By Hunter Krupka
When considering what my brand as a potential employee is, I think of positivity, professionalism, and people oriented. These three traits in particular are likely the ones that will form a person’s first impression of myself, as I can typically do a good job naturally portraying them in any social setting, even one with a future employer. I am naturally a positive person, and almost always look to the bright side in any situation, which also helps with my people skills. I find it very easy to make new relationships, even when given a very short time frame. I believe that I am a person that most people would want to have around, as my communication and positivity make me a very easy person to get along with. With regards to professionalism, I always dress the part and address everyone with the respect that they deserve. These traits have been crucial in securing myself a position within several jobs over the years. One of my biggest weaknesses is likely my lack of experience. As a full time student, I have only had a couple of jobs over the summers, so my on the job experience may be lower than many of the people that I am competing for a position with. However, where I lack experience, I make up for in my quick problem solving. I believe that this particular strength sets me apart from many other candidates and has helped me succeed in several interview environments over the past few years.
The tough part about creating a job wanted advertisement to get myself into the workforce is that I really don’t look that great on paper. Sure, in a couple of months I will have a bachelor’s degree, I have a good GPA, and I have held a handful of different positions in several industries such as retail and warehousing, but compared to a lot of other candidates, I wouldn’t really stick out. Where I do shine is in face to face interactions, where I can really show my personality and quick thinking, as well as show my problem solving through hypothetical situations like those that many interviewers use. Unfortunately, this really doesn’t help me, as in order to secure an interview, I have to be chosen from the pool of applicants first. Therefore, I believe that I can represent a certain degree of my people skills by asking for “reviews” from old coworkers, supervisors, managers, and other people that I have interacted with over the years. These reviews would serve as a source of proof for some of my strengths, especially those that really can’t be portrayed well on paper. Additionally, I can make myself more available. What I mean by that is to show that I am willing to relocate for a position, or essentially be willing to work around inconveniences to secure the job. This is a strategy that I actually used to secure my job after I graduate. I was fairly underqualified, at least compared to other candidates that also applied, but I made it known that I would be happy to relocate if necessary. As it turns out, this was something that they were looking for, and even though other individuals had more experience, I was chosen because of my flexibility. Once I gain enough experience to set myself apart from others, I won’t need to rely on relocating, but for someone who lacks experience and skills in a specific industry, it is a great way of giving me the upper hand.
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