This is an interesting question and post this week for Module 4. I do not think I have ever stopped and thought about what “My Brand” would be to advertise myself to a potential employer. As I think about it, I think this would be my angle.
I think my strengths as an engineer is my ability to work with other people and be service oriented. The majority of my career thus far has been as a manufacturing engineer. As a manufacturing engineer you must work with a wide variety of people ranging from production employees, production supervisors, design engineers, maintenance technicians, and other manufacturing engineers. Out of all the engineering disciplines, I think manufacturing engineers have to work and interact with the widest variety of people. This has taught me how to work well with others and provide good service to those I am providing support to and the projects I have to execute. I think this skill set is somewhat unique to engineers. Engineers are often known for their technical expertise and less for their people skills. So, I would want to highlight this strength. My weakness as an engineer is my lack of attention to detail. The times I have made mistakes on the job is because I have overlooked a detail. I had a manager in my previous position that used to remind me that “the devil is in the details”. This is often true when problem solving. The details tend to matter a lot. So, this is something I have to work at as an engineer. I feel for other engineers this comes a bit easier.
If I were to try and come up with some clever advertisement for myself, I think I would go about something like this. I would show an ad of a very stereotypical engineer. Someone with thick lensed glasses, tucked in white dress shirt, and a pocket protector. The ad would then go on to show this person acting awkwardly in the workplace and people struggling to understand what they are trying to communicate. I would then ask the question in the ad “Are you tired of dealing with awkward engineers? Do you wish for a different type of engineer for your company?”. I would then go on to highlight some of my strengths as an engineer as they relate to people skills and communication.
Now this ad is meant to just be fun. To all my fellow engineers and nerds out there, I do not mean to be insensitive or mean. I just think it is kind of fun to pick on ourselves or our own professions from time to time. I know humor in ads or on TV stand out for me. So, I thought it might make a fun advertisement to take a light hearted approach to it.
6 responses to “My Brand”
Hi Steven,
This is a really well thought out post even though you said you haven’t given the question of what your “brand” would be much thought! I really like what you said about being a manufacturing engineer and how you think this group of employees has to work with the largest amount of people. I think that is probably true as well! I like the thought you put into your advertisement for yourself, I think that would be really effective!
Great post,
Stevie
Steven,
Great post! I like the level of humor that you brought to your brand. I feel that a lot of times people are afraid to poke fun at themselves. I think it shows a level of comfortability in who you are and what you represent. I really enjoyed that in your post.
Great job!
Seth
In my opinion, when it comes to marketing your brand, it’s entirely possible to base yourself on your career goals and accomplishments, which sets you apart from other candidates. For maximum impact, keep your audience in mind and avoid vague terms like loyalty, politeness, and friendliness unless you can relate them directly to work. Knowing your customers is one of the most important sales strategies. In situations where you’re pitching yourself for an interview, it’s crucial to do your best to understand the potential employer’s needs and desires. Read job descriptions, investigate the company’s history and learn about its corporate culture. Ask yourself, “What does the company need from people in this role?” Once you’ve determined your answers, be sure to formulate your answers in the form of common interview questions that demonstrate your understanding of their position and your unique ability to meet their needs. When you meet an interviewer, aim to be the best person for the job. Imagine yourself as a marketer or salesperson and the product that convinces customers to buy is you?
And now all the traditional views on positions have changed a lot. It does not mean that all engineers or business people have a fixed style of dressing. In my opinion, it is more based on their own preferences and then popularized. in the form of advertising to the public. These are pretty normal now, in my opinion, unless the more interesting ads appear to dissuade people.
Your advertisement description is awesome. I love the idea of making it similar to an info-mercial, “are you tired of…”. I think this is an excelent way to break peoples expectations and grab people’s attention. I also think yor brand as a job candidate emphasizes well your soft skills that are often the competitive edge in engineering roles. Well done,
Mark
Hi John,
I thought you did an excellent job in your blog post this week as I feel like I have a really good picture of what your brand would be. I think it is important that you are able to properly highlight your strengths to future employers. First impressions have a large impact on how people will view you and I think from what you described you would come off as very professional and motivated. I also think that your ad you came up with was a very clever idea and I think many people will find it funny and also endearing. If I was an employer you definitley would come across with a solid brand.
Hey John!
Overall, this is a great blog post! I really enjoyed how you went about this post, it was much different than other blogs I had read! However, this is definitely a good thing. You truly expressed yourself here it feels like and for this I commend you! You gave us a different viewpoint and poured some humor into the blog as well. This was a great post and by far one of my favorites! Great job!