While it's not so difficult to add a connection on LinkedIn when you already know the person, approaching someone you don't know, like a hiring manager, recruiter, the head of the department you want to work for, or a contact that can help get you through to the decision-maker is a different story.
Here are five tips on how to approach people you don't know, or don't know very well, and what you can say to get them to connect with you on LinkedIn:
Don't send a blank (or default) invitation to connect. It's unlikely that the person you're trying to connect with will accept it.
If it's a hiring manager who interviewed you, but you didn't get the job, it may still be a relationship worth maintaining. Your message could say, "Thank you for the interview opportunity. I would love to be considered for future positions that come up and have you as a professional connection no matter where we may possibly cross paths again."
The act of simply taking the time to write a personal message with your invitation makes you worthy of consideration.
In your LinkedIn connection request, find ways to form an instant bond by sharing what you have in common. For example, when you're both a member of the same group, club, or volunteer organization, it's easier to approach the individual.
People also want to know or be reminded of how you know them or found them. So, you can say something like, "I'm also a member of XYZ on LinkedIn. I noticed you're the head of the marketing department at 123 Company, and I was hoping you could share some advice to how you got started in your career because I'm looking to pursue a similar path."
This approach is less likely to come off like a cold call. If there are other things you have in common, like a similar education or background, share that as well.
Whenever possible, it's easier to start an introduction with the help of a mutual acquaintance. After the help of an introduction, it's up to you to build rapport.
If you connect with someone who works for a company you want to work for, you may consider a message like, "I'm a former colleague of John Smith, who's told me a lot about you and your work. I'm considering a position at 123 Company. Would you mind if I ask you some questions related to your experience with the application and interview process?"
The saying, "It's not what you know. It's who you know," has never been truer. Take advantage of your current connections and use them to expand your professional network today.
Avoid sending your resume on first contact, or asking if your new connection knows of any job openings at their company. Your first message to a new connection should focus on starting a conversation, and you can effectively do that by asking for general advice rather than requesting for a job.
Also, remember to keep questions open-ended so you can build conversation, not end it.
Who doesn't like to be greeted with a nice word of recognition like "Congratulations on the recent award!" or "Great article! I found it really insightful"? It informs the individual you admire their work, making it easier to get their attention and find a reason to connect with you.
If you're already connected, giving kudos to this person will strengthen your relationship and make them more willing to help you in your career.
Having a good network of connections is NOT about quantity, but the quality of the people and the strength of the relationships. Take the time to really evaluate who is worth connecting with, and when you do try, have a compelling reasons to why you want to connect with them so they will sincerely consider your request.
Every professional needs a well-optimized resume and LinkedIn profile if they want to build their professional network and stand out to hiring managers and recruiters. If you're applying to jobs and not seeing results, your LinkedIn profile and resume could be holding you back.
Thankfully, getting the help you need doesn't have to be expensive. Get your resume & LinkedIn profile reviewed by a Work It Daily coach today!
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This post was originally published at an earlier date.
Are you in your 40s and thinking of changing careers? You're not alone. And you're certainly not crazy. In fact, if there's ever a time you can—and should—reinvent yourself, that time is now.
Below are four ways to start your career transition so you can successfully change careers in your 40s.
You've become accustomed to the fact that your 20s were the years where you figure out what you want to do with your life and then suffer through your choice for the rest of your life. Wrong! You are most definitely not the first person that has considered changing careers in their 40s and there are many stories of people just like you, succeeding against the odds. Now, once you've stopped denying that you are unhappy with your current job, you are thinking up excuses why it's ridiculous to switch careers. It's never too late to make choices that will benefit your health and wellness. Yes, a career you love will benefit you in all aspects of your life, including your health and wellness.
If you already know which career you want to change to, you are luckier than most confused career individuals. Don't try and jeopardize the journey ahead by making excuses such as:
Though these might seem relevant at the time, it will only lead to more procrastination with a choice you know in your heart you want to make. And if you feel 40 is too late, how will it be when you are 50 and still unhappy with the job that you are doing? During your interview, the prospective employer will be able to pick up whether you are holding yourself back or making excuses and this will reflect on your being less "flexible" rather than open-minded and eager to develop.
For some, a career change can sound just as daunting as jumping out of a plane or swimming with sharks, but it's mostly the fear of failure that holds us back. Doing the same job and managing the same lifestyle has become the comfort zone and anything different feels like the end of the world. In order to really become satisfied with the life you are living and the career you are building, you have to take some chances. With every change there comes a fair amount of risk. Once you've analyzed the possible risk factors—and have distinguished between real and false fears—you might be able to gain control of the change.
Taking this leap of faith into the unknown of a new and challenging career can help you rediscover your true passion and purpose. The odds might always seem against you, and running back into the comfort that was your previously lifestyle might sound much more appealing than restarting the steps of your career ladder, but it will be much more satisfying and rewarding than being stuck in a job that you hate.
One of the greatest benefits of changing careers in your 40s is probably the fact that you have a world of experience to take with you. Unlike the inexperienced post-grad student applying for the job, you will have an impressive portfolio to offer. Even if you don't have experience in the career field that you want to switch to, your previous experience is still very much relevant. Apart from the actual skills and responsibilities, your work history will showcase your credibility. It will show the prospective employer what attributes and characteristics previous employers valued in you. Don't be afraid to quantify and mention your previous achievements; this will most definitely count in your favor. Just because you are switching careers doesn't mean your past experience is irrelevant.
Before looking for your new job, draw up a list of your skills, expertise, and experience. If you are making a career shift, you probably want to focus on something that either challenges you more, comes naturally, or something that you are passionate about. Organize your strengths and capabilities in such a way that you will be the "natural" choice for the hiring company.
Being on this earth for over 40 years probably means that you've met quite a few people. Whether it was on a plane, at a networking event, or even at the gym, chances are you know people in all walks of life. Make use of your professional network to find a path to your new career. Don't make the mistake in thinking you have to do everything yourself.
Changing careers sounds scary when you don't know where to start. If you are making the transition from working as an office assistant to running your own fashion line, it probably won't happen overnight. Call up that fashion maven you've kept up with since college and invite them for coffee. Get some caffeine in them and start asking questions. Feed from those that are already successful instead of assuming you have to start from the bottom in order to succeed.
Switching careers in your 40s is not as daunting or difficult as you might think. Yes, you'll need a plan and it might take some time, but after the transition is complete, you'll be glad you did it.
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How long has it been since you last updated your resume? A few months? Years? During your last job search? If you haven't taken a look at your resume in a while, it's probably in need of some good TLC.
For every professional, not just job seekers, it's important to update your resume regularly. Careers take unexpected turns. You always want to be prepared in case you suddenly need to find a new job. Remember, every job is temporary. You don't want to waste time bringing your resume back from the dead when you should be focused on applying for new positions.
If you have cobwebs on your resume, here are three ways to bring your resume back to life so you can land more job interviews and get hired.
In order for your resume to actually reach the hiring manager, it has to get past the ATS. Optimizing your resume with keywords is the best way to accomplish this. And you can't properly optimize your resume if you're not customizing it for each position you apply for.
Look at the job description before customizing your resume for the job you're applying for. Most job seekers don't realize that they could be missing out on job opportunities if they fail to do this. You need to customize your resume for each position you apply for, and it's because you need to get your resume past the ATS, which is only possible if you have the right kind (and amount) of keywords on your resume. Customizing your resume means you're including the keywords from a specific job description to give yourself a better chance of landing a job interview for that specific position.
After reading the job description, pick out the specific skills, technologies, and terms the employer mentions in the job posting and add them to your resume if they match up with your experience and qualifications. If the ATS reads your resume and sees that it contains enough of the keywords the employer is looking for, you'll "pass" as being qualified for the position and your resume won't get tossed. You won't get screened out of the hiring process because you'll be considered a qualified job candidate at first glance. A lifeless, unoptimized resume won't get you that far.
Nothing makes it harder for hiring managers to get the information they need from your resume than outdated, inconsistent formatting. Maybe it hasn't been that long since you updated the content on your resume. But, when was the last time you updated your resume format? Have you just been adding more and more text to it? Moving sections and bullet points around? Stretching the margins so everything fits on one page?
If you actually want hiring managers to read your resume, you need to make it readable. This means making sure you're using a simple resume format and a clean-line font like Arial or Calibri. It also means making sure you have enough white space so you don't overwhelm the reader. If you're stretching margins and trying to cram everything onto one page, chances are your resume doesn't have enough white space. Use bullet points and one-inch margins to avoid large blocks of text that hiring managers will just skip over. You want to make it easy for hiring managers and recruiters to see your value. Don't make it difficult for them to see your skills and accomplishments.
With an outdated resume format, you also run the risk of looking old and out of touch, which won't help your case if you're already worried about age discrimination. So, one of the best ways to bring your resume back to life is simply by updating your formatting.
What good is updating your resume if you don't show what you've accomplished since the last time you updated it? Take a look at your resume in its current state. Do all of your bullet points contain numbers? Do you have measurable accomplishments that prove you save or make companies money? If not, your resume still has some cobwebs. You still have some updating to do.
Breathe life back into your resume by quantifying your work experience. Add numbers to each bullet point in the "Work History" section of your resume. Think about what have you accomplished at work. Think about the service you provide as a business-of-one. What is your specialty? Do you get results? What have you accomplished that proves you're a valuable employee? If you can't quantify something, it doesn't belong on your resume.
Including numbers on your resume not only shows hiring managers what you can do, but they also help your resume stand out from the competition. They give hiring managers something tangible to measure your success and potential on. If there's one thing that can bring your resume back to life, it's quantifiable information.
An updated, well-formatted, optimized resume is best way to market yourself to employers and stand out in the first step of the hiring process. If employers can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing an interview.
Thankfully, you can learn how to build a customized, strategic resume that gets past the ATS and impresses hiring managers in our "Resume Plan" course!
