Networking not worth it What, then

Networking not worth it What, then I saw a link to this on Facebook: Good News for Young Strivers: Networking Is Overrated. I think it was written by Tim Enthoven while reading the first part of this I thought it was an attempt at sensational writing to buck convention, but then towards the end he got into something that is too often overlooked And, to his defense, someone in the comments points out that the title has the word overrated, not useless, or bad, or something else that is final. Its just not all its cracked up to be. I didnt like how Tim gave examples of ultra-rich, ultra-successful people, for example, getting on Oprah (after all, who needs to network when you can just get on Oprah and then get rich?). Do you know how hard it was to get on Oprah? By the end of his article, though, I got it. And I agree with it (mostly).  His main message is that we have to have substance, quality, product, excellence something more than a brand and a business card and a handshake.  Without having (or being) something to talk about, whats the use of networking?  Schmooze all you want, but if you are lame, or have no value to bring to the table, why put yourself in front of others? I agree.  And all of the JibberJobber users that Ive communicated with are expert in something they might not be The Expert, but they have expertise.  Of course, they can refine their skill, but they have something worth talking about.  As do you, Im sure. Tim says to get better, be better, be worth knowing and talking about.  And the rest will come to you. That may be the case.  But let me remind you of ABC.  Salespeople know what ABC is.  Business owners know what ABC is.  Marketers should know what ABC is.  It is Always Be Selling. Never turn it off.   I know, its annoying, and tiring, and you sound like a broken record player, but if you want to sell (get results), then you need to sell (the action). What are you selling? Yourself. I agree that your product or service (YOU) should sell itself. but what Ive learned the hard way is no matter how good your product or service is, you need great marketing and sales. You need to package it (you) well. You need to present it (yourself) in a compelling way. You need to put it (you) in front of the right people. Guess where you do that? By networking.  With humans.  Sometimes this is at networking events. Sometimes it is one-on-one, or with email but really, you cant just sit there all awesome and not let anyone know. So yeah, like Tim says, be awesome(r). And go network. Today. Networking not worth it What, then I saw a link to this on Facebook: Good News for Young Strivers: Networking Is Overrated. I think it was written by Tim Enthoven while reading the first part of this I thought it was an attempt at sensational writing to buck convention, but then towards the end he got into something that is too often overlooked And, to his defense, someone in the comments points out that the title has the word overrated, not useless, or bad, or something else that is final. Its just not all its cracked up to be. I didnt like how Tim gave examples of ultra-rich, ultra-successful people, for example, getting on Oprah (after all, who needs to network when you can just get on Oprah and then get rich?). Do you know how hard it was to get on Oprah? By the end of his article, though, I got it. And I agree with it (mostly).  His main message is that we have to have substance, quality, product, excellence something more than a brand and a business card and a handshake.  Without having (or being) something to talk about, whats the use of networking?  Schmooze all you want, but if you are lame, or have no value to bring to the table, why put yourself in front of others? I agree.  And all of the JibberJobber users that Ive communicated with are expert in something they might not be The Expert, but they have expertise.  Of course, they can refine their skill, but they have something worth talking about.  As do you, Im sure. Tim says to get better, be better, be worth knowing and talking about.  And the rest will come to you. That may be the case.  But let me remind you of ABC.  Salespeople know what ABC is.  Business owners know what ABC is.  Marketers should know what ABC is.  It is Always Be Selling. Never turn it off.   I know, its annoying, and tiring, and you sound like a broken record player, but if you want to sell (get results), then you need to sell (the action). What are you selling? Yourself. I agree that your product or service (YOU) should sell itself. but what Ive learned the hard way is no matter how good your product or service is, you need great marketing and sales. You need to package it (you) well. You need to present it (yourself) in a compelling way. You need to put it (you) in front of the right people. Guess where you do that? By networking.  With humans.  Sometimes this is at networking events. Sometimes it is one-on-one, or with email but really, you cant just sit there all awesome and not let anyone know. So yeah, like Tim says, be awesome(r). And go network. Today.

