Career Musings

How is Brand connected to your Value Proposition? What is your core value message? Are these terms confusing as they relate to your career transition and career development? Have you established what they are and incorporated them into a self-marketing strategy? If you have an interest in this topic; have no clue what these concepts even mean or what’s their relevance to your job search, then join my guest Wayne Pagani and I, for an informal discussion about these concepts and explore some practical ways to develop your value proposition, your brand, and how to use them to leverage your career transition.

Who is Wayne Pagani? Wayne is a talented career development strategist who brings over ten years of unparalleled service delivery in the field of career development complimented by extensive management experience in the corporate world. He has coached executives, managers, and other professionals with diverse backgrounds. Wayne delivers inspirational workshops and services to clients seeking career and professional development solutions in all sectors of business.

Listen on the Internet or call 646-478-5137

The caption of a recent article written by Janis Foord Kirk, career columnist for the Toronto Star said, “Entrepreneurs need coaching”! As I read the article I couldn’t help but see the commonalities between an entrepreneur and a jobseeker. Both have attributes and competencies that their ‘clients’ need, both are facing challenges in these turbulent economic times, and both need strategies on how to brand themselves, stand out and stay competitive.

As a departure from the norm when I would focus on jobseekers, I am dedicating this article to CEO’s (Chief Entrepreneurial Officers), otherwise known as small business owners. Some of these people are also feeling the residual effects of downsizing and layoffs just like GM, Chrysler and Ford. I will discuss three simple strategies that small business owners can implement to increase their visibility and ultimately their profits.

One of the first strategies a CEO could implement is the tried and trusted act of networking. Networking – whether it’s face-to-face or online – is a crucial skill for entrepreneurs, and should be practised regularly. This is a good time to get out of your comfort zone and connect with people you hardly know, including your competitors. Many business relationships and alliances have been forged between people who once considered themselves competitors.

The second strategy is to become familiar with social media or Web 2.0 technology such as LinkedIn, Twitter, VisualCV and MuchMor, among a long list of others. A former spokesperson for Facebook said, “People are going beyond their face-to-face network and reaching toward that next layer of people that could play a role their success…but these people may be hard to reach through traditional media”. The rise in the use of social media is not limited by geography and has allowed people to connect with each other wherever and whenever they wish. These forums do not replace face-to-face communication, but add another dimension to networking and increased visibility. Below are several popular social media resources you may find beneficial to you and your business:

LinkedIn. This is “an online network with more than 30 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries”, according to its website. Its main aim is to help professionals forge and maintain business connections, but more and more business owners are making valuable connections through LinkedIn.

Twitter. The new kid-on-the-block, when compared to LinkedIn, but it is growing at an alarming pace. What started out as a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing, has blossomed into one of the most popular online communities. Not only are business relationships being developed through this forum, but it provides fertile soil for learning and keeping up with industry trends. One of the great things about Twitter is that one has only 140 characters to get one’s point across.

VisualCV. You may not have a website and probably you don’t need one, but you do need an online presence. If you want to put together an online bio or portfolio, then you will want to take at a look at VisualCV. It combines elements of a traditional resume with additional features like videos, photos, and a portfolio with samples of one’s work. Because it’s web-based, it is very easy to be incorporated into an email and send to prospects.

Blog Talk Radio. Are you aware you can host your own radio show to keep in touch with your clients or reach a wider audience? There are numerous online radio stations available, but you can check mine out at www.blogtalkradio.com/CareerCoach.

Maestro Conference. The third strategy is specifically for business owners who conduct teleconferences on a regular basis. Do you host teleconferences or teleseminars? How would you like to be able to have breakout sessions during one of your teleconferences? Literally having several discussion groups going on simultaneously and you, as host, having the capability to monitor and moderate these groups. Think Maestro Conference. Maestro Conference allows you to create a dynamic environment combining the convenience of traditional conference calls, with the interactivity of a live workshop. Check them out at http://www.thewrightcareer.com/links.htm.

