Brenda Bence

SPONSORED BY USA BOOK NEWS

Author Brenda Bence’s book focused on helping college graduates find a job using personal branding — entitled How YOU™ are like Shampoo for College Graduates: The Complete Personal Branding System to Define, Position, and Market Yourself and Land a Job You Love — is a winner in the Young Adult: Non-Fiction category in THE NATIONAL BEST BOOKS 2010 AWARDS. USABookNews.com, the review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced the winners and finalists of the awards on October 26, 2010. Awards were presented for print and audio books published in 2010 and late 2009.

How YOU™ are like Shampoo for College Graduates is the first practical, step-by-step personal branding system designed specifically for job-seeking college grads. “The first two books in my personal branding series helped job seekers and people at work use personal branding to achieve greater success. So, I felt it was important to write a book for college graduates because their challenges are unique,” says Bence. “A graduate’s job search requires a special approach to personal branding. I wanted to give grads a chance not only to find a first job, but to land a job they would truly love – right out of college.”

Jeff Keen, President and CEO of USABookNews.com, said this year’s contest yielded an unprecedented number of entries, which were then narrowed down to just a few finalists and one winner per category. “The 2010 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers throughout the United States,” Keen says.

A complete list of the winners and finalists of the USABookNews.com National Best Books 2010 Awards are available online at www.USABookNews.com.

About the Author:
Brenda S. Bence is an internationally-recognized branding expert, certified executive coach, and powerhouse speaker and author. With an MBA from Harvard Business School, her 25-year career has included developing mega brands for Procter & Gamble and Bristol-Myers Squibb across four continents and 50 countries. As President of Brand Development Associates International, Brenda now travels the world speaking, training, and coaching individuals and corporations to greater success through creative yet practical brand development. Her three books in the How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo personal branding series have won a total of ten national book awards.

Brenda Bence, President of Brand Development Associates International Ltd, is available for television, radio, and press interviews nationwide to talk about her book and topics on personal or corporate branding.

Visit www.BrendaBence.com , contact +1-312-242-1830, or email Daniel.Jackman@BDA-Intl.com for availability.

Click here to read a recent interview about the second book in my personal branding book series “How YOU™ Are Like Shampoo for Job Seekers.”

As a college student getting ready to graduate, do you find yourself worrying that you’re at a disadvantage in the job pool because you don’t have as much experience as older applicants? If so, you’ll be glad to hear that you have some definite advantages while looking for a job just by virtue of being young and new to your job search. If that sounds too good to be true, here are six reasons you may very well be chosen for a job over an older, more experienced candidate:

The Millennium Generation Perspective. No one knows the needs and interests of younger customers better than … well, a younger customer! And that means you — a college grad. You can leverage this knowledge in your job interviews by helping potential employers see how you can uncover the needs of the company’s young target market and find a way to respond to those needs.

IT Skills. Unlike many older job applicants, you have grown up with computers as a natural part of your life. You probably understand software, hardware, and the Internet — including social media — better than anyone who is older than you. Never underestimate the importance of this knowledge!

Multi-Tasking Abilities. If you’re like most people in their late teens/early 20s, you’re probably capable of listening to your MP3 player, talking on your cell phone, texting someone, checking Facebook, and answering a Skype message all at once. Studies show that people from ages 12-24 today use an average of 5.5 media at the same time, while people over 40 only use 1.7 media at the same time. This means that you’re probably better at juggling a lot more things at once than an older candidate who is competing for the same job as you. And what employer wouldn’t want that?

Lack of Baggage from Past Jobs. You come to the job market with very few preconceived notions, a fresh perspective, and a clean slate. Some older job candidates can get set in their ways. They learn how to do things at one job and then, find it hard to learn new ways of doing those things at a new job. So, make it clear in your job interviews that you’re open to learning the company’s system and that you’re excited about discovering their processes.

Lower Salary Expectations. In tough economic times, older candidates often apply for lower-level jobs, but companies are reluctant to hire them because they might bolt to a better job as soon as one comes along. This is why a company could actually find it more attractive to hire someone like you for a starting position. So, be open about your willingness to begin a new job at a lower salary so that you can prove yourself in that position.