You can gain UNLIMITED access to this course PLUS all of Work It Daily's other premium courses for only $9.99/month (cancel at anytime).
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A well-defined brand architecture strategy helps organizations grow, transform, attract customers, and build perceptions. In this post, we'll look at the different types and benefits of a brand architecture strategy, as well as a step-by-step guide so you can create a successful framework for your organization.
Without a well-defined brand architecture strategy, an organization can experience brand dilution. When brands start selling unrelated products that don't fit their brand promise, they overlap with other brands within the organization, working against each other.
A brand architecture strategy has eight primary benefits:
A brand architecture describes how a business organizes, manages, and markets its brands. There are three main types of brand architecture models: the monolithic/branded house, the pluralistic/house of brands, and the endorsed/hybrid. Figuring out which approach is right for your business has several implications: how people perceive your business, how new products or services launch, and how other brands get integrated. Let's take a closer look at these three brand architecture models.
MONOLITHIC/ BRANDED HOUSE: Under this structure, the company has a master brand with several sub-brands that usually share the same name with a qualifier to explain what the sub-brand does. This model capitalizes on customer loyalty.
Examples include:
The benefits of this strategy include:
Some downsides to this strategy include:
PLURALISTIC/HOUSE OF BRANDS: In this structure, the master brand takes a back seat, giving the sub-brands the focus. Brands under this model have their audiences, brand identities, and marketing strategies. Businesses that want to reach diverse markets with a more tailored value proposition are likely to use this approach.
The purpose of a brand architecture strategy is to make your offerings clearer to your organization, stakeholders (i.e. investors, vendors, clients, agencies, etc.), and customers. This will guide you to which brand architecture type will best support your business strategy and those you serve. Here are three steps in creating a brand architecture strategy:
Takeaway
Your brand architecture is critical to get right for your internal organization, external partners, and customers to understand. A defined brand architecture strategy helps organizations grow, transform, attract customers and build perceptions. Start building your brand leadership today. You've got this!
The term "career management" is a bit abstract for some people. It sounds like this fluffy, indefinable concept that doesn't really mean a whole lot. In reality, career management is a very significant and specific process that, when done properly, helps to ensure long-term career success.
Career management is sort of like contributing to your own career piggy bank. It's similar to good financial planning. A disciplined investment in your career made on a regular basis yields a greater return. In other words, if you want to grow your career, you have to "work it daily."
In order to get the most out of your career, you have to put some effort into caring for it. Left to its own devices, your career may end up wildly off course. Without a structured career management plan, you'll quickly find yourself doing what's easy or convenient or what others want you to do. You may discover your future goals don't align with your present-day actions. And, before you know it, your career will be managing you.
Here's the truth about the process and purpose of career management.
The first point to understand is career management is not a single event; it's a part of your career journey. Don't put it off until you suddenly realize there's a problem. Just like a car, regular maintenance will help ensure a smooth ride.
You can't simply sit back and let others do the work for you. Otherwise, you'll end up in someone else's career! You have to be an active, engaged participant—a proactive professional.
Career management is most beneficial when it is carefully structured. Without structure, most of us would neglect it until an emergency came along. Structure helps keep the process moving at a steady, stable pace regardless of what's happening.
Here are some things you need to establish, track, and correct in your career:
Participating in a structured career management process demonstrates the important role career plays in your life as a whole. For most people, your career can provide you with the means to achieve a great number of other personal goals, like buying a house or starting a family or traveling the world. Work also occupies a huge portion of our time spent on this planet, so managing your career is clearly a worthwhile investment of energy.
Need help managing your career?
Just like any other relationship, your relationship with your job is going to have its ups and downs. In some cases, it can be clear the best solution is for the two of you to separate—meaning you will need to find a new job. In other cases, making a few changes to how you work can rekindle your passion for what you do, allowing you to keep your job and your sanity.
You may not have any physical signs of job burnout. The list below highlights seven red flags that signal you may be overwhelmed and could benefit from making some changes in your career.
If these behaviors have become the norm for you instead of the exception, you may have started to think of yourself as a slacker. I've actually met very few people who are slackers. What I encounter are people who are bored, who haven't found a way to what they are passionate about and, as a result, feel stuck in a job they hate. They are, simply, burned out.
Going into "slacker" mode is also a response to the frustration of being overworked, underemployed, underpaid, and poorly managed. Good news: if you identify with any of the seven signs, there's something you can do. Here's a short list of practical things you can do to shift out of neutral and move into drive mode.
Acknowledge how you are feeling about your work life. Journal it, talk about it with someone you don't have to censor yourself with, but stop holding it in. The more you try to ignore how you really feel, the more anxiety and frustration you will feel about your situation. The sooner you identify how you feel, the sooner you can address it.
Find a book, audio book, or podcast—something that tells someone else's success story and read it or listen to it. The focus here is to connect with their ups and downs on their journey and the challenges they had to overcome to reach their goals. Let their success motivate you to press towards your vision despite how you feel right now.
Are there too many meetings and tasks on your to-do list? Become a guardian of your time and energy by mastering your schedule. Limit the number of meetings you have a day: if your limit is four meetings, then meeting number five that comes to your inbox gets declined or proposed for another day and time. Set up a system for managing emails and prioritizing requests. Make sure you get outside or get to connect with other people so you are not functioning in isolation every day.
Are you the team member who organizes everything? Or are you the ad hoc tech support person for your team? Maybe you're the one everyone goes to when there's a last minute crisis. Taking on a specific role within your team may have boxed you in and now you can't get out. Whatever hat you normally wear—take it off. Changing how you engage can change how you feel about your work and your colleagues.
It can be really hard to stay motivated if you can't see a light at the end of the tunnel. Most people stay on the road to nowhere because they haven't made a map to go anywhere else. Start putting together a plan for how you are going to escape or move into another role or change careers. It could mean going back to school, updating your resume for a lateral move within your company, expanding your professional network—the point here is to move from being dominated by feelings of frustration to a place of action.
As professionals, we've all likely experienced burnout at one point or another in our careers. If you're feeling burned out and identify with the seven signs of job burnout mentioned above, give these five tips a try. By changing your mindset and taking specific steps to change your strategy at work, you can learn how to fix job burnout for good.
Not happy in your career? We can help!
Can someone really strive to be happy at work? I mean, after all, it's called work. Is work supposed to be a source of happiness for us?
I happen to believe work can be a source of happiness and you can strive to be happy at work. Entirely possible. I've seen people who are happier at work than anywhere else. And they are perfectly healthy people.
Here are six tips to follow if you're sick of being miserable and want to learn how to be happy at work.
I think one of the biggest challenges of people being unable to be happy at work is really due to all of the complaining. Add to it all the gossip and rumors, and it makes a very difficult environment to try to build some joy and happiness.
I suggest, tough as it may be, avoid complaining. In fact, stop complaining. When you distance yourself from negativity, you will quite naturally be happy at work. Or at least, feel a little happier. Don't feel the need to complain as if it will resolve the issue. If you need to, discuss the challenge. Then, find a way to diffuse it. Otherwise, I suggest you just stop. Resist complaining.
What does this mean? Humans are social animals. We need others to connect. Learn to relate to others not just on the professional end but also on the personal side as well. Who knows? You may share some common interests with your colleagues and work suddenly does not feel boring.
There are common topics to talk about. Help others when you can. That is a way to build affinity with your co-workers. You will also sense energy within yourself because you are able to contribute beyond your regular work scope. Do not help by expecting others to return a favor though. You will be disappointed when others do not reciprocate. Help because you can and are willing.
Sometimes you may not know it, but you may feel unhappy at work because you do not really know your role within the bigger organization.
Look for connections and try to understand your work. Where do you fit in within your company? How do you contribute to the profits of the company? How do you add value to the organization? Look for these connections and keep learning new things. When you understand the bigger picture, you will understand your role and hence feel happier doing your job.
Work means different things to different people. What does work mean to you? Is it something that puts bread on the table and that's all? Or do you look to work to fulfill other aspects of your life? Try to understand what your relationship with work is if you want to be happy at work.
Where do you want to be? How does this job contribute to your goals? Give yourself a goal. When you feel unhappy, you can always remind yourself of the bigger goal and how what you are doing now contributes to it. Seeing your goal and how your job contributes to it can help you feel happy at work.
Learn to accept and manage disappointments with people and with work. Nothing is perfect and situations are always in a flux. So, don't be too attached to the idea that you should be happy at work. Strive to be happy, but if that's not possible, learn to accept that it is a fact of life.
You can find a way to be happy at work. I believe the secret is in understanding your role, your relationship with work, how you relate to people, and how willing you are to be nice and stop complaining. Above and beyond that, learn to accept that disappointments come and go.
Want to find a better job? We can help!
Some people will stay in jobs that they're unhappy with just because they're afraid to be involved in the job search process. Instead of being held back by fear, job seekers should embrace the job search process.
Sure, the job search process will have its ups and downs, but there are ways to empower yourself with information that could potentially speed up your job search.
At Work It Daily, many of our members find success by using the three C's to improve the effectiveness of their job search. While the three C's are utilized heavily within the Work It Daily platform, they can benefit anyone.
Here are the three C's:
The job search process is always evolving, and it's important to make every effort to keep up. The best way to keep up is to consume as much information as possible. Fortunately, there's a lot of information online about best practices for the job search process (i.e. video tutorials, online quizzes, blogs, etc.).
We offer a lot of this stuff for FREE at Work It Daily.
But, no matter where you go to find this content, it's important that you take personal responsibility to get informed. School doesn't teach us how to find a job. It's literally in the hands of the job seeker to learn job search best practices. The sooner you learn the correct way to look for a job, the sooner you'll find the right job for you.
Would Tom Brady have been as successful without Bill Belichick? This is a popular sports debate that we may never truly know the answer to. It's fair to say that Brady still may have been a good quarterback without the coaching of Belichick, but it's also fair to say that Belichick's coaching gave Brady a boost that made his career historic.
