Personal Branding Archives - Page 16 of 18

The Signature Look for Your Career Brand with Aaja Corinne

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Over the years, I have written and spoke about the importance first impressions at job interviews and the opportunities that come through providing a great presentation. Dressing, looking, and becoming the part is a necessity to compete in any job market. That is why I wanted to have Aaja Corrine, an image branding strategist, on the show to explain how important for a job seeker’s image and brand to be complete.

For this episode, Aaja Corinne and I talk about how to impact your audience by the way you dress. Aaja is an image consultant whose client list includes Babyface (yes, the singer/songwriter/producer) and Bianca Golden, America’s Top Model Contestant. Aaja’s media features include WVON in Chicago, JET magazine, and Today’s Chicago Woman Magazine.

What are some of your challenges in dressing for interviews or networking events? Does your wardrobe fit your professional image or personality? I would love your feedback on these questions or anything that you’ve heard on any of our shows in one of the 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

If you are a career coach or professional and would like to contribute advice or voice your opinion, leave a message along with your name and website. I will include both on the show and show notes on the blog.

Here are some of the highlights of what Aaja and I discussed:

1. Aaja coaches people to shape his or her brand perception through presentation – it affects your movement through the marketplace.

2. She helps people to brand through “signature” not “trends.” She works to understand the person’s job, everyday role, and company culture. She strives to get more information about the person’s personality and what makes them comfortable. Aaja says, “You should always wear the clothes – the clothes should never wear you.”

3. Aaja explains how a negative or a positive image affects your brand from her point of view. She says that your overall package should be as good as the professional substance. When you come to the table, and you don’t look prepared, people start to make assumptions about your capabilities, preparedness and credibility.

4.Your resume is no longer the sole factor in being hired, so you must look like a “brand ambassador” for the prospective company. She asks her clients,”What are your three words that you want to be perceived as?”

5. Aaja says that being adaptable is important to your image and brand. She suggests that you should take your cues from management to emulate their attire on regular workdays and casual days. It’s better to be a tad over-dressed than under-dressed.

6. Professional does not mean boring. You should have “staple” pieces and “statement” pieces. Listen as Aaja offer suggestions for her “power pieces.” There is a part where she says she can find a way to wear a white shirt with pajamas and make it look stylish!

Have you subscribed to this show on iTunes? If you haven’t, please do so. This is also a great place to write an honest review. Enjoy listening to the show. Let us know what you think.

Do you need help with resume writing or career direction? Do you need coaching or instruction? Then start here.

Also, join our community on Linkedin! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

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

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

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.