General Careers Articles

Article / Updated 06-05-2023

Why not infuse your portfolio with your personal brand? A portfolio is a collection of documents that validate your accomplishments and professional achievements when you go on a job interview (or when you meet with a new client). This tool helps you remember all that you have done in your past to build your personal brand. Portfolios provide evidence of your credibility. Having possession of your documents not only provides proof of your work to use as a marketing tool but gives you the confidence to speak to your brand. Your portfolio may be compiled in a section of your file cabinet, scanned into an electronic file on your computer, or put into a file box. These days, portfolios are often saved to online repositories — such as Espressowork.com and, for creative work, Behance.net — that provide electronic access to all these documents. Follow the steps at Wikihow to create your own portfolio. But even as society moves away from paper and toward the computing cloud, it’s a good idea to create a portfolio binder that contains paper copies of documents that demonstrate who you are. Sharing such a binder with a prospective employer or new client is an impressive way to highlight and prove that you have done what you have said you could do on your resume. This printed portfolio is especially helpful for people who need to show writing samples or visual representation of their work. Credit: Courtesy of Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Here are some things to include in your portfolio: Your branded resume Your branded biography Letters of recommendation, at least one or two of which are current Sample projects Articles that you have written Past business cards Academic degrees Certifications and licenses Employee reviews A list of key successes from your work A list of awards you have received Volunteer service documents A list of professional contributions, such as committees you have chaired or evidence of how you have contributed to your profession Thank-you notes you have received Social networking site profiles Print copies of multimedia presentations you have created

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-04-2023

Everyone, in some way, shape, or form, is familiar with lifeguards. If you’ve been to a local pool or beach or have watched any TV scene of a public swimming area, you’ve probably seen lifeguards perched up on their chairs keeping a close eye on the swimmers beneath them. While some might perceive lifeguarding as just another summer job dominated by teenagers trying to make an extra buck, the truth is that this career is far more than that. Across the various swimming facilities — the pool, waterpark, beachfront, and ocean — lifeguards are equipped with the skills to act on a moment’s notice and respond to struggling swimmers and all types of emergencies.

