Accelerate Your Search™ Now

The folks at LinkedIn have been busy!  By now you have experienced the homepage make-over, the changes to company pages and the endorsement features.  You may also have noticed a drop in your completeness percentage — mine recently dropped 5%.  And, most recently, you’ve been given the opportunity to connect with “Influencers” — a select panel of 150 thought leaders to follow right from your homepage.

LinkedIn is a great tool.  It is important not only to use it, but also learn about the new features and leverage the ones that  improve your results.  Consistently managing your profile will enhance your personal brand and further your career goals.

So, how do you maximize your profile and all the new changes?

1.  Use your homepage to connect with and to be valuable and visible to your network.  The LinkedIn homepage recommends news of interest to you, shows new status updates and provides an easy way to directly engage with your network from those updates.  You can comment or send a message in seconds.  You can filter and customize the view of the page.

2.  Take advantage of the new streamlined design of Company Pages.  Company updates and connections are easier to locate and are now available on your phone.  Navigation and career opportunities are more engaging and the company can personalize the experience if they wish to do so.

3.  Make the most of the new Endorsements feature.  LinkedIn is touting this newest feature as “Kudos with Just One Click.”   Though the jury is still out on the value of this feature, the premise is that anyone can recognize someone’s skills or expertise with just one quick click.  When you visit a profile, a pop-up box will appear asking, “Pssst, Cindy – Does John have expertise in these areas?  Click the Skill button to endorse them!”  I think it is a bit cheesy — time will tell if this feature truly adds value or not.  This feature may help you if your profile is on-brand and focused.  If not, it may cause confusion and harm if you have 50 skill items listed (i.e., no clear focus).

4.  Finally, as I noted above, you may have noticed a drop in your profile completeness.  I would encourage you to manage your profile and not allow LinkedIn to pressure you to do what is good for their data collection efforts.  When you see their gentle nudges, ask yourself, “Is this good for my brand?” and “Does it help my target audience?”  If the answer is “no,” move on.

If you are interested in more information on all the recent changes, the LinkedIn blog topics tagged with ‘new LinkedIn Features’ have more details and tips.

Remember, a quality profile is critical to your personal brand, career management and your career opportunities. You can leverage LinkedIn and its power with focus and about 15 minutes a week. If you need some help with your LinkedIn Profile let’s talk about a Fast Track solution for your LinkedIn challenge.

This is a day with many and varied meanings.  First and foremost for me, it is my sister Renee’s birthday.

Happy Birthday Renee!

It is also a day that brings memories of friends in Washington DC, New Jersey and New York City, and of course the events in those areas eleven years ago.  Memories of both joy and of great sadness.  It is a day that changed lives in seconds.

9-11 taught me, among other things, that everything counts!   What you do, what you say, where you go and how you serve — it all matters and makes a difference.

The world changes fast.  September is one of the times of the year where we see those changes all around us.  A few weeks ago Dick Durrance, photographer and speaker, published one of his great photos and the quote below:

“Just as the seasons bring about change in the world outside of us, so the adventure of living creates change inside of us.  The trick, I am finding, is to somehow transform those changes into opportunities to grow.”

I believe Dick Durrance is spot on.  The trick is learning how to embrace the changes in our lives and to find the opportunities each change brings.

We all face change — a new boss, losing a job, downsizing,  or just learning new ways of doing the things we have always done.

Are you feeling lost, frustrated, or confused as you attempt to find the opportunities within a career transition?  If so, here is an Action Tip for you.

Grab a piece of paper and make a list of all the things you have been able to do because of this time of transition.  Maybe it is finally making the time for a daily walk, or taking your child or grandchild to his first day of school, or to have coffee in the morning with your spouse.

Make the list.  Be grateful for all the opportunities in this change.  It does all matter and make a difference.

Are you ready for better results?  Do you need help to Accelerate Your Search?   Give me call.  Or look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session and get your search-related question answered.

Hope your Labor Day weekend was wonderful!  My weekend was great and so was last week.

Labor Day celebrates – work and workers – I love my work.  I help talented professionals land the job they want and advance a career they enjoy.  It is amazing to see the results.  I know the processes and methods I share work, yet I never get tired of hearing the success stories.

I am always delighted when someone I am working with tells me just how they added themselves to a tip, technique, tactic or a strategy and presto … like the magician who pulls the white rabbit out of his top hat with skill and a smile … the tip shared becomes theirs, the result theirs too and it is dead on prefect!

