How To Brand The Rest of Your Life (Continued)

 
There’s a very compelling statistic just out: half of new college graduates now believe that self-employment is more secure than a full-time job.  And more than 80% of all American colleges and universities offer courses on entrepreneurship!  Folks, I couldn’t believe this when I saw it, but as I tell my clients the times they are a’changing!

 
What this tells me is that new graduates are dynamic, risk-taking, adventurous and well-poised to take advantage of the competitive market out there.  In other words, they’re well prepared to learn and practice the ins and outs of personal marketing and branding! 

 
Last week I wrote about branding the rest of your life (here) to the college graduates (and anyone else ready to make a big career/life change)…  This week I want to add some more take aways that build on this idea that your job has got to fit with your brand:

1)  In a tough job market think entrepreneurship.  Already the statistics say that 50% of you are already going this way.  Some of the best brands and successful businesses have started in “hard times” when jobs were scarce.  This is also a good way of finding out if your brand ISN’T the entrepreneur brand and that you’d do better in a more traditional, nine-to-five context (entrepreneurship isn’t easy and it’s got to be based in a real passion for something);

2)  “Job Shadowing.”  In other words find or make opportunities where for little or no pay you try out different jobs in various fields.  Here’s an article on this approach.  Job Shadowing is an excellent way of doing two things: 1) making valuable connections for a “real” job in the field and 2) eliminating fields that don’t fit with your brand. There’s actually a website that gets people to “try out” different careers for a few weeks.  The idea is compelling (their idea is that no matter what your current job (or non-job) it’s important to be true to yourself and your brand) but the catch (from what I can tell by a brief look at the site) is you’ve got to pay.  And this website has some good general guidance on job seeking for graduates.  As always a basic, starter-list, of your brand’s qualities will help you set off on the right foot;

3) Contact companies directly.  Surprisingly companies often report that few job seekers do this so by doing this automatically you stand out!  Find reputable businesses in a field you’re interested in and get them on the phone or through email.  You’ll be surprised how many positive responses you’ll receive.  One suggestion: consult major industry websites and resources (hint those contact addresses and phone numbers actually work).  Also, don’t forget to do research along the way.  There might not be an immediate job opening on the other end of the phone, but you’ve got a data source to ask questions about where the industry is going, trends, et cetera.  Again, you’ll be surprised at how willing people are to speak about what they do; and

4)  Building on idea #3, don’t underestimate temp work.  Put those computer skills to use graduates!  You’ll find yourself inside some of the firms and fields you’re most interested in and get insights and experience that will serve you well as you make longer-term choices and build your brand.  In marketing we call this “sampling” and there’s no better way to promote a product –remember sampling is going both ways here: you’ll be “sampling” the industry and the job and your temp employer (and potential full-time employer) will be “sampling” you.  And you’ll be paying your bills while you learn.

And, remember, it’s always easier when you keep marketing and branding in mind!