Favorite Friday Networking Introductions (HOW TO)

Favorite Friday Networking Introductions (HOW TO) New: an EVENING JibberJobber User Webinar on Tuesday, March 9th at 7p EST. Register here. (other webinars listed here) LinkedIn for Job Seekers for $49.95 $25. Check out all the specials here. I get a lot of emails from people who are introducing themselves or introducing others.  I also get a lot of LinkedIn invitations. Many of them are not put together well, or the responses are not put together well. Here are THREE of my favorite posts where I talk about how to introduce someone, or yourself: Job Search and Networking Introductions (January 28, 2009) how to introduce yourself and ask for help. Introductions gone bad… (January 11, 2007) thoughts on how to write that initial email introduction. Solution to Introductions gone bad ? (January 12, 2007) how to respond to an introduction from someone else. Those posts are old, but the ideas are not too shabby! (Shoudnt they teach this stuff in college??) Favorite Friday Networking Introductions (HOW TO) New: an EVENING JibberJobber User Webinar on Tuesday, March 9th at 7p EST. Register here. (other webinars listed here) LinkedIn for Job Seekers for $49.95 $25. Check out all the specials here. I get a lot of emails from people who are introducing themselves or introducing others.  I also get a lot of LinkedIn invitations. Many of them are not put together well, or the responses are not put together well. Here are THREE of my favorite posts where I talk about how to introduce someone, or yourself: Job Search and Networking Introductions (January 28, 2009) how to introduce yourself and ask for help. Introductions gone bad… (January 11, 2007) thoughts on how to write that initial email introduction. Solution to Introductions gone bad ? (January 12, 2007) how to respond to an introduction from someone else. Those posts are old, but the ideas are not too shabby! (Shoudnt they teach this stuff in college??) Favorite Friday Networking Introductions (HOW TO) New: an EVENING JibberJobber User Webinar on Tuesday, March 9th at 7p EST. Register here. (other webinars listed here) LinkedIn for Job Seekers for $49.95 $25. Check out all the specials here. I get a lot of emails from people who are introducing themselves or introducing others.  I also get a lot of LinkedIn invitations. Many of them are not put together well, or the responses are not put together well. Here are THREE of my favorite posts where I talk about how to introduce someone, or yourself: Job Search and Networking Introductions (January 28, 2009) how to introduce yourself and ask for help. Introductions gone bad… (January 11, 2007) thoughts on how to write that initial email introduction. Solution to Introductions gone bad ? (January 12, 2007) how to respond to an introduction from someone else. Those posts are old, but the ideas are not too shabby! (Shoudnt they teach this stuff in college??)

How To Transition or Expand Your Brand to Two Topics - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How To Transition or Expand Your Brand to Two Topics - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I have a dilemma. I have a blog about Gen Y topics with nearly 1000 subscribers. I started a new blog about marketing and consumer insights this week, and I am worried about transitioning my personal brand. My second blog is far more important than my first one because it’s the platform for my company, but my first blog is how I made my name online. Since we always learn the most from each other, here are my questions: 1. How can one person stand for two different brands? Research shows that the best brands have a simple and clear message. Having two brands makes this nearly impossible, because if you can’t consolidate the two brands to begin with, they are likely two very different and separate messages. I worry that by trying to stand for two brands, I’m actually mixing two messages that don’t go together. 2. Is it better to shift my brand image or try to represent both brands? Both are difficult. Many companies (if not most) who try to shift the brand image they’ve built end up shifting themselves into extinction. I would prefer to shift my brand image to become a marketing expert, but most of the community I’ve built on my previous blog is Gen Y bloggers and other human resources professionals. Trying to represent both brands on various social media outlets (for example, Twitter) is difficult as well, for the reasons I outlined in #1. 3. How do I keep everyone happy? It is clear to me that marketing is the direction I should be going with my career. But because so many people know me as a Gen Y leader, I have to maintain the personal brand image I have, at least for awhile. Some people will cross over and be interested in the topics on my new blog, but it’s likely that I’ll lose some of my current community. Also, my current brand image as a twentysomething conflicts with the brand image I want to establish, as an expert. People discriminate against age when it comes to experience. I’d be interested in hearing your answers to these three questions or any other thoughts you have on this topic in the comments section! Author: Monica O’Brien is a Marketing Consultant specializing in marketing strategy and consumer insights at the juncture of new media and traditional marketing. You can also follow her on Twitter (@monicaobrien).