MuchMor Business Network. Muchmor is a dynamic social media organization that powerfully combines online business & social networking with real life events & workshops. The vision of Muchmor Media is to provide our clients with a quality & knowledgeable service that enables their businesses to grow & prosper.

“Small is the new big. Sustainable is the new growth. Trust is the new competitive advantage”, states one company’s tagline. What about you? As Chief Entrepreneurial Officer of your business, are you ready to explore the benefits of social media? If you would like additional information or need help in creating your profiles for any of the above media, call us at (905) 840-7039 or send an email to daisy@thewrightcareer.com.

Links as referenced in the article:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/careercoach4u

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/daisywright

VisualCV: http://www.visualcv.com/daisywright

Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/CareerCoach

______________

Make sure to call in to my Radio Show “Career Tips2Go” tomorrow, Thursday April 16, at 3 pm EST. I will be interviewing Eric Kramer, owner of InterviewBest.

PH: 646) 478-5137

Listen:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/CareerCoach

How many times have you heard that “first impression counts”? Many job seekers believe that a professional resume package is all that’s required for a successful job search. They don’t realize that an email address, the message on an answering machine, or the inappropriate use of cell phones could severely derail their job search.

The seven mistakes outlined below are real situations culled from unsolicited information that either arrived in my Inbox or was mentioned in conversations with an individual or two. None of the individuals are clients, so the element of confidentiality does not apply.

1. Email Address. Cute email addresses should be used only with your cute family and friends. They will not be considered cute by potential employers. All correspondence that pertains to your job search should have your real name or something that demonstrates professionalism. Consider the young woman whose email address was lazygirl@xxxxx.com. (The domain name has been changed to protect her identity). This young lady was looking for a job in a restaurant where they required someone to work in a fast-paced environment. Why would an employer hire someone who is announcing that she is a ‘lazy girl’?

2. Voicemail. Your voicemail should convey your professionalism. In your absence, it becomes another tool to market yourself. Give yourself a call and listen to your message. Is it short, clear and businesslike? Don’t be like this other young woman I met at a job fair who wanted to know what she was doing wrong why she couldn’t find a job. When I called her home to follow-up, part of her voicemail message said “If you got this message, you may be someone I don’t want to talk to, and if you are someone I don’t want to talk to, you know what to do”. Why would a hiring manager give her a second call after such a message?

3. Résumé. Don’t be a part of the ‘cheating culture’ by submitting someone else’s résumé as if it’s your own. That is never acceptable, particularly when you didn’t take the time to remove the other person’s name. A man sent me an email asking me to hire him. The name on his email address was different from the one he had as his signature, and the name on the résumé was also different. Three aliases! When I wrote back suggesting that he decides who he really is, his reply was “do u think i am dumb?”

4. Cover Letter. Take the time to write a proper, professional cover letter to accompany your résumé whether you are applying by email or sending it by snail mail. Your cover letter is another opportunity to market yourself to the employer; an opportunity to draw attention to your special skills or to explain something that was not covered in your résumé. The majority of hiring managers still want to see a cover letter whether or not the job posting asks to “fax a résumé”. The man referred to above (the one who wanted me to hire him) had as his subject line “looking 4 work”, and his one-line cover note said “I am looking for permanent work. Please hire me”.

5. Interview. Your résumé and cover letter brought you to this important stage. It is now time for you to shine; to tell the interviewer why you are the best candidate for the job. It’s inevitable that you are going to hear the question, ”Do you have questions?” You should be prepared with a few good ones. Do not be like the candidate who answered “No” to the question, then went home and sent an email with a long list of questions to the interviewer.

6. Job Offer. If you have reached the stage where you have been offered the job, it means the company really wants you. While it is normal, and sometimes expected, that a certain amount of negotiation will take place, don’t blow your chances by asking for the impossible. One young man, fresh out of graduate school, thought he should push the envelope by informing the interviewer that the other company was offering him much more money. He lost out on an opportunity as this company could not match the offer, and the other company didn’t exist.

