Home » Blog » Monthly Archives: September 2009

Announcement: Brand Camp ‘09 offers special STUDENT discount

diversity_studentsStudents can learn plenty about business while in the classroom. However, personal branding and social media are often left out of the picture. In today’s world, where new media and digital tools empowers individuals and amplifies their voice, this level of thinking removes an important piece of the corporate and entrepreneurial puzzle.

The sooner we realize that our personal brands are an important part of the marketing and business mix, the more successful we can become.

To ensure that students are exposed to these critical ideas, Brand Camp University is extending a special offer to students currently enrolled in high school, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. Current students may attend Brand Camp University at a discounted rate of $50 by signing up Brand Camp ‘09 Registration  using the discount code: BCU_STUDENTS. That is $100 savings on normal registration!

Current student ID or copy of a current class schedule must be presented at the event in order to qualify for the discount.

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Brand Camp ‘09 Conference Workshops Announced

widget_speakThe long awaited, much anticipated Brand Camp ‘09 conference workshops are finally here. Below you will see the speakers and sessions for the conference.

Mitch Joel – President – Twist Image / Author of “Six Pixels of Separation”

KEYNOTE: Personal Brands – How You Connect In A Connected World
Every Sales, Marketing and Business Development team is made up of individuals whose success depend on how well they have self-defined their Personal Brand. Mitch Joel helps people define their personal and corporate brands through insights that simplify goals and values and ignites new ways of growing your business, community and inspiring your personal life. Increased sales and business success is not about pushing employees, it’s about empowering them. Discover why branding is not just for multi-national companies – we are all brands. Find out how to make a personal brand shine.

Rohit Bhargava – Senior VP, Strategy & Marketing / Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence

KEYNOTE: How Your Personal Brand Can Save The World
Chances are if you are going to be at Brand Camp U, you already buy into the idea that building a personal brand is an important thing for your present and your future. In the social media charged world, you’d almost be crazy NOT to want a personal brand, right? But your personal brand is about a lot more than yourself and your own dreams. It can also be about the impact you want to have on the world. Sound like a lofty goal? You bet it is. In this interactive session, Rohit will share some of his top tips on how he has built his own personal brand into something far beyond an exercise in egotism and self-congratulation. Filled with real life examples of what has worked (and what hasn’t!), Rohit will take you through the elements of his own personal brand and how he’s built one of the most popular marketing blogs on the web, authored a best selling book published in 8 languages (so far) and kept his day job at one of the largest marketing agencies in the process.

Scott Monty- Global Digital and Communications Manager, Ford Motor Company

The Rise of the Brandividual in Corporate Culture
It wasn’t that long ago that 30-year careers at a single company were the norm. Today, with fluctuations in the marketplace and corporate stability more questionable than ever, the notion of the company taking care of the individual is but a faint memory. At the same time, we’ve been the recipients of a gift in the way of technology that creates publishers, journalists, pundits and thought leaders of out anyone who puts their mind to it.

This session will explore the notion that the individual and the brand are merging and will raise a number of complex questions:
• In the process of this movement of so-called “personal branding,” how does one begin to balance the personal and professional?
• Where is the line drawn, or does such a line no longer exist?
• What are some key behaviors in a brand representative, and how can those be applied to your business?
• As the brandividual becomes more well known, is the company the greater beneficiary, or is the individual?
• What happens when this person decides to leave the company

Valeria Maltoni – Co-author of “The Age of Conversation”/blogger for Fast Company Magazine

Personal Branding: Using Social Media For Career Advancement in a Tough Economy
What does it mean for a professional seeking career opportunities to have a blog and an online portfolio? How can companies recruit candidates in a more meaningful way? How do smart recruiters use LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media to find top talent?

Social media is perfect for career development as it allows professionals to show what they know and think, interact with peers and build connections, learn from others, find mentors, and build a personal brand – to know and be known.

It’s not an overnight thing, it’s a slow process. And it can be messy, if one is not careful or does not have a personal brand strategy and goals. Learn how you can start building your reputation and build equity in your own brand, connect with recruiters and potential employers.