It's similar with career coaching. It's not impossible to find a job without a coach, but having a coach can help you find a job faster and leave you with lifelong lessons that could help you with future career growth opportunities.
Using a career coach is like making an investment in yourself. There are both long-term and short-term benefits that you can gain from it.
If you don't feel that career coaching is right for you, you should at least tap into your network and consult with a trusted colleague or mentor who could offer you some valuable advice about the job search process.
It's never easy to go through a tough life experience alone. The job search process is no different. It helps to surround yourself with a group of like-minded, positive people who are going through the same thing.
You can learn new things by listening to other people's job search experiences and exchanging ideas about the process.
There are many ways to be involved in a community during a job search,
A platform like Work It Daily offers multiple networking opportunities for its members to connect with other job seekers and build a support system. You can also tap into your network and reach out to connections that are also going through the job search process.
It helps to have a support system to not only motivate you, but to share in the setbacks and accomplishments.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to the job search process, but taking advantage of all the resources available to you is a smart move. As you look for your next job, remember the three C's, and you'll find a job sooner than you think.
Speaking of resources, Work It Daily has a few that can help your job search!
You've been applying for jobs every day, but you feel stuck. Your job search isn't going anywhere. You submit job applications, but never hear back from employers. Why aren't you getting interviews? What are you doing wrong? Is it your resume?
Chances are, your resume is to blame.
It's very easy for job seekers to make common mistakes on their resume, unknowingly making it harder for themselves to get their job application in front of the hiring manager. Can your resume get past the ATS? Will your resume stand out to hiring managers in those first few seconds?
Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to prevent your resume from getting tossed. Here are three reasons why your resume isn't working, and how to fix them.
Most companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sort through all of the resumes they receive for their job postings. One of the ways they determine which job candidates are qualified for a specific job is by looking at the keywords they've included on their resume. How many keywords on your resume match the keywords in the job description? If you don't have enough of the right keywords on your resume, you'll get screened out of the hiring process by the ATS. This means your resume will get tossed without it ever crossing the hiring manager's desk.
If you're not getting contacted by employers, not having enough keywords (or the right keywords) on your resume could be the reason why.
The Solution: Include keywords from the job description on your resume. What skills, technologies, and experience are employers looking for? How many of these skills do you possess? Are you familiar with any of the technologies/software you'd be using on the job? Do you have the right kind of experience? Once you identify what you need for the position you want to apply for, make sure you customize your resume for that specific job so you give yourself the best possible chance to get past the ATS and impress hiring managers. List relevant skills in the top fold of your resume (don't keyword stuff) and be sure to use the terms mentioned in the job description on your resume, if applicable.
Another reason why your resume might not be working is because you're using an outdated resume format. Similar to the first reason, your resume format could be preventing the ATS from effectively reviewing the information on your resume. But if your resume does get past the ATS with an outdated format, hiring managers could still take a look at your resume, see that it's outdated and hard to read, and then decide to toss your resume because you didn't make it easy for them to get the information they need about you. With an outdated resume format, you also run the risk of looking old and out of touch, which won't help your case if you're already worried about age discrimination.
If your resume isn't easy to read and it doesn't stand out to hiring managers in the first few seconds it's getting reviewed, you won't get contacted. Employers simply won't be able to determine whether you're qualified for the job or not because you didn't make it easy for them to find that information out.
The Solution: To ensure your resume gets past the ATS and stands out to hiring managers, use an updated resume format. Pay attention to how you're formatting each section of your resume and make sure the formatting is consistent throughout the document. Focus on using bullet points in your "Work History" section, delete lengthy paragraphs, and don't force your resume onto one page. This will help you make sure there's enough white space on your resume so it's easier to read. When in doubt, a simple, clean resume format is the best option.
Let's assume you had enough keywords on your resume that it got past the ATS. Let's also assume you used an updated resume format. Now that your resume is in the hiring manager's hands, and all the information on it is easy to read, how are you standing out from the competition? Does your work experience prove that you'd be a valuable employee? What is the service you provide as a business-of-one? What is your specialty? Do you get results? What have you accomplished?
If you're not quantifying your work experience on your resume, you're going to have a harder time impressing hiring managers. Quantifiable information allows hiring managers to measure the degree of knowledge and skills you have to offer. It's a way to inform them about what and how much you can bring to the table.
The Solution: Learn how to quantify your work experience on your resume. Think about what you've accomplished in your career. Look at the bullet points in the "Work History" section of your resume and try to include at least one number for each. Including numbers on your resume not only shows hiring managers what you can do, but they also help your resume stand out since numbers break up text and grab peoples' attention. If you can't quantify something, it doesn't belong on your resume.
As a job seeker, nothing is more frustrating than spending hours applying for jobs only to never hear back from employers. If your resume isn't working, it's probably due to one (or more) of the reasons above. Follow our tips so you can avoid these resume mistakes and finally land the job you want!
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During this bootcamp, you will learn:
When you don't have a clear brand message, this can create havoc with your internal and external teams as you are not succinctly communicating who you are, what you do, and why you are different in a consistent framework.
I'm going to take you through the elements of a brand messaging framework. By the end of this article, you should come away with a brand messaging framework that you can implement for your brand.
A brand messaging framework is the foundation for all of your brand messaging. It's a collection of your branding documents, statements, and materials that will help your teams (internal and external) represent and communicate your brand to your audience. Here is a brand messaging framework template to utilize.
A Vision is "what" a company aims to achieve for its future.
A Mission is "how" we are currently taking action against our vision.
A brand promise tells customers what they can expect from your brand in a concise, compelling, and memorable way. A company needs a brand promise to communicate their customer expectations to everyone across the organization so that consistent customer experiences are delivered both internally and externally. If you're consistent in delivering on your brand promise, you'll have loyal customers, ready to spread the word to family and friends about how great you are.
Successful brand promises feature the following key components:
Simple. Credible. Memorable. Unique. Measurable.
Here is a guide on how to develop your brand promise.
A value proposition is a simple statement that summarizes a promise of value to be delivered to customers should they choose to buy your product or service.
The Value Proposition Canvas tool is a great place to begin mapping your value proposition by identifying and validating the makeup of your product and why people buy it.
Here are some questions to help you move through the Value Proposition Canvas:
Source
Once you've pulled this information together from the Value Proposition Canvas tool, the next step is to distill these insights into your value proposition statement. An easy way to articulate this is with Steve Blank's (entrepreneurship professor at Stanford & Columbia University) XYZ template.
A target audience is the demographic of people most likely interested in your product or service. Defining your target audience allows for a more intentional and personal outreach to those likely to purchase your product or service.
To define your target audience, you should analyze your market segmentation. Here is an article on how to conduct a market segmentation. Your goal is to boil this information down into a simple target market statement: Our target market is (gender), aged (age range), who live in (place or type of place), and like to (activity). Keep in mind that this is just a guide to use; don't feel like you need to stick to these identifiers (i.e. gender) if they are not relevant to your business. And of course, if you offer multiple products or services, you will need to create target market statements for each product (or product category).
Here is a guide on how to develop your target audience.
A tagline is a catchphrase that summarizes what your brand is all about. Keep in mind that a tagline is different from a slogan. A slogan is usually for a specific campaign or product while a tagline speaks to a company's values as a whole. Here are three steps to creating a tagline.
It's the intangible attribute that captures the soul of your brand. It's typically a one to five-word statement expressing the essence of your brand and most importantly felt by your customers. Here are a few brand essence examples:
When someone has a great personality, we are drawn to them. We want to be with them because they make us feel good. A brand's personality works the same way. Your brand personality is essentially human characteristics associated with your brand. It's communicated through tone of voice, visuals, and even policies. They're expressed as adjectives that convey how you want people to perceive your brand (i.e. smart, sophisticated, funny, etc.). Here is a template of over 200 adjectives to get you started thinking about if your brand was a person, who would they be?
A strong brand personality can positively impact brand loyalty, word-of-mouth, active engagement, and willingness to pay more. Source
Here are three approaches on how to find your brand personality; use the one that best fits your needs.
1. Dimensions of Brand Personality (by Jennifer Aaker) is a model that measures the five brand personality dimensions
2. Brand Archetypes Framework (by Carl Jung). Carl Jung believed that archetypes were models of people, behaviors, or personalities, thus making them more recognizable and relatable to target audiences. Jung identified 12 archetypes. The idea is that any brand can relate to one of the 12 archetypes that help define the brand.
3. Combo Brand Archetypes & Brand Personality: This model combines the Brand Archetypes Framework and the Dimensions of Brand Personality.
Brand pillars are values and characteristics that make up your brand. Your brand should be about how you communicate your message to the world. Brand pillars help you do that by defining the fundamental points that set your company apart from your competitors. Source Brand pillars can be your core brand values, important strengths, or aspects of a brand that support or add dimension to the brand's core idea of "Who are you?" These can be anything that your customers feel is important to them—convenience, innovation, quality, safety, etc. They should become the focus of your marketing strategies and reference tools to be used for guidance. As an example, Toyota's brand pillars are innovative, exciting, and inspiring.
Once you have your brand messaging framework in place, everyone you interact with, especially your customers, will be clear on who you are, what you do, and where you stand. Start building your leadership brand today. You've got this!
The job search process is always evolving.
It's not about going to the job boards, finding the job opening you like, and then applying to it. That method will only have you waiting by the phone for a call that's likely not going to happen. Today's job seekers need to take a more proactive and interactive approach called professional networking—and LinkedIn is a resource to help you do that.
Creating a strong LinkedIn profile will help you get in front of the right contacts (recruiters, hiring managers, professionals in the field, etc.) who can lead you to your next job opportunity. However, in order for that to happen, you need a LinkedIn profile that communicates and displays the right information.
Take a look at the LinkedIn profile checklist below to learn how to optimize and use your LinkedIn profile effectively.
1. Make Sure You Have An Appropriate Headline
The headline is what shows up for your LinkedIn profile when it comes up in search results. It's also what shows up when others look at you through their contacts' connections. By default, your LinkedIn headline reads your current job title and employer, but if you want to grab the attention of others it should say more than that. Think about keywords and highlighting your greatest skill sets.
