Im Not A Networker. How Do I Get The Right People On My Side

“Im Not A Networker. How Do I Get The Right People On My Side” Help from our Community “Im Not A Networker. How Do I Get The Right People On My Side?” * Val's redundancy knocked her confidence, but even before then she was never an extroverted, chatty person. Now she wants to move into a new line of work, she needs to start talking to people. How can she overcome her fear of 'networking' and start her shift in earnest? What's your career history and current job? I was a teacher for the first ten years of my career, and then went on to work in admissions for a university until I was made redundant six months ago. No,w I'm halfway through my redundancy pay and looking for ways to move my career change forward. How do you feel about your work? My redundancy really knocked my confidence. Much as I know it's unreasonable, I feel like I failed somehow. I thought I was a valued member of the team and it's made me doubt the quality of my work and my relationships there. Now I feel a little like I'm floating; I know roughly what I want to do, but I don't know how to get there. What would you like to be doing instead? I want to become a coach or mentor for people who are going through what I'm going through now. I never dreamed redundancy would happen to me, or that it would have such an enormous effect on my confidence and self-esteem. I don't want other people to go through it alone. What's the biggest obstacle you're facing? I know I'm terrible at working alone, and that coaching and mentoring can be a lonely lifestyle, so I want to work for someone, or with a group of other people. The thing is, I'm no good at approaching people out of the blue, and I wouldn't know who to talk to about something like this anyway. I just don't know where to start, or how to make myself seem like a good option for someone who might consider doing something like this with me. It's not as though there are people out there hiring for someone to do the job I want to do. It doesn't help that I feel pretty ashamed of myself at the moment, but even at my best I'm not a very extroverted, chatty person. How do I find and 'recruit' the people I want to work with, or how do I convince them to take me on? Can you help Val? Have you been in a similar situation, or are you in the same boat right now? What can she do to start building some meaningful connections? Do you know anyone she could talk to? Share your thoughts in the comments below and click the thumbs-up button to show your support. Give Val a cheer of encouragement by hitting the thumbs-up button here:

