What Job Seekers Can Learn From Lady Gaga

Don’t let the eccentric makeup and extreme fashion fool you. Lady Gaga is not another pop star using shock value to stay in the spotlight. She is actually a brilliant entrepreneur. Her enterprise? The Lady Gaga brand. There’s a reason Forbes chose her as 2011’s Most Powerful Celebrity – over Oprah. A recent Wall Street Journal blog highlighted what aspiring entrepreneurs can learn from Lady Gaga’s career, and we saw some important lessons for job seekers, too.

Stay focused
You don’t see tabloid photos of Lady Gaga passed out in club alleyways. Gaga is goal-oriented and keeps her focus on her career. No rehab, no sex scandals. She takes her career seriously and works for her success.
What a jobseeker can learn: It takes hard work, dedication, and focus to achieve your goals. Having a solid strategy will move you toward your job search success.

Rejection is part of the process
Early in her career, Lady Gaga was dropped from a record deal with Def Jam Recordings after only three months. Now she’s one of the most prominent recording artists around. And she originally wrote the song “Telephone” for Britney Spears – who rejected it. She later recorded it with Beyoncé Knowles and the song was a huge hit.
What a jobseeker can learn: You might not land every job you apply for. But learning from rejection can help you progress in your job search.

Build a strong online presence
With over a billion YouTube views, almost 40 million fans on Facebook, and nearly  11 million Twitter followers, Lady Gaga has the ultimate online presence. It’s not just because she’s a superstar. She knows her audience – she calls her fans “Little Monsters” – and she relates to them. She treats them as though they are a key part of her success. After her single “Born This Way” hit one million downloads in five days (an iTunes record), you can see why.
What a jobseeker can learn: By knowing your audience (e.g. potential employers, recruiters, people in your industry) and showcasing your expertise, you can effectively promote your personal brand using social media.

You can find inspiration everywhere, from public figures to your friends, family and colleagues.  Learn how others find a path to their success – see what you can incorporate into your own effort, and you may be able to accelerate your own progress.  And who knows, maybe now you’ll follow Lady Gaga on Twitter.