Why Hiring Managers are Responsible for Business Branding

Why Hiring Managers are Responsible for Business Branding How businesses treat their candidates during the recruitment process directly impacts the perception of their brand in the market. The public image of a business doesn’t just stop with the marketing department, it is affected by the way in which businesses treat people â€" that means potential candidates as well as their customers. We have seen first hand how employers have missed out on their ideal new hire purely because they mistreat them during the recruitment process â€" shooting themselves in the foot! During the recruitment process, businesses need to ensure candidates walk away with a positive experience of the company, whether they are successful or not. Where  businesses go wrong: We have repeatedly talked about how candidates have more choices in today’s market, and an employer’s reputation plays a major role in this decision making. Businesses damage their reputation as employers when hiring managers are unprepared for interviews, provide flimsy feedback or take months to arrange follow up interviews (and then expect candidates to still be waiting around). We have seen businesses changing job specifications and roles halfway through the interview process, failing to communicate, and leaving both candidates and recruiters confused. We have seen many reject candidates for fickle reasons, holding out for someone better when they dont exist and wasting candidates, recruiters, and their own time. For candidates, lack of communication on how they have performed and what they can expect following an interview can be extremely frustrating. Some businesses need to remember they are dealing with people and not just a statistic. For a business, the best form of advertising is word of mouth. It essentially costs the business nothing and for consumers, the opinion of a reliable source factors highly during decision making processes. Research has shown that word of mouth can have an important influence on the perception a job seeker has towards an employer, but problems arise when people have a negative experience to share. If a candidate has a poor experience trying to keep in contact with you, interview with you, or get decent feedback, they will talk to their friends, family or possibly existing colleagues (which could also be potential future candidates for you!) This negative advertising of your business can make it even harder to attract and hire talent. Growth does put significant stress on a business at the very point that they are busy and understaffed, so it is understandable that sometimes they simply don’t get time to react to candidates quick enough. Although it isn’t intentional, it does cause them to miss out on potential talent and grow their businesses. Regardless of the reason, we have seen how a bad candidate experience can lead to a damaged reputation in the market, where candidates are apprehensive to interview with them, believing the business isn’t committed to hiring, rather they are “window shopping” to see what is available in the market. A perfect example of the possible business ramifications was in a fellow recruiter, Greg Savage’s blog, who shared a letter from a senior candidate: “Just recently I went for an interview with one of the larger insurance companies… Interview went extremely well (well I thought)… Long story short they never got back to me or returned any calls/emails.. Poor form. So I cancelled all of my 8 policies I had with them..” In the words of Greg â€" “If this does not help you understand that  poor candidate experience  destroys your brand, personal and corporate, then I really don’t know what will.”  So what should employers do?  It is difficult enough in today’s market to attract top level talent and businesses need to be doing all they can to continually attract people to them. The link between HR, recruitment and marketing is more important now than ever. Very often hiring managers, especially technical ones, aren’t trained to promote the business and they need to work together to cohesively raise and maintain the brand of a company in order to attract the best people. Think about the recruitment process from the candidate’s point of view. Candidates in this industry often have multiple offers to choose from and an interview is an opportunity for hiring managers to ‘market’ their business as an attractive place for them to work. By being engaging in the recruitment process, promptly organising interviews and providing detailed and constructive feedback, businesses are in a better position to hire the best people. We are lucky to work with some clients who react the same day and will immediately arrange telephone interviews with candidates they are genuinely interested in. They understand the difficulty in today’s market and heed advice on their recruitment processes. It is refreshing to work with directors of businesses and hiring managers who give prompt, detailed and constructive feedback, are consistent throughout the process and are considerate of everybody’s time. As a result they have great reputation as employers, and have no diffi culty finding candidates who are delighted to interview and work with them. Businesses must ensure they have a smooth recruitment process in place before they invite candidates and recruiters to take part in it. Be honest, provide meaningful feedback and do not ignore candidates even if the job has been put on hold, filled, or they just weren’t right for it. Only then, can the brand of the business attract great people. Author: Andeep Sandhu is Marketing Executive at  Enigma People.

