Entries from February 2010

Three Minutes. Two Authors. One Great Book.

February 27, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Categories: Effective Immediately
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2010 Career Challenge: K = Knob

February 26, 2010 · Leave a Comment

By Skip Lineberg

As a young professional, you may be called a Newbie or a Newb. And that’s okay.

A nOOb, however, is someone (often a rookie) who knows very little, but has no desire to learn more. nOObs often expect others to do the work for them, yet still want to claim the praise and the glory.

Being labeled a nOOb is bad, but a knob is worse. Knobs are cocky and off-putting, but lack the presence and perspective to identify their own gaps or weaknesses. In a knobshell, these folks don’t know what they don’t know, but operate as know-it-alls.

So if you want to become more successful as a Newb, don’t be a nOOb, but if you want to keep your job, definitely don’t be a knob.

Note: This is Part 11 in a series called the “2010 Career Challenge: Becoming a Rock Star from A to Z” by Emily Bennington and Skip Lineberg, co-authors of Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job.

Categories: A - Z Career Challenge · Professional Development · Professionalism
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4 Tips for Making the Most of Your LinkedIn Profile

February 24, 2010 · 1 Comment

By Jessica Holbrook

So now you’re on LinkedIn and you’re wondering what to do next.  Or maybe you’ve been on LinkedIn for a while and you’re wondering, “Why isn’t this working?”  Here are four great ideas to amp up your LinkedIn experience and make the most of your profile:

ADD A PICTURE

Networking is personal; you are making a personal connection with another human being.  Part of that is being able to “see” who you are connecting with.  With so many spammers, fake profiles, etc. on LinkedIn, show them who you are and make that personal networking connection.

GRAB YOUR OWN URL

Instead of having the standard URL that LinkedIn automatically assigns you, customize your URL to you!  My URL is http://www.linkedin/com/in/jessicaholbrook. If someone searches for my name they find me—right at the top.  Make sure you’re making the most of your profile and that you’re easy to locate.

BRAND YOUR HEADLINE

Give yourself a professional headline.  It’s there for a reason, and you should utilize it.  It maximizes search results and is one more way to make it easier for people to locate you.  If you’re an IT director be sure that’s in your headline.  Create a personal branding statement that paints a very clear picture for others about what you do and who you are.

BRAND YOUR PROFILE

Create a keyword-rich summary that showcases your accomplishments, expertise, and value.  Employers want to know how you can bring value to their organization, so give them the information they need in the career summary.  You can always expand on your responsibilities under each career you’ve listed, but front load the career summary with the important and persuasive information that will keep them reading.

CEO of Great Resumes Fast, Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter. She has written more than 100 articles that are featured on some of the best career advice Web sites today. For a free resume analysis, please send your resume to info@greatresumesfast.com or visit online at http://www.greatresumesfast.com to view sample resumes and find information about professional resume writing services.

Categories: Guest Posts · Job Search · Professional Development
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2010 Career Challenge: J = Jilted

February 18, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Jilted at Work

Jilted at Work

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Is it just me, or do people seem to take things way too personal these days? I understand that there are elements of the workplace that can stir up bad memories of high school – like when your girlfriend didn’t call and so you figured she must be mad about something?

Fast forward to this morning when you received an email from your boss with a one-word response to a question. Rather than assume he’s busy, say, in a meeting sneaking a quick glance at his phone under the table – you think he must be angry with you.

So what do you do next? That’s right… you waste time stewing over your supposed offense, e.g.  “I know I’m behind on the research project. Maybe he’s peeved about that. Could he have seen me sneak in late this morning?”

We’ve all read too much into a situation that turned out to be nothing in the end. However, if it seems like you’re feeling jilted more often than not at work, it could be because…

You’re Too Insecure: Are you constantly wondering and worrying about what others think of you? Relax. Unless a colleague specifically brings up an issue, believe that everything they do is well-intentioned. In other words, if a coworker sees you walking down the hall and suddenly does a pivot turn in the other direction – don’t assume they hate you – assume they forgot something.

