by Karen P. Katz on August 12, 2010
I was raised at a dinner table where the “devil’s advocate” helped us learn to form opinions, so I am ready for a second-helping of the debate about the death of the personal brand (thoughtful post by blogger, Mitch Joel).
First of all, I am also turned-off by the use of the word, “personal” in the same phrase as “brand:” it seems like a tautology. When describing brands, we are accustomed to thinking of those who are people in law only, e.g. Nike, Coca Cola, Nordstrom.
It took me some time to get over what I perceived to be the bastardization of The Brand Called YOU, an article I still have in a hard copy of Fast Company. Indeed, some folks have cashed-in on the concept, but I could not abandon what is otherwise the most effective argument for a self-reflective and proactive approach to career management and entrepreneurial success.
So I went back to the source and re-read Tom Peters’ 1997 article; I found a perspective that may take “personal branding” off the Obituary page: a Solomon-esqe view:
- The problem seems to be one of semantics: the process that Peters advocates is the time-honored self-assessment and S-W-O-T analysis that career strategists have promoted for years. There are lots of acronyms, e.g.: “SSP’s – Special Selling Points, VIP’s – Values, Intrinsics, & Passions,” “Unique Value Proposition,” etc. ”Brand” was indeed the term chosen by Peters – maybe he did so precisely to raise eyebrows and create a “buzz?” The term may sound sleazy, but the process is justifiably respected by career professionals and employed under many names.
- The Brand Called YOU describes personal marketing strategies, both online and traditional. Let’s consider whether it is the marketing that may have added a layer of sleaze to a process that has otherwise been the province of some very conservative career coaches and resume writers. It is entirely possible that some of the tools and tactics employed in career management today are better suited to Advertising Age.
We are all looking for a process that will help clarify and convey our features and benefits. Many career professionals have refined the process; many are articulate and respected advocates of candidates for employment and entrepreneurs. Let’s not prematurely bury a respected process and strategies because we don’t like the terminology. Long live “the true you,” “the essential you,” “the unique U,” or “the brand called you.”
by Karen P. Katz on February 22, 2010
The public is invited to a panel discussion sponsored by the Alumni Relations office of LaSalle University. Panel members will address topics of interest to job seekers, career changers, and entrepreneurs:
- Developing your personal social network presence
- Developing corporate strategies and policies on social networking sites
- Protecting the organization and the employee
Web 2.0 strategies have started a shift in thinking : what are the predictions for growth using Internet building blocks? How do we plan for changes? How can we maintain the personal or organizational image we choose?
_________________________________________________________________
8:30 – 10am, Tuesday, February 23, 2010
LaSalle Bucks County Center, 33 University Avenue, Newtown, PA 18940
Sponsored by LaSalle University IT Leadership Panel and Alumni Relations
_________________________________________________________________
Panel Members:
Alicia Stonesifer, LaSalle University
Karen P. Katz, Career Acceleration Network (CAN), LLC
Bette Walters, Esq., ALCO Industries
________________________________________________________________
by Karen P. Katz on October 27, 2009
Here’s what we already know: The demographics of the workforce are a train coming down the track. While we are currently experiencing a 9.5% national unemployment rate, the burden is disproportionately born by younger workers (more than 50% of non-students are unemployed – referred to as the Dead End Kids).
Here’s what many don’t know: The AARP (Pdf) predicts that by 2015, there will be more jobs than trained employees – indeed, the group expects a gap of 35 million jobs. It is becoming more and more likely that those who entered the workforce in the 1970’s will not become “snow birds” anytime soon. Are they making it more difficult for younger workers to enter the workforce? More results from the AARP’s 2005 report, “American’s Aging Workforce:”
- By 2015, 20% of the workforce will be age 55 and older
- The highest growth rate in the workforce will be among those 55-64 (an increase of 51%)
- Concurrently, there will be a decrease in the population of workers age 35-44 (a loss of 7%)
- Today, most middle and senior managers are Baby Boomers, age 42-60. 40% of this cohort hold college degrees; unlike their Traditionalist predecessors, who were more likely to perform physically demanding work, most of these collegiate Boomers should be able to continue in professional, technical, and managerial roles well beyond retirement age. [click to continue…]
by Karen P. Katz on March 23, 2009
Thanks to ExecuNet for sharing their quarterly projections. Our economy requires that talented people walk into the some of the same doors that others have walked out of…
To stimulate growth, companies are looking for people who can prove their value to an organization. Do your homework – SWOT your target organizations – and present your unique value proposition.
B. Executive Job Functions Most in Demand for 2009
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Employers are emphasizing business development and sales roles that can
push organizational performance in a challenging economy, according to
ExecuNet’s exclusive Recruiter Confidence Poll. Executive recruiters
believe leaders with proven business development and sales experience
and a track record of consistently high results will be most in demand
in the executive employment market over the next six months. Leaders in
a host of engineering functions, executive recruiters say, are also
among those with the most promising career options in this tough
economic environment.
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Where Recruiters See the Greatest Growth
in Exec Hiring in Next Six Months
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Business development |
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17.3% |
| Sales |
15.0% |
| Engineering |
10.4% |
Operations management
(incl. supply chain, logistics, quality) |
8.7% |
| Marketing |
8.7% |
| Consulting |
8.2% |
| Finance |
7.9% |
| Research and development |
7.7% |
| General management |
7.1% |
| MIS/Information technology |
6.2% |
| Human resources |
1.5% |
| Other |
1.2% |
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Source: ExecuNet
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Posted by Karen P. Katz
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by Karen P. Katz on March 12, 2009
Social Networking tools, including Twitter, have attracted a lot of attention among traditional media outlets. The latest edition of BusinessWeek magazine (March 16, 2009) includes a nice piece on how Twitter is used and how its founders are handling acquisition efforts by Facebook, Google, and Yahoo. The article I'm referring to has yet to appear online: look for "Six Million Users: Nothing to Twitter At."
NBC's TODAY show conducted interview with Kirsten Dixson, one of the authors of Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building your Brand. Personal branding is one of the aspects of online identity management that Kirsten discussed with Jenna Wolfe and Al Roker this morning.
If you don't think that carving out a place for yourself online is important, think again!
Posted by Karen P. Katz
