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Career Success Memo: Do You Have a MEMORABLE Brand? - 8 Things a Powerful Personal Brand Can Do for You

on February 18, 2010 6:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We're in a whole new world of employment -- one that has continued (and will continue) to evolve and one that is MUCH different from the employment world of our parents and grand-parents. The days of joining a company that you stay at and retire from are LONG GONE and will likely never return again. Job changes occur more and more frequently and career changes are more common than ever before.

We are no longer "Who we work for." Tagging your identity strictly to a company and "co-branding" your work-life with a company name are strategies that have less meaning and are impossible to sustain as a PRIMARY means of your identification. Companies come and go through mergers and dissolution -- even BIG names lose their "wow" factor and brand identity .... think of names like Enron, Arthur Andersen, NationsBank, Eastern Airlines, and countless small and mid-sized businesses.

The better strategy and one that we all must embrace if we're going to enjoy lasting career success is to firmly establish our Personal Brand. We have much more control over our own Personal Brand, and it's the "thing" that stays with us regardless of where we're "physically" employed or who we work for.

Our Personal Brand reminds people "who WE are," it becomes "what WE are known for," and it represents the "market" perception of our value proposition and personal competitive advantage. A highly effective Personal Branding Program is key to continuously communicating our Personal Brand "to the world" and constantly "pinging" our contact network with highly useful content that reminds them of who we are.

So, what are some of the key benefits of a compelling Personal Brand -- i.e., exactly what does it do for us? A compelling Personal Brand is a HUGE BENEFIT -- without question. Consider the following indicators of a Powerful Personal Brand:

Always on the Radar Screen and "The Short List." When an opportunity comes up in your field -- a job opportunity, a new business opportunity, etc., you're on the list that gets called or contacted. Having established yourself as a "thought leader" or expert, and having constantly broadcast that expertise to your network, you remain on their mind when something important comes up.

Frequent Calls for Speaking Opportunities. In situations where an expert is needed to speak on an important topic or in an important role (e.g., keynote speaker), you are often contacted and at least presented with the opportunity.

Frequent Calls from Leading Executive Recruiters in Your Area of Specialty. Leading recruiters in your field KNOW YOU and are very comfortable with presenting you as a candidate for a new job opportunity, or call you frequently to ask you if you know someone how might be a good candidate. This is a great place to be in from a career management standpoint.

Frequent Requests for Interviews and Articles in Trade Publications. The press and and PR professionals reach out on an ongoing basis requesting interviews for articles in your field of expertise. You're frequently asked to submit articles or you proactively submit articles for publishing.

Opportunities Appear "Out of the Blue." A new client "appears out of nowhere," a business deal drops in your lap, you get a call from someone you don't know well with an incredible business opportunity, you're the first one called for an amazing job opportunity, you're asked to speak at a major convention .... the list goes on. Think it can't happen to you .... Why not?

Visibility to Leading Influencers. You're known by leading influencers in your profession and area of specialty. They may not KNOW you, but they KNOW OF YOU because of your proactive and memorable personal branding efforts. People with influence can help you accomplish big things, and are usually willing to do so because YOU have consistently given to THEM in some way -- information you shared, referrals you've made, etc.

Frequent Engagement with Other Thought Leaders. You have frequent conversations with other thought leaders -- some who share your specialty and some who are thought leaders in other related areas. You help CREATE the next direction and are a member of the "R&D Team" for your field of knowledge.

Network Gravity. You have incredible network "gravity." People are drawn to you, opportunities attract themselves to you, you become a magnet for all kinds of good things.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You do NOT have to be a "CELEBRITY" to achieve the above, but you DO have to put conscious thought and EFFORT into the process of developing and communicating a compelling Personal Brand. It's up to you to CREATE THE PERCEPTION in the marketplace of what you WANT to be known for and what you represent.

Personal Branding is a PROCESS, an ongoing process .... and IT WORKS MAGIC for you if you do it with passion and sincerity. MAKE IT HAPPEN .... Start TODAY.

