you to hone your video interviewing and digital presentation skills; two highly sought-after soft skills

Most important, you can use these formats to informally, yet informatively, introduce yourself to hiring managers – and they can play your video with one click on their mobile device.

Being a Guest on a Podcast

A guest spot on a podcast is a great way to gain instant credibility for your personal brand.

My colleague, Jim Stroud, suggests in his book, The Number One Job Hunting Book in the World, that job seekers contact a podcaster and offer themselves as an expert or industry insider. There are thousands of podcasters looking for guest experts; many of them don’t require you to have a book or a blog to appear on the show.

Not an industry expert yet? You can talk about your current passions, social causes, and consumer issues.

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You can offer the Millennial perspective on a variety of hot topics. Or you can talk about a unique program at your school or a volunteering project. The possibilities are endless.

Once the podcast has been released on iTunes and other outlets, send the link to recruiters. They can take a quick listen; identify you as an influencer and offer you an interview – all from their cell phone.

Appear on Your Community’s Radio Station

Most communities, even some of the smallest, have local radio stations that encourage content from local citizens. So why not approach the station with an idea for your own show?

Each station has guidelines for content creation, of course. But either through your solo efforts or by interviewing guest experts, you can display your passion and knowledge. The station can provide an audio file of your segment to share on social media, your website or blog. You can also upload media to your LinkedIn profile.

Again, this personal branding mechanism – in whatever format or platform you choose – is easily digested on a mobile device. For a couple bucks, you can even send the recruiter a set of earbuds with a note that says, “Listen to this…”

Record a Local Presentation for Audio and Video

On your tablet or mobile device, high-quality video is easier than ever to record and distribute. Record a personal introduction, then reach your network and prospective employers by uploading the short video to Facebook and YouTube.

Once uploaded, send your target employers the link to your video. Or catch them off-guard by pinning the video to your social media profiles so when they check you out online (and they will check you out online), there’s your video to help you create a great first impression.

Want to stand out? Want to increase the perceived value of the services and expertise you offer? Then think like a marketer!

In 2016, you must start thinking about how you will market yourself differently than you job seeking competition. And delivery of video and audio to a recruiter or hiring manager’s mobile phone will help you do just that.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

The View of Today’s Job Search from a Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter

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More and more, people are considering culture and value above other reasons for the job and career he or she desires, especially for those of you who envision working for a company promoting diversity and inclusion (D & I). You can control the career choices based on factors you find more desirable. Some are choose companies where everyone doesn’t think like them or look like them. If that is what you want, then consider a diversity recruiter like Torin Ellis who offers 100% of his efforts to clients who want to create such a workplace.

How important is diversity and inclusion to you in your workplace? I would love to hear your thoughts on this. You can do it in three ways:

Let me share a little more about Torin Ellis. He’s been a recruiter for more than 2o years. Torin is the founder of The Torin Ellis Brand, a Human Capital Strategist, Diversity Ambassador, Interview Architect, and soon-to-be-author! He is the recent winner of Winner of Top Recruiter – Reign of the Bosses – toprecruiter.tv! He’s appeared in Black Enterprise and is featured on SiriusXM 126 on the “Karen Hunter Show” as a career guest expert.

Here are highlights from our episode:

Torin offers his clients an earnest effort in providing diverse considerations in talent
Finding diverse pool of talent is difficult, struggle in securing talent
Diversity in thought, finding quality candidates with high skill levels – not just limited to race
Diversity and inclusion speak to the culture, not productive without creativity and courage
Torin mentioned Rosalind Hudnell, Intel’s Diversity and Inclusion Officer stating numbers in 1998 are the same as today
Diversity works if leadership is involved and thoughtfulness and resources are available. Money must be put behind the initiative for it work
Diversity and inclusion look different in different states. The effort should be measured not a fixed result
Torin comments on the statement, “Diversity is about numbers, and Inclusion is about involvement for the long term…”
True diversity and inclusion (D & I) there is no finish line – it’s an ongoing evolution
D & I covers many parts of the organization so Human Resources should be the administrative arm in drafting and enforcing D & I policies and initiatives
Large companies should have a D & I officer, and the company leadership oversees the tactical deployment of policies
Job seekers desiring to work for companies promoting D & I should target a variety of them and look deeply into the company’s core values
Look for press and articles showing proof of their claim in their D & I mission statement
Connect with current and past employees to hear if their experiences match the company’s claim
Job seekers are understanding the power of social media – but don’t fully appreciate the content from strong educational voices. People are more responsive to entertainment, pop culture
Disparaging comments made on line can be viewed as who you are in the workplace

I would still like to help self-published career professionals promote their books. If you’re interested, find more info here.

For the first time in 1 1/2 years, I am opening to career professionals to write guest articles. If you’re interested, you can go here for further topics and directions to submit.