Creating your "self-pitch" a response to "How to Introduce Yourself Effectively at the Career Fair"

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has a career fair coming up. In anticipation, Ron Buchholz, Director for Career & Leadership Development at UWW, blogged about how and why students should develop a “self-pitch.” He talked of the perils that come with walking into a career fair without having your “self-pitch” prepared and at the ready for making great first impressions. Buchholz gives a few questions to help students develop their pitch. 

I took the time to answer his questions and I’m glad I did. You’ll find my answers below. 

Why did you choose your particular career path? 

To be honest, I stumbled upon Public Relations and fell head first into a world that excites me.

 What excites you about working in this field in the future?  

In my short experience, with course work, various jobs and internships, in addition to the professionals I’ve had the privilege to speak with, it’s the variety that I find so motivating. I’m a person that likes to get things done. Finding the solution to a unique obstacle and then organizing the execution of that solution makes me feel accomplished, and that’s something I love.  Writing and speaking are things that I love to continue to improve on as well. Every chance I have to work on either is an experience I find thrilling. 

Which of your values, interests and abilities best align with what’s needed to be successful in this field?  

 

For lack of better terminology, I’m a go-getter. When I find something that interests me, I’m going to find away to excel at it. I’ve already hit bumps in the road, everyone has. However, when I wasn’t able to land certain internships, I created my own way to gain experience in the field. 

What experience do you have that has helped you prepare to work in the field?

I’ve held several jobs and internships that have helped me prepare for life after college.  Last school year I worked with one of my employers to create myself a new position as the Student Coordinator of Public Relations for our university’s fitness program. At that time the main focus was social media and creating a channel for two way communication between the program and its patrons.

In the spring I worked with Tomorrow’s Hope, a non-profit organization that helps people and families dealing with life-limiting illness. I worked with a team of students to help the organization establish their social media strategy.  It was my responsibility to head up a small task-force devoted to the development of a weekly video blog. The blog was designed to keep the many publics of Tomorrow’s Hope informed of the organization’s progress from week-to-week. 

At the same time and into the summer I was a management intern for a company that painted homes.  This means I was in charge of marketing, sales, employee recruitment, production management, and all the various communication that those activities required.  I had the chance to write the content for my branch website as well as marketing and recruitment materials. From this experience I definitely grew the most in my oral communication and presentation skills. When working on commission learning to sell is huge, and in such a situation you can’t afford to not grow as a speaker. 

As the start of my last school year approached I was in search of an internship more public relations specific. I had limited success. The internships that I really wanted, I wasn’t offered and the internships I was offered didn’t turn out to be what they claimed to be.  So, when I returned to school I worked with the fitness program to take my position as Student Coordinator to another level. I am now very evolved with event planning and starting in October I will be responsible for a monthly employee newsletter. All of this of course, is in addition to my original responsibilities.

I know my answers are a bit long for developing a 30 second pitch. I figured that it’s better to be over prepared than to be under prepared. That way I’ll have something to continue to talk about with the recruiter.

 If you have a blog I’d love to see your answers to these questions. Post them and leave your link in the comments. Feel free to leave your feelings in the comments as well.

I suggest everyone read Buchholz’s post. You can find it---> HERE

Visit My Site

Tweet 

Social Media Fundamentals

The honest truth is that there really are no tricks or secrets to successfully accomplishing your social media goals. Fundamentals are the real key to creating a successful social media presence. If you follow me on Twitter (and you should @UWWBrendan) you’ve noticed that I love to retweet blog posts that share these fundamentals.

Like any form of networking or marketing, the best results are found when genuine relationships are made between the people involved. Whether you’re a blogger, you are looking for job, or you contribute to a social media page on behalf your company, the rules are the same. To see results you need to gain a truly loyal following. To do this a real interaction with individuals needs to take place.

There are plenty of ways to go about this of course…

Say Thank You

A simple thank-you goes a long way. I find that when I say, “Thanks for following!” to my new Twitter followers, it often starts up conversations that almost always result in a link exchange and inevitably a followfriday. Without much more explanation it is easy to see how simply being polite can increase traffic to your blog or website.

Collaboration

Relationships can also be made with other content creators. Everyone who creates content has a level of influence that can be of use to you and yours can be of use to them. By guest blogging, working together on a video, or by any other means, collaboration is sure to increase your awareness with content consumers.

