How To Get a Networking Introduction (insight from Hunter Walk)

How To Get a Networking Introduction (insight from Hunter Walk) One of the bigger problems I see with job seekers is that they dont know how to get networking introductions. On LinkedIn, Hunter Walk wrote this article: Why Most VCs Won’t Intro You To Other VCs (Unless You Follow These Steps). He wrote it for entrepreneurs looking for money from VCs, but every single point he makes is something a job seeker should understand and internalize. In my own words (read his post here): Do your work upfront!  Too many job seekers have very vague requests for help. Most vague requests are about as helpful as this: Im looking for a job.  Geesh!  Can you tell me ANYTHING about you, what youre looking for, what you want to do, etc.?  I cant help you if I dont know if you want to be a lifeguard at the local rec center, or a CEO of a multi-national company!  When you do your homework, youll know how I might be able to help you and youll be able to have a better conversation.    Ignore this at your own peril (or, extended job search). DO NOT name drop without permission.  Hunter is kind of a big deal and Im sure has this happen all the time.  If someone didnt say tell them I sent you, then DONT TELL THEM THEY SENT YOU!  You can say oh yeah, I know Jason. I just read his blog post and .  But dont say Jason sent you.  You will ruin your credibility and likely come across as a liar, perhaps ruining two relationships with one unfortunate white lie. Dont ask your contact for too much.  If you want an introduction, make it super-easy for your contact to facilitate the introduction. This means you write something they could forward why the introduction is happening, etc.  Make it easy for them to forward something without thinking too much. Follow-up with the person who made the introduction for you.  Its critical that you do this, if you want to improve relationships and get more introductions.  When someone follows-up with me, no matter how good the meeting went (even if it didnt happen), I can trust that the person Im introducing will respect my contacts.  I want to help more.  If I dont know what you are doing with my introductions, I am not inclined to give you more. Keep the person posted about whats going on.  If you trust someone enough to ask for an introduction, and they trust you enough to do the introduction, why not keep them abreast of whats going on, even outside of that introduction?  Keep them posted perhaps monthly or quarterly. stay on their radar.  I wrote about this using a job seeker newsletter, which is a monthly email that I personally think every job seeker should have. Too many people want to finish the job search and never, ever do it again.  But the truth is, we will do it again regularly.  We need to figure out how to make this type of stuff be part of our DNA how we work, how we communicate, etc.  Whether you are looking for a job, funding, or customers, this is basic communication and networking stuff we need to internalize. How To Get a Networking Introduction (insight from Hunter Walk) One of the bigger problems I see with job seekers is that they dont know how to get networking introductions. On LinkedIn, Hunter Walk wrote this article: Why Most VCs Won’t Intro You To Other VCs (Unless You Follow These Steps). He wrote it for entrepreneurs looking for money from VCs, but every single point he makes is something a job seeker should understand and internalize. In my own words (read his post here): Do your work upfront!  Too many job seekers have very vague requests for help. Most vague requests are about as helpful as this: Im looking for a job.  Geesh!  Can you tell me ANYTHING about you, what youre looking for, what you want to do, etc.?  I cant help you if I dont know if you want to be a lifeguard at the local rec center, or a CEO of a multi-national company!  When you do your homework, youll know how I might be able to help you and youll be able to have a better conversation.    Ignore this at your own peril (or, extended job search). DO NOT name drop without permission.  Hunter is kind of a big deal and Im sure has this happen all the time.  If someone didnt say tell them I sent you, then DONT TELL THEM THEY SENT YOU!  You can say oh yeah, I know Jason. I just read his blog post and .  But dont say Jason sent you.  You will ruin your credibility and likely come across as a liar, perhaps ruining two relationships with one unfortunate white lie. Dont ask your contact for too much.  If you want an introduction, make it super-easy for your contact to facilitate the introduction. This means you write something they could forward why the introduction is happening, etc.  Make it easy for them to forward something without thinking too much. Follow-up with the person who made the introduction for you.  Its critical that you do this, if you want to improve relationships and get more introductions.  When someone follows-up with me, no matter how good the meeting went (even if it didnt happen), I can trust that the person Im introducing will respect my contacts.  I want to help more.  If I dont know what you are doing with my introductions, I am not inclined to give you more. Keep the person posted about whats going on.  If you trust someone enough to ask for an introduction, and they trust you enough to do the introduction, why not keep them abreast of whats going on, even outside of that introduction?  Keep them posted perhaps monthly or quarterly. stay on their radar.  I wrote about this using a job seeker newsletter, which is a monthly email that I personally think every job seeker should have. Too many people want to finish the job search and never, ever do it again.  But the truth is, we will do it again regularly.  We need to figure out how to make this type of stuff be part of our DNA how we work, how we communicate, etc.  Whether you are looking for a job, funding, or customers, this is basic communication and networking stuff we need to internalize. How To Get a Networking Introduction (insight from Hunter Walk) One of the bigger problems I see with job seekers is that they dont know how to get networking introductions. On LinkedIn, Hunter Walk wrote this article: Why Most VCs Won’t Intro You To Other VCs (Unless You Follow These Steps). He wrote it for entrepreneurs looking for money from VCs, but every single point he makes is something a job seeker should understand and internalize. In my own words (read his post here): Do your work upfront!  Too many job seekers have very vague requests for help. Most vague requests are about as helpful as this: Im looking for a job.  Geesh!  Can you tell me ANYTHING about you, what youre looking for, what you want to do, etc.?  I cant help you if I dont know if you want to be a lifeguard at the local rec center, or a CEO of a multi-national company!  When you do your homework, youll know how I might be able to help you and youll be able to have a better conversation.    Ignore this at your own peril (or, extended job search). DO NOT name drop without permission.  Hunter is kind of a big deal and Im sure has this happen all the time.  If someone didnt say tell them I sent you, then DONT TELL THEM THEY SENT YOU!  You can say oh yeah, I know Jason. I just read his blog post and .  But dont say Jason sent you.  You will ruin your credibility and likely come across as a liar, perhaps ruining two relationships with one unfortunate white lie. Dont ask your contact for too much.  If you want an introduction, make it super-easy for your contact to facilitate the introduction. This means you write something they could forward why the introduction is happening, etc.  Make it easy for them to forward something without thinking too much. Follow-up with the person who made the introduction for you.  Its critical that you do this, if you want to improve relationships and get more introductions.  When someone follows-up with me, no matter how good the meeting went (even if it didnt happen), I can trust that the person Im introducing will respect my contacts.  I want to help more.  If I dont know what you are doing with my introductions, I am not inclined to give you more. Keep the person posted about whats going on.  If you trust someone enough to ask for an introduction, and they trust you enough to do the introduction, why not keep them abreast of whats going on, even outside of that introduction?  Keep them posted perhaps monthly or quarterly. stay on their radar.  I wrote about this using a job seeker newsletter, which is a monthly email that I personally think every job seeker should have. Too many people want to finish the job search and never, ever do it again.  But the truth is, we will do it again regularly.  We need to figure out how to make this type of stuff be part of our DNA how we work, how we communicate, etc.  Whether you are looking for a job, funding, or customers, this is basic communication and networking stuff we need to internalize.

