If You Want to be More Enterprising, Think Plural!

This is a guest post by Ian Sanders, a business & marketing consultant based in the UK. Ian is the author of “Juggle! Rethink Work, Reclaim Your Life” and “Leap! Ditch Your Job, Start Your Own Business & Set Yourself Free.”

How do you answer that dinner party question ‘what do you do?’ Do you have a simple one word answer or do you find it difficult summing up your job, because you do more than one thing?

Many of us are carving out plural work lives where we juggle more than one role. Whether you work for yourself, for an employer or you’re seeking a career change, jugglers are busting the old myth that specialism rules!

Throughout our education we were always encouraged to do one thing, to specialise in a narrow range of subjects and choose a singular trade or profession. I never liked that. So when I left school, I relished the ability to mix things up, working at a radio station, for a music business and taking a class in photography all at the same time. That gap year before I went to university was when I learnt to juggle and throughout my life, both working for organisations and for myself I have continued thinking and acting plural, juggling writing books with running a business. Working for a fashion brand one day, a rock band the next.

If you carve out a work life that reflects your multi-dimensional talents you can be more fulfilled and also more enterprising. My book ‘Juggle! Rethink Work, Reclaim Your Life’ advocates that we bust those myths about what you should or shouldn’t do so that we can go beyond a fixed job title to create a role juggling our talents and passions. Kevin Roberts features in my book. Kevin is CEO Worldwide of Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the world’s largest creative organisations, but he also blogs, writes, sits on the boards of other companies and guest lectures at business schools. He’s carved out a unique role driven by his passions – the ‘Work Kevin’ is the ‘Real Kevin’. And that juggling philosophy informs the company’s approach to recruitment:

“This whole notion of specialization vs. generalization I believe is a crock. It limits people. In my experience, people are much more capable than their specialty might suggest. Indeed to only focus on specialization leaves a good deal of man’s potential unrealized”

But juggling is not only for successful CEOs. Jan is an HR manager 3 days a week and makes handmade jewellery the rest of the week. Dave juggles being a photographer with working in a camera store. Sam is a sales executive working for a media company, but has a web-based hobby business he runs in his spare time. In a recession, juggling can prove to be a good survival strategy; if you have more skills to offer the job market or an employer, you can be more of an asset.

So if you’re stuck in a job you don’t like, try juggling; start by reframing your role to take on a new responsibility or task. Or if you have a desire to start your own business, a recession might not be the best time to quit your job, so try a hobby business in your spare-time.

Here are 5 tips to creating a Juggle-based career:

1. Be Flexible: Forget a rigid career plan, be flexible to embrace opportunities that fit with your talents and desires. Change your mindset and start thinking plural.

2. Stay Focused: being a good juggler is not about being a ‘jack of all trades and master of none’. It’s about being committed and dedicated in all you do. Manage time well to deliver on all fronts.

3. Shout about your talents: develop a personal brand and use social media to communicate your talents to clients, recruiters and employers.

4. Be Passionate: put passion at the heart of all you do. If you love what you do, work is less of a chore.

5. Go beyond a job title: carve out a unique you-role. Do it your way, be authentic. Let the Work You be The Real You!

Happy Juggling!

Ian Sanders is ‘Chief-Juggler.’ He’s a writer, ideas-producer and business & marketing consultant based in the UK. He’s author of ‘Juggle! Rethink Work, Reclaim Your Life’ and ‘Leap! Ditch Your Job, Start Your Own Business & Set Yourself Free’. Follow him on Twitter @iansanders Videos, blog and links http://www.iansanders.com/ Video of him talking about Juggle http://tinyurl.com/ianjuggle Change This ‘Juggle’ Manifesto http://changethis.com/55.01.JuggleLife

What not to wear (or do) at MBA admissions fairs

I’ve been accused over the years of having unrealistically high expectations of people and I’m sure in some cases it’s true. However, the preponderance of things that really make me get hot under the collar are so low on the expectations spectrum, they really are hard for me to wrap my mind around. Which brings me to what not to do/wear to an MBA admissions fair.

If you’re not familiar with graduate school fairs, the idea is simple enough–colleges and universities send representatives to key cities around the world to meet with prospective students. Some fairs attract hundreds of students and institutions of higher learning. Admissions representatives are trying to stand out from all of the other schools to reel in the best and brightest students. Prospective students are trying to gather information about target schools, present themselves well, and also to get a feel for each program’s culture. Given the goals of the event, it shouldn’t come as a shocker that both groups want to put their proverbial best foot forward. But that doesn’t always seem to be the case for some attendees. Following are some random observations.