Developing a Leadership Philosophy

Developing a Leadership Philosophy At the beginning of each advanced leadership workshop session,  business thought leader  John Spence asks attendees how many currently have a written list of their key leadership values. Much to his surprise, only one or two out of 100 to 150 executives raise their hands. As a result, Spence wonders how executives successfully lead their organizations and project teams. “I just have a hard time believing that if you’ve never taken the time to truly think through what kind of leader you want to be, what your leadership values are, what sort of leadership legacy you want to leave … and then write those things down so that you have a clear and focused guide for your self-leadership … that you would be a truly effective leader of others,” he wrote. Defining your leadership philosophy and then completing your personal leadership philosophy can help guide and direct how you’ll lead others. What Is a Leadership Philosophy? A leadership philosophy provides insight into the ideas, values, attributes and expectations that comprise how you approach leadership. Your leadership philosophy reflects what is important to you as a leader, so that you’ll be grounded in it and so that others can understand what you stand for and what they can expect from you as a leader. Leadership coach Deb Calvert identifies  three defining aspects  of a leadership philosophy. It’s personal. There is no right or wrong. It’s something that you choose. Not having a leadership philosophy leads to an “accidental” philosophy that is vague and unclear to others â€" as well as to you, even. By having a leadership philosophy, you’re making a deliberate and intentional choice based on reflection and determinations. It’s meant as a foundation. Your leadership philosophy provides clarity to guide decisions and a focus for everyday activities and responsibilities. There are key elements in your leadership philosophy that you’ll want to model as a leader. Spence noted some of the most important characteristics people feel make an “ideal leader.” Honest/integrity/character Visionary Highly competent Excellent communicator Team player/collaborative Innovative/risk taker Decisive Fair and supportive Creates clear goals and direction Respect/recognition Passionate/inspiring Personally accountable Proactive/action oriented Customer/quality focused  How to Develop Your Personal Leadership Philosophy (PLP) While some leaders may be aware of their leadership philosophy, few have written down these leadership characteristics. For communicating your personal leadership philosophy (PLP), Calvert provides a description of what it means to have a PLP, with bolded verbs that create a step-by-step process for building your PLP. Successful Leaders  know  their Personal Leadership Philosophy (PLP) and  communicate  it by living it passionately every day in all they say and do. They have taken the time to  determine  who they are, their values and priorities. They  know  their course and have  set  their internal compass, which gives them greater self-knowledge, greater self-confidence, and improved effectiveness as a leader. This is accomplished by  writing  a Personal Leadership Philosophy, which states the core values you live by, what you expect of your people, what they can expect of you, and how you will evaluate performance. Ed Ruggero, The Leader’s Compass: A Personal Leadership Philosophy Is Your Key to Success  Know Who You Are You can’t develop a meaningful PLP without first determining who you are as a leader, including your values and priorities. What do you believe? What values do you refuse to compromise? And what causes you to have these values? What is the single most important thing to you?  Communicate Your Core Values and Expectations The act of writing out or communicating your PLP is important. By putting it in writing, you: Provide clarity and objectivity Signal that you’re serious Make a commitment Keep your values and expectations consistent Cause self-reflection Make yourself accountable Make it easier to share You need clarity, commitment, consistency and accountability. By putting something in writing, you’ll take a step back and evaluate your PLP more objectively. Writing it down will help you insert a great deal of thought and analysis â€" not just emotion â€" into your philosophy.  Determine Who You Are Through Your PLP The next step involves becoming intimately familiar with your PLP. “You have to know your own PLP so well that you live and breathe it,” Calvert says. “If it is to guide your actions and provide examples to others of who you are and what you stand for, then you need to be intimately familiar with your PLP. This can’t be an occasional thing that you bring out when it suits you … It needs to be a constant expression.” Once you truly know your PLP, you’ll have a strong hold on what you believe in and what you stand for. This leads to authenticity, credibility, clarity, determination and other outcomes. Set Yourself to Your PLP and Live by It Let your PLP guide how you lead others. By doing this, you’ll project confidence because you know exactly where you’re going and you’ll have no doubts how you’re going to get there. Others will notice, get inspired and be more willing to follow you. Writing Your PLP Communicates What Matters to Those You Lead Communicating your PLP takes place through your actions and by distributing it to others. Make sure you’re clear and confident in what you stand for; you shouldn’t change your PLP very often. Allow some time for it to reach a point where you can live with it for a long time. Personal Leadership Philosophy Examples There are different styles of PLPs that you can emulate when you write your document. Leadership training company Academy Leadership has  several examples  of PDFs. The second example is especially noteworthy for its structure and approach. “My Leadership Philosophy is based upon the [principles] that I have learned through the study of both strong and weak leaders,” Dennis C. Parker, president and CEO of Active Minerals International, wrote in the introduction of his PLP. “It is my belief that following these [principles] will be the most profitable and rewarding way to lead my life and positively impact the lives of those around me.” Parker used the following headers to structure his PLP. I lead by:  Making and keeping commitments, integrity and character, setting goals and earning credibility, along with other leadership qualities. I place great value in:  Honesty, trust, credibility, communication, knowledge, quality and other traits. What I expect:  Telling the truth in a timely manner, showing respect through words and deeds, being a team player and other expectations. Things I do not accept:  Unsafe working environments and safety violations, lying, negligence, types of disruptive or disrespectful behavior and other negative behavior and motives. Understanding and applying leadership principles requires a strong understanding in business theory and practice. This might mean youll want to obtain some relevant formal education such as Aurora University’s online MBA  program that helps students develop the knowledge and skills needed to lead others and advance their careers. This post was authored by Brian Neese Brian has been writing about online education for more than five years, with specialties in health care, business and education. In his spare time, he enjoys sports, movies and spending time with family and friends.

