Hi Paulette,
Thanks for sharing these practical strategies. Once you are able to get students to realize the importance of managing their professional image as part of a marketing strategy to obtain their career goals, I'm wondering if you've thought of (or use) ways to then get those students who have had that "Aha moment" to further spread the message and influence other students to adopt similar behaviors/strategies to market themselves. I've found that often, career services could use additional human resources but if not staff, they can often mobilize students to assist in helping other students. I would love to hear if you have any thoughts or specific ways in which you already do this effectively.
Thank you in advance for sharing.
Robert Starks Jr.
When our students begin their program with us, I have them complete a 'vision cloud' where they answer, "what do you think will be most fulfilling about a career in massage therapy?" and "What is your vision of your dream job in massage therapy after graduation?" It's two sentences that gets them thinking about their career & future.
I will often use this as a springboard to assist them with marketing themselves for their resume. Sometimes their vision has changed, however we had started the thought process early on and the wheels are turning.
Another strategy I have used is if I see an email address that is inappropriate, I will politely but strongly encourage them to think of a better, more appropriate one. Then we start brainstorming business names/email addresses that are suited to what they want to do if they are going to be working as independent therapists. The discussion will start in class and extend to the lunch room and I have observed it on their Facebook pages as well. It works well for us.
Hi Pamela,
What strategies do you use to ensure students communicate their past experience in such a way that emphasizes relevance, highlights transferable skills, and/or de-emphasizes the least relevant information?
Robert Starks Jr.
I have students market their previous careers or experience. Because we are a vocational school that teaches one vocation, students think that their previous experience does not count. I tell them that previous experience is a way to market themselves, not just what they are learn at our school.
Hello Amy,
Thank you for sharing your process. It's important to encourage students to feel comfortable in the conversational style you've described while challenging them to think more deeply about themselves. The process definitely is one of self discovery and awareness and is necessary before developing any marketing collateral. I love that you describe the process as organic - it definitely is and speaks to the old saying that a resume is a "living document" because we grow, our experiences change and so too must the collateral we use to convey our value proposition in the job market.
Thank you for sharing! I look forward to further discussion and more ideas/thoughts from you in this course.
This certainly can be an area of challenge for our students, most of whom freeze because they don't know how to market themselves in their new career as massage therapists.
I begin the discussion with "who they are", with the goal of getting them out of their head and into their heart and I ask; how do they describe themselves, how do others describe them, what do their student clinic clients say about them in their post-session evaluations, what do their teachers say about them, what were key accomplishments they've had in previous jobs, why did they choose massage therapy, what do they love about massage therapy, what is their vision for their new career, why should an employer hire them? This usually begins to empower the student and begins the conversation of what could make them of interest to an employer. From there, design/construction of the resume becomes more of an organic process. But the necessary first step is the student discovering and owning their own "brand" and most appreciate my guidance in that process.
All of my students/graduates are career changers. I ask my students about their past careers/lives and then show them how that information can be used, along with their new education and skills, to find their first job in their new career. I make sure they do not drop any past education or experience, but it usually makes them look stronger as a candidate. I emphasize that the purpose of the resume is to get the employer to pick up the phone to call them, so let's make it obvious!
Hi Rhonda,
Of all the strategies you've used, what do you find has worked best for you in getting your students to have that "light bulb" moment to focus on the needs of the company?
Thanks for contributing to the discussion!
Teaching our students to market themselves can be very difficult. I am still working on trying to get them to show the best of themselves and to focus on the needs of the company. In the past I have worked with our career services department to assist with this. I have also had Human Resource Personnel come in to speak to the students regarding professionalism and their presence on social media.