Engaging The Multitasker - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Engaging The Multitasker - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career How often do you find yourself on the computer while watching TV? Or looking up something on your phone while in a meeting? Even though the studies show that multitasking decreases our productivity, we simply can’t help it. The younger generations don’t even realize they are multitasking…to them it is simply the norm. Multitasking happens in a variety of forms, but multimedia engagement is becoming the way to give a 360-degree experience. This is especially true with sporting events and reality competition shows, which are two of the few things watched live anymore. In a recent Time magazine.com article on celebrity apps, they noted the following statistics about TV engagement: According to a Yahoo Mobile and Razorfish poll last year, 94 percent admitted to multitasking on their smartphones in some form while in front of the tube, while 38 percent of respondents said browsing the web while watching TV enhanced their viewing experience. And it’s not just TV. Sitting in meetings, conferences, or speaking engagements you’ll find many of the attendants are on their computers or phones while the presentation is going on. Nothing happens as a singular focus anymore. Staying relevant with the multitaskers Knowing this is to know your audience. The most impressive personal brands are the ones that remain relevant, and in the now, with respect to not only current events, but also current behavior. Try the following to better engage the multitasker in all of us: 1.) When presenting to large groups, engage with the crowd through twitter #hashtag questions that can be calculated right then and there by someone on your team an then brought into the presentation. 2.) On Twitter and Facebook, reference current events and your take on them. These don’t just have to be in your realm of expertise but something that everyone is talking about. This being said, stay away from gossip topics, as they won’t help a professional business. 3.) Make sure your content is easy to share and that your website is a central zone for all other feeds. i.e. a one stop shop of information about you, your company, current work, blog posts. Also take note of the times of when you post something that might link well to a current topic, event, TV show, etc. It will increase the chance of getting it shared. 4.) Create an app or promotions/contests on your site that coincide with live or televised real time events. Interact with those who are watching and bring you, or your company, into the experience. Author: Katie Marston is a partner in VMGelement , a personal brand development company focusing on professional athletes. Follow her on Twitter at @ktmarston

