Newsletter Archives - Page 64 of 74

What does your personal brand say about you?

by Angela Copeland | Feb 16, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

Chances are, you’ve heard the term “personal brand” at least a few times since you started looking for a job. But the question is, what exactly is a personal brand – and why does it even matter?

In theory, employers should only care about whether or not you can do a job. They should look at your education and work history.

The entire process should be straight forward, right? Although the logic seems to make sense, you’d be wrong if you expect the process to work this way.

In reality, there are many people who can do the same job. Just ask a friend who’s a hiring manager. How many applications did they receive for the last position they posted? A local non-profit recently shared with me that within two days of posting one job, they received more than 200 resumes. The staff became so overwhelmed with the volume of applications that they cutoff the deadline early. And, of the volume of candidates who applied, more than just one or two could have done the job.

This level of competition forces you to up your game. You need to stand out from the crowd. And how do you do that? By refining your personal brand.

Your personal brand is made up of all the things that reflect upon you during the interview process. The list of components includes:

What you wear
Your elevator pitch
Your resume
Your cover letter
Your online presence, including LinkedIn

It can even include simple details like how you shake hands, how you speak, or whether or not you make eye contact.

As you can see, many of these things may be disconnected from whether or not you can “do the job,” but they give an employer an overall impression of you.

Before you begin your search, spend some time refining these pieces and you’ll find your job search success will increase.

If you’re located in the Memphis area and you’d like to learn more, you’re invited to attend a “Building Your Personal Brand” workshop I will be presenting at Christian Brothers University in Buckman Hall’s Spain Auditorium next week. It will help you to prepare for the upcoming Multicultural Career Expo. It’s free and open to the public. It will be held on Tuesday, February 24th at 6 PM. I hope to see you there! To learn more, visit www.CareerExpoMemphis.com.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach

Do you <3 your job?

by Angela Copeland | Feb 9, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

One of my favorite weeks of the year is here – Valentine’s Day! I hope you have a great week, filled with happiness and love.

And, speaking of love – do you love your job? I recently took a CNN.com quiz called, “Is your job awesome?” As I expected, my job was rated as awesome. What would you rate your job?

The quiz includes questions like:

Do you like what you do?
Is your job low stress?
Does it benefit society?

After you answer these questions and a few more, the CNN Money poll rates your job’s awesomeness. And, even better, it compares your answers to the other people who have taken the quiz. As of today, over 8,500 people have responded.

If you’d like to rate the awesomeness of your job, check out their interactive poll here.

And, if you don’t love your job, now’s the perfect time to do something about it! The job search season is just getting warmed up. Companies are posting many new positions and there are job fairs happening all over the country.

But, before you start, you should ask yourself how prepared you are. How ready are you to jump into the deep end of the pool? The job market is still very competitive. You need to ensure your resume, LinkedIn, and overall personal brand are up to date and polished.

If you find you still have work to do, I’m happy to help. You can reach out to me directly here to setup a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your goals.

I will also be presenting my workshop, “Branding Yourself,” on Tuesday, February 24th at 6:00 PM at Christian Brothers University in Memphis. The workshop is presented as a partnership between the 2nd annual Multicultural Career Expo, Christian Brothers University, and Copeland Coaching. The event is free to the public, so please mark your calendar if you’d like to attend.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting! And, Happy Valentine’s Day!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach

You’re not alone.

by Angela Copeland | Feb 2, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

Every week, every day, I have the same conversation. It happens when I’m meeting with a client one-on-one to talk about their career. It goes like this, “You must think I’m crazy. I must be the only person you’ve ever talked to who’s having this issue.”

But this is the thing, every day, someone says this. They’re not the only person feeling the way they do.

Think about it this way. It’s very important to keep your job search a secret. Because you don’t talk about what’s on your mind, you don’t realize that other people are feeling the same way.

Here are some of the common concerns that people feel about looking for a job, every day:

Am I too old? Am I too young?
Do I have the right clothes or look?
Do I have enough education? Do I have too much education?
What will people think about the time I took off of work to care for my sick loved one or young child?
What if they knew that I was struggling with personal issues (such as a family member dying)?
Do I come across well in interviews?
Am I behind in my skills?
What if I don’t meet every requirement in a job description?
I want to do something different, but what would it be?