You’re Too Competitive: If you want to become a leader, you have to get out of superstar Lone Ranger mode. That means turning your attention away from petty competitions with colleagues and toward behaviors that allow the whole team to win. A rising tide lifts all boats.

You’re Too Negative: Our thoughts directly affect our attitude, which directly affect our actions. So make a decision – right now – to convert your negative thoughts into ones that empower and inspire you.  How much better and more positive would your office become if everyone focused on …

…strengths instead of weaknesses

…edifying each other

…opportunities instead of problems

…what is possible versus what “will never work?”

In photography (as in life), the wider the lens, the better the view. So the next time you’re feeling jilted at work, take a step back. And at the risk of triggering even more bad memories from sophomore year – remember – it’s probably not you. It’s them.

Note: This is Part 10 in a series called the “2010 Career Challenge: Becoming a Rock Star from A to Z” by Emily Bennington and Skip Lineberg, co-authors of Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job.

Categories: A - Z Career Challenge · Communication · Leadership · Professional Development · Professionalism
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Two Things You Should Know About

February 16, 2010 · Leave a Comment

Actually, I could call this post “Two Things You May Already Know About” because, frankly, I’m trailing many others in sharing them with you. I wish I could say that this is all part of a pre-conceived “sustained promotions strategy” but, the truth is, I’m just behind. It happens.

The first thing you should know about is LaunchPad: Your Career Search Strategy Guide from Chris Perry. You may know Chris from his popular Career Rocketeer blog. In a crowded market of career / job search sites, Chris has managed to stand out, most notably as the keeper of a series of immensely helpful lists, e.g. 150+ Experts on Twitter Every Job Seeker Should Follow, 100+ Career Blogs All Professionals Must Read, Top 100+ Job Search Hashtags on Twitter, etc. In LaunchPad, Chris has brought together some heavy-hitters in the career field to offer advice on topics ranging from personal branding and networking, to resumes and entrepreneurship. The line-up is impressive. Jennifer Kushell, Liz Lynch, Tory Johnson, Meg Guiseppi… if you’re searching for a job or want to excel on the job, these are names you should know.

At only 145 pages, LaunchPad is a quick read, but it’s full of great, actionable information on how to cut through the clutter and rise above in a packed job market. To order your copy of LaunchPad from Amazon, click here. For around the price of two venti lattes, you can learn from the best… and save the calories.

The second thing you should know is that Dan Schawbel has recently released a new issue of Personal Branding Magazine featuring legendary marketer Seth Godin. Famous for must-read titles like Permission Marketing, Purple Cow, and Tribes, Godin’s new work Linchpin is about becoming indispensible in your career.

An interview with Godin alone is worth downloading the issue, but the magazine also includes profiles of Food Network superstar Guy Fieri and Wall Street Journal career columnist Alexandra Levit among other articles. Dan has a good eye for talent and he does a nice job of pulling together up-and-coming writers on the topic of personal branding and career success. It seems like each issue of the magazine gets better and better and – if I know Dan – he won’t stop until it’s the best.

For more information on Personal Branding Magazine or to download a free sample, click here.

Categories: Professional Development
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2010 Career Challenge: I = Integrity

February 12, 2010 · Leave a Comment

By Skip Lineberg

Integrity is the scarcest resource in the world of business today. Yes, you read that correctly.

Integrity is so simple–yet we all tend to muck it up with excuses, compromises, and blame-shifting. Pair me with a person of integrity, and we’ll outperform a team of ten feckless, shifty folks every day of the week.

If you’re looking to ignite your career, build your integrity. Here’s how to get started:

Integrity is saying, “I don’t know.” Instead of BS-ing your way through some meaningless diatribe, why not simply say that you do not know the answer, follow it up with “But I’ll find out and get back to you”, then do it?

So simple. So underutilized.