Personal Branding Interview Rita McGrath - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Rita McGrath - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke with Rita McGrath, who is an Associate Professor at Columbia Business School, and one of the world’s leading experts on strategic business growth in highly uncertain environments.   Her new book is called Discovery-Driven Growth.   In this interview, Rita talks about how already established brands and startups can grow in this economy, as well as how to grow your personal brand, mistakes that companies are currently making and the role of social media in business growth. How does a small business grow during this recession? What about an already established brand (Pepsi/PG)? The best route for a small business to grow in a recession is to be absolutely indispensable to customers in ways competitors can’t or won’t match, or to offer a service that creates real value in a way that is highly differentiated. Consider, for instance, upstart Coinstar, a coin-conversion business with which you are probably familiar. From a tiny upstart in 1991 it has grown to become a substantial presence in many retail shops, on the basis of conveniently dealing with one of Americans’ pervasive irritations, the conversion of loose change to spending money. When times get tight, you can expect them to do even better. Ten-year old Rackspace has totaled fantastic growth by offering what it calls “fanatical service” to its buyers of hosted computing capacity. By giving customers flexibility, support and making their costs variable Rackspace should do well in a down economy. I would also, as a generic category, expect companies that can help other companies figure out how to do business with governments to do well, given the increasing role that government is likely to play in our economy for some time to come. For established brands, this is a time to reinforce the brand values and even more closely try to fit your brand to customers’ lifestyle needs. At PepsiCo, for instance, the company is using incredibly clever timing of offers to squeeze a little better margin out of its customers. Recognizing that many of its customers live paycheck-to-paycheck, the company has started to offer different stock and promotions in the beginning of the month than they do at months’ end. For instance, larger sizes, somewhat higher end goods and fancier displays will be placed early in the month, to be replaced by small sizes, economy packs and ‘value’ promotions later in the month. The key here is to recognize how different customer segments behave rather than rely on traditional segmentation. Innovation doesn’t hurt either, particularly if it improves the customers’ experience or renders an offer more cost-effective. As an individual brand, how do we survive this recession? Is it possible to get promoted? You mean as people? Well although there is a lot of pain in the land, it’s good to remember that most people do still have jobs and that most companies still do have a future which means they will eventually need to develop and promote their future leaders. As individuals, there are a few basic things that we sometimes forget that can help a lot. Maintaining active networks is one that I find people sometimes get too busy (or lazy) to remember. Those networks can be invaluable if you ever need a new position â€" a classic study reported that 65% of all jobs offered in an entire region went to people who were referred personally. Really doing a good job matters more now than ever. I particularly encourage pro-activity â€" the people who have to be told what to do all the time are going to be less valuable than the ones that put the energy into figuring it out and taking initiative. I think it’s also really important to develop your skills, through training, new assignments, participation in a task force, and those kinds of opportunities. You may not have lifetime employment, but boy you should strive for lifetime employability. And of course it’s possible to get promoted â€" in fact, if your company has been through layoffs or restructuring one effect is often to lessen the internal competition for the next job (squeamish though some may be to think of it this way!). What are the steps to getting your brand on track right now? You mean personally? Or as a business? Well, personally, in addition to the ideas above, I would definitely try to get a feel for what you do better than others, and then get the word out. Create some kind of Internet presence â€" a web page or just membership in social networking sites if that seems like overkill. Try to practice a little opening line that is interesting, in response to the question “What do you do?”. “I help companies that are struggling with retention issues keep their best people” is a much better answer than “I work in HR”. This is a great time to think about what you really excel at and why a listener would care. If you want steps: Step 1: Do an inventory of those things that are special, unique, or important about yourself Step 2: Figure out to whom these would be relevant (in other words, who are the stakeholders or customers you would appeal to with this ‘brand’) Step 3: Identify your goals â€" is it to get a new job? Build your profile? Get recommendations? Get new projects? Be specific. Step 4: Identify the vehicles through which you will communicate with these stakeholders: meeting, email, newsletter, in-person communication, networking events, whatever Step 5: Develop your opening lines and backup material Step 6: Start getting the word out What mistakes do you think a lot of companies will make right now? The obvious: short-changing investments in future projects and people because of near-term pressures; clumsily handling people issues, leaving a demoralized workforce; cut things like customer service and order fulfillment which enrages customers; cut IT. The not-so-obvious: Get involved in big risky projects out of a sense of desperation; destroy the company culture by bringing in a “take charge” chainsaw type leader; hollow out RD in death by a thousand cuts approaches; create bad blood between Divisions by failing to address issues of fairness and due process when downsizing. What role does social media play right now? It’s becoming more important as a way in which people get information and share ideas. I think it is also increasing in importance as a vehicle for creating and destroying trust and for giving power to individuals in ways that never could occur before. For instance, I posted a negative review of a DVD on Amazon.com (because the supposedly “new” 2009 DVD was a rehash of one I already owned from 2007) and not only did a whole bunch of people thank me for it, but many said it had prevented them from buying it. I even got an email from the publisher apologizing profusely and offering me free DVD’s from their collection. Similar things are playing out all over on the big social networking sites but also on sites such as Yelp and Angie’s list in which missteps can be magnified. When everyone is connected to everyone, a bad experience or negative review can spread like wildfire. And this is even more important for younger consumers. Rita McGrath, an Associate Professor at Columbia Business School in New York, is one of the world’s leading experts on strategic business growth in highly uncertain environments. She works with both Global 1,000 icons and smaller, fast-growing organizations. Her clients include Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Nokia, Microsoft, AXA Equitable, Novartis, Swiss Re, Glanbia, and ON2 Technologies. She is a popular speaker and works extensively with senior leadership teams. McGrath has appeared on television and radio and has been interviewed by numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Financial Times, Businessweek, Inc., and Entrepreneur. She writes actively about strategic growth on her “Dynamic Strategies” blog on HarvardBusiness.org.

