By Will LinkIn the age of social media shaping and promoting your personal brand has never been more important. It is even more essential when you consider how today’s workers are more significantly more likely to have multiple jobs throughout their career and be employed in fields not directly related to the major in college. Putting yourself out there can be uncomfortable or even downright frightening, but by following these tips there is a good chance that you will stand out in a competitive hiring environment. Thus having a personal brand and portfolio of your work that you have done can be a very important asset as you progress professionally. Make Yourself Known Whatever events you attend, be it formal meetings, conferences, or a networking sessions, make sure that the people running the event recognize your presence. You don’t have to be flashy or outrageous, but do be engaging. A good rule of thumb when attending group events such as presentations is to always ask one question. By asking a question you are making yourself known to everyone in attendance and showing interest in the presenter’s work or topic. You will also be making a meaningful contribution to the event as a whole. Make sure your question is relevant to the topic that is being discussed. If you are nervous that you won’t be able to come up with a question on the spot, prepare one ahead of time. Use your question to highlight your own personal interests and skills to open up avenues for future communication with the presenter or other attendees. Some general examples of great questions that will likely be effective at any event include:
Be Active in Your Community One of the best places to start building your personal brand is right where you are. By giving a little bit of your time to and sharing your talents with your local community, you can learn more about its needs and grow your network. Examples of community service include, but are not limited to, volunteering with a local charitable organization, joining a local advocacy organization or group, or getting involved with local government and politics. Use Social Media Effectively Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook can all be used to effectively promote yourself. If used correctly, these outlets are also great avenues to connect with people in your desired career cluster. Just remember that every social media platform should showcase different aspects of your personal brand. LinkedIn is a more professional atmosphere than Twitter, which is strictly an information feed. Instagram, on the other hand, should be used to showcase artwork or other visual work samples. For keeping up to date topics that might interest you, Twitter is a great option, because the size limits it has on its posts allows you to scroll through the most information in the shortest period of time, and pick out the links to other websites that you would be most interested in. While interactions on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are more relaxed than they are on LinkedIn, you should always make sure to post appropriate content online. Nearly all job recruiters are looking at all of a candidate’s social media accounts during the hiring process. Build A Personal Website While social media is a great tool for showcasing your achievements it’s not entirely focused and controlled by you. The content that you post will only be a small blip in the feeds of your friends, followers, or connections. If you create your own website you will have a much more permanent platform to show off who you are, your interests and goals, your portfolio, and the work that you are capable of doing. There are many free services that allow you to build a website such as Wix, Wordpress or Google Sites. Designers, photographers, and writers are just some groups who can showcase their professional work effectively on a well-organized website. Never Stop Learning The world and the workforce are always changing. Advances in digital technology have accelerated new trends, so always make sure to stay in the loop about how they might affect your career and industry. Join groups with like-minded professionals on social media and share news stories. Follow professional organizations and thought leaders in your industry to stay informed. Another great way to stay informed is to attend conferences. There are conferences and seminars for almost every topic and industry hosted by numerous organizations all over the globe. There are many online databases that keep a running list of conferences, seminars, and workshops, including AllConferences.com, 10times.com and Conference Alerts. These databases allow you to search based on location, topics of interest, and more filters. Conference Alerts allow you to subscribe to an email list that will update you whenever there is an upcoming conference or event in your area. If you don’t have the time or money to go to conferences consider attending virtual events. A quick Google Search of virtual conference + the topic you are interested in will likely yield many results of on-demand webinars and other learning sessions. Business Cards (Yes, They’re Still A Thing) While you’re out networking or at conferences, handing out business cards can help you make a lasting impression on people. Business cards are a great way to have a physical way of showcasing your information, skills, and interests to potential clients or employers. Vistaprint is one of many websites that provide business card templates or allow you to design your own. You can design and print 100 business cards for only $15. LinkedIn has a digital business card feature that allows users to pull up a QR code on their smartphone. Whoever scans the QR code will be taken directly to your personal LinkedIn account.
Online resources such as Switchit, Inigo, and OneCard allow you to create a digital business card that can include graphics, videos, and more work samples. Swithcit, Inigo, and OneCard all have free and premium plans. They work on your computer as well as most smart devices. Content on digital business cards is shareable via social media, email, or text message. It’s a great idea to include your digital business card in your email signature. Your Personal Branding is Key to Future Success Personal branding is a process that can go in many different directions. Even after you have secured a position it always good to keep building your personal brand. Self-promotion will help you expand your network so that you will have more opportunities in the future. By following our advice building your personal brand and promoting yourself can be an enjoyable, informative, and productive experience.
