Personal branding Archives - Page 3 of 14

How To Be Or Not To Be Perfessional Online

How To Be Or Not To Be Perfessional Online by Mark Anthony Dyson

Last summer, I offered Beachside Rehab. Recently, I used the word “perfessional” in context to people sharing their sober status on LinkedIn.

It seems like it splits whether you should or shouldn’t. I err on caution only, as authenticity could be weaponized (and we often see that).

It’s freeing for many people but not for everyone. The peer pressure to do it doesn’t help either. I hope people are 100% if they choose either.

My take on “perfessional”:

personal

professional

confessional

First, I can’t help but say people use “perfessional” as a professional on LinkedIn. Misspellings happen, and we need spell checks at our fingertips.

But I digress.

I see posts where people are encouraging this new vulnerability as a way to build on their brand. There’s nothing wrong with it being a way to convey a person’s over-arching message in telling their story.

I’m only convinced telling your story is an employer attraction if it’s an employment story where someone’s skills or personal attributes are the catalysts. Resilience is necessary, but it’s also contextual. Employers need to see it through your story.

I understand why, for some, “perfessional” is essential:

It connects you to others in your network.
It attracts like-minded people to you for support and encouragement.
“Perfessional” breeds collaborations.
No one can copy your story, even if they copy what you’ve written.

Remote work has ushered in the need to convert your online network to your coworkers. Many people are comfortable with it, while it scares others.

Then again, someone’s “profession” has become someone’s trauma. Wow (What did I say?)!

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

12 Ways to Quell The Voice of Your Personal Brand and Not Get Heard or Hired

12 Ways to Quell The Voice of Your Personal Brand and Not Get Heard or Hired by Mark Anthony Dyson

Never quell the voice of your brand. Never. It is the path to your future opportunities.

Everyone is an authority, at least in their household, or at the minimum, self. Right? Or maybe you are an insider and can speak authoritatively about your industry, hobby, or passion. Authority is essential in your career brand voice.

People get psyched out when they hear a loud voice that is demeaning and demanding. That’s a career brand voice most will pass on. Trust is earned and won, and that is what people will be drawn to at the end of the day.

Your actions are also vital in establishing a professional brand and voice. It would be best if you did what you said you would and people believed you. Or you don’t meet the goals that you set for yourself. It’s almost as if your words fall to the ground. Want more clients? Want more opportunities?

If your voice doesn’t have a brand, you give the control to someone else.

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I have 12 ways to identify why your voice lacks authority or credibility. This will help you connect with people much faster, with assurance, and open the doors to opportunities you didn’t think existed before.

12 Ways to Mute Your Brand and Not Get Heard or Hired!

Lack of Focus

You can have too many influences, heroes, and mentors if you lack core beliefs and values. The overflow of your heart, or lack thereof, will surface. If people don’t know where you’re going or are confused by the direction of your actions and words, no one will buy in. If your messaging is unclear and unfocused, eventually, your network and (Lord forbid) those who consider you for jobs become uninterested. It’s best to master one point and two sub-points at a time. Better yet, one issue might be best.

Trying Too Hard

Let’s say you meet someone that can put you on the right person’s hiring radar. Instead of being patient, you start calling twice a day for a week to ask how things are progressing. What are the chances your contact is so annoyed they are now ignoring you?

Listen to 5 Reasons to Unfollow Career Obstructing Social Media Contacts

Inciteful but Never Insightful

You want to be seen as original, but at the cost of someone else’s ideas or content. You instead erroneously quote or regurgitate others’ ideas as your own. When people hear you or see your work, and it becomes evident that you don’t have an original thought, they will lose respect or confront you until you give correct attribution. We have all seen people who suck up to people for reasons other than being valuable. It never ends well, and the last thing they get is respect.

Weak or Wrong Delivery Method

People think a loud delivery of their ideas is the most effective when it only compensates for weak arguments. Great ideas need the proper delivery to inspire the right action and by the right people. Sometimes, less is more, especially when we have the right solution. I have a soft voice, but I believe in the proverb, “A gentle word breaks a bone.” The secret is confidence in what I say (often preceded by much thought). You can do it too!

