How to Create a Job Search Plan

Self Marketing

Starting with Why

Elevator Pitch

In the bustling city of New York in the 1950s, there was a young, ambitious advertising executive named Max Daniels. Max had an idea that he believed could revolutionize the industry, but as a junior at the prestigious ad agency, Sterling & Co., he struggled to get his voice heard amidst the sea of seasoned executives.

One crisp autumn morning, as Max hurried into the office building, he saw the company's founder and CEO, Mr. Sterling, stepping into the elevator. This was the moment Max had been waiting for. With a quickened pace, he slipped into the elevator just before the doors closed.

Max took a deep breath. He had less than a minute to pitch his idea before Mr. Sterling reached the top floor. "Good morning, Mr. Sterling," Max began, trying to steady his voice.

Mr. Sterling looked up from his newspaper, slightly surprised. "Morning," he replied, giving Max a polite nod.

"Sir, I know you're busy, so I'll get straight to the point. I've been working on a new concept that I believe could set us apart from our competitors. Imagine a campaign that doesn't just sell a product but tells a story, creating an emotional connection with the audience. Instead of just showcasing features, we highlight the experiences and benefits that resonate with people's lives."

Mr. Sterling raised an eyebrow, intrigued but skeptical. "And how do you propose we do that, young man?"

Max continued, feeling a surge of confidence. "We focus on the narrative. Take, for example, a family car commercial. We don't just show the car driving; we show the car as a part of family adventures, road trips, and cherished memories. We sell the lifestyle, not just the product. This approach could revolutionize our campaigns and make our clients' brands unforgettable."

The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival at the top floor. Mr. Sterling paused before stepping out. He turned to Max, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You've got my attention, Daniels. Come by my office this afternoon, and let's discuss this further."

Max could hardly believe it. He had done it. In just under a minute, he had managed to capture the interest of one of the most influential men in the industry.

That afternoon, Max presented his idea in more detail. Mr. Sterling was impressed with the depth and creativity behind the concept. The new storytelling approach was soon implemented in several campaigns, leading to unprecedented success for Sterling & Co. Max's "elevator pitch" had not only catapulted his career but also transformed the agency's approach to advertising.

The term "elevator pitch" quickly caught on, symbolizing the power of a brief, impactful presentation that could open doors to endless opportunities. And so, in the heart of New York City, within the walls of a high-rise elevator, a new era of communication was born.

What is a good way to make your statement impactful? It's right here:

"Imagine a campaign that doesn't just sell a product but tells a story, creating an emotional connection with the audience. Instead of just showcasing features, we highlight the experiences and benefits that resonate with people's lives."

Simon Sinek calls this the "Power of Why." The "Power of Why" is about tapping into the fundamental reasons behind actions to foster motivation and meaningful connections. In the Descriptives section of the Career Path Mastermind we touched on Storytelling and how creating and presenting yourself through a narrative fosters a better connection with who you are talking with. We are going to start fitting everything together.

We are going to work with the Golden Circle Structure. According to Simon, most companies can make a better connection with consumers when the consumer understands the WHY before they start talking about what the product is and how it benefits them. Starting with Why

The big question to answer is Why IT? Dig deep to answer this. You need to be able to say more than it's a lucrative career. Refer to your descriptives and review your self-assessment answers and apply them to IT. What were your values or motivations?

Next let's talk HOW. The first part of the answer is NGT Academy. Add in any other projects you've taken on, associates you've joined.

And finish with WHAT. What was your goal you started with? What were your workplace values?

WHY _________________________________________

HOW _________________________________________

WHAT. _________________________________________

Example:

WHY Nurturer by nature, Need to be creative and innovative

HOW Studied Career Coaching courses and obtained three industry certifications

WHAT. My goal is to lead a Career Success Team that supports Technical students in successfully transitioning into their new career.

Work to put this together into an introduction and practice so that it comes natural when when you pitch it.

"Hello, my name is Karen Parker. I am a creative and innovative thinker with a nurturing nature. I love the concept of Career Coaching and completed the National Career Development Association's training program and I've been able to prove that I can apply this training by obtaining three highly recognized industry certifications. My goal is to lead a Career Success Team that supports Technical students in successfully transitioning into their new career."