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Marist students and alumni give insight into different work environments The federal government is one of the largest employers in the country in terms of the variety of departments it contains and wide range of work experiences of the people it hires. As a United States government employee you can build skills while working on new platforms. Your duties in the public sector will often require you to learn on the job, as was the case for Jay Silver ’20. Jay interned in the Human Resources department of the Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C., last summer as a part of the Washington Semester Program sponsored by Marist College and American University. He spent a large portion of his internship reformatting documents to be in compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. “It took me a while because I had to retype it and reformat it so it could be played with audio,” Jay said. “And I had to work with different software and go outside of my department.” Jay’s contribution was essential to the Small Business Administration considering federal agencies are now required to make all electronic information and technology accessible to people with disabilities. Due to the longevity of most employees in his division, Jay said he was able to learn the ins and outs of working in the federal government by networking with his coworkers during his summer internship. “I got to know everybody and talk to the people in my office…there were people who had been there for a few years and people there for over 20 years,” Jay said. “There was a wide variety of individual talent, but everyone I talked to really enjoyed their job.” While Jay had a positive experience overall during his time in Washington, D.C., if you are looking to work within the federal government there are a couple of potential drawbacks. Salary growth can be much slower than the national average and opportunities for advancement may not be as prevalent as they are in the private sector. If you are working for a specific elected official you might need to keep an eye on job openings in case the official loses their re-election campaign. Conclusion: Things to Consider Regarding the Size of Your Employer If you are debating the type of company that you want to work for, consider what is most important to gain at this stage of your career and what resources and skills you need to obtain in order to make progress. If you believe that you work better in an unstructured environment where you get to take initiative and learn from trial and error, you should consider looking for positions in startups. However, if you want access to strong mentors with years of experience to help teach and guide you, then working for a corporation is probably the best choice. Working for a nonprofit will satisfy your passion for service, but think about federal government jobs if you also value stability and structure. No option is better than the other. Each size company just offers different paths. Most people in the workforce today will switch jobs an average of twelve times during their lifetime. If this trend continues you will have opportunities to work for multiple different types of organizations. You don’t have to find the perfect work environment for your first role, but you can still learn a lot from your job no matter where you are working. You just have to be aware of what each environment provides. Marist students and alumni give insight into different work environments For Emily Satin ’20, interning at nonprofits not only provided her with valuable professional experience, but also gave her the chance to have a positive influence on a variety of populations in her local community. “(Nonprofit) work was extremely rewarding because I was impacting the lives of young children,” she said. “I really enjoyed going in to work because each day was so different from the next.” Satin interned with two nonprofit organizations based in the Hudson Valley, Family Services and Abilities First. Both of these employers assist children and Abilities First also serves adults with special needs. Nonprofits, also referred to as not-for-profits, are organizations that are not dedicated to generating revenue, but instead work toward a common good. Their work is usually directed toward assisting a particular group. Working for a nonprofit has its own unique challenges, but most people in these organizations believe they are empowering people on a global scale. There tend to be less key performance indicators and other hard data metrics for you to measure your success for example. “(Nonprofit) work was extremely rewarding because I was impacting the lives of young children,” she said. “I really enjoyed going in to work because each day was so different from the next.” - Emily Satin '20 That being said, a lot of not-for-profits serve high risk groups or other individuals going through a rough period in their life. Therefore, the stakes for success can be much higher than they would be in other sized companies. Nonprofits can have limited funds compared to other organizations and most of them rely on fewer resources to maintain operations. A combination of these factors can lead to a higher rate of burnout among nonprofit employees. As Emily alluded to earlier, someone who works at a nonprofit will likely have much more variety in their responsibilities and obligations on the job. This can translate into more opportunities for professional advancement and growth. Emily was able to broaden her experiences in the nonprofit sector by planning the inaugural Nonprofit Career Conference at Marist College. “Helping to host this event and seeing the beginnings of it develop into something successful was amazing,” she said. “Also, I learned how to organize curricula and also just plan the event by putting my communication skills into practice. Talking to alumni, faculty, and students to get support in order to put on the event definitely sharpened my communication abilities, which I will always need in professional settings.” Wow! It looks like you have learned a lot from your time at Family Services and Abilities First, Emily. We can’t wait to see what your next steps are! For our final post in the Company Size Matters series Jay Silver ‘20 will share his experiences interning at the Small Business Administration. He will show us what it’s like to work for the federal government. Marist students and alumni give insight into different work environments Kenny Marples ’19 (pictured above) has recently been promoted from freelance writer to full-time staff writer at Fox News. He will tell us about his experience at a larger corporation. A corporation is a company that is legally authorized to act as a single entity. Corporations exist in a variety of fields and most consist of a wide range of positions and departments. Larger corporations do not always have the potential to grow as quickly as startups however, so new positions might not be created as frequently. Promotions can take longer within a corporation than in a startup, as you may have to wait for a person who is above you to either move up themselves or leave the organization. Startups often forgo having a human resources department. But most corporations have additional resources to specifically provide their employees with training and on boarding processes. Kenny said professional development was built into his freelance and full-time roles at Fox News. “There are a bunch of learning opportunities, including a mentorship program where you can meet with someone who works in the field that you might want to work in,” Kenny said. “Or if you wanted a refresher course for Excel or something like that, you can do that as well. It's all on the main Fox login for employees.” Human Resources is also a valuable asset to employees of a corporation for handling any personal, professional, or legal issues that could potentially arise in the workplace. You will probably have more concrete benefits when working for a larger company, as insurance, healthcare, and retirement plans can be provided as part of your compensation.
Another benefit of working for a larger company is stability. Most corporations are well entrenched in their practices. If you work for a corporation your duties and responsibilities are more likely to be straightforward and consistent, but your job description might not be as varied as it is in a startup environment. It sounds like you’re having a great experience at Fox, Kenny. Congratulations on your promotion! In our next post we will look at the nonprofit sector. Emily Satin ’20 will share her experiences with us. She has interned at Abilities First and Family Services, two nonprofits in Poughkeepsie, New York. |
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