Article / Updated 05-03-2023

Building meaningful relationships starts with you. When remote employees join your team, what you do in the first 48 hours to welcome them to the group sets the standard for how the rest of the team will connect. Valuing the unique skills, abilities, and backgrounds of all your team members helps them feel appreciated and cared for. Openly encouraging dialogue, debate, and feedback provides the opportunity for contribution. All of these examples can help you to build a culture of connection and create a team of high-performing, happy remote workers. How to be a leader your virtual team wants to follow Chances are, you’ve had both good bosses and bad bosses, and you can probably easily explain the differences in approach, credibility, and style. Why not make the decision to be a leader that people choose to follow? Here are a few tips to help you: Don’t ask anyone to do anything that you wouldn’t do yourself. Don’t reinforce common hierarchy standards. If you want your team members to believe that you have their backs and aren’t above any type of work, prove it by stepping in when needed. Lead in alignment with a strong sense of purpose and values. Make sure your team knows what you stand for. Be vulnerable and courageous. It’s okay to acknowledge failure. Show your team that learning from mistakes is an opportunity to grow. Share information with your virtual team early and often. When you have new information, share it. Be as transparent as possible. Create space for innovative solutions to be considered. Be open to trying something that hasn’t been done before. Give people license to present new ways of doing things. Encourage creative thinking by using brainstorming in meetings. Be a skillful listener. Practice effective listening. Acknowledge what is being said by repeating back in your own words what you believe was the meaning behind the message. Practice self-care. Model healthy behaviors when working from home. Exercise, don’t text or email after 6 p.m., and check out when you take vacation. Get to know your virtual team members The challenge for the virtual leader is to transcend the boundaries of space and develop a supportive, collaborative connection with your team. Many of the best ways to establish a personal connection are also fun and sometimes even a little silly. Humor and laughter put people at ease and help you open up, so don’t brush aside these ideas immediately. Instead, figure out which ones you can try with your own team over the next few weeks: My Window: Ask team members to take a picture of what’s outside their window and upload it ahead of your virtual meeting. Team members share a story about what’s outside their window. Highs and Lows: Have each team member share a high and a low from the past week. TableTopics: Invest in a card deck of TableTopics (tabletopics.com) and ask questions that allow people to share their insights and opinions on different topics. Two Truths and a Lie: Use this activity to get people to share three things that the team wouldn’t know about them. Two of the facts are true and one is a lie. Your team members have to guess the lie. This activity always leads to some amazing discoveries about your team members. Our Global Team Map: Have a map of the world and a virtual pin in each location you have an employee. Ask your team members to share something unique about their country, city, or hometown. A Day in the Life: If your team is coming together for the first time, have your team members put together a collage about their lives that includes their families or friends, hobbies, pets, favorite movies, favorite books, and so on. Dine Together: This is another great idea to get to know more about someone’s heritage or ethnicity. Have each team member share a favorite family dinner recipe. Once a quarter, send a grocery list and gift card to each team member to buy the ingredients and cook the recipe. Have a virtual dinner together while your team member shares information and interesting facts about her family recipe. Reach out and build rapport with your virtual team A key reason to take the time to connect with your virtual team members is to build rapport. Building a sense of camaraderie on your virtual team or increasing accountability and engagement is impossible if you don’t have a plan for reaching out and staying connected. Effective virtual team leaders create time in their schedules for building relationships and rapport. They make a conscious effort every day to build more effective relationships. If you want to know how you’re doing, rate yourself on how well can you answer the following questions: How effectively are your team members meeting expected results and performance measures? What performance will be needed from them in three to six months given their role and where the business is headed? Are they prepared? What are their aspirations at work this year and in the future? What makes their work (and their objectives) meaningful and satisfying to them? Why are they here? What motivates them? What stresses them? How do they like to be recognized, acknowledged, and rewarded for a job well done? What limits them from delivering their best? What are their derailers? What support, tools, resources, skills, or empowerment do they need from you as their manager to be more effective? Adopt a reach-out strategy with your team to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening with each team member and make sure they’re getting the support and feedback they need to achieve their very best. Don’t try to adhere to a rigid schedule; instead, reach out as needed in 10-, 20-, or 30-minute sessions. The following table shows reach-out recommendations. Reach-Out Recommendations Reach-Out Timing Purpose How Often Questions 30 minutes Talent development/career advancement discussion. This reach-out needs an analysis conversation with a future focus. Quarterly Where are you? Where would you like to be? What do you love to do? When are you in the zone? How does this fit with our strategy? What is needed in the department and from your role to move the needle forward? What’s needed now? What’s needed in the next 18 months? What skills or experiences would you like to develop to help you grow in this role or in the future? What’s your plan for development and how can I support you in getting there? Based on our conversation, what will you start/stop/continue doing as a result? 20 minutes Tactical conversation with a current focus used to assess and support what tasks and projects they’re involved in that are making progress toward their goals and development plans. Monthly What opportunities exist right now on this project or task to move the needle? What one or two things are you focusing on to grow? What opportunities are available to develop the skills we discussed? How can I best support you? Based on our conversation, what will you start/stop/continue as a result? 10 minutes or less Feedback conversation with a just-in-time focus used to provide immediate feedback, coaching, and support. Weekly Can I sit in on this call with you? How about we brainstorm your approach with this customer/vendor/team member? Would you like to role-play how you’ll handle this conversation? Tell me how it went? What was challenging? How did you handle it? What feedback do you need from me? Based on our conversation, what will you start/stop/continue as a result?

