Want that Dream Job? Know Yourself First

Looking to find a fulfilling career? Before you can do that, it is vital that you know exactly who you are and what you have to offer a potential employer.

One way to determine what you have to offer organizations is to think of yourself as your own personal brand. As you may already know, a good “brand” stands out because they have a certain well-defined identity. In fact, branding combines both tangible and intangible characteristics to create both a unique image and experience. One great example is Starbucks – regardless of whether or not you frequent this establishment, you know exactly what this brand stands for and what it delivers. In turn then, the Starbucks brand helps you as a consumer to know whether or not you will frequent the establishment based on what you know about the establishment and on your personal preferences.

That said, there are also cases where a great brand may exist, but the company is not focussed and/or the company’s marketing efforts are inadequate. When this situation occurs, the sales of that particular brand suffer and even stall.

Similar to organizations that cannot market themselves effectively, people may also have a lot to offer potential employers, but since they cannot promote themselves in an effective manner, they can remain underemployed or unemployed.

As a direct result then, in order to promote yourself effectively, you must:

Know what your particular strengths are – as studies often show that the majority of people cannot adequately pinpoint their specific strengths, just knowing these strengths and communicating this knowledge to a potential employer will definitely give you a career “edge” over other individuals.

Market yourself on a consistent basis - as you may know, most people only market themselves when they need a job. However, as most successful brands consistently market themselves on a consistent basis to remain in the public eye, you too should market yourself regularly. One great way to promote yourself is on the social networking site LinkedIn. Additionally, if you do not have a personal website, now is a great time to build one that showcases your talents.

Become an expert in your field – One great way to become a sought-after expert in your field is to write career-related articles and get them published in the media. Another great way to be perceived as an expert is to create a blog that you contribute to on a regular basis. Further, if you enjoy public speaking, you should also consider hosting workshops, giving presentations, and speaking at industry conferences.

All in all then, by using these tips, you should be well on your way to creating an effective personal brand and finding your dream job in the process.

Larisa Redins is a full time writer and editor with degrees in both Arts and Biological Science. She writes about career issues and other topics for a variety of international websites, magazines, and businesses.