9 tips for becoming a successful networker

Excellent post found at:

http://www.careerealism.com/9-tips-succeessful-networker/

What’s the secret to being a successful networker? Well, we all know how important it is to balance the online and offline networking and connecting what we are doing now.

We can’t only live online, or offline anymore. Each one is mutually interdependent and inter-related. They work so well in tandem.

Both have their importance, purpose and value. We know being “online” is simply smart and essential because that is where people converge, gather and interact. But, “offline” is where the true personal connections are made to explore the mutuality and develop the relationship. If you are not in physical  proximity with someone, what are some of the ways and things you can do to accelerate relationship building?

Are you meeting, picking up the phone or Skyping regularly when you make new social friends?

How To Be A Successful Networker

Here are nine things you can do that will help you develop some warm connections, stand out, and be remembered.

1. Share Your Passion, Authenticity, And Story

People really connect with your real side and everyone has a story. It’s the new “elevator pitch.”

2. Target Your Audience

Learn about the community where you are meeting. Research and find out about them on websites, blogs and through others that may know about them, or are members of the group.

3. Know The Guest List

When you know some specific people that will be there, that you will want to meet, do your homework and find out about them. Company, awards, community activity, accomplishments. This is great fodder for conversation. How would you feel when someone you didn’t know yet, approaches you and says, “I loved the blog post you wrote on how to be a Mom and grow a business”? It certainly says something to me about them.

4. Work The Room

Mix and mingle, and try to have several warm interactions. Don’t monopolize or be monopolized. Engage and encourage mutual conversation and include others into it.

5. Pair Up With A Mentor

Find someone who knows the crowd and group and rely on them to introduce you around. Coming with someone others know and respect says something about you. “You are judged by the company you keep,” is the quote isn’t it?

6. Set Goals

Have goals for what you want to accomplish and come out of the experience with: five warm connections, new friends, someone you can refer business to.

7. Be Inclusive

Be inclusive and see how making connections for others make sense both at the event and after. I have been amazed at how encouraging commonality and synergy can work with complimentary businesses.

8. Ask HCIHY (How Can I Help You?)

This is the new benchmark for networking. Not what can I sell you, but how can I serve you. “Serving is the new Selling.” When people know you are in it for the right reasons and motives, the relationship naturally grows.  Building trust, by freely sharing knowledge and being who you say you are takes time. Invest and commit to it with people you feel good potential with and demonstrate  a mutuality with you.

9. Follow Up

Follow up promptly and with purpose with those warm connections you made. Lunch, coffee, guest blog, mentor, referral, Skype, phone call, collaboration, link swap are only a few reasons to reach out and continue.

Relationships take time, effort and commitment. Some grow, some go, but you won’t know which until you take the actions.

Networking is a natural extension of all our interactions and communications today. We are pretty much networking all the time now aren’t we?

What are some of the successful ways you have used in your networking?

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

About Deborah Shane

Deborah Shane is a Career Author and Business Branding Strategist who guides people through their current professional advancement at DeborahShane.com.

Positioning - Is your heart bent toward him?

Thought provoking post found at:

http://msg1svc.net/servlet/Pv?c=703d6d6c6d26733d3734343631266d3d3133313026743d4826723d4e2664613d30

Your Positioning
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman
01-03-2013

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips. - Proverbs 27:2

Many years of owning and operating an ad agency taught me that positioning was defined as a place or position that a product, service, or person held in the mind of the audience. We knew that often perception was reality for people, regardless of the truth. For years, I spent time and money seeking to position our company in the minds of our prospective clients. Although it would seem that is a natural and logical marketing function, I later discovered there is a dangerous flaw when we attempt to position ourselves by promoting our own attributes. I discovered that positioning is a by-product of who we are and what we do, not an end in itself.

King David was my first biblical lesson in coming to understand the difference. Here was a man who had committed adultery and murder, and failed many times in his family life. Yet, God describes David as a "man after God's own heart." Isn't that interesting? Why would God describe someone who had obviously failed in many areas as one who was after God's own heart? Throughout David's life, we find frequent descriptions made by God: "So David's fame spread throughout every land..." (1 Chron. 14:17). Although David did make many mistakes, his heart was soft toward God and sought to praise Him. David wrote the majority of the Psalms. God honored what was in David's heart, not his perfection. I believe that God's strategic placement of David was so that we may learn from and be drawn to the attribute of David that God primarily wanted him known for -- a heart bent toward Him. His positioning was a by-product of who he was, not an end in itself. In our business and personal life, our positioning among those who will know us should be a by-product of our life and service, not an end itself.