Original post on Career Success! Partners
Author:
Andy Robinson (@AndyInNaples) is a leading authority on career success and 15-year career coaching veteran whose passion in business life is "helping people love what they do for a living and achieve incredible career success." Andy is CEO of CRG Leadership Institute and co-host of Career Success Radio Show.

Building Relationships Organically - Part 2

Liz Lynch

on November 20, 2009 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Step 1: Connect
We started this series by exploring the concept of building relationships organically, the natural way nearly all of us follow when we aren't trying so hard to get something.
Without thinking about it, we do go through an instinctive process of connecting, conversing and converting. We connect with the people around us at work, at school, in our community. We converse with them, learn who they are and share something about ourselves. And then through conversation over time, the interaction converts into friendship.
You don't have to change how you relate to people to network successfully if you just tap into your natural instincts with this natural process.
This week, we cover the Connect step in more detail. How can you connect more organically, without the uncomfortable feeling that you're forcing yourself on others?
You already know people
A big part of the solution is to connect more deeply with more people who are already around you, those involved in the same activities, interested in the same issues, or pursuing the same goals. When you already share a common purpose with someone, the rest of the process of conversation and conversion flow more easily.
Here are some things you can do to increase the number and improve the quality of your organic relationships.
Increase and improve
Make a list. Identify people around you whom you should get to know. For example, people in other departments, those whose work is linked to yours, where more cooperation and an open line of communication can help both of you do your jobs better. Learn more about the interdependencies and brainstorm ways to better support one another.
Be inclusive. Rather than eat lunch every day with your usual cohort of colleagues, or hang out with the same three people for every meal at a multi-day conference, invite others to join you. Explore the circumstances that brought you to the same place and you may discover common goals and values on which to build meaningful and productive relationships.
Don't go it alone. Get involved in things that interest you but do them with other people. In the book Bowling Alone, Robert D. Putnam chronicled that the percentage of Americans joining organized groups--whether they be sports leagues, professional associations, political committees, etc.--has declined dramatically over the last 30-40 years.
Yet, when we share experiences with others, we can't help but grow closer. You might really enjoy your independence, but mixing it up every once in a while and doing the same activity in a group environment is an easy way to build relationships organically.
Take advantage of whatever environments you're in to bond with the people around you. Effortless relationships are all around us, ready to be made, if we just open the gates.
Stay tuned next week for more detail on Step 2: Converse.
Read original post in Personal Branding Blog

Maintaining Networking Momentum After You Land the Job

Liz Lynch

on October 2, 2009 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Networking is something many job seekers get into reluctantly. It can feel awkward if you haven't done much of it before. What do you do, where do you start?

Losing your job, especially, can make you want to hold back from meeting new people and talking about yourself. What will you say when they ask what you do, and more importantly, how will you project confidence when so much of your identity had been wrapped up in a job you were forced to leave?

It's understandable then that as soon as you do land a job, you'd want to stop networking. The desire to dive into your new cubicle or office and bury yourself in your work can be very strong. And it's easy to use the excuse of being too busy learning your new job to get out there and network.

In an ideal world, you'd keep up some networking momentum, perhaps shifted down a gear or two. What this current job market has illustrated is that having a strong network on the look out for opportunities for you, and willing to recommend you for them, is the key to minimizing your time in the unemployment line.

An ever ready network

Since you never know when you'll need your network again, before you withdraw back into your comfort zone, there are a few things you can do to make sure your network is ready to go again whenever you are:

1) Close the loops

Update your LinkedIn profile. Add in your new company, title and job description. Rewrite your summary, if necessary.
Update your contacts. LinkedIn allows you to send a message to up to 50 contacts at a time. If you send out an email blast, be sure that all of the recipient emails are listed in the bcc line to maintain everyone's privacy and avoid multiple "Reply All" emails.
Send a personal thank you email or handwritten note to anyone who helped you during your search. While you should have been doing this all along, if you missed anybody, now is the perfect time to make up for it. It will only get more awkward the longer you wait.

