10 Tips to Make 2012 a More Productive and Profitable Year

1. Fail Fast, Fail Often and Fail Cheap

Be willing to make, and learn from, your mistakes. Treat mistakes as part of the growing process – not an end. Think ahead by limiting the cost of possible failures. This tip is courtesy of Jim Estill.

2. Be Clear on Your Purpose

Why are you doing this? Ask that question of yourself more often before you invest your time, money or effort. Clarify the purpose of each meeting, promotion or decision before you commit.

3. Fundamentals

Revisit the fundamentals. Technology changes rapidly. Techniques adapt to circumstances. But the fundamentals never change nor fail you. Don’t wing it, understand the fundamentals.

4. Stop Chasing Perfection

You will never be perfect. Chasing perfection will result in repeated frustration. Instead strive to be better every time. Then you can experience a chain of small wins and progressive successes.

5. Stop Doing Things

What do you need to stop doing to allow you to do more of what you really want to do? Write your “Stop doing list”. This is as important as your “To do list.”

6. Scare Yourself

Face at least one thing that scares you. That’s how you grow. Courage is not being without fear – it is facing your fear. You’ll discover more about yourself when you scare yourself.

7. Ask Better Questions

Ask better questions of yourself, others and the world around you. You’ll be amazed at the answers you’ll get. It takes more thought to ask good questions than to answer them.

8. Review and Use Your Resources

You have resources that you aren’t fully using. Check your tangible and especially intangible resources for new opportunities. You already have what you need to succeed. Check your pockets.

9. Visit Other Worlds

Life is best observed through a kaleidoscope. Discover other cultures, opinions and perspectives. Volunteer for a charity, read about history and listen to other views without judging. Walk around the block with your eyes open.

10. Accept the Mess in Your Head

You are the best person to deal with the mess in your head. That will include a mix of ideas, questions, unfinished thoughts, self doubts, fears, anxieties, hopes, dreams…

No one else will ever know about the mess in your head. And you can work to organize some of that mess.

© George Torok            www.Torok.com            905-335-1997

Summary from audio broadcast on the radio show, Business in Motion – www.BusinessInMotion.ca

Ten Tips on Building a Strong Profile on Linked In

Following up on Linked In’s presentation to HAPPEN on December 13th, below are the Top 10 Tips for using Linked In courtesy of Perry Monaco

 

 

LinkedIn Basics

Ten Tips on Building a Strong Profile

LinkedIn is all about connecting, but before we connect, we look for what we have in common. That’s the key to putting together a profile that jump-starts conversation. Think of your profile as a way to promote your brand—a professional permalink, a fixed point on the web to promote your skills, your knowledge, your personality. Brands build trust by using an authentic voice and telling a credible story. Here are ten tips to help you do the same:

1. Don’t cut and paste your resume.

LinkedIn hooks you into a network, not just a human resources department. You wouldn’t hand out your resume before introducing yourself, so don’t do it here. Instead, describe your experience and abilities as you would to someone you just met. And write for the screen, in short blocks of copy with visual or textual signposts.

2. Borrow from the best marketers.

Light up your profile with your voice. Use specific adjectives, colorful verbs, active construction (“managed project team,” not “responsible for project team management”). Act naturally: don’t write in the third person unless that formality suits your brand. Picture yourself at a conference or client meeting. How do you introduce yourself? That’s your authentic voice, so use it.

3. Write a personal tagline.

That line of text under your name? It’s the first thing people see in your profile. It follows your name in search hit lists. It’s your brand. (Note: your e-mail address is not a brand!) Your company’s brand might so strong that it and your title are sufficient. Or you might need to distill your professional personality into a more eye-catching phrase, something that at a glance describes who you are.

4. Put your elevator pitch to work.

Go back to your conference introduction. That 30-second description, the essence of who you are and what you do, is a personal elevator pitch. Use it in the Summary section to engage readers. You’ve got 5–10 seconds tocapture their attention. The more meaningful your summary is, the more time you’ll get from readers.

5. Point out your skills.

Think of the Specialties field as your personal search engine optimizer, a way to refine the ways people find and remember you. This searchable section is where that list of industry buzzwords from your resume belongs. Also: particular abilities and interests, the personal values you bring to your professional performance, even a note of humor or passion.

