Developing Your Career Finding Your Niche (Pt.6) Building Your Future Now

Developing Your Career Finding Your Niche (Pt.6) Building Your Future Now Being a generalist can be a good or bad thing in your career. It is good especially if you are starting out and getting to get a grasp of the job market/what you want from your career. On the other hand it can be something companies dont want because they are looking for specific skillsets and experience. Therefore finding your niche can be a very important. If you specialize in something you are easier to hire because you possess skillsets that have been honed for a certain job or task. You can do some research on what is in demand in the marketplace and create your own niche. You can develop your specialization through contract work or giggingbuilding a strong portfolio is a good way to showcase your experience and applied knowledge to real world projects. You can also take courses, training sessions or attain some more eeducation to add to your niche development. However, it is vital that you grow in a niche because you want tothere is nothing worse then doing something and grow it into a career when you have no passion for itthat you are simply doing it because it is in demand. Image: SeoGrafika

Why is Writing a Prospecting Letter More Challenging Than a Soliciting Lette?

Why is Writing a Prospecting Letter More Challenging Than a Soliciting Lette?Why is writing a prospecting letter more challenging than a solicited letter? Well, you will get your competition right away! You must answer their questions, to convince them to make a purchase and to build your business relationship.Who do you know who has a phone number that can be called at any time of the day or night? Or if your only acquaintance is an old friend, they may not remember your name. How about relatives and neighbors?Do you have enough information about the caller to recognize what company they work for or that they belong to? What if it is just a name that you are familiar with? Would you want to get into a telephone conversation?First, you need to get in touch with your contacts. Then decide who you think should be able to help you. For example, if you are running a business then your contact should be connected to a good performing company. Or perhaps you know a representative that is d oing a good job or you know someone who has had good experiences working with the company.Now that you have your contacts and decided which company you want to reach out to first, how should you handle the next part of your call? The best way to answer a prospecting letter is to say what you offer to do for the client. Is your company willing to meet up?If you have a time frame, you will need to tell them what time frame your meeting will occur. Or do you really need to set up a face to face meeting? Can you talk on the phone or by email?How can you answer a prospecting letter better than a solicited letter or a customer service agent? Here are some ideas:If you can answer a prospecting letter the best way possible, that means you will not have to meet with someone in person. If you do need to have a face to face meeting then you have time to prepare and create a good presentation. It takes time to start a new business relationship but it can be worth it.