Your 1st Quarter Review Create a System if you want to Change Your Life

Your 1st Quarter Review Create a System if you want to Change Your Life Its almost the end of 1st quarter already-whoa!   For those of you in sales- good luck hitting your numbers  during the next week or so.   For accountants- our thoughts are with  you during busy season. Many of us started 2010 with a few goals   We wanted to make this year better than the last.   We wanted to lose weight, pay down our debt, quit smoking, get a new job, etc.   How are you doing on your personal 2010 goals? Have you lost sight of these goals completely?   Have you quit your goals?   Youve all heard it before, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.   Its funny how we never think of ourselves as insane but, according to this definition, most of us are. This year I had to face my own insanity and break the madness.   Im hell bent on achieving my #1 goal: paying  OFF my debt.   I imagine my battle with debt (although still well below that of  the average  Americans) is similar to those who battle with their weight.   It is very psychological and at times hard to control.   The Change Process That Has worked for me Ive used  the following process to help me make a big change in my life.   It can easily be applied to losing weight, saving money, or searching for a new job.    So far its working really well for me.   Confession to yourself.   It started with looking at the number instead of ignoring it.   Really facing it.   Hating it, but facing it.   Confession to Accountability Partners.  My anxiety was eating me alive, so I finally told my parents, boyfriend and best friend the number-all parties are strongly against keeping balances on credit cards.   Confessing was where it really began for me.   Now I have a team of cheerleaders encouraging me to get er done!   Plus, I cant suddenly appear with new things and go out all the time anymore because they are watching.   Its also easier for them to understand when I have to say no to stay within the  budget. At the end of each month I check in with Katie and tell her how much I paid off, and what I did good and bad.  It has led to much progress. Taking Action. I only had 3 credit cards, and I cut them up one by one.   It was really hard for me to let go of that last one.   It was my security blanket.   So my boyfriend cut it up while I wasnt looking Getting used to discomfort.   Im not cut out for credit cards.   I never bought anything  too extreme when I did use one, just some trips to TJMaxx, Target, and those but it was on sale!! purchases  that add up over time.   Thanks to my credit card, I had never allowed myself to feel the discomfort of saying NO.   Crazy, isnt it?   The more I face the discomfort, the easier it gets.   I still dont like it, but now I can tolerate it.   I think getting used to discomfort is the best thing you can do for your life, your career and your goals. Create systems that work for you.    Im on a cash only system now.    Who wants to shop en masse with cash?   No one.   If I get tempted, its easy to look in your wallet and say, I truly cannot buy this. I  stay out of stores.   Sometimes this requires closing my eyes while walking past (you should see all the awesome  stores around my office-they are my enemies).   I know, its ridiculous but its  true. I also  plan  far ahead.   Again, so basic but something I wasnt doing.   I always figured it would work itself out.   I spent a lot on gifts and said yes to every dinner invitation. Not anymore.   I have to plan ahead for my hair appointments, wedding gifts and car maintenance.   Make sacrifices.   I decided to move out of my 25th floor Gold Coast apartment to move into a less glamorous neighborhood with Katie.  Im doing this because it is helping me reach my goal faster.   It is also a factor  of admitting that what I was doing wasnt working. Rinse and Repeat.  With the help of your cheerleaders and a bit of  focus, you will get comfortable being uncomfortable.   Being uncomfortable is what leads you to change.   Create systems that dont allow you to fail.   Keep it up over time.   Review (and celebrate!) your progress  regularly. Let us hold you accountable What were your 2010 goals?   What systems did you create for yourself to avoid temptation and falling back into your old habits? Are you afraid of changing in order to get yourself to where you want to be? If you fell off the wagon this year, why did you?   Do you plan on getting back to your goals?  

