The strategies Kate shared on the show were very good, so I thought I’d summarise while adding a few of my own tips. These are relevant across both genders, so if you have a tendency to be timid and shy away from self promotion, here are 5 must-do strategies to help you stand out and succeed within the corporate sector.
1. Be clear on your authentic personal brand and continue to be ‘on brand’ in everything you do.

Often, your qualifications, experience, skills and the projects you have worked on may be similar to your colleagues’; however, what can differentiate you from your peers is your personal brand.

So what’s a ‘personal brand’? It’s your reputation – the perception that others have of you, which can either be positive or negative. So how are you perceived by others in your workplace?

* What are you naturally gifted at, that your colleagues often struggle with?
* When looking at your achievements and successes, what strengths and talents can you portray?
* If people were to describe you in six words – would those six words reflect how you would describe yourself?

Why should you take the time to clarify your personal brand? Because once you are totally clear on what makes you unique, special and perhaps a little ‘quirky’ it’s authentic to you. No matter how many times others may try, people cannot copy you because it’s distinctive to ‘you’ and what will enable you to stand out confidently within the workplace.

2. Be aware of the successes and achievements you have delivered and how they have impacted the company rather than focusing on your tasks and accountabilities.

When marketing and pitching yourself for a pay rise and/or promotion – think benefits (the successes you have delivered for the organisation) rather than features (your tasks and functions), because results the company has experienced through your direct involvement will distinguish you from your colleagues in a far more powerful way.

Many of your colleagues are probably working on similar tasks as you. However, what will certainly differentiate you is by ‘how’ you performed these tasks and the measurable results, successes and achievements the company experienced.

* What issues have you overcome that supported the company in increasing productivity and efficiency? By how much?
* Have you streamlined existing processes? How has this improved performance?

3. Establish clear career goals to support ongoing development and exposure within the organisation.

During our interview, Kate mentioned that many women were quick to volunteer their time, however without too much thought as to whether the project would continue to support them in their professional growth. Men however, tended to volunteer for projects that would enable them to boost their profiles.

* Will the project allow you to develop new skills and experience to help you transition to a more senior-level role?
* Will you be working with influential people in the company with whom you would normally not associate, thus getting you known across the organisation?

4. Sharpen your communication skills and get to the point.

When contributing information to a discussion, some women tend to share the entire history leading up to the point they want to make. Rather than presenting your colleagues with an entire episode of ‘War and Peace’ (which could cause them to get distracted and lose interest in what you’re saying), get straight onto the facts. Be precise, brief and factual and share additional information only if asked.

5. Practice your negotiation skills..

Both men and women can be apprehensive when it comes to negotiating their salary or request for promotion – I know, as I’ve coached literally hundreds of clients across both genders in this area.

Studies have shown that your mannerisms and your voice are the two most important elements of communication, so be mindful of your body language, your tone of voice, speed, volume and pitch as you present your case as to why you should be considered for a pay rise and/or promotion.

Remember, prepare your case in advance and ensure you can provide measurable achievements/successes and reasons, and practice your communication skills so that you can deliver your presentation with confidence to ensure your request will be given the consideration it deserves.

If you want to listen to my interview with Kate Southam click here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/careercommunique/2009/11/29/must-do-strategies-to-enable-women-to-succeed-in-the-corporate-sector

Till next fortnight…

Annemarie

Your contact list (your ‘circle of influence’ as I like to call it) is worth far more than gold and should be treated as such. By nurturing and building these relationships you’ll be able to tap into numerous opportunities about which you may otherwise never have found out.

Adopting an approach of regularly sharing relevant information and supporting your circle of influence should create an environment of reciprocity so that when you need to seek support your contacts will be far more open to supporting you. It’s a win-win situation. 

If you’re still unsure of the best way to cultivate your growing circle of influence, below are 5 tips that I recently shared on Twitter on how you can keep in contact with your connections in order to develop in positive and professional relationships.

Tip One: @annemariecross What have you done for yr network today? Send someone an article they’d be interested in and that will support them in achieving their goal.

Read a newsletter, article or online report that you know would be of benefit to one (or more) of your connections? Send them a copy of the article to support them in achieving their goal.