Using Disruptive Innovation to Impact your Career Path - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Using Disruptive Innovation to Impact your Career Path - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career By now you have probably heard of Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen’s  seminal book “The Innovators Dilemma” and perhaps may have read it a few times since its release  in 1997. Even if you haven’t read or heard of it there are a few lessons to be learned and heeded from the model Professor Christensen proposed. Specifically, that if you focus too much on what you are doing today you will miss opportunities that can save your business. The same is true with your career. How can you use Disruptive Innovation (DI) to advance your thinking and your career? First, let’s think about what Disruptive Innovation means. A disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network  ~via Wikipedia Using DI thinking can certainly impact  long held business models.  A few business that have been impacted by Disruptive Innovations are listed below and followed by some of the businesses that stepped in to replace them. Tower Records  â€" Napster (now Pandora, Spotify, iTunes and many others) Blockbuster  â€" Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. Travel Agents / Agencies  â€" Expedia, Kayak, et al In the first example the original disruptive innovator, Napster, has already been DI’d by new entrants. Which only proves the point that DI thinking is an  effort that never ends. Very much like your career. You need to constantly be on the lookout for a different way to do something. The same principles can be applied to your Career Development. For example: In education: Instead of 4 years for university â€" Consider  MOOC’s. Instead of climbing the corporate ladder  â€" Create your own ladder In lieu of solving the same old problems  â€" Develop new ways of thinking that focus on higher value customer needs First, seek to understand the business you are really in.  Make no mistake… a  career is a business. It’s the most important business you will ever invest your time and energy into and you’ll be doing it for a long time. So, make the most of it. To understand your business and to think a little more  sideways you should start by asking different questions, experimenting with new models, and looking for different ways to add value in ways that have not been considered. For example, if you went to school to become an engineer: What are you actually creating? What benefit are you really delivering? Are there different ways you can deliver value to the customer? These same questions can be applied to almost any career. Whether you studied accounting, drama or zoology. Seek to Out Innovate Yourself This may seem like an oxymoron, but when you think about it you need stay ahead of the competition. Where the competition is not necessarily the person in the cube next to you. The competition is yourself. You want to do more tomorrow. But, you don’t always need to work longer hours. The old cliché is true here… you want to Work Smarter, Not Harder. When you do your ability to brand yourself as an innovator will be preceded by your ability to think differently, ask tough questions and deliver stellar results. What are using  Disruptive Innovation on today?

Be Nice to the Gatekeepers, for They Hold the Key

Be Nice to the Gatekeepers, for They Hold the Key Does it sometimes seem as though hiring managers are living in some sort of gated community? As a recruiter, the key (no pun intended) to success is learning how to reach those all important decision makers so you too can enter the gates. Let?s face it, half the difficulty in approaching a potential client is actually getting in front of, or being heard by the decision maker to make your case. Gatekeepers come in various guises: the  PA who is entrusted with guarding the decision maker at all costs is one; another might be the administrative assistant, the secretary, the voicemail system or the switchboard operator. Whatever form they take, there are definite ?do?s? and ?donts? to bear in mind, in order to gain access and receive consideration by the decision maker. First and foremost: Dont  doubt for one moment that the gatekeeper is vital  to the successful outcome of your information gathering mission.  If you fall at this first hurdle, getting back on the horse to have another go could be challenging. Following these few simple guidelines could mean the difference between success and failure in your efforts to speak to your target audience. Do turn the gatekeeper into  your ally ?Treat them with respect, humour and compassion, be friendly, but not over-friendly, establish a rapport. Remember they are busy, their job can be tough too. They get it from both ends all week long. Make a special effort to regard them as people with their own personality, and not as faceless obstacles to be overcome at all costs. Do  your  research before you pick up the phone. This is vital and cannot be stressed enough. Asking for the ?Head of Sales? is vague and woolly and will immediately set alarm bells ringing with the gatekeeper. Attention to detail in your delivery is important too; ?you? have  gone to the trouble of researching the name of the person you need to speak to, so make sure you get it right when you call. For example, at Newman Stewart we had one person who wanted to speak to our Marketing Manager but merged his name with the name of the company and asked for Gary Numan, another wanted to speak to our Managing Director but asked for the legendary singer and guitarist of Squeeze, Glen Tilbrook. These are just a couple of (admittedly very funny) real life examples of my colleagues being turned into 80?s pop heroes by unwitting callers. The moral of this tale is if you know and remember correctly the name of the person you need to speak to, your chances of being successfully put through to that person will be vastly improved. Do use humour and empathy. Humour in solidarity with the gatekeeper will work, always assuming the person on the end of the phone has a sense of humour and you haven?t caught them on a really bad day if you?re having a bad day and so are they you can bemoan this together and lighten both your days. If this is the tenth time you have spoken to the gatekeeper this week, they will remember it too, so don?t pretend otherwise, make light of it?; persistence is my middle name?, ?you can?t blame a man for trying? etc, etc. Dont turn it into a 24  chapter best-seller if you?re leaving a message. Make  a voicemail  message short and sweet, direct and professional, with only the important facts included:  Your name, your contact details, the reason for your call and when you will call again should suffice. Dont  ever lie! You can be  ?creative? in giving your reason for calling, but don?t lie. Don?t pretend you?re a relative, the police or an old friend from way back ?this could backfire with unthinkable consequences for you and your job/reputation. Dont  over-rehearse ?the gatekeeper is trained to sniff out those who are reading from a script and will immediately be thinking of a way to end the call without even listening to what you are saying. Be natural, try to make an impression and use your own personality to make you stand out from the crowd. Dont be rude! Even in the face of what you see as absolute inflexibility  and downright unhelpfulness on the part of the gatekeeper, you must always remain polite and professional, never rude or sarcastic no matter how tempting it may be! Do remain upbeat. ?This  might be the hundredth call that you have made today, but this could be the one. By following these simple rules you will increase your likelihood of getting  through to the decision maker or getting the information that you require significantly which will in turn lead to a potential contact or placement.