Article / Updated 03-22-2023

Writing a resignation letter really isn’t as hard as it sounds. No matter how you quit your job, or what your reason is for leaving, your exit should be treated like a business transaction. Keeping your resignation and your resignation letter professional will make the leap to your dream career more successful. All resignation letters should be written in block style (no indentations) and should follow these steps: Compose the heading.The heading of your letter will be your first and last name [press Enter/Return], address [press Enter/Return], city, state, zip [press Enter/Return], phone number [press Enter/Return] and date written [press Enter/Return twice]. This heading of the letter is usually right-justified, meaning the text will be found in the top right corner of the document.For example: John Smith 1234 Main Street Chicago, IL 12345 123-456-7890 January 1, 2020 Keep in mind, formal resignation letters are never handwritten. Add the inside address. The inside address is the formal name of your boss/supervisor (Mr., Mrs., Miss, Dr.) [press Enter/Return], the address of your employer [press Enter/Return], and the company phone and fax numbers [press Enter/Return twice]. The inside address is always left-justified, meaning it will be found just above the greeting on the left-hand side of the document. For example, it might look like this: Mr. Smith 1234 Left Street Chicago Il, 12345 987-654-3210 567-000-1234 Next, include the greeting (salutation).The greeting normally begins with the words “Dear” or “To” followed by the full name of your supervisor/boss and ending with a coma [press Enter/Return twice].For example, Dear Mr. John Doe, To Mrs. Jane Doe, Avoid cliché words or phrases such as “To whom it may concern.” Write the body of the letter.The body of the document is where you would explain the details of why you’re leaving. Include information such as: Your intention for leaving: “I hereby submit,” “Please accept,” “It is with great regret…” followed by the words “resignation” and your position or job title. Your expected end date: The end date must be at least two weeks after the date indicated at the top on of the letter. The reason you are leaving: The reason can be personal, or to accept a better opportunity. You might explain how it is time to move or offer a reason for accepting a different job. Gratitude: This part of the letter is positive and explains how you are sad to leave and how the company has benefited you. Thank your employer for the experience and offer to help find your replacement. Add the close (valediction).The close is a complimentary short phrase that closes the resignation letter. Usually the words “Sincerely,” “Thank you,” or “Best regards” are used, ended with a coma [press Enter/Return twice]. Include your signature.The signature area has both your typed name typed and signed in ink at the bottom of the letter, making the final document legal and binding. Be professional! Do not use overly emotional or inappropriate words or statements anywhere in your letter. Letters of resignation go into your personal file. If you leave a negative impression by writing a nasty letter, it may come back to haunt you later. When your letter of resignation is complete, personally deliver it to your supervisor or boss and ask him/her for a letter of recommendation. Remember to be positive. Good luck with your next employment adventure! If you need more help, tons of sample resignation letters can be found online.

