Have you ever put your foot in your mouth--metaphorically speaking--and then try to fix it only to end up with both feet in? That's what happens when one tries to apologize by attempting to justify our actions or deflecting responsibility by placing it somewhere. An effective apology requires swift and careful thought.
Act quickly. Do not wait too long to take the first step. If you are not sure what to say, consult with a trusted mentor, professor or colleague. Pick someone who can provide a neutral perspective.
Be brief. Get to the point. "I apologize for X." Or "I would like to apologize for X. My comment/behavior was inappropriate." Period. That is it. Refrain from explaining why you did it. This will only take away from the apology.
Cover all your bases. In order words, have some kind of damage control in place. Your faux pas is bound to tick people off and some may choose to hold it against you for a long time. Check in with friends, acquaintances and colleague to gauge who is on your corner.
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Showing posts with label first impressions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label first impressions. Show all posts
Friday, February 10, 2012
Thursday, November 10, 2011
To have or not to have a one-page biography
Most career counselors and coaches sing the praises of having a knock out resume. Consider having a bio. A biography that is. Bios (the preferred term) can be as short as 150 words and as long as one page in length. The idea is to capture the essence of your professional experience and milestones in one or two paragraphs.
How to get started?
How to get started?
- Learn from others. Do a search of other people's bios to get ideas. Bios are mostly used to describe background and expertise of speakers. Organizations use bios to highlight the professional experience of their leadership team. Industry and professional associations are good sources to find examples. Look at those in the line of work of your interest. After reading a few, you will notice a certain type of messaging that tends to emerge.
- Expand on your elevator pitch. Using your elevator pitch as a launching pad, you can add more detail to how you describe yourself (e.g. accomplishments, areas of interest, awards). Note that one key difference is that the elevator pitch is communicated in the first person ("I have 10 years of experience in financial services and ..."). Bios are written in third person ("Anna has ten years of professional experience in financial services and ..."). Another difference is that the elevator pitch is used in one on one situations when engaged in conversation. The bio is used as a written tool in printed and digital channels to introduce someone to an audience.
- Have a template. Once you have a general idea of what your bio will say--based on your elevator pitch--write a draft of what you would like to share. Start with a summary of your career highlighting industry and functions. Continue with goals accomplished ("During her tenure as a hospital administrator, Anna facilitated a cross-functional team to address customer concerns. Customer satisfaction increased 40% as a result of their efforts."). Having a template will allow you the flexibility to update your bio as you acquire more experience.
Are you too young to have a bio? Not really. Anyone who is career minded can benefit from having a biography. Having a resume is a great first step if you are in the job market. Having a powerful elevator pitch will help you get noticed in networking situations. But having a bio will add another dimension to your professional identity. Give it a shot!
If you liked this post, you might like:
Elevator pitch tips
Managing your professional reputation
If you liked this post, you might like:
Elevator pitch tips
Managing your professional reputation
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The art of following up
At a recent workshop about networking, I had to bite my tongue. Although the tips and techniques shared were effective in emphasizing the importance of building relationships long term, another concern bothered me: how to follow up with someone after the initial meeting.
Picture this scenario. You attend a workshop, career fair or a networking session. The most natural next step is to exchange business cards or to ask for someone's card to stay in touch. What really happens afterwards? Nothing. There seems to be a belief that having someone else's card in our possession is enough to reach out to them later when it is needed. False. This is not the most effective way to follow up with someone we just met. They may have met many people that day. So, how do you stand out? By following up right away. Here is how.
Picture this scenario. You attend a workshop, career fair or a networking session. The most natural next step is to exchange business cards or to ask for someone's card to stay in touch. What really happens afterwards? Nothing. There seems to be a belief that having someone else's card in our possession is enough to reach out to them later when it is needed. False. This is not the most effective way to follow up with someone we just met. They may have met many people that day. So, how do you stand out? By following up right away. Here is how.
- Send a quick and short note within two days. Include where you met to give a point of reference. Mention something about discussed during your conversation that will help remember you. Here is an example: "Good morning Ms. Smith, it was a real pleasure meeting you at the Careers in STEM workshop at Princeton University last Monday. As an engineer (here you include your current professional status), your comments about the outlook for job growth in the field of chemical engineering were highly encouraging."