What is your "position" today among your peers? I once asked my Bible study group to ask others, "What do you think of when someone mentions my name?" This exercise can bring some interesting revelations. It might motivate us to make some changes, or it might confirm that God is doing a great work in you. 

Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.

Year-End Career Reflections & Resolutions

Excellent reflection found at:

https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?shva=1#inbox/13bf5f8a1df81b79

Year-End Career Reflections & Resolutions Kevin Brennfleck and Kay Marie Brennfleck Your future can be better than your past or your present. As this year winds down, and a fresh year unfolds,  it is a natural time to take some to reflect on your career and calling, and to set goals for the coming year.  Here are some ideas for your own list of New Year's resolutions. Together, you and the Lord can transform  your life. Five Resolutions for Discovering & Living Your Calling 1. Take a fresh look at your God-given design. God has created you for a specific purpose, and is in the  ongoing business of transforming you so that you can carry out His will for your life. Discovering your vocational  calling begins with having a clear picture of how God has designed you. Within you resides a special combination  of gifts-talents, interests, skills, personality traits, and much more-that is the foundation of your vocational  calling. There has never been anyone else like you in human history, and there never will be another you again.  You are called to be "you": the unique, gifted, capable person who was designed by God and created to fulfill  a divinely appoint purpose with your life. (Live Your Calling contains six self-assessments to help you clarify  and deepen your understanding of your design.) Other powerful options include professional career testing  that can help you identify and match your interests and motivations with job and career choices that fit your  God-given design. 2. Stretch the boundaries of your comfort zone. We humans are easily entrapped by our comfort zone.  We become defined by our habits and routines, and resist even considering the unfamiliar. Jesus never hesitated  to call people out of their comfort zones; in fact, He specialized in it! Hearing God's calling is difficult if you are  blockaded in your comfort zone. Start small in breaking free: drive a new way to work; eat lunch with someone  different; take time to read about a career you have considered; start a new hobby or activity. You are the biggest  barrier in your own life; doing new things will help you see that you can make changes in your life and aren't  limited by your current comfort zone. 3. Look for needs you can meet each day.  Our human nature encourages us to focus on our own needs.  God, however, calls us to direct our attention to the needs of others; to be the servant of all (Mark 9:35).  Needs come in all shapes and sizes. See who God brings into your path whom you can help. As you serve  others in small and not-so-small ways, pay attention to what brings you a sense of joy and fulfillment.  A key part of finding your vocational calling is discovering the types of needs you especially enjoy meeting. 4. Develop "an attitude of gratitude." Take time to write down everything for which you are grateful in your life.  Ask God to bring to mind every blessing-large and small-that He has given you. Cultivating a grateful heart and  mind will help you see how God has been at work in your life, and will enlarge your sense of trust in God's  faithfulness for your future. 5. Start today taking prayerful action. "Tomorrow" may seem like the best day to start making changes in  your life, but it's not! Procrastination is a dream-killer. Big changes are usually the result of taking lots of little  steps. Break your goal into "bite-sized" steps. Find a small step you can do today and find a support person  to help you take it. (The bigger the challenge, the more support you will need to accomplish the goal.) Living  your calling requires combining prayer with action. Stepping out in faith will help mature you into becoming the  person you need to be to do the things God is calling you to do. If you would like professional assistance with discovering your calling, we invite you to look into our  career coaching services. After reading about our services, you can schedule a free consultation  session to discuss which career services would best meet your needs. We would consider it a privilege  to help you discover who God has created you to be and what He has designed you to do! Excerpts from Live Your Calling (2005) by Kevin and Kay Marie Brennfleck. Used by permission of  Jossey-Bass, a Wiley imprint. © Article copyright by Kevin and Kay Marie Brennfleck, www.ChristianCareerCenter.com. All rights reserved.  The above information is intended for personal use only. No commercial use of this information is authorized  without written permission. Kevin Brennfleck and Kay Marie Brennfleck, National Certified Career Counselors, are the authors of  Live Your Calling: A Practical Guide to Finding and Fulfilling Your Mission in Life.T heir websites, www.ChristianCareerCenter.com, www.ChurchJobsOnline.com, andwww.ChristianJobFair.com,  feature hundreds of job listings from churches, ministries, and Christian employers; a resume bank; and many  other career/job search resources and articles. They also offer career coaching and testing to help you discover  work that fits your God-given design, as well as assistance with writing a powerful resume, interviewing effectively,  finding job openings, and other aspects of a successful job search.  You can schedule a  career services consultation today!

