In the second of our two-part series, Artisan Creative’s President Katty Douraghy talks about how to develop your brand in order to have a successful job search.
The Development phase of the R&D process includes developing your brand.
Start with Social Media.
- Employers do check it out.
- Learn how to control your privacy settings, so keep your private information private!
- Depending on your industry, set up your appropriate social channels, join groups or start adding relevant content.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool
- Update your profile and work history
- Join industry groups
- Expand your network and connections
- Get recommendations
- Participate in discussion boards, posts, or blogs to highlight your subject matter expertise
Develop Your Portfolio
- If you are in the creative space, update your portfolio with recent, relevant samples.
- Organize your samples by focus whether it’s digital, print, broadcast, or mobile.
- Detail your involvement (whether it’s concepting, executing, production) and remove the guesswork for Hiring Managers.
- Be specific if it was produced work, or comps or a class project
- If you don’t have web skills to create your own custom portfolio, then use the several online portfolio tools that are available.
- The key is to be current, relevant and organized in the flow of presentation of your work.
Next, Develop your resume.
- Write, edit and proof it. Did I mention to please proof your resume? ◦A typo can quickly derail everything!
- Besides using spell check, Read YOUR RESUME OUT LOUD and enunciate words to catch errors!
- Have someone else read your resume with a fresh set of eyes.
- Remove the guesswork from your resume. ◦Be specific with your work dates. Clearly state the months and years.
- Indicate contract or freelance assignments, otherwise, it can be viewed as job-hopping.
- Highlight your relevant work history
- Use keywords, specific job titles, software programs, and certifications. Many online job application portals search and scan for keywords.
- Use brief, concise bullets or phrases
- Education: List graduation dates and completed degrees.
Next, practice your interviewing skills, especially if it’s been awhile
- Practice in front of the mirror
- Practice with a friend
- Do an interview prep with your recruiter
- Record yourself and listen to your voice, tone, filler words
- Join Toastmasters or other public speaking forums to practice your presentation
The better your R&D phase in setting up the strategy for the job search, the more tactical you can be in your approach.
Leave the guesswork and haphazard approach to your competition—and plan your success to stand out from the crowd.
View Part I here