Personal Branding Magazine

Dan Schawbel knows branding. And I don't. That's why he has a personal branding magazine. And I don't. Yet he asked me to submit an article to the February issue of his magazine. And I did. And it's out now.

Personal Branding Magazine (paid subscription) is about becoming so important to your company, your customers and the people around you, that they can’t live without you. In this issue, Seth Godin reveals his hope for career revolutionaries who want to remain relevant in a world that is being transformed by the internet. Also, this issue explores how Guy Fieri has built his personal brand as a television personality on the food network and how NFL football player Jarvis Green has taken the leap into entrepreneurship.

Branding is not about spin and it’s not about polish. Say that sentence out loud because I am. Personal branding came across to me as an inauthentic way to “clean up the storefront,” that separated the message from the person and got in the way of connection.  I say “came” because my thoughts are changing, ever so slightly, and I am going to read this cover to cover to check out the ideas of others, learn from what Laurie Ruettimann has to say about Becoming a Brand at Work, and read the interview with Alexandra Levit.

You can check out the free Sample issue containing 8 articles total, including how to be an authority, blog SEO and how to grow, polish, and protect your future, subscribe, or visit the Personal Branding Magazine Facebook page for more information.

Internship Opportunities at VA

February is just around the corner and you know what that means don't you? What, you don't?

February is when VA begins recruitment for interns for the Technical Career Internship Program. I think this is an amazing program and I am going to use this, my personal space, to provide you with some information and valuable links to more information about the program.

The Technical Career Internship Program is one of the largest training programs at VA. TCF internships equip professionals with the specialized knowledge they need to support the delivery of quality health care for our Nation's veterans.

Do you like the sound of that? It was written by some great people (not me) and there is more where that came from:

TCF internships are more of an apprenticeship in yout chosen field rather than a traditional internship. Interns are expected to be an active member of the VA team, applying knowledge and skills to the tasks at hand. Interns are entitled to many of the same benefits as other VA employees, as well as benefits avaialble only to TCF interns.

TCF internships are available in a number of career fields to include biomedical engineering, compliance and business integrity, finance, human resource management, safety/industrial hygeine, and supply, processing and distribution. A full list of technical career fields is available at VA Careers. 

Not all internships are offered at all locations. The TCF page will be updated in late February with a listing of available TCF internships and 2010 TCF contacts.

If you are interested in learning more about VA, VA Careers is a one-stop shop for general employment information. Bookmark it and check back often.