Simple Ways to Build Your Own Brand

Simple Ways to Build Your Own BrandSimple Ways to Build Your Own BrandIt is now easier than ever for people to abflug their own businesses. The evidence can be found in the over 50 million freelancers in the United States working from home. Working moms from home, entrepreneurs, consultants and remote employees all have to build their own brand to be found online and make a paycheck. We offer some simple ways you can start building your own brand today.Discover your brandIn buchung to discover your brand you first have to make a decision on the followingWho you areYour passionWho your brand representsWhat you want to represent for the rest of your lifeIn order to come to this decision, start surveying for feedback. Survey your friends, peers, colleagues and your former bosses for feedback. Find out what they think of you, what your passion is and who you represent. This is the hardest part because you are asking to hear some honest opinions and what some people think may not always a lign with your own personal point of view. Still, you have to hear people out.When you are finished, come up with a branding statement that is not too long or wordy and tells the entire worldI represent these people. I am the creator of this that provides for you this. I believe in this because list your reasons.Create your branding strategyLets face it. Technology has made it a million times easier to create a personal brand in 2018 than it was 10 years ago. It is still a hustle and work is required but the tools are all out there at your disposal. And the best place to start is with your digital branding.Here is what you needPersonalized web domainIt is your personal brand, so it should have a website with a personalized web domain. The domain should be short and easy to type, not create brand confusion and not be difficult to figure out. If you use a confusing domain name that leads to people finding you for all the wrong reasons, chances are your domain name is a poor choice. Th e domain name should describe what you do or who you are, if possible.Your blogAn active blog about your brand will keep people interested in what you are doing. Active can be defined as 3 to 5 posts a week. If your blog is relevant and shared with the people you represent, the more you will start to gain traction for your blog and your personalized domain.Why? Your blog can give advice and tell stories about your brand that readers find relevant to their own challenges. For example, the Find My Profession blog covers every topic from resumes to interviews and LinkedIn advice. These are relevant topics for job seekers. For your personal brand, try to create blogs that represent what your readers think and how they feel.Next, you can share it on social media reaching out to those your brand represents.Facebook accountFacebook pages and groups are great ways to build an active and engaging following. When you begin, you may want to be the admin of the group but as time goes on and the group becomes more active, it is a good idea to promote some of your fruchtwein active Facebook group members into admins. Handing over your Facebook group to those you represent actually helps it grow. But you should still monitor and communicate with your admins and group members regularly. Your personal Facebook profile should also be a pure representation of your brand, not your current profile from 10 years ago with pictures from your wedding. You are creating a personal brand but it should stay separate from your personal life.Your posts, photos, and account info should all be representations of your personalized brand.Twitter accountThe same thing applies to your Twitter account. Make an account for your personalized brand, with photos and descriptions of the account all brand-related. Your posts and hashtags should appeal to your audience and readers. Build a following and use Twitter yourself instead of relying on admins to write for you. There are tools like Hootsuite tha t allow for the scheduling of posts ahead of time if you prefer.To engage with your audience, which is always exciting for them, you can post and reply in real-time. They will be talking to the person behind the personalized brand. This is a great way to start building yourself as a thought-leader.LinkedIn profileLinkedIn profiles are digital versions of resumes, portfolios, media and references. You need one of these whether you plan to use LinkedIn or not.Make sure you join groups related to the interests of your brand and keep an eye on discussions. Try to help people and become an active participant while connecting with those who take interest in your personalized brand. You can become a LinkedIn influencer in a short period of time with the right posts and LinkedIn etiquette.This is just the beginningBegin your brand with the humility of someone who is not sure and the confidence of someone who knows where they are going. The advice above is only the beginning. As you continue to grow, you will find the needs of your business changing and keeping you busier. And busy is always a good thing