Can you identify with any of these scenarios? My guess is that you can, or you have another similar example.

And, guess what? You’re not alone. You and every other job seeker has something on your mind. There’s something you don’t like and are afraid you might be judged for.

It’s totally normal. There’s so much of job seeking that’s like going on a first date or giving a presentation. You’re vulnerable. Other people are going to judge you. And, their judgment of you will determine whether or not you’ll get the job.

I’m writing this week’s newsletter to say this: you’re not alone. If there is someone you can secretly and privately talk about your concerns, you might want to consider it. Just be discreet. You don’t want to jeopardize your current employment status.

And, if I can help, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I help my clients re-brand themselves every day and tackle many of the concerns listed above, in a safe, discreet, confidential environment.

But, whatever you do, remember that it’s not just you. Let go of your fears as much as you can and keep your focus on finding – and landing – your next job!

Also, please take just a moment to like my Copeland Coaching Facebook page. It’s a great way to stay connected, and each day, I share great job postings.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach

Acing Your Performance Review

by Angela Copeland | Jan 26, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

Over the past few weeks, I have received numerous questions regarding performance reviews. It’s that time of year again. Companies look for ways to evaluate – and document – the performance of their employees.

From the employee perspective, this process can seem outdated and frustrating. It’s typically administered through a website where both you and your manager evaluate your performance. Your review is divided up into a number of goals. Each goal has a weighting as some are more important than others.

It starts with the self-review. The employee must identify what percentage complete each goal is and whether or not they met expectations. The choices are typically met expectations, exceeded expectations, and did not meet expectations. Then, there’s a box where the employee types up why they gave themselves the review they did.

Then, the manager evaluates the employee. Sometimes they do this before meeting with the employee and sometimes afterward. During the meeting, the employee and the manager what went well in the past year, what went poorly, plans for next year, and the areas the employee should work to improve on.

At the end of the conversation, the manager often reveals the employee raise and annual bonus, if they’re eligible for one.

I’ve seen many people really fail at this entire process. They look at it like checking a box. It’s something they want to get through so they can get back to work.

But, this is really the wrong approach. Your annual evaluation may be one of your only opportunities during the year to highlight your skills and to show your boss (who may have been busy attending to other things) what you’ve been up to.

Here are a few do’s and don’ts to help make your annual review a little more successful.

Don’t:

Don’t arrive unprepared to your meeting
Don’t wait until the last minute to fill out your self-evaluation
Don’t be shy when talking about your achievements
Don’t under value yourself
Don’t spend a lot of time highlighting what went wrong
Don’t come with negative feedback on your boss’ performance or the company – this meeting is about you
Don’t be defensive if your boss gives you suggestions on areas where you can improve – it’s their job to give you this feedback

Do:

Put together a presentation of your annual review for your boss
Practice what you’d like to say before meeting with your boss
Highlight your most impactful contributions
Use numbers to describe your accomplishments when possible
Dress to impress – this is an important meeting for you!
Be on time with your self-evaluation and your review meeting
Score yourself positively where possible – this isn’t the time to be shy
Come prepared with a proactive list of what you’d like to do next year
Be prepared for discussions around your raise or annual bonus

Taking your performance review seriously can have a positive impact on your future job assignments. It shows that you’re willing to take initiative and stand out from your peers. It can also positively impact your bonus or raise, as your manager will be reminded of all the great work you’ve done over the last year.

Also, please take just a moment to like my Copeland Coaching Facebook page. It’s a great way to stay connected, and each day, I share great job postings.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach

Feeling old? Tips for your next interview.

by Angela Copeland | Jan 19, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

It’s a New Year, and you’re one year older than last year. You may have signed up for a new gym membership and are watching what you eat. If you’re like most people, getting older isn’t a fun idea.

When you’re interviewing, you may even find that your age is causing people to judge you. You may even feel discriminated against. Even though companies aren’t supposed to take things like age into account, what can you do?

