I’m working on trying to revamp my professional life, find my brand, and hopefully get my feet pointed forward for a change. One of the things I will eventually have to work on is my visual branding, how I present myself to the world on paper and on the web.
Of course, I’m thinking about visual branding design in what’s become the traditional sense, but I think my thinking might just be outdated if these business cards are any indication. They’re vibrant. They’re expressive. They say something about the person behind the card. I’m willing to bet people who receive these works of art don’t forget the person, and that’s always a good thing.
I don’t know how to express the person I’m finding hiding out in here, but I’m hoping these inspire me to do it authentically. Maybe they’ll inspire you, too.
Posted by Rebecca as Networking at 7:47 AM EST
No Comments »
If the posts collected in Reader are any indication, the hot topic at the moment appears to be gaining attention by taking care how you hold yourself.
It’s been true for a long time that you can do certain things to attract people to you, but they’ve always seemed to escape the notice of image consultants and personal development gurus. If you walk into a room like you belong there, people are going to notice. This is especially useful if you’ve never been to a certain place, among a given group of people, or are shy.
Really, your posture is what tells people who you are. They size you up in a single glance by how you stand or sit. Body language is a powerful nonverbal communicator.
Feel like you aren’t being seen for you think you are. Try adjusting how you present yourself and see what changes.
Posted by Rebecca as Networking, Leadership and management at 9:03 AM EST
No Comments »
I suspect I need to take advantage of these myself. I know I’ve said I need to find a new job, but it’s becoming imperative that I find one (I’d actually hoped it wouldn’t come to that).
If you find yourself in my shoes, it’s always better to be networking already, and it’s always better when you’re networking to give people everything they need to know about you. This allows them to know both how to help you out, and how you can help them out in the process (always a good thing).
Honestly, I think everyone really should write one of these pages about themself. It’s a great informative tool, and I’ve found in trying to start my own that you really are forced to think about your career and your goals.
Posted by Rebecca as Changing careers, Networking at 8:22 AM EDT
No Comments »
I had originally thought to review Brazen Careerist and Career Intensity separately, but I’ve realized they really go together. Both focus on taking charge or your career.
Penelope Trunk, writer of Brazen Careerist, really has a bright casual tone that will likely resonate more with younger readers. Her rules are organized step by step from starting the job search clear through to management, all in 200 pages. She focuses on showing off your best side without running yourself into the ground, and making connections while being authentic. It’s good, relevant advice at a time when I think a lot of people are trying to figure out how to move in their professional paths. I came away with a ton of notes to help me deal with my own lost career.
David Lorenzo, author of Career Intensity and the blog by the same name, focuses more on how to move a stuck career you’re already in. He classifies workers as being on of four types: Workplace Warrior, Management Maverick, Intrepreneur (which is where I fit in the grid), and Entrepreneur. Lorenzo then spends the rest of the book speaking mainly to those who fall into the Workplace Warrior and Management Maverick categories, providing thoughtful advice on how to get unstuck and enjoy the career enjoyed by Intrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs. He encourages more strategic risk-taking and managing your image, two very important components of a successful career.
The two read incredibly well together as a continuous flow through career stages, both providing their own voice and ideas on a variety of topics. I’d actually recommend that if you choose to read them, you do read them together and start with Brazen Careerist. You can also read them separately and come away with great advice to help you jolt your own career.
Posted by Rebecca as Changing careers, Skill building, Networking, Leadership and management, Work skills, self-analysis at 8:13 AM EDT
1 Comment »
Hobbies are great things. They help us figure out how to spend our free time. They help us unwind (hopefully).
They also allow us to find ourselves. When you find a hobby, it’s like finding part of yourself. It’s giving yourself the opportunity to do something you enjoy, and might not be able to do otherwise. It’s possibly finding a hidden talent or passion, and then working to grow it on your own terms. You can then decide whether to do it as a past time, or to incorporate it into your professional life by finding a way to weave it into your current job or change your job to make use of these newly uncovered skills and interests.
Hobbies are also great networking tools. These days, very few hobbies are completely self-contained, even if the activity itself is. Forums, message boards, and mailing lists have probably been set up for every single possible topic you can think of (and maybe some you wish no one had thought of), so it’s become easier to find others with similar hobbies and interests. These communities provide the members with several resources, plus the opportunity to be a local expert themselves. Meeting people with whom you have something in common leads to authentic conversations, a hallmark of good networking. (Naturally, there are people who still manage to come across as smarmy in these situations.)
