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Lyn Chamberlin, founder and principal partner of skye|PR, is an Emmy-award winning television producer. She has more than twenty years of experience in the design and execution of strategic public relations programs, sales training and leadership coaching. She is a former Director of Communications at Harvard University and a Vice President for Communications at MIT. As Director of Television Programming for The Monitor Channel, she participated in the launch of the award-winning 24-hour international cable news channel. A television producer, writer, and corporate media consultant, she uses her reporter’s eye for finding the stories behind the people and companies that she represents.
A graduate of Columbia University, she lectures frequently on strategic communications and personal branding.
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New here? Employee Evolution is a blog written by Ryan Healy. Ryan is a Co-Founder of Brazen Careerist, the webs #1 social network for young professionals. Ryan speaks with organizations on best practices for recruiting and retaining Generation Y and how to effectively use social media to reach your target market. To contact Ryan, please visit our contact page.
This post is a wake-up call to all current and just-graduated students. And the message is simple: Being good is no longer enough. Your 3.9 GPA, varsity soccer, three-language proficiency, year in South America, work-study in the campus bookstore, volunteering at the homeless shelter, bylines in the school paper, interning every summer since you stopped going to camp are simply not going to haul the water no matter what your parents, your advisor or the career service administrator tells you. From this moment on, it’s all up to you. What you will do with the rest of your life, in particular the next year or two, depends on how well you package yourself, how well you present that package to prospective employers, and how well you make the case for why yours is the resume that will set the standard for everyone else.
For all of the how-to-get-a-job, write a resume, conduct a job search books and online information that is proliferating the how-to market, nothing will be as important to you now (and throughout your working life, for that matter) as how you brand yourself. Standing out from an increasingly competitive and glittering crowd of your peers depends upon how effectively you are able to sell your talents, abilities, passions, and vision.
Can you let go of obsessing over the format of your resume for the moment, and focus instead on the 150,000 foot view of who you are, how you will articulate it, and who should be listening?
Are you ready to conduct a hearts and minds campaign relentlessly focused on your value, your differentiation from the thousands of others just like you, and shape a tactical plan to execute this strategy?
Leave your thoughts here. (19 responses)
- 1 Pingback on Jul 19th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
- 2 Trackback on Aug 9th, 2007 at 4:35 am
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- 5 Pingback on Jun 19th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Can I get all that Jargon translated to english? Its not like we’re going to throw our accomplishments out the window. They make a pretty sweet base for this story you want us to weave.
Planning and “Brand-Vision” are great but why the call for a drastic course change and a master plan? If the kids who accomplished all that in college just keep taking the small steps and doing the little things every day that go them to where they are their brand will start to emerge. Their “plan” seems to have worked pretty well so far if they had all those interesting endeavors and high gpa. It should be more about doing cool stuff everyday and getting things done than about “branding” and yelling at people to do it .
Hi Lyn, this is a good introduction but I’d love to see the punch-line. Meaning, a few suggestions on how to achieve this would be perfect.
Build a blog (devinreams.com!), spotlight your knowledge, get to know peopleStart a company, make mistakes, learn from themPlay a sport or have some hobbies so you can find people you connect withRead relevant books so you have new, interesting subjects to drop into interviewsetc…
Personally, that’s kinda been my plan since day one. But, at this time in our lives it’s also hard to know why I want to be different. Some people don’t know where they want to go kick-ass, they want to learn what it is they like.
Then again, if I’m an entrepreneur I don’t even need the resume or interviews, do I?
Hey all,
Last year, I got asked to write a short summary of what new grads could expect when they entered the workforce. I’m no journalist, so what I wrote ended up being too long for print. Ironically, it speaks to what Lyn is talking about. It’s called, “10 Career Tips For Grads (That No One Ever Tells You!)” and here’s the link…
www.jtodonnell.com/wordpress/?cat=7
Let me know your thoughts!
Crawl, Walk, then Run.
Get a better-than-average job, figure out what sells in the real world, look for opportunities, and then quit when you’re ready. Trying to blast off into super-stardom never works.
Many business books over the years have advocated finding the one thing at which you can be the best. This is a combination of finding a true skill (something you CAN be the best at. Be honest) and finding a niche (something nobody else is currently dominating). Whether it’s getting past the dip, or finding your hedgehog principle, this is the way to go.
Unfortunately, finding that one best thing often takes many conversations and many years. It’s not something you can just jump into with flashy buzzwords.
I really like the point of this post. I interpret it as, all that stuff that you do just to do will not take you where you need to go. For example getting great grades won’t mean jack when you’re looking for your second job. (Probably when your 23) Extra curricular activities will only benefit you if you take something meaningful away from them. Don’t do things because society says you are supposed to.
Second, this post makes a good point that selling YOU is much more important than all the other BS. If I can convince an employer why they should hire me through one conversation or email, then I have in effect sold myself. Build the brand, sell the brand, great message.