Article / Updated 12-21-2022

Creating categories for your goals and establishing timeframes to achieve them sharpens your focus and increases your intensity, which can reduce the time required to achieve your goals. It also allows you to quickly and easily see whether your time investment to the various areas of your life as well as the size and difficulty of your goals are appropriately balanced. The objective isn’t to spread an equal number and depth of goals among the six categories; the aim is to identify whether one or two of the categories is light compared to the others and to determine whether you need to pay more attention to those areas of your life to develop them. In the end, the purpose is to create a well-rounded system of goals that addresses your whole person and that you’ll have the motivation to actually work toward. Categorize your goals After you assign a timeframe to each of your 50 goals, your next step is to assign a category to each one. Typically, your goals fall into one of six categories: C = Career goals H = Health goals F = Family goals M = Money/financial goals S = Spiritual goals P = Personal goals When determining which category each goal falls under, you’ll find that some goals fall naturally in one specific category. A goal to get be promoted to supervisor at work, for example, is an easy C. Other goals, however, aren’t so easy to peg. Going back to school to earn an MBA may be a C for career, but it also may be a P for personal. Place the goal in whichever category you most closely associate with it, or feel free to place some goals in multiple categories. Draft a list of the 50 goals you want to achieve in the next ten years. Then go back through your list of 50 goals and write the appropriate category letter next to each one. After you label each goal with a category, count the total number of goals you have for each category and record those numbers in the following chart. Then assess the spread of your goals across those categories to see whether they’re well balanced. Are you light on health goals? Should you pay more attention to your spiritual life? Assign a timeframe to each goal You can have anything you want; you just can’t have it all at once and all right now. Just because you establish a goal to lose 20 pounds doesn’t mean you’ll wake up tomorrow with 20 pounds missing from your body. Realizing your goal involves a process that requires specific activity and time. Remember that your fabulous 50 list names goals that you want to accomplish within the next 10 years. That said, you may want to see some of them come to fruition much earlier. Some may be immediate — just a year away. Others may require you to first achieve some intermediate goals. For instance, say your goal is to double your income within three years. You know you’re unlikely to receive anywhere close to a 100-percent raise at your current job, so you start exploring other options: a new job that pays more and has a fast-track career path, a second job, freelance or contract projects that you can do on your off-hours, or a real-estate investment that brings in rental income. Go back through your list of 50 goals and write a 1, 3, 5, or 10 next to each goal to indicate whether you want to achieve that goal within 1, 3, 5, or 10 years. When you start thinking about the time you need to attain your goals, make sure you’re being reasonable. Whether or not the timeframe for your goals is reasonable depends entirely on your situation. To help you stay on track, follow these steps: Consider the timeframe you’d ideally like to accomplish this goal. Would you be happy if you accomplished it one year or even three years later than your ideal, or are you intent on accomplishing it by a certain time? Assess the complexity of the goal. Determine what new knowledge or other resources you may need to accomplish the goal. Consider what timeframe someone else needed to accomplish a similar goal. After you label each goal with a timeframe, tally up the number of goals you have for each time slot and record those totals in the following table. Then assess the spread of your goals across those timeframes to see whether they’re well balanced. Especially when finances are involved, keep in mind that you should enjoy the process of working toward your goals. Although planning for the future is important, you’re guaranteed only the present. You don’t want to rob yourself of all enjoyment now. Better to live a balanced life while you implement your plan and adjust it as needed when circumstances throw you for a loop.

Article / Updated 12-02-2022

People typically change careers for one of two reasons: They leave their career or their career leaves them. Either way, employment challenges during a career change are much the same when it comes to marketing yourself in places where you haven’t been before. Even when you think you can easily transition from one career field or industry to another, employers can be a hard sell when it comes to greenlighting career changers for a payroll. Except when they’re filling entry level jobs, hiring authorities have a frustrating habit of preferring candidates who have already proven that they can do the work a job requires. Global trade is changing life for many workers. Technology is automating human processes. Teleconference marketing is replacing sales trips. Highly qualified candidates are being hired on temporary contracts and cut loose when the project is over or the job is shipped offshore to cheaper labor nations. Challenges to accept and overcome Keep your dreams alive as you assume the role of career changer in a new era, but be aware of the challenges you'll face. Consider the following points: Career change is not job change. A career change involves a marked shift in jobs requiring new primary skills or knowledge, or a totally different work environment — or both. For example, when a manager in the telecom industry leaves one company for another managerial position in the same industry, he makes a job change; when he leaves the telecom industry to become a museum curator he makes a career change to a different job and different industry. Retraining may be unavoidable. When you attempt to make a clear change to a different kind of job in the same industry, you may well be able to pitch your way into an employer’s graces without investing in additional formal education or training. Your challenge is more difficult when you try to change both your job and industry at the same time, but you may be able to pull it off without immediately spending additional time and money in school. However, you won’t be able to get out of educational renewal to satisfy credibility and licensing requirements in such careers as law, public accounting, and nursing. Employers worry most about risk. Managers are concerned whether the crossover skills you acquired in your former career will translate to your new career. When your skills don’t convert and you can’t do the work, the business suffers a negative impact and — if you’re canned — a risk of being sued for wrongful discharge. Another worry is whether you’ll suffer changer’s remorse, quickly becoming dissatisfied and turning into a “bad hire.” These risks drive employers to seek out directly applicable skills in proven performers. Your competitors are new graduates. When you’re starting over, you compete with new graduates who are starting out. Expect to be paid entry-level money; an employer is unlikely to compensate you for your 15 years’ experience in another field (unless you can show that your experience can save or earn money for the new employer). Even so, you have an ace up your sleeve: You bring judgment, commitment, high motivation, proven good work habits, and real-world lessons.

