Tuesday, August 24, 2010

It’s never to early to learn to network


My oldest child started kindergarten this week. He has been excited about going to school and making new friends. But he seemed to fall into the routine that most of us do when we are put in social situations with unknown people. We tend to clam up or only speak to those that we know. What I did observe are some practical ways to make networking easier for you if it doesn’t come natural.

Learn a persons name and use it: My little guy wanted nothing to do with his new teacher even though she seemed like the nicest person in the world, until she used his name. The minute she called him by his name he immediately perked up and began to listen to what she had to say.

Learn something about them: After his first day of school, we were getting ready for the next day and he said he wanted to wear something purple because it was his teacher’s favorite color. When you are willing to share information about yourself, people are willing to make the connection and sometimes help you out.

Have an agenda: In the days leading up to the start of school there were several planned events for the kids. I challenged my son to come back with the name of one new friend from each event. He didn’t know it but I was helping him to set an agenda and get out of his comfort zone to meet new people.

Have an introduction: I would always introduce myself and then try to get my son to introduce himself. This was the toughest part to him because; he didn’t have a connection to the teacher, parents or other kids. To him they were all strangers and like most kids, they don’t talk to strangers. For him, his introduction was simple, first and last name but in most situations you need to make it a little more exciting. Who are you and what are interested in or what is on your agenda.

Starting kindergarten is big life transition but my little guy got off to a great start by just being himself. Networking requires the same effort; you just have to be yourself. For some it comes more natural but for others it requires getting out of your comfort zone and that’s okay.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Night & Day

After multiple interviews this week, I feel as though I’ve seen two extremes in candidates that I think is important to call out. On one side there was a candidate that had a very solid background and she was able to articulate specific examples; however she was lacking passion and energy (i.e. no personality). The other candidate was the extreme opposite, she was full of energy and engaging but she lacked solid experience and was not able to articulate the key measures of success for the position. These two candidates were night and day in comparison to each other and what I needed was the best of both of them.

When you go into an interview be sure to put your best foot forward and bring the complete package. You want to be engaging and conversational but you want to make sure the employer knows what you are capable of doing. Follow these tips to help you through the interview process:

Build rapport quickly: Rapport is more than “how’s it going and tell me about yourself”. A good interviewee is able to connect with their audience and adapt their communication style, gestures, and examples to meet the situation. An interview is a conversation, so be interesting and engaging to keep the listener’s attention. A good interviewer will pick up on this and reciprocate or try to guide you along.

Read the job description: Focus your examples and conversation on what the job requires as a starting point; but then be ready shine and show what else you are capable of doing.

Think before you speak: Take a few seconds to collect your thoughts before you begin to answer the question. The silence is okay and is not as long as it may seem. The time you spend gathering your thoughts will help focus your response.

Be professional: Remember that you are in an interview and it is important to be yourself but also to remain professional in your conversation. You should try to remain positive when speaking about others or providing examples from your work experience.

Ask questions: the best candidates have a list of questions ready to go when they are given the opportunity to ask. It is always great to see a candidate come in with a written list of questions. Don’t be afraid to jot down notes based on the response to your questions.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Own Your Career

Recently I attended a networking lunch with multiple company executives and they were sharing their experience with personal branding and career development. Below are some of the insights that I thought were worth sharing.

“Make sure that your personal brand does not come at the expense of the team”

“Define how you are valuable and then live it out; your brand should speak for itself.”

“Fight for what you believe is right but listen as if you are wrong”

“Don’t become complacent, learn to do things differently and to do different things”

“Develop a mentoring network that will be honest and hold up a mirror to you”

“Worry less about yourself and more about people”

“Don’t wait on someone to provide you opportunities for advancement, ask for the job.”

“Only you can chart your career path, take control early and own it.”

“Do something uncomfortable”

What tips can you provide on career development?

Monday, August 2, 2010

Do Something Exciting


"What is it that you like doing? If you don't like it, get out of it, because you'll be lousy at it."
--Lee Iacocca

What are you passionate about? What makes you want to high five someone? If you can answer this then you are on the way to finding your ideal job. Most people aren’t working in their ideal job because they have other priorities (school, family, bills, etc.), but if you can start off identifying what excites you early in your career then you can be on the path to career bliss. Discovery is only part of the equation though, you then have to take action and make it happen. You should begin by doing what you enjoy in your current job more or finding a new one altogether. A great resource in this area is Marcus Buckingham and his work on playing to your strengths.

What are you passionate about and how do you incorporate it into your job?

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. -- Theodore Roosevelt
Photo Credit: Kevin Derman