Willingness and Hunger. When you’re just starting out in the job market, you may have more of a “hunger” than the person who’s been working for a number of years. That willingness to do whatever it takes is key to success, now more than ever. Companies want people with a “can-do” attitude.

So, don’t concern yourself with your title or whether you’re doing work that you feel is “beneath” you. Everyone has to start somewhere, and the difference between success and failure is often the attitude and willingness you show toward helping your employer. Use every job as an opportunity to learn and grow, and you’re almost sure to be rewarded in a big way.

Billie Burke — the actress who played Glenda the Good Witch in the original Wizard of Oz movie — once said, “Age is something that doesn’t matter unless you are a cheese.” Change your mindset from what you don’t have as a college grad to what you do have, and remember these six advantages.

Recruiters Vote on Grads’ Worst Fumbles in Job Interviews

What do more than 50 seasoned college recruiters from top-level corporations and universities say are the biggest mistakes college grads make in job interviews? That’s the question I recently posed to recruiters from companies and schools like Google, Disney, Sony, and Stanford University. The outcome of their votes? Their 20 ‘biggest bloopers’- five of which are outlined here. Are YOU committing any of these mistakes in your job search?

1. Not paying attention to YOU on the Internet. Chances are your interviewer or future boss will do a “Google search” on you before they decide to call you in for an interview. In fact, I found out about 45% of recruiters now go beyond Google and search for you on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. So, think twice about what you post online, even if you think it’s protected by a password.

What does this mean for you and your online personal brand? Think twice before posting those wild photos from last year’s spring break on your Facebook page or a picture of you passed out on your friend’s living room couch on your blog. Veda Jeffries from Stanford University, says, “Students feel that Facebook, etc. is their personal thing, but it’s difficult to erase negatives about who you are when it is open to anyone and everyone.”

Pay attention to what you say in your blog or other social media, too. Negative comments about professors, internship colleagues, or dorm mates – or using bad language – may find you out of a job. Remember: Privacy is virtually non-existent on the Internet. As soon as you post it, your secret is out, and you may be unconsciously hurting your personal brand faster than you can click your mouse.

2. Believing a company’s “greeter” at a career fair is a peer or a confidante. Recruiters made it clear: The job of a company’s greeter at a career fair is to check you out just as much as an interviewer. Even if a greeter seems casual and talks to you like you were a friend, his or her job is to report back to the company whether to call you in for an interview or not. So, keep in mind that the greeter’s opinion counts! Also, make sure that you don’t say one thing to the greeter and something different to your interviewer. You’ll get caught, and that could lead you to being branded as inconsistent — or worse, dishonest. Keep it professional when interacting with every company rep.

3. Thinking the interview only begins when you’re across the desk from the interviewer. HR professionals repeatedly told me: From the moment you walk into the location where you’ll be interviewed, you are “on.” That means no talking on your cell phone, listening to your MP3 player, or texting in the lobby while waiting for the interviewer. It means remembering that how you treat the receptionist may be shared with your potential boss later on. And, it also means remembering that the time you spend following the interviewer from the reception area to the interview room is also part of your interview. I found out that some recruiters are purposely quiet during that time just to see how you respond to the silence and to see if you’re outgoing and personable enough to talk. So, be sure to start some conversation during that time; a little small talk will go a long way to communicating a strong personal brand.

4. Not asking for clarification when you don’t understand a question. One of our worst fears is to look “stupid,” right? But it will look even more stupid if you fumble around and answer the wrong question! In fact, recruiters told me they think it’s stupid not to ask question. Maggie Yontz of ConAgra Foods says, “Nine times out of ten, when a candidate asks for clarification on a question I’ve asked, I figure that I have not communicated clearly, not that the student can’t comprehend what I’m asking. I appreciate a candidate who’s confident and direct enough to ask for clarification on a question that he or she doesn’t understand.” So, most interviewers actually prefer you to ask for clarity. It lets them know you want to make sure you give a good answer. Now, who in their right mind would consider that stupid?

