With fierce competition for limited jobs, many college students wonder if they will be able to land a good job. Sadly, the economic situation feels like a bad dream. With a weak job growth, many U.S. jobs will continue to be outsourced globally or automated through technology. Yet, there are opportunities for those students who are prepared for the future.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, total employment in 2024 will reach 160.3 million, an increase from 2014 of almost 9.8 million jobs. The health care and social assistance sector will account for over a third of the nation’s projected job growth from 2014 to 2024. This article focuses on how building the right competencies will help individuals brand their personal brand and increase their opportunities for job opportunities.
As a result, today’s unemployed workers are unsure about their future. Many students struggle to pursue the right major in college. Others follow the latest trend on reality TV for selecting their ideal major. Finding the ideal job is a combination of personal interest/passion, values, and skills/abilities.
Skills and abilities relate to acquiring the right skill sets for the occupation. In business, we call these skills ‘core competencies.’ A person’s core competencies relate to an individual’s knowledge or expertise in a given area. A unique set of core competencies is an advantage in the marketplace because these unique abilities are often difficult to others.
Some examples are core competencies, which include analytical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, communication skills, and leadership. When students enroll in the right college courses, they are developing core competencies to help them become successful. If the students are unsure about what courses to take, they may be putting themselves at a disadvantage against other students who are prepared. Thus, obtaining wise counsel in selecting the right career path and determining the critical core competencies are assets to being on a university campus.
Developing a good personal brand is essential for building a successful future. Personal branding showcases your public image. Building a personal brand may be the cornerstone of sustaining success in the future. Many athletes and celebrities build successful brands over time. Some of them include Julia Roberts, Michael Jordan, and Stephen King.
Likewise, individuals can also build their own personal brand. Personal branding can be defined as ‘the process whereby people and their careers are marked as personal impression or brand.’ Al Pies and Jack Trout, authors of Positioning, maintain that making the best impressions is critical for business success. With this strategy, an individual should create a ‘position in the prospect’s mind.’ This impression should reflect a person’s own strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of its competitors.
Branding includes personal appearance, oral and written communications, associations, or anything that identifies an individual. Furthermore, branding defines, promotes, and protects an individual’s image online and offline. The right brand can transform an individual’s life while the wrong brand can destroy a person’s career hopes. Thus, spending adequate amount of time in developing your personal brand can create invaluable opportunities.
Finally, developing core competencies that strengthen a personal brand is an investment toward the future. College students are no exception. This article demonstrated that building the right competencies help individuals build their personal brand toward greater job opportunities.
With that said, individuals should protect their personal brands. Never dress inappropriately in a business setting or showcase a less flattering image on social media platforms like Facebook. Your future employer could be watching. People should be careful how they are perceived during the employment stage.
When a person submits an application to an employer or starts the interview process, potential employers are evaluating the candidate based on his or her brand. Therefore, a personal branding strategy can assist people with standing out from the competition.
Please share your insight on core competencies as it relates to your personal brand.
© 2017 by Dr. Daryl D. Green
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