2) Start making internal inroads

Get introduced to the people around you. Being proactive in meeting people in both your department and adjacent ones, rather than waiting for them to come to you, will help you get up to speed more quickly and be more effective in your job.
Join the LinkedIn and Facebook groups for your new company, and follow your new employer on Twitter. Sometimes it's the best way to stay updated on news and developments.

3) Maintain your outside network

Make a commitment that at least once a month you'll have lunch away from your desk and away from your closest co-workers to catch up with outside colleagues.
If you haven't already done so, check out the professional associations for your industry and search LinkedIn for relevant industry groups to join.

All of these activities keep you visible and in the flow of new ideas and opportunities that can help advance your career. They also keep you in the right mindset for networking. When you're not putting pressure on yourself to get something, you put less pressure on others, and at the same time, become more comfortable with networking overall.

Read original post and comments at Personal Branding Blog.

Will Your Contacts Be There When You Need Them?

Liz Lynch

on May 26, 2009 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I moderated a networking panel recently where the first question during the Q&A period came from a woman in the audience who said, "I've been looking for a job for a while and trying to improve my computer skills in the meantime, but I haven't been able to find anything. What should I do?"

One of my fellow panelists said something I generally agree with, which is to find people who know you and your work and ask them for help, either in getting the word out about your need or helping to connect with you with others you should know.

None of us were prepared for her response: "They're all dead."

Okay, next question....Anyone? Anyone?

Yes, the woman was well into middle age, but could ALL the people she knew be dead, or were maybe some just avoiding her?

Being able to get help from your network when you need it is where the rubber meets the road in relationship building. Whether you were too busy working on your own personal stuff that you didn't make time to build relationships, or you built them and lost touch with them, or you built them and burnt them, the end result is the same: at some point in your life when you need supporters, you won't have them.

So what should you do instead?

First, make the time. Now. Today. Don't wait. Let's face it, none of us "have" the time for things we're supposed to do that might be good for us, like drinking eight glasses of water a day, doing 30 minutes of cardio five times a week, or sending cards to our relatives on their birthday. You have to make the time in your schedule on a consistent basis to nurture the relationships you already have, get to know the people you work with everyday, and get out there in person and online to add new contacts. (Read my prior post Can't Afford the Time to Network? for tips on how you can accomplish a lot in just a 30-minute block of time.)

Second, become more attractive. Not in your physical appearance, but in your knowledge, skills, attitude, and of course, your personal brand. Many times people will help you because it makes them look good to recommend a strong candidate. It's much harder to get that help, however, if you're middle of the road. You can't go back and change your college transcript or the last 15 years of your work experience, but you can move forward and develop new accomplishments. Get involved with something new--a project, a movement, anything--to build new skills and create new experiences that you can talk about.

Third, focus your goal. You can spread yourself too thin by trying to cover too many bases. "I'd like to get into the healthcare field as a research manager, but I'm also thinking about opening a Subway sandwich franchise, or maybe teaching astronomy to high school students." If you go in with that elevator pitch, you'll lose people quickly. Even if you do have multiple passions, lead with the one you're most excited about and which has the greatest potential (hopefully there's an overlap). That way, rather than flit from event to event, you can spend more time in one place, meet more people when you're there, have deeper conversations, and build closer connections.

Your success with reconnecting with old contacts and getting their help depends less on how much time has elapsed, and is more a function of the strength of the relationship when you last saw each other, the person you are now, and the clarity and specificity of what you're looking for.

HOW you ask for that help is also critical and we'll discuss "The Art of the Ask" in next week's post. Stay tuned.

Read the original post on Personal Branding Blog

Are You an Agent of Change or of the Status Quo?

Liz Lynch

on May 16, 2009 9:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Are you good at handling change? Or do you prefer to hide under the covers hoping change will leave you alone?

