Hey Y’all, Max here.
This post is focusing on the latest project in PGP careers ( Personal Growth Plan ), which is called Marketing YOU!!!
As you can probably guess, the point of this project was to learn about money, planning for employment, and making resumes. It feels kind of wrong to call this a project though, because there wasn’t that much work to really do. It was more like a series of lessons taught by Mr. Harris, usually followed by some small assignment.
The very first assignment was a mind map. It was to plan both realistic and not-so realistic career choices, and to consider as many professions or jobs that I am even mildly interested in, just in case. This is a good time to mention that I am very interested in the arts, particularly fashion and fashion design, and so this is my number-one-ichiban career pick.
I just remembered while writing this I have a whole craft document that has everything I did over the course of this project, so I will link that below.
https://www.craft.do/s/0YHIqeZivC2cNF <— this has everything in it
The next assignment was the creation of a resume. Fortunately, I have worked both summers since grade 8 and I already have a pretty detailed resume. I am also preparing to work this summer, and so about a week before this assignment, I updated my resume to include everything I’ve done since summer ended ( which unfortunately, isn’t that much ). I had been meaning to get a job and maybe work one or two months during the school year so I wouldn’t have to work as hard over the summer, but I was lazy and forgetful and I forgor 💀 to apply anywhere, or even have an interest in any local businesses that might potentially hire me. So, I guess that’s my fault. It’s not all bad though, because during the mind map creation period I actually brushed up my resume and I applied to Ahoy, in Deep Cove. The details about that are in the craft document.
Anyways, the resume creation process was simple and fast, since I already had one ready to go. I made two more, just in case.
I gotta to be honest and say they came out pretty well.
After the resumes came the business cards. This was easily the best part of this project, as I got to be as creative as possible without any repercussions. Now I don’t want to discredit Mr. Harris for his brilliant business-card creation idea, but if you were a store owner and you were hiring, it would be kind of strange for a teenager to hand you a business card. Regardless, I put my heart and soul into these cards, so please take a look at them ( they are in the craft document ).
I almost forgot to mention the cover letter / the composure of the application. This is the email you reach out to whatever business you are applying to. It needs to be:
– Professional
– Introductory ( introducing yourself )
– Concise and to the point
I’m going to be honest and say that I didn’t completely follow everything Mr. Harris recommended and I mostly followed my own intuition. I figure that as long as it’s composed in a formal manner and has all the above criteria, then it should be good to go ( then again, I have never had a job for more than 2 months at a time and I’m pretty sure Mr. Harris hired people for a living, so I could be totally setting myself up for failure ).
Oh yeah I almost forgot about the fake job interview ( real ) I did with Sepaus. I don’t know the actual professional value of the video, but it is certainly very entertaining. I will link it below.
The driving question is “How can I effectively market myself to employers?”
Though I have been in all of 1 job interviews, I think the best way to seem appealing is just to be yourself and to showcase your strengths through subtlety. No employer wants someone who can’t be a team player, or is too full of themselves. Going into new jobs and experiences with honest intentions is ultimately good for both yourself and your potential employers. Of course being prepared with a resume, an application and maybe even a business card is great but that’s just preparing to get the job; if by some chance you get the job then what next? You can’t just hide behind paper that boasts your experience and accomplishment. The best way to market yourself effectively is to prove yourself in the workplace.
I liked a lot of this project. I feel it’s important to start thinking about my career soon, especially since I have the potential to make a lot of money before I graduate high school. I have been meaning to find somewhere to work soon, and I’m glad this project coincided with my planning.