Don’t bring a Teacup Chihuahua. I was going to specify graduate school fair, but I think this should be a universal rule for any fair (job fair, state fair, renaissance fair, health fair, etc.) Would you be taken by surprise if you saw a guy carrying a Teacup Chihuahua as he went from table to table? Are my expectations too high on this one?

Blue jeans, by any other color, are still blue jeans—and blue jeans are generally bad when you want to present yourself as an aspiring business professional. I specify color as I’ve had conversations with students on guidelines for business professional dress and they try to find a loophole by wear black jeans because I mentioned that blue jeans weren’t acceptable. I wonder if those students end up working as attorneys??

It’s generally a good idea to tuck in your shirt. I know that might come as a shocker, but I think people want to know you are willing to put in that little extra effort required to tuck in your shirt…especially if you’re wearing jeans. I’m no fashionista (or would that be fashionisto? So much for four years of high school Spanish), but I’m going to say I think it looks bad at a graduate school fair.

Stiletto heels. As with the previous point, you won’t be seeing me as a judge on Project Runway, but I’m pretty sure stilettos are a bit on the high side at recruiting functions.

If you’re only there to grab free stuff, at least try to be subtle about it. I actually watched a guy come up, reach in front of someone who was in the middle of a conversation with a representative from one of the schools, so he could grab a handful of free pens. I can see making a mad dash if they were giving away Mont Blancs, but the pens were probably 50-75 cents each. Was that really necessary? It’s just a hunch, but I don’t think that guy was there to make friends and influence people…I think he was there for the schwag.

I often find myself wondering where common sense has gone and if it’s ever going to make its way back into the mainstream. If it’s gone for good, maybe I’ll adopt myself a Teacup Chihuahua, un-tuck my shirt, throw on some black jeans, put on some heels, grab a handful of free pens, and ride off into the sunset.

Personal Branding vs. Personal Grooming

This is a guest post by Chris Perry, founder of  Career Rocketeer, the Career Search and Personal Branding Blog.

It has always been said that you should not judge a book by its cover.  Appearance isn’t everything, or at least, it shouldn’t be.  In your career search and development, the substance of your personal brand and the promise of the unique and differentiating value you consistently deliver in any given situation are inevitably most important. 

However, presentation can make or break your personal brand and can be one of the deciding factors in your career progression.   The following results from a recent survey of over 500 HR professionals (commissioned by Gillette and conducted by Harris Interactive®) on the topic of personal grooming among male job candidates and male employees provide some valuable personal branding insights for all job seekers, both men and women:

• Nearly two-thirds (66%) of HR professionals believe that a candidate’s physical appearance is very important or important in distinguishing them from other job candidates.
• More than 9 in 10 (92%) HR professionals agree that a candidate who takes the time to be well-groomed exudes confidence.
• Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) HR professionals agree that the more well-groomed the job candidate, the better impression they get of him.
• More than 8 in 10 (81%) HR professionals agree that they take special note of job candidates who are well-groomed.
• A majority of HR professionals (52%) believe that being clean-shaven is an extremely important or important aspect of personal grooming in making a good first impression when meeting a job candidate for the first time.
• Other aspects of grooming—besides a clean shave—that are also extremely important or important to most HR professionals, include the absence of body odor (91%) and hair that is well-cut and styled (60%).
• One in four (25%) HR professionals believe facial stubble is one of the biggest red flags when meeting a job candidate for the first time.
• Other red flags, according to a majority of HR professionals, include body odor or sweat stains (93%) and wrinkled, ill-fitting, or inappropriate clothing (73%). 
• The top three aspects of physical appearance that men often neglect, according to HR professionals, are their fingernails (59%), clothing (27%), and shaving/body odor (23%).   
• If a candidate comes to a job interview unkempt, 71% of HR professionals conclude that he is unprofessional and more than half (55%) conclude that he is not seriously interested in the position.

The results from this survey should not deter any of you from keeping your facial hair or from creating and developing your own unique style or look to go with your personal brand.  I would not recommend to anyone that they change the essence of who they are by altering how they want to look in front of others.  We were not all made from the same cookie cutter, and thus, we should not all have to conform to looking exactly the same to achieve career success.

However, keeping yourself well-groomed and maintaining higher levels of personal hygiene should not limit the evolution of your own unique personal brand and look.  In the end, whether you know it or not, a clean shave, a good hair cut and clothes that fit not only make you look good, but feel good, too.  This leads to a subconscious confidence that will come across in your interviews and networking and help enhance your personal brand.

