Talents – Page 2 – Abetterversioncc – Career Counseling, Career Consulting

Okay, maybe a big hug isn’t necessary, or flowers for your teachers…

…But don’t leave school on a bad note. Especially those of you graduating, or leaving school. You may need some of these teachers in the future. References in your life are important. References are people who back your character. Discuss any experiences they had with you whether it be school, work, church, community involvement, sports, extracurricular, etc. Many of these people are those with whom you developed a good relationship. Sometimes these individuals might be those you would never consider as your closest allies.

YOUR PERSONAL BRAND…

Who are you?

If someone were to describe you, what would they say?

It seems a little odd here, but if you had to write your own obituary, what would it say?

Building your own personal brand is important in life generally speaking.You want to build yourself up. Create yourself.

Many of you are doing something, or going to do something that you want. For many of you, that PASSION is there. You believe. You feel great about what you do and (maybe) can’t imagine doing anything else at the moment. you live for the moment. there is something about what you do in life, as your CAREER that drives and motivates you. That’s part of building that brand.

McDonald’s has a brand. Hollister has a brand. Subway, Umbro, NIKE, and on and on.

Personal branding is so important that thousands of blogs, articles and seminars/workshops are done about developing your own personal brand. A method of identification in a professional/personal manner.

I subscribe to many different websites that focus heavily on career-building like Careerealism, Career Rocketeer, and even YP Blogs. Many of you reading this might be looking for a way to develop more of your interests.

This is a way of doing it…

Developing your own professional brand. I’m a careers counselor. Not by degree but with the experience I’ve gained and the opportunities I take advantage of in developing young people, I consider my own personal brand as a careers/college counselor of sorts. What’s yours?

When it comes to your future career and professional/financial livelihood, what do you want people to think of you as? I love waking up every morning and having a direction. Feeling good about what I do.

But I had to try several different jobs and careers out before really finding what fit me. I went from pharmaceutical sales to marketing, purchasing, material planning, retail management, and now as a college recruiter. I tried a lot. Not because I sucked at any particular job. It was actually the opposite. I was given many of these opportunities within one company because of my drive and strong work ethic. But among all that. In the midst of the excitement, the travel, the nice paychecks and comfortable surroundings, I still didn’t feel comfortable with what I was doing. Didn’t feel fulfilled.

Many of you don’t need to be “fulfilled” in order to get by in life. As long as you have security in a job that pays good with benefits. you can work on the rest. But finding that PASSION helps you to better yourself even more. What I realized when I started as a college recruiter I realized that I can do in my job the things I enjoy. This was the first time I realized this (at 35 years old). Then I started realizing that I actually had some skills and talents that I could use…to make me better at my job! My previous jobs I just didn’t feel like I was getting any better, or learning anything. More importantly I didn’t feel like I was making any change, or developing people.

Now I do. Now I use my skills and talents, like my gift of gab to deliver a message to young people and essentially motivating many of them to realize their own skills, talents and personalities when it comes to career choice, as well as personally developing themselves.

FIND YOURSELF…

What do you like and enjoy in life right now?

What are you good at? What have people complimented (or commented) on about you that you can do good?

What kind of person are you? Have you ever considered taking a careers assessment, or personality assessment test to see?

Try it out here.

But now as a public speaker and careers coach and recruiter, I found that PASSION and realized that what I am doing really fits me. I wake up pretty glad and happy. Sometimes in my job, I actually wonder why I get paid for this. A lot of things in my job that I like and am good at helped me to build my personal brand as a personal developer, careers coach and recruiter. I’m building that expertise.

What do you have to lose?

A Passion. What’s your passion? What do you believe in?

VALUES…

Develop your views and values intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic values are those things you personally hold dear to your life and that you can’t imagine letting go. Your extrinsic values are those outside, external, material items that you hold dear to you and can’t imagine letting go. To develop a PASSION for something, you should build you value system. What are your beliefs. What is it in life that you hold so true to your life that no matter what, you will always believe.

If someone offered you $100 bill, you’d take it right? Sure you would.

What if they crumpled it up and handed it to you, would you take it?

Of course, that $100 bill didn’t change its value.

What if they ripped it in half and handed it to you would you still take it?

Of course you would. The value of that $100 bill hasn’t changed any has it?

Is that any different from how we value things in our own lives?

Do you value things and people. Faith and passion any differently than you would value the worth of that $100 bill?

Values are what drive you. They keep you grounded focused and pleased with the kind of person that you’ve become. My next couple posts, sometime, will focus specifically on life lessons. Things and experiences we all have that teach us lessons and shape you for who you are. No matter your age. Build that value system and keep it. Believe in it. Let that drive your focus.
Your personal brand will come from this. you will find and have purpose.

What do you think? Please comment back. I’ve felt this way for so long and it was not until I was 35 before I really realized this. That’s why I share this with you, because many of you are in this situation right now. Many of you are young enough to start now.

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Your Success is My Success,

Keith Lipke

I’m a careers and college recruiter, coach, mentor and blogger at The Hope Chest. His passion is to educate, inspire, and give hope to young people who need it upon their search for the right career and college.