Adapt Sales Strategy to Your Style to Improve Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Adapt Sales Strategy to Your Style to Improve Results - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The luckier salespeople are provided with decent sales training, but there is always room for improvement. Many trainers insist on memorizing scripts and practicing role-play. The problem with this is that the salespeople who excel are anything but average, but this type of training is for the average person. So it only serves to frustrate those who have the potential of performing the best on the company’s behalf. The second dilemma is how the training comes across to the majority of classroom participants. Many are afraid to ask clarifying questions and so information is misinterpreted and used incorrectly. The worst part is most are not aware to adapt the advice to their unique style of delivery. This works against the hope of building credibility, trust and ultimately the sale. Example #1 Hiding Fees Online marketing services are sold in a variety of ways such as annual or month service as well as creative packaging. The value is derived in the reach to targeted clientele, and anticipated conversion from click-throughs to a sale. Some trainers instruct their students that instead of discouraging prospective clients by announcing the large annual sum, to break it down to the smallest possible amount. One telemarketer made the following pictch for an online marketing service: “We are only asking $.20 per conversion. “ You might initially believe the request of $.20 per conversion to be reasonable. But, should you have many thousands of followers, even if 5% clicked through, you might be presented with a sizeable bill. It could very quickly add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars every month.  Solution A more honest approach is to stick to the annual and payment plans so the prospect may budget appropriately. It’s far better to be honest upfront than have to explain yourself to an angry client after the fact. Example #2 â€" The Wrong Job Offer Sadly, the recruiter calling Jack to make an offer did not first read his resume. Instead, he made an offer of minimum wage, for a part-time job of inside sales. Jack sent his application in along with resume to become the corporate sales trainer. The insulting offer was obviously dismissed. Solution Always do as much research upfront as possible to have a fruitful conversation. Example #3 â€" Thoughtless Communication The sales consultant received this message online, “You need my service for only $5,000”.     What incited anger was the fact it was the very service on which she trains others. A terse note was sent back. The second message received said, “Well then let’s partner”. Would you partner with someone who doesn’t first do their homework? Solution Proper preparation ahead of any type of communication will provide the opportunity to further the conversation. Questions and answers, truthful statements, and working to serve your clientele, builds your personal brand and trust in you. All learning requires full comprehension and thoughtful implementation of principles to your unique style. This is the first step to building a strong business. The reward for hard work upfront is experiencing the Smooth Sale.