In one of my favorite movies, The Shawshank Redemption, one prisoner takes a knife to a fellow inmate's throat, hoping that committing another crime will extend his decades-long tenure behind bars rather than force him into a world that has completely changed around him. He leaves the guy unharmed and is set free, but after several weeks of feeling completely out of place on the outside, ends up hanging himself.

Dealing effectively with change is something we should all strive to get good at since it will always be around us. "Change is the only constant in life," says my friend Ariane de Bonvoisin, founder/CEO of FirstThirtyDays.com. Her book The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Any Change and Loving Your Life More* teaches people the skills they need to face any change.

I strongly believe that when we know we can handle whatever comes to us, we actually fear the future less. Therefore, adapting well to change, or even better, being able to ignite positive change within ourselves can make us a whole lot happier. But more importantly, being able to ignite positive change in others can make us a whole lot more valuable.

With more than $11 billion spent in the self-improvement industry in the U.S. every year, the promise of change is attractive to individuals. More security, more money, better health are just some of the outcomes people chase, and if you can help them get there, you can be handsomely rewarded. The same is true at the organizational level. Billions of dollars are spent on consulting services and training programs in search of a more secure, more profitable, healthier future for the company.

Even as an employee, there is little long-term reward in holding on to the way things have always been done. You may have been hired to perform a specific process that's been around for years-a marketing campaign, a financial analysis, or distinct way of selling, for example-but sooner or later, circumstances will force you to evolve the process. Implicitly or explicitly, your employer will expect you to find ways to work faster or with fewer resources, or to bring in more to the bottom line.

Four way to be known for change

You'll be in greater demand and advance your business or career more rapidly as an agent of change rather than an agent of the status quo. You don't have to change your personal brand, just how you communicate it so it's clear to those you want to work with that their lives and/or companies will be improved. Here are four ways to do that:

1) Lead with outcomes, not process. As last week's post illustrated, people are less interested in what you actually do than in how they will benefit. So you have to focus on that first. Only when they feel the outcome is relevant and beneficial to them will they ask questions to understand the process better and what they'll have to do. Until then, however, they're not likely to tune in.

2) Be excited about change. People often ask me how to be confident and upbeat at a networking event when they don't have a job. Somehow they feel embarrassed to tell people they've been out of work for months, so they'd rather stay home than have that conversation. My answer instead is to focus on what you're looking for rather than what you've left behind. You don't have to go into a detailed story about your past and how you were let go. Instead focus directly on the future and say, "I'm looking for a position in health care administration because I really feel I can put my organizational skills to great use there and help a lot of people."

3) Add change stories to your communications. When writing Smart Networking, I knew I wanted to incorporate real-life networking stories to show how different people have used different relationship-building strategies to come out of their shell and use networking to succeed in their career or business. I thought they were a powerful addition to my own personal stories, as well as the specific step-by-step advice I was giving. You can include your own brief case studies and examples in your written or online materials as appropriate, as well as having them ready to share during face-to-face communications, like networking events and interviews.

4) Explain the cost of not changing. Change can be disruptive and painful. Often people will have to part with some money to buy the book, get the program, or hire the expert. Or they'll have to change their behavior. So sometimes they may be in denial about their situation and how badly the change is needed. While you don't have to poke at an open wound, don't sugar coat reality either. Simply asking a question like, "What are you waiting to have happen before you know you're ready to take action?" can shake them out of their numbness.

In a fast-paced, competitive world, being adaptable to change and making change happen are skills you can't afford to do without. They're also skills you can't outsource. Change happens, resistance is futile. As Morgan Freeman said in The Shawshank Redemption, "Get busy living, or get busy dying." The choice is yours.