6. Explain your experience.

Help the reader grasp the key points: briefly say what the company does and what you did or do for them. Picture yourself at that conference, again. After you’ve introduced yourself, how do you describe what you do, what your company does? Use those clear, succinct phrases here—and break them into visually digestible chunks.

7. Distinguish yourself from the crowd.

Use the Additional Information section to round out your profile with a few key interests. Add websites that showcase your abilities or passions. Then edit the default “My Website” label to encourage click-throughs (you get Google page rankings for those, raising your visibility). Maybe you belong to a trade association or an interest group; help other members find you by naming those groups. If you’re an award winner, recognized by peers, customers, or employers, add prestige without bragging by listing them here.

8. Ask and answer questions.

Thoughtful questions and useful answers build your credibility. The best ones give people a reason to look at your profile. Make a point of answering questions in your field, to establish your expertise, raise your visibility, and most important, to build social capital with people in your network—you may need answers to a question of your own down the road.

9. Improve your Google Page Rank.

Pat your own back and others’. Get recommendations from colleagues, clients, and employers who can speak credibly about your abilities or performance. (Think quality, not quantity.) Ask them to focus on a specific skill or personality trait that drives their opinion of you. Make meaningful comments when you recommend others. And mix it up variety makes your recommendations feel authentic.

10. Build your connections.

Connections are one of the most important aspects of your brand: the company you keep reflects the quality of your brand. What happens when you scan a profile and see that you know someone in common? That profilee’s stock with you soars. The value of that commonality works both ways. So identify connections that will add to your credibility and pursue those.

A final note: As you add connections and recommendations, your profile develops into a peer-reviewed picture of you, of your personal brand. Make sure it’s in focus, well composed—and easy to find. Remember that permalink? Edit your public profile’s URL to reflect your name or tagline, then put it to work: add it to your blog, link to it from your website, include it in your e-mail signature. Then go start a conversation.

 
Perry Monaco
Recruitment Product Consultant
LinkedIn Corporate Solutions
pmonaco@linkedin.com  http://www.linkedin.com/in/perrymonaco

 

Holiday Season Survival Tips

1) Have a Plan
Before you step out the door to go to that party, develop a plan for how you want to eat and drink at the party. How many hors-d’oeuvres will you eat? If it’s a dinner, will you have any bread with your meal? How will you handle desert? How many drinks, beers, or glasses of wine will you enjoy? Plan to drink lots of sparkling water.

2) Visualize!
After you’ve made your plan, close your eyes and visualize yourself at the party following through on your plan. See yourself passing up on the bread or eating only half your desert. VISUALIZATION REALLY WORKS – TRY IT FOR YOURSELF AND SEE!

3) Pre-Party Snack
Don’t show up at the party hungry. Have a small snack just before you head out the door. Make it something healthy like a hard-boiled egg, or a protein bar. Your self-discipline will be much stronger if you follow this advice.

4) How Do You Want to Feel?
On the way to the party, think about how you want to feel at the party, and how great you will feel in the morning looking back at how well you did at the party. Parties end, but the extra calories you take on like to hang around forever!

5) Enjoy Your Food
Once you’re at the function, follow your plan, and most importantly, make sure you really savor the food you have carefully chosen to enjoy. It is so easy in a social setting (my experience) to dive into the food, and not really even taste it! A better plan is to enjoy your food and then go dive back into the interesting conversation.

6) The Morning After
Reflect on how well you stuck to your plan at the party. Pat yourself on the back for your successes, and analyze any slips you had, so you can do better next time. Nobody’s perfect, but we can always learn from our experience.

7) Choose Your Events Wisely
If you are overwhelmed by the thought of the food pressure you know you will feel at a particular event, you can always choose to give that event a pass in favor of other opportunities. Be selective – your body will thank you for it!