Article / Updated 12-01-2022

Your personal brand can help ease the pain of transitioning to a new career by reminding you that at your core, you’re still you and need to be your authentic self. Your reinvented self may be wearing a new outfit, but in all that you do, no matter what you call yourself, you are still you. Your personal brand helps you identify those core pieces of yourself that you want to express and use in the world. See a new, positive way forward Your biggest obstacle in launching a second career may reside in your own mind. Shift your mindset and build your confidence. Head into your second career knowing it’s a new season. Start out expecting great things. Turn your negative thoughts into the positive actions you can take to get to where you want to be. Here are tips to prepare yourself for the necessary changes: Starting now, think and talk differently about yourself and your future. Don’t use age as an excuse not to get the job you want. Focus on what you’ve gained from your wealth of experience and what you have that younger applicants don’t. Target companies that value the skills and experience of seasoned professionals by seeking out industries known for hiring older workers. Research smaller companies in your area, which may be more open than larger companies to hiring mature workers. Reach out to the owners and managers directly. Accept this different marketplace Accept the fact that you’re competing in a marketplace very different from what existed in the past. Learn about today’s workplace, accept it, and leverage it to your advantage. Work to better understand generational differences. For example, keep in mind that mature workers are generally seen as loyal, dependable, hardworking, and honest. Also know that mature workers are considered not to be tech savvy and energetic. Use the positive assumptions to your advantage and be proactive about addressing the negative assumptions. For example: Are you current with technology and social media? Update your skills and education where needed. Show your prospective employer that you’re a lifelong learner. Are you current in your appearance? Yes, it matters. If you think you’re not, meet with an image consultant and follow that person’s advice. Does your energy come across, or have you put a few extra pounds on that slow you down? Now is the time to join a gym and get the help you need. You may have to do something you’ve never done — personal sales and marketing. You can be an amazing talent, but if nobody knows about you, it doesn’t matter! Especially if you’re starting over in a new industry, you have to raise your visibility as an expert in your new niche. Promote your talent and experience Convince the people you meet that you’re an undiscovered source of talent. Expand your own thinking about your capabilities, and announce your abilities to the world. Make sure that you’re communicating your unique personal brand value in everything you do by Crafting your online profile and identity Reconnecting with and/or building your network Connecting with local groups and associations Seeking out volunteer opportunities Speaking, writing, teaching, and consulting Here’s the great news: Studies show that most workers who change careers at older ages say they enjoy the new job more than the old job. So look at this time of change as a new opportunity to follow the dream you’ve always wanted to achieve. Ask yourself how can you combine your wealth of experience, knowledge, and personality to deliver something that the younger workforce can’t. Brand yourself to stand out, regardless of your age.

