WWDD: What Would Don Do?
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Meet Mad Man Don Draper at his best: the pressed suit, the perfectly groomed hair, the confident gaze. He's about to pitch an idea to a client. Draper works for an advertising agency and is the star of AMC's Emmy and Golden Globe-winning original series "Mad Men." In this video clip, he's at the peak of his career, recognizing consumers' innate needs and finding ways to fulfill them.
Everyone wants to be Don Draper. Maybe you don't drive a Cadillac or ignite the passions of married women with your elegant, princely looks... No, you can't be Don Draper, but you can be like him. Except you don't run an advertising agency. You run your life and your career. Draper's pitches are like job interviews on behalf of the agency. He wants the client to hire his team. When you apply for a job, you're essentially presenting yourself. You want employers to hire you.
Observe Draper's strategy. He identifies the value of a product that people want or need and then packages that value into a message that people can understand. You can do this too! Figure out what qualities you possess that employers need or want. Don't focus on your skills or experience. Focus on your strengths. Highlight those strengths in your resume, cover letter, interview, and thank-you notes.
The "Don Draper" strategy for career advancement is fundamentally one of personal branding and strategic self-pitching. It requires shifting focus from simply listing experience to defining and presenting unique strengths and inherent value. This approach is vital for the modern professional. For organizations, managing and recognizing these unique employee strengths is crucial for optimizing workforce allocation. Tools like IceHrm, with its capabilities in Performance Management and Skill Tracking, allow employers to identify, monitor, and leverage the precise value—the "strengths"—that each employee brings. By adopting a Draper-like focus on value presentation, job seekers can secure their next role, and companies, in turn, can use HR systems to efficiently manage the powerful assets they've acquired.