Paul McIntosh
Lifeweight – Lose Weight and Keep It Off – For Life!
paul@lifeweight.ca
www.lifeweight.ca   905-541-1738 (c)  905-393-5275 (o)

 

Word Clouds – a helpful tool for polishing your resume

By Phillip Newsome: Brandologist And Principal

Telescope Brand Vision

p.newsome@telescopemarketing.com

I see many professionals in transition struggling to refine their resumes.  They write, rewrite and revise their career summary and positioning statement over and over. Still, they remain uncertain of whether they are communicating exactly what they intend.   If you have experienced this frustration, I have a suggestion for you.  Before you give up and spend money to hire a professional resume writer, go to the web. A Word Cloud can bring your points into clear focus quickly and easily.

A Word Cloud is a web application that visualizes word frequency of the provided text. They are frequently used to generate graphic representations of tags and keywords. They can also be used to help you visualize whether the bio or summary of work experience that you have written is projecting an emphasis on your most relevant and valued skills. Programs such as Wordle.com and tagcrowd.net are free and are easy to use.

  

 

How do the applications work? They proportionally emphasize words based on the number of times they appear in the source text. For example, if you wish to emphasize that you are a customer satisfaction expert you can expect to see the words customer and satisfaction appear in the graphic larger than other words.

Give it a try:

• Go to www.wordle.net or www.tagcrowd.com
• Paste your source copy from a word file into the text box in the program and
• Click the submit/visualize button.
• A graphic representation of the paragraph(s) that you have input will appear

Should the important words/ideas not stand out, it’s because the source copy is not giving the point enough emphasis.  Revise your copy and try again.

There are options to limit the number of words that appear in the graphic and in the case of Wordle a significant number of creative options that allow you to generate a design that can be used on a business card or on your website. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use in any way you choose. You may print T-Shirts, business cards, brochures, what have you.  There is a small licensing fee involved with the use of images from Tagcrowd.

Word Clouds are a tool that can help everyone to be more clear and concise in their written work. I am not suggesting that you rely solely on the graphic produced from a word cloud program to judge whether or not you have optimized the communication in your resume.  Repeating a single word too often does not usually result in compelling copy. Use word clouds along with your own judgement and you will have taken a big step toward polishing your writing.

Making It Happen: by Peter Sheahan, CEO of Change Labs.

President Obama on Thursday urged Congress to pass his $447 billion American Jobs Act to help a flailing economy where unemployment still hovers around 9 percent. Many people are out of work, while others who are still employed are hoping they’re not the next wave of people to get the pink slip.
We turn to Peter Sheahan branding expert, author of Making It Happen: Turning Good Ideas Into Great Results, and CEO of ChangeLabs.

For those of you fearing a pink slip or looking for a job, respond in three ways:
1) Get narrow   (2) Get clear  (3) Get moving

Narrow: When bosses are watching their dollars, they much clearer about their needs and much more discerning about who they hire or partner with to solve them. Pre-2008, we may have said, “I need some smart young MBA to help keep us on the edge.” Today, they are likely to say, “We need a lateral hire with very specific skills in the area of data and analytics to exploit the opportunity we have with Client X.”
As a result, if we want to take our career to the next level, start a new career or even go and forge a new path in our own business, we will need to get very targeted about the value we can add/bring.

Clarity: Getting narrow is one thing. Being able to communicate that value clearly and concisely is another thing altogether. Having just gone through a round of interviews recently for a new staff member, I cannot tell you how poorly people were able to communicate there value. If I hear “I am really good with people” one more time, I am going to scream. Seriously, in three sentences or less, tell me what you can bring.

Activity: It is tough out there. Regardless, I am not convinced people are doing ALL they can to create new opportunities. Break free from whatever ego or pride is stopping you from going door to door and start knocking if that is what is required. Network your brains out. Meet everyone you know, everyone your friends know, everyone your parents know and work it until an opportunity emerges. For more tips by Peter Sheahan, click here.

 

For other stories by Peter Sheahan and other career experts on genConnect:

• Turn Your Ideas Into a Business in 5 Steps, by Peter Sheahan
• Networking Key to Changing, Keeping Your Job in a Bad Economy
• 10 Powerful People in Media Who Matter to You (VIDEO ESSAY)
• Steve Jobs Teaches Us How to Think Different (VIDEO)

PERSONAL BRANDING

Manage Your Reputation like a Brand to Standout in the Marketplace

By Phillip Newsome, Principal at Telescope Brand Vision

To compete in today’s over-communicated business environment it is essential that you use all available branding tools to differentiate yourself and stand out in the increasingly competitive job market. But before you consider any of the tactics usually associated with personal branding, such as blogging, a Linked in profile, Twitter stream, Facebook page or business cards, it’s important that you understand what shape your brand is in today.

