Whether you are in favor or against the Occupy Wall Street protests, and its subsequent spin offs, one thing is clear to me as a career coach: Those involved in organizing protests have two types of skills that have allowed the movement to endure and grow. One is communication skills. The other is teamwork.
Communication skills allow parties to interact, to send and to receive messages effectively. Occupiers--as they are referred to--have maximized the power of technology to disseminate their message, recruit volunteers and keep the media informed. This skill also comes in handy when discussing issues with opponents or those eager to learn. Being able to describe their concerns in a clear, concise and engaging manner has helped them gain status as an emerging influencing voice for the American people.
Team work skills are mainly about working effectively with others towards a common goal. Occupiers provide a vivid example of some of the most common tasks handled by teams: Delegating duties, negotiating outcomes, and organizing resources. The media reports that occupiers have been dutiful at operationalizing the different support systems they need to focus on their protests. For instance, they have a current list of supplies on hand and have rotation schedules for cooking, cleaning and inventory management.
How do these apply to you and your career?
I am not asking you to join the occupiers. That is a very personal decision. What I would like to suggest is for you to reflect on your level of comfort and dexterity. In other words, how are your communications and team work skills? You might say that you did enough of that already in college. And I would say back that practice makes perfect. Do you think that any major sports super star says "I am great already. I am the best golfer, soccer player, swimmer, etc. I don't need to practice?" Never! The key from getting from good to excellent is to keep at it.
One last thing about excelling as a communicator and team player: It applies to everyone and to every type of career. These two skills are just as important to the college student studying biology, to the young graduate looking for work in psychology, or to the seasoned professional making deals in international finance.
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Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The ABC's of job fairs
Believe or not job fairs are still around. They are the most effective vehicle for employers to maximize their recruitment dollars. Aside from the usual advice about preparing for a job fair (i.e. bring lots of resumes, visit every booth, have a firm hand shake) here are three commonly suggested tips with a twist.
Attitude. By attitude I am mainly talking about the way you carry yourself. Yes, you are looking for work. Yes, you are really hoping that this time you will get an interview that will lead to an offer. But do you have to look, sound and appear desperate? No! In addition to exuding confidence through your clothes, hair, and accessories, attitude is also about your posture and most importantly your disposition. In other words, how are you enduring the constant selling of yourself? Are you able to keep your head up high and continue to smile even if you keep hearing, thanks for no, thanks?
Bring extras. Here extras refer to materials that might differentiate you from the rest. Do bring your resume as this is a requirement to get your foot in the door. But how about having some other type of collateral to showcase your talent and skills? For example, in addition to getting business cards, you could have marketing brochures made. If your area is writing or research, you could bring a list of documents and studies that you have produced. I have even seen links of short videos added in resumes as a way to stand out from the crowd.
Communicate clearly. That is, communicate your value clearly. This is another way of saying have your elevator pitch ready. And by ready I don't mean to sound like a broken record. Your pitch must come across as natural although you and I know that you have repeated it a dozen times in front of the mirror. And do not stop at the elevator pitch. Be prepared to answer questions as a result of your pitch.
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Elevator pitch tips
Go ahead: Take that public speaking course
Attitude. By attitude I am mainly talking about the way you carry yourself. Yes, you are looking for work. Yes, you are really hoping that this time you will get an interview that will lead to an offer. But do you have to look, sound and appear desperate? No! In addition to exuding confidence through your clothes, hair, and accessories, attitude is also about your posture and most importantly your disposition. In other words, how are you enduring the constant selling of yourself? Are you able to keep your head up high and continue to smile even if you keep hearing, thanks for no, thanks?
Bring extras. Here extras refer to materials that might differentiate you from the rest. Do bring your resume as this is a requirement to get your foot in the door. But how about having some other type of collateral to showcase your talent and skills? For example, in addition to getting business cards, you could have marketing brochures made. If your area is writing or research, you could bring a list of documents and studies that you have produced. I have even seen links of short videos added in resumes as a way to stand out from the crowd.
Communicate clearly. That is, communicate your value clearly. This is another way of saying have your elevator pitch ready. And by ready I don't mean to sound like a broken record. Your pitch must come across as natural although you and I know that you have repeated it a dozen times in front of the mirror. And do not stop at the elevator pitch. Be prepared to answer questions as a result of your pitch.
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Elevator pitch tips
Go ahead: Take that public speaking course
Monday, October 3, 2011
Elevator pitch tips
You probably have heard it many times,"when looking for a job, you must have an elevator pitch." An elevator pitch or elevator speech-- for those who might need a refresher--is a summary of who you are and what you are looking for. And although it comes in many flavors, an elevator pitch, for the purpose of this post, is aimed at showcasing you and your talents and experience as a potential employee.
The internet offers thousands of suggestions on how to develop and deliver an elevator pitch, so I won't repeat what it has already been said. What I would do, though, is pinpoint a few obvious-- but often missed--tips about creating an effective elevator pitch.
Be Short. Experts tell us that an elevator pitch should be about 60 seconds long. Have you ever tried to speak non stop for a whole minute? You can say a lot in a minute. So, if the idea of doing a 60-second summary sounds intimidating, think in terms of sentences. For example, let's start with six sentences. The first two could introduce you (e.g. name, industry focus, major). The next two could address your professional experience and interest (e.g. internships, previous work, accomplishments). The last two could link your experience to the employer's current needs and suggest next steps (e.g. interview).
Be Clear. Sometimes in trying to impress someone in the shortest amount of time, we use fancy words that could become tongue twisters or make us sound fake. Use common language. Your goal is to help the listener understand who you are and what you can do for them. Quantifying results is a always a winner (i.e. increased revenues by 30%, decreased expenses by 40%).
Be Sincere. This is a tricky suggestion because the success of delivering a flawless elevator pitch relies on having spent time rehearsing. Be aware. I suggest to spend time rehearsing, but do not come across rehearsed. You must sound sincere. Rehearse to the point that you feel comfortable saying it to anyone in front of you. But do not, please, do not rehearse it with the intent of memorizing every word. If you forget one word and go blank, you are dead in the water.
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The internet offers thousands of suggestions on how to develop and deliver an elevator pitch, so I won't repeat what it has already been said. What I would do, though, is pinpoint a few obvious-- but often missed--tips about creating an effective elevator pitch.
Be Short. Experts tell us that an elevator pitch should be about 60 seconds long. Have you ever tried to speak non stop for a whole minute? You can say a lot in a minute. So, if the idea of doing a 60-second summary sounds intimidating, think in terms of sentences. For example, let's start with six sentences. The first two could introduce you (e.g. name, industry focus, major). The next two could address your professional experience and interest (e.g. internships, previous work, accomplishments). The last two could link your experience to the employer's current needs and suggest next steps (e.g. interview).
Be Clear. Sometimes in trying to impress someone in the shortest amount of time, we use fancy words that could become tongue twisters or make us sound fake. Use common language. Your goal is to help the listener understand who you are and what you can do for them. Quantifying results is a always a winner (i.e. increased revenues by 30%, decreased expenses by 40%).
Be Sincere. This is a tricky suggestion because the success of delivering a flawless elevator pitch relies on having spent time rehearsing. Be aware. I suggest to spend time rehearsing, but do not come across rehearsed. You must sound sincere. Rehearse to the point that you feel comfortable saying it to anyone in front of you. But do not, please, do not rehearse it with the intent of memorizing every word. If you forget one word and go blank, you are dead in the water.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
First impressions tips and strategies
Managing your professional reputation
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