8 Tips for Starting a College Senior Job Search

8 Tips for abfluging a College Senior Job Search8 Tips for Starting a College Senior Job SearchEven in the best of times, there are compelling reasons for college seniors to begin their job search as early as possible. In fact, ideally, college students should take steps to lay the foundation for an effective search as early as the second semester of their freshman year. If you arent in the minority who got such an early start, dont dismay since most of the proper steps can still be taken. Even if youre a senior who hasnt done much yet, semester break is an excellent time to work on job hunting. Here are some of the best ways to get a head start on finding post-graduate employment Tips for Starting a College Senior Job Search 1. Tap Into Campus Recruiting ProgramsCampus recruiting for many fields including finance, accounting, banking, consulting, engineering, computer technology and various management training programs begins early in the senior year. It will be challenging for students to compose resumes and cover letters, practice interviewing and learn effective job search techniques while they attend class, complete assignments and participate in sporting and club activities. I recommend that students begin work on these tasks the summer before their senior year or during their junior year. 2. Start Building Your Career NetworkCareer experts universally agree that networking is one of the most effective strategies for college students to secure employment. It is highly recommended that students reach out to family friends, college alumni, and local professionals for informational interviews well in advance of their senior year. These meetings will enable them to gain clarity about their goals, practice responding to questions about their background, impress contacts with the viability of their credentials and form personal relationships with employees who can influence hiring decisions. It will be difficult to arrange and participate in the optimal num ber of these consultations while on campus and it often takes time for these connections to yield interviews. 3. Take Advantage of Off-Campus Job SearchingMost college students will not find jobs through campus recruiting since these programs tend to serve the needs of the most competitive students in disciplines which are in high demand. The typical graduate will need to target jobs and employers in locations of their choice and travel to those sites for interviews. Targeting these employers and preparing materials with the help of college career offices in advance of senior year will be quite beneficial. 4. Utilize Your Career Services OfficeMost college career offices are open during the summer and will be less busy that time. If you can find time for a call or meeting prior to your senior year, youll have a head start. If not, make an appointment as soon as you can. Heres how your career office can helpyou search for a job, internship or other post-grad planning. 5. Consider an Internship as a Path to a JobMore and more employers are utilizing their internship programs are a mechanism to evaluate talent through first-hand exposure. Even those employers who do not recruit heavily from their own internship programs look for candidates with related experience since internships will confirm student interest in the field, provide the opportunity for skill development and yield concrete evidence of the candidates ability to excel in a work setting. 6. Figure Out What You Want to DoMost college students are uncertain about their career aspirations. Employers are wary of unfocused candidates and fearful that they will invest resources in training only to find that the recent hire has discovered that they would prefer another field. The process of deciding on a career can be quite time-consuming and often involves extensive research. Meeting with career counselors prior to senior year for assessment will be a critical step for most college students. Effective caree r decision making will involve career research through print or online resources, counseling sessions, informational interviews and experimentation through volunteer and work experiences. Ideally, these activities will begin early in a students college career. 7. Find Time to Job ShadowJob shadowing experiences whereby students observe the work of professionals in fields of interest, sample work environments and vicariously try on various work roles are an excellent way to make contacts, impress employers and explore a broad range of occupations if begun early on. Colleges often target underclass students for these programs and use them as a device to spur involvement with the office. 8. Get Help From Faculty and StaffCollege faculty often play an influential role in the hiring process by introducing current students to former students and other professional contacts. Ideally, students will deliberately nurture relationships with faculty over the four years of college so that facult y referrals will be a natural outgrowth of a close personal bond.

