Job Search Networking and Your Brand - Don't Leave Home Without It

You've heard the phrase "the brand that is you."approach is the easiest and fastest way to uncover
There are no shortage of books and articles that tellyour brand-other people will actually give you the
us we need to understand our brand. I surely likedwords you can use.
the concept of having a brand, but didn't have theIdentify your brand first.
faintest idea how to figure out my brand.Every element of your job search, especially your
Ditch the pitch: No elevator speeches here!networking, should be based on your brand. And
By the way, you might be thinking youreverything can be structured to support your
"brand"statement is your elevator pitch. I think thebrand-your unique selling proposition. It's Marketing
time has come to get rid of "elevator pitch." Most101, and it's what will separate you from all those
people, including me, never really did come up with alooking for a job just like the one you are looking
good one anyway.for-your competition.
I don't know about you, but my elevator pitchWhen you can say what it is that makes you unique,
needed 55 floors before I got it all out. Not effectiveyou sound professional, unique and confident. That
at all. And a little embarrassing for me, needless tomakes it easier for people to recognize leads for
say. And probably painful for the listener.you, and to remember you when they are talking to
So what if you could do an easy and fun exercise toother people. You'll actually have other people helping
uncover your brand. And what if it was a way to doyou expand your job search.
some low pressure networking/relating, perhaps withTip to try:Uncover your brand and base everything in
some people you haven't talked to for a while? Thatyour job search around that message.