Creating Your Own Brand

In the job marketplace we all know that networking and professionalism are important, but how do you want to be seen by others? You don’t want to be the same as everyone else. That is why you must create your own personal brand. Within your brand you can focus on your strengths and how you would be a valuable asset to any company. You must set yourself apart from the crowd. We have compiled three major steps in formulating your own self-brand for the business market.

1. Figure out who you are and who you want to be. 

Think about yourself, your values and your principles. You want to portray yourself as you are so that you find a company whose values align with yours. Think about who you’d like to be in a business. Are you a leader? How so? What types of tasks are you best at? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Take a personality assessment such as “The Big Five Personality Traits” so that you understand what type of organization you would fit best into based on your personality style. 

2. Develop your strengths and weaknesses and be able to speak to them.

Think about what comes naturally to you. A great tool to use would be the StrengthFinder application. This assessment helps to identify major areas of strength and why/where/when these strengths would be useful. Identify your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Think about how you can utilize your strengths to help you to improve upon your weaknesses. Think about this in a way that you could explain to an employer when being interviewed or networking. The ability not only to admit to a weakness but also how you can improve upon it is very valuable to any employer. 

3. Define your goals.

What is your dream job? Why is this job your dream job? Incorporate the first two steps into your goal. How can you utilize your strengths to reach your goals? Think about your values and beliefs and use that to figure out what type of organization you’d like to work for. Create your own personal mission statement. Your goals should be SMART or Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound. The more concrete you are about your goals with yourself and your potential employer, the more likely you will accomplish them.

The concept of marketing yourself or “selling” yourself may seem slightly tacky but it is actually one of the most genuine ways to be honest about who you are & what you want, and it will help you to find an employer who is interested in those things. Creating a personal brand will help you to become more appealing to employers because of your individuality and it will help you to find an organization whose values align with yours!

4 Enjoyable Ways to Spend Your Fall Days In Sartell

Does the crisp fall air and the sight of changing leaves make you crave spending more time outdoors with friends and family? Around Sartell there are countless opportunities to satisfy your Fall fever.

With 24 parks, 17 miles of trails, playgrounds, bike lanes and the Watab River running through the community, it is easy to find beautiful autumn landscapes and fun activities to partake in. While keeping this in mind we want to share some ideas that you will enjoy this season!

1.    Fall Leaf Photography and Collection: A beautiful way to spend a fall day is to take time to admire the leaves on the trees as they change colors. Planning a picnic or a hike in the woods during fall can be a great romantic getaway for two or a fun day for the family! The changing colors make gorgeous photography and with the miles of trails in Sartell this may be the perfect place to start!

2.    Create a New Family Tradition: Fall is the perfect time to involve the family in an outdoor sport. Football season has started and it is still warm enough for soccer, baseball and other group sports. Go on a bike ride, a hike or even rake the leaves in your back yard and make a scarecrow. All of these activities can be turned into an annual fall family tradition.

3.    Navigate Through A Corn Maze: There are plenty of corn mazes available in the Fall for kids and adults. At night there may even be some mazes haunted by the costumed staff members that create the perfect spooky atmosphere. For these after dusk mazes, it is perfect for families with older children and the younger kids can still enjoy the maze during the daylight without all the monsters!

4.    Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchards: It just isn’t fall without pumpkins or caramel apples! Take the family out to a patch and orchard to pick those apples and the perfect jack-o-lantern! Make sure to make those delicious caramel apples on a stick for everyone to enjoy.

I know we are excited to enjoy this fall weather and we hope you are too! Now get out there with your family and friends and enjoy the beautiful Minnesota autumn while you can!