Personal Branding Weekly and Conference Focus - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Weekly and Conference Focus - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Personal Branding Weekly Editor’s Note: Because I was attending New Media Expo 2013 last Sunday, I didn’t have the opportunity to fully introduce you to one of our newest authors â€" Peter Sterlacci. Peter is known as “Japan’s personal branding pioneer” and is one of only 15 Master level Certified Personal Branding Strategists in the world. He is introducing a leading global personal branding methodology to companies and careerists in Japan and adapting it for the Japanese culture. In a culture where fitting-in is the norm, his mission is to pioneer a ‘cultural shift’ by helping Japanese to stand out in a global environment. His background spans over 21 years in intercultural consulting, international outreach, and global communication coaching. Because it was a full conference week in Las Vegas, I’m still catching up so I’m happy to share and read along side with you the many great posts that published this last week. Branding Your Resume So Age Is a Non-Issue by Phil Rosenberg Introducing the Promote Yourself Podcast: Episode 1 by Dan Schawbel Do You Have a Good Side? by Nance Rosen Countdown to a New Career: 5 Rebranding Tips by Heather Huhman Feeling Lucky Wins the Game by Elinor Stutz Exploding Job Offer Can Blow Up in Your Face by Skip Freeman Every Brand is a Newsroom in 2013 by Manoush Zomorodi Three Words You Should Banish from Your Vocabulary by Jeff Shuey Branding Yourself as an Intrapreneur in a Belonging Culture by Peter Sterlacci Why Employers Respect Candidates Who Negotiate by Pete Leibman I also had a chance to meet Justin Levy at the expo. We had worked together before when he was a blogger right here so it was finally nice to put a real life face with the name and blog posts I had edited when the Personal Branding Blog first started. This week you’ll have a chance to get insights on:   how to make sure your brand is telling its story; dressing your brand part and your brand ambition level; choosing and creating your own career path and success â€" we look forward to your valuable feedback and comments! Focus on the Conference As a business owner, there are countless responsibilities that you carry around with you every day. You’ve got to focus on this or that project and yet still manage to arrive at a business meeting for lunch. The tasks may vary, but they’re always keeping you busy. This is a state of affairs that we often take with us to a conference. Unfortunately, this isn’t what you want when you’re supposed to be focused on networking and learning. While your business may be important to you, that doesn’t mean that you should let it hinder the opportunities presented at a conference. Time should be invested wisely to guarantee a successful return. Since you only have so much time to spend networking, it should be done appropriately. Consider the fact that if you’re focused on work, you probably won’t be able to make the right connections or encounter the right opportunities. So unless it’s an emergency, leave those work matters for later. Top 5 Reasons Why You Need to Put Down Your Phone and Give Your Fellow Conference Attendees Your Utmost Attention   1. If you’re distracted by phone calls, emails, or even social updates, you’ll potentially miss the highlights of the event.   Because this is time invested (likely coupled with a monetary value), you want to gain the most benefit from the opportunity. If you’re talking, you won’t be able to hear what others have to say.  2. An individual who is constantly on the phone or submerged in their laptop or smartphone doesn’t project the most professional appearance.   When at the conference, consider this as your job right now. Would you permit distractions in your workplace? No, because it hinders you from doing your job effectively. 3. You don’t want to appear rude or selfish. Answering the phone during a conversation could be interpreted as a rude gesture to your networking partners. It says that their time invested here isn’t that important to you. You may even come across as selfish, diminishing your respectability. When others see that you aren’t willing to give them your full attention, especially when it’s important, they aren’t going to associate your personal brand with one that would meet their needs and desires. 4. You’re here to do a job.   It’s important that you appear completely focused on the task at hand. If you appear focused and prepared, that’s what others are going to see in your brand. As you gain their trust and respect, they’re going to be inclined to share your brand through word of mouth, improving awareness and leading to new opportunities.  5. You’re here to learn and network with new opportunities in order to grow your brand. It’s important not to forget why you’re at a conference. While operating your business may be a high priority, focusing on the task at hand is what will ultimately decide your success and brand growth. One of my New Media Expo connections, Christopher Montoya, wrote about his experience doing just this. I can only imagine the opportunity I would have missed had I had my face in my phone at the lunch line â€" where all the great networking happened to happen. Author: Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of  buzz2bucks.com  â€"  a word of mouth marketing firm, and a professional speaker and trainer on developing social networks that work. She provides workshops, webinars, seminars and direct services that help create conversation, connection, credibility, community and commerce around your brand.   Maria Duron is co-founder  and moderator of  #brandchat   a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of branding that is recognized by Mashable as one the 15 Essential Twitter Chats for Social Media Marketers.