Thoughts on Wedding Planning

Thoughts on Wedding Planning Oh and PS- Id love your opinion Wedding planning has been an interesting experience for me and very different than I thought it would be. To be honest, I feel like Im supposed to be a lot more obsessed with wedding planning than I actually am. I finally realized that what had me in somewhat of a dark cloud: meeting with vendors  who quoted me outrageously ($40k just for flowers and decor!?!!) and made me feel bad about my wedding.  These same vendors referred me to other vendors (wedding photographers, lighting packages and chair rentals) that were thousands and thousands of dollars.  I started to feel very discouraged, which made me question the purpose of this whole big wedding thing. Why so many Americans do this whole cookie cutter wedding thing in the first place anyways?! Well, for me,  I got engaged and logged onto sites like TheKnot.com and all this crap is what they told me to do. Wedding sites and magazines are really good at making you feel totally paranoid that everyone is going to be booked up immediately and that you might miss out on your dreams! Thanks to the florist I met with a few days ago for getting me out of my funk. She opened my eyes and now  Im taking a new approach.  Most photographers arent $ 10,000, chairs are not $18 each and the hotel has a boat load of stuff they can do for free if you just ask. In addition, the wedding industry is one you must question, research and negotiate with.  Her widsom revealed that Ive been lined up to be TOTALLY ripped off! So after doubting having a big wedding at all, to changing my color scheme at least 3 times (from yellow to champagne to todays choice: purple) the pictures in this post are what Im thinking of doing for my September 2012 wedding. Please tell me your wedding planning experience or experiences youve had with other brides.  Any advice? Oh and PS- Id love your opinion Long or short bridesmaids dresses? Silver or purple with this bouquet? Another thing romantic weddings cannot do without  are beautiful wedding dresses. Where did you find yours/ where are you looking?

Breaking Into The Modeling Industry

Breaking Into The Modeling Industry It is something that a lot of people dream of doing, and part of the reason for that is that there are a lot of real perks and benefits to doing so. Done right, and with the right attitude, modelling can be a significantly positive lifestyle, and it is a great career choice for many men and women. However, with fierce competition as a given, and a great many different routes to go down, it can be hard to know where to begin, and how to get into it in the best way possible. If you are a wannabe model, then read on. Here are some top tips for breaking into the modelling industry. Deciding On Style More than any other profession, modelling is a job where you are much more likely to make it big if you are unique in your style and presentation. This is why it is so important so work on your own personal style, long before you even try to make it in the industry. The more original you are, the better off you will be, so make sure that you do everything you can to really stand out in a proud way. Usually, you will also need to fit in with a certain look on the whole but successful models are often those who are able to bring their own sense of creativity, and uniquity, to an already burgeoning industry. Bear this in mind, and you will find that you are able to get ahead much faster. Consider Natural Healing If you have any parts of your body that you want to deal with before you step in front of the camera, then it is a good idea to remember that there are always plenty of options available. Despite what you might think about the modelling industry, the truth is that plastic surgery is mostly unnecessary. Most of the time, simple solutions are available for even the biggest of issues. Something relatively everyday and normal like stretch marks, for example, can be easily dealt with by applying sugar to the skin. Alternatively, here are a few other ideas for dealing with stretch marks. Whatever you do, remember that natural remedies are always best. Image Source Be Ready For Competition There are not many industries which are quite as competitive as modelling, and it is a good idea to be ready for that if you want to make it big. It takes an iron will and determination to be able to succeed in an industry full of highly motivated individuals, so make sure that you are super keen on achieving modelling goals before you step out to do so. The slightest hesitation could be enough to hold you back for a long time, so you need to make sure you are retaining your sense of confidence as much as possible for as long as possible. Be prepared for fierce competition, and you should be much more likely to achieve all of your wildest modelling dreams. Title Image