Last week was one of those great weeks.  By Thursday, the fourth day of the week I that heard from four people that I had been working with that they had job offers – that does not happen every week.

Here is part of one of the messages I got last week:

“… I have wonderful news to share with you. I got an offer from the job interview! … This is to reinforce how important it is to …. I didn’t do it for a previous phone screening interview and, of course, nothing followed. This time, I was determined to … and I did, and I’m glad I did. Thank you for emphasizing the importance of … in your career workshops!!! It really could mean getting hired or NOT getting hired….Thank you Cindy, for all your professional help! … Both my husband and I are very lucky to have worked with you! …”

So often it is a little thing or a simple fine turning that changes the result very quickly.  Doing one small thing better or different can be the difference between being hired and not being selected for the job.

I can’t lie I love getting notes and updates on the success others are creating in their careers.  See, I’m a bit unusual and bizarrely passionate about people succeeding and having the job and career they want and love.

Are you ready for better results? Do you need help to Accelerate Your Search?  Give me call; I’d love to help you be successful too!

Strategic tips for managing your career – if you are – or seek to be – a paddler…

8. Always be open and able to change direction.

Business changes at a dramatic pace. Your career soon can be outdated or obsolete due to shifts in market conditions, changes in consumer preferences, and emerging technology. Coaching opens minds, creates awareness, helps you use new information quickly, and sparks the creativity within you.

Career opportunities abound, if you are open to seeing them and willing to take control of your career.  One of the best coaches, mentors and friends taught me much about being open and able to change directions.  Louis Emond was a professional executive coach, a Retired Officer in the US Air Force, and an International Marketing executive and industry consultant.  He understood and shared the value of not only the need to be open to change but the willingness to change direction.

What I learned from Louis is managing your business and your career, is about taking personal responsibility, demonstrating leadership, planning for success, and when you need to change directions by all means change directions.

Execute a change, don’t ponder, worry or think, EXECUTE.  As I celebrate my birthday today, I am also thinking about Louis citing Vince Lombardi’s dictum of, “If it is to be, it’s up to me,” – Louis thanks for being my mentor, for practicing what you preached and for giving many insights to recall, and use.

My friend and mentor Louis Emond, died in May 2012.  I miss his friendship and wisdom.  I am also very thankful for all he taught me about being open and willing to change direction as needed.  Rest in peace always Louis.

Action Tip:

This tip is from Louis. He often cited Vince Lombardi’s dictum of, “If it is to be, it’s up to me”, if you seek to be a paddler it is up to you.   Identify your purpose, be open to change, grow, and change direction as needed.  You can manage your career, your business and your life alone.  Or you can find a coach, learn and do it faster.  The odds are you will also have a lot more fun learning along the way.

Do you have a question about applying this action tip to your search? Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

Strategic tips for managing your career – if you are – or seek to be – a paddler…

7. Keep your skills current at all times.

To be successful at managing your career, you must constantly upgrade and enhance your abilities. Seek out continuing education—learn new skills, methods, techniques, strategies, and tactics to stay at the leading edge of your field.

Whether you’re an executive chef, senior manager, or an individual contributor, you must be as good as you can be—there’s always a competitor one step behind you.  Fall is near, school starts for all children soon, and this is a great time to think about what skills you need to update or what new skills you need.

Spending 30 minutes a day you on your strengths or a skill, just five days a week will net you 130 hours of focus a year.  That is a small investment of time and will create solid mastery.  What skill do you need to hone?

Action Tip:

Identify a skill to update.  Write down why it is important to you to update this skill.  Now, develop a plan to hone or update your skill.

Do you have a question about applying this action tip to your search? Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

Strategic tips for managing your career – if you are – or seek to be – a paddler…

6. Know your industry and what’s happening within the industry.

Is your industry growing? Stagnant?  Shrinking? Individuals who plan carefully and stay abreast can succeed even during times of radical change. Strategic planning, discipline, and focus are a must to take advantage of changing industry conditions.

Paddlers hone their skills, and stay abreast of changing conditions.  Life like the river can change quickly.

What is new in your industry?  What tools do you use to stay current? Is it time to apply your experience and skills in a new field?

What do you want to learn or experience in the last quarter of the year?  Is it time for you to plan the next phase of your career?

Knowing when to paddle in a different direction is key, it helps you grow, and continue to live on purpose.  Just as industries change, so do people.  As the fourth quarter of the year approaching it is a great time to not only look at what is happening in your industry and your career, it is a great time to look at your plans for next year, the next 3 -5 five years, and the next ten years.