Are you good at "vocationing"?  Vocationing is the art of pursuing several vocations (calls) simultaneously for the purpose of honoring God in the service of others. 

If this resonates with you read on below for how one person found the value of "vocationing" in  a post found at:

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2001/05/14/editorial2.html?page=all

Learning the art of vocationing

Charlotte Business Journal by Angelina Corbet

Date: Monday, May 14, 2001, 12:00am EDT

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Master of the Universe -- not! Master of My Domain -- not! Master of Transitions -- you bet! In my 49 years, I have changed jobs 15 times and perhaps, most significantly, changed careers at least 10 times. And now this -- lots of careers at once.

I graduated from college with a major in education and minor in mathematics. When faced with a career choice, I played it safe and pursued a career in teaching mathematics. By the end of my first year in the classroom, I was convinced that I would teach mathematics until the day I died and love every minute of it -- wrong.

Although I basically enjoyed teaching algebra, I ultimately grew somewhat bored, restless and unfulfilled. I decided to explore other possibilities.

I was thrilled at the prospect of reinventing myself with a new career every three to five years. I built lasting relationships with clients and vendors as a means to gain entry into new companies, and provided consulting and pro bono work as a way to learn about new industries. I was shadowing my colleagues on the job as a vehicle to qualify for internal assignments.

Just before my 44th birthday, I was promoted to my dream job, senior vice president at an information technology company servicing the financial markets. But life is strange and six months later, I was sitting in my corner office once again feeling somewhat bored, restless and unfulfilled. What was wrong?

I started a journey to discover me. I wanted to finally create the future I was meant to have -- once and for all. As part of the journey, I looked at myself from every angle; abilities, interests, values and goals to insure that I would have balance. I was sure that I would ultimately discover my true vocation.

It is now five years later, and I have discovered that I have several callings, that I have several purposes on earth and that I want to have more than one vocation. I discovered that no one job encompasses all the important aspects for me. So, I am now pursuing several vocations at once.

Vocationing is the art of pursuing several vocations simultaneously for the purpose of honoring one's gifts and talents in service to others. Vocationing is not about having more than one assignment or project in the same field or industry.

Vocationing is not about needing to have several jobs to earn extra money. Vocationing acknowledges that each of us has many gifts and talents and may want to honor these in a variety of career choices simultaneously in order to bring value to others.

These days, I do what I was meant to do -- lots of different things at once. Although it would appear that this is a frenetic life -- quite the contrary -- my life is wonderfully peaceful. There is a joy and balance in using all my talents, expressing various aspects of my personal style, pursuing several interests and values, and achieving many goals.

I look forward to the next 25 years at this thing called vocationing and hope others will join me in this new career definition.

Angelina Corbet is founder of The Mobius Co. and principal with JPS Consulting. She specializes in personal coaching and can be reached at ascorbet@bellsouth.net.

8 Steps to Finding the Work You Love

Excellent post found at:

http://excelle.monster.com/benefits/articles/5125-8-steps-to-finding-the-work-you-love?page=1

Brian Kurth | Not Just the Kitchen

Many of us are still trying to figure out what we want to be when we grow up. We may have good jobs and nice paychecks, but we are not really happy in our work. We daydream about the “what if’s” in our life and long for the chance to discover and explore the job of our dreams. Identifying your dream job and the path that will take you there is both a challenge and an opportunity. But by following a realistic step-by-step “vocationing” process, you can pursue your interests and passions to the job of your dreams.

1 Define Your Dream Job(s)

What are your passions and your interests? What activities give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction? Can you envision yourself in a job that fully engages your heart and your mind? You may still be trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up. That’s okay. The “vocationing” process gives you the opportunity to explore, experiment, and discover what your dream job is and how to pursue it.

2 Address Your Fears

Financial instability, family disruption, giving up an identity, failing at something new. These are all fears that may stand in the way of pursuing your dream job. The biggest thing you can do to get past these fears is to meet them head-on. Bring these deepest fears to light and examine them with reason; talk about them; play each one out to its most irrational end. What is the worst thing that could happen?

