1. THE ART OF SELLING “YOU” Matthew Cowley, M.Ed. Career Resource Center

2. About Me

3. Networking Professionalism

4. Professionalism & Your Brand What is a brand? A brand tells us what to expect when we interact with a product or service

5. Professionalism & Your Brand Personal Branding is making the best use of your attributes in order to project an image that is easily recognized and associated with anything you do Is professionalism a part of your brand? IT SHOULD BE!

6. Professionalism  Firm handshake  Punctual  Appropriate dress  Communicates Professionally

7. The Elevator Speech KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE- Before writing any part of your elevator speech, research your audience. You will be much more likely to succeed if your elevator speech is clearly targeted at the individuals you are speaking to. Having a ʹ generic ʹ elevator pitch is almost certain to fail. KNOW YOURSELF- Before you can convince anyone of your proposition you need to know exactly what it is. You need to define precisely what you are offering, what problems you can solve and what benefits you bring to a prospective contact or employers Answer the following questions:  What are your key strengths?  What makes you special?  What adjectives come to mind to describe you?  What is it you are trying to ʹ sell ʹ or let others know about you?  Why are you interested in the company or industry?

8. The Elevator Speech OUTLINE YOUR TALK- start a simple outline of your material using bullet points. You can use the following questions to start your outline: 1. Who am I? 2. What do I offer? 3. What problem is solved? 4. What are the main contributions I can make? 5. What should the listener do as a result of hearing this? FINALIZE YOUR SPEECH- The key to doing this is to expand on the notes you made by writing out each section in full.  To help you do this, follow these guidelines:  Take each note you made and write a sentence about it.  Take each of the sentences and connect them with additional phrases to make them flow.  Go through what you have written and change any long words or jargon into everyday language.  Go back through the re-written material and cut out unnecessary words.  Finalize your speech by making sure it is no more than 90 words long.

9. The Elevator Speech Let’s Practice!

10. Networking

11. Why Network? 1. To be educated about your field or industry 2. Many jobs and internship opportunities simply go unpublished 3. Many publicized opportunities are given to the networkers 4. Building a professional network is a lifelong investment

12. Getting Started LinkedIn is a great tool to meet new people easily. You can even connect with UF alumni using LinkedIn.com/alumni. Many of the same recruiters come to Career Showcase every semester. Building a relationship can give you a leg up in the job search process. You are already winning! Your Network PPeers PProfessors AAdvisors GGator Nation TThe CRC!

13. Networking is not…  Manipulation of others  Obligation to others  Keeping tabs on what people do or do not do  Putting someone on the spot  Being demanding  “Brown nosing” or “kissing up”

14. Getting Started As you begin building your network…  Know what you know  Know what you want to know  Be open-minded

15. Do Your Homework  Research organizations  Know the names of “entry level” positions  Be knowledgeable of trends and hot topics

16. LinkedIn  Research organizations and see the people you may know  Find new organizations similar to the ones you already know  Look for jobs and internships  Join groups to find great connections  Share articles with your connections  Let your connections know about academic or personal accomplishments

17. Need Help?

18. Upload or create a resume for employers to be see! Search full-time jobs, part-time jobs, internships, and research opportunities in four databases Find out about workshops, information sessions, and fairs that the CRC has JUST FOR YOU!

19. The CRC Can Help!  Career Planning Appointments/Walk-Ins  Certified Gator Professional  CHOMP  Employer2Student Programs  Gator Launch  Career Showcase