How to Handle Being Sick For a Job Interview CareerMetis.com

How to Handle Being Sick For a Job Interview The telltale signs are all thereâ€"the scratchy throat, the runny nose, the fatigue. You tell yourself that it’s just allergies, a temporary hiccup in your otherwise healthy state, but as time wears on and your condition worsens, there’s no more denying itâ€"you’re sick!Getting sick is bad enough on its own, but it’s especially frustrating when you’re heading into a high-stakes event like a job interview When you’re sick heading into a job interview, you have a huge decision to make: do you suck it up and go to the interview anyway, or do you reschedule it for a time when you’re feeling better?Like most things, the answer depends on the circumstances. Here are some tips and best practices for how to approach being sick when you have an upcoming job interview.The Dilemma: Suck it Up or Sit it Out?evalTypically, calling in sick to work is a no-brainer without many downsides. You prevent giving your illness to coworkers, take time to rest and recover, and get to veg out on Netflix for a day or two. After which, you return to your responsibilities and pick right back up where you left off.No harm, no foul.That’s not the case when you call in sick for a job interview, however. Interviewing for a job is a race against the clock, and time usually isn’t on your side. The company is likely interviewing several candidates for a role that they’re hoping to fill ASAP, so anything that slows your momentum in the interview process can put you at a disadvantageâ€"and that includes things outside of your control like being sick.If you’re in the later stages of the interview process, there’s a very real chance that the company will extend an offer to another candidate before you even have a chance to complete the final interview. It might not be fair, but it’s a reality you’ll have to face when weighing your decision.So the decision to sit an interview out isn’t as clear cut as simply calling in sick to work. There are very real consequences that y ou have to consider, and only you can decide what the right move is for you.Factors to Consider When Deciding to Call in Sick for a job interviewevalThere are several factors you should consider when deciding whether or not to postpone an interview due to illness.First, how far along are you in the interview process? The farther along you are, the more you have to potentially lose. Of course, this also depends on how many candidates are competing with you for the role, which you’ll rarely know going into the interview process. The danger of postponing an interview in the later stages is that the company will end up going with another candidate, in which case you’ll have gone through the earlier stages for nothing. Knowing how much leverage you have in the process can make this decision much easier, so it’s helpful to know the answer to this next question, which is:How much do they like you?evalDo you get the sense that you’re the top candidate in contention? Do you mesh real ly well with your interviewers and have you built a great rapport? If you’ve done a solid job building a relationship with your interviewers up to this point, then you’ll probably be fine leveraging that into a later interview date to give you time to get better. But if you’re not sure, and if your interactions so far have been just so-so, then you may want to think twice before you take a chance on rescheduling.The next factor you should consider is how sick are you, actually? A few sniffles and a tickle in your throat are things you can easily power through, but if you’re having to summon every ounce of energy just to get out of bed, then there’s no way you’ll be able to muster the energy to perform well in an interview.There are two areas you’ll need to worry about your illness affecting, and they’re both equally important: the preparation for the interview and the interview itself. If your illness prevents you from performing at a level of 75% or more of your bes t in either of these areas, then it’s probably best to reschedule. Your interviewers are expecting to evaluate you at your best, and if you can’t give them that, then it’s a waste of everyone’s time.Theformat and length of the interviewshould also factor into your decision. You may be able to suck it up for a thirty minute phone interview, but a three-hour panel interview might be too much. Again, think about how sick you truly are and how long you’re capable of delivering the level of performance that your interviewers will be expecting. No interviewer will want to see you sitting in misery and blowing your nose every two minutesâ€"let alone shake your hand when the interview is over!Which leads us to a rule of thumb I’m calling the Handshake Test: At the end of the interview, will your interviewer be grossed out at the thought of shaking your hand due to the symptoms you exhibited throughout the interview If the answer is yes, then it’s best to reschedule the intervi ew.If no, then you should push on and power through.This gives you a little more leeway when it comes to a phone interview given that