Networking

* Be authentic. Be yourself. Don't be concerned about what others might think. (That is sometimes difficult, but you owe yourself to try it.) Be real. Don't try to be the "want to be" you. Let people see, and get to know, the real you.

* Know what you have to offer. Start conversations with people and tell them what you have to offer. Be bold! Be fearless! Speak intelligently and have interesting things to say (about you, your profession, current events, etc.).

* Have a 30-second elevator speech ready. This is a quick marketing response for the question most often asked (but often not taken advantage of), "what do you do for a living?" Your response to this question needs to clearly describe what you can do for an employer and also let people know that you are currently seeking career opportunities. Remember, you are in a selling position and you are the product. Why should someone hire you? What do you offer that others Don't? As an executive, what successes have you had?

* Avoid closed-ended questions. Seek to get the other person to talk and then really listen. Instead of asking, "Do you know anyone who...?" ask, "Whom do you know who...?" This will allow for discussion and problem solving instead of a one-word negative response that stops conversation.

* Use active listening skills. When the other person is talking, do not consider your response in your head. Instead, just listen. Look into the speaker's eyes and give verbal and nonverbal clues that you are listening and understanding.

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Enough not being enough!

I always am comparing myself to others. Not smart enough, not pretty enough, not strong enough, not talented enough, not loving enough, not disciplined enough, not brave enough – any thoughts on how to get out of this trap?

If you’re caught in the “not enough” trap, nothing about you ever seems quite good enough. Standards by which you measure yourself become inhumane. Successes are rarely enjoyed, for you always feel as if you must do better. Perceived failures are magnified. Life becomes a quest for utter perfection – like the carrot dangling in front of a horse, it is chased but never truly experienced.

“If I’m 98% perfect in anything I do, it’s the 2% I’ve messed up I’ll remember when I’m through,” begins a little ditty. The problem starts when we allow others – family members, our spouse, friends, a boss, popular culture – to define who we are or are not. Unfortunately, these roots of self-image often stretch far back into childhood, when negative messages we received from parents and others imprinted us with a feeling of being stupid, fat, lazy, weak or otherwise inadequate.

But as adults, we can choose to truly accept ourselves – with all our strivings, quirks, faults and shortcomings (and gifts!) – as being enough right now. The more we do that, the less vulnerable we are to the opinions of others.

Go ahead, compare yourself

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Posting yourself online

The Internet, if properly and wisely used, can be a very effective and efficient way to market your story, i.e. your resume. Your resume can be distributed in a matter of minutes, if not seconds, to an unlimited number of recruiters and employers. And therein lies a problem. With a traditional print resume, you can control its distribution and can customize qualifications according to what you believe are the needs of a specific organization.

To conduct an online targeted mar-keting campaign, you need to have some selectivity over who reads your resume and a way to reach those you want.

Also, use some caution when conducting online job searches, since it is possible for a supervisor or colleague to come across your resume. You do not want this to happen, particularly if your current employer is not aware you are seeking a new position.

You are likely familiar with basic Internet research tools, such as Google or Yahoo. You also can take advantage of search engines as information resources to help focus and narrow your marketing arenas. Think about your job search needs and use web sites to:

* Identify organizations where you have some interest in working;
* Research organizations that have job openings for which you intend to apply;
* Review job listings on an organization¹s web site;
* Locate on-line job databases specializing in your field or industry;
* Become informed about salary range norms and other benefits;
* Learn of local networking events and headhunters¹ offices;
* Investigate cost of living and other needed community information, if considering relocation.

First and foremost, to rise to the top in electronic sort and retrieval activities, your resume needs to contain key words and phrases. Second, when you upload your resume, make sure it can be scanned easily. Third, make sure a copy of your resume has been converted to ASCII or plain text for Web/e-mail readiness and store it in an applicant database.

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http://www.mbrownassociates.com/articles/041105.htm

Marketing YOU: A quick 4-step guide

Important first step: Self-evaluation

What skills and experience can you offer an employer? Why should someone' hire you? If you don¹t know, now is the time to find out.

This easily can be done. There are various types of assessments you can take, some available on-line, such as checklists, card sorts and experience stories. If you need some help preparing your list, hire a career coach or counselor. Don't forget to include the "soft" skills as well as the "hard" skills when putting your list together. They can be just as important when marketing you. (That's what we¹re really talking about here, marketing brand YOU).

You must be able to identify your skills and how they can help your next employer. Whether you are with a for-profit or nonprofit, employers pay for results and production. And those that succeed are the ones that know what they have to offer and what they are capable of doing better than the competition. Be able to explain situations, actions and results. This will help you when you put your résumé together and during the interview process.

At the same time, I would encourage you to look at what is really important to YOU. What do you feel passionate about? What's at the core of who you are and where do you want to make a difference? Assns allow people to work for organizations and feel like they are making a difference. If you have to work 45-55 hours a week, why not do something you enjoy and feel good about doing?

Step 2: Get connected

Get out your rolodex (or palm pilot), personal and professional, and make a list of folks to talk with about your search. Ask them what skills they believe you have, how they go about doing job searches, and where they see you fitting in an organization. You want to make it clear (especially in the beginning) that you are coming to them for information, not a job.

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http://www.mbrownassociates.com/articles/060404.htm

10 fears that keep us from what we want

Fear often stands between us and our ability to make decisions, take actions, ask for what we want – even to know what we really want. It is the gatekeeper of our comfort zone. But as poet-philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “He has not learned the lesson of life who does not every day surmount a fear.” Here are 10 fears that commonly get in our way.

1. Fear of being judged. Needing approval from family, peers, coworkers can keep us from going after dreams and goals.

2. Fear of rejection. Rejection just means that someone else has a different opinion.

3. Fear of emotional pain. Rather than incapacitate us, painful feelings can sharpen our sense of joy and gratitude.

4. Fear of embarrassment. Making mistakes publicly is awful only when we let ourselves feel ashamed.

5. Fear of being alone/abandoned. A strong sense of self-worth and what we can offer the world reduces this fear.

6. Fear of failure. A biggie for most of us and born of the notion that it’s not OK to fail.

7. Fear of success. More responsibility, more attention, pressure to perform can be frightening when we don’t believe in ourselves.

8. Fear of expressing feelings. An authentic life means being willing to express our true feelings to our loved ones, colleagues, adversaries – even ourselves.

9. Fear of intimacy. Emotional intimacy – really being seen by another – can be as scary as sexual intimacy.

10. Fear of the unknown. The unknown can be exciting and vast if we shift our fear to curiosity.

Read more of this article here: http://www.mbrownassociates.com/articles/120105.htm