2. Display Professionalism In Your Profile Photo
A LinkedIn profile that includes a headshot photo is more likely to be clicked on than a profile without a photo. In selecting your profile photo, go with a headshot that makes you look professional and approachable.
3. Personalize Your LinkedIn URL
Whether you choose to include your LinkedIn profile on your resume or in your email signature, personalize the URL. It'll come off as more professional and memorable. For example: www.linkedin.com/yourname or www.linkedin.com/yourname-professionalkeyword.
1. Offer Your Value Statement In The "About" (Summary) Section
The "About" section on your LinkedIn profile should summarize what you have to offer and how that translates to value for the potential employer. This is where you'll include your personal branding statement. It should also contain a list of your key skill sets. Never write in the third person on your LinkedIn profile unless you want to come off as pretentious.
2. Make Your Work Experience Keyword-Rich
In your "Experience" section on your LinkedIn profile, use bullet points to highlight accomplishments and quantify your work experience. Think about relevant keywords to include naturally in your writing. The more keyword-rich your profile is, the more likely it'll show up in search results. It's also important to make sure the information you include in your "Experience" section on your LinkedIn profile matches the information in the "Work History" section on your resume, so you don't confuse recruiters and hiring managers.
3. Get Endorsed For The Right Skills And Expertise
Review the "Skills and Expertise" section to prioritize what's important. When you do that, your contacts are more likely to endorse you for the right skills, which in turn shows recruiters and hiring managers you have what they are looking for. What you want to avoid is including skills and expertise that don't relate to the jobs you're applying for or your profession. That will simply dilute your overall message, including your personal brand.
1. Don't Let Your Education Give Away Your Age
Your education, which can include specialized training and certifications received, adds value to your qualifications. When listing the information, take caution with dates. It's not necessary to indicate when you received your degree from college—that can give away your age in some cases. Also don't include anything that may be too dated. You want to show you hold current, relevant skills that are valuable to the profession, not irrelevant expertise.
2. Join Relevant Groups
LinkedIn offers a diverse selection of Groups that you can (and should) join—professional associations, industry groups, alumni groups, etc. If they're relevant to your profession or skills needed for the job, share their badge on your profile. It helps hiring managers and recruiters see that you're connected and active in networks that are important. You can also benefit by taking things a step further with LinkedIn Groups, like participating in discussions and sharing interesting articles to get your name out there. Many hiring managers and recruiters will look at discussions in relevant groups to pull out potential candidates for job openings they have available.
3. Make Your Profile Public
LinkedIn profiles that are made public allow others to view your information whether you're connected with them or not. This option is best when you're a job seeker.
Every professional—not just job seekers—should learn how to optimize their LinkedIn profile. Follow the steps above to build a strong LinkedIn profile today for job search and career success!
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You've just attended a great networking event where you met and connected with a ton of other great professionals. Now what?
Many people attend networking events and then don't act on the great contacts they met. By following these easy steps, you'll be a networking genius in no time.
It's easy to go to a networking event and put the business cards in your pocket or purse and never look at them again. However, this defeats the whole purpose of attending the event in the first place.
You must act on making the most of your new connections and do so within 24 hours of attending the event. If you procrastinate, you run the risk of your new connection forgetting who you are. Your new contacts will also be impressed you took the time to reach out to them so soon after your introduction.
People are more likely to want to connect with you if they think there's something advantageous to them in making a connection with you. It's the classic case of "What's in it for me?" Therefore, it's probably best to build a relationship with your new connection rather than straight out asking the person for a job right away.
Perhaps you discussed a shared interest or some other timely topic. Share additional information with your new contact by sending a link to an article you recently read about that topic. If you stay in the person's short-term memory, and continuously prove yourself to be a valuable connection, he/she will be likely to contact you when there's a job opening in your field.
Continuing with the value-added theme, some of the best networkers put their own personal motives aside to connect with other people. This can take place at the networking event or afterwards, but try to make connections between the people who you have recently met.
Do you know someone who could benefit from an introduction to your new connection? Could an old connection and your newest connection benefit from knowing each other? This also helps with remembrance because both people will remember you as the person who connected them.
One of the easiest ways to stay in touch with a contact is to connect with the person on LinkedIn. Instead of sending the boring default message as your connection request, type in a few sentences about the networking event you just attended and a snippet from your conversation. People have an easier time remembering your meeting if you remind them where you met and what you talked about.
There are also some apps that can make networking easier while you're still at the event. Some of these apps allow you to exchange the regular business card information, as well as links to the person's social media presence. With the click of a button, you can connect on-the-spot with the person you just met. Additionally, you can use a note-taking app to record pertinent information about the person and why you need to follow-up after the event.
Networking is not a one-time thing. You should try to constantly expand your network and improve upon your networking skills. The more you practice networking, the better you will become with this skill.
Take a few minutes to reflect on what you could have done better at your last networking event and improve upon those things before your next event. Make a personal goal to attend at least one networking event per month. Reorder business cards to ensure you have plenty for your next event. Preparation always helps!
While attending your next networking event, be sure to remember these five tips. You'll become a savvy, confident networker in no time!
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The performance review. It's one of those mile markers of the work year—like open enrollment or Girl Scout Cookie time. Anticipation of an upcoming evaluation can be stress-inducing. It can be difficult to sit there as your work record is picked apart. And, especially in this economy, any shortcoming is a potential strike against you if downsizing should come around.
But a performance review can also be a great opportunity to strengthen your position and shape your role within a company—if you take the time to prepare.
Check out our five tips for making the most of your next performance review.
Avoid nasty surprises during your performance review by seeking feedback all year long. Don't assume that no news is good news when it comes to how you're doing at work. Schedule a few minutes periodically to check in with your boss. Give them a status report and ask if you're working in the right direction. Use the feedback as a guide to address shortcomings and build on successes.
Even if you are dutiful about getting feedback throughout the year, chances are you're still going to hear some criticism during your performance evaluation. Open your mind to criticism. Don't be defensive. Don't dismiss it out of hand. Embrace criticism and use it to improve.
Before your performance review, put together a summary of goals you met and accomplishments you made over the past year (you'll likely need this info for a self-evaluation, as well). These are concrete examples of your worth to the company. The point is to show that you have exceeded expectations—gone above and beyond—rather than just satisfactorily completed your required job tasks.
Be prepared to show how you have addressed weak spots brought to your attention during performance reviews past. Show that you respond to criticism and improve. If, for instance, your boss last year told you that you haven't demonstrated leadership skills, then provide some examples of how you've successfully taken on leadership roles since then.
A performance evaluation is a great opportunity to take part in developing your role in a company. Come prepared with a list of goals you can pursue and skills you'd like to develop over the next year. If you've faced legitimate challenges in meeting some performance expectations, be honest about it and have a plan for how you can meet expectations in the future (such as more training in a specific area).
Your next performance review doesn't have to be stressful. With a little preparation, you can make the most of this meeting with your boss and come away with a solid plan for your career growth!
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You hate your job. You find yourself complaining about it daily to your family and friends. Every Sunday night, you tell yourself that you're going to finally quit and find a new job because you just can't take it anymore. But you don't.
Instead, you go to work, come home, complain, and start the whole cycle over again. You're completely miserable in your current job, but you're absolutely terrified to find a new job. Why?
Yes, starting a new job can be scary. You have to adapt to a new work environment, make new work friends, and even learn some new skills—and you don't know if you'll even like it after everything's said and done. What if it turns out to be worse than your last job? What if they don't like you? What if you don't fit in? What if you don't perform on the level they expected? It's similar to starting at a new school where you don't know anyone, where anything is, or how your teachers are going to be.
The truth is, starting a new job can be intimidating. You're walking into a new situation and you're not sure what to expect. The best thing you can do is get to know the company as much as you can before accepting a job offer there. Learn it inside and out, make an effort to get to know people you'd be working with over LinkedIn or coffee, and ask questions that can give you insight on the company culture.
Don't feel like you've got what it takes to make it anywhere else? Afraid to find a new job because you don't want to look like an incompetent employee? If you think you're lacking the skills to succeed elsewhere, take an inventory of your skill sets. Then, compare them to the skill sets that are required for the jobs you're considering.
What are you missing? Where do you need to ramp up your skills? Do you have additional skills that could lend themselves to the job? Make a list of the skills you have and the ones you need to develop.
You need to understand what you have to offer so you can market yourself effectively to employers.
Again, go in and take a look at your skill sets. Think about past accomplishments at work. What have you achieved? What are you proud of? What problem do you solve at your current company? Make sure you quantify your work experience on your resume so employers know what you have to offer and can see the value you provide as a business-of-one.
You want to find a new job, but you have no idea what you want to do. All you know is that you hate your current job and you want out. If you're having trouble figuring out what you want to do next, you need to take some time to explore.
Research different jobs, industries, and companies. Talk to people about their work, why they like it, hate it, and what excites them about it. Take some time to figure out what interests you and what projects energize you.
What if you don't get the benefits you have at your current job? What if you have to take a pay cut? What if it takes too long to find a new job and you run out of money? Research competitive salary rates using the Glassdoor Know Your Worth salary calculator before you look for a new job. Also, research the companies you're interested in to learn about what kinds of benefits they offer employees.
It's important to understand what your priorities and must-haves are in your new job. The last thing you want to do is accept a job knowing that it won't meet your needs because it will just result in you looking for a new job in a few months. However, understand that you might not necessarily make the same paycheck as your current job. Research so you know what to expect.
If you're terrified to find a new job, you're not alone. We hope that by identifying these fears and following the tips above, you'll have the confidence and courage to look for your next job. Remember: you'll never know what you can do until you try!
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The thought of conducting a job search right now is probably very intimidating for most professionals—and a little frightening. While there are many things that could be scaring you about your job search, you can't let those fears impact your career, especially when you can easily overcome them with the right tools, tips, and strategies.
