• Read Quicksprout’s suggestions on “How to Connect with Mentors to Build Your Personal Brand” https://www.quicksprout.com/connect-with-mentors/   
• Take stock and create a list of your personal strengths and weaknesses. Consider seeking out the perspective of friends, family, and peers. The following questions can guide this process:
  • In which areas of work do you excel?
  • What motivates you?
  • What characteristics have others complimented you on?
  • Which projects or roles have others sought out your help on?
  • Which projects or roles do you consistently seek out the help of others?
  • Which roles or projects seem to drain your energy?
  • Which roles or projects are energizing to you?
  • What are you known for?
• Take stock of your current social media presence. 
  • What does a Google search of your name reveal about you to others?
  • What social media channels are you using? Who are your audiences? What type of story/ies do you tell about yourself? What personal qualities and skills do you emphasize? 
• Identify 1-2 goals you aim to accomplish through this mentoring engagement.

• What do you want to gain or accomplish out of this mentoring engagement?
• What is it that you love the most about your personal life or career?
• What is it that fundamentally drives you in your career or personal endeavors?
• What talents do you have that you are most grateful for? How have they helped you get where you are today?
• How have other professionals inspired you throughout your life? In what ways have they provided you with existential guidance and a mental framework to develop your best self?
• What purpose do you most wish to fulfill in your career or personal life?
• How do you tell your story and showcase your unique value to others?
• Suggestions on the next steps for developing a personal brand.

REMINDER: During this meeting, you must discuss a time to schedule Meeting 2, please refer to the Timeline below for the date for Meeting 2 and work with each other to schedule time for Meeting 2 on the date indicated in the Timeline item: Meeting Two – Conversation Starters.

Develop a Brand Strategy

Create a strategy for building your brand by capitalizing on social connections and social media.

1. Conduct research on your desired industry/field. How is the industry evolving? Who are the leaders and innovators? What does it take to get into the profession from where you are today? What are the skills and qualities of a strong candidate in your desired profession?
2. Define your value and identify areas for self-improvement. Revisit and assess your list of strengths and weaknesses and evaluate these in relation to the industry/field. How do they match up? What skills and qualities make you distinct?  What areas for improvement or gaining knowledge and skills in order to advance?
3. Identify connections and networks you want to target. Who do you want to reach and connect with your personal brand? Are there connections you want to cultivate or networks you want to join?
4. Identify steps to aligning your personal brand on social media. Revisit and evaluate your social media presence in light of your new knowledge and understanding. What steps will you take to better craft and showcase your personal brand?

• In addition to reflecting on who you are today, your personal brand is a roadmap of where you want to go. Where do you want to be in 5 years and what do you want to be known for?
• How did you break into the industry?
• How do you see the industry evolving?
• How do you stay up-to-date with industry trends?
• How has your personal brand evolved to reflect your growth and/or changes in the industry?
• Suggestions on crafting a personal brand statement that reflects your professional life and includes a roadmap for the future. 

REMINDER: During this meeting, you must discuss a time to schedule Meeting 3, please refer to the Timeline below for the date for Meeting 3 and work with each other to schedule time for Meeting 3 on the date indicated in the Timeline item: Meeting Three – Conversation Starters.

HCreate a Video of Your Elevator Pitch! 

An elevator pitch is a 30- to a 60-second story about who you are.

Having an elevator pitch prepared makes it easy to succinctly describe what you do and where you’re going (or would like to go) in your career. 

Keep your elevator pitch brief by focusing on a few key points you want to emphasize. This could include that you’re looking for a new position, have strengths in a particular niche, or recently increased the value of your current department or company.

The first step is to prepare your pitch. For this project, follow the recommendations by Forbes and Indeed advice for creating an effective pitch.

Once you’ve prepared and polished your pitch, video record your pitch and share it with your mentor. 

Tips for recording your elevator pitch:

• The most common advice for preparing a pitch is to practice. A pitch should sound natural – not as if it were being recited from memory or read from a script. With enough practice, the pitcher should have the confidence to make that happen.
• This article by Wistia offers great advice and do-it-yourself tips for presenting yourself as a professional on camera.
• Make sure your video is accessible to your intended audience/mentor!

• What feedback can you the Mentor offer on the Final Deliverable?
• What questions do you the Mentee have for the Mentor?
• What are the next steps in continuing to develop the knowledge, skills, strategies, etc. you’ve been working on?

Mentors and Mentees please use the following link to complete the Post-Engagement Survey