Robert (Bob) Fish – CEO/Co-Founder of Biggby Coffee

B-BIGG: Case Study of BIGGBY COFFEE
Robert (Bob) Fish CEO/Co-Founder of Biggby Coffee is a great example of how a company can successfully use social media to grow a business. Bob will discuss the history of BIGGBY COFFEE as a case study and review the successful elements (operating philosophy, core values, mission, vision, and cultural values) that brought it to where it is today. Come listen to Bob talk about how all these elements contribute to successful participation in social media.

Hajj E. Flemings – Founder of Brand Camp University/Author of “The Brand YU Life”

Grustle (Grind + Hustle): The Future of Work for Personal Branding
It is clear that the world is changing before our eyes and it is not asking our permission. There is a cultural shift taking place in the workforce and the way we work. GRUSTLE is the new minimal risk personal branding strategy working people and students can employ to live their dreams. So what is GRUSTLE? It is the combination of your Grind and your Hustle: Grind: A grind is a job; employment; typically your primary source of income. Hustle: A hustle is your passion, what you would love to do full-time and what gives you the most satisfaction. It is what you typically do after you work your daily grind.

Hajj will take you through the process of re-thinking your personal brand as he addresses the following topics in his workshop:

• Understanding why personal branding is important
• Identifying your passion and integrating it into their personal brand
• Re-thinking your daily job as a proving ground for personal branding
• The usage of social media as a strategic personal branding tool

Learn how to use the power of personal branding in a digital world that is changing the future of work.

April Holmes- World’s Fastest Amputee / 2008 Paralympic Gold Medalist

The April Holmes Story: Creating Victory through Branding
April Holmes compelling story of how she created victory through branding will change the way you look at your life. Not everyone can compete in the “Olympics” or “Paralympics” as it relates to sports, however everybody has those monuments that represent pinnacles in their life. So whatever field you’re in, your objective should be to go out and win your GOLD medal. Come listen to April share how her goal started with recognizing an opportunity (my leg being amputated), recognizing her gift (running), creating goals (to win a gold medal and become world’s fastest amputee), and connecting with resources (Brand Jordan, AT&T, & other sponsors) to help make her dreams a reality.

Ken Brown – Best Selling Author of ‘A Leap of Faith’ / McDonald’s Franchisee

Mind your Business “6 Keys to Building and creating a successful brand”
Get Ready, Get Ready, This workshop is guaranteed to propel attendees to the next level of Thinking as it relates to their Life and Personal Brand. Ken Brown will share the principles and strategies he used to attract millions of dollars and key strategic partners. Ken will assist you in turning your passion into profits. The workshop will help you answer this vitally important question “Who shows up when you show up?

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Brand Camp ‘09 Workshop: How Your Personal Brand Can Save the World – @RohitBhargava

rohit_hs_webBrand Camp ‘09 Workshop Description -KEYNOTE: Rohit Bhargava, Senior VP, Strategy & Marketing, Ogilvy 360 Digital Influence/Author of “Personality Not Included”

Chances are if you are going to be at Brand Camp U, you already buy into the idea that building a personal brand is an important thing for your present and your future. In the social media charged world, you’d almost be crazy NOT to want a personal brand, right? But your personal brand is about a lot more than yourself and your own dreams. It can also be about the impact you want to have on the world. Sound like a lofty goal? You bet it is. In this interactive session, Rohit will share some of his top tips on how he has built his own personal brand into something far beyond an exercise in egotism and self-congratulation. Filled with real life examples of what has worked (and what hasn’t!), Rohit will take you through the elements of his own personal brand and how he’s built one of the most popular marketing blogs on the web, authored a best selling book published in 8 languages (so far) and kept his day job at one of the largest marketing agencies in the process.

To hear this session, register for Brand Camp ‘09.  You won’t want to miss Rohit.

» Read more...