5 Ways to Ace Your Next Big Presentation

5 Ways to Ace Your Next Big Presentation Preparing for a big presentation can be a nerve-wracking time so what advice can we take from the citizens of Springfield? Here are some characteristics which will help you ace your next big presentation: 1. Bart Simpsons fearlessness: The key to being an awesome public speaker, is to enter your  presentation fearlessly. There are multiple ways to do this, and sometimes it can be really hard. The trick is to know everything inside out. Know your audience. Know your presentation. Know the facts. If you feel confident in what you are presenting and who you are presenting it to, your public speaking skills will naturally be stronger. 2. Ralphs  Anecdotes: Your presentation will be more interesting if you use examples of your personal experience to back up your points. Including anecdotes will give your presentation the boost of personality and will separate it from others the viewers have seen. Dont be afraid to come across off as a human when presenting either, no one likes a robot! 3. Homers  voice projection: Homer took his voice projection skills to the max when he became an opera singer for an episode. Speaking loudly and clearly is important when it comes to presentations, so make sure you practice with an  audience, and ask for feedback. A trick to this is also making sure you speak incredibly slowly. Although it may feel and sound weird to you personally, it always sounds best to an audience if youre speaking slowly. 4. Maggies choice of words: We all know that Maggie Simpson has a way with words like no other she uses none. In our presentation, its useful to take Maggies advice when it comes to your choice of words. Keep your presentation as simple as possible,  dont use long, impressive words just for the sake of it say your point as simply as it can be put. 5. Geralds eye contact: Gerald may be a lesser known character but his presence is a strong one mainly due to his ferocious eye contact. Hes Maggies worst enemy and they always have run-ins at daycare, but his eye contact is what makes his presence so effective. When youre in your presentation, make sure you grab the eye-contact of members of the audience. It will make them feel more involved in the presentation and keep them interested. Have you got any tips from other citizen of Springfield? let us know at @UndercoverRec [Top  image credit: Shutterstock]

How Your Career Can Go Down

How Your Career Can Go DownExecutive resume writing services are not the only source of information regarding a particular job. They also provide other useful inputs, such as placement criteria and feedback on your performance. So if you want to know how your next employment deal will go down, you should try to avoid risk by enlisting the help of an executive resume writing service.The best executive resume writing services to ensure that they use top notch experience and skill in order to help you land a job you may have wanted for so long. But even after you have managed to find out whether you will be able to land on one of their jobs, the best service will also give you a free consultation to ensure that you have all the details you need to know regarding your desired job.This does not mean that Colorado Springs' executive resume writing services are able to provide you with a well-researched description of the requirements you need to fulfill to get hired by any of their agencie s. Your hiring consultant will not only provide you with the specifications of the job but will also help you choose which agency is better for you. When you have the skills required to fill the position, you can ask your hiring consultant which agency is best for you to work for.When you hire an executive resume writing service to handle your resume needs, you do not only benefit from the know-how they bring but also from the recommendation of people who have been working with them before. This way, you will be able to get a clear picture about the services you can expect from your hiring consultant and will also be able to determine if it is really worth signing up with such a firm.Another benefit you can derive from hiring executive resume writing services from Colorado Springs is the option of writing your own resume. You do not need to write your resume from scratch when you hire such services, which can save you a lot of time and effort. Once you sign up with one of these serv ices, you will receive a draft resume of yours for approval. You will then be required to submit it on time and as per the specifications specified by the hiring consultant.These services ensure that you can have everything you need for writing your resume in one place. You will be able to know exactly what information you need to present so that your reading experience will be less complicated.If you are planning to hire an executive resume writing service from Colorado Springs, be sure to check their credibility. The only way to achieve this is to browse through the client testimonials and recommendations provided by former clients.