7. Cell Phone. Watch your cell phone manners. One of the last things you do before going into an interview is to turn off your cell phone. Do not put it on vibrate, but turn it off. Not only will it be embarrassing to you if it rings during the interview, but it could spell disaster to your job search. A salesman was at an interview when his boss called. In the midst of the interview he told the boss that he “was meeting with a client”, and could he call back.

Your job search is much more than a resume and cover letter. It entails honesty and professionalism starting with your first contact with the company. Overlooking proper job search etiquette could be detrimental to your career success, so beware.

_____________________
Daisy Wright is Chief Career Strategist at The Wright Career Solution and author of No Canadian Experience, Eh? A Career Survival Guide for New Immigrants. Email: careercoach@thewrightcareer.com.

How many times have you said to yourself?

“I would like to find a new job, BUT I am too old.”

“I would really like a pay raise, BUT my boss will just say no.”

“I would like to change careers, BUT I am afraid it might not work out.”

“I hate my job, BUT if I leave it I won’t be able to make the same amount of money.”

“I would like to start my own business, BUT I don’t have the money.”

“I would like to … BUT my (friends, coworkers, family, spouse, kids) keep telling me I would be crazy to do such a thing.”

Can you relate to any of those? What’s getting in the way? The big ‘BUTs’ – no pun intended. Everywhere you turn, there’s a ‘but’ that stops you in your tracks. These ‘buts’ are your fears that tell you that you don’t have the time, the money, the education, the nerve, or the skills. These ‘buts’ tell you that you should stick to the evil you know of and not venture into the unknown. These ‘buts’ cripple you and prevent you from going after your dreams.

The biggest of these ‘buts’ is F.E.A.R. – False Evidence Appearing Real. Eleanor Roosevelt said “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” You are afraid of what people might say. You are afraid to put one foot in front of the other just in case you might reach somewhere. You are afraid to take a leap of faith in your endeavours. You are afraid to fail, and in some cases, you might be afraid to succeed! Do you see the power that fear has? It has gripped you so fiercely that you hang on to the same job day after day even though it no longer gives you the satisfaction it once did.

The other big ‘but’ is the negative self-talk you engage in. Have you ever listened to some of the things you say to yourself? “Duh … what a ditz I am. I can’t do it. I’ll never be able to have that. I don’t deserve a raise. It’s my fault. Here I go again, making a fool of myself. They didn’t like me. I didn’t get the job because I am too old.” and on and on it goes. While you are wallowing in self-pity, you meet another negative person who agrees with every word you are saying about yourself. That’s destructive behaviour!

One of these days when you are having such a conversation with yourself, try this little exercise. Write down everything you are saying or thinking. At the end, pretend you are telling your friend what you told yourself. “Duh … what a ditz you are! You can’t do it. You’ll never be able to make it. You don’t deserve the raise. It’s your fault. Here you go again, making a fool of yourself. They don’t like you. You didn’t get the job because you are too old.” Wow! Would you really say those things to your friend? If not, why are you saying them to yourself?

You need to change that mindset. You cannot allow fear and negative self-talk to cripple you and prevent you from moving forward with an idea or a decision. If you set your heart on engaging in negative self-talk, consistently allowing the ‘buts’ to get in the way of your dreams, you are destined to remain where you are. Instead, ask yourself, “What if I moved forward in spite of my fears? What if I take a chance?” You could surprise yourself and succeed!

I have known many people (including me) who have been able to clear some of the ‘buts’ out of our way and move forward in spite of our fears. We were once where you are. At every turn we saw the ‘buts’, but never allowed them to thwart our progress. It took faith; it took belief in self and it took encouragement from positive-minded people.

Surround yourself with positive-minded people who will encourage you to follow your dreams. It’s okay to listen to the naysayers, but continue moving confidently in the direction of your dreams, anyway.

I hope you have gained some food for thought from this article. It doesn’t matter where you are in your career or your life, if you want to make a move, forget the ‘buts’ and JUST DO IT!