Listen to Second Chance for Job Seekers with GoodHire

Lack of Experience

I am turned off when people say they have a passion for a career or task but lack the work, credentials, or research to demonstrate competence. The first few hundred times may not be enough to claim yourself as an expert. If that’s the case, there are other questions and concerns you should have and put in more reps (more work).

Not Growing Professionally

To use a fitness analogy, to grow muscles, they must be worked to failure now and then. Reps are done until the power is overloaded with work, until no more reps can be performed—

You don’t grow because you haven’t been overloaded or worked to failure.

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Muscles must be challenged regularly to grow, and so do you. You want to grow, stretch, and show your usefulness. Create a blog and take people on that journey with you!

Not Asking Questions, Lacking Depth

Great questions come from excellent listening skills. Not asking an interview question is lazy, but lacking depth in asking a question says so much more negatively. People who successfully obtain the job they want repeatedly ask simple but profound questions.

Lacking Initiative

Successful career management is partly intuitive. There are hints as we go along that point us in the right direction. Sometimes, it’s weird, but that voice inside should be heard often, and to quell it requires initiation and action. Perhaps you’re afraid to fail or to make a mistake. People will likely forget the missed shot if you make the next shot.

Read Do you impress potential employers?

Temperament

People will find it easy to say no to you if you are easily frustrated. Apply temperance to any area in life, but specifically to your career management or job search efforts.

Your Life

All unclear goals, objectives, and targets lacking in purpose will come into play in everything you do in your career. The pattern in your life shows that you’re a shooting star: vibrant at first, then dissipates like mist. That’s rarely a good thing.

No Follow-Up

This is a must-have skill. Without it, you will never thrive. Want to work from home? Want to freelance? The follow-up is the money maker probably missing from your arsenal. To emphasize an earlier point, no one takes you seriously when you say you’ll do it and you don’t.

Don’t Promote, Market, or Advertise Yourself

I am not a big fan of wearing a banner or showing my face on a billboard, but I have a website. It’s probably the difference between someone finding you and your uniqueness or wondering why you’re unique.

This can be challenging if you are used to not being in control of your career. Job seekers have much more confidence and faith when he or they have a pliable attitude and are willing to pivot, turn, or turnaround even. Wherever your opportunities come from, it will depend on how you develop a career voice recognized by the right employer, business partner, or client.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

15 Ways Your Job Search Will Self-Destruct in No Time

The original article was first published on Recruiter.com!

Your job search shouldn’t look anything like the movie, “Mission Impossible.” Although it is full of strategies, pivots, and disappointment, it requires focus. There are measured efforts to obtain a meaningful result–getting hired!

How you go about your job search says much about who you are as a professional. We can argue about how closely related our personal and professional personas are. Still, at the end of the day, I can assure you most companies and hiring managers pay careful attention to how you act during a job search–it plays a huge role in their decision to hire you (or not).

Unfortunately, your job search efforts can self-destruct quickly. If you engage in the wrong behaviors, you’ll do nothing but harm your chances of landing a job.

Here are fifteen ways in which you may be sabotaging your job hunt right now:

1. You’re Moaning, Crying, Whining, Complaining, and/or Begging

Now and then, I see job seekers use LinkedIn and Twitter to beg people for a job. Usually, their cry is to no avail.

Imagine an employer lands on your page and sees a post like this: “All I ask is for someone to tell me what I’m doing wrong!” No one is interested in hiring a desperate person.

To paraphrase a Pink Floyd classic, “Don’t hang on in quiet desperation.”

2. There’s No Depth or Breadth to Your Network

The effectiveness of your connections must be by design, not by accident

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Your connections must be by design, not by accident.

Building depth into your network means fostering relationships with people at all levels in your industry – team leaders, directors, general managers, vice presidents, etc. Building breadth means connecting with colleagues and peers because of their potential value.

Remember: It’s okay to connect with people you don’t know. It’s critical if you want to build a deep network.