Read the original post on Personal Branding Blog

[*By the way, Ariane's book is a must read! She's gotten press from Oprah, The Today show and many others. It just came out in paperback and if you buy it, you can also receive a dozen free gifts from top experts in every area of life and win a month of free coaching with Ariane personally! Here is the link http://www.first30days.com/book]

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee Grinds, My Corporate Friends, It's Time to Network

Liz Lynch

on February 28, 2009 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

I spent twelve years employed by corporate America and the past eight years consulting to them on strategy and business development issues. Since the Dow took a nose dive last fall, many friends and some clients have lost their jobs, and those who haven't are the working wounded, taking up the slack for their fallen comrades and waving goodbye to cost-of-living raises, annual bonuses, and 401k matches.

If you're one of the lucky ones, working for industries and companies unaffected by the economic crisis, kudos for choosing well. But for the rest of you, listen up. The worst is not over.

I'm generally a very happy, positive person, so to write such a doom and gloom post, especially for my debut on the Personal Branding Blog, is out of character. But, it pains me to see really talented people feel like they got the rug pulled out from under them when they should have seen it coming and had time to do something about it.

Take a look around and be aware

It's one thing to start over when you're 20-something, but when you're 40- or 50-something? With car payments, kids in school and a monthly mortgage? Please don't let this happen to you. The fact that the Bunn coffee machine in the break room is collecting dust because no new supplies have been ordered for months, is a sure signal that your employer is getting rid of the non-essentials. Might you be next on the list?

You have to take control of your own career fate. Whether you stay or go, shoring up your network and your personal brand ought to be high on your list. Clearly, networking can help if you're planning to jump ship, and we'll discuss that in more detail in a future post, but how can investing some time in relationship-building help you at work?

While it might be tempting to take cover in your cubicle and lay low until the bullets stop flying, getting out there and being visible is a much more productive strategy, setting the stage for success in your current job and giving you many more options for future ones.

It's who you know and who knows you well

Here are 5 ways to be seen and heard at the office to build a positive personal brand image and strengthen your contact base at the same time:

1. Ask for more responsibility. Layoffs and slower hiring practices may have left your company with fewer hands on deck. So, your boss might be grateful and impressed that you're willing to take on more work.You'll develop a reputation as a team player and a hard worker, which can only help your brand as times get tougher. Plus, you can gain some new skills and experiences, and perhaps even wrangle a higher title, both of which you can leverage for your next job if you decide to leave later.

2. Prep your elevator speech. Imagine getting into the elevator in the lobby of your office building, sipping your extra hot venti soy latte when the president of your division slides in just as the doors close. It's a long ride up, so she asks what you're working on. Caught off guard, you barely manage to put two coherent sentences together, leaving a very fuzzy impression in her mind of your value to the company. Obviously what you're working on is important or you wouldn't be there, so be sure you can toot your own horn when the time comes, because no one else will do it for you.

3. Attend industry events. Most of the time you'll tread a well-worn path between work and home, with little deviation, but getting out to meet others in your industry is one of the quickest ways to add to your network. And meeting new folks when you're not looking for a job will make it easier to make connections because you can focus on the conversation and not hitting them up for leads (not that you should do that anyway). Plus, you may find out important information, or learn about a best practice that you could use on the job or relay to others at work.

4. Grab a sandwich with co-workers. Networking doesn't always have to be formal. The everyday experiences we have with others make up little strands that eventually produce strong bonds over time. Instead of having lunch at your desk all the time, take a day a week to walk down to the cafeteria or the deli around the corner with one or two colleagues. The only real assets you take with you when you leave a company, assuming you don't raid the supply closet before you go, are the relationships you build. Take advantage of that opportunity.

5. Build your online network. You may have ignored those pesky invitations you've gotten from friends to connect on LinkedIn, or maybe you've accepted a few of them, but have done very little on the site otherwise. Filling out your profile and adding people you already know to your list of connections will put you in the flow of opportunity as more recruiters and hiring managers bypass job boards and go directly to their networks to find qualified candidates.

I know what you're saying. That you don't have enough time to do any of these things when you have real work to do. Well, guess what? You don't have time not to do them. Just like they tell you on airplanes, you have to put on your own oxygen mask first before you can help anybody else. You need to secure your own future first before you are physically and psychologically free to do your best work for your employer.