5 Career Lessons You Can Learn from Event Planners

5 Career Lessons You Can Learn from Event Planners Many people tend to get overwhelmed by the pace in which we happen to live by, constantly struggling with stress in order to meet up with deadlines, projects and job promotions that will, undoubtedly, affect our performance in case we don’t spot those weak points in time.As a career that works on a constant basis with the surprise factor, Event Planners can teach us some lessons on how to cope up with stress or unexpected situations and how to turn them out to be the best chance of improving our career.1. Be ready for the UnexpectedLife and work are all about meeting opportunities for personal development and taking the most from them. Of course, that’s not bound to happen if you just sit behind a desk in your comfort little bubble away from the outside world.evalPeople who suffer from work-induced anxiety episodes happen to be the ones that don’t take adaptability in consideration or the ones that think everything is going to remain under the same calm conditions instead of fo reseeing a storm coming along the aisle.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comJust like Event Planners do, keep a plan B or even a plan C for situations in which you already know they will compromise your current working conditions. The managerial department takes in highly consideration those workers or executives who take enough time to analyse what’s surrounding them and coming up with solutions for fixing underlying problems no one has noticed beforehand.2. Stick up to a budgetThis applies either to your personal life as well as for your professional one. Let’s picture the scenario in which you know you are about to get a job promotion within a month and you already expended more than what you currently earn as you “calculated” how much money you will make next month. That’s a huge no-no that often leads to financial struggles and will put you at odds with your work environment as the job promotion is expected to be with more responsibility on your back.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.co mSame can happen when you give a client an estimative of what a business deal between your company and him/her is going to cost. For such cases, you always need to consider a 15 percent of expenses for unexpected expenses like a subcontract that failed, delivery issues, newly fresh ideas from your client in a last-minute term that end up taking more money than you initially assumed and so on.By doing this, not only you are protecting your reputation but also covering up the company for a potential misunderstanding in case an unexpected event happens, and clients need to pay more money than what they originally did. It speaks lengths of a professional approach to the work to be done.3. Put technology at your serviceWhenever planning a presentation for a new project to the executive board of your company, you should consider the best terms to attract people’s attention. Plan up to the smallest details, from brochures to your streaming presentation, but also consider creative element s you can add to make your projects look unique at corporative events like customized smartphone covers, delicate pendrives with information about the project and many other etcetera we can think of when pairing technological innovation and creativity.4. Keep tuned with your agendaAvoid overlapping events or forgotten tasks to do by properly managing an agenda where all your working contacts, projects, deadlines to meet are clearly displayed and easy to access whenever needed. Stress often leads to memory issues as we are constantly thinking of the things we should be doing and not fulfilling at a determinate moment.evalTherefore, we don’t rest as we should overnight, leading to noticeable memory blanks, which will trigger more stress events: it’s a vice circle and breaking such habit isn’t as easy as one may think.If you don’t like feeling old fashioned by carrying an agenda everywhere, use technology for your benefit by setting reminders at apps like Evernote, Meistertask and Google Calendar. You can set alarms for those deadlines, or even analyse how much time it took for you to complete the work pending to be done â€" speaking of boosting your productivity, right?5. When everything else fails, just breatheEvent Planners are familiar with the very healthy method of taking a couple of minutes of their time prior giving an answer. Why? Because we often say thoughts or accept work without realising we are overloaded at the current moment.Photo Credit â€" Pexels.comInstead, give yourself a couple of minutes to breathe whenever you feel pressed by the amount of work to do and look at issues from another perspective.evalThe world won’t be falling apart if you say you need a minute or two to collect your thoughts. Good luck!

The Winds of Change

The Winds of Change How do we find our next direction? What career or job should we be looking for? If the answers were clear and easy, we wouldnt be struggling. I believe that there could be many jobs that would be a good fit for many different reasons. This can be an unsettling answer for those who want a straight answer. Experimenting with a new job can seem risky. What if you dont like the decision you made? What if it wasnt a good fit. Just like trying on a pair of shoes, you find a new pair. Yet, this sounds trite. You cant just toss aside a job that took months to find and securecan you? There was a very interesting article with accompanying videoin the NY Times. It explores a womans test drive of three different career counselors. The outcomevaried. There are thousands of career counselors out there helping people discover what or who they should be when they grow up. But back to my initial belief, there is probably more than one right answer. If you are interested in reading the perspectives of many talented career professionals, read this blog: Career Collective. Who says we cant do more than one thing at the same time? Part this, part that? It is called a Portfolio career and the blend of different types of jobs might be the solution. It certainly offers the potential to be a wise strategy for managing your career as well. Want to know more about Portfolio careers, you can read Portfolio Careers blog.

Short on time, but not on awesomeness - When I Grow Up

Short on time, but not on awesomeness - When I Grow Up Its been quite a day, but didnt want it to go by without posting (have ya noticed Im on a M/W/F schedule?). So, thought Id leave ya with one of my favorite quotes: by Keri Smith Yup, this is the 2nd time I posted about her. The 1st post is here. Ill be posting more of these as I come across them. I have some in my Inspiration Station (was that a childrens show in the 70s? If not, it should of been) so theyll trickle throughcant spoil ya all at once now!