The Professional’s Job Search Creed 7 of 10

The Professional’s Job Search Creed â€" 7 of 10 This is part of a series where Ill introduce 10 points of a creed, and comment on them. The series is summarized as we go (see bottom of post) and you can link back to the commentary on any of the 10 in that summary. I like this one as it gives me a chance to highlight a feature of JibberJobber that I dont talk about much: 7. I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. The writer of this creed is really big on unique value-added propositions, and with good reason. Basically, it is all about figuring out how to position yourself in your customers mind (note your customer could be an interviewer, a peer, a network acquaintance, etc.) in a different way than your competition. I remember introducing myself to a new group of people there were only about 6 of us and I said I manage a software company, have been IT Manager of this other company for a few years, have a degree in CIS and an MBA. I was pretty darn proud of myself until the main guy running the group (who works as a sr. project manager at a huge international company) said oh yeah, I know your type. Know my type? Know my type?? Man, how did I manage to paint myself into that stereotype?? I hadnt really been trained in this elevator pitch thing, and had no unique value add proposition, and had thus allowed myself to be typed. And when I was typed that way, I became clichà ©. Which is not what anyone wants to be. Others talk about this pitch in more of a story format. Ive read some bloggers in the last few months that think that the 30 second elevator pitch is a waste of oxygen, and there are better, more effective ways to communicate what needs to be communicated. They advocate the mini-story, in which you figure out how to convey who you are in a memorable, catchy story or experience. This goes way beyond the Im great because of the same reasons as everyone else youve interviewed today statement. Some people just say they just hate the pitch totally, and think that it is no replacement for good conversation to get to know them. I agree with (oh, Im going to sound like a pre-election politician (cringe) here) all of them! I think that in your pitch it is critical that you have at least one unique value added proposition. I believe that it should be memorable and interesting, and a story or experience is a great way to convey that. In both of these cases it is important to remember the time factor (30 90 seconds?). Why? Because there are times when you dont have the opportunity to get engaged in a deeper conversation! In many networking environments that Ive been in you get about a minute to introduce yourself to the group. And anyone that goes beyond the appropriate time is kind of frowned upon (in my experience). In the networking and job search that I have been involved in for 2006 Ive learned that everyone needs to have multiple pitches. Here are some examples of places you can use a pitch: networking event introduce yourself to the group formal or informal interview introduce yourself and include a VAP specific to the opportunity or company casual (family reunion, neighborhood party, etc.) dont come across as jargon, or like you are selling yourself usually this is in a crowd of people that do not share your interests and experience and it could go right over their heads as they think wheres the fried chicken? Here are some examples of what the pitchs theme could be developed on: job posting/title/project as an account manager Ive been able to company working at ABC company Ive managed to check out this YouTube video for an entrepreneur (thanks to MapleLeafTwo.com) industry Ive been a keynote speaker at many industry events including personal strengths Having developed abc, Ive been recognized by the Get the point? Dont have just one have a few or many! Here are some key things to consider: Practice it so that it becomes natural. This is HUGE. When you are communicating your statement you need to be able to read the audience (even if its just one other person). You cant read (and appropriately respond) if you are trying to think of your next sentence, or worse, you get stuck and are trying to get back into the statement! In my opinion, this is a turn-off. Be flexible. You might have to shift gears quickly the point of this pitch is to take advantage of a small window of opportunity. If you find that the audience doesnt get it (or doesnt care) and would rather talk about something else, realize that developing the relationship with that person is much more valuable than you telling him how cool you are! Be ready for more. Part of the key to a pitch is to have some kind of hook to pique their interest and ask for more. Sure you can give a 30 second pitch, but can you follow up in a good conversation afterwards? Remember the time issue and dont go on long stories that can become irrelevant that is just sidetracking the conversation! Use it for real. When you have the opportunity, use the statements. Practice with real people (friends, relatives, etc.) but use it in real life. It gets better and easier as you use it. Whether you are looking for a job or not, this is a key skill that professionals have. You might as well get good at it now you can be using it (not necessarily the same statement) for the rest of your career. Now, this ties into JibberJobber nicely. One of the main menu options is Interview Preparation, and one of the components in that section is the Me in 30 Seconds. You can have as many of these as you want. Premium users can categorize the statements, which is really cool as it allows you to get a printout of all interview prep grouped by category. For example, you may have the following categories as you prepare your statements: Small, high-tech startup; hospital chain; Business2Consumer. See how your statements might differ for each of these environments?? Note that these categories are defined by you, not me. Customize it however you need to. If you get an invitation to interview at a small high-tech startup, all you need to do is go in and print off all interview prep answers for that category and yeehaw! You have a personalized study sheet! Running List: I will get a job coach (not my spouse) to hold me accountable for my job search efforts. I will encourange him or her to be honest and indicate that feedback is the greatest gift that I could receive. I will ask for at least weekly contact. (read the post here) I will network for contacts, opportunities and more market knowledge; making at least 10 networking contacts each day and working towards at least 10 interviews each week; with at least five of those with decision makers. (read the post here) I will attend the Professional Career Workshop and attend at least one Professional Networking Group each week. (read the post here) I will define and continually refine my professional brand and unique value-added proposition. (read the post here) I will identify and understand the needs of my target market looking for industry gaps, problems and trends and will target my best prospects within that market. I will do the same for each target company I am pursuing. (read the post here) I will understand and will be able to discuss my leadership style. (read the post here) I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. (havent done yet) (havent done yet) (havent done yet) Search accounting internships at College Recruiter.com. The Professional’s Job Search Creed â€" 7 of 10 This is part of a series where Ill introduce 10 points of a creed, and comment on them. The series is summarized as we go (see bottom of post) and you can link back to the commentary on any of the 10 in that summary. I like this one as it gives me a chance to highlight a feature of JibberJobber that I dont talk about much: 7. I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. The writer of this creed is really big on unique value-added propositions, and with good reason. Basically, it is all about figuring out how to position yourself in your customers mind (note your customer could be an interviewer, a peer, a network acquaintance, etc.) in a different way than your competition. I remember introducing myself to a new group of people there were only about 6 of us and I said I manage a software company, have been IT Manager of this other company for a few years, have a degree in CIS and an MBA. I was pretty darn proud of myself until the main guy running the group (who works as a sr. project manager at a huge international company) said oh yeah, I know your type. Know my type? Know my type?? Man, how did I manage to paint myself into that stereotype?? I hadnt