If the phrase "looking for a job" strikes fear into your heart, don't worry. Here's how to overcome your job search fears this fall, just in time for Halloween!
You're putting so much time and effort into your job search, but what if employers never call you back? This is a common fear for many professionals, and for good reason. A lot of job seekers do spend hours a day applying for jobs only to never hear back from employers. There are a few reasons why this might be happening: your resume didn't make it past the ATS, your cover letter didn't stand out to hiring managers, and/or you didn't adequately market your skills and experience to employers or demonstrate your value as a business-of-one.
How To Overcome This Fear:
This is a fear that probably keeps you up at night. You've finally found a job you like and land an interview with the company. But, what if you bomb the job interview? What if you ruin your chances of getting a job offer? Confidence is key in a job interview, and you can't be confident without proper interview preparation.
If you've been looking for a job for a while, you might feel desperate. This puts you in a vulnerable spot, but you should avoid settling for a job if you can. On the flipside, you might have multiple job offers and need to decide which one is right for you. Do you feel empowered to make the right decision?
If you're still dealing with some job search fears, sign up for our FREE membership today!
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The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get the job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's product or service? Do you feel connected to their mission? Can you relate to their values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important that you get super clear on what you want to do next. This is the ONLY way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
Thankfully, our course, "How To Get Hired By An Incredible Company," can help you select roles that are in alignment with your skills and interests!
While it's good to have regular friends, everyone needs a best friend. You know, that person you can go to whenever you need help, a confidence boost, or just a laugh. The same concept applies to the workplace.
While it's great to have trusted colleagues, it's especially nice to have one person in particular to confide in—a work buddy.
Sometimes if you're a new employee just starting with a company, you'll be assigned a work buddy to familiarize yourself with the job and work environment. There's nothing wrong with this. It could be that your supervisor has a particular person they want you paired with based on job responsibilities who could help you ease into and adapt to your new role.
If you're assigned a work buddy, that's one less thing you have to worry about. But if you're not assigned a buddy, look at it as an opportunity.
Some of the best friendships are the ones that are formed organically. Be open to getting to know all of your co-workers. Be friendly. Ask questions about their jobs and lives. Try to make a connection.
Having a work buddy is a great way to help you assimilate into the company culture and quickly fit in with other co-workers. An office buddy not only has knowledge about job requirements and expectations, but he or she can also provide information about the work styles and personalities of co-workers, and give a rundown of any office politics.
Beyond the office landscape, having a workplace buddy helps to improve confidence. It's nice to have someone who can share advice and make you laugh.
All jobs can be stressful at times, so being able to face work challenges with the help of a buddy reduces stress, too.
When it comes to building a relationship with your colleagues, it shouldn't always be about work.
Check in with your work buddy from time to time about how things are going in their lives. Grab lunch, attend happy hour, or plan some other fun activity once a month.
Trust goes beyond the workplace, so it's important to work on the relationship like any other friendship.
Strengthening the friendship is also beneficial if you ever reach a point where you are no longer co-workers. You may want to keep this person as a personal friend or use them as a professional reference in the future. At the very least, you'll both be valuable connections for each other in your professional networks.
This is were those bonds formed at the workplace really come in handy.
Many companies have incorporated the buddy system into their onboarding process as a way to be more efficient in getting new employees familiar with the company.
If your company doesn't have such a system, be proactive about finding a buddy and make an effort to fit in with co-workers.
Fitting into the company's culture can be just as important as learning job responsibilities. One of the reasons why you were hired is because your employer thought you'd be a good cultural. Now, it's your job to prove them right. A work buddy can help.
At every company you end up working for, make sure you have a work buddy. Not only will they help you learn the ropes at your new job, but they'll also be a valuable friend and connection—someone you'll be able to count on as you grow in your career.
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To get your customers to think of your brand first when they are ready to buy, the difference may come down to how you position your brand to them. Let's begin by outlining what brand positioning is, how to successfully position your brand, and provide you with a brand positioning example.
Brand positioning is the process of positioning your brand in the mind of your customers based on your brand purpose and values that gives you a competitive advantage.
What do you think of when you hear "search engine"? Did Google or Yahoo come to mind? These products are positioned to dominate the category. What about a company that provides "overnight shipping"? FedEx owns the transportation category even though other companies provide overnight shipping.
A well-developed and implemented brand position provides a sustainable competitive advantage, communicates value to customers, is a vehicle to help manage brand consistency, and impacts the bottom line.
Your brand positioning statement is a strategic document that will help define the direction of your innovation, marketing, commercialization, and sales strategies. Here are four steps to consider when creating your brand positioning.
While competitors may have similar products or services to you, positioning your brand will provide that unique difference in how customers perceive you.
Let's look at General Motors. They offer a variety of SUVs to fit customers' specific needs. Specifically Yukon and Chevy Tahoe SUVs. These two vehicles have the same engine but different upgrades.
The Yukon SUV has positioned itself as the only premium truck manufacturer, and it considers itself a premium-level brand across its lineup of trucks and SUVs. U.S. News has ranked GMC's Yukon as #2 in the large SUV category.
In contrast, the Chevy Tahoe has positioned itself as a multi-purpose family vehicle with the versatility to tow a trailer, go off-road, or take the family on a road trip. U.S. News has ranked the Chevrolet Tahoe #4 in the large SUV category.
To note, there were two #2 rankings by U.S. News (both by General Motors) so technically, the Chevy Tahoe came in at #3. Needless to say, their brand positioning seems to be working well.
The good news is that you don't have to stand out to everyone, you just have to stand out to the people you serve. Do you know the position you want to take in the market? Start building your brand leadership today. You've got this!
For many new graduates, moving from school into the workplace is a huge culture shock. They are going from an environment where everyone has been the same age and generational outlook to a suddenly diverse social environment with people of all ages and backgrounds present.
Learning the ropes of a new job, mastering the social ladder of a workplace, and, in general, trying to figure out business etiquette can be pretty frustrating for new workers. Here are some survival tips for new grads in the workplace on navigating their bold new venture in the working world:
Today's graduates are used to the fast pace of technology and, in a way, this has built up a low tolerance for being willing to wait. Especially for job promotions or advancement. But unfortunately, the big wheels of business don't move that quickly and sometimes the opportunity simply isn't there yet.
Take a deep breath. It will happen, but not necessarily on YOUR timeline. Great things come to those who wait!
Manners do matter, and those who have made the effort to help you remember who has thanked them or not. This can have far-reaching impacts on your career.
Those individuals who become your biggest supporters (and this is reinforced by taking the time to thank them) can open doors you can't even imagine...both now and in the future.
I read somewhere the average high school student today is going to have 23 jobs in their lifetime. So, if statistics don't lie, you definitely won't be putting all your eggs in one basket.
Don't like the work that you are doing? Is it not rewarding enough? Then develop your transferable skills and roll them into a new job where you'll enjoy what you're doing.
I am not saying you need to fear your co-workers, but you should know that the office political environment can play out in similar fashion as social cliques back in school...with deadlier consequences.
Refrain from gossiping and choose your words carefully. Until you have an accurate read on each person in your office, keep your cards close to your chest. Gossip never has a place in the workplace, but it does happen, and that person you confided in could just as easily turn around and stab you in the back. Keep your own counsel.
Not too many career centers or colleges/universities prepare students for the staggering fact that their education isn't ending. In fact, it is just starting.
Beyond your formal schooling, there's a whole new universe of learning called "professional development." This is the stuff that will give you the job-specific skills to be successful. The sooner you can become aware of the fact that you need to demonstrate continuous learning by taking classes, trainings, workshops, webinars, and attending conferences, tradeshows, and conventions, as well as gaining industry certifications, the sooner you'll get ahead of anyone else in your graduating class.
This process does not end until you retire. And if you ignore this area, you will have a much more difficult time with career advancement because employers are hiring subject matter experts. How can you build your knowledge?
In school, this was called making friends. And you'll be doing that same thing, but in a business context.
Some of my best friends were met while we were working together. The point is that networking really is building a connection with people with whom you have some kind of shared interest or goal. When you have that "spiderweb" of people in your network, you'll find that job and life opportunities flow your way much easier because these are the people who can and want to help you.
I say this tongue-in-cheek, but the subtext to this statement is really important: you are now on your own and you cannot expect anyone to pick up your slack. Everything you do from this point forward is business, and not bound by any bonds other than your employment agreement.
It's pretty scary to be suddenly put out in the "cold" after having warm, supportive environments at home and school. The working world doesn't operate that way. You either sink or swim. You are judged by your actions and you should always do the right thing and never expect someone to be there to catch you when you fall. That's called life, and over the course of your career, you are going to make mistakes and you'll have to learn from them. That's called experience. And the more experience you gain, the closer you'll be to reaching your career goals.
If you're a recent college grad just starting out in your career, follow these seven tips to survive in your first job. Remember: the beginning is the hardest part. You've got this!
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Everyone wants a job that is stimulating and exciting. Unfortunately, many employees experience days or even long stretches where they become bored with their job or even fall into a rut that seems impossible to overcome.
If you have found your job isn't as satisfying as it once was, you can make changes to improve your satisfaction. If you give yourself more challenging tasks at work, your job will be more than just a paycheck.
Here are five tips for getting more challenging tasks at work.
One of the first steps is to talk to your boss about your current responsibilities. Ask him or her about other projects you can assist with or take on. If you see areas that require help you can provide, present your manager with a plan that allows you to fulfill these roles.
Bosses appreciate employees who are willing to show initiative, find ways they can improve the work environment, and challenge the status quo to provide a fresh perspective on things. Heading into this meeting with a plan outlining your own ideas for improvement is a sure way to get some new responsibilities as well as impress your boss.
Many employees fall into a rut where they feel depressed or unhappy with where they are in their job. These feelings can have a negative impact on the quality of your work, as well as your overall attitude. One of the most difficult things to overcome, though, is a poor attitude toward your work.
