The document provides a guide for alumni on essential career tools and strategies for success, emphasizing the importance of a career plan, personal branding, and networking. Key components of a successful career toolbox include a resume, portfolio, references, mentor support, and networking both in-person and online. The document encourages proactive relationship building and highlights the significance of reputation and personal branding in one's career journey.

1. Murdoch University Alumni …..
Your Career Toolbox
Karen Thompson
Area Manager, Perth

2. Before you pack your toolbox ....
Remember the three “R”s of Career Success:
 Resume
 Rolodex
 Reputation

3. What do you need in your toolbox?
 Career Plan
 Resume
 Portfolio
 References / Testimonials
 Mentor(s)
 Personal brand
– Brand “You!”
 Networking
– Personal
– Social media

4. Career Plan
“One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a
Cheshire cat in a tree.
‘Which road do I take?’ she asked.
‘Where do you want to go?’ was
his response.
‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered.
‘Then,’ said the cat, ‘it doesn’t matter’.
- Lewis Carol

5. Career Plan
 Have a dream
 Have a goal
 Have a plan!
 Put it into Action

6. Career Plan
 Brainstorm
– What are your key Drivers?
– Where do you want to be in 5 or 10 years?

7. Resume +
 Concise and relevant
 Career overview / Career objective
– Hook the reader!
– What can you offer the employer?
(Not what you want)
 Professional Portfolio
– Traditional
– Online
 References / Testimonials
 Mentor(s)

8. Personal Brand
BRAND
YOU!
Image Courtesy: www.madisonavenuejournal.com

9. Personal Brand
What is a brand?
“The intangible sum of a product’s attributes: its name,
packaging, and price, its history, its reputation and the way
it’s advertised.”
- David Ogilvy

10. Personal Brand
Brands are differentiators
Example:
All cars but they conjure up different images

11. Personal Brand
Brand You! Attributes
 Name: How do you want to be known?
 Packaging: Appearance / Hair / Clothing
 History: What’s your story?
 Reputation: Integrity, honesty – Build a great reputation
and never, ever damage it!

12. Networking
Definition:
The act of meeting new people in a business
or social context.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/networking

13. Networking
 Formal - Conferences, Seminars, Events,
Industry Associations
 Informal - People you know and who they know
 Online - Social Media

14. Networking
Golden rule of networking:
Pay it forward
The more you give, the more you get
Create an item bank. Things you appreciate that you can
recommend and share with others.
Eg: books, articles, podcasts, websites, blogs, etc

15. Networking
Personal Networking Tips:
 Firstly – just do it!
 Join industry associations
 Look for opportunities to learn and meet people
 Have a business card
 Have an elevator pitch
 Smile 
 Ask questions
 Listen more than you speak
 Follow up

16. Networking
Doing it well online…..

17. Networking
 Blogging, microblogging, social media
 LinkedIn
 create profile
 start connecting
 research people, organisations, jobs
 Twitter – create profile, start tweeting and follow:
 thought leaders & industry specialists
 people that interest you
 relevant media Tweeters

18. Networking
Things to think about online:
 You can ‘shake hands’ via your computer
 Research – potential employers can research you too!
 Personal websites – your name as a domain name
 And ....

19. Networking

20. Networking
http://www.pigsdontfly.com/
Writes his own blog
 Has LinkedIn Profile
 Active on Twitter
 Networks on and offline
 Writes for Marketing Magazine online -
“Graduate Like a Rock Star”
 Internship at leading agency
Doing it well online….. Zac Martin

21. Networking
Taking the online offline:
Reconnected with a former university contact through LinkedIn
who’s now Dean of Careers at a university in New York.
Introduced him to a New York based Aquent colleague and who
is now sitting on an Alumni Board.
John Hyde Jerry Maggio
NYIT Aquent

22. Networking
Developed relationships with local connections
that has resulted in numerous meetings and
recommendations for business.
Aquent Blog – Who ever said fairytales don't come true?
A true social media success story (29th May 2009)
http://blogs.aquent.com/aquentblog/author/karen-
thompson/
Image courtesy of:
benrybobenry
Taking the online offline:

23. Networking
Remember:
Successful networking isn’t just about making
contacts….
…. it’s about building relationships

24. Networking
The Power of Networks
Nick Me
TONY
Carolyn
Patria

25. The Final Word
 Be the best that you can be
 If the door of opportunity knocks, peek inside
 Anything is possible
 The sky is the limit!

26. Contact me …
• Web – www.aquent.com/go/karenthompson
• Email – kthompson@aquent.com
• LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/karenthompsonaquent
• Slideshare - http://www.slideshare.net/kaz747
• Twitter – Username = @kaz747
• Tel – + 61 8 9381 7655