Whats your value-add

Whats your value-add I reformatted and tweaked this blog post on Dec 17, 2013.  Its kind of painful to go back to old posts and see how poorly written they were in the early days of this blog :p Phil801 wrote a lengthy blog entry about social networking and how it could add value to an employer (Social Networks and Corporations). In short, the idea is that if an employer could take all of his employees and tap into the power and resources of their own networks, what couldnt they solve? The employees might not have the expertise needed to solve a specific problem, but they might know someone who knows someone who knows someone that can solve the problem. Job seekers who are developing their network should leverage this concept and bring value to their network and future employers. A mutual friend and corporate recruiter wrote a follow-up post here: Pay Per Click Consulting?  I think most companies will be too chicken to do what Robert Merrill suggestions, but hes talking about supply, demand, capacity, and the free market, and how a strong network ties into all those. Here are my thoughts: I think it is a great idea, and everyone should work on enhancing their own personal network so that they can be in a position to add value to their employer by making these connections. I think that most employers have internal systems developed to discount any social networks that you bring to them. Think about where you work some people wont open their network because they are afraid that they will make a connection that will make their role obsolete. Or if you bring in a guy that is supposed to be the bomb and screws things up then your name is mud. With regard to a current social system (office politics), your connections to solve a business problem may be sabotaged by someone else. You may have the right connection to solve a problem but a colleague competing against you may not want you to succeed, and you wont have a chance to bring your connections into the picture. I think that this is a great idea, and that everyone serious about career management should evaluate what they are bringing to the table. I imagine that Phil and Paul Allen (the lesser) would say that if any of the negative points that I bring up are true about where you work, then GET OUT and get into a better environment!  I totally agree with what I assume they would say ?? Prepare yourself for that next great company, and increase your job security by having a huge, well-connected network to tap into. Whats your value-add I reformatted and tweaked this blog post on Dec 17, 2013.  Its kind of painful to go back to old posts and see how poorly written they were in the early days of this blog :p Phil801 wrote a lengthy blog entry about social networking and how it could add value to an employer (Social Networks and Corporations). In short, the idea is that if an employer could take all of his employees and tap into the power and resources of their own networks, what couldnt they solve? The employees might not have the expertise needed to solve a specific problem, but they might know someone who knows someone who knows someone that can solve the problem. Job seekers who are developing their network should leverage this concept and bring value to their network and future employers. A mutual friend and corporate recruiter wrote a follow-up post here: Pay Per Click Consulting?  I think most companies will be too chicken to do what Robert Merrill suggestions, but hes talking about supply, demand, capacity, and the free market, and how a strong network ties into all those. Here are my thoughts: I think it is a great idea, and everyone should work on enhancing their own personal network so that they can be in a position to add value to their employer by making these connections. I think that most employers have internal systems developed to discount any social networks that you bring to them. Think about where you work some people wont open their network because they are afraid that they will make a connection that will make their role obsolete. Or if you bring in a guy that is supposed to be the bomb and screws things up then your name is mud. With regard to a current social system (office politics), your connections to solve a business problem may be sabotaged by someone else. You may have the right connection to solve a problem but a colleague competing against you may not want you to succeed, and you wont have a chance to bring your connections into the picture. I think that this is a great idea, and that everyone serious about career management should evaluate what they are bringing to the table. I imagine that Phil and Paul Allen (the lesser) would say that if any of the negative points that I bring up are true about where you work, then GET OUT and get into a better environment!  I totally agree with what I assume they would say ?? Prepare yourself for that next great company, and increase your job security by having a huge, well-connected network to tap into. Whats your value-add I reformatted and tweaked this blog post on Dec 17, 2013.  Its kind of painful to go back to old posts and see how poorly written they were in the early days of this blog :p Phil801 wrote a lengthy blog entry about social networking and how it could add value to an employer (Social Networks and Corporations). In short, the idea is that if an employer could take all of his employees and tap into the power and resources of their own networks, what couldnt they solve? The employees might not have the expertise needed to solve a specific problem, but they might know someone who knows someone who knows someone that can solve the problem. Job seekers who are developing their network should leverage this concept and bring value to their network and future employers. A mutual friend and corporate recruiter wrote a follow-up post here: Pay Per Click Consulting?  I think most companies will be too chicken to do what Robert Merrill suggestions, but hes talking about supply, demand, capacity, and the free market, and how a strong network ties into all those. Here are my thoughts: I think it is a great idea, and everyone should work on enhancing their own personal network so that they can be in a position to add value to their employer by making these connections. I think that most employers have internal systems developed to discount any social networks that you bring to them. Think about where you work some people wont open their network because they are afraid that they will make a connection that will make their role obsolete. Or if you bring in a guy that is supposed to be the bomb and screws things up then your name is mud. With regard to a current social system (office politics), your connections to solve a business problem may be sabotaged by someone else. You may have the right connection to solve a problem but a colleague competing against you may not want you to succeed, and you wont have a chance to bring your connections into the picture. I think that this is a great idea, and that everyone serious about career management should evaluate what they are bringing to the table. I imagine that Phil and Paul Allen (the lesser) would say that if any of the negative points that I bring up are true about where you work, then GET OUT and get into a better environment!  I totally agree with what I assume they would say ?? Prepare yourself for that next great company, and increase your job security by having a huge, well-connected network to tap into.

