Happy day two! Waking up was a struggle not going to lie, but it was worth it because we were going to Griffith College for a guest lecturer. Ellie Doyle is a co-founder of TalentHub Recruitment Agency and her presentation was focused on what employers look for in potential candidates and how to sell yourself during the process. As I continue through school, a large stressor is ‘OMG what if I don’t get a job’ or ‘OMG I am going to be unemployed and live in my parents basement.’ But after listening to Ellie speak, I actually had the biggest realization: you are not meant to fit into a job, a job should fit you. Ellie posed the question that if you really wanted a certain job, but had to fake your way through the interviews to get it, are they hiring your genuine self? Is putting on a facade every day worth the added stress? These questions made me really I should capitalize on my soft skills and work to build a brand on my strengths in order to attract a position that will fit me.

Ellie also talked about competencies and how that is the hardest thing to change about a potential candidate, so recruiters usually hire based off of these competencies. Employers can teach the hard skills but cannot teach traits such as self awareness, for example. These competencies contribute to your personal brand: what people say when you are not there. Reflecting on myself and my personal brand, I found that I believe my strongest competency is sales and communication. The StrengthFinder test we took for the business school determined my number one trait as ‘Woo.’ Since I got those results back I found sales and communication to encompass my personal competencies which include ‘enjoying the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over’ and ‘breaking the ice to make a connection with someone.’ These will positively impact my job performance because no matter what profession I gravitate towards, I will have colleagues and possibly clients. Being able to capitalize on my strength of effective communication as well as being able to connect with someone on a friendly and professional level will make myself stand out as a potential job candidate. I said in my last blog post that I am ready to ‘win an Irish person over’ in a business deal… maybe I actually am ?!? (lol).

My personal brand is that I am a welcoming conversationalist who enjoys the challenge of winning people over and encourage people to reach their full potential. A key piece of my brand comes from the words ‘balance’ and ‘adaptable.’ Being someone who strives to have a genuine network and enjoys conversation means I have to know boundaries as well as knowing when encouragement becomes nagging. Balance is also practiced in the workplace, knowing when to lock in and be serious and when to joke around. Boundaries vary from person to person so it is also important to note that I am adaptable based on who I am talking to. Different personalities and people require a different type dialogue (whether it be body language or diction) and approach. Overall, I feel I am someone who can connect with a variety of people as well as be aware of my surroundings and audience.

So back to the trip, after the lecture, we were able to visit Croke Park, home of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). I was shocked to find how serious Irish people took Gaelic football and hurling. We were able to walk around the whole stadium, learn the history, and sit in the VIP stands. I was also shocked to find out the players don’t get paid and have real jobs, one player was an actual doctor. To be honest I think I would go crazy on the pitch (field) if I played on the women Gaelic football team.

Anyway, day two was great and I am so excited to visit Google tomorrow!