really been trained in this elevator pitch thing, and had no unique value add proposition, and had thus allowed myself to be typed. And when I was typed that way, I became clichà ©. Which is not what anyone wants to be. Others talk about this pitch in more of a story format. Ive read some bloggers in the last few months that think that the 30 second elevator pitch is a waste of oxygen, and there are better, more effective ways to communicate what needs to be communicated. They advocate the mini-story, in which you figure out how to convey who you are in a memorable, catchy story or experience. This goes way beyond the Im great because of the same reasons as everyone else youve interviewed today statement. Some people just say they just hate the pitch totally, and think that it is no replacement for good conversation to get to know them. I agree with (oh, Im going to sound like a pre-election politician (cringe) here) all of them! I think that in your pitch it is critical that you have at least one unique value added proposition. I believe that it should be memorable and interesting, and a story or experience is a great way to convey that. In both of these cases it is important to remember the time factor (30 90 seconds?). Why? Because there are times when you dont have the opportunity to get engaged in a deeper conversation! In many networking environments that Ive been in you get about a minute to introduce yourself to the group. And anyone that goes beyond the appropriate time is kind of frowned upon (in my experience). In the networking and job search that I have been involved in for 2006 Ive learned that everyone needs to have multiple pitches. Here are some examples of places you can use a pitch: networking event introduce yourself to the group formal or informal interview introduce yourself and include a VAP specific to the opportunity or company casual (family reunion, neighborhood party, etc.) dont come across as jargon, or like you are selling yourself usually this is in a crowd of people that do not share your interests and experience and it could go right over their heads as they think wheres the fried chicken? Here are some examples of what the pitchs theme could be developed on: job posting/title/project as an account manager Ive been able to company working at ABC company Ive managed to check out this YouTube video for an entrepreneur (thanks to MapleLeafTwo.com) industry Ive been a keynote speaker at many industry events including personal strengths Having developed abc, Ive been recognized by the Get the point? Dont have just one have a few or many! Here are some key things to consider: Practice it so that it becomes natural. This is HUGE. When you are communicating your statement you need to be able to read the audience (even if its just one other person). You cant read (and appropriately respond) if you are trying to think of your next sentence, or worse, you get stuck and are trying to get back into the statement! In my opinion, this is a turn-off. Be flexible. You might have to shift gears quickly the point of this pitch is to take advantage of a small window of opportunity. If you find that the audience doesnt get it (or doesnt care) and would rather talk about something else, realize that developing the relationship with that person is much more valuable than you telling him how cool you are! Be ready for more. Part of the key to a pitch is to have some kind of hook to pique their interest and ask for more. Sure you can give a 30 second pitch, but can you follow up in a good conversation afterwards? Remember the time issue and dont go on long stories that can become irrelevant that is just sidetracking the conversation! Use it for real. When you have the opportunity, use the statements. Practice with real people (friends, relatives, etc.) but use it in real life. It gets better and easier as you use it. Whether you are looking for a job or not, this is a key skill that professionals have. You might as well get good at it now you can be using it (not necessarily the same statement) for the rest of your career. Now, this ties into JibberJobber nicely. One of the main menu options is Interview Preparation, and one of the components in that section is the Me in 30 Seconds. You can have as many of these as you want. Premium users can categorize the statements, which is really cool as it allows you to get a printout of all interview prep grouped by category. For example, you may have the following categories as you prepare your statements: Small, high-tech startup; hospital chain; Business2Consumer. See how your statements might differ for each of these environments?? Note that these categories are defined by you, not me. Customize it however you need to. If you get an invitation to interview at a small high-tech startup, all you need to do is go in and print off all interview prep answers for that category and yeehaw! You have a personalized study sheet! Running List: I will get a job coach (not my spouse) to hold me accountable for my job search efforts. I will encourange him or her to be honest and indicate that feedback is the greatest gift that I could receive. I will ask for at least weekly contact. (read the post here) I will network for contacts, opportunities and more market knowledge; making at least 10 networking contacts each day and working towards at least 10 interviews each week; with at least five of those with decision makers. (read the post here) I will attend the Professional Career Workshop and attend at least one Professional Networking Group each week. (read the post here) I will define and continually refine my professional brand and unique value-added proposition. (read the post here) I will identify and understand the needs of my target market looking for industry gaps, problems and trends and will target my best prospects within that market. I will do the same for each target company I am pursuing. (read the post here) I will understand and will be able to discuss my leadership style. (read the post here) I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. (havent done yet) (havent done yet) (havent done yet) Search accounting internships at College Recruiter.com. The Professional’s Job Search Creed â€" 7 of 10 This is part of a series where Ill introduce 10 points of a creed, and comment on them. The series is summarized as we go (see bottom of post) and you can link back to the commentary on any of the 10 in that summary. I like this one as it gives me a chance to highlight a feature of JibberJobber that I dont talk about much: 7. I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. The writer of this creed is really big on unique value-added propositions, and with good reason. Basically, it is all about figuring out how to position yourself in your customers mind (note your customer could be an interviewer, a peer, a network acquaintance, etc.) in a different way than your competition. I remember introducing myself to a new group of people there were only about 6 of us and I said I manage a software company, have been IT Manager of this other company for a few years, have a degree in CIS and an MBA. I was pretty darn proud of myself until the main guy running the group (who works as a sr. project manager at a huge international company) said oh yeah, I know your type. Know my type? Know my type?? Man, how did I manage to paint myself into that stereotype?? I hadnt really been trained in this elevator pitch thing, and had no unique value add proposition, and had thus allowed myself to be typed. And when I was typed that way, I became clichà ©. Which is not what anyone wants to be. Others talk about this pitch in more of a story format. Ive read some bloggers in the last few months that think that the 30 second elevator pitch is a waste of oxygen, and there are better, more effective ways to communicate what needs to be communicated. They advocate the mini-story, in which you figure out how to convey who you are in a memorable, catchy story or experience. This goes way beyond the Im great because of the same reasons as everyone else youve interviewed today statement. Some people just say they just hate the pitch totally, and think that it is no replacement for good conversation to get to know them. I agree with (oh, Im going to sound like a pre-election politician (cringe) here) all of them! I think that in your pitch it is critical that you have at least one unique value added proposition. I believe that it should be memorable and interesting, and a story or experience is a great way to convey that. In both of these cases it is important to remember the time factor (30 90 seconds?). Why? Because there are times when you