Moving from no communication to harmonious relationship - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Moving from no communication to harmonious relationship - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career You might have just landed a new and exciting client. Putting your best foot forward is essential for building a long lasting relationship. But sometimes, although your best was delivered, the communication seems to die. It completely ruins your day and sometimes even an entire week. It’s not worthwhile to allow this to happen because it poorly affects all else you do in that time period. An improved approach is to review everything that took transpired prior to the silence in place. As long as you are certain you are performing at your best levels, you have nothing to regret. The problem most likely resides on the other end. You might try reaching out once or twice by varied types of communication, but after that, you need to value your own time. On occasion, apologies will be forthcoming later on.  Time Management Know that chasing a relationship that isn’t meant to be will only drain your time and effectiveness, both of which negatively affect your bottom line. Focus instead on your better clientele. Doing so eliminates extra stress and allows you to continue to perform to your best standards. Pending Clients While in conversation with prospective clients, be sure to speak to their expectations and timelines for finalizing business with assurances you are able to deliver. One added step is to express that you wish to move forward for the long-term by ensuring you are on the same page with the project. Therefore, you welcome feedback at every stage. The gesture of welcoming feedback does two things to your favor. First, your client will sense the integrity with which you work, and secondly, will pitch in to help you to do a good job. The above insights stem from the philosophy of proceeding from your client’s point of view. By taking their perspective in first, they will be far more receptive to yours. Is this 100%? In working with others, rarely will you find a strategy that works all of the time. However, this strategy has proven to work a high percentage of the time. From the client perspective, it’s about liking and trusting you, and believing you work with integrity. Asking for feedback and implementing their suggestions provides confirmation that you are in fact the right person for the job. Once satisfaction is expressed with the service sold, ask for a follow-up meeting. Lead with inquiring as to goals laid out ahead for the company and how your service may contribute to those. This type of inquiry implants the vision that you are in there for the long term. Promises Adhering to everything you claim to do, and to be, builds a very strong personal brand to your favor. Most of the competition is knocked out of the park. Your reward becomes not only a returning clientele, but also one that promotes you to everyone they know. This is how you establish the Smooth Sale!

3 finance interns gave us their top tips on embracing life in Canary Wharf

3 finance interns gave us their top tips on embracing life in Canary Wharf Being an intern is daunting, but when youre an intern in Canary Wharf, London’s busiest financial district, there is always added pressure. We spoke to a group of Canary Wharf interns, whove worked for companies such as J. P. Morgan and Credit Suisse, to get the low down on life in finance and how to make a solid impression. Listen and learn Remember everyone starts from the bottom and makes their way to the top Everybody has to start somewhere, and becoming an intern is a great way to kick start your career! In such a chaotic place such as Canary Wharf, there are not many small companies where you can rock up and make a huge influence in your first week. Remember to be realistic in your ambitions and time frames of what you want to achieve. YOU DO FIT IN (no matter how much you feel like you don’t) It is going to take some time to feel like a part of the team, but don’t let this initial worry stop you from making the most out of your internship. The majority of companies have hundreds of interns across their divisions. As our J.P.Morgan intern tell us, “This generally meant that everyone was aware of the interns and in the most part happy to answer any questions and help you learn. This made a great atmosphere to work in.” Don’t be intimidated, see it as a great learning opportunity Although you are walking into a competitive atmosphere, this doesnt mean you have to be extremely competitive with other interns. Its important to show off your skills but also to work effectively as part of a team. “You are not always directly competing and the emphasis is more on doing your job well, getting on with your colleagues and talking to lots of people,” states the intern from J.P.Morgan. The key is to focus on the task that youre doing and improve on the feedback that youre given, rather than constantly worrying about what the other interns are doing. Be Social Depending on what company you work for and what department you are in, depends on the amount of spare time you have during the week. The summer marketing analysis intern said that as part of her internship, J.P. Morgan held “several socials organised for all of the interns which was very good fun”. In comparison, the MA intern advises that “during the week, you don’t get much time to socialise, so definitely make the most out of your weekends”. It is important not to waste your evenings rushing home to watch Netflix, so go out for dinner with other interns or colleagues. Making an effort to be social could go a long way. Face your Fears The Market analysis intern from J.P. Morgan stated, “I was worried about introducing myself to all the new people that I didn’t directly work with as we were expected to go and talk to people from other teams and shadow them”. She suggests that the best way to cope with these initial fears is to set yourself personal daily targets. Get to know your environment Compared to the rest of London, the financial hub of East London is smart, clean and modern. During the week, Canary Wharf is described as an environment that is “extremely dynamic and busy” and “everyone is super into what theyre doing, they are always in a rush.” No one is paying attention to what others are doing. It might be a good idea to familiarise yourself with the area before you become an intern so youre not overwhelmed with the bustling crowd on your first morning. It is not just about men! Stereotypically the financial district is perceived to be male-dominated, but times are changing! Time Inc have recently moved their offices to Canary Wharf, so the likes of LOOK Magazine and Maria Claire are now rubbing shoulders with the banks. Even the internship schemes that companies such as J.P. Morgan are creating are becoming more gender equal. Our intern from J.P. Morgan happily declares that “in my intern class there was a 50:50 ratio and we had women’s panel session and networking which was a good way to talk to senior female employees, and find out what it is like for them.” Dont panic if its your first internership Whether you have past experience in the area you are going to intern in, or if you had a job during college, these transferable skills are crucial when interning. Don’t worry if Canary Wharf is your first experience of work though; it’s always good to have prior experience but not necessary. The intern from J.P.Morgan said that “for many interns it was their first internship and they were fine”. No regrets You don’t want to leave your placement wishing you could have done more- trust me! Take your mum’s advice and ‘as long as you tried your best, that is all that matters!’ I have asked other interns what they would do differently, and the intern from J.P.Morgan said she would put herself out there more, talking to as many people as possible as they all have a lot you can learn from. You are expected to ask lots of questions so making the most of the knowledgeable people around you is important. Final piece of advice As a final piece of advice, be passionate about what you’re doing, talk to as many people as you can, ask lots of questions and learn as much as possible. The intern from Credit Suisse advises: “Be open, be friendly and willing to learn. Its a learning game. Get stuck in, and be prepared to work super hard”. Good luck! Connect with Debut on  Facebook,  Twitter,  and  LinkedIn  for more careers insights.