Graduate Fair Tailor-made for Masters postgrads University of Manchester Careers Blog

Graduate Fair Tailor-made for Masters postgrads University of Manchester Careers Blog Your Masters degree ends in September/October, so the autumn recruitment fairs happen at just the right time to help you find a job, right? Wrong! If youre going to find a job at a recruitment fair starting this year, the fairs you need are the summer Graduate Recruitment Fairs next week. Why? There is a big difference between the types of jobs advertised at these fairs. The autumn fairs are primarily aimed at larger employers looking to fill their graduate schemes, normally a year in advance. Therefore, the majority of jobs on offer at the autumn fairs start in the autumn of the following year October 2014 which is a long way off if you graduate with a Masters at the end of 2013. The summer fairs are mainly full of employers looking to fill posts immediately or in the next few months. Some are large employers, where they are looking for a few new recruits, sometimes because they havent filled all those vacancies first advertised last autumn. However, most of the recruiters at the summer fairs are medium-sized employers with immediate vacancies. For these employers, its very hard for them to predict whether they will have vacancies in 12 months time, but they do know they will have job vacancies over the next few months. What if I dont want a job until after I finish? This can sometimes cause a problem, if the recruiter wants someone to start straight away. However, its worth discussing with them whether they are prepared to wait until youve completed your dissertation or project. They may be more interested in the right person than an immediate start date. Also, in some cases, they may be more than happy to look at a slightly later start date the summer fairs might have come around a bit early for them too! This is the time to practise your negotiation skills. Will there be the right jobs there for me? For some of you, yes. For others, definitely no. You really cant generalise about Masters postgrads. If youve come straight from an undergrad degree with little work experience,  the fairs may be  a very good starting point for you. If youre an experienced professional,  you probably wont find the perfect job at these fairs, though you may be able to get some good inside information on employers in which youre interested. If you are looking for a very specialist role, or one in a highly competitive sector like museums, the media or consultancy, the employers youre looking for may not be at the fairs though its worth checking beforehand you never know. Will it be worth my time coming to the fairs? Try reading my advice on the main postgraduate careers website and make your own mind up. How to make the most of careers events as a postgraduate If you decide to  come to the fair, this will also give you some clues about the right questions to ask, to avoid that well, that was a waste of time feeling (something I often hear from postgrads who have taken the wrong approach  at recruitment fairs). How will I know if the right employers will be at the fairs? By looking at whos coming and what degree subjects theyre looking for (pdf). Make sure you come on the right day, as there are different employers on each day of the fair. Details of the Graduate Recruitment Fairs in Manchester: When: Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th June, 2013, 10.30am-4.00pm Remember: Different employers each day Where: Armitage Centre, Fallowfield, Manchester Register in advance to avoid the queues on the door: Graduate  Recruitment Fair registration and further information All Postgraduate job hunting jobs