How to Start A Career in Programming

How to Start A Career in Programming Changing jobs is always a stressful period in our lives and it is in our best interest to go through that transition as smoothly as possible. Leaving one position and starting a new career is never easy and that is why we are here for you to make that change quickly and painlessly.This article is for all those who need a little help with finding out if a career in programming and development is really something you should consider, but also for those who might need a little push towards a new job!Making the leapevalevalFirst things first: many people are scared of learning to code for a couple reasons, main one being â€" “I’m really bad at math…”. Well, you will be glad to know that programming certain types of websites takes less math than adding up your grocery store receipts. You literally don’t need to know how to add and subtract in order to make websites. You need to know English and just a speck of creativity and imagination.Another thing to take into consideration i s the versatility of the programming world. There are many different types and classifications of programming, but in the end it mostly comes down to these 3 types of programming:Front end â€" this is what makes the websites and games look the way they doBack end â€" this is the part of websites and games that makes them runMobile development â€" making mobile apps and programs, pretty self-explanatoryAll you have to do now is make a decision. What kind of programming is most appealing to you? Are you creative and you come up with great designs? It’s front end for you buddy. You like to grind and get down and dirty with your work? Back end will be a perfect fit for you! Do you lean more towards the mobile industry than computers and laptops? That’s a call for a career in mobile development!How do I start?There are 3 basic ways of getting started with programming:Going to college and majoring in IT or something similarEnrolling into classes that will make you a certified develope rDo some digging and put in the extra effort and educate yourselfSince you don’t have time or money to go to college for 4 â€" 5 years and you need a job right now, we are going to eliminate the first two options. So, how does one go about educating himself in programming?Well, first you need to get yourself a comfortable chair This website also makes it extremely easy for you to keep track of what you’ve learned so far, as well as showing you how far you got in the courses you are currently taking. All lessons are completely free and tests are included as well. The courses are made so that you can’t move onto the next lesson until you have mastered the current task.2. UdemyAnother website that gained a huge popularity a while ago is Udemy, which not only offers courses in programming and development but also other related jobs such as design and digital marketing. However, Udemy requires you to pay for the courses you are taking and thus we are giving advantage to another fre e website..3. Free code campevalFree code camp started as a resource for people who want to learn how to code and help non-profit businesses and has so far generated over 4,000 jobs and over 1.5 million dollars in donations from development work!evalLet’s keep it interestingTaking up programming can sometimes take you places you didn’t intend to go â€" such as looking for anything to do other than your next code lesson. That is why it is important to keep yourself entertained and motivated. One way to do so is by playing games that help facilitate your programming knowledge such as Pocket Code.Pocket Code allows you to create, edit, execute, share, and remix Catrobat programs in a visual, “LEGO-style” programming environment and programming language. You can remix programs that others have made and share them with your friends and the world.App to keep in mind for futureAnother app that might come in handy when you are a bit more established as a developer is PDF Converter U ltimate. I know, sounds silly, right? How could a PDF Converter be of any use to a programmer?Well, in order to explain this one we’ll have to get a bit into the business part of programming. Since most developers use a simple text editor to write their code, such as Notepad or Wordpad on Windows devices, this app comes in handy very often. On occasion, people who hire you will be extremely cautious when sending sensitive files such as code, and would prefer to have them in some other format rather than HTML or CSS If you had experience with any of these websites or, perhaps websites similar to these feel free to voice your opinion in the comment section!

