Clarissa S. Beyah-TaylorVice President, ExelonPepco Holdings Communications

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Breaking Through Key Elements to Career Navigation

Overview

• Understanding Your Brand– Candid self reflection

• Career Evolution– Differentiating yourself with key tools– Professional portfolio

• Using Your Network To Advance– Defining and leveraging your network– Career navigation insights

• Q&A

Understanding Your Brand

What Sets Me Apart?

What Do I Do Best?

What Am I Known For?

What Are My Interests?

Where Do I Belong?

What Value Can I Create?What Are My Strengths?

Your Brand: Who Are You?

?

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What’s in Your Brand?

Occupation

RelationshipsCommunication

Reputation

• Actions & Behaviors• “Say-Do” Ratio• Achievements• Failures• History

• Job(s)/Role(s)• Skills & Expertise• Talents• Organization(s)• Work/

Community

• Boss• Peers, Team(s)• Affiliations• Family/Friends• Adversaries

• Non-Verbal– Appearance – “Perceived “– Demographics• Verbal• Discoverable- Social

Media

5What do you say about yourself & others?

Career Evolution

Differentiate Yourself with Key Tools

Investing in YOU

How many have you created about… Y. O. U. ?

How many presentations, proposals, summaries or reports have you constructed about… a project… a plan… an event… an organization?

?

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Career Tools

Stand out… when you are not

in the room

1Amplify your story, share depth of experience & breadth of skills

Showcase your journey, expand on outcomes you’ve achieved

Provide evidence and visuals of impact you drove

Demonstrate understanding of opportunity, share your approachSet yourself apart — stand out from

the competition

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Career Evolution-- Invest in Yourself

Essentials to Proactively Advancing

Your NarrativeWho You Are

Your ToolsWhat You Deliver

YourExecutive Portfolio

Key Tools

Differentiate & Win

• Skills• Capabilities• Experiences

• History• Accomplishments• Contributions

Amplification Foundation

Elevator Pitch

Your NetworkYour Support Team

• Navigate• Grow• ID Opportunities

Brand Ambassadors

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Your Narrative

• Short, simple & easily understood

• A clear expression of who you are

• Easily repeatable & adaptable

• In your voice

Purpose & Use of Statement

Elevator Pitch Networking Portfolio Electronic Profile

(LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Blog…)

Resume Interviewing

Your Personal Statement

Accomplishment Summaries

Play the Numbers Game.Think Money, Time, and Amounts in relation to your

accomplishments

SPAR – Storytelling Format

$

S Situation: Context and setting — new business model, org. restructuring

P Problem: Challenge resulting from context — need to respond, act

A Action: Step you took, program you led, project/product launched

R Result: Outcome — In numbers where possible (charts, infographics…)

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Differentiate – An Executive Portfolio

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Fill gaps lost in resume or cover letter

Resumes give linear, more narrative view

Cover letters are short & focused on why you are

applying

Fill gaps

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Show organization skills & thinking processVerify points made during an interviewIdentify past work

experience and current correlations

“Show“ your skills

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Give More Depth & Breadth

Help visually-minded reviewers grasp concepts

Give More Depth

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When complementing other career tools, a portfolio can add a powerful advantage.

Key Considerations…

Creation requires extensive preparation, long hours of planning and work

• Focused on your expertise and ability to make abottom-line contributionObjective

•3-20+ pages depending on type of content…•Content will vary for each individual• Flexible structure options— narrative, slides,

electronic…•May include graphs, tables or charts, pictures

Format

•Presented directly to decision maker(s), search team or panel… person most likely to be your boss Audience

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Many Types of Portfolios

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Portfolio(s) can vary or change based on where you are in your career AND what your objective is

Output examples…• Booklet format with “sleeves”• Work Samples – Creative, Writing, Published Work• Slides from Projects

Early Career OR Creative OR

Technical Focus

Input Examples…• Narrative Summaries• Charts showing outcomes achieved• Descriptions of projects and outcomes (vs. samples of

work product)

Mid-Career OR Project

Management Focus

Outcomes, over time… examples….• Career Snapshot• Key Trends, themes and outcomes over time• Types of functional expertise

Leadership,Strategy Focus

Bonus DifferentiatorsProposal or Project Analysis

Few individuals will take the time to create …when done correctly…can be critical differentiator

Demonstration of your knowledge, insights, problem solving approach and work methods

1-2 page(s), using a bulleted or narrative form

Key issues you would address if you were to receive the role

Summary of position needs/environmental landscape based on your industry knowledge, research of role, understanding of organization

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Tool Amplification: Do’s and Don’tDo

• Share with trusted network for candid feedback• “High-touch hand-off” to

decision maker(s)– Following or at end of

interview(s); To trusted sponsor

• Sound judgment critical in how you share

• Regularly update– Save key files, examples,

summaries after projects end– Email accolades…

Don’t

• Show and Tell during first interview• “Present” during interview• Email lots of tools in advance• Broadly circulate them• Include confidential

information that is not yours to share• Include references /

endorsements without permission

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Using Your Network To Advance

What is Networking

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1 Relationships with Professionals – Foundation

2 Ongoing and 2-way – Constant Care and Feeding

3 The most effective way to advance your career– Results

70% of all jobs are found through networking. 60% are never posted or advertised- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employers fill the majority of job openings through the unadvertised, or hidden, job market.- --Occupational Outlook Quarterly

Mapping & Activating Your Network

Already know

Bridges

Can Hire

A- Already Know

People you already know: (favorable AND unfavorable) personal, professional, social…

B- Bridges

Contacts who connect or introduce you to “C” decision makers

C- Can Close or HireDecision Makers with authority to hire now or in the future

Might include former supervisors or colleagues who have been promoted

Breaking ThroughThink through channels for advancement

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Current Company

Social Profession

al Sites

Association Job Boards

Executive Recruiters

Your Network

1 Know Your Brand – Assess it, Build It, Grow it, Proactively Maintain it

2 Manage Your Career– Develop a network and suite of tools

3 Outcomes Matter– Ensure brand materials pass the “So What?” test

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5Update Your Portfolio Regularly– regular maintenance is easier than creating from scratch

Summary

Invest in yourself– Create a portfolio that suits you & sets you apart