 Strengths + Skills + Character + Opportunities = Career Success
Create opportunities for career success. Start with strengths that come to you naturally and easily, then learn skills that compliment your strengths, and build character to create opportunities for career success. As you learn more about yourself you will find skills you want to master and opportunities that fit your values. Are you more of an intuitive communicator who creates from your heart or an analytical innovator who designs from your head? Valuing your strengths - the natural abilities you were born with - will drive you to develop skills you want to use for your business or job. Your skills are demonstrated in your product, analysis, data, and abilities but your heart will draw your audience to interact with you. Your career success starts with you. Are you writing your business plan, setting up your portfolio, or looking for a job? You need to be able to clearly express your strengths. You know you are working in your strengths when time goes by so quickly you don't know what happened. You are in the zone. The neurons in your brain are firing and your face lights up when you talk about what you are doing. Not sure about your strengths? Try this: Talk to a friend about something you did or are working on that you really enjoy doing. Notice your friend's expression. Are they listening and interested in what you are saying? Ask your friend if you look enthusiastic or passionate about what you are describing. If your friend doesn't appear really interested in your project, you may need to rethink your project or find your passion in doing it. You might even network and find someone with a similar interest to stir up your passion. When you write about your strengths on social media, do people respond? Your LinkedIn profile should include your strengths, values, and something your are passionate about. Social media is a tool to reach a wider audience and monitor the reaction to your work. When you share your product or service with a customer, prospective partner, or employer you will need to show your excitement to generate their enthusiasm. Value yourself and your work. Start sharing today! Want to know more about how to show your strengths, skills and character?
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Whether you are a Career Coach, Entrepreneur or employee, reading posts on Facebook with an eye for the needs of others can help you in your business.
A recent study by researcher Ethan Kross, a social psychologist and faculty associate at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, reported by several sources including The Huffington Post, said in a statement, "But rather than enhance well-being, we found that Facebook use predicts the opposite result -- it undermines it." If social media is used as a tool to learn more about others, and reach out to them through your business, giving, and prayer then social media can add to your happiness. When these tools are used to compare yourself to others, avoid real interaction, or passively observe the world you are not taking part in, then it is another way of adding to your unhappiness. We often hear that people talk about frivolous things on Facebook, but the all of the little things make up the big life. As a Personal/Career Coach, I began thinking about all of the trends and life events I hear about through Facebook. People moving, losing their jobs, finding a new career, enjoying their work, building a new business, personal and health concerns, babies being born, and then kids going off to school. I feel the heartbeat of clients and potential clients everyday. If you work with students it would be helpful to know that some of them may be feeling bad about their lives when compared to others on Facebook. How can you help them? Working with creative entrepreneurs, career changers, and job seekers, I can see what people are doing in their businesses and how it impacts their lives. Seeing what people are buying and selling—including what they had for breakfast--gives me a clue about trends that affect business and work. Are people gardening? Traveling? Exercising? Eating healthy? All these things are important trends that help me work with clients. Whether you work directly with people or work with a computer, what people are doing and buying affects the company you work for or the career field you are in. Look at social media with an eye on others rather than yourself and Facebook will be more than a let down. Think of Facebook as a neighborhood where you share with others and build a reputation. Through connections on social media, I sold books, and added clients. Look to the needs of others whether in person or electronically and you will create opportunities for business success. Social media, when used well, is an honest transparent collection of information about a unique brand – you! Whether you are a job seeker, entrepreneur, or career professional you will find many ways to show your audience who you are and what you can do for them. As a job seeker your product is you. Show the skills and services you can offer an employer. An entrepreneur’s audience is their customer while a career professional works with their clients. Career professionals need to master the media skills their clients and students need to understand as well as developing their own media presence. Social media is an excellent place to show your Brand, develop your Reputation, build Associations, and show a Track record for success—your social media BRAT.
Branding Branding is a snapshot of you that gives your audience something to like and remember about you -- a way to draw in your audience -- to feed a want or need. As you consider your personal brand, think about the impression you want to make. Show your audience how you are unique and why a customer would want buy a product or service from you rather than someone else. You choose how you want your audience to feel about the business of you. Use social media to associate the brand of you with your product or service.
Reputation Your reputation sets you apart from others who offer similar products and services. There are others who want the same job, customer, or client. You will set yourself apart by showing your character, consistency and values. Let your audience know you are the person they want to do business with. Think before you post.