Yes, you already have a brand. Surprisingly, many people haven’t thought of their reputation in branding terms, but they should.  People you know have formed opinions based on the way you speak, act, dress, the company you keep and the job you do.  So, whether by accident or good management, you already have a brand.

The Brand Audit

The best way to understand your current brand position is to conduct an audit.  With the learning that you gather you’ll be able to summarize where you are today and the value that you offer to a potential employer.  Brand reputation is primarily comprised of two components: the things you have done and the attributes that are known for, so keep this equation in mind.

Experience (the things I’ve done) + Expectations (the attributes I’m known for) = Brand Reputation.

If you’re considering changing industries or planning to take on a completely new role, you should write two statements. The first summarizing where you are today.  The second to clearly articulate where you will be once you have refined your skills and qualifications.

A personal brand audit can be more difficult to complete than it may first seem. Most of us tend to undersell ourselves.  So, I recommend that you ask for input from trusted co-workers, friends or associates. Another option is to seek the help of a personal Branding consultant or career coach such as Telescope Brand Vision.

To help you get started here are some example questions to ask of yourself.

• How do you dress?
• How do you speak?
• What do you do really well?
• What do you do not so well?
• What do your present business cards, resume and Linkedin Profile communicate about you?
• How professional is your written communication?
• What are your most noteworthy accomplishments to date?
• Are you passions apparent? What are they?
• What professional accreditations do you hold?
• Are you highly involved in the community, or not so much?
• What do others say about you?

You get the idea. The goal of this evaluation is to develop a clear understanding of your authentic reputation: your brand. Working through the process you’ll become confident of your strengths that are apparent to others, and the attributes you possess that make what you offer unique.   When the audit is complete, synthesize everything you learn into a Brand Statement that articulates how you can deliver value and differentiate yourself in the marketplace. Your statement is two to three sentences telling what your expertise is (your value), who you wish to serve (target group) and how you do it uniquely (your differentiation or Unique Selling Proposition).

Once your brand statement is complete, you’re ready to fine tune your resume, write your elevator speech and align the other elements of your communications arsenal in a manner that will assist you in standing out as a noteworthy candidate.

Put yourself in the Employer’s Shoes

Part two of this exercise is to focus on the employer(s) in which you have an interest.   What kind of company or manager are they? What are their expectations of the person they are seeking?

The job posting will give you a summary of the skills and qualifications that are required in the target position, but don’t stop there. Include more than education and experience attributes. Do some research to find out as much as possible about the culture of the organization.  I find that it often helps when working on this section, to figuratively put one’s self in the employer’s shoes.  I have on occasion had clients move to the opposite side of the table to put them in the right frame of mind.  Try it.

The goal is to help you to understand the type of person who is likely to thrive within the organization(s) that you’re targeting. Fit with a company culture is as important as having the functional skills to be successful at the job.

With the two profiles completed: your current brand and the profile of the targeted company, you’ll be able see which of your strengths meets or exceeds the expectations of the potential hiring manager.  You’ll also be able to identify potential areas of concern.  These will now be less daunting because you can strategically prepare answers for the “difficult” questions as you progress through the interview process.

©Telescope Brand Vision, 2011.  Telescope Brand Vision works with organizations and individuals to develop and communicate ideas that allow them to stand out in the marketplace.

Contact: p.newsome@telescopemarketing.com. 647 669 0613   www.telescopemarketing.com

Leaving effective voicemails

One of the most important skills for getting people on the telephone in your job-hunt is leaving effective voicemail. Poor voicemails — long-winded, wordy, winding, directionless voicemails — are an obstacle between you and your speaking with a real, live human being. So let’s get set on the right way.

Your voicemail is NOT going to get them to change the job to be an entirely different kind of job, cause you to develop the required skills and talents if you do not have them, make the hiring manager move any faster than he or she intends to, or turn you, the job, or your future boss into something you’re not.

