These were the slides I presented to an audience of 200 students and graduates at the MENDAKI Club Graduates Tea on 19 October 2013. The topic was that of personal branding and marketing for career, and I shared the five things I wish someone had told me upon graduation!

1. ISH THEY B
T
WHA I W
A JO
ABOUT FINDING
TOLD ME
D MARKETING
ANDING AN
SSONS IN PERSONAL BR
LE
@FARAH_SIDEK

2. FARAH SIDEK
AND I SPECIALISE IN
DIGITAL MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
www.farahsidek.com
@farah_sidek
#GRADSTEA13
@farah_sidek

3. I WAS BORN IN SINGAPORE
1980s
@farah_sidek

4. ENCE (HONS)
EE IN SOCIAL SCI
RADUATED DEGR
G
G IN COMMS AND NEW MEDIA
MAJORIN
@farah_sidek

5. MUNICATIONS
MASTERS IN COM
RADUATED WITH
G
IONS
NAL COMMUNICAT
JORING IN PROFESSIO
MA
UBLIC RELATIONS
AND P
time to pay off my school loans!
@farah_sidek

6. EST INTERN”
“WORLD’S COOL
UND OUT ABOUT
FO
THROUGH TWITTER
2010
PRIZE: $30,000 FOR A SIX-MONTH INTE
RNSHIP;
TRAINING WITH TOP AGENCIES IN SING
APORE
@farah_sidek

7. first but....
not
FIRST RUNNER-UP!
@farah_sidek

8. experience with
OWNED FIRMS, GREAT CLIENTS!
REN
@farah_sidek

9. anding superstar?
ARE YOU a br
1. IF YOU HAVE not updated your resume in 2013
2. IF YOU HAVE never had a job interview
3. IF YOU have not done an internship ever
4. IF YOUR CURRENT RESUME IS MORE THAN TWO PAGES
5. if you don’t have a facebook account
6. IF YOU don’t have a linkedin profile
7. IF YOU have never tweeted in your life
8. IF YOU don’t have a google+ page
9. IF YOU have never introduced yourself to a stranger
10. if you have never proactively networked
@farah_sidek

10. WHY BRAND YOURSELF?
SO
DO YOU W
ANT TO GET
A JOB YOU’RE GOOD
A A JOB YOU LOVE?
T?
AND GET P
AID WELL?
@farah_sidek

11. marks the sweET spot
‘x’
passionate
but poor
what you’re
good at
what you
love
0.001%
chance
WHAT PAys
(WELL enough)
rich but
‘meh’
@farah_sidek

12. ING?
AND
BR
T IT?
BOU
A A
H T
W
@farah_sidek

13. ‘HAPPINESS’
‘stylish,
innovative’
‘EXTREME
adrenaline’
@farah_sidek

14. S
N
O
I
T
C
A S
R G
E IN
T L
IN E
E
F
S
+
D
N
A
R
B
=
@farah_sidek

15. SO YOU ASK....
“BUT THOSE ARE
CONSUMER BRANDS,
NOT PEOPLE”
@farah_sidek

16. IN REALITY.....
WE ARE ALL
BRANDS
IF WE AREN’T DOING IT, OTHERS ARE DOING IT ON US
@farah_sidek

17. YOUR BRAND IS
YOUR BEST ASSET
INCREASE NETWORK AND
ENGAGEMENT
CAN GET YOU JOBS
(AND $$$)
STAND OUT IN A
COMPETITIVE WORLD
RESUME
@farah_sidek

18. NGS I
5 THI
TOLD
THEY
WISH
BOUT
ME A
DING
FIN
A JOB
& BRANDING!
@farah_sidek

19. UR CV
SO YO
#1: “
ONG?”
GES L
A
IS 4 P
@farah_sidek

20. keep it less than
two pages
BE RELEVANT and
succinct (especially
in cover letter)
answer the job
description
INCLUDE STATS AND
FIGURES
@farah_sidek