Associations Social media sites are a little like a neighborhood. You get to know your neighbors through interacting in their environment. You listen to what they say and comment on their contributions. You wouldn’t knock on doors in your neighborhood and ask for a job. You show an interest in your neighbor. The neighbors know you are responsible by looking at the upkeep of your house and yard; and how you work in your community. Similarly in your digital neighborhood people notice if you are keeping your profile up-to-date, whom you are hanging out with, what you are saying, and what you have in common with them. Who do you associate with?
Track Record A track record shows that you have a history of experience that shows success: sales, promotions, training, conferences, events, skills, or whatever might interest the employer or customer. Your track record shows you are the kind of person with whom they want to do business. You can be trusted, and you will be around when they need you. Social media builds a track record over time.
I just read a wonderful book by an accomplished career expert, Katharine (Kathy) Hansen, Ph.D., creative director and associate publisher of Quintessential Careers, as well as an author and instructor. The name of the book grabbed my attention immediately. We all have accomplishments, but we often minimize them not knowing how to stand out without sounding like bragging.
Whether you are a job seeker, entrepreneur or employee, the ability to describe your accomplishments concisely and passionately will move you forward in your career. The book, You Are More Accomplished Than You Think: How To Brainstorm Your Achievements For Career And Life Success, gives you tools, examples, information, and worksheets to help you define and describe your accomplishments. You may know your accomplishments without understanding how to describe and build on those accomplishments. This book will show you how. Too often the resume, cover letter, or profile is a list of job duties without showing your value, results, or sharing a memorable story. When you finish this book you will be proud to share your many accomplishments in a meaningful way without sounding like you are bragging. The author shares techniques such as: · Integrating feedback from others. · Mining documents for accomplishments. · Entrepreneurial accomplishments. · Life accomplishments. · Using keywords to describe your accomplishments. One of the most important things you can do in describing accomplishments is to know your audience and tailor your accomplishments to the person or business you are speaking with. The prompts, brainstorm activities, tools, websites, and assessments will help develop and frame accomplishments that are difficult to quantify. Some accomplishments can be given a numerical value while others will be told in scenarios, examples, or stories. As Katharine Hansen explains, “When we describe accomplishments, we are essentially telling stories. The challenge, your role, and the impact you had.” You Are More Accomplished Than You Think: How To Brainstorm Your Achievements For Career And Life Success, by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D. will give you clear concise information and the tools you need to frame your accomplishments. As the author states, “You are more accomplished than you think.” Find the Kindle edition of this invaluable book on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/More-Accomplished-Than-Think-ebook/dp/B00AG2EYXQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357345296&sr=1-1&keywords=your+are+more+accomplished+than+you+think Looking for a job is more than a search--it takes action! As a job seeker or employee you need to be prepared for opportunities that come your way. Companies change, downsize, resize, and move so everyone who wants to work needs to be ready for their next career transition.
Quintessential Careers mega job search and information site has tools and information you need to stay current on job openings, trends in the work world, and career experts who can assist you. To get the job you want you will need to have the training and expertise employers require, build relationships in your network, and know how to say who you are and what you want. Why do you need Job Action Day 2012? Taking action is in the moment, urgent, and something you need to be motivated to want to do. Job Action Day gives you the latest information from Quintessential Careers where you can learn more. You may feel overwhelmed or discouraged when you read the vast amount of information about work and job search. But Job Action Day comes to you every year with articles and tips to motivate and inspire you to take the next step. There are jobs and you have so much to offer an employer. Use Job Action Day, November 5, 2012, to jump start your career and take action! Back to Blogging I can see it has been quite some time since the last time I wrote a post for this blog. I have been spending so much time writing and working on projects that I have neglected my posts. I enjoy blogging because it is immediate and in the moment; sharing information and ideas that are happening right now. I have been spending so much time organizing, self-editing, hiring professionals, and starting a publishing business that I got away from doing what I love--writing.
Publishing a book takes discipline and helps me improve my writing skills, but I found it very tedious to go over and over the same material. It is time to update my websites and blogs and get connected with all of you. If you are a creative entrepreneur, writer, or job seeker come back often and let's share in this journey of finding our own personal definition of success and happiness. There is plenty for everyone! |
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Nancy J. Miller, M.S. is a Certified Life Coach, publisher, and author of "Fire Up Your Profile For LifeWork Success." "Vegetable Kids in the Garden," and "The Vegetable Kids Cafeteria Club." With a Master's Degree in Career Counseling, she has 15 years experience coaching entrepreneurs, writers, job seekers, professionals seeking a career change, and students. Contact Nancy at: success@nancyjmiller.solutions to learn more.
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