Perhaps thinking of the importance your work holds in relation to the larger picture can help change your attitude into a positive one. Sometimes a simple attitude change is all it takes to find that satisfaction you crave.
Individuals are typically hired because they have the right skill set or potential for the job. If your job has become boring and unsatisfying, you need to re-evaluate those skills and determine how you can make them work to your advantage. In some cases, the skills you possess may serve your company well in areas you are not currently involved in.
Look at the range of work your department or company performs, and determine if you can help in these areas. You should also look for areas where you need to build your skills, challenging you to improve to serve your company more effectively.
This does not mean you should quit your job and go into business for yourself. Growing your own business may be a challenge, but it isn't right for everyone. Instead, make sure you are focusing on yourself and your needs within the company for which you already work.
Many people work to impress their employer and as a result, they become bored with their work and lazy about completing it. Instead, complete your work with an attitude, which keeps in mind that your work reflects on you and benefits you, and work less for the need to receive recognition and applause from your employer. When you make your work about yourself, about your own career growth, you are more likely to challenge yourself and work harder. Your goal in all you do should be to make yourself more valuable to your current employer, as well as to future employers.
Your attitude can affect everyone around you. If you are working with a group of people who don't care about their work and are constantly negative, this will eventually affect your attitude as well. Evaluating your relationships at work and the attitudes of those with whom you interact with regularly can help you see if a change of scenery within the company can offer the boost you seek. Interacting with new people can have a dramatic impact on your level of satisfaction in your job.
If you find your job uninteresting and lacking in challenges, you may think you need to either deal with it or move on and find a new job. Fortunately, you have other options. When you follow these five tips, you can improve the level of challenge you experience at work and boost your overall satisfaction with your job, allowing you to enjoy going to work again.
Need more help getting your foot in the door?
This article was written by Inbound Marketing Coordinator Tiana Tucker on behalf of CAREEREALISM-Approved Partner, 2U, an education-technology company that partners with higher education institutions such as Simmons College School of Nursing and Health Sciences to deliver their Master of Science in Nursing degree for aspiring Family Nurse Practitioners. This article was originally published at an earlier date.
As an executive, your resume is probably filled with lots of accomplishments and career experience. You might feel like you're qualified for the positions you are applying for, and maybe even believe you're the best possible candidate for them. But, is your resume really sending that message?
Executives have to be aware of how they present themselves in their career, and the hiring process is no exception. They have to think about their executive presence—and how their executive presence translates to their resume—if they want to attract and gain access to career opportunities.
Here's the #1 mistake executives make on their resume, and how to fix it.
The number one mistake executives make on their resume is looking narcissistic and desperate. The reason? They're using outdated resume templates.
When you have an overdone resume with script fonts, tons of self-important paragraphs about how awesome you are written in the third person, and italicized, bold, and underlined areas, it's just too much. It screams old school. It screams full of yourself. It looks like you're trying too hard and it sends the wrong message. Not to mention the applicant tracking systems (ATS) can't effectively read those things, so you'll probably get screened out of the hiring process before a human being even looks at your resume.
As an executive, you have to think about that first impression: how you're formatting your resume and what you're choosing to put on it. Also, think about the translation in terms of the three components of executive presence: gravitas (depth of knowledge), communication (delivery of knowledge), and appearance (style of delivery). How you're choosing to present these things matters deeply because so much will get lost in translation on your resume if you don't do it correctly.
So, how do you create an executive resume that impresses employers without looking narcissistic and desperate?
Executives should focus on intellectual humility and emotional intelligence when creating their resume to avoid looking narcissistic and desperate.
How do you write and format a resume that shows intellectual humility and emotional intelligence? Well, first take out all of the subjective text and superlatives and only include facts. Recruiters and hiring managers just want to know the numbers. What were the results? Quantify your work experience and accomplishments. You don't need to hype it up, which leads us to what they call empty space or white space.
You should see a shockingly large amount of white space on your executive resume. It's going to feel weird, but it's intentional. Simplification helps the reader focus their eyes on the most important stuff. This means you should also simplify your formatting.
On your executive resume, use an 11 pt., clean-line font like Arial or Calibri, not a script font like Times New Roman. Also, make sure you have one-inch margins to further ensure that white space effect, and no bold, italics, or underlining except in very specific places because what happens when something is bold, for example, is that the eye goes there. Knowing how to bold something strategically on your resume is key because studies show recruiters and headhunters spend an average of six seconds skimming your resume. If they do not see in those first six seconds the most important things they were told to assess you on, they won't take a deeper look.
The point of the executive resume is to force the recruiter to contact you, to force the people who are interested in your brand to contact you. Too much content, and it's easier for them to dismiss you. This is what we mean about intellectual humility and emotional intelligence—to know not to oversell yourself. You don't want to oversell yourself. So, if a recruiter tells you they needed more information and that forced them to call you, you know your resume has been written and formatted correctly, and you didn't come across as narcissistic or desperate. You came across as an executive with intellectual humility and emotional intelligence who effectively translated their executive presence on their resume.
If you're an executive looking to advance in your career, you need to make your executive presence a priority. This includes your online executive presence. Failing to consistently contribute online in a meaningful way will put you on the fast track to being irrelevant and forgotten.
Join J.T. O'Donnell, LinkedIn Influencer and founder and CEO of Work It Daily, for this 3-hour live class designed to help you overcome these hurdles and stand out in the new normal of 2021 and beyond.
During this class, you will learn how to:
When managing a project, the project management team really needs to understand the expectations of top management as well as those of the key stakeholders who have a vested interest in the project.
Although the project team may focus on the key performance indicators and strive to meet these targets by using proven project management techniques, there are several other techniques the team can use in order to make a direct, positive impact on the final results.
When prospective projects are presented to the board of directors for approval, there are only two things they are really interested in:
Everything else is really up to the project team to deliver in the most efficient way.
Most project managers I have known are quite astute in their knowledge of the PMBOK (which I am a firm proponent of!) and follow its guidelines in order to meet the P&L margin expectations generated at signature of the project charter.
As P&L responsibility is arguably THE most important measure of a project manager's success, the projects are usually executed with the main intent of avoiding any margin erosion in the process rather than actually identifying opportunities to INCREASE the margin.
In this piece, I will share with you the specific hacks I have used during project reviews involving the board of directors as well as other key stakeholders in which margins were actually improved in a number of areas and with specific controls in place.
One of the most challenging parts of project management is ensuring that the scope and associated deliverables are clearly defined. I think it is of upmost importance that the project manager be involved during the development of the scope deliverables so as to avoid ambiguities while giving the project team the best chance to execute a successful project.
Even if the scope is not 100% bulletproof, the project team can still manage it in such a way that any potential changes that arise during execution can be studied carefully to determine their impact, both internally and externally.
When the customer introduces a change, or external MOC, this is the opportunity for the project team to calculate the impact on the costs, schedule, and quality so as to determine if a change order request will be presented to the customer. This is a classic example of MOCs and a way for the project team to increase the margin based on its ability to "sell" the change order to the customer.
When internal changes occur, either by some department of the company or the project team itself, the internal MOC is raised and the project team analyzes the impacts much like the external MOC. Cost savings may not necessarily need to be passed over to the customer and these savings will also help the bottom line of the project.
I find that the vast majority of project managers focus their attention on the main documents they feel are important to process, rather than creating an exhaustive list of ALL of the documents that must be supplied.
With project documentation requirements becoming increasingly complex, mostly due to legal, compliance or environmental regulations, the need to have a complete document register per project is paramount.
Most contracts have specific time periods to submit and return documents through final approval.
In the case of a huge valve project I worked on, one of the contract requirements was:
On this project, our team issued more than 100,000 documents, the vast majority of which were never commented or approved by the customer within the contractually agreed time period.
When it came time to negotiate change orders, late penalties, and other contractual terms, the project team displayed the complete document register with the time periods for each and every document processed.
The customer was astonished when our project team showed them that they were more than 500 days late and that this was directly responsible for the late valve deliveries experienced.
Some project managers feel that the financial billing process of their projects is something that should be managed solely by finance, with minimal inputs from the project team. This simplistic approach may result in invoices being paid, however, without considering all important cash flow.
As they say, time is money, and the invoicing process is right up there on the list of my top priorities when managing a project.
You could have actually had the most robust MOC process and improved the margin, but actually cost the company financially due to late issuance and also late payment of customer invoices.
On a half billion dollar project I worked on, the deliverables followed a series of 7 milestones for which the company would be paid increments through final delivery and installation.
Milestones 1-4 covered activities such as engineering and raw materials whereas milestones 5-7 covered delivery of the products as well as final installation.
The process was further complicated by partial deliveries of items, readjustment clauses for inflation, as well as realignment for currency fluctuations.
Our project team created a "Milestone Invoice Register" aimed at proactively managing the nearly 1,000 customer invoices that would be issued on the project.
By tying the register to the schedule, collecting the supporting documentation for each milestone as soon as it was available, and also preparing the invoices ahead of time, we were able to release the invoices earlier than expected and expedite approval by the customer.
At the same time, we maintained close communication with the customer's AP department throughout the project so as to resolve any issues immediately.
As a result, milestones were issued ahead of schedule and payments received quicker than expected. The net result was a cash cycle of less than 40 days (vs. 100 days on previous projects) and positive cash flow throughout the project.
Cost control is a fundamental part of the project management profession.
During this process, communication with supply chain is vital so that the key supplier contracts are issued and managed as per the budgets calculated during the bid stage.
An effective project team will try to influence the negotiation of these contracts so as to obtain more favorable pricing or other commercial conditions.
At the same time, they may suggest alternate suppliers for certain scope in order to reduce the overall cost of the project.
Logistics is a key area in this aspect and options such as ocean vs. air freight, alternate airports, or shipping lanes can be opportunities to further optimize the cost.
At the same time, optimization of the project team's allocated hours, as well as hours allocated from other departments is another way to reduce the overall cost to the project.