Jobs That Pay You Back With More Than Money - CareerAlley

Jobs That Pay You Back With More Than Money - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Yes, jobs need to reward employees with financial incentives. Without the money, no one in the world can survive or provide for others. And, the cost of living is getting higher and higher nowadays. But, a career is about more than a monthly wage packet. A job should reward a person with more than a bank transaction as the role must be fulfilling. People that roll out of bed with just cash on their mind tend to have a short career. With that in mind, here are the careers which arent only about the money. Dont worry, though, because they have plenty of bang for their buck, too. Conservationist Conservationists arent tree-hugging hippies that want to save the world at any cost. For the most part, they are intelligent human beings that see the need to conserve the planet and its inhabitants. That doesnt mean that they dont understand the need to compromise, either. The role tends to include employees of the earth dealing with businesses and organizations to cut their carbon footprint. Plus, the job is a lucrative one as governments around the world are beginning to see the need to slow down. When you finalize a deal to cut the use of fossil fuels, you cant help but feel good about life. Doctor/Nurse Whether youre a doctor or a nurse, you save lives. Sure, nurses dont get the same amount of appreciation, but only from the general public. In the industry, everyone knows vital they are to the process. What puts people off working in the medical trade isnt the work its the money. Students and wannabe medical professionals have to find a way to study and get med couture for less if they want to survive. Youre no different because the costs are high. The good news is that a student loan should cover the initial costs. And you can work as a nurse even when youre not fully qualified. Once you have your qualifications, institutes will offer you a job because there is a nationwide shortage. Source Blogger Okay, so a blogger might not save lives or the environment. But, most bloggers are the boss. When it comes to a work/life balance, there is nothing better than being the person in charge. You get to decide how often you work a week and the length of hours. Plus, you fit your work schedule around your home life. Most people dont have that advantage because theyre at the mercy of their employers. Once upon a time, blogging wasnt a lucrative trade. Today, its one of the biggest growth sectors in the world. So, not only can you have flexibility, you can have the cash too. If the online world doesnt appeal, you can go old school and become an author. The satisfaction of writing a piece that people love is immense. And, nothing is stopping you putting pen to paper. A career needs to be as rewarding as it does profitable. Otherwise, the appeal wont last for long. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to find the opportunities that help you grow your best career. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search

Writing a Resume - The Most Important Goal of Your Resume Writing

Writing a Resume - The Most Important Goal of Your Resume WritingWhen it comes to resume writing, one of the most important things that you need to do is to have a proper goal for your writing. Your goal can be something that relates to the field in which you are interested or something that you would like to accomplish.When it comes to writing a resume, the most critical element is to write an effective one. A resume should contain information about yourself, your skills and abilities, and what your future goals are. It should convey your personality and professional values.The first step in writing your resume is to define your target audience. In order to get the information on your target audience, you will need to list out all the things that you want people to know about you, and also the topics that you would like to write about.After having an idea of your target audience, it is time to plan the topics that you would like to talk about and set up your professional goals. If y ou have already achieved all of the above, it would be a good idea to add on the other details, including the skills and qualifications that you have. But if you do not have any, this is the time to fill up your skills and qualifications.Next, you need to think of what kind of writing you have a creative mind. While doing this, you also need to think of all the things that you are going to write about. This is where your resume writing goal comes into play.One way of doing this is to start with a resume outline. What is resume outlining?Resume outlines are short writing ideas that can serve as a guide to start writing your resume. Once you have decided what your goal is and also know what topics to write about, you can begin writing the actual resume. This process includes writing down all the essential information about you, and what you have done so far in your career.Now, you can add on your professional goal. However, be careful not to just stick with your professional goal, but rather you can also add on your personal goal. As long as you can include your goals in your resume, this can be a very effective way of putting together a well-written resume.