You many like to include a short note to demonstrate that you’ve been thinking about them and that you are genuinely interested in seeing them achieve whatever they are working on.

Tip Two: @annemariecross What have you done for yr network today? Volunteer to help out at an event. Your contact will be very grateful for the support.

Supporting your contacts by volunteering at their cause or event is a great way to strengthen a relationship. Extending a hand of friendship in any way, large or small, is certainly a wonderful gesture and one I’m sure will be greatly appreciated.

Additional benefits of volunteering include the ongoing expansion and development of your skills and knowledge base, while meeting additional people who can also become part of your network.

Tip Three: @annemariecross What have u done for yr network today? Make contact with someone & invite them for a coffee & chat – just because you can.

Life and work often get so busy that we HAVE to make the time to just sit back and ‘smell the roses’.

Similarly, with your circle of influence, the contact you have with them does not necessarily need to be ‘work’ focussed all the time. Inviting someone out to coffee and a chat is a fantastic way to strengthen your relationship without having that corporate-like approach. Remember, people recommend and/or do business with people they know, like and trust. Aim to build relationships that are founded on integrity and trust. 

Tip Four: @annemariecross What have u done for yr network today? Send a card or tell someone how much you appreciate them for their ongoing support.

Receiving a card, a phone call or note from someone who is showing their appreciation is a gesture that I’m sure all of us appreciate. So why not do the same for people in your network.

Has someone helped you out of a bind; sent you information that has been helpful in your job search/career; or has just been there for you no matter what? Reach out to them today and let them know you are grateful for their help and support

Tip Five: @annemariecross Building your network? Find out the interests of one of yr connections & ask them about this next time you meet.

I’m sure all of you have one activity – a hobby or interest about which you are very passionate. So how impressed would you be if one of your connections asked you how about this and whether you’d had a recent opportunity to immerse yourself in this area? I know I would be!

As the tweet post states, find out about the interests of your connections and make a note of it on your network database so the next time you know that person is going to attend a networking event, you’ll be able to ask them about it. A great icebreaker and a way to build rapport while strengthening your relationship.

So which of the five tips will you be implementing this week? My coach’s challenge for you this fortnight is to pick a minimum of two, and implement these with at least three of your contacts.

Annemarie

After initial introductions and the ensuing handshake he commented “I’m really sorry to take up your valuable time. I know you must think I’m a nuisance, and I don’t mean to be such a bother.” Even his body language indicated a serious lack self confidence, which was really saddened me. I could just imagine him repeating this comment at a networking meeting or worse yet, at an interview.

Whether you are representing yourself at a network meeting, an interview or even just having a coffee with a network contact – it is vital to portray a professional and successful image.

Unfortunately this person did not realise that the message he was conveying, could be viewed as negative or weak by some people, and by projecting anything less than his absolute best could harm his reputation.

To avoid becoming a casualty of communication catastrophe and undermining yourself and your abilities try some of the tips provided below:

• Avoid using weak and ineffective communication when promoting your ideas such as “You probably won’t like this idea but how about…” or “I’m probably way off track but …” Instead use strong communication when presenting your ideas; if you don’t believe in what you are saying or what you stand for, how can you expect others to?
• Emulate the physical ‘presence’ and mannerisms of self-assured and confident people. Stand tall with your head held high. Use a firm (although not hand crushing) handshake, smile, and remember to speak clearly and maintain eye contact with the person to whom you are communicating with. 
• Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake, but rather view it as an opportunity for continued learning and personal development. Everyone makes mistakes, but it is in the way you learn from these and pick yourself up that makes all the difference. One of my favourite quotations is ‘There is no failure, only feedback.’ So, if a situation did not deliver the outcome as planned, review it and understand how you can improve on it, so that next time you are in a similar situation you can achieve a better result.
• Learn to accept congratulatory praise and compliments and don’t lessen the impact of your achievements by saying “Oh it was nothing really.” Be proud of what you have accomplished! Instead say ‘Thank you!’ to demonstrate your gratitude for being acknowledged.
• Avoid using negative comments about yourself or your skills as this not only projects a poor self-image, but does little to enhance your self-esteem. Stop feeding your negative self-image by diminishing your skills and abilities, but rather be proud of who you are and what you have to offer.
• Don’t portray or describe yourself as a victim when faced with a problem. Rather, take on a proactive demeanour by demonstrating your ability to face challenges head on, even if that means asking for support from those around you.