Action Tip:

Identify the top 3 changes in your industry this year.  Record where your industry is headed next year and over the next 3 – 5 years and how this impacts your current position and your career; finally review any changes in direction you should make for the coming year based on these changes in your industry.

Do you have a question about applying this action tip to your search? Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

Strategic tips for managing your career – if you are – or seek to be – a paddler…

5. Quality and customer/employer satisfaction are principal to your success.

Paddlers live and work on purpose.  They understand themselves and the environment around them.  There are some rare conditions paddlers cannot control.  A paddler’s success always comes from controlling the things you can control and handling those conditions you don’t control with experience, knowledge, patience and grace.

If the people who use or purchase your services or products are dissatisfied with the experience, they will go elsewhere. That is a condition you can control.

Just like a consumer, an employer will shop around if your services are not up to standard. A cooperative attitude, timely delivery of quality work, and all other aspects of the employer’s expectations must be met consistently. If they aren’t, you are out of business or out of work.

Do you have an open mind about your performance?   Do you work consistently to hone your performance?

Effective coaching works to connect you to an awareness of your habits, your decision-making, and performance that can significantly influence your results. Coaching brings clarity to your assumptions by placing your efforts and energy on the activities that can alter outcomes. A good coach will challenge, question, and help you get to the truth of the situation.

Action Tip:

Where is your performance today?  How do you know? List the 3 strengths you need to focus on this week, and this month.  List 3 habits you have that significantly influence your results. Who is you coach?  How do you get feedback about your performance?

Do you have a question about your search? Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

Strategic tips for managing your career – if you are – or seek to be – a paddler…

4. Understand your value-added qualities.

What value do you offer? What qualities make you unique?

Often, they are the tasks you do better than most other people. Understanding how you communicate this value to your employer/customers is critical.

You must be able to articulate your value-added qualities to get hired, be promoted, and continue to be compensated accordingly.  Are you aware of the way you communicate your value and help others to link their value-added qualities to the organization?

Your personal brand attributes often help you communicate your value.  Do you know your top brand attributes?   Knowing the attributes others value in you and being able to communicate your brand attributes is an easy way to help your unique value stand out.

Action Tip:

Ask twenty-five or more people how you add value to your job, tasks or the things you do.  Create a list of all your value-added qualities and define how you will communication these qualities to your customers to help them solve their problems or address their needs.

Do you have a question about your search? Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

Strategic tips for managing your career – if you are – or seek to be – a paddler…

3.  Know your customer.

Your career is a financial transaction.  You are paid because you offer a service or a product that a customer is willing to purchase.

If you want to be effective, you must know your customer. That means learning customer needs and wants and understanding how you can fulfill them.

You must sell your expertise to both external and internal customers. Critical internal customers to every employee are bosses, the boss’s boss, other departments, and the organization itself. Each of these constituents buys your services on a daily basis. Discovering how to build relationships and sell to those customers can enhance your career on many levels.

Customer needs change, just as you change.  You must continually learn and stay abreast of your customers needs if you want to stay relevant and have a fulfilling career.

Action Tip:

Define your customers.  List how you meet the needs and want of your customers.

Do you have a question about your search? Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.

Strategic tips for managing your career – if you are – or seek to be – a paddler…

In the US last week, we celebrated July 4^th the birthday of our wonderful country.  Our nation was founded on ideals, passions, strengths, and vision.

The US has grown and changed since it was founded and it continues to grow and change.  Yet as a nation we have a unique value and purpose in the world.  Our citizens live, fight, and have died to define the unique value of the US.  The nation’s Founding Fathers drafted a living document to define and communicate the value the young nation would offer the world.

2. Define who you are and the unique value you bring to the marketplace.

Have you done this for yourself?  Do you have a clear idea of who you are and the value you bring to the marketplace?

Identify your strengths, your interests, and your passions. The use of assessments can assist you in this step. Typically, these factors drive your career accomplishments and motivate you. Coaching can help you discover and better express your message, and your attributes to others in a manner that enhances your value in the marketplace.

Action Tip:

Label three pages Strengths, Interests, and Passions. Write until you fill each page with your strengths, your interests, and your passions.  Then ask yourself the questions below and write down your answers.

How do I currently use my strengths?

What interests are really important to me and why?

What do I have so much passion and drive about and why is this important to me?

How do I incorporate my strengths, my interests, and my passions into my career right now?

How do I want to incorporate my strengths, my interests, and my passions into my career in the future?

Do you have a question about your search? Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.