It seems every day brings another story of frustrated recent grads and experienced professionals seeking employment. This recent example does a great job reminding us of how employers are reviewing online profiles prior to taking the next step in a review process. It also provides useful tips and how-to’s on networking with potential employers.
With that said, I am reminded daily of the resistance to change. Gone are the days of a high paying secure position without a college education. Gone are the days of getting someone to “hook you up” with a position at the local mill. And too, gone are the days of competing with a few candidates. We now compete with the world of candidates, many that are more educated and willing to work for a lower salary than we are accustomed to. Throw in the added skill set of being bi-lingual in some parts of the country, and the competition can be even tougher.
That is why today, we must build our own brand. The key to branding is but one thing…attraction is better than promotion. Think about it, no matter the country, the industry or the gender, people that attract others are generally more employable than those that merely promote themselves. One simple example that relates to me is dancing. Not the modern moves best reserved for house music and the young, but the kind that makes one swoon. I am talking Texas Two-step. At a young age, I tried at each of the high school dances to promote myself as the next John Travolta. Needless to say, I often left early and well rested. Later my Grandmother (Nannie) took me to a quaint little dance hall in Waco, Texas. It was amazing to watch her slide around the floor as gentle and brisk as the wind. See, Nannie could barely walk a flight of steps and she wobbled when she walked due to her knees and a few excess pounds, I suspect. But when she got on that dance floor, every man in the bar saw no one but her and she seemed to float away into a mystical land where age did not exist.
Needless to say, I pushed all those jokers aside and asked Nannie to teach me how to dance. It was then that I learned the value of attraction, rather than promotion. From then on, I have never had to promote myself to get a dance. Now, I merely have to dance, and the night fills up rather quickly. Not because I am good looking or because I am desirable, but because I can do what others want to do….I can dance. I have demonstrated my skill, my gift, my talent and what I can do for others. On the dance floor, I attract ladies that want to dance.
With that story, I will leave you with this. Demonstrate your skill, your gift, your talent and abilities in a location to people that want what you offer and you will…..Dance.
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