Integrity is admitting that a mistake was your fault. Instead of trying to shift all or part of the blame onto someone or something else… simply fess up when you’ve screwed up. (Note: “The server crashed” sounds just as flimsy in the office as “The dog ate my homework” did in the classroom.)

Integrity is asking for help when you get stuck. We all get stuck. Top performers just recognize it sooner and seek help right away. The other 96% of the world procrastinate, ruminate and obfuscate.

Integrity is honoring your word. Did you say you would do something? Fine. Recognize that you made a promise – and now your name and your reputation are on the line. So, whatever it was … is it done? And I mean is it fully done…in a manner that reflects well of you and your organization? Forget grey areas. This is black and white: a yes or no question. If the answer is no, get back to it until it is done–and done well.

Many careers are wrecked by incremental violations of these rules…one tiny breach after another… that build over time, fostering negative perceptions that can eventually become insurmountable.  So the next time you’re tempted to break your word (or a deadline), remember that your integrity is at stake… and forge ahead until you complete what you’ve promised.

Note: This is Part 9 in a series called the “2010 Career Challenge: Becoming a Rock Star from A to Z” by Emily Bennington and Skip Lineberg, co-authors of Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job.

Categories: A - Z Career Challenge · Professional Development · Professionalism
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Discovering Your Message

February 10, 2010 · 1 Comment

I have the privilege of teaching an MBA course on social media and, out of 12 sessions total in the spring semester, I’m dedicating three to the topic of personal branding.

Why would I devote a full quarter of the class to one subject when there are so many other “cool” things like Twitter and video resumes to cover? The answer is simple.

Aside from a few – ahem – Facebook photos and incomplete LinkedIn profiles, most of my students don’t have a strong online presence yet. In other words, they are blank slates…..bare billboards…….TV static.

While social media sites can give them a potentially powerful microphone, here’s the problem with just diving in and uploading content on day one. Bare billboard + powerful microphone = more white noise on the web.

I don’t know about you, but I think the Internet has more than enough white noise as it is. Moreover, these students are in the process of looking for employment … and with sites like CAREEREALISM stating that there are now six job seekers for every one job available, I owe it to them to do what I can to prevent a “Fire, Ready, Aim” approach.

So here we are in Step One of the personal branding process, otherwise known as the discovery phase. It’s fitting to invoke the billboard reference above because my marketing background tells me that, like brands, billboards should state a clear message in six words or less.Therefore, my challenge to students, and to you, is this: What is your message?

If you’re having a hard time figuring that out, creating a “vision board” will help. Here’s how it works:

1.) You purchase a piece of poster board or foamcore

2.) You cut out words or images from magazines, websites, etc. that reflect something you want for yourself in the future

3.) You glue or spray mount the clippings together on the poster board

At the end of this process, you’ll have a visual representation of where you want to go in the next year or beyond. And while you should always put your goals on paper and reflect on them often, there’s just something different and uniquely motivating about coming face-to-face with them on your wall every day.

So if you’re a blank slate currently and you’d like to hone in on your brand or discover your message, try crafting a vision board. Worst case scenario is that you’ll have a neat piece of quasi-art to impress your friends. Ideally, though, you’ll discover what truly inspires you along the path to career success. Good luck!

This post was originally written for Dan Schawbel’s Personal Branding Blog. Check it out here.

Categories: Career Planning · Goals · Professional Development
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2010 Career Challenge: H = Hero

February 6, 2010 · 1 Comment

Everyone thinks it’s a great thing to be a hero at work. As you would imagine, it can be great when you’re the hero. It’s not so great when you’re the one who needs a hero.

Recently, I was speaking with a partner at a law firm who was working overtime to salvage one of their long-standing clients. This (very profitable) client was inches away from leaving the firm based on a pattern of poor customer service he had received from a new associate.

The final straw was when the associate promised to deliver an important file the client needed for a 4pm meeting. Not only did the associate miss the deadline, he didn’t even bother to call the client in advance!