dont have the opportunity to get engaged in a deeper conversation! In many networking environments that Ive been in you get about a minute to introduce yourself to the group. And anyone that goes beyond the appropriate time is kind of frowned upon (in my experience). In the networking and job search that I have been involved in for 2006 Ive learned that everyone needs to have multiple pitches. Here are some examples of places you can use a pitch: networking event introduce yourself to the group formal or informal interview introduce yourself and include a VAP specific to the opportunity or company casual (family reunion, neighborhood party, etc.) dont come across as jargon, or like you are selling yourself usually this is in a crowd of people that do not share your interests and experience and it could go right over their heads as they think wheres the fried chicken? Here are some examples of what the pitchs theme could be developed on: job posting/title/project as an account manager Ive been able to company working at ABC company Ive managed to check out this YouTube video for an entrepreneur (thanks to MapleLeafTwo.com) industry Ive been a keynote speaker at many industry events including personal strengths Having developed abc, Ive been recognized by the Get the point? Dont have just one have a few or many! Here are some key things to consider: Practice it so that it becomes natural. This is HUGE. When you are communicating your statement you need to be able to read the audience (even if its just one other person). You cant read (and appropriately respond) if you are trying to think of your next sentence, or worse, you get stuck and are trying to get back into the statement! In my opinion, this is a turn-off. Be flexible. You might have to shift gears quickly the point of this pitch is to take advantage of a small window of opportunity. If you find that the audience doesnt get it (or doesnt care) and would rather talk about something else, realize that developing the relationship with that person is much more valuable than you telling him how cool you are! Be ready for more. Part of the key to a pitch is to have some kind of hook to pique their interest and ask for more. Sure you can give a 30 second pitch, but can you follow up in a good conversation afterwards? Remember the time issue and dont go on long stories that can become irrelevant that is just sidetracking the conversation! Use it for real. When you have the opportunity, use the statements. Practice with real people (friends, relatives, etc.) but use it in real life. It gets better and easier as you use it. Whether you are looking for a job or not, this is a key skill that professionals have. You might as well get good at it now you can be using it (not necessarily the same statement) for the rest of your career. Now, this ties into JibberJobber nicely. One of the main menu options is Interview Preparation, and one of the components in that section is the Me in 30 Seconds. You can have as many of these as you want. Premium users can categorize the statements, which is really cool as it allows you to get a printout of all interview prep grouped by category. For example, you may have the following categories as you prepare your statements: Small, high-tech startup; hospital chain; Business2Consumer. See how your statements might differ for each of these environments?? Note that these categories are defined by you, not me. Customize it however you need to. If you get an invitation to interview at a small high-tech startup, all you need to do is go in and print off all interview prep answers for that category and yeehaw! You have a personalized study sheet! Running List: I will get a job coach (not my spouse) to hold me accountable for my job search efforts. I will encourange him or her to be honest and indicate that feedback is the greatest gift that I could receive. I will ask for at least weekly contact. (read the post here) I will network for contacts, opportunities and more market knowledge; making at least 10 networking contacts each day and working towards at least 10 interviews each week; with at least five of those with decision makers. (read the post here) I will attend the Professional Career Workshop and attend at least one Professional Networking Group each week. (read the post here) I will define and continually refine my professional brand and unique value-added proposition. (read the post here) I will identify and understand the needs of my target market looking for industry gaps, problems and trends and will target my best prospects within that market. I will do the same for each target company I am pursuing. (read the post here) I will understand and will be able to discuss my leadership style. (read the post here) I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. (havent done yet) (havent done yet) (havent done yet) Search accounting internships at College Recruiter.com. The Professional’s Job Search Creed â€" 7 of 10 This is part of a series where Ill introduce 10 points of a creed, and comment on them. The series is summarized as we go (see bottom of post) and you can link back to the commentary on any of the 10 in that summary. I like this one as it gives me a chance to highlight a feature of JibberJobber that I dont talk about much: 7. I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. The writer of this creed is really big on unique value-added propositions, and with good reason. Basically, it is all about figuring out how to position yourself in your customers mind (note your customer could be an interviewer, a peer, a network acquaintance, etc.) in a different way than your competition. I remember introducing myself to a new group of people there were only about 6 of us and I said I manage a software company, have been IT Manager of this other company for a few years, have a degree in CIS and an MBA. I was pretty darn proud of myself until the main guy running the group (who works as a sr. project manager at a huge international company) said oh yeah, I know your type. Know my type? Know my type?? Man, how did I manage to paint myself into that stereotype?? I hadnt really been trained in this elevator pitch thing, and had no unique value add proposition, and had thus allowed myself to be typed. And when I was typed that way, I became clichà ©. Which is not what anyone wants to be. Others talk about this pitch in more of a story format. Ive read some bloggers in the last few months that think that the 30 second elevator pitch is a waste of oxygen, and there are better, more effective ways to communicate what needs to be communicated. They advocate the mini-story, in which you figure out how to convey who you are in a memorable, catchy story or experience. This goes way beyond the Im great because of the same reasons as everyone else youve interviewed today statement. Some people just say they just hate the pitch totally, and think that it is no replacement for good conversation to get to know them. I agree with (oh, Im going to sound like a pre-election politician (cringe) here) all of them! I think that in your pitch it is critical that you have at least one unique value added proposition. I believe that it should be memorable and interesting, and a story or experience is a great way to convey that. In both of these cases it is important to remember the time factor (30 90 seconds?). Why? Because there are times when you dont have the opportunity to get engaged in a deeper conversation! In many networking environments that Ive been in you get about a minute to introduce yourself to the group. And anyone that goes beyond the appropriate time is kind of frowned upon (in my experience). In the networking and job search that I have been involved in for 2006 Ive learned that everyone needs to have multiple pitches. Here are some examples of places you can use a pitch: networking event introduce yourself to the group formal or informal interview introduce yourself and include a VAP specific to the opportunity or company casual (family reunion, neighborhood party, etc.) dont come across as jargon, or like you are selling yourself usually this is in a crowd of people that do not share your interests and experience and it could go right over their heads as they think wheres the fried chicken? Here are some examples of what the pitchs theme could be developed on: job posting/title/project as an account manager Ive been able to company working at ABC company Ive managed to check out this YouTube video for an entrepreneur (thanks to MapleLeafTwo.com) industry Ive been a keynote speaker at many industry events including personal strengths Having developed abc, Ive been recognized by the