You cannot change their thinking, but you can change how you present yourself. If you want to avoid being labeled as “too old” in your next interview, consider these tips:

Get an up to date e-mail address. I know I’ve mentioned this a few times, but I can’t emphasize it enough. Having an e-mail address that ends in “AOL.com” screams out that you’re either older or very technology challenged.
Update your look. If you’re actively interviewing, ensure that your clothes are up to date in terms of style. Check to be sure your hair, makeup, and shoes are all up to date as well. Have a friend or family member help to give you an unbiased opinion.
Don’t include all jobs. On your resume and on LinkedIn, you don’t have to include every job you’ve ever held. Unless you’re trying to highlight something special, you can consider limiting your experience to the last ten to fifteen years. Dropping off your first job can help to quickly drop off years.
Remove your graduation years. Did you know that you don’t have to include the year you graduated on your resume? That’s right! By removing your graduation years, it’s harder for an employer to quickly calculate your age. But when you do, remove these years from LinkedIn and Facebook too.
Remove the year you were born from Facebook. Facebook requires you to provide your birthdate, but you get to decide whether or not it’s public information. At a minimum, hide the year. Employers will look you up on Facebook when you’re interviewing.
Keep your LinkedIn profile up to date. You don’t want to fall into the camp of those who never learned LinkedIn, so are choosing to opt-out of it. LinkedIn is a necessity for job searching.

This list may seem like tiny details, but in reality it’s these details that are the social cues to let someone know how old you are. By reducing the ability to guess your age, you will increase the chances someone will assume you’re younger – and the chances that you’ll be discriminated against in your job search.

And — if you have questions about your job search that you’d like me to address in an upcoming newsletter, please send me an e-mail at Angela@CopelandCoaching.com.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach

E-mail Etiquette

by Angela Copeland | Jan 12, 2015 | Advice, Newsletter

I hope you’re managing to stay warm today! In the past week, the temperatures have really gone down considerably. Hopefully, you’re taking advantage of the time inside and are focused on what else – your job search!

One topic that becomes very important during job searching is your e-mail etiquette. When you miss the boat on your e-mail communications, it’s rare that anyone will tell you directly. But, rest assured—they noticed and they’re talking about it.

Avoid being that person and take the time to consider the recommendations below. They’re very simple, and they will help tremendously.

Upgrade your e-mail account. If you’re still stuck in the days of AOL, Comcast, or any older provider, it’s time to upgrade to Gmail or a similar service. If you’ve had your personal e-mail address for over 10 years, this may be you. Your e-mail address can indicate a few things – one being your age, and one being your level of sophistication when it comes to technology. Stay up to date to keep from being judged.
Select a professional e-mail address. Stay away from e-mail addresses that include your birth year or graduation year. They provide unnecessary information about your age. Stay away from e-mails that contain casual nicknames or hobbies. Pick something that contains your first and last name if possible.
Respond within 24 hours. When you receive an e-mail, respond within one day. Even if you don’t have the entire answer, respond to say you’ve received the message. You are your own brand and a product you’re marketing. As such, treat those you interact with as if they were your customers.
Start your e-mails with your receipt’s name and end with your name. Job search related e-mails should start with something like “Dear Andrew, Thank you for your e-mail” and not with something like “Hey! Thank you for your e-mail.”
If you must send a mass e-mail, use BCC. Blind Carbon Copy is the most professional way to send e-mail to a large group of people. Sending to a group and not hiding their e-mails shows lack of respect for personal privacy. It can also be very annoying when people begin to reply. That leads me to my next tip…
If you receive a mass e-mail and must respond, reply directly. Unless it’s very important, don’t send a reply-all message. When you reply-all, everyone on the original e-mail receives a copy of your message. It can also trigger a number of other reply-all messages. You’ve probably had this happen before and can attest to how annoying it can be.
Include a signature. At the bottom of your e-mail, you have the option to include a signature. This is a great thing to include! In addition to your name and e-mail, be sure it includes your phone number. So many people use your signature to find your phone number. When it’s not there, the experience can be difficult and they may give up.

These suggestions should be an extension of the everyday business etiquette you use. They will ensure you aren’t the subject of a discussion about how, “that person just doesn’t know how to use e-mail properly!”

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Request an Appointment

Copeland Coaching Podcast

Business Cards

Topics

Search This Site