How to Market Your Personal Brand Like Kim Kardashian

How to Market Your Personal Brand Like Kim Kardashian Have you ever wondered how Kim Kardashian became famous? While some might refer to her as a “television personality” or “socialite,” Kim Kardashian is an archetypical personal brand. From her start in a reality television series to subsequent guest appearances on television shows and in movies, her efforts both on and offline have somehow made many people believe that she is not only valuable, but deserving of her fame. Whatever your opinion is of the Kardashians, their story is a lesson about the power of marketing yourself. In this job market, a resume isn’t enough to make you stand out, even if it’s done by the best professional resume writing service. But even if youre not actively looking for a job, when it comes to increasing your exposure to future employers and experts in your industry, its important to find appropriate ways to define and project your personal brand. Find your niche Its not flattering to think of yourself as a commodity, but when it comes to getting recognized by employers and influencers, youre only as good as the value you bring to the table. Most people tend to buy products that are very good at accomplishing one or two tasks. Products that can do many things in a mediocre way are generally not as popular. Think of your brand the same way. You may know five languages, program in C++, like different types of artisan breads, and occasionally work out. That might make you interesting to your friends, but when you push out too many messages about yourself to your audience, its not only confusing, but makes you look unfocused. Pinpoint one or two strengths that you feel comfortable being the go-to person for. Make sure youre always up to date on the newest information and trends about whatever you choose as your specialty. For instance, if you decide to promote yourself as a graphic designer, it would be embarrassing if you didnt know about new Photoshop features and releases. Set up a simple Google Alert to capture information about your specialty from a wide variety of sources. Promote yourself in the right venues Online social profiles are certainly nothing new. Sites like KnowEm and NameChk make it easy to claim hundreds of profiles across multiple social networking sites. Claiming your online profiles is a great way to prevent someone from snatching up your identity, but dedicating yourself to maintaining all of these profiles can be daunting. Rather than spreading yourself thin, use top social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for a more focused reach. You can link updates from all of these accounts rather than posting separate updates on each. To reach a focused audience, pick one or two niche social networks. For graphic designers, MyArtInfo are appropriate communities to actively participate in. If youre actively looking for a job, make sure the language in your profile reflects your availability without seeming too desperate. Look for opportunities to network in person via sites like Meetup where you can meet other industry professionals and employers. Most major office supply shops offer business card printing services. Have them printed with addresses of your social profiles to maximize your exposure. Contribute to the discourse Employers and recruiters wont notice you if you simply sit back and read discussion forums. Participate! You dont have to offer the most groundbreaking view on a topic, but sharing an informed opinion will showcase your expertise. If youre really stumped on what to add to a discussion, ask the questions no one else is asking. Remember to keep discussions polite, both online and offline. Once youve refined your prowess, it might be easier for you to pick out the flaws in others’ opinions. Employers and influencers dont like bullies. Politely share your knowledge, and show that youre someone who can help others with their professional development. The majority of us wont be able to market ourselves like the Kardashians. While frantic outbursts, self-indulgence, and vanity work for a small percentage of the population, the rest of us will get further by becoming informed industry experts, sharing our expertise, and demonstrating our value. Leslie Williams is a writer for resumes.jobfox.com, the largest resume writing service online. She specializes in using social media to connect to the right job.

Get Inside Knowledge of The Job from Those Working There

Get Inside Knowledge of The Job from Those Working There TheJobCrowd is the UK’s leading ‘insider’ graduate careers website, helping graduates, school leavers, and other jobseekers plan and research their careers by connecting them with employees who can provide expert, insider advice from the companies and industries that they work in. Every other source of graduate careers information connects graduates with the employers only. TheJobCrowd do this as well, but uniquely, TheJobCrowd harnesses the web’s user-generated power to crowd-source careers advice and connect graduates directly with  employees   providing the former with a far richer and in-depth insight into graduate careers and companies. Guardian.co.uk reports Staff from other companies, including almost half of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employees, have already posted reviews, many actively encouraged to do so by their employers who regard the site as a useful platform for attracting new graduates from the 40 universities who have built it into their careers service. This month the website publishes a list of the top 50 companies to work for, based on the ratings reviewers give their employer. At present, the website receives 100 new reviews a week and donates £1 for each to the  Shaw Trust, which helps disabled and disadvantaged people into employment. Traffic is expected to triple this month as students return to university. 5

