Internet has changed the way to approach job searches. Nowadays, if you don't have at least a professional profile in Linkedin, you are definitively missing out a great opportunity.

Remember this: Internet is not an effective tool to find a job. Still, 80% of jobs are found through personal connections. However, Internet is an unbeatable tool to be found by those who matter the most: the ones who have the jobs you want!

Enjoy this clip from an interview I had with CNN en Espanol yesterday. Thank you Adriana Hauser...you are a top-notch journalist.

Just like businesses, people have their own brands. What advertisers call the “Brand Promise” comes with quality expectations, image, and associations.  Doesn’t it feel different walking into the Ritz Carlton than entering the W Hotel?  That old Ritz is stuck in its ways, old money, mature, predictable, doesn’t want to recreate the wheel. Yet it is sophisticated, strong and reliable.  The W is the trendsetter, hip, sexy, cutting-edge, open-minded, and creative. Unpredictable and loud. 

So, what type of brand are you? Think about the associations people attach to your image. Do trendsetter and innovator come to mind?  Do you get loads of praise for your great ideas at work?  Are you a little quirky?  Or are you conservative and do others see you as the rock that holds everyone together? Knowing your brand can move your career forward.  You can package yourself to fit your brand image and stay consistent to maintain it. 

What’s in your package nowadays?  Is it a true reflection of your brand?  Most successful brands project a consistent image. When you think about Apple, you expect to get steady innovation, ease of use, high-end design products, and great customer service at the genius bar.  You wouldn’t find a Dell look-alike among Apple’s product lines.  Likewise, think about whether the way you dress, what you say on your resume, your career behavior, and your attitude are consistent with your brand. If the shoe fits, wear it! 

If you find that you need a different branding strategy, don’t despair!  It’s never too late to change your brand image. In fact, many strong brands in today’s market had to reinvent themselves during certain points in their existence.  Remember Apple’s come back with the Ipod? or Martha Stewart?  The successes of the tech innovator and the domestic diva did not happen without the help of their marketing teams and PR experts. You too can tailor your current packaging to fit with your brand. Partner up with a coach and secure a winning revival.

Written by Olya Artman

Reinvented your brand recently?  Tell us your story and help inspire others.

 

Making each other laugh by creating a fake “Survivor” show ad in Photoshop with the pictures of the remaining team members is one of the ways Amber, Daniel, Susan, and Patricia keep their spirits high.  After surviving five rounds of layoffs at a Manhattan-based high-end design firm, and despite tremendous increase in job responsibilities, the team found ways to bond. 

Just about one year ago, a firm was expanding at the speed of light, hiring people constantly, and turning residential projects down left and right while focusing only on larger scale ventures. The times have changed and after downsizing thirty percent of the workforce, the firm is, well, still hiring.  However, the new hires are mostly highly qualified interns willing to work for no pay. In addition to tremendously larger workload, the possibility of losing the job to interns keeps the surviving team members awake at night.

The team of survivors did not let their fears get the best of them.  Instead, the remaining bunch turned to each other for support. They found themselves collaborating and building strong bonds.  “It’s a challenge to go from entry-level position to managing workload of four people, but the team makes me get through my day", says Amber, a workplace divorce survivor who just went from junior designer to designing a major Las Vegas club by herself. We have also gotten to know each other better, Amber continues, "I did not talk to Susan at all before but now we are close.” Daniel, the only smoker of the group, and the only surviving architect on the floor is touched that his co-workers take turns to go on the breaks with him for support.

“In the old days we did not take much time to get to know each other. There were feelings of fierce competition, and I felt intimidated. Now we take lunches together, poke fun at the situation, collaborate on work projects, and motivate each other to stay strong.  I truly feel as a team member,” Susan, a workforce divorce survivor admits. 

Their growing support of each other doesn’t seem to end at work.  Frequent get-togethers with laid off team members are held often to keep the team spirit alive, and they have made a pact with each other to take a trip to Costa Rica if worse comes to worse and the rest of them lose their jobs.

Written by Olya Artman

Survivor yourself?  Tell us your story and help inspire others

As I was reading the New York Times today, a very interesting  story on the front page caught my eye. Out of the thousands of jobs that have been lost since the beginning of the recession, 82% were held by men. I guess this does not come as a surprise as we keep hearing stories our guy friends and husbands losing their finance jobs left and right while tales of women getting laid off are less common.

The Times attributes this to the fact that men are employed in industries that are all but being wiped out by the financial crisis, and that women work mostly in less cyclical industries like healthcare and education.  Although is it certain that the most hit areas are male dominated, it might also have to do with the fact that women are willing to work longer hours for 80% of the pay.

Will this shift in breadwinning responsibilities bring us closer to bridging the pay and presence gap for women in the workplace?

We want to hear your thoughts!