Strengths & Your Personal Brand

Katy Hinz, Office for Student Engagement

My Top 5

Learner Positivity

Maximizer Arranger

Empathy

My Top 5

StrengthsFinder Facts

• 34 themes

• Online assessment, you get your top 5 with descriptions and action guide

• 33.39 Million

Talent (a natural way of thinking, feeling,

or behaving)

X =

Strengths Building Equation Investment

(time spent practicing, developing your

skills, and building your knowledge base)

Strength (the ability to consistently

provide near-perfect positive performance)

Writing Challenge

• Sign your name five times on a sheet of paper.

Writing Challenge

• Now switch hands…

• Sign your name five times on a sheet of paper.

Strengths on the Job

*Harter, J.K., Schmidt, F.L. (2002). Employee engagement, satisfaction, and business-unit-level outcomes: Metaanalysis. Gallup Technical Report

One study* found that employees who answered yes to the question, “I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day” (i.e. use their strengths) had a 44% higher probability of employee retention and a 38% higher probability of productivity.

Strengths & Your Career

• Your themes do not match one career field, instead they help you understand how you can be successful in your career of choice

• The best people in a role deliver the same outcomes, but with different behaviors (strengths)

• Utilize the ‘Career’ section of the ‘Student Action Items’ report and/or the U of M Strengths Guides

• When you find a career that fits you work doesn’t really seem like work

Don’t use the StrengthsFinder words to explain your strengths to an employer….

WHY NOT????

Your Top 5

• Choose two of your Strengths

• Write down how you would explain these strengths in your own words and one-two examples of how you use these strengths. Pretend that you are explaining them to an employer!

• Share in small groups

Job Analysis

Social Media Assistant - Coordinate online marketing and advertising campaigns and update Web sites - Collaborate with other team members in service of client specific projects and campaigns - Organize project coordination and community outreach - Creatively develop the "Brand" and "Vision" of our clients Campaigns - Utilize Social Media as a tool for online marketing and promotion - Manage campaign and project related task in the best interest of the clients.

• How could you

use your Strengths to do this job?

• How would you

communicate it to the employer?

Incorporate Strengths:

• Interviewing: STARS Method

– Situation/Task

– Action

– Result

– Strength(s)

• Cover Letter

• Resume

• Elevator Pitch

Personal Brand

Identify the Brand

Identify the Brand

Identify the Brand

Identify the Brand

What’s Your Brand?

What do people think of when they see your NAME or FACE?

What are you KNOWN for?

What’s Your Brand?

Who do you go to when… You need advice about a problem you are having with a friend?

Need a movie recommendation?

Need help with your math homework?

You need to laugh and have fun?

What do people come to you for? • Whether you know if or not all of your actions

are creating your brand.

• Being intentional about your brand will help you

be successful in your career.

“…Your unique promise of value”

-William Arruda

“A Brand is what someone does consistently with effectiveness”

–Rob Swanson

Personal Brand Video

What’s a Personal Brand?

Defining Your Brand

Your personal brand is your set of

unique qualities that make you

marketable to employers including:

• Strengths

• Skills

• Values

• Passions

• Unique Life Experiences

• Personality

Skills • Communications Skills (listening, verbal, written)

• Analytical/Research Skills

• Computer/Technical Literacy

• Flexibility/Adaptability/Managing Multiple Priorities

• Interpersonal Abilities

• Leadership/Management Skills

• Multicultural Sensitivity/Awareness

• Planning/Organizing

• Problem-Solving/Reasoning/Creativity

• Teamwork

Pick 2 skills you feel

confident in

Values • What are your Top 3

Values?

Passions

• Environment

• Helping People

• Travel

• Cars

• Reading

• Knitting

• Fashion

Identify one thing you are

passionate about

Unique life experiences

• Military

• Experiences abroad

• Internships

• Volunteering

• Leadership roles

Think of 1 unique life experience you have had, how would you explain the impact

to an employer?

Personality How would you describe

your Personality?

Create Your Personal Brand

Statement

Now What? • Seek to learn more about your Top 5

– Talk to people about your Top 5 • Friends, family, academic advisor, career counselor • Reflect, reflect, reflect!

– Visit STRENGTHS.UMN.EDU, Job Search Guide – www.thepersonalbrandingblog.com – Meet with a Strengths & Engagement Coach, drop ins M-F 11am-

2pm in STSS 511

• Student Action Items found at: www.strengthsquest.com – Academics – Study Techniques – Extra Curricular – Career

Choose an item to act on!

Questions?