Get the point? Dont have just one have a few or many! Here are some key things to consider: Practice it so that it becomes natural. This is HUGE. When you are communicating your statement you need to be able to read the audience (even if its just one other person). You cant read (and appropriately respond) if you are trying to think of your next sentence, or worse, you get stuck and are trying to get back into the statement! In my opinion, this is a turn-off. Be flexible. You might have to shift gears quickly the point of this pitch is to take advantage of a small window of opportunity. If you find that the audience doesnt get it (or doesnt care) and would rather talk about something else, realize that developing the relationship with that person is much more valuable than you telling him how cool you are! Be ready for more. Part of the key to a pitch is to have some kind of hook to pique their interest and ask for more. Sure you can give a 30 second pitch, but can you follow up in a good conversation afterwards? Remember the time issue and dont go on long stories that can become irrelevant that is just sidetracking the conversation! Use it for real. When you have the opportunity, use the statements. Practice with real people (friends, relatives, etc.) but use it in real life. It gets better and easier as you use it. Whether you are looking for a job or not, this is a key skill that professionals have. You might as well get good at it now you can be using it (not necessarily the same statement) for the rest of your career. Now, this ties into JibberJobber nicely. One of the main menu options is Interview Preparation, and one of the components in that section is the Me in 30 Seconds. You can have as many of these as you want. Premium users can categorize the statements, which is really cool as it allows you to get a printout of all interview prep grouped by category. For example, you may have the following categories as you prepare your statements: Small, high-tech startup; hospital chain; Business2Consumer. See how your statements might differ for each of these environments?? Note that these categories are defined by you, not me. Customize it however you need to. If you get an invitation to interview at a small high-tech startup, all you need to do is go in and print off all interview prep answers for that category and yeehaw! You have a personalized study sheet! Running List: I will get a job coach (not my spouse) to hold me accountable for my job search efforts. I will encourange him or her to be honest and indicate that feedback is the greatest gift that I could receive. I will ask for at least weekly contact. (read the post here) I will network for contacts, opportunities and more market knowledge; making at least 10 networking contacts each day and working towards at least 10 interviews each week; with at least five of those with decision makers. (read the post here) I will attend the Professional Career Workshop and attend at least one Professional Networking Group each week. (read the post here) I will define and continually refine my professional brand and unique value-added proposition. (read the post here) I will identify and understand the needs of my target market looking for industry gaps, problems and trends and will target my best prospects within that market. I will do the same for each target company I am pursuing. (read the post here) I will understand and will be able to discuss my leadership style. (read the post here) I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. (havent done yet) (havent done yet) (havent done yet) Search accounting internships at College Recruiter.com. The Professional’s Job Search Creed â€" 7 of 10 This is part of a series where Ill introduce 10 points of a creed, and comment on them. The series is summarized as we go (see bottom of post) and you can link back to the commentary on any of the 10 in that summary. I like this one as it gives me a chance to highlight a feature of JibberJobber that I dont talk about much: 7. I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. The writer of this creed is really big on unique value-added propositions, and with good reason. Basically, it is all about figuring out how to position yourself in your customers mind (note your customer could be an interviewer, a peer, a network acquaintance, etc.) in a different way than your competition. I remember introducing myself to a new group of people there were only about 6 of us and I said I manage a software company, have been IT Manager of this other company for a few years, have a degree in CIS and an MBA. I was pretty darn proud of myself until the main guy running the group (who works as a sr. project manager at a huge international company) said oh yeah, I know your type. Know my type? Know my type?? Man, how did I manage to paint myself into that stereotype?? I hadnt really been trained in this elevator pitch thing, and had no unique value add proposition, and had thus allowed myself to be typed. And when I was typed that way, I became clichà ©. Which is not what anyone wants to be. Others talk about this pitch in more of a story format. Ive read some bloggers in the last few months that think that the 30 second elevator pitch is a waste of oxygen, and there are better, more effective ways to communicate what needs to be communicated. They advocate the mini-story, in which you figure out how to convey who you are in a memorable, catchy story or experience. This goes way beyond the Im great because of the same reasons as everyone else youve interviewed today statement. Some people just say they just hate the pitch totally, and think that it is no replacement for good conversation to get to know them. I agree with (oh, Im going to sound like a pre-election politician (cringe) here) all of them! I think that in your pitch it is critical that you have at least one unique value added proposition. I believe that it should be memorable and interesting, and a story or experience is a great way to convey that. In both of these cases it is important to remember the time factor (30 90 seconds?). Why? Because there are times when you dont have the opportunity to get engaged in a deeper conversation! In many networking environments that Ive been in you get about a minute to introduce yourself to the group. And anyone that goes beyond the appropriate time is kind of frowned upon (in my experience). In the networking and job search that I have been involved in for 2006 Ive learned that everyone needs to have multiple pitches. Here are some examples of places you can use a pitch: networking event introduce yourself to the group formal or informal interview introduce yourself and include a VAP specific to the opportunity or company casual (family reunion, neighborhood party, etc.) dont come across as jargon, or like you are selling yourself usually this is in a crowd of people that do not share your interests and experience and it could go right over their heads as they think wheres the fried chicken? Here are some examples of what the pitchs theme could be developed on: job posting/title/project as an account manager Ive been able to company working at ABC company Ive managed to check out this YouTube video for an entrepreneur (thanks to MapleLeafTwo.com) industry Ive been a keynote speaker at many industry events including personal strengths Having developed abc, Ive been recognized by the Get the point? Dont have just one have a few or many! Here are some key things to consider: Practice it so that it becomes natural. This is HUGE. When you are communicating your statement you need to be able to read the audience (even if its just one other person). You cant read (and appropriately respond) if you are trying to think of your next sentence, or worse, you get stuck and are trying to get back into the statement! In my opinion, this is a turn-off. Be flexible. You might have to shift gears quickly the point of this pitch is to take advantage of a small window of opportunity. If you find that the audience doesnt get it (or doesnt care) and would rather talk about something else, realize that developing the relationship with that person is much more valuable than you telling him how cool you are! Be ready for more. Part of the key to a pitch is to have some kind of hook to pique their interest and ask for more. Sure you can give a 30 second pitch, but can you follow up in a good conversation afterwards? Remember the time issue and dont go on long stories that can become irrelevant that is just sidetracking the conversation! Use it for real. When you have the opportunity, use the statements. Practice with real people (friends, relatives, etc.) but use