While it’s still advisable not to put hobbies on your resume, you can incorporate them into your interview practice to help reflect who you are, to possibly build a bridge between yourself and the interviewer.
While hobbies are really for relaxation and self-expression, never forget they have other practical uses.
Posted by Rebecca as Changing careers, Creativity, inspiration, and motivation, Networking at 7:40 AM EDT
No Comments »
I’ve been working with a friend to help her prepare applications, and she recently sent me a cover letter to review.
It was a good thing, too. Her entire letter was full of taken-back statements and thoughts expressed half-heartedly. That’s fine, except it wouldn’t land her an interview.
Your writing is an extension of you; it’s an attempt to show who you are through words. When you pick weak words, you’ll come across as weak. If you pick stronger words, you come across as confident.
Consider the following:
I am interested in applying for the job you posted.
I am applying for the position posted to this job search site.
Which person would you feel better about talking to, the first person who can’t seem to commit to applying, or the person who comes right out tells they want the job? You’d take a closer look at the second applicant. They know what they want and they aren’t afraid to tell you that.
Regardless of what you write, strong word choice will always make you stand out. Before you send out any business writing, read over it and look for weak words, weasel words (words that don’t actually say anything), and waffling sentences.
Posted by Rebecca as Skill building, Networking at 8:07 AM EDT
No Comments »
One of the things that has often amazed me as I’ve navigated the social networking waters is how many people seem to collect other people. They indiscriminantly send out friend requests (and for some reason, these people respond). I’ve talked elsewhere about this, but that behavior doesn’t make you look popular (and one would think those of us who are adults would be past this phase in our lives), it just makes you and those who have supported your behavior look desperate.
The point of social networking online is much like the point of real-life networking. You’re supposed to connect with people genuinely through similar interests or career development or something. Ideally, you should be building a relationship with them. You introduce them to someone who can help them or get them information they need, and they help you back similarly. You discuss important issues related to what connects you together. You actually make a point of getting to know the other person.
Without creating an authentic relationship with people you’re socially networked to, it doesn’t matter how many “friends” you have.
Posted by Rebecca as Networking at 7:49 AM EDT
No Comments »
I’ve long strived to be polite in my interactions with others. I do it because I think it makes experiences more enjoyable for all parties concerned, and because I see no reason to be rude.
I suppose somewhere in the back of my mind, I also feel I’m role modelling good behavior for my students in the hopes they’ll become better people than me.
Showing good manners is nothing more than showing respect for the person you’re talking or working with. It leaves a favorable impression on the other person, and can often go far to soothe a tense situation. It can attract people to you, the right kind of people, the people you’d likely describe as the type of people you want to work with.
In short, manners matter.
Posted by Rebecca as Networking at 7:40 AM EDT
No Comments »
It’s written to target librarians, but this article is a great source of ideas how to get yourself known in the Web 2.0 world. Most of it just seems to be common sense: learn the ins and outs of social media, stand out, make your content available to rip-mix-burn.
In a Web 2.0 world, it’s really all about putting yourself out there, chatting with people, and putting your own unique spin on things. It’s about letting people get to know you, and letting them discover what value you bring to the party. In some ways, it’s more authentic than other means of promoting yourself.
Once I finish this restructuring, I’m hoping to finally apply some Web 2.0 marketing to my online presence.
Posted by Rebecca as Freelancing, Entrepreneurship, Networking at 8:09 AM EDT
No Comments »
The New York Times ran this great article on email sign-offs, and I think people generally need to take heed of it. I find that when I’m negotiating freelance work, I’m more likely to get no salutation or conclusion from my contact. When I’m interacting with fellow bloggers or entrepreneurs, I get warm, professional salutations and conclusions.
The article is right. Children are taught how to correctly write a letter in elementary school, but somehow between elementary school and post-college life we seem to lose that training to the ways of AOLese. Perhaps we ought to consider teaching the art of writing a business letter in both high school and college, in the hopes it will produce more savvy letter writers!
Posted by Rebecca as Networking at 7:39 AM EST
No Comments »
