by Angela Copeland | Aug 29, 2013 | Advice, Business Cards
One of the very first things that I recommend to the job seekers that I meet with is to get business cards- and to take them everywhere. So often, job seekers say they are in one of a few predicaments:
- “I’m between jobs, so I don’t have business cards.”
- “I’m in college / graduate school, so I don’t need business cards.”
- “I’m changing careers, so my current business card from work isn’t relevant.”
I have to tell you, none of these excuses are anything more than excuses. At the end of the day, when you’re looking for a job, potential employers need to know how to contact you. You never know when or where you might meet someone who may end up being your next boss, or your next great networking contact (who will introduce you to your next big job).
If you don’t have business cards, it’s time to get them. And the good news is, it’s easy. It only takes a few minutes to order them online, and then they arrive to your house a few days later.
Before you start, you’ll want to think about what to include on your business card. At a bare minimum, you need to include:
- Your name
- Your phone number – I recommend your cell phone, so that you can receive calls anytime
- Your e-mail address – Refer back to my previous post about which e-mail address to use and not use
Other elements you can also add:
- Your personal website URL, if you have one
- Your personal logo, if you have one
- A title that describes your desired line of work – Think of something along the lines of “Project Manager” or “Digital Marketing Consultant”
- Your address
If you’re the kind of person that has multiple types of jobs, or qualifications in multiple areas, you may want to consider a card that does not have your title. This will allow you to give the same card to different people, in different industries, and for different types of roles.
If you’re not a graphic artist, or experienced with PhotoShop, don’t try to design a logo on your own. If you have a friend who’s an artist, ask them for their help – or leave off the logo altogether. A simple business card is much better than a messy one.
by Angela Copeland | Aug 29, 2013 | Advice, Personal Brand, Resume Writing
You’ve just started to think about looking for a new job or internship, and you’re wondering where to begin. The entire process can be quite overwhelming for many, especially if you don’t have family members you can lean on for help. You may be graduating from college, finishing up graduate school, just looking for something new, or switching careers altogether….
No matter what your situation, the first thing to consider is your own personal brand. Yes, YOU. Your personal brand is a lot like the big brands that you think of such as Target, Apple, McDonald’s, and Facebook. What do you think of when you think of these brands? Do you love them? Do you hate them? Where did you come up with these impressions? I will be that there are brands that you’ve never used before, but you already have an impression of.
When you’re looking for jobs, the first thing you need to consider if your personal brand. You may wonder how to begin to evaluate your personal brand. Here are the steps you should follow to start with:
- Get your resume in order. Draft a new resume or update your existing resume. Then, work with a professional career coach to ensure that your resume really makes the cut. The worst thing I’ve seen is candidates with a great education and great background who are overlooked because of a sloppy resume that doesn’t succinctly highlight their skills.
- The first place an employer will look other than your resume is in the search engines. Do a Google search of your name in quotes. For example, I would check out “Angela Copeland.” What pops up? Are there positive or negative results?
- Do a Google search again, but within Google Images (Google.com/images). You may never have noticed, but Google also allows you to search through their images using your name. Are there beautiful photos of you and your parents from your graduation? Or, do photos also show up that your friends posted on Facebook after a drunken party?
- Take a second look at your resume, and the e-mails you’re sending. Ensure that your e-mail address is clear and concise. It should not make a statement about your hobbies or your age (such as green_girl_1992@gmail.com). It should be plain and easy to understand. Try something like firstname.lastname@gmail.com. If you’re an older job seeker, stay away from e-mail addresses that date you, such as anything@AOL.com, or anything@HOTMAIL.com. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone gossip, “Did you see his e-mail address? Oh my gosh! He is either extremely old, or he knows nothing about technology!” Neither of these is something you want an employer to think (even if they are kind enough not to say it).
- Take inventory of your social media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Flickr, your blog. Whatever you’re using, it’s time to go through it. Look at your privacy settings. Ensure that they’re set so that random internet stalkers (a.k.a. “future employers”) can only see what you want them to. Check that your visible profile picture is also in line with the professional brand that you want to display. Consider hiding or removing old photos that don’t represent who you are today. Drunken party photos are not what you want to be part of your personal brand.
Following the steps above will help to ensure that you’re driving your own personal brand, and avoiding a social media nightmare. Stay tuned to CopelandCoaching.com for more tips for building your brand and finding the job for you.
by Angela Copeland | Aug 11, 2013 | Cover Letter Writing, Interviewing, Negotiating, Resume Writing
Welcome to Copeland Coaching. I’m Angela Copeland, and this site is dedicated to helping you find the right job faster. I’ve been helping job seekers informally with their search for over 9 years. After a recent string of requests for help, I decided it was time to officially offer my career coaching services to you.
What makes me a good interview coach? It’s simple. When I was younger, I thought of interviewing as a sport, and I wanted to make the big leagues. I have years of experience interviewing for (and negotiating offers in) all sorts of positions in various industries and I’m here to share what I’ve learned with you.
Let me explain. After starting my career in engineering, I wanted a career change. In addition to engineering interviews, I interviewed jobs in other areas including sales, marketing, and operations.
I have experience interviewing with and working for many different types of organizations, including:
- For-profit and non-profit
- Small companies and Fortune companies
- B2B and B2C companies
- Different industries, including automotive, home services, logistics, financial services, and travel
I was once so determined to work for a particular big name clothing company that I snuck onto a rival graduate school campus just to meet their recruiter. And guess what? It worked. I was invited to the company’s headquarters where I met with employees, toured the building, and had lunch with the staff. On top of that, my graduate program, Pepperdine University, wrote an article on my experience that was mailed to 18,000 alumni. Talk about exposure!
If you’ve found yourself feeling stuck, or are just not sure where to start and you want to start getting real results, reach out to me here. I’m happy to help! I will help to polish up your resume, develop creative ways to find your next perfect job, and negotiate your best offer ever.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Angela
Angela Copeland Career Coaching
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