it in real life. It gets better and easier as you use it. Whether you are looking for a job or not, this is a key skill that professionals have. You might as well get good at it now you can be using it (not necessarily the same statement) for the rest of your career. Now, this ties into JibberJobber nicely. One of the main menu options is Interview Preparation, and one of the components in that section is the Me in 30 Seconds. You can have as many of these as you want. Premium users can categorize the statements, which is really cool as it allows you to get a printout of all interview prep grouped by category. For example, you may have the following categories as you prepare your statements: Small, high-tech startup; hospital chain; Business2Consumer. See how your statements might differ for each of these environments?? Note that these categories are defined by you, not me. Customize it however you need to. If you get an invitation to interview at a small high-tech startup, all you need to do is go in and print off all interview prep answers for that category and yeehaw! You have a personalized study sheet! Running List: I will get a job coach (not my spouse) to hold me accountable for my job search efforts. I will encourange him or her to be honest and indicate that feedback is the greatest gift that I could receive. I will ask for at least weekly contact. (read the post here) I will network for contacts, opportunities and more market knowledge; making at least 10 networking contacts each day and working towards at least 10 interviews each week; with at least five of those with decision makers. (read the post here) I will attend the Professional Career Workshop and attend at least one Professional Networking Group each week. (read the post here) I will define and continually refine my professional brand and unique value-added proposition. (read the post here) I will identify and understand the needs of my target market looking for industry gaps, problems and trends and will target my best prospects within that market. I will do the same for each target company I am pursuing. (read the post here) I will understand and will be able to discuss my leadership style. (read the post here) I will do the homework needed to develop my own unique value-added proposition(s) (to be presented in less than 90 seconds) that are based on the companys needs and my own talent, skills and abilities. (havent done yet) (havent done yet) (havent done yet) Search accounting internships at College Recruiter.com.

How To Turn Your Home Business Into A Robust Startup

How To Turn Your Home Business Into A Robust Startup A lot of businesses are set up as a home business nowadays. Thanks to e-commerce platforms, the internet as a whole, and the many resources available to home business owners, you don’t need to invest in a big office or a large operation to start a new business. At some point, however, your home business will outgrow the home office you have set up for yourself. You need to start recruiting team members, finding suitable partners, and operate on a larger scale. Growing becomes a serious obstacle to overcome. To eliminate pain points in your growth stage, you need to do a few things right. To turn your home business into a robust startup with high-growth potential, here are the tips and tricks you need to keep in mind. It Starts with the Team The first thing you want to get right is building a strong team. When you gather likeminded people to support the business, you are more likely to succeed in transitioning from a home business into a fully functional startup. Unfortunately, finding the right people isn’t always easy. To avoid recruiting the wrong people, start with knowing the kind of team you want to build. What are the skills you need the most right now? What kind of culture do you want to create for your startup? Will team members multitask and handle multiple functions? Defining the essential requirements lets you hire wisely. The conditions also help you identify the critical positions or roles to fill first based on what you need the most. If you receive a sudden spike in orders, for instance, getting help in fulfilling those orders should be a priority. One last note about hiring and expanding the team is understanding the importance of timing. When to hire is as important as who to hire. You want to grow the team alongside the business, but you also need to find the right balance between team expansion and cost. Create Workflows When you are operating from home, things like IT service management, facilities management, and well-structured workflows arent always the most important. After all, the business is running smoothly without them. Add more team members, a bigger office, and thousands of customers to serve, however, and the lack of workflows can cause problems. This is the next pain point to avoid when transitioning from a home office to a bigger one. Learn from the Big Operators The way to avoid the pain of growing is by starting with the basics as early as possible. Yes, procedures and workflows aren’t fun, but they are necessary to keep everything in order. Big businesses make use of software solutions to help them manage routine tasks. Your enterprise may be small now, but as you scale up, solutions like TOPdesk could prove invaluable in helping you work smarter. TOPdesk offers features like customer support, IT service management, and even analytics tools in one platform. With these features unified and designed to be very robust, TOPdesk is perfect for larger businesses. You can view the key features here to learn more about this software. Understand the Market Better As mentioned before, growing as a business is always a balancing act. You want to expand the team â€" and your business operations â€" alongside the actual business and market growth to avoid increasing your overhead costs beyond what you can afford. This balancing act is perhaps the trickiest part of transitioning from a home business to a startup. You have to stay lean while remaining agile enough to anticipate the market. A way to overcome this problem is by gaining a better understanding of the market from the start. The more you know your market segment, the better you can plan for market changes. You will reach a point where you can predict market changes before they happen. This means you can make better, more calculated decisions when growing the business. Better market understanding is achieved through data. Analyse market data and continue evaluating your market segments to stay ahead. Invest in Customer Experience One crucial element that must not be neglected when growing as a business is customer experience. Unfortunately, bad customer experience is still the primary reason why many home businesses fail to reach their fullest potential. Catering to a handful of customers is easy; delivering a personalised customer experience to thousands of customers is another animal entirely. The latter requires more attention to detail and an eye for an excellent customer journey. Two resources can help you in this department, and they are automation and insights. Automation lets you expand your business capacity and cater to more customers without actually expanding the team. You automate parts of the customers’ journey using available tools. Insights, on the other hand, lets you manage both satisfaction levels and expectations. Treat service requests and customer complaints seriously. Remember that the customers’ journey doesn’t end when they buy your products and services. Nail Your Finance Management Last but certainly not least, make sure you are also managing the financial side of your business meticulously. Getting a sudden stream of revenue from new customers doesn’t mean you can immediately spend more on activities like marketing. Your initial goal should be to achieve (and maintain) a healthy cash flow. When your cash flow is healthy, you can fund future expansions and cover your costs without jumping through hoops. There will be no financial issues stopping your business from growing further. There are more financing sources for small businesses that want to expand too. Aside from business loans, you can now turn to crowdfunding and short-term loans to get your products (and services) to market sooner than your competitors. Of course, you also have to invest wisely. Don’t go for the biggest, fanciest office just yet. Save the money and scale up gradually so you can keep your overhead under control. This last tip, combined with the previous ones we discussed in this article, is how you successfully transition from running a home business to becoming the CEO of a successful startup.