you won’t be shaking hands with anyone in personâ€"in those cases, use your best judgement based on how you feel and how well you expect to perform.How to Communicate Your Illness to Your InterviewerSo you’ve assessed all the factors above and decided that it’s best to reschedule the interview for a later date. How should you communicate this to your interviewer?As soon as you decide that it’s best to reschedule the interview, you should let the interviewer know. This could be after you’ve tried your best to prepare the day before the interview but you just couldn’t muster the energy. Or, it could be the morning of the interview itselfâ€"you thought you were fine the night before, but you woke up feeling much worse.evalWhen you arrive at the final go/no-go decision, reach out to the person coordinating the interview (which could be the rec ruiter, interviewer, or someone else depending on your specific situation) in the following order:Call firstIf they don’t pick up, leave a voicemailIf you leave a voicemail, follow up with an emailWhen you call, be sure to express your disappointment at having to reschedule the interview and reiterate your excitement for the opportunity. Also, let them know that you don’t want to get anyone at the company sick eitherâ€"this will demonstrate a keen sense of judgement on your part.There are a couple reasons why it’s best to call first rather than email. First, because you’re rescheduling on very short notice, it’s imperative that you get in touch with whoever is coordinating your interview ASAP so they can let your interviewers know and free up that time on their calendars. This will demonstrate a respect for everyone’s time that your interviewers will appreciate.The second reason why it’s important to call first is that it gives you an opportunity to connect with your i nterview coordinator on a human level and prove that yes, you really are sick enough to warrant rescheduling the interview. It’s important to get the point across that you aren’t just requesting this on a whim; you understand how difficult it is to coordinate calendars and you’re doing this out of concern for everyone’s health and out of respect for the process.And while it’s true that you can communicate the same thing over email, written words just don’t carry nearly the same range of human emotion as spoken ones do. You want the person on the other end to feel your disappointment, to empathize with your suffering and want to help you in any way they can.What to Say in Your Voicemail and EmailBecause you’ll be sending an email after you leave a voicemail, there’s no reason to leave a long, rambling message. Keep it short and sweet. Here’s an example of what you might say:“Hi Jane, this is Dan Clay, hope you’re doing well. I’m calling to let you know that un fortunately, I’ve come down with a really bad cold and will need to reschedule my interview with Mark this afternoon at 3 pm. I was hoping I’d be able to push through it but it’s only gotten worse, and I don’t want to get anyone sick. I’m really bummed about this but I’m still very excited about the opportunity and would love to see if we can reschedule for next week. I’ll send you an email to coordinate, thanks Jane.”Then, follow up with an email worded something like this (feel free to alter to make it your own):Subject: Rescheduling today’s interview with MarkHi Jane,I hope this note finds you well. Just left you a voicemailâ€"unfortunately, I’ve come down with a really bad cold and will need to reschedule my interview with Mark this afternoon at 3 pm. I thought I could power though it but it’s only gotten worse, and I don’t want to get anyone sick. I’m really bummed (talk about bad timing!) but am still super excited about the opportunity and would love to see if we can reschedule for next week when I’m (hopefully) feeling better.Please let me know if Mark is available next week along with some days/times that work best for him.Thanks so much for understanding Jane! Look forward to hearing from you soon.Best,DanWhen you coordinate a new interview time, make sure to give yourself enough time to ensure you’re feeling better going into the interview.Most interviewers will be okay with rescheduling the interview once, but if you have to reschedule a second time, you might not get a second chance. This could mean pushing the interview out just a couple days, or a week or more depending on how sick you are. Don’t forget that the clock is ticking however, and time is not on your side!Once you’re sitting down for the actual interview, be sure to thank your interviewer for their flexibility but don’t dwell on itâ€"acknowledge it and move on.And, see my previous post for tips and best practices for how to answer behavioral questio ns in a job interview.Handling an illness with tact and professionalism will go a long way towards demonstrating to your interviewers that you’re the type of candidate they’re looking for. By approaching these situations the right way, you can give yourself a leg up in the interview process and turn a potential disaster into a mere speedbump on the road to success.Hope you feel better soon!