Remember, how we interact and communicate with people around us and with ourselves (through internal communication/thoughts) can significantly impact how we are perceived. Ensure you are perceived in a positive and professional way by adopting some of the above tips!

By the way you’ll be pleased to know that after spending some time with the person I mentioned earlier, we were able to work on his marketing documentation as well as his communication and presentation style. He’s having far more positive results within this job search, which is pleasing to hear.

If you feel like you could be jeopardising your (online and offline) networking and interviewing efforts by not projecting a professional persona, then come and listen in to our upcoming radio show ‘Help! I need a job’. We’ll be sharing important online and offline networking communication strategies to help you win that job.

Mobile post sent by AnnemarieCross using Utterli.  Replies.  mp3 ]]> http://career-coach.com.au/blog/can-you-be-found-online/feed 0 http://career-coach.com.au/blog/career-misconceptions-avoid-falling-victim-to-these-6-common-mistaken-career-beliefs http://career-coach.com.au/blog/career-misconceptions-avoid-falling-victim-to-these-6-common-mistaken-career-beliefs#comments Mon, 25 Sep 2006 03:36:29 +0000 Annemarie Cross http://career-coach.com.au/blog/?p=63 Are you feeling blocked within your current career but unsure as to why? During the call we will cover 6 mistaken career beliefs that can often block candidates and/or career professionals in achieving their true potential. Position yourself for career success by following the key tips and strategies presented during the call!

In tonight’s Career Communiqué telecall we’ll be addressing the following misconceptions and what you should be doing:

1. Misconception 1: The most qualified candidate always gets the job offer.
2. Misconception 2: The best approach to job searching is through recruitment agencies, internet postings and newspapers articles.
3. Misconception 3: As long as I continue to work hard for my current employer, my role will be secure.
4. Misconception 4: Once I have completed my formal education there is no need for me to undertake further professional development.
5. Misconception 5: My resume should include a career objective, my entire work history, training and all of the responsibilities associated with each role I have performed.
6. Misconception 6: As I am well established in my current role, it’s not really important to continue working on my career.

Download the observation/action sheet that will accompany the telecall here:

http://career-coach.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/notes260906.pdf

Listen to the recording here

Enjoy!

We have warned about this a few times (see our Beware Your Blogging Posts [March 2006]) where we cautioned people with personal blogs to keep their posts at a professional level due to the possibility of current (or future employers, key stakeholders and influential people) stumbling across it. For those of you with a personal blog we suggested that before posting a comment you ask yourself “Would I want my boss to read this?” or more importantly “How does this post continue to position and build on my professionalism and credibility – how can it enhance my personal brand and overall value?”

Back to the story I mentioned earlier: apparently the comments this man left on the online forum were found to be quite offensive by one of the other forum members. This person requested that the tone and langugage be kept at a respectable level, (along with a few warnings apparently), however this was not heeded.

The offended party then ran a search on the I.P. number; tracked this back to the company’s computer; and contacted the company’s management to put in a formal complaint that one of their workers had been posting less than professional comments on an online forum. Needless to say the company took action and terminated his employment.

So, please folks, remember to keep your posts and blogs at a professional level. You never know who is reading them and what they can or will do if they find your comments of an offensive nature. You may just find yourself out of a job!

In our Beware Your Blogging Posts [March 2006] post we cautioned people with personal blogs to keep their posts at a professional level due to the possibility of current (or future employers, key stakeholders and influential people) stumbling across it. For those of you with a personal blog we suggested that before posting a comment you ask yourself “Would I want my boss to read this?” or more importantly “How does this post continue to position and build on my professionalism and credibility – how can it enhance my personal brand and overall value?”

Well, for those of you who are blog enthusiasts that may not have heeded the above caution, here is another statistic that may very well have you curbing your comments to a level that is far more professional.