5 Signs You Were Meant to be a CEO

5 Signs You Were Meant to be a CEO You are not only interested in becoming a CEO one day, you believe you are a CEO today! Employers just need to wake up and realize it. But everyone who wants to be a CEO is not CEO material. Here are 5 signs you were meant to be CEO whether you know it or not.First Things FirstThere is no such thing as, “Becoming a successful CEO without doing any work”. Many people tried in the past and many learned buying business cards does not make you a CEO. Even if you agree with this list below and think, “Hey! That’s me!” the hustle is still required and very real. You have to put the time in. And when you do, you will have a greater appreciation for your successand career longevity.1. You Can Execute Plans and Get ResultsWhether it be a lemonade stand, selling cookies for charity, running a fantasy football league, or your first job managing a retail store...the only thing you have ever know is getting results. You know how to create and achieve realistic goals with impressive fina ncial results.2. Motivating People Comes Easy to YouNot everyone has the power to motivate others. Some are great at bossing others around, assigning blame and threatening, but motivating others through fear is a short-lived strategy for success.For some reason, you naturally motivate others in a positive way that keeps people working whether you are present or absent. People are excited to work for you and feel passionate about it. They work hard to make you happy and achieve great results.3. Your Curiosity Knows No BoundsEven though your formal education ended years ago that has not stopped you from learning. You earned certifications, earned a Masters in something, learned a language when you needed toand took a few leadership programs. Why not? Oh...and you traveled, painted, took photography lessons and learned how to sew.True story: The previous paragraph references a real-life CEO. Just like the CEO mentioned, you understand that if you want to do something in your career, th en new knowledge must be learned. And you do not mind learning it at all. You will never call yourself a “genius”. You are just curious and determined.4. You Are as Confident as You Are HumbleYou are confident enough to admit: No one knows everything. It is a fact, so you keep an open mind and possess the drive to find the best answers even when the answers are not yours. You are humble enough to admit mistakes and confident people will rise to the occasion, always showing up to do their best work as a result.You are aware that leaders with humility are engaging and give others a sense of identity and purpose.5. You Are Empathetic and a Great CommunicatorAs a great communicator, you know how to connect and relate to others as human beings, not just a “boss”. Whether it be an entry-level mailroom clerk or a CFO, you know how to communicate with everyone and clearly communicate without generating confusion. You can manage any department at any time and it does not matter how l ittle you know. You can communicate and relate to others.Why Everyone Cannot Be a CEOIt is said there are three types of CEO:The Small Company CEO who loves the trenches, being hands-on, and establishing identity The Medium Company CEO who focuses on processes and new priorities for growth The Large Company CEO who strategizes, develops and maintains corporate cultureAt the end of the day, there are people who are none of the three above. They are neither small team leaders who get their hands dirty nor corporate developers and strategists. Some become CEO simply because they do not like having a boss. Ultimately, as time goes on, those that remain their own boss longer realize it takes more than just “wanting to be your own boss” to be a CEO.

Interview with Anna Runyan on The Growth of Classy Career Girl

Interview with Anna Runyan on The Growth of Classy Career Girl Recently I had the amazing opportunity to be interviewed as a spotlight member for Ali Browns Elevate business coaching program. I joined Elevate in May 2013, and my business has exploded since.  I have since quit my corporate job, had a baby, and hired my husband as COO of Classy Career Girl so we can have the freedom to travel the world and enjoy our lives chasing after our 10-month old daughter, Mila. Hear about my journey to where I am now and what I have learned in this interview.  My two business coaches, Sue Painter and Joy Chudocoff, are interviewing me on the call. Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Anna Runyan Spotlight Interview Heres the transcript of the interview, in case you want to read: Sue: Well, we’re going to start with a member spotlight, and so I think we have Anna Runyan on the line ready to talk with us about her business, which is Classy Career Girl. If you are on the call today and you would like to follow along with her website and look it up, let me give you the URL. It’s classycareergirl.com. I know Joy and I have both worked with Anna. She is an Elevate member from San Diego. Anna, are you on the phone? Anna Runyan: I’m here. Can you hear me? Sue: Yes. We can hear you just fine. How are you? Anna: Hi. I’m great. How are you guys? Joy: Great. Sue: Good. Sue: How’s your little one? Anna: She’s good. I hope you don’t hear her screaming during the call. I think she should be going down for a nap now. She’s only six months now. It’s a lot of fun. Sue: Yeah. That’s great. Well, we wanted to give you an opportunity to talk a little bit about the work you’ve done in Elevate and how you’re building your businesses going on. Why don’t you start by telling people a little bit about what Classy Career Girl does and let us know what you’ve been doing in Elevate that has produced your biggest result? Anna: Okay. What I do is I help women ditch their dead-end job and find careers they love in 90 days or less. That’s through  my Love  Your Career Formula. What happened before Elevate is I had this blog. I had readers. I had a small list, but I could not figure out how to monetize it and so that’s the biggest thing that Elevate has helped me, figuring out how to monetize, figuring out how to come out with my products and my services. I think the first Access call I was listening to I heard about strategy session and so I immediately went out for it with an email list and tried to get strategy sessions in and I was able to book five of them right away that next weekend, and that turned into my first client, basically. That was a huge eye-opener for me. Sue: Yeah and I think I remember that actually. You were talking about learning about that term, low hanging fruit, who do you already have on your list. Anna: Yeah, I had people who wanted to work with me. I just had never really made an offer to them or