1. 7 KEY ELEMENTS OF A GREAT PERSONAL BRANDING STATEMENT “TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF”

2. WHY IS A VALUE STATEMENT IMPORTANT? When people ask you: "Tell me about yourself," how often do you see their eyes glaze over before you finish your answer? This most common question really contains within it two other questions: 1. "Why should I care about you?" and 2. "What is your value to me?” Should convey the kind of person/professional you are /what drives you /your passion

3. ELEMENT #1: BEGIN WITH YOUR NAME… "I'm John Doe." Then move on quickly…

4. #2: IDENTIFY YOUR CURRENT PROFESSION What is it you actually do in your job? Use the present tense ; talk about who you are today. If you haven't had a job that is similar quickly discuss something related to it. Tips: -Even after you've been doing something for a short period of time, you can honestly say you are doing it Leave the details for later. You want to convey that you are the type of person required for the job.

5. ELEMENT #3: TRANSITION Describe your passion for what you do. Show your enthusiasm with a "What I love to do is…" sentence. Demonstrate you are highly motivated These traits provides assurance you would be a great personality fit.

6. #4: WHO YOU HELP Demonstrate who benefits from what you do. Boil it down to something really simple like: "My widgets help cure sick people," "My widgets help people to be more creative," or "My work helps my team." You begin to effectively convey your value.

7. ELEMENT #5: TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE Tailor your message to the employer. Figure out what work experiences you have that is most important to the employer You can plant this image in their mind, "This person can help me and my company."

8. #6: ACCOMPLISH A GOAL What do you do that can help your current employer ? Distill it down to a single important thing. Example: "I helped my company save money." A clear simple sentence will start a conversation.

9. ELEMENT #7: SHOW EMOTION Figure out something about your job that gives you a good feeling. Example: “You know it is so exciting to see our students become successful” Show an emotional connection with the work you do- you demonstrate how you fit into a company's culture. Always remember-it is all about what you can do for them!