Article / Updated 12-01-2022

Listen, we've all been there. Sometimes it feels as though your career path is simply not for you, not fulfilling or challenging you in all the right ways. You can try to work around these doubts but if you've already decided on a career change — whether by choice or necessity — give yourself plenty of time to plan ahead. Consider the following before making that jump. Connect with others in your intended field When your change is voluntary, at least six months in advance of your leap, join a professional association of members in the career field or industry where you want to go. When your change is involuntary and you’re suddenly left high and dry, assemble a personal network of people who can guide you into your intended field. Find out who’s who and what’s happening with professionals who can connect you with employment. Ask what you should read and what workshops you should attend. Ask if you can visit a professional’s workplace as an observer. Educate yourself Seek out short-term certificate programs and workshops offered during industry conferences, as well as those available locally. If you study online, get the scoop on the pluses and pitfalls of distance learning. Here's one valuable resource to get you started: GetEducated.com. Bone up on the industry Do some extensive research on your proposed destination. Those greener pastures sometimes bleach out when something about the work isn’t what one realistically expects or can do well. Also, learn to talk the talk. Study the lingo of prospective new colleagues and you’ll seem like one of them already. Brace yourself for interview pitfalls When you find yourself trapped in a behavior-based interview setting and you’re coming up short trying to answer a question about what you have done that’s relevant to the new career, answer quickly. And then reframe your response segueing from behavior-based interviewing (the past) to situational interviewing (the future), such as: "That’s a good question. And here’s what I would do if we decide I’m the right person for this position. I would . . . ." Make the experience connection The bridge you use to join the old with the new must be rational and reasonable. Your qualifications have to come from somewhere — skills you already possess, volunteer work, part-time jobs, training, hobbies, and so forth. Strive to present a believable relationship between your qualifications and the career you’re targeting. Accentuate the positive Don’t say you hope to change careers because there are no more jobs in your field. An exception might be when a condition is well known, such as real estate agents who got out during the recent downturn in home sales. Even then, add that you’d been thinking about making a change for a couple of years and have decided to redesign your life for a better fit with your priorities and goals. Tell true stories Expect to be asked the same kinds of questions that new graduates often face, such as some version of “Why shouldn’t we hire someone more experienced in this line of work?” When you work out your answers, remember to tell your story — that is, back up your claims of superior qualities with true examples of achievement. Otherwise, what you claim will likely be blown off as hot air. You must be believable. Inventory your core skills and knowledge Sort through to see which will crossover to a different industry or career field. Push them to the front of your memory where you can find and translate them as needed.

Article / Updated 11-28-2022

Fear of failure is probably the second biggest cause of failure. The first is fear of the unknown — just watch any horror movie. The easiest way to overcome these fears is to take action. Don't succumb to the common affliction of paralysis by analysis. Simply forge ahead with your plans. If you don't like that approach, following, are several techniques you can use to reduce and perhaps even eliminate the fear that's weighing you down. Fear isn't necessarily bad. It can motivate you to achieve even higher levels of success, if you handle it properly. Let fear motivate you, not defeat you. Researching the viability of an idea or opportunity You may be able to ease into a risky venture through research and planning. If you're afraid of implementing a new plan because of the risks you think are involved or the amount of time, effort, and money it may require, research in books, the Internet, and periodicals. The mere act of taking the initiative to do some research can give you the momentum you need to actually launch your new idea. Don't get in the rut of thinking that research is an end in itself. You eventually have to make a decision and then take action. You won't hit anything if you don't pull the trigger. Following the footprints Success leaves huge footprints that are pretty tough to miss. As you perform your initial research, keep an eye peeled for footprints along the same path you want to take and discuss your ideas with trustworthy colleagues and friends. Many times, simply talking about an idea generates enough buzz to drive the people you really need to talk to directly to your door. After you identify those who've succeeded before you, contact them to discuss your ideas. The most highly successful people are usually the most generous with their time and expertise. After all, that's probably how they became highly successful. Setting achievable milestones When you have a vision that seems overwhelming and perhaps grandiose in the eyes of some, break it down into more manageable units. Then, identify one task and get started. Getting started is often the hardest part. Each little success can spur you on to the next project, and your momentum can carry you somewhere you've never imagined, so just get started and find out the rest later. Focusing on the present When it comes to implementing a new strategy or technology that can boost business, don't let concerns about the future or about costs paralyze you. Jot down a list of tasks you must accomplish to achieve your goal and then run through the list, tackling one task after another. Eventually, you'll discover that you've run out of tasks and have achieved your goal.

