Personal Branding Archives - Page 16 of 18

Here’s Why Your Linkedin Profile Should Be Like John Urschel’s

In watching ESPN,

I found out about John Urschel’s expertise is not only an offensive guard but a mathematician. What I didn’t know is that news outlets everywhere such as NPR talks with him about football and math. Well, later that day I went to see if he had Twitter and Linkedin profiles. His Twitter handle…perfect as @MathMeetsFBall. He even displays some humor that makes you smile:

So, @BillPrady , when is my @BigBang_CBS cameo going down? The team needs a mathlete! #ready pic.twitter.com/CjiHsmkIV1

— John Urschel (@MathMeetsFball) March 24, 2015

But his Linkedin profile was substantive and revealing at least to my delight.

It seems that John Urschel cut out the noise and fanfare from the rest of the world to unveil what is most relevant on his Linkedin Profile. After all, he could have his own website that promotes his football career (by the way, if he does, it’s listed on the first three pages of Google) followed by his profile captivating some possible commercial or entrepreneurial opportunities. No. Let’s do the math. He’s looking to change the world by the numbers. Somebody’s got to, right?

It is so not sexy, right?

I even made this observation in “The Voice of Job Seekers” Linkedin group:

“Here is a lesson in sound and effective branding. Go look at John Urschel’s Linkedin page and it will show you that it doesn’t have to be flashy or flowery. The keyword selection is appropriate, near perfect grammar and clearly niche. It doesn’t replicate any keyword phrases from anyone else’s page, or try so hard to be unique. So when we see an article below about you such as the one about Urschel, we’re not surprised.”

There are many takes on what a Linkedin profile should look like, but I encourage you to look at John Urschel’s Linkedin profile. This is the everyman’s (every woman’s) profile where less is more, and originality (not authenticity) compels more than it sells. It’s an example of the message sent and inferred and not marketing.

1. Football is what I do, but math is my love. Note that his passion for both is inferred and not overwhelming the reader with his intent. It is simple in language and tells the facts. He could overwhelm the reader with his football knowledge, or inundate us with formulaic rhetoric.

Instead, his keyword selection has functionality giving it meaning and substance right from the beginning:

“I have general expertise in all areas of numerical analysis and numerical linear algebra. My specialty lies in the numerical solution of PDE’s (specifically Finite Element and Multigrid Methods). “

Your headline and summary (note he doesn’t have a headline that matches the rest of his profile) should tell readers the problems you address or solve. If it doesn’t, then you will likely disengage readers who mean the most: Your prospective business partners or employers.

2. This is what I’ve done to ONLY whom it matters. This is simpler to say than it is to write, but Urschel’s profile speaks to a few people. We may say that they’re nerds, but it makes all the sense in the world. He doesn’t have to state what his goal is nor does he have to convince readers his intentions. Most of us cannot measure the impact or understand what he is publishing. What we can glean is his mission to find mathematical solutions that maybe 1% of people who will ever read will understand. The point: Your profile cannot be effective if it’s speaking to everyone. Narrow your focus to the audience that will understand if you. You will say more by speaking to fewer people. If you’re not solving a problem, or presenting an argument for us to engage, then at least intrigue us in a brief itinerary of your journey.

3. Nor am I trying to impress all of you. Urschel’s audience on his Linkedin profile is not football fans. It is not written for the general public. The problem with my Linkedin clients (and frankly 80% of Linkedin users) is you want your profile to mirror, sound like, or yes plagiarize someone who put in the real work. If you want to impress an employer to look at you, shrink your target and INTENT. If your experience is originally yours, then tell your story with your experiences and work.

I am not pointing to Urschel’s Linkedin profile as a perfect one. His content is clear storytelling without trying so hard to get the reader to do something right now (better yet, he sounds far from desperate). He is simply beginning the chapters to a career trajectory to become decades long. We can argue whether his headline says enough or if his Summary is too short or that he could use and afford a higher quality photo. We care less (and perhaps forget) that he smashes 300 pound guys for a living, but rather intrigued (at least those of us who are math unabled) that he’s a genius.

Marketing self by not marketing is the best marketing. I broke some grammar rules, but I’ll bet you will remember it.

What does your Linkedin profile say? Do you think it has your voice? Love to hear your thoughts.

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

Tell Stories Get Hired with Daisy Wright

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Tell Stories, Get Hired is a book written by Daisy Wright and other contributing writers such as Kimberly Robb Baker and Audrey Prenzel, who are my guests on this episode. Storytelling is not only art, but also essential and strategic! You’ll learn today how to position your story based on the employer’s needs and how to show the relevance. You will hear examples of how job seekers would hear a need of an employer and used storytelling to show that they were the solution.

Do you use storytelling in your resume or social profiles? Was it strategic? Please share. I can entertain your feedback in three ways:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822
Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
Send email feedback to [email protected]

If you are a career professional who advise job seekers and adds feedback whether it’s advice or a differing opinion, I will include a link in future show notes and read your comments on an upcoming show. Just let me know if it’s OK with you.