Makers Studios, a company that focuses its efforts on creating content for YouTube, has almost based their entire business model on collaboration. Started by several heavy hitting YouTube personalities (ShayCarl, Lisa Nova, and several others) The company taps into the creative talent of a whole host of video creators for content. Makers then uses the influence of each creator on his or her select following to collectively promote the new content. The surprising financial success of some of the studio’s founders is a true testament to the advantages of collaboration.

Genuine Promotion of Others 

By promoting others, you promote yourself. Every time you give someone a shout-out, @mention them or followfriday them on Twitter, or share their link with the world you increase your chances of them going the same for you. Very similar to the concept of courtesy and saying thank you, it’s important to give credit where credit is due and treat others they way you would like to be treated.
Beirut Abu Hdaib, or @beiruta on Twitter, is an avid promoter of others. Every Friday she has a huge list of people to whom she awards followfridays to. As a blogger,(View Her Blog on Tweepi) her posts often include themes along the lines of tweeting others as you would like to be tweeted or retweeting in order to be retweeted.

From Beirut I learned just how powerful a followfriday can be. When I give a followfriday, I like to add a description of the person when send the tweet. It makes it stand out from the rest of the followfriday tweets and gives my followers a chance to truly consider my recommendation. I also believe giving each tweep their own tweet shows them just how much I really appreciate them as a follower.

Other Social Media Fundamentals


“Content Is King”


I was once told by Anthony Piwarun, SEO expert and @Apiwarun on Twitter, that “content is king.” Truthfully, he was right. (See The Video) The concept is simple really. If you want to have people around to listen when you have something to say, you need to develop a following well before it is needed. That’s why people, and more importantly companies, must be regular content creators. By continually exchanging with your public you can create a consistent following so when you need them most, there is an audience ready to hear what you have to say.

Promote. Promote. Promote.

If you’re using social media as a means to gain an edge in any market, whether it be the blogosphere market or the job market you can’t forget to promote your product. When I began following John Paul Aguiar ( @JohnAguiar) on Twitter I was welcomed to his Twitter community via a welcome page geared specifically for new followers. Aguiar direct messaged me the link to his welcome page. I thought it was such a great idea I had to make my own. Now after thanking new followers with an @mention I direct message them with the link to my welcome page.

Typically you wouldn’t see this page unless you started to follow John on Twitter, and you should, but you can see both John’s welcome page and my own by following these links.
(John’s Welcome page) (My Welcome Page)


Thrilling Fundamentals

While there are so many unique ways to incorporate the fundamentals of social media no strategy is complete without them. For any social media campaign or plan to really be successful it needs to engage its audience through relationship building. The more the more individualized this relationship building is, the better. Creating interesting and useful content is a great way to build that relationship but the real reason for doing so is promotion, don’t forget your purpose.

Your Turn...
Did I leave anything out?
Who did you learn from?
...let me know in the comments.

Visit My Site

Tweet 

Life Lessons Learned as a Summer Intern (Part I)

This summer I've embarked on an internship that is anything but typical. Against the advice of friends and family I accepted an internship with a company that employs student labor to paint homes during the summer months. We've all seen these types of companies and had our doubts but I saw something in this particular company and took the plunge.

This internship is absolutely a, fend-for-yourself, sink-or-swim, learn-everything-the-hard-way type of experience. There was no mistaking that an internship in an industry only vaguely familiar to me and paying entirely on commission would most assuredly be a demanding task. To be honest though, it was these challenges that the opportunity presented that attracted me. I’ve never been one to do things the easy way and the idea of having success or failure on my own terms thrilled me.
While the experience isn't over yet I have already racked up a few life lessons and know enough to expect more to come my way. While some of these may not be new concepts to me or you, they have definitely been made more meaningful in the first part of this summer.

So here they are...

Life Lessons Learned as a Summer Intern (Part I)

Your Parents Get Up Earlier For a Reason

When you are a college student you roll out of bed just in time for your 10 am class, then go home have breakfast and start your day. (And it is GLORIOUS!) However, when you work 8-12 hours a day with a list of things that have to be done in preparation for the following day, it’s important to get up at a decent hour.

In my internship I set my own hours, yet, they almost always resemble a typical schedule my parents would have had when I was growing up. Sure in some professions you can wake up at noon, not shower until 5 pm, work a bit before meeting up with fiends and then get some more work done before collapsing into bed. (The life of a writer comes to mind.) However, when the success of your work involves meeting with potential clients and or managing the work to be done by subordinates, you really have to adapt to their schedule and use what time is left to accomplish everything else on your plate. Typically that means just slightly less than 10 hours of sleep a night, and unfortunately that it also means starting your day when society off campus starts. Bummer. I know.