Searching for greatness 15 humans you need in your life

Searching for greatness 15 humans you need in yur lifeSearching for greatness 15 humans you need in your lifeIt doesnt matter how many courses you take. Or how many books you read. Or how many blogs you follow. Nothing will push you to greatness mora than the right people in your life. Full stop. Mic drop. Your relationships are your everything.When I look back on the massive, oh so crazy, stars aligned kind of moments that took my life in a completely different direction than I planned it all came down to the people involved.People are everything. Relationships push and grow and support us. The people who believe in us. The people who know more than us. The ones who teach us. The ones who love us. The ones who make us laugh. Make us healthy. Validate. Challenge.There will be a lot of people on your path to greatness. The right people will come from getting clear on who you need around you. Who you have. Where you need to build. How you need to connect.These are the 15 people that h ave hands down changed everything for me. Fill your treasure chest with these humans and youll have a life you never believed possibleThe StrategistSomebody who knows you. Who knows what you want to do. And can beautifully pull out the answers you already have inside of you. They help you see what you know. And strategize for what you feel like you dont. For me, this comes in the form of a biz coach. For you, it might be someone who helps you game plan your buy-a-house goal. Or an advisor who gives you seasoned advice for how to move forward.The HealerJim, Jim, and more Jim. Most of you know all about him at this point. A healer never would have been on my list even 18 months ago. But we all have hurt. We all have pain. And it doesnt have to be up to only you to heal that. Whether its a metaphysical masseuse in Bali, an astrologist in Denver, a Tarot card reader in NYC, or a psychologist in San Francisco, find someone who has a special skill to help you see your own strength in orde r to heal your own pain.The Triumphant ContemporaryIve been graced with too many of these to count. The bestie whos killing it. Your most successful friend. The peer who shows you the ropes. Bring into your circle a suite of friends who want to see you crush it. Who believe in your talents. Who are more excited about your success than you are. Who can introduce you. Connect you. Share you. Theyre rooted in their own success so they have no problem contributing to yours.The MentorMentors have landed me every major break Ive ever had. From writing gigs, to TV spots, to team tryouts, to promotions, to an agent. They get where youre going. They leverage. They call you on your missteps. And theyre as willing to give as they are to learn, thus allowing a beautiful two-way street for information, love, help, and genius.The CoachBecause of a coach, I had the courage to go to Bali. Because of a coach, Ive been able to hire people onto my team. Because of a coach, Ive made it through truly to ugh moments. Coaches are tough love. Theyre open with feedback. They push as much as they encourage. Theyre a necessity on any path. With any craft. You dont get better without an invested third fete perspective. Theyre worth every dollar, and your bucks are important for the skin youll have in the game.The EnergizerMight be your bestie. Might be your brother. Might be your lover. Might be your pup. Whoever fills you to the brim with positive, light, and oh so inspired energy. The one you leave skipping, truly skipping, after being in their presence. Your energizer might be one person. It might be lots of people. It might be your whole treasure chest. Pay attention and keep close those who fill you. And be one back.The RechargeWho do you feel comfortable with when running at 10 percent? Let down your walls. Bring down the guards. Not have to impress. Not have to act. And just be. Be sad. Be weird. Be moody. Be down. Not all the time, but when you need it. Who lets you recharge when the rest of the world wants your energy? Family fits here often. So too do partners and besties. Just make sure that theyre not always getting your totally drained battery. They deserve your best, too.The CuppaLong talks about shit that doesnt matter. Even longer talks about everything that does. Hot tea until its cold on the couch. Coffee dates bundled up in the car in front of a park that last 3 hours longer than they were supposed to. Wine nights that left you with a massive hangover and a happy heart. The ones you can lose yourself in. Who know you better than you know yourself. The ones that personify love.The BelieverThe believer in everything you are. Everything youve done. Everything you can do. Believer in who youve been. How youve done it. Your core. Your essence. The ones who dont flinch for a second when you stumble or fall. Who dont blink when you screw up. Who dont pull back when you succeed. They believe in humanity and they believe in you. And your reason for greatne ss.The SparkThat quick strike of energy that gets everything moving. Ideas flowing. Action happening. A series of events into full momentum. Theyre great beginners. They know just what to say. Theyre the ideas people.The LoverEverybody needs epic love. Some months you might be your best lover. Some weeks the strongest love might be that of your family. Others your friends. And often your partner. Your kid. Love on love on love, its all we really need and all that really matters. Theyll erase pain. Void worries. And return you to yourself when you need it most.The SisterSibling or not, this woman knows you. Believes in you. Shes the one who you can pick up with weeks later. The one who calls you on your shit. The one who loves you regardless of who you are or what youre doing now. Shell answer the phone in the middle of the night. Shell make you laugh in the face of tears. Shell key that assholes car. Shell look at pictures of the rash on your butt and attempt to diagnose from 8,000 miles away. And shell always share her wine.The PlannerThey just get things going. They might be an assistant. Or a friend with a mean spreadsheet template. Or someone always getting you away from your computer and out to dinner thanks to a calendar invite. A workout buddy. They give you structure where you need it. Keep you committed. And help you progress.The StarThe one who knows none of this really matters. That were a part of something so much bigger. That we create our own reality. That theres more to this life. Who brings you out of the bullshit and the day-to-day to dream big, see bigger, and understand our interconnectedness goes far beyond this life. Or these relationships. Or connections. The only connection that matters is one made of stars. Of source. Whatever you call that. universeThe AnchorGrounded. Home. Centered. Theyre the person who keeps you there. When life gets crazy. When troubles go awry. They bring you back and remind you none of this is really that bad. Th at you will indeed make it through another day.Hows your treasure chest of humans looking? This 5-step guide to meaningful connections should helpSome vacancies? Say a little prayer. Open up with the problems or people youre missing and youll begin to attract them. Keep your eyes up and your heart open.Full and brimming? Tell them what they mean to you. Thank them. Love them. Hug them. Pass this one along.And any chance you get, be the love to others that youre getting in return. We all play many of these roles to various people. You might be the cuppa to one and the triumphant contemporary to another and the mentor to the next. Give with your heart. Share your energy. Its a giant thank you for the people who have pulled you up onto the path to greatness.Click here for free access to my 5-step guide to building even more of these amazing relationships.Maxie McCoy is a writer and speaker obsessed with giving women the tools they need to believe in themselves. Committed to the global rise of women, she writes weekly inspiration onmaxiemccoy.com, and specializes in creating offline experiences for top brands. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, Bustle, Fortune, INC, Womens Health, and more. Her forthcoming bookYoure Not Lost An Inspired Action Plan for Finding Your Own Waywill be published by TarcherPerigee of Penguin Random House.This article first appeared on MaxieMcCoy.com.