Marketing yourself for awesome opportunities in 2020
We love to walk our own path. Do what we want to do. So when it comes to career how much do we plan and prepare? I am sure we do but does it hurt to review and look back and see are we on track? Are we marketing ourselves and just waiting for something to happen?
Its’ amazing to see how technology space has evolved in the last decade with more and more startups popping up in niche domains and most of them looking out for the best talent in the market. They are increasingly looking at “what can you deliver?” v/s experience and credentials. A new product, a new idea, a new process or new positioning so that they stand out in the crowd. What started with startups is now in larger companies too with buzz like “Digital Tranformation”, “Customer First” etc. Simplify put the world has changed and it is no time to sit and wait for things to happen. Instead it is time to take control and make it happen.
“The Brand called You” by Tom Peters, the famous marketing guru pitched way back in 1997. That was just at start of the internet. 20+ years later, it is even stronger.
Source : https://www.fastcompany.com/28905/brand-called-you
Why care about personal brand?
Personal Branding is all about uncovering what is distinctive bout yourself and letting everyone who matters know about it.
Regardless of where you work there are times you switch teams, jobs, location. You would also notice, it is almost like a reset and you have to start all over again with a new team, people and their understanding of your capabilities. Now if you are a painter or musician, it does not apply? Why? Well people see your work and they know. That has built in marketability and brand built over time. So, next time the artist releases a new work product, people already know what to expect.
You already know much of this and besides this post is more of a quick review of approaches that than a guide and it’s quite likely some of them may or may not apply. However, what is certainly useful for all of us leaders to check back once in a while on how are we doing?
Besides building a brand online has that advantage that you can reference it easily and comes with you when you switch or change teams. That’s your investment in “Brand U” which can deliver a very healthy return later on.
1. Add verifiable endorsements to your work
Resume may not be enough. It has the best of you but missing one key element. “Professional Proof”. For developers Github is a great way to show case work. Bring your projects and build a fan base. Crowd endorsements really influence. We don’t have to tell you how users read a new gadget review comments before deciding to buy. It’s really powerful when your abilities are confirmed publicly.
As Mark Feffer highlights in his conversation with Robert Fleischhauer on the Dice blog:
“Your README files say a lot about you, too…Fleischhauer believes they provide a glimpse of the candidate’s thought processes, grasp of business problems and level of sophistication in attacking a problem.”
Source: https://insights.dice.com/2015/07/02/using-github-to-land-a-job/
There are several more today, right from StackOverflow, Reddit, Behance, Quora to say Medium. Build your brand and create your own fan base.
2. Build active feedback cycle
It feels great when someone tells you how well you are doing your job. That’s fuel that keeps up going. What about areas where we are lacking? Oh! That is awkward at times. Either we don’t want to because it will make you feel down or people just want to be nice and don’t want to say things to you. Of course workplaces have performance review programs but they are mostly for the organization and your contribution and how we met the targets and the goals. Feedback is lot more personal and what makes us reflect and do well.
A survey on feedback by PwC indicate, 75% of the respondents believed that feedback is valuable and 92% of respondents agreed on the assertion that, “Negative (redirecting) feedback, if delivered appropriately, is effective at improving performance.”
The more often you receive feedback, the less stressful it will be to initiate the conversation and to hear the comments. Ed Batista, an executive coach and an instructor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business explains
“If you’re having a feedback conversation every week, there’s less to be surprised by and more opportunity to modify your behavior,”
Source: https://hbr.org/2015/05/how-to-get-the-feedback-you-need
3. Stay ahead! Times are changing fast
This one is a no brainer and you are already doing this very likely. Following leading blogs, publishers in your area of interest is best way to stay current. Now to stay ahead and go one up, may be get to the source and start following influencers on twitter or subscribe to their feed.
If you are in technology, then here are few good lists to pick from. Again they are not necessary but useful. Of course you will do well to apply or invest in some of them.
https://izea.com/2019/01/15/top-tech-blogs/
https://detailed.com/tech-blogs/
https://www.grafdom.com/blog/top-20-best-tech-websites-and-blogs/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/tech-people-influencers-follow-twitter/
4. Do you have a elevator pitch?
Gone are the days when you go to a job board, apply and get a job. Best jobs are not even posted and the number of upwards of 70% by most guesses.
What that means is you have to look for them and be prepared when you spot one. Keep working on your 30 second elevator pitch that introduces who you are. This is not necessarily just for job interviews. You could be meeting people at meet-ups, tech events, workshops or even a casual conversation with someone, where your few seconds introduction could take you a long way.
Leadership guru and LinkedIn Learning Instructor Todd Dewett says,
“Personal Elevator Pitch makes you stand out… By having a crisp, concise personal elevator pitch, you’ll stand out from the pack… Will lead to better conversations and more meaningful connections”
As you build your brand, keep an eye on trends so that when an opportunity knocks on your door, you can identify a good one that you want to pursue. Besides helps stay inspired and confident, not just for career goal.
5. Find the work in “Network”
Of course once we have some thing to talk about and pitch we need to reach the right people and that’s the network. This one takes time to build and so starting early and staying focused is definitely helpful.
Source: https://media.giphy.com/media/39m67tVK3q7OHbDR4b/giphy.gif
As mentioned by David Adelman, head of biz dev a recruiting company.
“The traditional method of applying for posted jobs won’t cut it anymore. “.
You need to work on your network and not just your resume. Once you are prepared with a plan, start reaching out to your connections. Introduce yourself with the work that are doing or relevant area of interest. Meet your contacts and be prepared to ask the right questions. Network your way up to future opportunities.
Obviously there is lot more to building yourself as a strong brand and it takes time. Let 2020 be the year when you take charge and bring your brand to a whole new level.
So, what are we doing at Emploai?
For starters it is hard work already building up the brand and so we felt we can lend a hand at showcasing. A personalized “Brand U” site for you to share. That means connecting up with accounts with GitHub, StackOverflow etc so that when someone comes looking they get to see all in one place and don’t have to hop across. Even better we are making it possible to search. For example GitHub search works great when searching of technology, but not so much if you are a recruiter looking to spot an awesome developer.
Sign up today to get early access. https://www.emploai.com
We are making one more important change. We are going “Don’t show” as the default and that means privacy not in words but in real meaning. Others get to see only when you approve.
At Emploai, we are also working on a whole new way to get feedback in a private without any awkwardness. Be it colleagues, friends, superiors, subordinates, it’s a democratic way. Don’t want to spoil the fun part and so, go ahead and sign with https://emploai.com/ytb
Original full post at Emploai Blog :
https://emploai.com/blog/markeing-yourself-for-opportunities/