I would like to see a few more suggestions….
-Ryan
Hi all,
I couldn’t agree more with much of what has been said. Telling your story is not about “spin” or becoming something you’re not. Far from it. It is about putting all that you are into a story that is resonant and memorable, a way of telling the people who will hire you how you want them to think about you and what you can do for them, what your value is. Only you can tell your story–if you don’t, you leave it to others. Too many people–whether just starting out or throughout their careers- just answer questions, rather than being confident and proactive about their inherent worth.
I’ll post some real specifics about how to do this tomorrow.
Thanks for your very thoughtful posts–send me your specific questions and I’ll give you my take.
Lyn
Wow that post just scared me into submission.
How does one go about branding?
I am a student right now and those credentials seem exaggerated to me. i know it’s not literal, but it is still overwhelming to see that people have such high expectations now.
Remind me to not apply for a job where Lyn is the hiring manager.
-solus
I think this post is, honestly, a little over the top. Being good is absolutely enough. I think the problem is that what people are accustomed to thinking is good just simply doesn’t matter once they leave the microcosm of a world they call college. I think the opening paragraph is right, half of that doesn’t matter, but I wouldn’t call it good either.
That’s not to say there is no value in selling yourself. The greatest single thing you can do is to convince your employer that they are missing an opportunity if they let you go. How and what information needs to be presented is entirely subjective, and based solely on the employer. So along with your packaged deal, all the cheerleading you’re going to do for yourself, you have to understand a company’s needs. How far will you get if you understand the need but can’t provide the service? Probably about as far as if you cheerlead for yourself without regard for a company’s needs.
Everyone’s always talking about selling yourself, solus it’s as simple as this. Why does the company need you? Why would they be making a mistake passing you up? It’s your job to answer those questions, whether or not expressly asked. When you can do that, you’ll be on the right track.
Wow! That’s a stress-inducing point of view. Unless you are an extremely driven individual, I think the advice in this post is way over-the-top.
You absolutely should be prepared to sell yourself a little when you interview. This requires some soul-searching and preparation, so you know what your strengths are and have a general idea what you want to do with your life.
But no one has their entire life planned out right after college. At that point, it’s more important to find a satifying job that pays the bills than it is to find your One True Calling.
Relax. Know your strengths and believe in yourself. Find a job where you can apply your strengths. Learn how to live life on your own for a year or two.
THEN start reaching for the stars.
Rome wasn’t built in a day.
This is a bit over-the-top for me as well (this will be on your permanent record that will follow you throughout the rest of your life), but still some
good things to think about are included.
Branding is important, but by your travel, work, volunteerism,
languages, etc. you are starting to create your brand. Your story
is building.
Letting employers know why you’d be a good hire is vital,
–you need to let them know what you’ve learned, why
you were a good intern (why your employer liked you, etc.).
Still, I know plenty of people who can sell themselves like nobody’s
business–yet, they can turn out to be horrible employees. All talk, no
action.
The next big step in the branding process begins once you’ve landed your job.
–Are you doing what’s expected of you?
–Are you going above and beyond the call of duty?
–Are you learning new and relevant skills?
–Are you reading the trade magazines, etc. Are you reading the periodicals
your bosses and CEO’s are reading? Do you know where the business is headed? Do you know the potential roadblocks to the continued success of the company?
–Are you a whiner? Don’t be
–Do you deliver? Or are you someone who just talks about delivering?
–Do your boss and co-workers like working with you?
–Are you adding value?
You need to know that once you’ve started your job, the real branding of you has begun–how others view you, your attitude, work ethic, etc.
Once you start your job your reputation is already being established–whether you like it or not. Brand, for the most part, is based upon reputation. So work now to build your reputation!
Still, it takes most of us time to figure out who we are, what we want, etc. But you should always be aware that once you’re out in the work world, whether you like it or not, your brand is being established.
What if you’re in a job you hate or a career you don’t want to pursue?
–you’re still building your brand. What you do now matters to your next employer. You still need to talk about why you were/are a good employee.
Don’t worry if you make mistakes–we’re all human. Learn from them, though. Shine through them. Get better–that, too, is a good way to help build your brand.
as always, I go on too far. I’ll stop now!
Scott has really hit the mark in his comment.
This article has a panic-attack inducing tone that can only add to the pressure students feel to have their entire life figured out and the perfect job immediately after graduation. You do not need to have a 10-year plan, a “branded” self, and a laundry list of credentials in order to find yourself on a meaningful career path.
I do agree with the primary message — that there is more to finding a job than a perfect resume — but the language used is rather colourful. Job seekers should not be staging a military operation (”conducting a hearts and minds campaign”), but instead attempting to find a meaningful way to sustain their existence.
It is easy to forget that you should work to live and not the other way around. Be yourself and don’t be discouraged if it all doesn’t happen for you immediately — it rarely does.