anything. That was exciting and then Sue, you really helped me too. I took advantage of individual coaching with Sue and now Premiere with Joy. But, Sue helped me get over my fears of doing an event. I remember we were talking and you just said, “Oh, you should do an event.” I was like, “Nope. Not going to happen.” But, you helped. I think we made a little chart of what could go wrong or why was I afraid of doing that event and what’s the worst thing that could happen and how I could resolve those fears. We did the event, and 20 women came, and half of them bought my first product. It was a huge success. I got photos from it, video from it. I got confidence from it, and so that took me off. Thank you, Sue. You helped me a lot. Sue: You’re certainly welcome, but you’re the one who faced the fear and took action, so the kudos goes to you. Joy: Yeah and it’s not easy â€" just to toot your horn a little bit more, Anna, is that you did it all while you were getting ready to give birth to you daughter and then you gave birth and I  know that you and I have been talking and you’ve been in one of my groups, even right after you had the baby. It also says a lot to your conviction and your dedication to making your business work. Anna: Yeah ad I really want to make it how I want it to be. Through the process I’ve realized individual coaching is great, but I don’t have the time to have a bunch of individual clients now, so you’ve helped me put it together into more of a group program so that I can spend less time, help more people, but it’s less time for me. Yeah, it has been a crazy year for me. Joy: You were in â€" didn’t you go to Europe to speak? You went somewhere really far away right after you had the baby. [RELATED: How I Made My First Sale] Anna: Yeah. Part of that live event I had there was an exchange student here from Brazil. She heard about this event, and she went back to Brazil and told this business school all about me. They had to bring me down to speak, so I got an invitation. This was before my daughter was even born. I got an invitation to go to Brazil and speak. It was going to be three months after she was going to be born. I didn’t know anything about being a mom then, so I was like, “Okay, we’ll do it,” â€" they flew out my husband and my daughter, too. It was an amazing opportunity. I spoke to 800 women there. Then, the topic was about helping them get ahead in their careers. There weren’t a lot of role models for them, so I felt like I just made a huge impact while I was there. Joy: I love that. Sue: I love it too because this is proof positive that you never know when you are at a live event or when you do your own live event, who’s going to be in the audience who really will be an influencer for you and here this person was an exchange student that ended up being something really valuable for you. Now, you probably have people on your list from Brazil. Anna: Oh, yeah. Yes, I know a lot of people from Brazil now, which is amazing. Yeah, it was very up leveling, I think. I remember, before the event, I asked Joy â€" I have imposter syndrome too. I was like, “I don’t know why these people are flying me out. Am I really that important?” I think I remember you telling me that, “You will always have imposter syndrome. It’s not like it goes away, feeling like you’re not good enough.” That helped too. Sue: Yeah. Joy: Yeah and it gave you a big push, and I’m glad that you started your webinar series, which was just a smart thing to do, especially since you have a newborn, so your time is somewhat limited, to give this information to more people. You’ve just been â€" Anna is someone â€" and this is just a good teachable moment for everybody. She’s just someone who’s very dedicated to building her business. She’s committed to coming to all the calls, our group calls and then our one-on-one calls. She’s active in the forum, so she’s made a commitment, and I think that’s the key, commitment to your business. When you do that, then typically, those are the people we have on these spotlight calls are those who are just highly committed to their business and are going to do whatever they need to do to make it happen. Would you agree, Sue? Sue: Yeah, absolutely. Anna, before we let you go, now you launched your â€" you have a 90-day formula, a group program. Is that the one that’s the Love Your Career Formula? Anna: Yes. Sue: Okay. Do you want to talk a little bit about what happened when you launched that? Anna: Yeah. What happened is I put together a webinar series, basically promoting the group that was going to start. I had done a lot of â€" in the past I did strategy sessions to enroll people in the group. This time I had very limited time. My daughter was only three months, so I was just going to do one webinar. I didn’t have time to do all these strategy sessions. I made the same amount doing all the strategy sessions for that first launch. It was $6,000, three months after giving birth. I was happy with that. Joy: You bet, absolutely. Sue: Yeah, that’s really cool. Anna: Yeah. It’s nice to be able to just stop â€" I had to go down and stop for a little while, but then, when I felt ready, after three months, I could bring back my business basically. Joy: Yeah. Okay and then you have another program launching in January? Anna: Yeah, I’m launching a Corporate Rescue Plan program and that’s for women who are in corporate who want to ditch their jobs and start online businesses. Joy: A rescue plan. I love that. Sue: I love her titles. Love Your Career Formula and Corporate Rescue Plan; I know a lot of people who need that Corporate Rescue Plan. Anna: I know. Me too. It’s from surveying people and talking to people. I have so many people that want to get out of their jobs, but some people want to go back the job search way, going through LinkedIn, resumes, but then there was this whole other market I was missing that wanted to do what I did too and quit their day job. Now I feel like I’m covering everyone, which is a lot easier. Sue: Yeah and with group programs you have the time to do that, so that’s cool. Well, Anna, do you have anything else you want to add before you go? Anna: I think my advice would be just getting involved as much as possible, asking questions. For me, I had so many ideas in my head and it kind of drove me crazy. It’s helpful to talk  through them, to have both of you help me focus in. That would be my tip is to get involved. Sue: Okay, well thank you so much for being here on the call today. We’re really proud of you. You’ve done great. You’ve done great, and it’s shown. You have had a busy, busy year. You built a business; you had a baby. You put the pedal to the metal, but it’ll pay off for you in the end. We are really happy to have you here. Thanks, Anna.

