Can you quickly state what your key strengths are? Do you know what your career identity is? We’re not talking about your job title, but your career identity. It’s that unique authentic reputation you have among bosses, colleagues, and other employees. This reputation is what I call Brand You.

Personal branding may not be a term you are familiar with, but you need to be. It took me quite a while to consider exactly how I could teach someone else about self-marketing their personal brand in order to advance their career. The heavy ‘corporate brand’ advertising or marketing approach would lose people quickly. So I spent over two years working on the process, and the end result is in my newest book, “Soaring on Your Strengths.”

Your career identity is not some slick piece of advertising. Brand You is based on the authentic, talented, and genuinely unique and special person you are. It is not phony or conceited, or an exaggeration, nor is it a trick or fleeting fad. The components of Brand You are the essence of you as a person, which include: your work strengths, your image, your passion and your personality traits, along with other people’s perceptions of you, applied in a work-environment that enhances your productivity.

I recommend you give yourself a gift if you care about career advancement. No matter at what stage you are in your career — at the beginning, middle, or at a senior level — or if you are changing careers or reinventing yourself — you’ll have a game plan for your future. You will know how to self-promote and market yourself successfully to become the very best you can be.

Robin Ryan is considered America’s top career coach with over 1000 TV and radio appearances including Oprah and Dr. Phil. Robin has a busy career counseling practice providing individual career coaching, resumé writing services, interview preparation, salary negotiations, and outplacement to clients nationwide. She is the best-selling author of:

• 60 Seconds & You’re Hired!;
• Soaring On Your Strengths;
• What to Do with the Rest of Your Life;
• Winning Resumes; and
• Winning Cover Letters

I highly recommend Robin’s work. I have found it to be inspirational and I use many of her ideas in my work with my own clients.

Richard (Ric) Ward
IT Headhunter

Every business person and sales person has a business card. And when you are engaged in a job search you need to have a Job Search Business Card to hand out to everyone you meet so they know what you are selling. It is a micro resume.

Your Job Search Business Card should have the following information:

• Your name
• Your degrees and any certifications
• Keywords about your IT experience
• Your email address
• Your telephone number - it needs to have voice mail
• A link to your web based resume and profile

This is an especially useful tool to hand-out to all of your family and friends. Afterall you cannot really expect them to remember what your information technology skillset is. And give 5 or 10 copies. Ask them to hand them out to their friends. Build your network of people who know about you.

Richard (Ric) Ward
IT Headhunter

A web based resume is a necessary tool in your job search toolbox in addition to your email ready resume and your print resume…and of course a text based resume for easy posting to job boards.

Publishing a resume on the Web is advantageous in a number of ways:

• Employers can access your resume 24 hours a day - 7 days a week.
• You can quickly refer a recruiter or potential employer to your web resume during an impromtu phone conversation.
• You can provide a link to your online resume on your job search business card.
• Web published resumes are readily found by employers using resume spider technology to find passive resumes
• A web based resume enables you to include links to work samples (written work, graphic design, other Web pages you’ve designed, photographs, reports, etc.) that can demonstrate your skills to employers.

Here is a sample of a web based resume and personal portfolio available at IT Headhunter.net and JobsWorkCareers.com.

Richard (Ric) Ward
IT Headhunter

Any recruiter will talk to you if you have:

• the skills that they are looking for a current job order or
• if you have a skill-set and experience that they can market.

There are three simple steps you can take when calling a recruiter and they basically involve good telephone manners, common sense and a little preparation:

1. You should write a script to use when you make a call to a recruiter.
2. Introduce yourself when the recruiter answers the phone
3. Give the recruiter a quick synopsis of your skills and experience

Step 1: You should write a script to follow when calling a recruiter. All professional sales people and telemarketers use scripts when making cold calls – and that is what you are doing…making a cold call. The script will contain Steps 2 and 3.

Step 2: When the recruiter answers the phone introduce yourself by name. Speak slowly and clearly…this is not a race. “Good morning, my name is Ric, Ric Ward.” Never start your phone conversation by asking “How are you?”

Step 3: And then give a quick synopsis of your skills and experience. For instance if you are a web designer you might say “I am an experienced web designer with 3 years experience using php and Dreamweaver and I am looking for work.”

Practice making these calls with a friend or family member.

I’ll be writing more about calling recuruiters in the coming days.

Richard (Ric) Ward
IT Headhunter

Your Resume Cover Letter must stimulate the recipient of your resume to open your resume and give you consideration. You are introducing yourself and saying that you have what it takes to do the job that they are trying to fill.

Cover Letter goes in the e-mail Message

In the age of e-mail your Cover Letter should go in the message of the e-mail and not as an attachment because it probably will not be opened and read as an attachment.

Keep your cover letter brief.

Assume that the person receiving your resume is busy - very busy. Be thoughtful and put yourself in their shoes. Keep your cover letter brief and to the point. You are not writing an essay or a novel. You are trying to communicate with someone who is probably very busy and you are competing for their attention.

There are 9 basic parts to a great Resume Cover Letter:

1. Your name, telephone number and e-mail address at the top of the Cover Letter.
2. Address the letter to someone in particular, if you can, or use To Whom It May Concern.
3. Name the position that you are applying for unless a file reference number is requested, then use the file reference number.
4. Briefly give an overview of your experience as it relates to the position being applied for.
5. In point form list the 3 or 4 most career highlights that relate directly to the job according to the ad that you are responding to.
6. Tell them that you have attached your resume that provides a detailed overview of your skills, experience, education, training and achievements.
7. Thank the person reading your resume.
8. Sign the e-mail with your name, home telephone number and personal e-mail address.
9. Add a PS to the note telling the recepient that you check your voice mail and email on regular daily basis.

Remember - your Resume Cover Letter has only one purpose - to get your resume opened & read.

Richard (Ric) Ward
IT Headhunter

There are many opinions passed around about how long a resume should be, the information that shouldn’t be put in the resume, how many years back you should go when including jobs and so on.

All of these opinions are usually prefaced by “They say…”.

I haven’t yet discovered who they are.

The basic components of a resume are:

1. Contact Information
2. Degrees, Diplomas & Certifications
3. Languages Spoken
4. Work Experience
5. Education
6. Professional/Technical Training
7. Awards & Prizes
8. Community & Volunteer Experience
9. Travel
10. Sports
11. Hobbies

In closing

Your resume is your story and should present your career experience, education, training and most importantly your achievements in an easy to read format. The length of your resume will be determined by your years of experience, not by an arbitrary one or two page limit.

Richard (Ric) Ward
IT Headhunter

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• Personal Cover Letter


• Personal References


• Personal Links


• Professional Picture

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