Personal branding Archives - Page 12 of 14

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

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!