The cost control team should also participate in the MOC and financial billing processes so that cost benefits can be achieved in these areas as well.
I have always subscribed to the notion that project managers make great sales people.
When you think about it, the project management function is basically managing a business within a business, yet with a strong customer focus in all areas of the project.
The project manager must fully understand the customers' needs and what makes them tick so that they can communicate effectively while negotiating issues that always come up during project execution.
The project manager needs to establish a very close relationship with the customer so that a level of trust is created.
During the course of this relationship, it is not uncommon for the customers to inform the project managers of additional business opportunities that may be of interest to both parties.
The project manager can then relay this valuable information to the sales organization to determine if and how the opportunity can be explored.
The project manager can also identify opportunities on the actual project being managed, such as scope being executed unsuccessfully by other companies for which the customer may want to change suppliers.
There may also be opportunities beyond the originally intended scope, such as installation services for the products being supplied by the project team, monitoring of assets, or, in the case of one of my projects, digital and procurement services to be supplied as a bolt-on to the original contract.
Top management is usually quite impressed when the project team shows all of the incremental business secured as a result of successfully managing the original scope.
There is no doubt that projects can be very successful when applying proven project management techniques such as waterfall or agile. When managing highly strategic projects, project teams can take their success to the next level by implementing these few hacks and thus increase their visibility with top management in the process.
"If I could just get my foot in the door…" is a complaint we often hear from job seekers. With automated applicant tracking systems in such wide use, how do you bypass computers and connect with hiring managers?
Actually, there are multiple ways to do exactly that. Let's take a look at eight.
This isn't the most effective way to get your foot in the door at most companies, but it does still work for some. To maximize your chances of landing an interview, make sure you customize your resume by adding keywords from the job posting and write a disruptive cover letter.
Why isn't this an effective way to bring your candidacy to a company's attention? First, you have maximum competition for each role you apply for since applicants typically number in the hundreds or higher. Second, only 15% of available jobs are ever advertised on job boards, which means you're overlooking 85% of open positions at any given moment.
The vast majority of employers offer you multiple ways to interact with them online—Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and one or more company blogs. If you're targeting specific companies (Have you created your interview bucket list yet?), make sure you follow them via social media.
Even more important, though, is to interact with them through that media. "Like" them on Facebook and comment on their posts. Review their LinkedIn profile periodically and "like" their updates. Retweet their Twitter posts and share their blog posts. Give them the impression that you're interested in them as an employer.
This is an old strategy that still works. An informational interview is just that—an interview you schedule to access insider information about an occupation or employer. It is not a job interview and shouldn't be treated as one. Rather, this is your opportunity to ask the questions you're not likely to find answers to on the internet.
Used strategically, informational interviews help you explore the company's culture and structure and determine which departments are most likely to have roles that match your skills and capabilities.
When you come across a hiring manager on LinkedIn that you want to connect with, find another LinkedIn member who knows him or her and request an introduction (not right away). When you stop by the profile of someone you want to connect with, LinkedIn shows your mutual connections. If you leverage these specific connections into an introduction request, you're essentially getting a "warm" referral.
Make your case to the connection you want the introduction from. Sell them on the reason you want the introduction and assure them your request is serious. We strongly recommend leveraging a "serving" approach that involves offering something of value before you make a request of any networking contact.
Once you're connected to the hiring manager you can, of course, share your resume with him or her. However, keep in mind that many other candidates are doing the same thing. It would be smart, therefore, to look for a way to make your candidacy stand out.
The best way to stand out from the competition is to write a disruptive cover letter, where you can tell your connection story and get hiring managers at "Hello." Remember that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
LinkedIn also tells you how you're connected to companies when you visit a firm's profile. Take advantage of this feature to help you deepen your connections with the company.
Request introductions to other folks in the same firm and issue invitations to others in the department you're targeting. Identify key employees in the company relevant to your search and review the groups to which each one belongs. Find an industry group they're a part of that you are eligible to join and do so. This establishes a third-level connection without you having to tip your hand or approach the contact. Best of all, once you achieve this third-level connection, you can message that contact directly without requiring an introduction.
As you build connections in a target company, try messaging those contacts to find out which external recruiting firms they use for the types of positions you'll be pursuing with them. Once you identify one or more external recruiters, build connections with them as well.
It's critical to leverage a "give to get" strategy with recruiters since they are inundated by emails, voicemails, and LinkedIn messages/invites from candidates. If you approach them in the same way you'll have to battle to stand out. Why not approach them differently from the start? Offer them something of value and allow your candidacy to prove itself over time. You'll stand head and shoulders above the crowd as a result.
With #5 above, we mentioned sending your resume to hiring managers. An even smarter strategy is to court the hiring manager over time as we just recommended doing with recruiters.
Research the hiring manager via your favorite search engine and check out as many social media profiles as you can find. Ask your mutual connections to tell you about the person's interests and the needs faced by his or her department. Then, brainstorm resources you can share with him or her that they may find helpful before you bring your candidacy to their attention. Prove your worth first and a deeper connection is likely to follow. After a time, you can then request a phone call or meeting with the person to explore ways you may be able to contribute in more significant ways to their team.
With a little ingenuity and a fair amount of persistence, you can get your foot in the door at almost any company you can find. Make use of as many resources as you can, including as many social networking options as you're comfortable with to build a web of connections with your target companies. The result will be more interviews and more job offers—a decent payoff for a little work.
Every time I start a project, I get this tiny moment of panic. It doesn't last long, but even now, after years in this business, I still notice that it happens.
It has a long and technical name, but in portfolio school, we just called it "fear of the blank page." It's that anxiety-inducing few moments right before getting started on something. I may have had 253 ideas buzzing around my head after a client meeting, and I am excited to get started on the project, but inevitably, and just for a short moment, this blank page panic happens when I sit down to get started.
In the blankness, the page carries endless possibilities, which is great, right? On the flip side of that, one finds internal resistance and a fear of failure. Your mind will tell you, "Hey, it could be great…but then again, it could also be total disaster." As humans, we are built to avoid the thing that causes fear. This aversion to fear is what has kept us alive for thousands of years.
For as long as I can remember, I have had a love-hate relationship with fear. For me, recognizing that fear was the only thing keeping me from doing a thing, and then deciding to do it anyway, has pushed me. Pushed me way, way, WAY out of my comfort zone at times. And it turns out that is a great thing. All of the achievements I am really proud of in my life were things that would not have happened if I had given in to my fears.
Why then do I still get that tinge of fear, even after all of these years for something as simple as getting started on a project? My thought on that is simple. It means I still care. I still want the outcome to be amazing. I still want to go past what I know and explore a new place, which is still scary, but worth it.
Like most things, you get better at it with practice. Fear works the same way. If you keep leaning into it, it may still be there, but the time it takes to push past it dwindles. Say you are skydiving. The first time you jump, it probably took a whole lot longer to be ready to jump out of a plane than it did the 100th time. It is still the same element of danger, and same fear, but you have practiced taming it.
Now, about putting it into actual practice. It's very simple, stupid simple actually. I start with a brain dump of all the ideas in my head after a client meeting or about the project in general. It is an easy way to just get something on paper. It doesn't have to be perfect or even logical. It's just for you. The act of getting started IS the practice.
The rest of the work will fall into place once you get pen to paper. Some ideas you work on growing, others you let go. With practice, leaning into your fears gets easier to do, as does tackling the blank page.
If you have strategies you use for getting started or pushing past your internal resistance, I would love to hear them!
While there are clear differences between your resume and LinkedIn profile, they should (for the most part) look the same. But why? What will happen if you have inconsistencies on your resume and LinkedIn profile?
Before we can dive into this important job search issue, we must first understand the purpose of a resume and LinkedIn profile.
For job seekers, the purpose of your resume and LinkedIn profile is not to get you a job. It's to get hiring managers and recruiters to call you.
Optimizing your resume and LinkedIn profile is the key to getting your job application in front of the right people. Your resume should be optimized with the right keywords so it can get past the ATS, and your LinkedIn profile should be optimized so it comes up in search results when a hiring manager or recruiter is looking to hire professionals with specific skills or experience.
If you do these two things, your job application will end up in the hands of the hiring manager. But, that's not enough; you need to stand out against the other job applicants.
The best way to stand out in the screening process is to quantify your work experience—on both your resume and LinkedIn profile. But, you don't want to give too much information away. You want to include just enough information on your resume to make hiring managers and recruiters say, "This person looks qualified. They have the right skills and experience, and also some impressive accomplishments. But I want to know more. Let's give them a call."
See how that works? The purpose of your resume and LinkedIn profile is to land you an interview. It's to get employers to call you back. And it all comes down to optimizing your resume and LinkedIn profile and quantifying your work history on both.
Now that you understand the purpose of your resume and LinkedIn profile, you're probably wondering why they need to look the same. The answer is simple: hiring managers and recruiters watch out for inconsistencies in your work history.
When the information in your "Experience" section on your LinkedIn profile doesn't match up with the information in your "Work History" section on your resume, that's a red flag to employers. They're left wondering which version of your work history is correct, or the most accurate. This inconsistency could be the difference between getting a call from an employer and having your resume tossed.
Yes, since your resume and LinkedIn profile are different, they will look different at first glance. But when someone looks closely at your work experience, they should notice that the information is the same. This doesn't leave any room for doubt in an employer's mind about how qualified you are.
Ultimately, hiring managers and recruiters don't like a bait-and-switch when it comes to your job application. Keep your work experience the same on your resume and LinkedIn profile to stand out in the hiring process and land an interview.
If you're reviewing your resume and LinkedIn profile and realize that there are some inconsistencies in your work history, be sure to fix them before you apply for your next job. You want to impress hiring managers, not confuse them!
Need help with your resume and LinkedIn profile? Sign up for our FREE Resume & LinkedIn Bootcamp today!
Everyone knows that you should walk around every once in a while, especially if you have a desk job. But, do we walk enough during the workday?