Article / Updated 08-10-2022

Your unique promise of value and your personal brand statement are closely linked; the statement is an expression of the promise. Both of them focus on what your target audience expects from you; they create an expectation of what you can deliver. These pieces of your personal brand profile are probably the most important (no pressure!), so you want to take your time and get them right before you start to communicate with your target audience. Identifying your unique promise of value Your unique promise of value is a promise that you make to your target market that your brand will fulfill. It’s the personal aspect of your brand that is aligned with your mission and values. Your promise of value is the essence of what you have to offer and guides you in how you live your personal brand. It clarifies and communicates what makes you special — what makes you different from other people. Crafting this promise requires understanding your values, interests, strengths, and personal qualities and using them to distinguish yourself. Lida Citroën, in her book Reputation 360 (Palisades Publishing), offers this advice when crafting your brand promise: Your brand promise should look something like this: “In order to be known for (your desired brand qualities), I will hold myself out to others in this way: (your behavior, actions, attitude); and I will demonstrate authenticity in this way: (how you will let people see you as real, genuine). I will know my brand promise is working when I see this: (benefits, goals you hope to achieve).” You must be able to live up to your promise of value. You’re always better off under-promising and over-delivering to those you serve. Your brand promise is what you want to be known for. It can be the promise of value of who you are today or it can be written as who you aspire to become. Here’s an example of a unique promise of value: I am known for my creativity, enthusiasm, and intelligence by serving each client with respect, giving them individual attention, and treating them with unconditional positive regard. I am an expert in my field and use my knowledge to help my clients and students excel. My clients appreciate my solid, grounded approach during times of transition and trust my guidance through the process. Move from your promise to your personal brand statement After you’re satisfied with what you’ve developed as your unique promise of value, you can turn your attention to writing the all-important personal brand statement. When you work on your own statement, keep in mind the central themes that emerge and think about your attributes. Then, envision your best self! To begin your thought process on what your brand might include, answer the following questions: What three or four keywords describe your essential qualities quickly and clearly? What is your essence factor, the core of who you are? “I know I am in my element when __________.” What is your authority factor, the knowledge that you hold and skills that you possess? “People recognize my expertise in _________.” What is your superstar factor, the qualities that set you apart? (This factor is how you get things done or what you’re known for.) “People comment on my ability to ___________.” Pepper your statement with “wow” words When writing your personal brand statement, you want to use words that best describe what you offer. The words you use should highlight your emotional attributes and motivate you so that you can deliver that brand to your target audience. Then, to communicate the action in your message, add key verbs like the ones listed here. Accomplish Analyze Articulate Budget Calculate Capitalize Classify Close Collaborate Communicate Conceptualize Conclude Decrease Demonstrate Distribute Educate Empower Engineer Enhance Examine Exceed Generate Identify Influence Integrate Listen Manufacture Mastermind Maximize Navigate Network Organize Pilot Pioneer Prospect Rebuild Redesign Reengineer Rehabilitate Simplify Slash Sold Strategize Supervise Systematize Teach Transition Upgrade Drafting your statement To give you a sense of what a personal brand statement could look like, here are examples: I am passionate about the development of people and am able to lighten the mood with my humor. I enjoy bringing that competitive spirit to solving my clients’ key advertising problems. The continuous challenge to learn fuels my love of accumulating knowledge. Driven by the energy of connections to others, I apply my solid intelligence as the interpreter of complex issues to create practical solutions while bringing a sense of fun into every situation. Grounded in my core beliefs, I identify the patterns and am able to look strategically into the future with a global perspective. Analyzing the DNA blueprint for my clients, I act as the bond between science and business to find opportunities by joining people and businesses through unique value-added insights. Acting as the conductor to the orchestra of people that I lead, I bring the pieces together to close I am the visionary sales leader of the South American practice. my customers count on me to navigate the complexities of multinational business. I am admired for not only how I lead my high-growth business but also for my work in the community in creating pathways out of poverty for those that I serve. My own statement reads this way: I bring creativity and enthusiasm into the lives of professionals using my expertise in career development and personal branding with an intelligent, customized approach. Gather keywords to use as a starting point for writing your statement, and then let it simmer until you know how you want to express yourself.