3. You Limit Your Use of Social Media

Some assume posting about their professional lives and industries will make them seem self-absorbed. Or they worry no one would pay attention anyway. But you need to offer your followers some value on social media. You’ll be the last to know if you aren’t valuable to your social media connections.

You obstruct your job search if you don’t look for ways to foster conversations with people who could potentially lead you to a hiring manager or recruiter, whether directly or indirectly.

So go ahead – use social media to foster those conversations. It won’t make you seem self-absorbed; it will make you valuable.

4. You’re Not Doing Anything to Hone Your Craft

You still need to hone your craft when you’re out of work – or not working in your desired field. If you’re in public relations, you should be writing. If you’re trying to pass the Illinois bar exam, you should study. Even professional athletes train during the off-season. Professional development at scale is a lifestyle necessity and self-investment necessary in 2023.

Opportunities can arise anytime and anywhere. If you aren’t paying attention, you’ll miss chances

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Volunteer work is another great way to hone your skills. There are organizations in your area could use your career-relevant skills.

5. You’re Not Staying Vigilant

Opportunities can arise anytime and anywhere. If you aren’t paying attention, you’ll miss chances. You should always be ready to present yourself as a great choice. You never know when you’ll meet someone who can help you.

Reading books and blogs, listening to podcasts, and connecting with others regularly are fundamental to remaining vigilant in your job search.

6. You’ve Become Envious of Your Competition

You should know what your competition is doing, but you shouldn’t outright copy them.

Envy drives some to plagiarize content from competitors or attempt emulation of their presence. It’s okay to draw inspiration from your competitors, but you can’t copy their brands. That’s not authentic and won’t give employers an accurate look at who you are.

7. You Can’t Adjust to the Peaks and Valleys of Your Journey

Success and failure both contain valuable learning opportunities. Many of us don’t want our lessons to come at the expense of failure, but it’s often the best way to learn. Similarly, we often desire to taste immediate success without realizing true success takes time.

The job search is often turbulent. You will face success and failure in equal measure. You must be agile and able to switch gears whenever necessary.

8. You Have a Hard Time Saying ‘No’ When You’ve Gotten Far

It sometimes happens when you’re deep in the interview process, an opportunity once looked great may turn out to be unattractive. Are you afraid to say “no” in these situations?

Consider it similar to being physically attracted to someone whose values are contrary to yours. It’s best to end the relationship before there’s a serious emotional investment.

9. You’re Impatient

Not only are you unwilling to wait for results, but also you leave others exasperated after every interaction. Relationships only become mutually beneficial over time. You’ll likely have to give a lot before getting a little.

10. You Think Grammar Isn’t a Big Deal

People scrutinize every message and social media update. Companies desire people who communicate well both orally and in written form.

Your character and professional brand are the same

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11. You Don’t Understand Character and Branding Are One in the Same

It’s good to see more job seekers are serious about personal branding these days. However, it’s also dismaying many are not careful about what they say and post. Your character and professional brand are the same.

12. You Solely Rely on Job Boards

You’ll be disappointed with the results if you’re using job boards to find jobs. The most successful job seekers diversify their efforts, using networking, research, informational interviews, and social media to advertise themselves and find new jobs.

13. You Don’t Ask for Help

I understand how hard it is to let close friends and family know you’re looking for work or a better job. You don’t want to appear as if you have failed.

But you should realize everyone understands your situation. It’s 2023, not 1986 when you could find a new job in a week or two. You might be surprised by who your parents, siblings, cousins, or best friends know.

14. You’ll Take Anything

You may say or feel way, but it’s probably not true. You probably cringe whenever someone suggests a job you know you’d hate. And besides, people will back away from you as soon as they sense your desperation.

15. You Entertain Bad Advice

We are lured by what is easy to do instead of by what is most productive. When people start their advice by saying, “All you have to do is … ” it is time to run. The successful job search in 2023 is not about achieving immediate satisfaction. You must be ready to grind.

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If you want your job search to succeed, get out of your house and meet people! Attend speeches and lectures. Hit the gym! These things will keep you sharp and ready for your next opportunity.

If you become too dull, you may leave the wrong impression on people who could help you get a job. That’s why conversations and research are your best friends in the job search!