Probably not (I know I don't).
Well, surprise, surprise—sitting all day is terrible for your health. In fact, it increases your chance of depression, anxiety, and premature death. These are some of the not-so-awesome side effects of sitting constantly. (Are you out walking yet?)
If you need more evidence that walking is a crucial addition to your daily routine, check out these compelling reasons to get walking at work:
1. It Can Relieve Your Back Pain
Have a bad back? Sitting all day probably isn't the best thing for it. But, hey—good news! Turns out walking helps relieve chronic back pain. So, if you're back isn't happy, get up and take a little stroll around the office.
2. It Helps You Live Longer
Yes, exercise makes us healthier. But did you know that speed walking can make you live longer? According to Healthline, people who walk about 3 mph or faster live longer than others of their age and sex who walk more slowly.
3. It Gives You An Excuse To Enjoy The Weather
It's a beautiful day—get outside and breathe in that fresh air, soak up a little sun, and get your walk on! You don't want to waste the nice weather. Take a quick break, rest your brain, and—in the words of Nike—just do it! You'll come back to your work feeling refreshed and reenergized.
4. It Makes You Happier
"Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." —Elle Woods
Enough said.
Okay, so you've got the reasoning behind why you should get off your butt during the workday, but how can you fit it in? Here are a few quick tips for working in walking at work:
1. Skip The Drive-Thru
Instead of picking up your coffee while you're driving to work, walk to the coffee shop.
2. Get A Group
Get fit and be social! Find a few co-workers to walk with each day.
3. Add Walking To Your Schedule
Sometimes we get so caught up in work that we forget to take breaks. To avoid this, pencil in walking times on your calendar.
4. Leave A Pair Of Sneakers At The Office
Leave a pair of comfortable walking shoes at work. That way, you won't destroy your feet by clacking around all day in your heels or dress shoes.
5. Get An App
Find a walking app for your smartphone to track your progress. I use a free app called RunKeeper, but there are tons of great apps out there. It's a great motivator!
It's not difficult to walk more during the workday if you make it a priority! Follow these five easy tips to walk more at work today!
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Do you remember the Pepsi challenge? It was a legendary marketing promotion in which people participated in a blind taste test with Pepsi vs. Coke. More people preferred Pepsi but continued to buy Coke. When a brand choice is made, the strong, familiar, trusted brands will always have an edge. An effective brand promise builds trust with customers.
In this article, I'll take a closer look at what a brand promise is, the foundation of a brand promise, and give you steps on how to create one.
A brand promise tells customers what they can expect from your brand in a concise, compelling, and memorable way. A brand promise is how people decide if they can trust your brand. If you're consistent in delivering on your brand promise, you'll have loyal customers, ready to spread the word to family and friends about how great you are.
A promise is only good if it's kept. If you break your brand promise with your customers, the stakes are high. You can lose your reputation, your market share, your customers, and your ability to grow. Many brands fail to deliver on their brand promise, specifically on the customer experience. According to a Gallup study, companies only deliver on their brand promises half of the time. You can see the uphill battle brands have in building trust with their customers.
Most businesses don't have a brand promise and risk disappointing their customers as they have a different idea of what to expect from their brand.
A company needs a brand promise to communicate their customer expectations to everyone across the organization so that consistent customer experiences are delivered both internally and externally.
We promise to [how] + target [who] + outcome [what] = Brand Promise
Or
What you do for whom
Honestly, most customers don't know the brand promise of their favorite brands. What they do have is an impression from all the interactions with your brand that tell them what they can expect. An effective brand promise builds trust, reputation, growth, customers, and consistency. Customers know what to expect every time they interact with your brand. Until next time, keep building your brand leadership. You've got this!
LinkedIn, the popular social network for professionals, is widely considered the best tool for your career. But, is LinkedIn really helping you grow your career and reach your professional goals?
Work It Daily has been getting an increasing number of people reaching out and asking, "Is LinkedIn dying?" This question isn't just coming from job seekers. Recruiters, professionals, and executives are also frustrated with the platform, wondering if it's really as useful and effective as it claims to be.
LinkedIn is not actually dying—it's just changing. The old LinkedIn is dead, but the platform is still very much alive; it's important for every professional to have a LinkedIn profile in order to market their skills to employers, grow their professional network, and build their personal brand. But, professionals can no longer rely solely on the platform for everything they need in their career.
The way people use LinkedIn has changed dramatically. You cannot do what you used to be able to do on the platform. When LinkedIn first started out, it was a social network. The early adopters loved the platform, and used it to its fullest potential. People would connect. They would start conversations. Being on LinkedIn was this amazing experience where people were developing relationships with people they never would have developed relationships with otherwise. It truly was a social network.
But, that's when it was small.
Now, with mass adoption, the power of LinkedIn as a social network has lost its luster. The majority of people on LinkedIn are not using the platform to its fullest potential. It's no longer enough to help you get a job or grow your career.
So, what's a better alternative to LinkedIn? What platform should professionals join if they want to network, find a job, and grow their career?
We recently announced the arrival of our Freemium Plan! Here's what you get when you sign up:
If you want to take your career to the next level, Work It Daily's Freemium Plan is for you! Sign up today and grow your career like never before.
A resume is the first opportunity you have to make an impression on a hiring manager or recruiter. And it's important to make a great first impression. The average recruiter spends mere seconds scanning your resume so you need to make yourself stand out.
We've compiled a list of some important factors to keep in mind when creating or updating your resume. Here are the 10 key components of a great resume:
Structure your resume in an organized manner; keep your font simple, your layout appealing, and your spacing consistent. You want your resume to be easy to read too, so make sure you have enough white space. You don't want to overwhelm hiring managers or recruiters with too much text. An organized resume format will automatically make them want to give your resume a closer look.
Spellcheck everything at least twice and have someone else proofread your resume before you submit it. Spelling or grammar mistakes give hiring managers and recruiters the impression that you don't pay attention to details and don't really care about the job you're applying for. Avoid these mistakes at all costs!
List a professional sounding email address—not "partyanimal_687" or "2cool4u15." Also, list a phone number that is attached to a professional voicemail greeting. Potential employers don't need to hear reality TV, loud music, kids crying, or road noise in the background. If this means you have to re-record your voicemail greeting, so be it.
Leave out subjective words like "reliable" and "hard-working." A potential employer is not going to bring you in for an interview because you say you're reliable. They are going to bring you in because they think you can solve a problem for them. This is why quantifying your work experience on your resume is essential.
Incorporate words into your resume that are listed in the job description of the position you're applying for. This will help you get your resume past the ATS and also help a hiring manager quickly see that you're a fit for the position.
If you were let go from several positions due to downsizing, mention this. If you have a large gap in your employment history, explain what you were doing during that time and what you learned. Keep your explanations short and sweet.
If you're a veteran in your industry, you don't need to list the very first job you had decades ago. Keep your employment history to the past 10-15 years if you have a substantial amount of industry-related experience. If you're a recent graduate, listing the part-time job you had in college is fine—but you also want to list any internships, volunteer work, coursework, or projects you had that are relevant to the job. Unpaid experience still counts.
Treat each word on your resume like beachfront property. Space is so valuable. Make every word you use count. Remember not to jam too much text on your resume, either. You want just enough information to get hiring managers and recruiters to give you a call.
Your cover letter should contain content that is different from your resume and should match up very well with the job description. This means you will need to rewrite your cover letter for each job you apply for. To get the best results, make sure you're writing disruptive cover letters so you can stand out in the hiring process.
Be optimistic, but realistic. If a job description lists a required task that you're confident you can do, try to word and quantify your past experience to reflect that. But if a job description lists seven required skills or certifications and you only have three of them, then you don't meet the qualifications and shouldn't apply.
It's a great time to update your resume and reflect a bit on your strengths and skills. Being able to effectively and succinctly summarize your skills, education, and experience is important for everyone—regardless of whether you intend to seek employment in the near future. These resume tips are intended to help you put forth the best possible impression of yourself on paper. You only get one chance to make a great impression, so make yours count!
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As a professional, skill development is essential to your career. If you're looking for a great way to grow and develop your skills, check out LifeHikes Week 2021!
LifeHikes by Own The Room provide "skill training that empowers people to own their potential." They are educational experiences that enhance leadership, communication, sales, and other skills that drive business results.
Starting September 20th, professionals from around the world will come together to focus on where they want to grow and how to get there during LifeHikes Learn Week.
If you're working to make skill development and growth a priority for yourself and your organization, register for LifeHikes Week 2021 today!
During LifeHikes Week 2021, you'll get the opportunity to attend sessions curated by the world's top leaders and innovators with a holistic approach to professional and personal development. This is an amazing chance to invest in growth, skill development, and lifelong learning with professionals from around the globe.
Join J.T. O'Donnell, founder and CEO of Work It Daily, for a live, intimate, and interactive conversation with the amazing Michelle Kydd Lee (Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood) about the motivational power of women on Monday, September 20th from 3-4 pm EST. This event is FREE for the Work It Daily community!
You can also join and attend other sessions that week (all free and easy to register!). Some of the sessions you have the opportunity to attend include a fireside chat with Adam Grant (Wharton) and Jodi Rabinowitz (Zoom) or Giancarlo Esposito (Actor, Breaking Bad) or Ray Chambers and Jeff Weiner (Chair, LinkedIn); Kim Scott (Radical Candor) and Janina Kugel (former Siemens CHRO); David Fizdale (LA Lakers) and Udonis Haslem (Miami Heat); or one of 15 other terrific round tables with global leaders and join the conversation.
LifeHikes Week is for anyone who wants to learn and grow for themselves, their organization, and the world around them!
Since LifeHikes Week is entirely dedicated to hearing from some of the world's top leaders, communicators, and inspiring teachers, the following people will especially benefit from attending the sessions:
Don't wait to sign up for this incredible week of events! Join J.T. O'Donnell at LifeHikes Week 2021 if you're serious about skill development and growth in your career. Register and learn more today!