A lot of good advice from the younger crowd. Now for some advice from a boomer (young boomer) on what I look for when hiring an individual at my workplace.
I am not looking for someone who portrays themself as a know-it-all or someone who oozes with self-confidence. That usually turns me off right away. I look for the individual I am interviewing to have the following characteristics: common sense, willing to take instruction from someone more knowledgable than themselves, assertive, listens, willing to ask questions, flexible, dependable, reliable, logical, loyal, stays busy, able to carry conversations with the lowest and highest levels of the company, able to make suggestions without worrying about how they may be perceived. When I find someone who has most of these traits, I skip over the small talk and wonder about how much to pay them and when they can start.
These characteristics are not necessarily taught in the schools; instead they are representative of the life the individual comes from. Some of it comes from family, some from their relationships with friends, some from schooling and some from other life experiences. Put them all together in a positive fashion and you get the ultimate candidate that every employer would love to hire.
But do understand this - you still have to put in your time. You won’t get anywhere without having relevant experience. Even with an MBA or PhD, you are no better than a person who has a good foundation who has put in their time learning valuable lessons from others. You also need to make a handful of mistakes during your lifetime to understand the ups and downs of pressure, wrong moves, inaction, reconciliation and getting back on the horse after being bucked off.
I’ve always told people - find a person who is a good mentor and stick to their hip for awhile. They will be more than willing to share things with you that could greatly benefit your career (as well as your life). Then, when you get to a point to where I have come to (about 20 years into my career), then you can look at the Gen X, Gen Y and Millenials, their needs and wants, and can compare it to where you were 20 years ago when you first started your career. And guess what, even I am still prone to making mistakes! Go figure…
A lot of great comments here! I agree with the persuasion that this is a little harsh. It’s not hard to sell yourself when you know yourself well. It comes naturally. There is a lot of focus on personal branding, but I think that’s just a trendy word for “self-discovery.” You can’t artificially force that.
I’ve been following this post and had to jump in myself. I run a medical and pharmaceutical sales recruiting firm and just published my first book on how to break into pharmaceutical sales. It’s amazing the difference between the candidates that come in with the right attitude, passion and enthusiasm for life vs. the ones that are just going through the motions of finding a job. I want to share this excerpt from a chapter of the book that talks about how this young woman, right out of college without any outside sales experience, lands a job with the largest and most respected pharmaceutical company in the world when everyone else said it can’t be done. I speak to what it took for her to defy the odds:
One day a few years back, I got a call from a young woman who wanted us to find her a job in pharmaceutical sales. By the time I put down the receiver I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she would succeed. Yet, she didn’t have any outside sales experience — and she was a recent college graduate. What set her apart? Four things: an extraordinary drive, an unshakable self-confidence, a willingness to listen to everything I told her down to each detail and a resolve to take action. She was so eager to learn. To this day, I still remember the conviction in her voice. She asked questions. She was serious. She was determined.
Among many other things, I told her to go to her doctor’s office and request copies of the business cards that pharmaceutical sales representa¬tives leave. Then, I told her to go to a hospital and talk directly to the representatives themselves as they worked their daily beats. In their blue or black suits and rolling briefcases, they are unmistakable. “Be polite, be solicitous and give them your résumé,� I said. “You can do that?� she asked me. Yes, I told her, she could. (I emphasized that she needed to let the representatives know she was on a job hunt, so they would not mistake her for an undercover investigator from the FDA). It’s such simple advice, but few people take it. Before we hung up, she thanked me profusely and told me she would call me when she broke in.
Three months later, I heard her voice again when I picked up the phone. With great excitement, she told me how she had spent the better part of a day standing in front of Cedars Sinai, a large and prominent hospital in West Los Angeles. She approached pharmaceutical sales representatives and handed them her résumé, asked for their business cards and talked up those who had the time and inclination to talk about their careers.
She then proceeded to follow up with each of them. She impressed one of them sufficiently that he told his manager about this young woman. The manager had never heard of anyone going to such lengths. He loved this vivid account of her drive, initiative and good-spiritedness — all important attributes for success in the field. He called her in for an interview. Not having any opening to fill in that moment, he passed her résumé on to another district manager in a different division. After only several months of devoted work — including plenty of rejection along the way — this recent college graduate ended up with a job working in Palm Springs, California, for Pfizer, one of the largest and most respected pharmaceutical companies out there. “Tom!� she yelled, “I GOT THE JOB!�
Without the requisite experience, everyone told her it couldn’t be done. She proved them wrong. And so can you!
As the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said, “To achieve success, whatever the job we have, we must pay a price.�
Tom Ruff is President and CEO of Tom Ruff Company (tomruff.com/) and author of How to Break Into Pharmaceutical Sales: A Headhunter’s Strategy (www.breakintopharmsales.com)