- Rank the relationship. Decide whether this contact is someone with long term potential or if you are mostly interested in a more tactical relationship like an informational interview or a resume critique. Beware: if your main goal is to have her introduce you to a hiring manager, you must be patient and take time to build trust.
- Find ways to remain top of mind. A common way to remain on your contact's radar is to send occasional emails with articles or links related to her area of interest. Other ways to build engagement: ask for a short meeting for an informational interview, extend an invitation to participate in a future workshop, conference, or send a note during a major holiday.
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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.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
First impressions tips and strategies
Managing your professional reputation
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
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Managing your professional reputation
When you think of the word reputation, what comes to mind? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines reputation as a "common opinion or quality as judged by people in general." Note the definition suggests a neutral meaning of the word. In other words, one can have a good or bad reputation. And, according to the dictionary, it is up to other people to decide!
How is this possible?
If you are not convinced, think about times when you have heard others talk about a friend, former colleague, or professor. "He was sooo confusing. I bet nobody understands what he means not even at home." Or,"she comes across so well put together. She is probably busy interviewing for jobs." The man in the example may be a brilliant person but the "common opinion" of those around him is negative. Meanwhile, the woman in the example may always be nervous but knows how to project confidence, so no one around her notices.
Yes, it is not fair. And, as we know from other experiences, life in general is not fair. And, although others' perceptions are a big component of one's reputation, the rest of the equation is about our own actions. So, the good news in terms of managing your professional reputation is that it can be done. The key word is: managing.
To help you get started, take a look at the two factors we just mentioned in more detail:
Actions you have control over. Here the word actions is used loosely to mean traits, behaviors, skills. These are all self-generated outcomes created by you. They could be as subtle as posture, demeanor, eye contact or as obvious as a tapping on the floor, a fishy handshake or an eloquent presentation. Through practice and discipline, you can get better at any of these. Again, you and only you have control over them.
Actions you do not have control over. This is where people's judgments come in. It is important to remember that people's opinions are based in their own experiences, biases and filters. So, the woman who looks polished and confident to some could be perceived as cocky and snobby to others. There is no way of knowing how people will judge her. All she can do is continue to be prepared.
In a nutshell: You are not able to please everyone. But you can manage your professional reputation by proactively focusing on the actions you can control and being consistent in the image you want to project.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
First impressions tips and strategies
Proactive career management 101
How is this possible?
If you are not convinced, think about times when you have heard others talk about a friend, former colleague, or professor. "He was sooo confusing. I bet nobody understands what he means not even at home." Or,"she comes across so well put together. She is probably busy interviewing for jobs." The man in the example may be a brilliant person but the "common opinion" of those around him is negative. Meanwhile, the woman in the example may always be nervous but knows how to project confidence, so no one around her notices.
Yes, it is not fair. And, as we know from other experiences, life in general is not fair. And, although others' perceptions are a big component of one's reputation, the rest of the equation is about our own actions. So, the good news in terms of managing your professional reputation is that it can be done. The key word is: managing.
To help you get started, take a look at the two factors we just mentioned in more detail:
Actions you have control over. Here the word actions is used loosely to mean traits, behaviors, skills. These are all self-generated outcomes created by you. They could be as subtle as posture, demeanor, eye contact or as obvious as a tapping on the floor, a fishy handshake or an eloquent presentation. Through practice and discipline, you can get better at any of these. Again, you and only you have control over them.
Actions you do not have control over. This is where people's judgments come in. It is important to remember that people's opinions are based in their own experiences, biases and filters. So, the woman who looks polished and confident to some could be perceived as cocky and snobby to others. There is no way of knowing how people will judge her. All she can do is continue to be prepared.
In a nutshell: You are not able to please everyone. But you can manage your professional reputation by proactively focusing on the actions you can control and being consistent in the image you want to project.
If you liked this post, you might also like:
First impressions tips and strategies
Proactive career management 101
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