Coolest business card ever - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Coolest business card ever - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog My friend Charlotte works for LEGO and the last time I saw her there, she handed me her new business card. This is it: When LEGO employees get a business card like this, they even try to match the look of the minifig (gender, hair, glasses) to the person. I love it. Its a brilliant way for LEGO to use their brand and to create some happiness along the way. What does your business card look like? Is it fun, surprising and memorable or is it just like all the other ones out there. Update: I should probably add that only a few LEGO employees get these theyre expensive to make so only a few executives and people in PR roles get them. Related posts 10 seriously cool workplaces. 12 ways to pimp your office. Top 5 reasons why ?The Customer Is Always Right? is wrong Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

How to Write a Resume - What to Include on Your Resume

How to Write a Resume - What to Include on Your ResumeAsking yourself how to write a resume is not an easy question to answer. It is like asking how to cook a delicious meal - not as easy as it seems! The fact is that when it comes to resumes, there are so many options that you really need to know how to pick the right one. It is definitely not easy to get the information needed to decide on what is best for you.You don't need to worry though because the internet is the perfect place to find what you need. You will be able to find all kinds of free resume writing samples that you can use to help make sure that you find a resume that matches your needs. Plus, these free samples are usually categorized in different sections that are easily navigable by the novice and the expert alike.The material includes different ways of designing a resume, and even different styles that you can use. You can pick and choose what you want for your resume based on your preferences. This is something th at you really need to take into consideration when you want to know how to write a resume because you will be able to choose exactly what you want to include in your resume.By the time you have finished writing your resume, you will be able to see the whole picture and have a good idea of what type of resume you are looking for. Once you have chosen the style that you prefer, you can move on to the next step which is how to design a resume. This process is also very important because you will be designing a resume based on what the company wants.In this case, you will be working closely with the company's needs. This means that you have to include all of the information that the company needs such as your education, work experience, skills, skills-related courses that you have completed, etc. This way, they will be able to decide what they think is best for you.After you have made sure that you have included all of the information that is required, you can move on to the next part o f a resume. This is the section where you can see your educational qualifications. This is done through providing information such as the number of years that you have studied, your academic level, and other details. This will help the employer determine whether or not you have the experience and qualifications needed for the job.If you do not have any formal degrees, then you can still come up with a resume that is unique by writing one based on your own knowledge. Of course, you should ensure that the information that you have provided is factual. You can do this by doing your research about the company you are applying for and ensure that you know the type of experience that they are looking for.One thing that you need to consider when you are writing a resume is to keep it short. You do not need to write a resume that is long and detailed as this will only make it look bad. Remember, when you are thinking of how to write a resume, the only thing that you need to keep in mind is that you have to be thorough when you are putting together your document.