Roads towards a Perfect Startup Office

Roads towards a Perfect Startup Office Starting a startup office is an exciting time for you. You have managed to evolve your entrepreneurial idea and you are ready to finally move from your home office. However, finding the right real estate for the office is only a first step towards the perfect startup office.There are plenty of other aspects to consider because there are factors that can affect your workspace and how pleasant it is, which can greatly influence productivity and satisfaction with your job.Here are some of the major elements you have to consider in order for everything to be ideally successful.1. Plan Your SpacePhoto Credit â€" Pixabay.comevalPlanning your space is essential for a successful startup. However, you shouldn’t do it alone. Collaborate with your employees and coworkers in order to create a blueprint for the office’s future look and feel. Others can give you valuable insight into what they need in order to be inspired to work and to encourage their creativity and productivity.Also, the poi nt of view of others might help you with the things you may have overlooked during solo brainstorming. Collaboration will help gain multiple perspectives for creating a pleasant workflow and the optimum usage of the same. Your coworkers will help provide information about the equipment preferences, conference rooms and other amenities so don’t neglect their opinion.You have several ways for obtaining such information. If the startup is rather small at the beginning, you can all have several meetings in the office and start planning. You can also organize lunches or happy hours as brainstorming sessions or you can conduct surveys.To help conduct this faster, you can use digital services such as Google Forms or SurveyMonkey. It is critical to obtain valuable information from your employees, because they will work in that office and it needs to satisfy their needs as well.2. Growth PotentialPhoto Credit -Pixabay.comYou don’t want to move offices as soon as you add five or ten peopl e into your team. That is why you must take the growth potential into account. As the employees are encouraged to be productive, the business will grow, and as the business grows you will often need more people.Make a 5 year plan and calculate the potential growth. The figures should give you an insight in how many people you will need and how big the office should be. Consider the furniture as well, but don’t forget to account the energy efficiency elements. Big offices consume plenty of electricity and this can significantly increase your expenses.Besides planning the space, you need to have a plan for your utilities as well, and the best solution is going green. Incorporate plants, turn off everything that doesn’t need to work non-stop and find different sources of electrical power.evalIf your startup office has big enough roof, you can easily invest a bit more into solar panels. These panels will collect the needed power from the sun and can significantly lower the bills in the long run, claim the experts at Solar Bright. Be prepared for growth and avoid wasting time and money on moving and restarting almost everything.3. Design for the StartupPhoto Credit â€" Pixabay.comThe primary purpose of your office is productivity and functionality. However, this space should symbolize your business brand, overall vibe and culture. So, you need to make sure your office fits your overall image and reflects on the business. The simplest way of bringing the company culture to life is by naming and decorating the conference room.Provide a bit of fun for the employees in this room and you will manage to supplement the room’s productivity. Gather your team and find a theme that will correspond to your business. Then, find the interesting décor and let the office breathe positivity. This way, you will create a good public image for your startup and your visitors and employees will be more encouraged to work in such a relaxing yet productive environment.It is a long road towards a successful and perfect startup office, but you have to be patient. Never work alone if you don’t have to, respect the suggestions of your team and this long road will seem much shorter and more fun.