21. nope!
@farah_sidek

22. e mind-blowing examples
these ar
http://googlepleasehire.me/

23. #2: “SO
ULD I
Y SHO
WH
OU?”
HIRE Y
@farah_sidek

24. WHA GOES ON IN
T
THEIR HEADS?
WANTED! SOMEONE:
1. talented
2. Hard worker & learns fast
3. Work well in teams
4. Positive attitude
5. X-factor (personality)
@farah_sidek

25. august 2012
@farah_sidek

26. TOUGH
QUESTIONS
tell me
about yourself
why do you want this
job/career in this
industry?
scenarios: tell me
about a time...
(E.G: YOU LED A TEAM)
EXPLAIN TO ME...
(RELATED TO JOB
KNOWLEDGE)
@farah_sidek

27. YOU CAN ASK
THEM QUESTIONS
how do you see this
role supporting
your job?
what would you look
for most in a candidate
for this role?
What excites you most
about your job, and
what do you like most
about this company?
don’t ask: salary,
hours, promotion
@farah_sidek

28. OUND
3: BE F
#
LINE
ON
@farah_sidek

29. HOW DO
THEY
CLASSIFIEDS
HIRE?
recruitment
agencies
‘LOBANG’:
REFERRALS,
NETWORKS
web/
SOCIAL MEDIA
sources of
finding a job
@farah_sidek

30. publish your
views in 140 chars
networking with
strangers
TWITTER
great for news
and #trends
@farah_sidek

31. branding yourself
and your work
networking with
peers/industry
LINKEDIN
job opportunities
@farah_sidek

32. like facebook, but
more open
GOOD FOR GOOGLE
SEARCH
GOOGLE+
more casual
and fun
@farah_sidek

33. platform to archive
all your opinions
great for search
BONUS:
WEBSITE
looks very
professional
@farah_sidek

34. #4: GO
AND
OUT
OME!
A ES
BE W
@farah_sidek

35. W
BEING A ESOME
BEYOND WORK
ATTEND FREE TALKS
(like this one!)
MEET more PEOPLE IN
YOUR INDUSTRY
PICK UP A HOBBY OR A
sport or an interest
VOLUNTEER
OR START SOMETHING
@farah_sidek

36. THE LIST SG
FACEBOOK OR
EVENTBRITE
LINKEDIN
GROUPS
@farah_sidek

37. about the things i learn
i blog
@farah_sidek

38. YOUR
#5:
RK IS
ETWO
N
ORTH
NET W
YOUR
@farah_sidek

39. BE WHO YOU ARE
(be sincere)
FIND A MENTOR
(or be one
eventually!)
YOU ARE THE
COMPANY YOU KEEP
@farah_sidek

40. #foodforramadan
a project i helped run in 2012-13
@farah_sidek

41. NGS I
5 THI
TOLD
THEY
WISH
know ABOUT
ME
DING
FIN
A JOB
& BRANDING!
@farah_sidek

42. 1. resume writing
2. the interview
3. online branding
4. being awesome
5. building networks
@farah_sidek

43. I WILL GO AND DO THESE:
1. TODAY: GO FIND A MENTOR OR SPEAK TO SOMEONE IN THE
INDUSTRY; GET THEIR CONTACT
2. THIS WEEKEND: UPDATE YOUR RESUME (<2 PAGES)
3. THIS WEEK: SET UP YOUR LINKEDIN OR GOOGLE+ ACCOUNT
4. THIS MONTH: ATTEND A TALK RELATED TO YOUR INDUSTRY AND
MEET NEW PEOPLE
(YOU SIGN HERE)
@farah_sidek

44. “
“
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...
- dr seuss
@farah_sidek

45. NOT.
R DO
“DO, O
TRY.”
E IS NO
THER
@farah_sidek

46. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN WORKING TOGETHER
OR TO JUST SAY HI, CONTACT ME AT:
@farah_sidek
www.farahsidek.com
nurfarhana.sidek@gmail.com
@farah_sidek