5. Not being prepared with good, thoughtful questions to ask at the end of the interview. Recruiters told me you should expect to be asked, “Do you have any questions?” How good your questions are will show not only that you did your research on the company and the position, but that you really gave some thought to how you could fit in at the company. It will also show that you’re listening to the interviewer.

Nora Bammann, Assistant Human Resources Manager of The Kroger Company, says: “Always have questions ready. The questions interviewees ask really tell me (a) how the interviewee processes the information they heard, and (b) if the interviewee was not only listening but if they understood what they heard.” So, be ready with some questions in advance, but also feel free to ask questions in-the-moment based on what you’re told by the interviewer.

Of course, keep your questions relevant. Gillian Taitz, Senior Recruiter-College Relations for Staples, said, “When candidates ask me things that really just prove they are trying to sound intelligent and have done their online research, it really turns me off. I’d much rather we spend time talking about what is important to this candidate in terms of culture, management style, etc.”

So, how did you do? Have you committed any of these mistakes? As John Luther Long, author of the short story “Madame Butterfly,” said, “Learn from the mistakes of others – you can never live long enough to make them all yourself.” By being aware of the biggest blunders other college grads have made, you can avoid committing them yourself. That’s how you sail through interviews and land a great job that you’ll really love — right out of college.

Author Brenda Bence’s book about how to find a job using personal branding – How YOU™ are like Shampoo for Job Seekers: The Proven Personal Branding System To Help You Succeed In Any Interview And Secure the Job of Your Dreams – is the Winner in the Career Category of the 2010 National Indie Excellence Book Awards.

How YOU™ are like Shampoo for Job Seekers is one of 80 category winners for 2010 in both fiction and non-fiction categories out of thousands of new books submitted by independent publishers from across America. Bence’s Job Seeker book also won the Grand Prize in the 2009 Best Beach Books Festival and was an award-winning finalist in the USABookNews.com National “Best Books” 2009 Awards.

Author Brenda Bence is Founder and President of Brand Development Associates International, Ltd., a firm that specializes in helping companies and individuals around the world build successful, growth-oriented corporate and personal brands.

“My aim with this book was to help job seekers find great jobs fast, even in this difficult economy,” says Bence. “We have been surprised and delighted that the book has also gained critical attention and accolades.”

The National Indie Excellence Awards are designed to bring recognition to titles from independent publishers and celebrate excellence in independent publishing. The competition is judged by an independent panel of experts from all aspects of the publishing industry. For a complete list of finalists, visit http://www.indieexcellence.com/indie-results-2010.php.

Brenda Bence is available for television, radio, and press interviews to talk about her book and/or topics related to personal or corporate branding. Visit www.BrendaBence.com, contact +1-312-242-1830, or email Daniel.Jackman@BDA-Intl.com for availability.

CHICAGO – Author Brenda Bence’s book on how to find a job using personal branding – How YOU™ are like Shampoo for Job Seekers: The Proven Personal Branding System To Help You Succeed In Any Interview And Secure the Job of Your Dreams – is an award-winning finalist in the Career category of the FOREWORD REVIEWS’ 2009 BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS. The winners in each category, as well as Best Fiction and Best Nonfiction winners, will be announced at Book Expo America in New York City on May 26, 2010.

Author Brenda Bence is Founder and President of Brand Development Associates International, Ltd., a firm that specializes in helping companies and individuals around the world build successful, growth-oriented corporate and personal brands.

“The book was written specifically to help job seekers find employment faster in a tough economy,” says Bence. “So, to also be recognized in the publishing industry is more than I had hoped for and very exciting.”

How YOU™ are like Shampoo for Job Seekers is one of just ten finalists in the Career category and was chosen from a total of 1,400 entries in the competition. Bence’s Job Seeker book also won the Grand Prize in the 2009 Best Beach Books Festival and was an award-winning finalist in the USABookNews.com National “Best Books” 2009 Awards.

ForeWord Reviews is the only review trade journal that reviews books published by independent publishers. The Book of the Year Awards aim to bring the work of independent houses to the attention of librarians and booksellers. The finalists’ books hail from 360 publishers and, according to ForeWord Reviews, are “examples of independent publishing at its best.” For a complete list of finalists, visit http://www.bookoftheyearawards.com.