So You Want to Start Something Stupid Why You Must - Kathy Caprino

So You Want to Start Something Stupid Why You Must Richie Norton In my coaching and training work helping women lead more fulfilling lives, I’m asked every day questions like this: “Kathy, do you think this is too stupid an idea?”  or “This may be really crazy, but I’m thinking of…” or my favorite, “My family says this is nuts and will never work, but I’m thinking of…” Thousands of people are wracked with fear, paralysis, and embarrassment (or even shame) when considering if they should pursue something “stupid” that their heart desires most. But after 10 years of helping people turn “stupid” into amazing, I trust wholeheartedly in the power of starting your own version of something stupid, and have seen how this process turns a mediocre and unsatisfying life into a thrilling one. I was intrigued, then, to discover Richie Norton’s new book The Power of Starting Something Stupid: How to Crush Fear, Make Dreams Happen Live Without Regret, and couldn’t wait to speak to Richie about his ideas and his journey from “stupid” to stupendous. As I read the book, I was deeply moved by Richie’s personal story of losing his beautiful and perfect infant boy of only 10 weeks, and having to make the unbearable decision not to resuscitate him as the process would only prolong his suffering and in the end, not save his life.  As is often the case when tragedy rips a gash in our reality, we feel forever changed by the loss.  In Richie’s case, his life took on a very real sense of urgency, and he faced the shocking realization that circumstance is completely outside our realm of control.   Not just certain circumstances, but ALL circumstance.   This realization opened the door for Richie to learn the biggest lesson of his life to date, what he calls “Gavin’s Law” (named after his beloved brother-in-law Gavin, who died at 21, just two years before the death of his baby boy Gavin). Gavin’s Law is this: “Live to start. Start to live.” There is so much to learn in Richie’s book, but I want to share here Richie’s 6 steps to making our dreams happen.   From my perspective, this model covers all the key bases, and if you use this as a roadmap to pursuing your crazy, stupid idea, you’ll be on the right track. The 6 steps to Making Dreams Happen and Living without Regret: 1.   Crush Fear It’s not the actual circumstances that we should feel threatened by, it’s the fear of the circumstances that poses the real threat. The bottom line is that people with high aspirations are going to experience a proportionately high level of fear. If high aspirations are equal to high fear, then the flip side to that truth is that overcoming high fear is equal to achieving high aspirations. To crush fear doesn’t mean you eliminate it; crushing fear means you literally crush it down into smaller, more manageable parts and tackle one piece at a time. 2.   End Pride The line between fear and pride is nearly imperceptible. At the heart of pride, is the fear of looking stupid. Pride convinces people to feel justified in quitting because, for prideful people, approval is sought at all costsâ€"even at the cost of success. Prideful people won’t ask for help, they won’t ask questions, and they don’t want to do anything to challenge the status quo. To overcome pride, you must embrace The Humble Power Alternative”  lean into your stupid ideas, do more than you think you should do, take ownership of your life, dont blame others for lack of success, and encourage others in their success. There is true power born of humility. 3.   Overcome Procrastination When we procrastinate, we fill our lives with the tasks that are right in front of us rather than make the concerted effort to leave enough room in our schedules to pursue dreams. Procrastination doesn’t always come in the form of frivolous activities. Often we’re filling our time with good or even essential tasks, but even so, anytime you postpone doing the things that are most important in your life, you are falling victim to procrastination. “Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried” (the slogan of Procrastinators Anonymous). Procrastination must be overcome or it will rob you of the things that could be most significant in your life. TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON FORBES, CLICK HERE There are so many helpful ideas in Richie’s book, including how to evaluate a “stupid” idea to see if it’s stupid smart, or viewing the starting of something stupid as a “project” rather than a do-or-die endeavor, or my favorite tip: making a pact to surround yourself every day only with people who embody the “serve, thank, ask, receive, trust” philosophy. But what you’ll find most in this book is a powerful reminder that within you is a kernel, the seed of something enormous that others (or your inner critic) will say is stupid, but when honored and nurtured, will show you why you’re on this planet at this time, and why no one else can contribute and make the difference that you can, if you only start. Are you deeply longing to start something stupid?   What will it take for you to crush your fear and start it today? (For more about Richie, check out www.richienorton.com and The Power of Starting Something Stupid.   And to gain clarity on the stupid ideas you long to pursue in your career, take my free Career Path Self-Assessment.)

Steps to Prepare a Resume

Steps to Prepare a ResumeIf you are planning to apply for a job, the first step is to have your resume prepared. There are four main steps in preparing a resume. Read on the get some practical advice for preparing a resume.To start off with, you need to research. It is better to start out with a generic list rather than going straight to the market. You can consult a library or some online resources that will help you to find some good samples. Make sure that the sample you are using is similar to the kind of job you wish to apply for.After you have gathered some information, it is time to write down your objectives, skills and achievements. The objective should be written down in a way so that it does not sound like an essay. You can discuss in detail how you want your resume to look.Next you need to select which type of job you wish to apply for. Some jobs are easier to write about while others need a lot of facts. Once you know what job you want to apply for, you need to focus on it for at least six months before you decide to apply for it. This gives the employer enough time to see if you are qualified for the job.After that, it is time to select a future employer. As soon as you decide on an employer, do a cursory check of the employer's records. You can also ask for a sample of work samples. Do not forget to let the employer know of your plans to apply for other jobs as well.Finally, you need to present your resume to your future employer. Your main goal here is to make your employer aware of your abilities. You can either explain everything in your resume or show examples of work related projects. In either case, it is important to emphasize how these skills are useful to the employer. Moreover, it is important to highlight any special skills you possess that will help the employer.In order to impress your employer, you must be completely honest. You must tell all about yourself. You must also consider carefully the job description and the position you a re applying for.When preparing a resume, you must keep in mind that it needs to stand out in the crowd. It is important to remember that the hiring process is not simple. You should treat it as a serious task because it is a chance to make your career.