Deciding If the Navy is Right For You

Deciding If the Navy is Right For You Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comJoining the Navy is an incredibly admirable, brave and enriching experience. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that, as you most likely have a lot of passion for this career. You have most likely already come to the realisation that you want to do something important for your country; something that matters.Of course, passion and guts are important, but this still isn’t a decision you should make at the click of your fingers. It’s going to require some thought, which is why you should consider everything that each sector of the navy, or the specific sector in which you’re interested, entails before you make a rash decision.So, if you really want to know whether the Navy is for you, let’s talk about what you can expect from this impressive, but highly taxing career.1. Think about the specific opportunity for which you’re searchingevalThere has to be a reason that you’ve chosen the Navy in particular when it comes to starting a career. Yo u’ve got passion, but you’ve got to think about where that passion is directed. If you know that the practical elements of being a Navy sailor suit your talents, that’s all well and good, but you have to consider the very core elements of the career.Can you handle being on a ship for years at a time and living aboard a moving town, of sorts, which comprises of thousands of people?If you feel claustrophobic by merely reading that, then you might want to think a little harder about your decision. If not, then you might just have found your ideal future.2. If you have a very specific skillset, you might find the Navy very rewardingMuch like the Army, the Navy is a network of people who each offer an eclectic, varied set of skills. It isn’t simply comprised of sailors or the infantry; it’s comprised of mechanics, medics and engineers. If you’ve always wanted to serve your country, but you weren’t sure exactly how to do so, then your very specific skill might prove invaluab le to the Navy forces.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.com3. The achievement is worth it, but only if you’re truly committedBecoming a Navy sailor or, one day, a high ranking officer, is a tremendous achievement in its own right. You’re part of something bigger than you, and you’re fighting for a cause with moral integrity, strength, honour and wholesome values. That’s what it’s all about, but it all depends on your commitment.You’ll receive a navy boot camp graduation for your accomplishments, which will be an overwhelmingly joyous experience, as you reconnect with friends and family after a stressful and intense journey up until that point. Of course, your pride and sense of accomplishment has to be based on something more than ego.If you’re the kind of person who will be proud to have accomplished something alongside his or her fellow graduates, then you have the right mindset for the Navy.evalIf you’re the kind of person who will be proud to have another medal for their c abinet, you might find that the Navy isn’t quite as fulfilling as you’ve envisioned it in your dreams. It isn’t all about glory.You might see some horrific things, and you might have to make some hard choices. If you want to get out there and do those things to keep people safe and serve your country, however, then you’re already halfway towards becoming a sailor. You’re already halfway towards making those hard choices much easier.

Whats Going On- Perceptions, Realities or Somewhere Inbetween

Whats Going On- Perceptions, Realities or Somewhere Inbetween We spend numerous hours a day working for our employer.   Sometimes we forget to dig our heads out of the sand and see what is really going on in the world around us.   If you understand whats going on and why, you will be able to make adaptations and adjusts.   These adjustments might prevent you from being perceived as a dinosaur. This week I spoke with several people who hadnt had to look for a job in awhile.   They were frustrated that this search stuff was so difficult and different.   I wondered if they knew why it was different.   But instead of asking that question, I asked if they had read The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman.   None had. Perhaps there are many others who havent read this either.   It is a look at our current history.   Things are changing so fast and I am not sure we understand why that is.   Friedman has had to update his book since it was first published, due of course, to even more changes in recent history. This is how Wikisummaries introduces Friedmans book: Thomas Friedman’s examination of the influences shaping business and competition in a technology-fueled global environment is a call to action for governments, businesses and individuals who must stay ahead of these trends in order to remain competitive. In a narrative punctuated by case studies, interviews and sometimes surprising statistics, Friedman’s message is clear: be prepared, because this phenomenon waits for no one. Without rhetoric or scare tactics, he paints a picture of a world moving faster than most can keep up. As we explore America’s place in the fast-evolving world economic platform, Friedman presents not only the problems we face, but preventative measures and possible solutions. Some, in fact many, may not be rushing out the door or to Amazon to buy the book after reading this.   It should be, however, required reading if you really want to understand how we got here. I came across an eBook that helps take Friedmans concept one step closer to your lives.   Fans, Friends and Followers by Scott Kirsner is free for a limited time. We are all artists managing our careers and there are many parallels here that I hope you can see. Fans, Friends Followers is divided into three sections: an opening essay that lays out some of the “new rules” for using digital tools to build a fan base and an economically-viable creative career; a set of 30 interviews with filmmakers, musicians, writers, visual artists, and others who have been in the forefront of this revolution; and a “toolbox” at the end that explores the business models, sites, and services artists are using to build a solid foundation for their work. I admit, I have a different way of looking at things, as a matter of fact, I was given a kaleidoscope by co-workers once who said just that. How do you view things? My challenge to readers is to ask how these world and cultural changes are impacting our lives and what can we do about it. Image credit: OstrichHeadInSand

Resume Writing Ads - How to Choose the Right Keywords to Use

Resume Writing Ads - How to Choose the Right Keywords to UseThe basic mechanism of resume writing ads is the same as with any other type of resume. When you send your resume to an organization or firm, you will see that it has a cover letter and resume. The difference between the two is what you say in those documents. When you write your resume, you must be sure that you use the right keywords so that the resume writer knows exactly what to search for.For example, keywords are words that mean something and will describe what the resume means. You can go to different companies or firms and search for them online. Then when you are submitting your resume, you need to write down the keywords so that they can see what you are trying to accomplish. That is the easiest way to write an ad.Keywords are important because they are the ones that will show the searcher where to go when searching for your resume. And they are also the ones that will determine how many resumes they are going to s ee. So if you are submitting a resume, you are going to want to choose your keywords carefully. If you do not, then someone else will get more of a chance to see it. So, what are the best keywords to use in your resume?Think about the keyword in the same way that you would when choosing a term in a paper or thesis for a class. You want to make sure that you get the right keyword so that you can see how many people are going to see it. But there are other factors that you have to consider as well.First, think about how many of your classmates or friends use the keywords that you are using. A group that everyone uses the same keyword is very powerful. So if you want your resume to get picked up, you need to use keywords that other people are using.Second, think about how many different people have seen your resume. If the keywords are ones that are used by a lot of people, then it will be harder for your resume to be chosen. So think about how many people read your resume and make sur e that you use words that people can remember.Lastly, consider that not all resumes have the same keywords on them. So if you are looking at one resume that does not have the keywords that you need, then you may have a hard time getting that ad to show up. So be sure that you research the keywords that you are using to get the job. Then your resume will show up on every page of the search engine.