To Sell or Not To Sell Why - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

To Sell or Not To Sell â€" Why - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career What motivates you to buy? “John” was having difficulty converting his warm prospects into clients so I was asked to observe for areas where improvement may be made. The best place to begin for reviewing any sales process is to think about what motivates you to buy. Generally speaking the same will be true for your intended clientele. Most likely the answers include: You like the person selling You have a need for what is being offered You trust the salesperson because he understood your personal motivation As one qualified prospect after another met with John, they were greeted with genuine kindness and enthusiasm but the relationship building stopped there. The question as to why the potential client agreed to meet was never asked. John did not seek to find where their initial interest might be or if they had any familiarity with the company or products offered. These omissions prevented gaining any insight on the people or what their individual needs might be. By asking questions throughout the meeting, you are more easily able to develop a trusting relationship because it demonstrates your concern for the client-to-be. The questions also develop a two-way dialogue versus simply telling-selling, and unfortunately, the latter is what I observed. Are you aware that people learn in 3’s? Once you know where your prospect’s interests lie, it is best to present only three options upfront. More than that will confuse people. Overly exuberant, John was focusing on 6 and 7 possibilities for each. And because he covered so much information, John rushed through each brochure never stopping to make certain it was understood or if the person opposite him was even interested. It was evident those in front of him had a difficult time listening to all of his input, as helpful as it might have been. Instead of agreeing to any of his offers, most chose to walk away with the brochures instead. “Walk away” are the key words for what transpired that day. There is a very important reason why seasoned sales professionals ask questions of their potential clients. As the right questions are asked in the correct order, your prospect begins to agree with what you have to say. One of the first questions is to ask where their interest lies so that you may first address what is of most importance to them. Can you think of anyone who would not be appreciative of this? This is the first step to building the relationship and the trust. The goal is to acquire 3-5 mini agreements with what you have to say. Gradually, your prospects begin to see the value of your offer and will talk themselves into buying from you. Having skipped this process, John had a difficult time that day. Likewise, some of his prospects skipped out the door. The end result is when you strive to understand your prospect’s perspective first, you will encourage larger sales, repeat business, referrals and testimonials â€" all of which will put you on the wave of the Smooth Sale! Author: Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, (800) 704-1499; was designated as a “Top 25 Sales Influencer for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, Sourcebooks and best selling, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, Career Press.

5 ways to improve your job search by Christmas University of Manchester Careers Blog

5 ways to improve your job search by Christmas University of Manchester Careers Blog Knock awkward questions oout of the park I’m sure you are all looking forward to spending time with family and friends over the festive period but I bet some of you might not be looking forward to the inevitable questions about your job hunting! I thought it might be a good idea to list a few things you could be doing in December to help knock these questions out of the park! Create/update your LinkedIn Profile â€" It’s something that we all know we should do but never actually round to (I’m as guilty as anyone!) but having a strong LinkedIn profile is essential in today’s job market.   Not only is it a great way to network, employers are increasing using it as a tool for recruitment.  You can get feedback on your LinkedIn profile on the Applications Advice session. 2013 grads can also join our special  LinkedIn Group which aims to help you learn to use LinkedIn like a pro! Check upcoming deadlines- Although there are only 20 days to go there’s a lot of application deadlines before the big day. To make sure you don’t miss out check our list of graduate scheme closing dates now! To give yourself motivation why not treat you to a mince pie after completing an application form?! Develop your self-awareness â€" Answering questions about your job search can  be   extremely difficult if you don’t know what you want to do! Using tools such as Careers KickStart and Prospects Planner will help you become more aware of the types of jobs which might suit you as well as helping you to create an action plan for the year ahead. Set up a Careers Appointment Really not sure what you want to do or have an idea but aren’t sure how to make it a reality? Having a Careers Guidance appointment might help. Recent graduates from the University of Manchester can book a face to face, telephone or even a Skype appointment. Raise your commercial awareness â€" Most publications will do some kind of review of the year around this time. Read the ones related to the sector you are interested in, you’ll gain commercial awareness  which you might need to draw on during interviews.   All Graduate job hunting