3 Do Your Research

Internal and external research helps you discover who you are and what kind of work meshes with your deepest self. Do your homework and access resources ranging from the Internet to one-on-one contact with people on-the-job to determine if what you think is your dream job, truly is your dream job.

4 Find a Mentor

Inspirational, experienced, realistic, forthcoming and optimistic. A good mentor is all of these things and eager to help someone else get started. Recruiting a mentor who is a good match for you requires following a plan of action, asking the right questions, and building a relationship that is mutually satisfying. Having a mentor is the crux to the vocationing process. Whether you’re 20-something, 30-something, 40-something, 50-something or even 60-something, you need a mentor!

taken from (continued):

http://excelle.monster.com/benefits/articles/5125-8-steps-to-finding-the-work-you-love?page=2

5 Test Drive Your Dream Job

There’s no better way to learn than by doing. Test-driving your dream job with a mentor provides a hands-on experience that has the potential to change your life. This is the opportunity to learn as much as possible about the job, how you feel about the day-to-day activities, and what it takes to succeed. Whether your mentorship proves your perceived dream job is indeed your dream job or if it is a reality check illuminating that the job is not the one of your dreams, the mentorship experience gives you the required personal and professional due diligence you need prior to making a career decision.

6 Create an Action Plan

Pursuing a dream job is less a leap than a series of incremental steps that move you closer to your goal. What is critical to reaching that goal is making sure the steps you follow are the right ones. An action plan is needed. If you make a list of all the things you need to learn and do in order to realize your dream job, you will have mapped out a plan for moving ahead. A knowledgeable action plan provides you with the power to forge ahead.

7 Establish Thresholds

The biggest reason we pursue our dream job is to increase our life satisfaction. It is important to understand how much risk, challenge, and uncertainty you can tolerate before the life satisfaction goal becomes blurred by the process. The vocationing process is as much about what you learn on the journey as the rewards when you reach your destination.

8 Think Big, Start Small

You don’t have to quit your nine-to-five job to pursue your dream job. Obligations and concerns may take you down a less-than-direct path. It may take months, not weeks….years, not months. If you are patient and creative, you can keep your career transition moving forward. The vocationing process will get you from Point A to Point B.

Brian Kurth is the founder of VocationVacations and the author of “Test-Drive Your Dream Job” Kurth is a sought after expert on how to pursue and attain one’s dream job. He has shared his wit and wisdom in appearances on NBC’s TODAY Show, CNN, andFOX News, and has been featured in articles in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine. Many more regularly turn to Brian for his comments, advice and insights. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Kurth lives in Portland, Oregon.

This article was originally published on NotJustTheKitchen.com.

JobSTART 101 - college edition

The Business Roundtable asked hundreds of employers what skills they feel college graduates are missing when they start their first jobs.  The goal of job start is to provide you with a foundation for building these skills.

To read more about JobSTART 101 see below, or if you are ready to dive into this self-study workbook that will take approximately 90 minutes to complete,  click on the below link.  Enjoy!

http://www.jobstart101.org/

>>>>the following is taken from:

http://excelle.monster.com/benefits/articles/5225-jumpstart-your-career-with-jobstart-101

Jumpstart Your Career with JobSTART 101

1 Comment

Alexandra Levit

On November 1, Business Roundtable,an association of CEOs of the leading U.S. companies, and HR Policy Association, an organization of senior HR executives from the largest U.S. employers, released JobSTART101: Smart Tips and Real-World Training – a free online course for college students and recent graduates that introduces the professional skills that employers expect from new hires.

Even in a time of soaring unemployment, a survey revealed that 61 percent of U.S. employers report difficulty in finding qualified workers to fill vacancies at their companies. JobSTART101 addresses the gap between employers’ needs and workers’ skills by helping students understand the real-life challenges and expectations of the workplace. 

JobSTART101 is a first-of-its-kind course that’s free and available to college students and recent graduates nationwide. The course includes interactive components such as videos and course workbooks that cover topics ranging from how to communicate and solve problems to how to develop a professional persona that helps drive a career for long-term success. It is designed to be engaging and fast-paced, with the option for students to complete the entire course in approximately 90 minutes or tackle the six topical modules one at a time. “A student or young professional who spends 90 minutes with this course will be a more productive employee and experience greater satisfaction in his/her first job without having to undergo extensive – and expensive – coursework or training,” says Alexandra Levit, author and speaker on business and workplace issues and host of JobSTART101.

