"Five Steps to a Successful Career Campaign"

As the Labor Market released it numbers for the month of June we all learned today the economy continues to lag in its rate of growth. I had the privaledge of meeting with a group of 60 bright eyed college freshmen that are saavy enough to be spending a portion of their summer studying and preparing for life after college. Below is the Prezi I developed for them to aid them in the very early stages of their career campaigns. However, wherever you are in your career you may find these steps of value. Enjoy and feel free to comment.

5 Steps to a Successful Career Campaign on Prezi

This is a great article from one of Fox Sport's best writers Jason Whitlock. An interesting commentary on the capitalism, the prison industrial complex and how Michael Jordan and Ronald Regan have crippled poor minorities living in this country's urban centers.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/whitlock-adidas-js-roundhouse-mids-shackle-shoes-an-attempt-to-capitalize-on-prison-culture-061912

Branding is not for the big boys anymore

Branding is not for the big boys anymore. Traditionally we have come to associate brands with large retail corporations; “Just Do It”, “The best part of waking up”, “I’m Loving It”, “America Runs on Dunkin”. These are familiar tag lines and messages that we have come to associate with a particular organization and experience. Brands resonate with the consumer and when done correctly we can recognize a brand almost immediately. Being able to describe the attributes and values of a product in a brief and meaningful way is as much an art as it is a science. Corporations spend millions developing a brand that will have an impact, communicate the company’s value, and distinguish them from their competitors. Research has proven there is a bottom line impact on the effectiveness of a company’s brand message. Consumers are attracted to a company’s advertising, the more effective the brand message the more profitable the company. Executives and senior level professionals appreciate this concept and have utilized it in their own careers. For years executives have hired marketing consultants to help package themselves and present their organizational value, strategic leadership and profitability impact. The business community has known for decades; it’s not just about what you can do, it’s also about the value you can provide and the kind of impact you can make.

For many in today’s job market branding is an unfamiliar concept. Perhaps a term someone may have heard once or twice, but certainly not anything they would have considered relevant to their career campaign. While individual job seekers may not be as familiar with the concept of branding, it is a concept that every job seeker needs to embrace. The more competitive the job market becomes the more crucial it will be for individuals engaged in a rigorous career campaign to develop a unique value message that communicates their value-add and core strengths. In other words, in order for job seekers to transition from seeking employment to having found employment the individual must establish a brand. Unfortunately most unemployed individuals seeking full time employment are not in the position to hire a brand or marketing consultant that can help them craft an impactful message that will both communicate the individual’s value as well as set them apart from their competition. In fact many individuals are uncertain as to what exactly a brand message is, let alone be able to develop one on their own. If you have never taken the time to develop a brand message or if you have an idea, but are just not sure how to start the following five steps will help you to establish your personal brand message.

1.       Determine your values. Take the time to dig into your beliefs and identify those ideas that you hold most dear. Our values are often times good places to excavate and find hidden motivators.  When we are motivated by our work and environment we are productive and successful. This exercise will also help you to determine the kind of organization for which you want to work.

2.       Identify commonalities. There are threads that exist among our previous work experience. There are certain characteristics that we portray in all of our work assignments regardless of the job or industry. For example if you are a process oriented person than that is a trait that you express in all your employment experiences. Similarly if you are the kind of person that is able to engage customers than you are that way in some fashion in all your work life.

3.       Consider your passions. What kinds of work activities generate a sense of enthusiasm and excitement inside of you? When we are passionate about something we are able to concentrate longer, work harder and generally invest more effort and energy.

4.       List your accomplishments. Any recognition received, specific company awards, any special assignments or projects in which you were asked to participate or lead. Accomplishments communicate impact to prospective employers and that translates to opportunity.

5.       Describe your goals. It is critical not only for your potential future employer, but also for yourself to articulate your immediate and longer terms goals. Goals provide vision, motivation and focus. By knowing what your goals are you can determine the best course of action to their achievement.

By completing these five steps you will have a solid foundation upon which to develop a strong brand message that will deliver results. An effective brand message will provide employers with a clear sense of your value and the potential impact you will have in the company. Branding articulates your unique characteristics and passions. Ultimately a strong brand message will focus your career campaign and lead to permanent employment in a rewarding career.

If you are interested in receiving more help developing your personal brand message or for any additional assistance with your other workforce development needs, stop into your local CT Works One Stop Center. Within its walls your will find experts and resources to help you achieve your career goals and provide you will tools and resources to be successful.

Most recent appearence on Connecticut's Fox 61 Morning Show -

Helping the long term unemployed get back to work

The Five ingridents to delivering an effective impact interview -

1.      Do your research: In addition to reading up on the company's products and services as well as reading about any recent changes in structure or organization, be sure to read up on the company's mission and values. Determine if the organization's values align with your own; be sure it espouses some of the same ideals as you do.

2.      Sell yourself, don't just tell about yourself: Organizations are more interested in your skills and the impact you can make rather than simply hearing about the tasks and duties you have performed. You should not discount former responsibilities, but frame them in the context of accomplishments and value add. Communicate your value during the interview; you want the organization to think about what you can do for them.

3.      Illustrate responses using PAR (Problem/Action/Results): Stories, examples and anecdotes can illustrate your responses and paint a picture for the interviewer, however be sure to stick to the PAR formula. To avoid rambling or taking too much to  time in your responses illustrations that start with describing the problem, than go on to detail the actions steps you took to resolve the problem and finally share the results from your intervention, will make your responses both focused and timely.

4.      Be true to yourself: It is important to avoid conforming so much to the culture of the organization that you are no longer being true to yourself. If you are hired under false pretense in order to maintain the position for which you were hired, you will have to continue to work under the false pretense you created, which can only add to the stress and strain of your position. Be honest with yourself as well as your new employer, there may be a degree of assimilation required in order to “fit-in” with the organization, but not the degree that you cease to be true to yourself.

5.      Ask good questions: An interview is as much as about you getting to know the organization as it is the organization getting to know you. Ask questions that help you to determine if the organization shares your passions, whatever they may be. Ask about the role and its impact on other parts of the organization. You may even want to ask about the company’s strategic outlook for the position and what you can expect in the short, intermediate and long term. Depending on where you are in the hiring process you will want to avoid questions pertaining to salary and benefits. There will be ample time for negotiations and ideally this is a conversation that the organization will initiate, however if you have had several rounds of interviews and it still hasn’t come up, consider gently raising the question.

7 Principles of Mentor Management

1.       The best managers are also committed mentors

2.       Mentor Managers do not require titles to act in a management capacity

3.       Mentor Managers are not intimidated by the success of their teams; instead they are motivated to inspire their teams to achieve more than they have themselves

4.       Mentor Managers are fully invested in their team, not simply their team’s productivity

5.       Mentor Managers appreciate that emotional health in the workplace is a vital component to their team’s ability to succeed

6.       Mentor managers cultivate an environment that empowers each member of the team, within the organizational framework, to work in their respective area of greatest strenth and interest

7.       Mentor managers understand that professional development plans are most effective when they include mentorship as an integral component