The discussions and focus I've seen on "personal branding", combined with the current void in available jobs for recent graduates, made me a little troubled. Thinking back to my own experiences right out of college, I just do not know if a defined identity is really what most potential employers want to see in their prospective entry-level candidates.
What has a diploma-carrying 20-something with little professional experience really done to deserve a "brand" of their own? Isn't how they adapt and meet the challenges of the real world far more important than what they say they know or can do within the protective halls of academia?
The "personal branding" concept does have relevance with those undergoing career reinvention or attempting to describe their experience-tested strengths and attributes in our modern, marketing-driven vernacular. However, I am not convinced that the same focus bodes well for those without the track record to prove their claims. Granted, there are cases where students possess achievements that solidify an identity of achievement. However, I doubt that they were not concerned about their "branding" when they focused their energies on a tangible product of benefit.
I would really like some insight on this. Please share your thoughts and answers to the questions posed in this article. Any (clean, relevant) comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label branding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label branding. Show all posts
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Hey Graduates! It's about results!
Today's Raleigh News & Observer features a great article on three NC State students who built a low-cost, quick response testing system for Tuberculosis. Their creation, which they have transformed into a new business to refine and eventually mass produce, presents significant advantages and benefits throughout the world, particularly in developing countries where reducing the time to analyze TB test results would expedite delivery of drugs necessary to treat it and reduce mortality.
For these three students, their work ethic, passion, and ability to develop creative solutions are all on display in a substantive matter that is relatable, one way or another, to just about everyone. While they are going out on their own for now, there is no doubt that their experience and impact will likely secure them future opportunities in their chosen fields for the foreseeable future, regardless of the general job climate.
In other words, they have already succeeded at the big trend every soon-to-be-graduates seems to be focused on: personal branding.
To be honest, I really don't understand the reason why there is such a focus on this. After all, is there really a need to give yourself a professional identity when the reality of the job opportunities available to new graduates (in any market) are fairly limited? Branding, or identity, is an ongoing process, and it seems to me that it would be best to present yourself as possessing the basic character traits any employer would want (i.e., work ethic, detail-orientation, endurance, obedience, loyalty) than try to define yourself in an employer or mentor may find a little presumptuous.
There are exceptions, as with these kids from NC State. Note, however, that their identity is represented by what the accomplishments they have made and the potential for the results they achieved.
Before you start thinking about your brand, you should ask yourself, "do I really have any results I can bring forward?" A degree is not a result, but rather a credential, and it does not separate yourself out. While the potential for success is important, a record of achievement is far more valuable, and in these times, it may serve to separate those who earn the available jobs from those who will continue to sit on the sidelines.
There is no substitute for achievement, and there is no better way to prove it than with results. For every graduate, this should be the focus of their pitch to potential employers.
For these three students, their work ethic, passion, and ability to develop creative solutions are all on display in a substantive matter that is relatable, one way or another, to just about everyone. While they are going out on their own for now, there is no doubt that their experience and impact will likely secure them future opportunities in their chosen fields for the foreseeable future, regardless of the general job climate.
In other words, they have already succeeded at the big trend every soon-to-be-graduates seems to be focused on: personal branding.
To be honest, I really don't understand the reason why there is such a focus on this. After all, is there really a need to give yourself a professional identity when the reality of the job opportunities available to new graduates (in any market) are fairly limited? Branding, or identity, is an ongoing process, and it seems to me that it would be best to present yourself as possessing the basic character traits any employer would want (i.e., work ethic, detail-orientation, endurance, obedience, loyalty) than try to define yourself in an employer or mentor may find a little presumptuous.
There are exceptions, as with these kids from NC State. Note, however, that their identity is represented by what the accomplishments they have made and the potential for the results they achieved.
Before you start thinking about your brand, you should ask yourself, "do I really have any results I can bring forward?" A degree is not a result, but rather a credential, and it does not separate yourself out. While the potential for success is important, a record of achievement is far more valuable, and in these times, it may serve to separate those who earn the available jobs from those who will continue to sit on the sidelines.
There is no substitute for achievement, and there is no better way to prove it than with results. For every graduate, this should be the focus of their pitch to potential employers.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
...and two to grow on
Today is my birthday. I wanted to make sure that these two WSJ pieces made it on:
First, and I cannot stress this enough, attitude is perhaps most important when you are looking for a job or starting a career right now. This article on being the "go-getter" makes the point perfectly. If you are passionate about your opportunities, make sure you translate that for potential employers in a no-job-too-small (or too big), perform-at-all-costs mentality that will encourage them to put you to the top of the list. Nobody has room right now for seat fillers.
Second, I realize that there is a significant push toward personal branding, and there is some merit to it. However, identity is more than just how you can summarize yourself. Alexandra Levitt's "Reinvent" column this week looks at how we present ourselves to employers and contacts from the story perspective. While the article is focused on those going through the process of transforming their careers, newbies can utilize the lessons to frame their background, strengths, and passions into substantive examples of performance that will draw the interests of those on the other side of the interview table (more on this from a personal perspective later this week).
First, and I cannot stress this enough, attitude is perhaps most important when you are looking for a job or starting a career right now. This article on being the "go-getter" makes the point perfectly. If you are passionate about your opportunities, make sure you translate that for potential employers in a no-job-too-small (or too big), perform-at-all-costs mentality that will encourage them to put you to the top of the list. Nobody has room right now for seat fillers.
Second, I realize that there is a significant push toward personal branding, and there is some merit to it. However, identity is more than just how you can summarize yourself. Alexandra Levitt's "Reinvent" column this week looks at how we present ourselves to employers and contacts from the story perspective. While the article is focused on those going through the process of transforming their careers, newbies can utilize the lessons to frame their background, strengths, and passions into substantive examples of performance that will draw the interests of those on the other side of the interview table (more on this from a personal perspective later this week).
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