What your voicemail IS going to do is remind them of your presence, interest, and qualifications. By giving the recruiter, the HR person, and the future hiring manager a pleasant nudge — and let me emphasize pleasant — you and your possibilities stay active in their thinking.

Here’s what you’re going to leave in your voicemail:

Name (twice)
Phone number (twice, slowly)
Reminder that you exist / have previously interacted
An upbeat message
A pleasant reiteration of your interest
A graceful exit

So the correct way is:

“Hi Susan, it’s Jim Ablebody. Just calling to let you know how excited I am about the opportunity there at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. As I mentioned when we met in mid-June, I’ve spent 17 years in nuclear safety, so I feel there could be a great fit. Hey, just like Jeter, I’m ready to break records! You can reach me at 867-5309, and, again, it’s Jim [stop and tiny pause]. Ablebody [stop and tiny pause]. 867-5 [stop and tiny pause]. 309 [stop and tiny pause]. Thanks, Susan!”

What’s right about this?

It’s short.
Jim is positive, he’s not accusing Susan of not getting back to him, even though it’s been three weeks.
He expresses his interest and desire in the position. But not in a too heavy-handed way.
He reminds Susan of his highly relevant qualifications without giving his whole resume.
He repeats his name (twice) and his phone number (twice) so that Susan doesn’t have to hit “rewind” or “play again” in order to get it. Humor — even slightly corny humor — is good if you can pull it off. It shows good adjustment and implies that you’re not too desperate if you can crack charming jokes by voicemail. And maybe, just maybe, if you make them smile, it will be a tiny bit more likely that you’ll get the return call.
He doesn’t try to do things that voicemail can’t — close the deal, set a time to talk, make long-winded arguments about his fit for the position, or push the timetable faster than it is going.
It’s short (about 30 seconds is the right amount of time) and pleasant.

And with effective voicemail, when the job comes up for discussion again (which is out of your hands), and other candidates’
qualifications are discussed (which is out of your hands), you will come up in a positive, pleasant light (which is the only thing in your hands) without any comments about your attitude on the voicemail or pushiness or obvious desperation. “Do no harm” and doing a tiny, little bit of good, is the right way.

About the author:
Marc Cenedella is CEO & Founder of TheLadder.com Follow him on Twitter: @cenedella

What Does a 30-60-90 Day Business Plan Look Like

Job searching can be a challenge, especially in tough economic times and times of widespread unemployment. Times like these add a lot of competition for every position. Using a 30/60/90-day business plan–designed not for launching a company, but for demonstrating you have a plan for your next career move–helps you really understand the position and set yourself apart from other candidates.

Benefits

Taking the time and effort to create a 30/60/90-day plan pays off for both you and your prospective employer. First and foremost, it shows that you’re serious about the position and working for the company. Additionally, it shows that you can plan, work independently and set goals. A prospective employer will be impressed that you’ve already done your homework and will realize you’ll come up to speed in the position more quickly than a candidate without such a plan.

Job Preparation

Besides showing a prospective employer that you can plan and organize, having a 30/60/90-day plan helps you understand the job parameters. By defining what you’ll accomplish in those time frames, you will get a solid appreciation to the job requirements. By doing that, you may come to realize that the position is not to your liking. If you build your plan and realize it is the perfect job, you’ll be able to expedite your learning curve and be a real contributor to your new company faster.

30 Days

The 30-day section of your plan should include tasks like initial meetings with managers, teammates and staff (if you’re in a
supervisory position). Also include completion of required company training along with your goal for test scores and ratings. Setting up communications like voice mail and email as well as learning the company’s protocol for each is part of the 30-day plan. If there are certain skills you lack, plan to show how you’ll work to gain them in this section. Sales positions may include traveling with other representatives and/or learning the specific territory.

60 Days

The first part of the 60-day section is to review the first 30 days and ensure that you met all established goals and report on those as required. Continue to fine tune your knowledge of the product, processes and clients during this phase. Ongoing technical study should also be included. As a new employee, providing a review of company training materials or offering to improve them might be beneficial to your new employer. Prioritize your targets and contact existing clients and vendors as appropriate. Submit required reports and regularly discuss your accomplishments with your supervisor.