Unwritten Rules

Unwritten Rules As you navigate your career, it’s often the “unknown unknowns” that can trip you up. Among them are the unwritten, unspoken rules of the road â€" the informal rules that are so steeped in the system that people don’t even talk about them. I was coaching a client who was joining a new firm at a senior level and he wanted my help to make a smooth transition into this new role â€" to help him hit the ground running. One of the first things we talked about was how to figure out the informal rules in the new organization. That’s because when you’re new in a role or an organization, getting this right really matters. People will be looking at the way you navigate those unwritten rules as a way to figure you out, and answer questions such as: From your seniors: Is she excellent? Is he a good fit with our culture? Can she lead effectively? Will he gain the respect of his peers? From your peers: Is she “one of us”? Does he make the rest of us “look bad”? Do we like her? Do we trust him? From your juniors: Can I learn from her? Will he advocate for me? Does top management respect her? Is he a good person to work for? So, how do you figure out what those unwritten rules are and prevent mishaps from damaging your reputation? While you can make some educated guesses, in the end, it’s about keen observation, a good dose of trial and error, asking questions, being a quick study, and hopefully finding a friendly person or two who can help you find your way. To help you navigate successfully, here are two categories of “unwritten rules” that I’ve come across: The Seemingly Insignificant While these seem like “small” things, they nonetheless can have a big impact on how you are perceived and the reputation you develop. Some examples include: Social Where you eat lunch â€" at your desk vs the cafeteria vs going out to eat Going out for drinks after work â€" or not Where you sit at the conference room table â€" is there a “head” of the table, and if so, is it in the middle or at one end? And do people always sit in the same place? Professional How you start your emails (“Dear Jane” vs “Jane” vs “Hi Jane”) How you answer the phone (“This is Dave” vs “Dave Bannister” vs “Bannister” vs having your secretary answer your phone even when you’re at your desk) How you refer to top management in public (“Have you met John?” vs “Have you met President Jones?” vs “Have you met Mr Jones?” vs “Have you met Jones-y?”) Work Ethic Arriving and leaving times Going to the gym during the day â€" and sporting the “wet head” look â€" or not Punctuality for meetings â€" is it “cool” to be fashionably late or are you expected to arrive on time? The Clearly Important While these are more obviously substantive, they are tricky to get right. And if you have the wrong person guiding you, you can end up worse off than having no guide at all. Examples of these include: The Power Structure What’s the real org chart â€" not the formal boxes and lines org chart, but the way things really work beyond formal reporting lines. Who has the real power and authority, and whose blessing do you need on your important initiatives? How to escalate â€" or not â€" and to whom, and in what order. Who do you need to consult before the big announcement, who needs to be alerted, and who do you absolutely not want to tip off? What are the pet projects of the people in power, and which ones don’t they value? Getting Things Done Who are the “go to” people and for which aspects? What level of detail is expected in proposals, pitches and analyses? What gets outsourced vs kept in-house? Looking the Part What’s the dress code for your level and one or two above? Is it okay to wear short-sleeved button down shirts for men or sleeveless tops for women? Handling informal events â€" including those where partners/spouses are invited â€" and how casual is “casual attire”? What’s the view on facial hair for men? Long hair up in a bun or down for women? While it’s impossible to get everything right, it really does pay to ask questions, keep your eyes and ears open and become a student of the informal workings of your organization. This will smooth your path and reduce the amount of stress you experience as you strive for success. Finally, not all informal rules are good for the business or for the people in the organization. As a leader, when you come across those, you can choose to set a new role model or otherwise challenge the status quo. All of which reminds me of one of my favorite scenes from the movie “42” (the one about Jackie Robinson, the first African-American major league baseball player) where the Brooklyn Dodgers manager, Branch Rickey, and his team are talking about signing Jackie Robinson, and one of them says, “You break a law and get away with it, some people think you're smart. You break an unwritten law, you'll be an outcast.” While unwritten rules can and often should be broken, it’s best to do it consciously and deliberately â€" like Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson. Otherwise, it can really backfire and you won’t be prepared for the fallout. What are the unwritten rules in your organization? And what’s the best way for a new person to come in and get it right?

Use Free Eady Resume Writing Tutorials

Use Free Eady Resume Writing TutorialsFree Eady resumes writing tutorials can be found in a number of places online. These tutorials will teach you how to use the free Microsoft Word program to create your own free Eady resume. These tutorials are truly helpful when you have no special skills or software skills and you have limited time on your hands.For many individuals, there is simply no point in wasting their time using one of the paid Eady resume writing services that are offered for free. These tutorials are extremely easy to follow and can give you the confidence that you need to create a resume that you can proudly display on your computer screen. In fact, most of these tutorials are designed so that you can simply follow the instructions and your own ideas will come together.There are many ways that you can create a good quality resume. This tutorial will help you through the process of creating a resume from scratch. They will teach you the exact steps that you will need to follow in order to create your own free Eady resume in MS Word.The first thing that you need to know is that most people make common mistakes when they are trying to write a resume. You need to realize that even though this tutorial will help you get things right, you are still going to make mistakes along the way. By practicing on a resume that you have created with other people that have created their own free Eady resume, you will find that you are much more comfortable using MS Word and you will be able to do what you need to do in order to create a resume that will stand out from the crowd.If you choose to use the tutorial that will be provided, you are going to be able to get a good quality resume quickly. You will also be able to pick up some great tips from experts who have created their own free Eady resume. When you are ready to begin, you are going to need to create a basic resume.You will need to have a cover letter that is going to serve as the backbone of your resume. Many of the free Eady resume writing tutorials will show you the importance of having a professional looking cover letter. This will be your first step towards creating a resume that is going to help you get the job that you want.Once you have a good looking resume, you are going to want to start filling it in with the necessary information. You are going to need to provide contact information, your educational background, and employment history. This will ensure that you don't forget anything important in your resume.Remember that a free Eady resume writing tutorial is going to save you valuable time and make it easy for you to achieve a professional looking resume. You will be able to complete the task in a matter of hours and you will not have to spend any money on a quality resume writing service.