Schedule Me-Time Early

Whether it’s reading, yoga, or just being alone with your thoughts, it’s important to have your personal time. When your days are especially busy or better yet, unpredictable, it is wise to schedule such activities early in the day. When you are crazy busy or things always happen to be added to the day’s to-do list, something has to give. In my experience it is the things left to the end of the day that get bumped from the schedule. If me time gets bumped enough times in a row it’s bound to take its toll on your mental and emotional well being. Be advised.

It is Important to be Excited

I am always in the midst of several projects whether it be for work or school or my own amusement, I need to have multiple things to consume my time. If I was to dedicate all of my waking hours to my internship I would crack. I would assume most people you’d be the same way. And of course it is important to spend time with friends and family, but I like to have side projects too. This could be how you spend your me-time.

Allow yourself to chase your passions, give yourself a chance to be excited. I not only find my excitement form writing but from collaborating with others. On top of my full-time summer internship where I call all the shots (almost), I have another internship in which I work with a group of other student and learn a ton of great stuff from them. Learning new things excites me. What excites you?

You can learn a little bit more about my current internship by visiting my branch website: StudentPaintersPalatine.com


Learn more about me and some of the things I do by visiting my personal website: BrendanBarrett.Weebly.com


Make sure you catch my next post by following me on Twitter! @UWWBrendan


Tweet

Micro Blogging & Twitter: The Gap Between Facebook and Twitter Use

Within certain circles that we all find ourselves in, Twitter is, in a single word, GREAT! It’s where we find the great tips that help us in our careers and everyday lives. It’s where we find new products and companies and even our news. On the flipside, it is where we go to share all of our own tips and news. Its serves as an outlet to publicize all the great things our companies do. Yes, we were fine without it, but now that it’s here I’d rather not see it go. For all these reasons and more we make a conscious decision to use the micro blogging site regularly. However, the use of Twitter relative to that of Facebook is significantly less.

Why is that?

You should check out Facebook vs. Twitter Demographics, a blog post on Digital Buzz . Among other really interesting and useful things, it gives the simple figures of Facebook and Twitter use. In 2010 Facebook had 500 million users and Twitter only 106 million users. Sure a 106 million is a lot but the difference of 394 million is pretty significant too. So again, “Why?”

In my own experience, I’ve found groups of people who just can’t get enough from there Twitter feed. On the other hand I also know folks who just don’t get Twitter. And I’m not just talking about people like my parents who can barely navigate their email never mind a living, breathing, social media outlet. I’m talking Facebook addicts that simply can’t comprehend hash tags or @mentions.

I’ve also had friends, as I’m sure you have had, who simply view Twitter as a striped down Facebook offering nothing more that status update.

“How am I suppose to CREEP if there is only one picture on a person’s profile?”

We all know that it is so much more that a watered down Facebook. Its simpler format that relies heavily on links is part of what makes Twitter so great. (Dan Gillmor wrote a while back in his blog about proper blogging and link usage as compared to what I’d call link pollution. Check it out!)

This simple format however does give rise to two different types of twitter users. The Status Updaters and the Micro Bloggers. As you can probably tell, I’m more a fan of the true Micro Bloggers who post links and comments about things I’m actually interested in, compared to the Status Updaters who’s tweets resemble something like:

“I had some killer muffins for breakfast!”

“Shoot! I got muffin crumbs in my keyboard.”

“The boss got mad at me for eating over my keyboard.”

“New policy at work: No muffins :(”

I think the concept of Twitter as a micro blogging outlet is the important aspect that seems to be lost in translation. I’m not saying that status updates on Twitter are all bad, but I do believe that there is a time and place for them. Without them Twitter would lose its personal aspect that we all appreciate.

Your Turn

What are the best things about Twitter for you?

Why do you think there is such a large divide in Twitter and Facebook use?

Should the gap be closed or is the Twitter culture better because of its smaller size?

Tweet

ShayCarl: Hero, Dad, Great Guy

In the theme of "Growing Up Brendan" and looking up to folks who have been where I am sitting now and now sit where I wish to be, I am reminded of ShayCarl. As a YouTube personality, vlogger, dad, husband, and great guy he has worked his way to a dream career yet still looks forward. He has paid his dues through a string of less than glamorous jobs before he began carving out his own his own path as an entrepreneur.

