Lecture 1

Developing your
Professional Brand
Kevin Heffernan

Developing your Professional Brand:

Introduction.
 Core outline of module:
• Understanding the market for graduates
generally and more specifically in the
marketing arena.

• Appreciate the skills required by employers in

your selected sector

• Map your current skills against those required

in your chosen industry

• Develop PD plan to help close your skills gap

and make yourself ‘stand out’

• Identify and develop ways of Marketing self.

  Date Lecture Seminar Workshop Important

   
1 24 Sept Introduction to the Module  Introductions, getting to know & No workshops programmed for week 1 *please see
questions: Blackboard for your
weekly reading.
‘If I were a brand, what would it be?’
2 1 Oct The graduate labour market What career do you want?/ Group Reflective taster. Hightfliers report
formation/ Coursework 2018
How will I make my group work more
effective?
3 8 Oct Employability 1 Discussion: Highfliers Group scenarios: problems and  
Sign group contract. solutions.
Group roles and final opportunity to get
into a group.  
4 15 Oct Employability & Extra Curricular Your role within a team Group Scenarios continued.  
activities
5 22 Oct Developing Critical Formative feedback on group work. Developing your critical thinking skills.  formative feedback
Thinking/argument and analytical   session: worth 10%
skills
6 29 Oct Employability Week- No 5MARK004W Classes programmed.

However, students are expected to take advantage of the many employability enhancing events taking place.

Assignment 2 requires you to attend and reflect on one of the programmed events
7 5 Nov Developing Critical Reflective GROUP PRESENTATION Exercises on reflection Assignment 1: Due
Skills November 5th 2018
8 12 Nov Guest speaker: Careers Developing your reflective and Developing your logic through reflective  
critical thinking skills. process
Questions regarding the reflective
assignment.
 
9 19 Nov Constructing your CV Developing your LinkedIn Working on your ‘Skills Audit’ Assignment 2 Due
22nd November 2018
10 26 Nov Approaching Interviews: selling Students bring CV & peer review Developing cover letter Bring CV & Cover
yourself. identifying areas for improvement letter
11 3 Dec Developing your own Personal Role play- Interviewer and Developing your PDP  
Development Plan. (PDP) interviewee.
12 10 Dec Sum up & Final assignment re- Assignment workshop Assignment workshop.  
brief
          Assignment 3: Due
January 7th 2019
 The Module Assessments
Assessment Deadline for Method of Feedback available: Feedback
submission submission available
from:
Group 5th November In seminar & w/c 19th November, In Class
presentation 2018 PowerPoints 2018 (Verbal) &
on Turnitin Blackboard
Reflection 22th November Turnitin w/c 10th December, Blackboard
report 2018 2018

Final Report 7th January Turnitin w/c 28th January, Blackboard

2019 2019
 Synopsising The Module:
We want you to:
• understand the market for
marketing graduates,
• understand yourself,
• ….Think of yourself as a brand, and
• be able to market yourself.
Career planning Flowchart..
 Career plan
& Personal
development
plan
What did the GRADUATE Job Market look
Like a few years ago?
How prepared were graduates for the world
of work?
What did graduates prioritise in their job
search?
What the papers said in 2015
And more…
A very different picture
a few years ago..
 This is now, but that was then:
• The future is much brighter, BUT,
And now???
• And the point is………
 So, the world is more volatile:

• Employers insist on the majority of students having a 2:1 or

above.
• = more competition at the top.

• Students achieving 2:2 or less are shut out of many jobs.

• How do you make yourself stand out from the crowd?

• What will make employers pick you from that recruitment

shelf?
 Your qualification is part of a bigger picture:

• Your Degree will develop your potential to

offer employers:
– intellectual,
– professional/practical and
– transferable/key skills
• BUT wider experience of being at university,
will give opportunities to develop further skills
valued by employers,
– such as self awareness and
– initiative.
 Cognitive Skills/Brainpower:
What is it? Related Competencies/Skills
• The ability to identify, • Analysis
analyse and solve problems; • Attention to Detail
work with information and • Judgement
handle a mass of diverse
data, assess risk and draw
conclusion
 Generic Competencies:
What is it?
• Transferable key skills such
as the ability to work with
others in a team,
communicate, persuade
and have interpersonal
sensitivity
Related Competencies/Skills
• Image
• Influencing
• Interpersonal Sensitivity
• Planning and Organising
• Questioning
• Teamwork/Working with
Others
• Written Communication
 Personal Capabilities:
What is it? Related Competencies/Skills
• The ability and desire to • Achievement Orientation
learn for oneself and to • Adaptability/Flexibility
improve one’s self- • Creativity
awareness and
• Decisiveness
performance. Having a
lifelong learning • Initiative Leadership
philosophy, emotional • Tolerance of Stress
intelligence and desire to
perform well. To be a self
starter and to finish the job.
 Technical Ability:
What is it? Related Competencies/Skills
• For example, having the • Technical Application
knowledge and • Technical Knowledge
experience of working with
relevant modern
equipment or sorftware.
The ability to apply and
exploit information
technology.
 Business and/or Organisation Awareness:

What is it? Related Competencies/Skills

• Having an appreciation of how • Commercial Awareness
businesses operate through • Financial Awareness
having had (preferably
relevant) work experience.
• Organisation Understanding
Includes an appreciation of
organisational culture, policies
and processes through
organisational understanding
and sensitivity. The ability to
understand basic financial and
commercial principles
 Did you know?
Origins of Students Studying in The UK: 2014-2015
2000000
1829195
1800000
1600000
1400000
1200000
1000000
800000
600000
400000 312010
200000 124575
0
Rest of EU Rest of World UK
Origin of students from top 5 EU countries
studying in UK(2014/15)

16000
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
Top destination countries for UK students
studying in EU: 2014-2015

4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
 Questions to ponder for next week & for
your seminars:
• Do you know what career you will work in?

• Have you thought about who/where/what you might

work in?

• Have you considered the type of work you might be

required to do?

• Have you considered the type of skills you might require

to be successful in your chosen career?