Fast forward a few days… now the partner has to step in, absorb the blame, beg for forgiveness, and (hopefully) rectify the situation.

As a new employee, it’s obvious that you want those above you to provide guidance, coaching, and answer questions. What you definitely don’t want is to force them in to a situation like the one above where they have to fix something you’ve screwed up big time.

In other words, you don’t want a hero.

You don’t want to be that guy (or girl) who is at the center of a heated phone call from Client X to your boss, or worse, your boss’ boss.  How do you avoid this fate?

TWO RULES:

1.)    Have an excellent technical product. Make sure that everything (and I mean everything) you give a client represents the best thinking you and your team have to offer.

2.)    Couch an excellent product in excellent service. If you’re unable to meet a deadline, tell the client. If you make a promise, keep it. If you’ve delivered a product, call to follow-up.  If you haven’t heard from a client in a while, reach out. If the client sends you an email, respond before the end of the day.

I could go on and on about what is (and is not) excellent service, but I’ll save that for a future post. Just remember this: If you follow the rules above, you WILL NEVER need a hero at work.

And that will not only save the day…. it just might save your job.

Note: This is Part 8 in a series called the “2010 Career Challenge: Becoming a Rock Star from A to Z” by Emily Bennington and Skip Lineberg, co-authors of Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job.

Categories: A - Z Career Challenge · Client Service · Gene Kelly Dance Steps · Professionalism
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3 Keys to a Purpose-Driven Resume

February 3, 2010 · Leave a Comment

By Jessica Holbrook

We’ve all heard of the mega-bestselling book Purpose Driven Life, right? What a great principle to apply to our resumes, cover letters, and job searches! Instead of utilizing a generic or jack-of-all trades resume, we should be using a purpose-driven, focused, and customized resume. In fact, if you have expertise in more than one area, then you should be broadcasting more than one resume.

After working recently with a client who had an extremely unfocused, all-over-the-place resume, I was prompted to sit down and write about how important a focused, customized, and branded resume really is. This particular client had his resume nicely written, and to tell the truth, it wasn’t half bad. It contained great wording, had an appealing format, and even included some terrific accomplishments. The problem was that this resume had multiple personalities—ten different job titles and no clear direction. So it was no wonder he hadn’t received even one call back. Hiring managers were probably reviewing the resume and thinking, “I have no idea where to put this person or what he really wants to do.”

If you have experience and expertise in several different areas, it certainly is not a negative, but blasting everything you have ever done all over your resume—where it looks like job titles and keywords just threw up all over it—is not going to get you an interview … or a call back for that matter. Here are three points you should consider in order to clean up your resume, communicate your purpose, and customize it:

1. Focus. Pick one position, one role, one industry. Then convey your achievements, contributions, experience, expertise, talent, passion, and vision for that one key role. This does not mean you can only apply for one position; this is where the technique of employing multiple resumes that are focused in different areas comes in to play.

2. Don’t just develop a resume with any old content. Create your personal branding statement, and then tie in all of the other elements of your resume to support that statement. If you are an amazing sales manager in the XYZ industry, then what makes you so great? How do your talent, passion, and vision play into that?

3. Customization is crucial. Fuse an appropriate branding statement and relevant career summary with industry-specific keywords and pertinent accomplishments. They should all relate back to the exact position to which you are applying at that very moment. Everything about your resume should address the key points of the job description and answer the question: “Why are you a perfect fit for this job?” If you can review the description and honestly answer, “I addressed all of their requirements—either through my branding statement, career summary, keywords, or accomplishments,” then you can be assured you have a purpose-driven resume.

CEO of Great Resumes Fast, Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter. She has written more than 100 articles that are featured on some of the best career advice Web sites today. For a free resume analysis, please send your resume to info@greatresumesfast.com or visit online at http://www.greatresumesfast.com to view sample resumes and find information about professional resume writing services.

Categories: Guest Posts · Job Search
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