He sprouted a career as a YouTube personality and as a social media expert while bouncing between these different jobs, running his own business, and carrying the responsibilities of being a husband and father. The compounded responsibilities that run through his life remind me of an essay I once read. (I apologize for not having the title or author.) It shared the concept that many of us have to work "day jobs," weather it's really a job we just hate, or in some cases it's mandatory/necessary schooling, that takes time away from our passions. It continued to explain that to reach whatever level we consider success, we must not allow our "day jobs " to disrupt us from our progress even when it means extra effort.

In a blog post by Michael Humphrey, ShayCarl’s Epic Journey To YouTube Stardom, ShayCarl is quoted on how he really quested for knowledge as apposed to merely wishing to obtaining a degree when he was enrolled in school. In addition it mentioned how he often found it frustrating that school got in the way of all the productive things he could be doing with his time. I too have this feeling as a student which is why I identify more and more with ShayCarl's story.

Not to put Shay on a pedestal, but he lives the life many of us wish we could. Of course there was only one way he got there. Through faith in himself and hard work at what he loves, he has managed to create a life for himself and his family that mirrors what most of us imagined as kids. Great times with family and friends, built on strong, loving relationships. This, in its simply enjoyable entirety, is what the life and work of ShayCarl revolves around, which is something that will always make me smile.

ShayCarl on YouTube:
ShayCarl
ShayTards
ShayLoss
Katilette

ShayCarl on Twitter

Katie Felten Speaks on UW-Whitewater Campus

Not to long ago I had the privilege to hear Katie Felten speak on campus. Her career as a networking entrepreneur was an inspiring accomplishment to be learn of. Her company MKELive is the means by which she has continued to build a career by being a connector of people and an expert in social media. Not only through frequent speaking engagements but training seminars too, Felten has been able to continue to do what she does best, connect people, while teaching people how to connect themselves.

The reason for her visit to campus was an extension of what Felten does every day. Her time spend speaking with students was meant to help enhance the knowledge of students in one of her many areas of social media expertise, Linked In. And without fail, that is exactly what she did!

Felten spoke of many of the benefits of Linked In and how it can be used to achieve all of those benefits at their utmost level of potential. Some of the no brainers included:

• Completing your profile
• Connecting with as many of your friends as possible
• Studying and learning from the profiles of users who are finding success using Linked In

However the things that I found most helpful included:

1. Your Linked In profile is Not a Regurgitation of Your Resume: Your profile is an expansion on the traditional resume. You can very easily upload your resume to the Linked In profile so it would be a waist to simply restate everything said on it. Your Linked In profile doesn't follow the same format as a resume either so take advantage of writing small paragraphs that can better explain what you have accomplished and what your skill set is. That includes in your summary and descriptions of previous/current positions held.
   
2. Branding Yourself With Your Name Plate: The banner or name plate at the very top of your profile is your first impression on Linked In and should be perceived as you wish it to be perceived. Ultimately, this is similar to the tweeted version of resume and profile if you had to position yourself in 140 characters or less. So, the lesson to be learned is to make those few characters count. (While I'm thinking about it the name plate of your Twitter account should accomplish the same thing.)

Be sure to visit Felten's Linked In for a great example of all these things in action.

Simply put, I was very impressed with the information Felten had to share and grateful to have been able to sit in on here presentation. I encourage everyone to visit the the MKELive website to learn more about Felten and her company. Felten can be found on Twitter and of course on Linked In.

Have Fun!

Brendan

More Fun Links For Katie Felten:
http://twitter.com/KatieFelten
http://www.linkedin.com/in/katiefelten
http://www.youtube.com/katiefelten
http://mkelive.com

My Links:
http://www.youtube.com/GrowingUpBrendan
http://www.twitter.com/UWWBrendan
http://www.BrendanBarrett.weebly.com
http://www.StudentPaintersPalatine.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanabarrett

BMA Lightning Round

Hey Everyone,

The other day I had the privilege of attending a Business Marketing Association event. BMA's Lightning Round was a great event that I really enjoyed. Going in I decided it was a perfect topic to base a video blog on and that it would be a great way to launch my very own.

Of course this idea of mine was right in step with some of the concepts that were presented at this event. Anthony Piwarun, one of the speakers that contributed to an interesting social media presentation focused on online positioning for employment, gave some specific advice to the camera which revolved around creating content as a means of positioning one’s self online.

When it came to formatting my resume a Mr. Stewart Landy suggested that I organize my resume in order of what I absolutely wanted to be known for to the smaller details of who I was professionally. He shared some tips about how to really make my accomplishments and experience stand out. Landy shared his insight with the camera also, to which I was very appreciative.

Find Piwarun on Twitter @Apiwarun and you can view the video version of this blog HERE.