It’s also important to present yourself well once you have your job, too.  According to the survey, more than 8 in 10 HR professionals (84%) agree that well-groomed male employees climb the corporate ladder faster than those who are not well-groomed and two-thirds of HR professionals (66%) conclude that an employee is not professional if he regularly comes to work looking unkempt.

Don’t change who you are; just build your personal brand to be the best and most effective it can be!

Chris Perry is a Gen Y Brand and Marketing Generator, a Career Search and Personal Branding Expert and the Founder of Career Rocketeer, the Career Search and Personal Branding Blog.

It’s Not Who You Know…It’s Who Knows YOU!

This is a guest post by J.T. O’Donnell, nationally syndicated career strategist and founder of CAREEREALSIM.com.

I was trading e-mails with a colleague, Thomas Parry, founder of a very innovative new local networking program in Greenville, SC called Linking the Upstate. We were discussing new trends in networking and he said, “It’s not who you know, it’s who knows YOU,” which suddenly made me want to explain what that really means.

Once upon a time…

There was a job seeker who was accomplished, smart and very professional. He had so much to offer. He had a wonderful personality, had been very involved in various activities, and thus, knew lots of people. Yet, he could not find a job. Why? Because nobody knew him.

I’m sure you are thinking: “What is she talking about? She said he knew lots of people.”
Ahh, but there is a difference between the two. You can know thousands of people, and yet, if you aren’t connecting with them and making sure they are aware of your unique career identity, then the hard truth is they don’t know you and can’t help you find a job.

Why does this matter?

Well, if you are job seeking right now, then you’ve surely heard the industry statistic that says currently 80% of all jobs are being landed via referral. That means, someone you know most likely knows about a job that would be a fit for you. BUT, they may not know you well enough to connect the two.

If you want to find a job, you need to market your ‘company-of-one.’ And every good marketer knows, when times are tough and sales are down, you must do the following:

• Get real clear on who your target audience is.
• Build a strong, positive message they won’t forget.
• Get out there and spread the message as much as you can.

Most job seekers have #1 and #2 covered. Their resume is polished, their cover letters are well-written and they even have their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts up and running. But, it’s #3 where the majority of job seekers grind to a halt. This is where the excuses come in: “I can’t call employers,” and “I’ll feel stupid asking my friends for help. Besides, they know I’m looking for a job.” And my all-time favorite, “I don’t want to seem desperate.”

If this is how you feel, then it sends a strong message about how little you actually value the professional services you provide. I’m not asking you to be pushy and overly confident. In fact, there are many people who are overdoing it in that department right now. All I am asking is for you to be proud of your skills enough to want to effectively spread the word about them.

I realize your mind is racing right now. The idea of putting yourself in the position to be judged by others has the appeal of eating worms. But trust me, like anything in life, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Besides, for you those of you that watch Man vs. Wild, you know when food is scarce, you eat what will sustain you. (Actually, that guy has eaten some crazy stuff!)

And here’s some good news:

Unlike the marketing of most products and services, there are two things in this situation that work in your favor:

• The people you are contacting recognize they could be in the same position as you one day.
• Helping a person find a job is a great feeling and doesn’t require much more than a recommendation by e-mail or phone. You are still going to have to make it through the interview and get the job on your own.

So, here’s what you need to do:

Logistically, job seekers need to be connecting and promoting their career identity to at least 10 people per day. Otherwise, they can expect their job search process to be drawn out. If you are having trouble reaching that number on a daily basis, then besides the traditional forms of networking, here are two additional ways:

• Build your personal brand on Twitter. (You can sign up to receive step-by-step instructions on how to do this.)
• Create an Interview Bucket List. (Watch video that explains this concept.)

In Summary

Finding your next job is going to boil down to making a good, lasting impression on as many people as you can. It’s the best way to ensure they think of you when they hear about an opportunity that might match your skills and experience. At the end of your next job search day, the only thing that should be assessed is the quality of the connections you’ve made.

So, I ask you. How many people know YOU as a result of what you did today?

J.T. O’Donnell is a nationally syndicated career strategist and founder of the career news and perspective site, CAREEREALISM, where free tools and resources for the savvy professional are made available daily. O’Donnell can be reached via Twitter at twitter.com/jtodonnell and by e-mail at info@careerealism.com.

Courting Your Career on Viralogy

Recently, I had a chance to chat with Jun Loayza of Viralogy fame about the parallels between dating and the job search and all things career adjacent.

Check it out.