Turning Your 9-5 Into Your Own Business

Turning Your 9-5 Into Your Own Business Are you good at your job but tired of all the money you make going into someone else’s pocket? It’s a common problem and one which can be good news for the economy as it’s a problem which encourages many people to start their own business. Doing exactly what youre doing nowbut with a bit more responsibility, you could work from home if you wanted to, set your own hours, have the option to spend more time with your family and work with only the most helpful and smartest peoplethe ones who you choose and the luxury of knowing you can never be fired. Starting your own business could be the best career move of your life, but how can you do it? More and more people are finding themselves doing something else on the side as well as their 9-5 job, either to add to their income or feed their passion, but it doesn’t have to be a hobby that you turn into your own business, why not turn your day job into your own business? Inventory Your Skills Start off with making an inventory of all the skills you have acquired during your job. It may be dealing with customers, managing a team, developing analytical skills or public speaking abilities. If you analyze your job activities on a regular basis, this will also allow you to update your resume on a regular basis, and present yourself in a more comprehensive way professionally. There are also your natural talents and abilities that you might not even realize you have; it may be a writing skill, unique communication abilities, an ease with public speaking or an excellent acumen for numbers. Either way, take some time to analyze your natural talents and skills and think about what people come to you for advice most often for? Are you known for anything in particular? Is there anything that you find you can do with such a natural ease and pleasure that you don’t even have to think about it? Analyze Your Market The next step is to look into the market that surrounds you. What do you think that the people around you need the most? What would you like to see a solution for in your own 9-5 job? Many businesses are born out of a personal need, either because something is missing in a professional capacity or in their personal lives. In the position you’re in now, what do you think could be done better, what do you think is missing either to help you do your job better or to help your customers or clients. Make a list of the market needs around you and connect your personal skills and attributes. Always keep your mind focussed on what you’re doing it for and ask yourself these two questions: How is your business serving a particular need? Does your business represent a significant market opportunity? Evaluate Your Options Then you can start looking at the opportunities and solutions that are most attractive to you. You may undergo a process of elimination involving your highest priorities, as well as your likes, dislikes and general preferences. Remember to keep in touch with your own internal compass. What stirs your soul the most, and what appeals to your intuition? What would bring you the most joy and fulfillment? Don’t hesitate to rinse and repeat this process as much as you deem necessary. This will consequently mean that you will stay in touch with your growth and experience, which in turn helps you update your resume and elevator pitch more often and accurately. Consider Outsourcing For Help Once you know what you’re doing and have a focus, you will probably want to start off with outsourcing yourself while still working in your day job. It is a practical, method to starting out and it shows you the safest, smartest ways to turn your current job skills and experience into a potential income as a self-employed professional. Prepare Financially Making the jump and giving up the benefits and security that come with a full-time job is a scary thing to go. However, it’s probably never going feel like the right time. It is always going to be a risk, and it is still going to be scary, so don’t keep putting it off. Try and have some savings together so that you can live with no income for about six months (should you need to) and before you make the jump, have a clear idea about who your clients will be and make a plan to get new clients and new business. Set Goals and Deadlines Once you’ve made the decision, set yourself a deadline and hold yourself accountable. Decide on a specific date you want to be out of your current job by or are there any other indicators in your life that you want to set the deadline by? However, if your current role isn’t fulfilling and your passion is gone, that might be all you need to make the jump. Before you quit though, make sure the processes are in place to help your business work. Do all the organization, planning, schedule things carefully and try using free software to make your work more effective. Try using cloud collaboration tools to improve productivity and give you greater clarity about what’s going on in your business; it will also help you to save money. Have the structures in place so that you’re ready for the time you hire a team to support you. You can play around with all these sorts of things before you quit your main job and that will make the switch far easier and the transition smoother and quicker. Don’t get bogged down in how much time you spend on things, as a new entrepreneur you need to be prepared to put in lots of hours in with minimal returns in the beginning stages. Initially, your time isn’t money, it is groundwork, and if you want your business to succeed, you have to be prepared to be all things to all people, you have to be the customer service rep, the salesperson, the individual contributor, the finance manager, and HR. Ditch Fear and Ego Try not to consider any task is beneath you as it’s extremely valuable to take some time to truly understand what goes into each part of your business and without a boss telling you what’s right or wrong, you will eventually build a sense of self-accountability which is a very tough part of being an entrepreneur. Take notes of the challenges you face in each aspect of your business as you start. This way, you will be aware of what challenges anyone you might hire will have to face and cope with. Don’t be afraid to fail either, it is very common but don’t let this stop you from succeeding. Remember that when going into this, your path is uncharted and will undoubtedly be a little rocky. Try not to get stressed or panicked and don’t let fear prevent you from following your dreams. Think of it this way: the sooner you fail, the closer you are to discovering what works. While you can’t guarantee the outcome of any new venture, by having a go you’ll at least be one step closer to finding out. Become Familiar With Regulations Make sure you are fully aware of what regulations, licenses, and taxes you need to follow, obtain and pay for in your new business. Are there any qualifications you need to get for going it alone? Do you need to set up a company or can you be a sole trader? This will vary in each industry and in each business, for example, setting up LLCs for real estate agents is an essential step in building a real estate business, but that is not the same for every industry. It’s a good idea to do some initial research but then discuss with a lawyer and accountant to confirm your understanding and to help structure your business to comply with the law. You will need to need to ensure that you are charging the correct amount of tax your service or product that your company is promoting and make sure you have all of the necessary licenses needed to run your new business. Build a Support Network Finally, invest your time with like-minded people, spend time with other business owners and ask them about their stories and experiences; it is a great way to and create valuable relationships. A lot of success is actually built from opportunities or inspiration from people we know to find people that you connect with to talk about your ideas, write about your thoughts online, and create a community that empowers you. Take advantage of those around you who want to help you to succeed.