Secure your own future first

Once you start building stronger relationships and feeling more a part of your professional community, you might even find more joy and satisfaction in your current position. And if at some point you do decide to leave, or your company takes a turn and you're asked to leave, your brand and your network will be stronger then - all thanks to the efforts you're putting into them now.

Read the original post on Personal Branding Blog

Is Fear Driving Your Career?

Liz Lynch

on February 25, 2009 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

When times are tough, self-preservation instincts can kick in and we may act in ways to hold onto what we have rather than take any kind of risk to move forward. Yet sometimes staying in place can be the riskiest (non-)move of all.

What you may not realize is that while you're working to maintain your position, you can also be engaging in the single most important activity that can lower your overall career risk and increase your career options: NETWORKING.

How? By investing time in building and maintaining strong relationships, you'll find that your network can:

Alert you to job opportunities they might hear about through the grapevine
Make introductions and offer references on your behalf
Provide guidance and insight on career moves you hadn't yet considered
Give you moral support and confidence to pursue your ideal path

A few weeks ago, I shared a link to some interesting research about the impact of networking on one's career. In the most recent Sunday New York Times, Promise Phelon, founder and CEO of UpMo, an online career planning service based in Sunnyvale, CA and co-sponsor of the networking study, shared sage advice for those tempted to act out of fear, and what you should do instead, including building your network.

Before you make another move, take a deep breath, and read You're Scared. But Don't Shift Into Reverse.

Then, think about what you would do in your career if you knew you had the support to succeed. Now, go build your network and get that support.

Jobs, Baby, Jobs: Get Ready for Job Action Day - Nov. 3

Liz Lynch

on November 2, 2008 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Quintessential Careers has declared Monday, November 3 Job Action Day to rally those who've lost their jobs or are concerned about that possibility in these uncertain economic times.

"It's a day to strategize plans for developing new job and career options and devising new and better ways to track down job leads and position themselves for employment opportunities," says founder and publisher Dr. Randall S. Hansen.

Their site will be chock full of service-oriented articles and blog entries to help professionals "take stock of their careers and develop a plan for their next career steps." Topics include interview tips, excelling in your job, becoming a free agent, and of course, networking.

I'll be sharing four ways to use LinkedIn to maximize your job search efforts and help you land the job of your dreams sooner: Attacking the Job Market and Workplace Proactively in Tough Times: A Roundup of Expert Advice.

Don't leave your fate in someone else's hands. Take action today!

How to Take Control of Your Career When the World is Spiraling Around You

Liz Lynch

on September 18, 2008 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

With so much turmoil in the economic markets, if you're lucky so far to still have a job in the financial industry, you're probably concerned about when the other shoe will drop.

While it can be tempting to take cover and hope you'll survive the storm in one piece, you might consider using this time to bolster your position and try to emerge stronger than before.

If you've been out of the networking circuit for awhile, for example, start re-activating your network now, before you might need it. Connect with old colleagues or business partners over lunch. Attend a professional association event and build some new relationships. Polish up your elevator pitch.

Before you get out there, however, make sure you're mentally strong. Take some advice from executive coach Stefanie Smith who was interviewed by CNBC.com's Jospeh Pisani for his article Eight Ways to Prepare for a Layoff. She says that while you can't control the actions of the people around you, you can certainly control your own.

Coach Stef recently published a free report Six Certain Steps to Fortify Your Career in Uncertain Times that lays out a great game plan for building a strong mindset and taking effective action starting from where you are right now.

Don't count on your boss to keep you motivated during these difficult times. He or she has enough challenges. Instead, motivate yourself through your own momentum.

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Recently in Job Security Category

Career Success Memo: Do You Have a MEMORABLE Brand? - 8 Things a Powerful Personal Brand Can Do for You

Building Relationships Organically - Part 2

Step 1: Connect

You already know people

Increase and improve