It can feel tricky putting it together at first but it is worth the effort. A good elevator pitch and personal brand put together is a great way to stand out and present yourself as unique.

When you read it, you become interested and start wanting to learn more about him. If he was sitting with a Recruiter, he has engaged that person who is now not only going to be more attentive to answers during the interview. He's made himself memorable.

Project Portfolios

The Project Portfolio is another digital presence that you can use to market yourself. This time we are going to stress your new technical skills.

A Project Portfolio is a visual representation of the projects and labs you performed here at NGT Academy, and any additional incidental projects that you've worked on. It demonstrates not only your skills but also your capacity to apply the IT concepts that you learned in a "real-world" context. It is also a great tool that you can use during interviews to discuss the experience you gained from the projects with Recruiters and Employers.

Project work is a big part of the NGT Program. A Project Portfolio showcases your hard work, in a manner that reflects you are because you created it. You can carry some of your personal branding into your Portfolio, in an introduction section or in discussing why you enjoyed working on the project. You can describe the projects that you did verbally during an interview, but imagine how much more powerfully you can describe it when you have a visual. How much

more detail you will remember to discuss. You might even strike an interest with the Employer when talking about the project on other skillsets that you are demonstrating.

There are many different platforms available to choose from to build your portfolio online. Github, Strikingly, Wordpress, Behance, and Fabrik are some. You can even showcase it on Linkedin or a professional Facebook profile. Clippings.me is the one I used for the example since it offers the ability to add ten projects for free. You can google for other platforms that may be available.

When creating the project, combine both text and visual representations to make it appealing. You can also add video, as well, if you want to be really creative. Be sure to include the following information:

● The challenge/problem with a full description

● The processes & technical tools you used to overcome it (steps you took and resources used)

● The solution/final outcome

The lessons learned and the competencies demonstrated

For example:

Full Stack Network Project Completed May 2022

Project Description: Add in your own description of the project

Process and Technical Tools: “Within the Full Stack Network Project I worked exclusively with Cisco routers, switches, and servers to build multiple infrastructures to support and maintain connectivity using primarily the configurations below.

You have plenty of room so add in plenty of detail. Talk about each step you took, some project screenshots, and describe the outcomes.

Core Competencies Used: ● Full Stack Networking ● Spanning-Tree Protocol ● Internet Protocol ● Static Routing / Routing Protocols (EIGRP, OSPF, BGP) ● Network Address Translation (NAT) ● Voice over IP ● IP Addressing, Subnetting and Access Lists ● Project management.

Linkedin has a great article discussing project portfolios if you are interested in reading further information, Building an Impressive Portfolio with your Cyber Security Projects

People make personal branding more complicated than it needs to be. Personal Branding is a clear consistent message that is used across self-marketing material, social media, and any online presence that identifies who you are. What makes you unique?

We have one message created which is your Elevator Pitch. We are going to use this same consistent messaging on most everything else we create. You have a very comprehensive list of descriptives that we have worked on. We've worked through prioritizing these and we've worked through how they define our WHY.

Let's make it a thing. Take out your notebook, write it down, and give it definition. My Personal Brand is ___________.

Example: My Personal Brand is - I am creative and innovative, relentlessly curious, empathetic who loves to help others. Nothing makes me happier then making people smile.

If anyone is stuck at this point, reach out to the Career Success Team, and we can help walk you through it.

Project Portfolios

In today's world, a strong online presence is essential. Linkedin has always been the recommended professional networking site, and is still essential.

This includes creating and maintaining professional profiles pages on networking sites like Linkedin. If you noticed, the Career Path Mastermind's starts online and social media self-marketing with a Project Portfolio. Highlighting your project work is one of the best ways to showcase your skills.

Established yourself in other social media allows you to point people toward your Project Portfolio and to build and establish a professional reputation. The stronger the online presence, the more you will be able to build an this.

Professional Associations

Consider joining some of the professional organizations and attending their events. Looks for both national and local chapters.

ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)

AIIP (Association of Independent Information Professionals

HDC (Help Desk Chapters)

IEEE Computer Society

ISSA (Information Systems Security Association)

NPA (Network Professional Association)

Additional Social Media Sites

Facebook

Reddit

Discord

Youtube

Podcasts