Statistics Behind Paying Off Student Loan [INFOGRAPHIC]

Statistics Behind Paying Off Student Loan [INFOGRAPHIC] Paying off your student loan is a daunting prospect, especially when you have just graduated. So how long will it actually take? The infographic below from moneysupermarket.com tells us just how long and how much a typical professional would pay back. For e.g. I, as an Engineer, would take around 30 years to pay back my student loan. And there is no stigma in paying off your student loan on its schedule you know. President Obama only paid back his student loan in 2004. Image source: MoneySupermarket; photo credit: DonkeyHotey via photopin cc 17

Mission and Purpose - The Negotiator Job Search - Career Pivot

Mission and Purpose - The Negotiator Job Search - Career Pivot Mission and Purpose What is the mission and purpose of your job search? Without a defined mission and purpose, how do you know if you’ve found the right position? This is the 2nd post in the Negotiator Job Search series. You can read the rest of the series here. In Jim Camp’s book, Start with NO…The Negotiating Tools that the Pros Don’t Want You to Know, the author writes: Effective negotiation is effective decision making, plain and simple, and the foundation of effective decision making is a valid mission and purpose to guide it. This is the bedrock of my system. How can you stay on track during a long negotiation or endeavor of any kind without a clear mission and purpose? There’s no other way. But if you develop and adhere to a valid mission and purpose, how can you go off the track? If you have a valid mission and purpose, and the result of your negotiation fulfills this mission and purpose, it’s a good and worthwhile negotiation. Your Mission and Purpose You need to get very clear on: Why you want to change jobs What you want in your next job If you want to leave your current position because of the boss, pay, working conditions, travel, stress levels or whatever is driving you nuts, you need to clearly state this! Create a mission and purpose statement that clearly states the role you want. For example: I want to move into marketing where I get to work on strategy. This is withoutmanaging people, but to be the catalyst for creating innovative products. Listen to the most recent episode I have had a couple of clients who have been approached about positions where they would be managing a team. My question to them each time is, “Do you want to manage people?” Each time, the answer was a resounding NO! So why are you considering the position? Get clear on what is the mission and purpose of your job search. This can be complicated if you are unemployed. Sometimes, you just need a job. If that is the case, your mission and purpose statement may be something like: I want a marketing position where I get to work with a team that I like and get adequate compensation to allow me to pay the bills. What do you want to go to and not run away from? When you want to leave a position, it is sometimes easy to pinpoint what you are running away from. The better question to ask is what do you want to create, preserve, eliminate, or accept in your next position? You can read more about this model from Marshall Goldsmith in my post Career Reinvention â€" A Model for Change. I recently had a conversation with a job club member who was unemployed. She took a temporary project management position with a local company. Her previous employer allowed her to work from home 100%, and this allowed her the freedom to take care of an elderly parent when needed. In that temporary job, she learned just how important having freedom at this point her life was to her. Create a list of what you want: To Create â€" What do you want to do differently in your next job? To Preserve â€" What do you want to maintain from your current job? To Eliminate â€" What do you not want to remove from your experience? To Accept â€" What do you not like but are willing to accept in a job? These can be around compensation, benefits, team, boss, manager -vs- individual contributor, work life balance, office environment, and just about anything else that relates to work. Recently, I had a client who interviewed with a company that has an open collaborative office environment. Everyone sits in one big open room. My client is easily distracted, so this environment would be very tough on her. She needs to be able to work in a quiet, secluded place for at least part of the day. Get clear on what you want. You may not get everything you want, but having a clear mission and purpose is vital. What is your Mission and Purpose in your job search? The negotiation process in your job search should start by writing your mission and purpose statement before you start your job search! The next post will be called Stop Trying to Control the Outcome! Are you ready to define your Mission and Purpose in your job search? Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...