JobSTART101 is a recommendation by The Springboard Project – an independent commission of thought leaders – who advised on specific actions that would help Americans get the education and training they need to succeed in the evolving economy. The experts urged employers to better communicate workforce needs and expectations to students and increase American’s workplace readiness and competitiveness.

Top 10 Resume Tips

Helpful tips found at:

http://www.careerealism.com/resume-tips-top/

How many times have you picked up a magazine while waiting for an appointment and flipped through the hundreds of pages of articles? How long did it take you to decide whether or not to turn the page? Studies show that most people make this decision in less than five seconds. This is the exact same scenario with your resume—it can be discarded within a matter of seconds.

Your resume is a marketing document, a convincing reason to want to meet with you for an interview. Without an appealing and marketable resume that contains information employers require, you will not get the job you want. Of course, never forget the complementary role a cover letter plays. A cover letter goes hand in hand with the resume. A good resume but a bad cover letter will ultimately end up in the same place—the trash bin.

Top 10 Resume Tips

Remember, your resume is the greatest asset you have—don’t forget this!

1. Keep It Professional

Keep it professional. Your resume is a business document, so it must be professional. Your resume is no place for gimmicks, pictures, or funny e-mail addresses. Although you may think you look great in your picture or your e-mail address is funny, this is not required on your resume. You may think it looks great, but your employer may disagree. Stick to the facts and keep it professional!

2. Make It Targeted

The more targeted your resume is, the better you have at landing an interview. Employers want to know exactly what you can do for their company. It is important you tailor each resume to each job (it will only take a few sentences to do this). Get rid of any information that is not required for a particular job. This will alleviate the tendency to overcrowd your resume with too much irrelevant information.

3. Make Sure It’s Well-written

A well-written, concise resume will make a greater impression with your employer than a long winded “padded” resume. Use positive action words such as: enhanced, influenced, restructured, and attained. This will add that extra boost to your resume. On the same hand, avoid everyday buzz words. Remember, your resume needs to focus on your key skills and achievements. Words such as “hard worker,” “reliable” and “ambitious” can have a more detrimental effect on your resume as these words are seen as adding no value to resume.

4. Self-Promote

Your resume is a marketing document. Promote and sell yourself! Do not be scared to sell your skills, accomplishments, and abilities. If you don’t tell the employer, no one else will. Focus on what you can offer the business rather than what the business can offer you. Emphasise your skills, especially the ones the job is asking for. An employer wants to know you have the relevant skills for that particular job. If a coffee shop is hiring a barista, and you’ve already worked as one, make your skills stand out and take centre stage. Just like with the example of skimming over the magazines, you need your employer to take one glance at your resume and want to read on.

5. Make It Tailored

Very important – one size fits all approach does not work here. Every job is different, and depending on what the job is, you need to make sure you tweak your resume (and cover letter) for that particular job. Ask yourself, “What job am I going for, and does my resume have the skills and strengths required to present to my future employer?” Tailoring your resume to the specific job you’re going for will show the hiring manager you are serious about working for their organization.

6. Remember: Quality Over Quantity

Quality not quantity! Your resume is not a life story. Stick to the facts— using irrelevant data, waffling, and padding your resume are detrimental. Let your skills and experience do the talking for you.

7. Keep It Simple

Forget about fancy fonts or clever uses of italics. Keep it simple. Your resume is not meant to be a work of art to be displayed on the wall. Not only can it be hard to read, but there are multiple scanning software programs that might be unable to read it, meaning it will end up being deleted before even being opened.

8. Have Correct Spelling / Grammar / Punctuation

Every word program these days has spell check—USE IT! Poor spelling and grammar will immediately land your resume in the “deleted items” box. It is a hard enough to get aninterview—do not let yourself down with basic spelling mistakes. Re-read every word yourself, and get someone else to read it as well.

9. Keep It Consistent

Be sure your resume is written in a commonsense way—in order, logical, and easy to read. Be consistent throughout your resume with your margins, fonts, and line spacing. Don’t be scared to accentuate your skills or achievements with a different style of font or by using a bold font (but remember keep it simple. There is a fine line of going overboard when using different font styles). Consistency shows professionalism.

10. Don’t Mention Money

Unless you are directly asked about money, do not mention it. Keep your cards close to your chest. Do not rule yourself out before you even begin because of money.

Do we miss anything? Are there other resume tips that should have made this top-10 list?

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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