Let me share about today’s guests:

Daisy Wright of DaisyWright.com (@CareerTips2Go) is a career coach and resume writer whose who works have been published internationally. She shares her latest book with 15 other career coaches, resume writers, and personal branding experts for the readers to learn effective story telling that attract employers. This book is a must have for your career library. This is Daisy’s second appearance on the show. Daisy not only included a “thank you” to me in the book, but also a quoted review from me prominently placed on the back of her book (how cool is that)!

Kimberly Robb Baker of MovingOnUpResumes.com (@ThisLittleBrand), is an award-winning resume writer who is a master story teller. Her work has been published in many resume publications including JIST and Barron’s. publications including JIST and Barron’s.

Audrey Prenzel of resumeresources.ca (@AudreyPrenzel) is a career transition strategist and an award-winning resume writer who specializes in writing and coaching for Canadian Military personnel. She has been published in multiple magazine, newspapers, and career publications.

Daisy and Kim endure my Wi-Fi issues but they drop the following gems on story telling:

1. Daisy’s inspiration for the book comes from the ongoing conversation in the career space about the engagement and get attention from employers

2. A story doesn’t have to be too personal but must bear relevance and resonate with an employer. A job candidate can take their cues from the interviewer when it’s relevant to the conversation

3, Kim states that some of the keys to good storytelling that compels someone to act are marrying what your audience needs to what you need

4. Keywords in resumes and Linkedin profiles are the puzzle pieces, and the story is the big picture. Kim says they are not mutually exclusive and should fit right on in

5. Start with the story and then make sure keywords fit in. At some point, there should be a “brain dump”

6. Job seekers should weave their stories throughout their resume, especially in the top third that is considered the “prime real estate” and create a statement that draws the attention of the reader. Employers tend to read the rest of the top third is compelling

7. Kim stated that it was a good idea to have advisers, especially when it comes to making sure that your stories are cohesive, makes sense, and draw others in. No one is objective about themselves

8. Daisy shared about a job seeker who created his resume to look like an Amazon.com product page and received many job offers. Stories like this encourage job seekers that you get attention by telling their story in a way that is different

Audrey the victim of my Wi-Fi and Google Hangouts:

1. Military stories are different because of the language and culture difference. Diplomatic and administrative skills can get lost because the skills do not translate easily

2. Military veterans transitioning to civilian work need to be selective in their story telling. They are likely to over share his or her experiences

3. Audrey says that she often has to filter out 75% of what they have to say to keep what is important to employers

I hope you enjoy the show. If you have suggestions for future shows and even future guests, email me and make your case. I am sure you have a few that you would like to pass along.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Would Your Personal Brand Compel You to Quit Google?

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Before you leave your job this time, have you considered the quality of your personal brand? Have you invested time in building your brand? Are you making efforts in learning more to hone your craft/skill and add value to your current or future coworkers? This show will help you get started. Fearful? Yep, this show is for you.

How are you building your personal brand? We would love to hear from you!

Here are three ways to provide feedback:

Call and leave a voicemail at 708.365.9822
Email: [email protected]
Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com/73, press the Send Voicemail button on the left, which will activate your laptop microphone, then leave a message

By the time that Michael Peggs of MichaelPeggs.com was working for Google, he knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his career. After four years of a workplace had accessible recreation and free food, he was ready to move on. After he officially resigned he created a goodbye video that he uploaded to YouTube. He didn’t realize that this video to date received over 510,000 views!

Three years before leaving Google, Mike (or Peggs) created a blog where he wrote about careers and social media. He has been featured in Fast Company, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. He is now helping individuals and companies reach their brand building goals through story-telling.

Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:

Mike was intentional in building his personal brand

Mike’s video “I Quit Google” has received over 510,000 views. The video was done after his official resignation.
He made himself more attractive at his blog, “Career 101” that added his views, perspective, and value to future employers. He thought of himself as a product and brand before his job at Google
Mike positions himself as a brand and has planned it that way because it’s woven into every conversation that he has included his parents, clients, or employer

Mike prepared and sought advice about his personal brand

He had an internship every year in college especially during the school year. He worked for Goldman-Sachs for several years which helped him to stand out for other opportunities
In addition to his internships, he started several businesses such as a t-shirt company and a food delivery company (he credits this experience as his foray into tech)
One thing he learned as an entrepreneur was to have an “exit strategy” especially when he worked for Google. Mike says he spent four years in building “a story.”

Mike was looking to “fail forward” to strengthen his personal brand

Mike stated how much he loved Google, but I asked him as would others, “Why would you quit a company you loved?” I thought he had a pretty unique answer here (around 10:50)
When he realized that he was no longer going to grow at Google, in order to grow, he needed to “fail, fail fast and to fail forward!”
Mike said that our, “… feelings about failure is one of our impediments to progress…” and we act when “…our faith is more than our fear.” People should work with mentors and coaches to help them instill the faith he/she needs

If you are a career professional, I would love for you to contribute to the show. Do you have additional advice to offer? Do you agree or disagree? If you leave feedback, leave your web site or blog URL and I’ll mention it in the show and include it in the following week’s blog post. Enjoy the show!