Brand Camp ‘09 Workshop: The Rise of the Brandividual in Corporate Culture – @ScottMonty

scottmonty_hs_WEB3_FINAL33Brand Camp ‘09 Workshop Description: Scott Monty, Global Digital Communications Manager – Ford Motor Company

It wasn’t that long ago that 30-year careers at a single company were the norm. Today, with fluctuations in the marketplace and corporate stability more questionable than ever, the notion of the company taking care of the individual is but a faint memory. At the same time, we’ve been the recipients of a gift in the way of technology that creates publishers, journalists, pundits and thought leaders of out anyone who puts their mind to it.

This session will explore the notion that the individual and the brand are merging and will raise a number of complex questions:
- In the process of this movement of so-called “personal branding,” how does one begin to balance the personal and professional?
- Where is the line drawn, or does such a line no longer exist?
- What are some key behaviors in a brand representative, and how can those be applied to your business?
- As the brandividual becomes more well known, is the company the greater beneficiary, or is the individual?
- What happens when this person decides to leave the company?

To hear this session, register for Brand Camp ‘09.  You won’t want to miss Scott.

» Read more...

10 Ways to Write a Standout Resume

2605794078_cfdc780f87Save a recruiter’s weary eyes. Write a fresh, unique, straightforward and easy to read resume, and you’re much more likely to get it read. Here are ten tips on how to keep your resume professional and effective.

Prove every word. Lots of resumes will claim that the candidate is “team oriented” or has “excellent communications skills.” So many that most readers don’t believe it anymore. If you want to make the claims, back them up with evidence. Write accomplishment statements that demonstrate your soft skills, like the fact that you’ve presented at industry conferences or facilitated team building events that produced business results. If you can’t prove it, you may want to skip mentioning it. Besides, they’ll judge your communications skills the minute they get you on the phone.

Put the reader on the scene. Help them taste the ripe, dripping orange or see the sunset, crimson fading into violet behind the silhouette of an Alpine forest. It’s how a fiction writer draws the reader into the scene, and you too can use detail to help the reader see, hear and experience the work you’ve done in the past. Offer enough concrete description that they can imagine themselves in your shoes.

Own your impact. If you delivered results, stand up and shout it. Words like “facilitated,” “coordinated,” “managed,” and “functioned” sound like you took a back seat while the rest of the team were at the wheel. Being part of a winning team is an accomplishment of itself. Talk about the teams results, share your part of the big win, and take credit where it’s due.

Keep it simple. What are the essentials to understanding the situation and your impact? Describe your work according to the CAR method (challenge, action, results) without getting into the minutiae. You can give additional context when you get to the interview.

Ditch the adverbs. Many adverbs dilute the power of your words. Look for any word ending in “-ly” and ask yourself if it’s necessary to maintain the meaning of the sentence. If not, use that red pen and mark it out.

Axe passive voice. An employer wants to know what you did, not what happened to you. Resume statements should start with an action verb (“delivered,” “developed,” “achieved”). Most of your work can be rephrased to show the action you took. One that is harder is “was promoted.” Good thing that’s the only time what happened to you is an accomplishment.

Pique their interest. If you can write an accomplishment that shows that you delivered impressive results, and leaves them with the question, “how did she do that?”, you just may get an interview so they can learn your solution to the problem. Think of what you can do to leave them wanting more.

Eliminate corporate speak. If it would show up on a Corporate Bingo game board, leave it off your resume.
Alright, you may not be able to avoid using “customer service” but other words, like “synergy” and “transparent” you should be able to skip. In fact, if you Keep it Simple like in rule XX, this one shouldn’t be a problem. If you find your resume sounding more like a technical manual and less like the engaging, successful person that you
are, corporate speak is often to blame.

Use white space. Ample white space–the margins and breaks around your text–makes your resume look more professional and polished, as well as easier to read. Many are tempted to try to jam in that extra sentence or two, and end up sacrificing the reader’s first impression for that content.

Use reader-friendly formatting. Bullets, indenting, bold, etc. all help the reader scan and process the information on the page. Use the tools available to you to make it easy on them, and highlight the areas of the document that you think are worthy of notice.

Kristi Daeda is a Success Coach and creator of Career Adventure, a blog which helps professionals in the pursuit of their inspiring work. To receive her free report, 51 Ordinary and Extraordinary Places to Find a Job, sign up for her free Career Kick Start newsletter.

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