Tell It Like It Is: Promoting Yourself

to Further Your Career

Brenda Huettner and Jill Parman

STC Summit - Phoenix

May 19, 2014

A Three-step Plan

1 Know Yourself

2 Enhance Your Skills and Market Knowledge

3 Promote Your Unique Value to People Who Need It

4

What is important to you?

• Flexibility• Creativity• Independence• Service to others• Money• Variety• Social

interactions

• Security• Professional

Development• Prestige• Teamwork• Excitement• Opportunity/

Risk

This exercise is designed to go quickly, so don’t overthink your answers.

You can find more information or dive deeper into Knowdell at CareerTrainer.com.

Exercise

Knowdell Career Values Sorting Cards

Paraphrased conversation between Alice and the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland (by Lewis Carroll)

Isn’t This Supposed To Be About Promotion?

If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going Then Any Road Will Take You There.

Your Unique Value

Reputation

• What makes you stand out in a work environment?

• What do people compliment or thank you for doing?

Skills and Interests

• What are your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and goals?

• Do they match the message your reputation delivers?

Market

• How do your abilities and interests fit into the current market opportunities?

• How can you freshen your industry and market knowledge?

8

Promote Your Unique Value

• Resume• Portfolio• Collateral

• Business cards• Website or intranet page

• Social Media• Facebook business page• Twitter• LinkedIn

Imagine that you’re on an elevator with your ideal…CEO, client, peer, employee.

What do you say?

Where does it apply?

Elevator Pitch Exercise

Not just for the elevator

What kinds of swag do you like to get?

What convinces you to look further at a product or discuss more with a person?

Collateral Wins and Fails

Story time!

Common areas where we might need help:

• Accounting

• Legal/business development

• Graphic design

Recognize Gaps in Your Skill Set…

…and work with pros

A Three-step Plan

1 Know Yourself

2 Enhance Your Skills and Market Knowledge

3 Promote Your Unique Value to People Who Need It

Brenda Huettner

P-N Designs, Inc.

@bphuettner

www.facebook.com/bphuettner

www.linkedin.com/in/bphuettner/

bphuettner@p-ndesigns.com

Jill Parman

ForWord Consulting, LLC

@ForWordConsult

www.facebook.com/ForWordConsult

www.linkedin.com/in/jillparman

jilldparman@gmail.com