Career Management Alliance Blog

There’s no shortage of talk about brands. A brand (URL) is  “… a collection of images and ideas…that convey the essence of a company, product or service,” or yourself as you manage your career. 

It’s easy, in today’s short-attention-span world, for harried job seekers to capture only the superficial, the “image. . .and ideas. . ..” 

I will always remember one corporate branding effort gone laughably wrong. Across the street from the university I attended was the Miracle Chair Company’s factory. Their brand was painted all along the side of their building in big, bold letters: “If it’s a good chair. . .it’s a Miracle!” 

Since companies hire people, not brands, how do you put substance where your brand is? Try making your expert thoughts visible. Write for publication.

I’m not suggesting you write a book. A good article, likely to be seen by thought leaders in you industry, is all that’s required. And it isn’t nearly as difficult as it sounds.

Write for your trade journals. You’ll find a wealth of them listed on the Internet. Many are ezines; a surprising number are actually in print. Find a few issues. Look at the table of contents. The articles’ titles reflect the information people want to know more about. Can you contribute to the conversation?

If you do, glance over some of the articles. You’ll get a sense for the style and contents the editors’ favor. Is the publication a practical guide to problem solving (a “how-to” journal)? Or is it more of a place where ideas are hammered out? You’ll see the trend in a hurry.

Locate the editor’s name on the website or near the front cover of a published copy. Email her to ask for publication guidelines. In addition to suggestions about content, the publication guidelines say how long your article should be and which format the editor prefers.

Once you have your subject, outline the flow of ideas. Readers like their material in some pattern. The pattern you are reading is chronological.

If you use full sentences for your outline, you’ll know if your thoughts don’t flow as well as they could. With the sentences in the outline arranged properly, the article almost writes itself. Just link your outline sentences with transitions to keep the flow of ideas smooth.

Once the article is published, you should see it a Google search for your name—you know, the same kind of search recruiters and executives use when look for top-notch people like you.

Don’t forget to mention your article in your cover letter or your resume.

To add even more impact, everything you’ve just read is transferable to blogs. However, just as you get a sense of an e-zine or magazine by reading it, do the same with a blog.

Here are some questions to help you find the right place for your posts. Is the sponsor respected? Are the postings current? Do they address key ideas? Are they well written? How well does this blog show up in a search?

Writing for publication puts muscle in your brand. Let other people struggle for just the right words or phrase. Let them spin their wheels on “elevator pitches.” Let them experience the unpleasant stress that comes in trying to “sell” themselves. In short, let them pump up their “ideas” and “images,” while you offer information decision makers can really use—particularly when they can add the author on their team.

Posted by Don Orlando.

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Read one person’s story of success.

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“It’s not the degree. It’s what you do with it. An MBA is just noise”

– Dora Vell, an executive recruiter.

MBA does not stand for “Might Be Attractive.” Some pursue an MBA because it “relieves” them of having to search for a job. Many spend lots of time and money to obtain the credential driven by a vague notion it will “help me get a job.” Most are close the truth, but may never recognize the opportunity.

Colleges and universities advertise the MBA as the path to a better job. Most schools have quality programs. But schools are tied to curricula. In too many cases, the MBA is turns out to be a “one size fits nobody in particular” degree. But that doesn’t have to be the case.

Why not harness your MBA program to your career goals? Here’s an example.

The student was a Swedish national, pursing an MBA in the United States. He was a great sports fan and he wanted to return to Sweden as soon as he finished his degree. His dream job was to work in international marketing or sales for a company that makes exercise equipment. That goal drove his entire course of study.

He began by looking at the curriculum, getting a general sense of the subject matter for each course. Before his first semester, he visited the professors who would teach those classes.

He wanted to use the instructors’ requirements for an exam as examples of problem solving to power his résumé to success. Was there a paper about marketing to write in his macroeconomics class? He petitioned to write on the impact of foreign currency exchange on national economies. Was there a case study he in which he must participate? He took on the part about reaching overseas markets.

It worked! He used his class efforts to prove he could solve real world problems in his area of interest. He was hired by the Tunturi Corporation, sight unseen (but with telephone interviews), at a distance of more than 3,000 miles.

You can go even further. Each professor you meet knows the key issues in her area, which journals you should read, which organizations deal with the issues that touch on your career.

Capture the results of your in-class performance in your résumé. The employer cares that you can solve his problems, not whether you were paid to that job.

Add even more impact in your cover letter. Mention the academic results in your résumé were evaluated by someone with a terminal degree in the subject, paid to certify your abilities in the areas they instructed.

Now MBA will mean what it always should have: Masters of Business Administration in the precise area called for by your career field.

Posted by Don Orlando

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In these days of rapid fluctuations in job status, you’ve probably already heard that having your professional brand is considered a valuable career management tool.  But once you’ve got it – identified those skills, strengths and accomplishments that combine to form your unique value – how do you best put it to use?   Here are 3 tips:

1.  Get thoroughly comfortable with your unique value.  Believe it!   Review situations where it was “at work” and identify how.  Put it in story form that you could tell to others, including the impact it had.

2.  Consciously build a reputation built around your unique value.  Your brand doesn’t have to be flashy to be memorable.  Look for a problem, or “felt need”,  to offer it as solution, and do it in as many different settings and as many different ways as possible.  Becoming a repeat solution-provider, or resource, in people’s minds is a powerful way of building your reputation. And when appreciation is being offered is an ideal time to impress your brand – the succinct statement of your unique value – in people’s minds.

3.  Don’t wait until you’re job-searching to put your brand to work.  Continue to refine it on a regular basis, updating it with new accomplishments and aligning it with new trends or challenges in your field.