Acording to Execunet (a career and job search advancement company) after a survey they conducted on a number of executive recruiters regarding their candidate research practices, they discovered that 77% use search engines (such as Google or Yahoo!) to uncover and further details regarding prospective employees. Thirty-five percent of those executive recruiters termed this as ‘cyber reference checking?”

So, how would you feel if a recruitment company ‘googled’ your name and came across your personal blog. Would your posts support you as the best candidate for the role?

In fact, have you tried ‘googling’ your name on a few of the leading search engines? It may be something you should do to ensure that you are not eliminated during the cyber reference checking.

Following on from part 1, here are a few more strategies to ensure you continue to position yourself as a key contributor to the organisation, thus strengthening your chances towards maximising career success.

• Align yourself to theneds of your boss’ priorities. Build the reputation that you can be counted on and deliver what you promise.
• Attitude is extremely important – recognise other people and their commuincation styles and strategies as to how they relate to others within the organisation.
• Keep a journal of all your achievements as they are completed – don’t leave this to the last minute.
• two to three months before your salary review, find a way to outline to your boss your contributions.
• Before the negotiation begins, ensure you perform research into the market value of your role and what other companies are payment.
• Continually learn new skills that are directly transferable to the role, or to another role at a higher level than you are current at. This way if such a position becomes available you can put yourself forward for the promotion.
• Market yourself both inside and outside your company.
• Be a problem solver not a problem maker.

Remember, this is an ongoing proces – you need to continuously set the stage for job performance and self marketing.

Dress for success – professional appearance is very important particularly if you are in (or targeting) a high-level management role.

Continued success!

If you have recently been passed over for promotion and want to strengthen your position before the next round of promotions, you may want to consider implementing the strategies detailed below. Or perhaps you have just begun a new role and want to continue to make a good impression and grow from strength to strength to maintain ongoing employability, while continuing to lay the foundations for future remuneration/salary negotiations and promotion.

Keep in mind that increases in salary/remuneration occur due to:

* An increase in responsibilities

* A promotion

* Concerns by the employer that you may leave or be poached by a competitor.

Be aware that the dynamics of negotiation with your current employer are different from negotiating with a prospective employer. Therefore the strategies that you implement should include:

* continuing to gain more responsibility in your role

* making yourself so invaluable that even the hint of you leaving causes concern.

When interviewing with a new company you are selling yourself, and you must continue to do this all year long and not just at review time. By constantly marketing yourself (without appearing to be arrogant in your self-promotion), you ensure that key players, decision-makers and your boss will be aware of what you are doing and what you have been achieving.

* Begin by establishing a rapport with the boss that you can comfortably drop-by for a matter of fact approach to deliver the great news (achievement).

* Practice being casual and able to communicate in a friendly and casual way with your boss.

* Send relevant memos to people who have an interest in projects you are working on.

* Seize opportunities to discuss what you are doing with staff in other areas who might be affected by your work – particularly if they are at higher levels.

* Continue to network throughout the entire corporation to develop trust, rapport and respect for you and your quality of work.

* Offer assistance if the situation arises in an area you excel in – this will enable you to showcase your expertise.

* Seek out the opportunity to become involved in or spearhead high-profile projects/assignments.

* Perform well and achieve outstanding results – this will make your boss and team look outstanding as well.

* Seek to add value to an organisation and its customers.

* Send thank you notes to others who collaborated in the project.

These are a few ideas to get you started. Keep an eye out for Part Two, which will provide a few more strategies to catapult your career.

To your success!

According to a recent article in HR Monthly (written by D. Ryall), a champion is someone who is ‘well connected in your organisation – who knows many employees, what they do and how well they do it.’ A champion is well informed to the goings-on in the company including new projects, company restructures, and which staff members are able to take up the challenge of a new position. Ensure this champion is aware of who you are, your abilities, and your most recent wins and successes.

A mentor on the other hand can be either an internal or external resource, providing valuable feedback on your developmental requirements and your career aspirations. This may be someone who is highly skilled in the area you wish to transition to, thus being able to provide crucial information pertinent to your development and progression within the role/organisation.

I think we could all benefit from developing a strategic alliance with both a champion and a mentor!

Here’s to your continued success!