90 Days

As you move into the final phase, the first step is to review the initial two phases and follow up as needed to complete the outlined steps and goals. This portion of your 30/60/90 day business plan is most important because it shows that you really understand the job. Participate in team meetings and ask to join the teams to which you feel you can contribute. As you familiarize yourself with your new organization, offer to take on special projects. Sales representatives should now be prospecting and landing a few new clients. Research trade associations and join professional groups to continue your networking efforts for your new employer.

Get the Job

The 30/60/90 day business plan is one of the best ways to leverage your skills to get the job offer. Your understanding of the job is a huge piece of the puzzle for the hiring manager. Imagine sitting on the other side of the desk and trying to determine who is the best candidate. Having a 30/60/90 day business plan shows that you’re willing to do the work necessary to successfully fill the position. It is a powerful tool with a strong impact.

Original article at
http://www.ehow.com/about_5256735_30_60_90-business-plan-look-like_.html

The critical element people leave out..

How many times have you heard, “They were at the right place at the right time?” Their success seemingly was related to external circumstances. On the other side of the coin, some people see their failure as related to globalization, interest rate policy, the market or their boss. Both perspectives are incorrect. While yes, you may benefit or be negatively impacted by external elements, what role did your actions play in determining that success or failure?

How we define success and failure in our careers can also be related to our expectations. One of the keys to success is to take
responsibility for both your successes and your failures. Larry’s mantra in life is, “Understand your responsibilities and your rights.” When you do this, it brings a true sense of personal control over outcomes. When you are clear about what you do well and what you have control over, you can then work on these elements and take positive action toward something better. If you feel your success is a result of circumstances, then you are unlikely to want to change those circumstances. You can feel trapped in success and yet not be happy. If you feel trapped in failure, then you may become bitter and angry with those around you. Both are not constructive. They both are routed in not recognizing and taking action over the things that you have control over.

It may take a lot action or little action, but one thing I can guarantee is that improvement will require action. Larry shared “The critical element people leave out of becoming successful is action. Get busy even if you are doing the wrong thing and you will find out sooner.”

About the author:
Alan Kearns runs Career Joy, http://www.CareerJoy.com

5 Ways to Make Your Recruiter’s Job Easier

Here’s a short list of tactics to make the recruiter’s life easier — and increase your chances of landing that job.

Don’t try to be a square peg in a round hole.
If the hiring company is looking for a candidate with 10 years of experience in small companies, don’t act as if your 20 years at large companies isn’t right there on paper. “Candidates need to know that nothing would make us happier than saying, ‘Yes, this is a good fit,’ “said Marian Rich of Bonell Ryan. “But our clients pay us to bring candidates who most closely align with their ideal profile.”

Don’t be cagey about compensation.
The first question that hiring managers tend to ask recruiters is how much the job seeker is earning, Rich said. So when candidates hesitate to disclose their compensation or instead inquire about what the prospective job would pay, Rich takes pause, wondering why the candidate is not forthcoming. “It is always better to give us the information that we need to represent anyone to our clients and to be as honest as possible around issues concerning compensation,” Rich explained.

Establish an understanding about phone calls and e-mails.
If your every phone call is not promptly returned, it could be that the recruiter is extremely busy or that your background won’t help him fill an immediate position. While you may disagree, sending frequent or belligerent e-mails won’t change his mind and may make him not want to work with you on future positions. “Every now and then I get a nasty e-mail that will say, ‘This is the third time I’ve sent you my resume and you’re not even bothering to respond,’ ” said Frank Laux, president of Strategic Search Partners in Keller, Texas. “ But they didn’t understand that they weren’t qualified for anything I had.”

After your interview with the hiring company, contact your recruiter right away.
You may be busy or feel like the interview was lousy, but it’s still your responsibility to let the recruiter know how it went. It could be that the hiring company wants quickly to schedule another interview. “The lack of follow-up may show a level of disinterest, which isn’t always the case,” noted Harold Laslo of the Aldan Troy Group in New York.

Refer talented friends and colleagues to your recruiter.
It could only work to your advantage to recommend talented people to your recruiter(s), even for a role that you wanted but weren’t qualified to perform. Your recruiter will appreciate the help and he may return the favor in the future.

Aboutthe Author:
Elizabeth Bennett is a freelance journalist.