Whether you are hoping to advance your current career or pursue a totally new path, it can be daunting to know where to start. In our master class, Landing Your Dream Job, taught by communications strategist Georgina Levitt, you can gain skills and insight on how to land your dream job. Using your education, experience, and skills, Levitt will teach you how to craft a personal brand that communicates your unique talents and personality. Levitt has 20+ years in communications, working for publishing and media companies such as The Hachette Book Group, Perseus Books Group, Gotham Ghostwriters, and The Weinstein Company. Currently she is the Book Publishing Director for the New York University Summer Publishing Institute.
Read on below for our Q&A with Georgina Levitt about what you can expect from her masterclass.
What can students expect from the Landing Your Dream Job master class?
GL: Students will walk away from this class with a clear understanding of the skills and assets they bring to the professional table, and most importantly, a clear way to articulate and pitch these to potential employers. Through the exploratory process of this class, students will determine and then be able to confidently convey the unique value they bring to an organization they want to work for. The goal is a comprehensive understanding of where each student currently is professionally, where they ultimately want to be, and determining the tools and a roadmap for how to get them there.
Why is a personal brand valuable in building a career?
GL: A personal brand is essential to building a career. Understanding who you truly are, what you stand for, what assets you possess, and what sets you apart from your peers and competitors is imperative. The next step is being able to succinctly demonstrate (and in many cases pitch) these qualities with confidence, professionalism, and grace to others, which is a skill to be honed. The better you can define and understand your personal brand, the better you can advance yourself and the value you bring to the professional world.
In your experience, what challenges do people face most in furthering their careers? How can this course help?
GL: All too often I see people face a crisis of character or confidence that holds them back or sets them off course in their career path. Lack of confidence to go after your dream job, even if it feels somewhat out of reach, can result in missed opportunities, ones that a more aggressive or confident competitor out there will jump at, regardless of whether they are better suited for it or not. Similarly, not knowing how to pitch yourself properly can lead to fumbled interviews or career advancing opportunities. In this course you will do your homework, learn to understand yourself and how present your best self to others, and have the hands-on tools you need to take the next step in your career.
What advice do you give those starting out on a new career path?
GL: Patience is key. Launching a new career or making a career pivot, while exciting, can be frustrating. New opportunities can also mean starting again and working your way up which takes time. Also, establishing a sense of balance between your new and old career paths is important. While it may feel like you are starting over, you almost certainly have valuable experiences and acquired skills you can and should use to help boost your new start. Mapping out a clear plan, understanding the value you bring, and focusing on strategic steps to achieve your goals will all aid in this new process.
How can students begin to take an inventory of their interests and assets?
GL: That is just it. Take inventory. List the experiences (professional and personal) you have had that enriched, benefited, or changed your life and those around you. How so, and what skills did you exemplify or acquire in the process? Now go a step further with these experiences in mind. List three words to describe yourself. Now, list three words to describe yourself that make you stand apart from those around you. These are the kind of exercises and thought processes we will explore in this course, all with the goal of advancing your career goals and successes.
Sign up for Landing Your Dream Job: A Master Class with Georgina Levitt, starting on July 6th.
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