And if you’re convinced – as I hope you are – that branding is a valuable part of your career management repetoire, take a look at Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand, by Wm. Arruda and K. Dixson and recently released.

Nina Ham, CPCC, LCSW

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If you’re about to interview with a publicly traded company in the United States, get ready to out perform your competition—after only about 20 minutes in front of your computer. It won’t cost you an extra dime.

No, that claim isn’t coming from a deaf, unemployed actor with a creepy short beard screaming at you from your TV in a voice that can shatter glass. This benefit derives from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

You’ll find everything you need in a publicly traded company’s annual report. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission, this document“…is usually a state-of-the-company report, including an opening letter from the Chief Executive Officer, financial data, results of continuing operations, market segment information, new product plans, subsidiary activities, and research and development activities on future programs.” You can usually download the Annual Report from the corporate website as a PDF document.

Start with the page after the cover. That’s where you’ll find a statement, signed out personally by the CEO or President. You’ll know what the company thinks its brand is and what its plans are…all right from the highest levels. 

Read on, paying particular attention to any words that are highlighted or found in sidebars or pull quotes. Senior leadership is telling its shareholders (and its employees) just what’s most important to them. 

Don’t forget the pictures of team members. Often these photos reveal the company uniform. I have an annual report in front of me now that pictures 11 employees. All are men. All are wearing a white shirt, a dark suit, and a red-toned tie. If I was a woman, I might not even bother to interview.  But if I’m a man, it won’t take me long to figure out what to wear to the interview. I’m thinking about a white shirt, a dark suit, and a red-toned tie. 

And when the interviewer asks me what I know about his company, I can articulate not just the corporate vision, not just corporate brand, but all the challenges they think they will be facing. What a great opening for me to outline how I might be able to help work through those obstacles. 

It’s rare to find a single resource that can help prepare you for the interview and give you an insight into corporate culture. Now you know how to put your hands on just such a treasure with a click of your mouse.

Posted by Don Orlando

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Any job searcher who’s sporting more than a few gray hairs has (hopefully) given some thought to how ageism in the workplace will impact him/her.

Assuming that’s you, more than likely you’ve already given attention to the “3 D’s”: Dress, Demeanor, and Disposition.  You know it’s more important (and more attractive) to present an image that’s contemporary than it is to appear young.  A contemporary image includes your personal style, your energy, and your interests.  Get some assistance (and friendly feedback) from a younger family member or friend if you still feel uncertain in any of these areas.

But how about the job interview itself, where the rubber hits the road?  Let’s say your first interview was positive and you’ve been called back for a second, to look over the facility and meet your would-be team members and reports.  What do you need to keep in mind that might not have been issues 10-15 years ago?

First and foremost, you’ll need to address the age gap that is likely to confront you as you’re introduced around.  Any employer or hiring manager will want to see evidence that you can fit in and establish quick rapport with the 20+ and 30+ year olds.  How can you best respond?

Dr. Rita Carey suggests three simple things to remember, all under the same heading: Get out of yourself!  While it may not be easy to turn your focus to “them” in an interview situation where you’ve been concentrating on putting your best foot forward,  it’s imperative.

• Make one-to-one contact where possible.  Who are they? What’s their function in the company?  Make eye contact, shake hands, greet them by name.
• Be genuinely interested in them.  What’s notable about them? Don’t hesitate to ask them about themselves. Listen more than talk.
• Look for connections between you.  Share an interest, a recent experience, a similarity that links you.

Who knows!  The interactions may be more enjoyable than expected and lead to a successful job search conclusion.  Good luck!

Nina Ham, CPCC, LCSW

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The latest Robert Half International Annual Study describes how challenged employers are to find good people. It also highlights how hard it is for those same people to find the right job.

Why not benefit from the current climate by staying where you are, but getting more money for what you do?

Good companies must keep their best employees. And the best employees are noted for their contributions to the mission. Without considering the inevitable “office politics,” it’s often true that no one will look out for your best interests except you.

I am not talking about “brown nosing.” I am talking about documenting your performance before you, and your boss, forget.

Each week, without fail, log the problems you have solved, just as you did when you wrote your résumé. What was the problem? What did you do to solve that problem? What were the results? Don’t forget to quantify results whenever you can, compare what you’ve done against a standard, and show the context of your work. Here are some questions to help you get the most impact from what you record:

 How long had this problem affected your organization before you solved it?

 Had others tried, and failed, to find a solution?

 Were you sought out, by name, to fix this problem? Did you volunteer?

 Did this problem appear during a particularly busy time?

 Did you bring in the solution early? Under budget?

 Has your work served as a model for any other part of your organization?
Please don’t spend time polishing your entries. A simple Word document will do just fine. Enter only enough information to help you recall the details when the time comes.

Now, ask for the raise you deserve. About two weeks before your performance report is due, turn your notes into the same format you used for your résumé. What were the challenges? What actions did you take? What where the results? What contexts applied, if any?

Cover your new document with a memo reminding your boss your performance review is coming up soon. You often handle problems that needn’t take your boss’ time. Nevertheless, you’ve attached a list of your contributions so your boss can use it to expand your responsibilities. In other words, you are tipping off your boss that you intend to ask for a raise.

If you have quantified your contributions, you will be in the strongest position. Suppose you had saved your organization $50K. You can suggest your organization get a 90 percent ROI on that savings. That certainly is fair. And it will generate an additional $5K bonus for you!

This approach helps everyone. Your boss now has the support she needs to give you a raise. The company certainly won when you saved them that money. And you, of course, got the bonus you deserved. In effect, this sets a great standard for the company and its employees. The more employees contribute, the greater they should be rewarded.

If you don’t get the rewards you deserve, use your notes to update to your résumé and renew your job search.

Posted by Don Orlando

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