Define the Goal. Uncover the Barriers.
New York City, New York (PRWEB) August 07, 2013
Tired of the traditional job search approach? The future is here and now! Many have turned towards social media for career exposure and employer engagement.
"Define the goal. Uncover the barriers." Hassan Akmal, M.P.H., (Public Figure), Director of Career Services and Professor, is a forward-thinking, transformational, and bold visionary who firmly believes that Video Resumes/CVs and Cover Letters are the next big wave of the future. He is a career development thought leader who is innovative, full of imagination, creative, driven, and passionate - focused on spearheading revolutionary strategic concepts and design by implementing novel concepts to create a new revolutionary magnetic career center-feel model for the 21st Century.
His Video Resume is entitled "Next Steps". It is a contemporary approach that captures the importance of vision, passion and purpose, as well as growth traits, personal branding and multi-layered social media in career development. He argues that not only are these elements the key to maximizing careers, but they are the gates to growing life's fulfillment.
"A Video Resume has personality," Akmal says, "and markets a job seeker's soft skills such as enthusiasm and passion."
The thought of being a leader may seem like an appealing idea to the ego, but the reality of what being an authentic leader implies scares the ego to death. It means ego death. Why? Because it means that we actually care so much about a higher purpose, a higher principle, a higher goal that we're willing to make the most important sacrifices for the sake of what we are aspiring to accomplish. Happily employed graduates.
Many universities are learning how to better connect students, alumni and employers via LinkedIn, develop on-campus programming that combines career exposure and networking and implement off-campus employer site visits that provide students an “insider’s view”. "We must Connect, Engage, and Influence as Career Services Directors. Success means something different to every individual. If we don’t connect to our students and employers, really listen to them, we will not engage them."
Akmal explains that most employers spend only 7 seconds examining a resume, so candidates must market themselves better than the pool of job seekers they are competing against, have all the right keywords so they pass electronic/computer scans, and essentially stand out from the crowd.
How can someone looking for a job incorporate "passion" and "purpose"? Akmal reminds us that most students believe career development is merely the process of writing a resume, cover letter, or getting an interview and finally landing a job. Students want jobs that are meaningful, but don’t have a clue really where to begin. He states, "That's because they need to focus on finding a career, not simply a job. There really is a larger framework which they must understand. Passion is the difference between finding a job vs. a career."
When Akmal was asked what's the first step for someone who is looking to create a video resume, he said, "We must first ask them, who is managing your career?" He argues that more importantly, students must take full ownership of their career developmental paths. This, in turn, builds confidence and makes it easier to write a 30-second commercial and/or marketing scripts.
"They must be able to relate and apply what they learn. As a professor, bringing real world into the classroom or going out of the classroom to help the students experience real life examples is invaluable." Field-based experiences have long been a staple in the education of both professors and administrators. The opportunity to put the theory one learns in a classroom into real world practice is a foundation for exemplary practice. These field experiences, known in the administrative realm as internships, are so important in the education of future educational leaders that Akmal says it's imperative that higher education institutions must continuously guide the design and implementation of these internships.
Digital identity development has become increasingly important for students as they transition into their careers. Social media has provided opportunities and challenges for students and administrators as they strive to create a personal brand that is both authentic and professional. Thus, Akmal expresses the need to share the good, the bad, and the ugly of how social media can impact an individual's future career aspirations.
"We are exploring new ways to share and teach students about digital identity, and how it relates to their career profile and brand. Many job seekers struggle in gaining self-understanding and connecting their interests, values and skills with knowledge about careers and life beyond college.
"They must find their true ambition. In a sense, we are not career coaches— but life coaches."
See Video Resume/CV and Cover Letter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb0r2zF9rKQ
