Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

Fine-Tuning Your Personal Brand

Since we often talk about differentiating yourself in a crowded market around here, I thought you might like to know that twenty-something branding phenom Dan Schawbel recently launched a new magazine, Personal Branding.  As you might guess, the magazine is about establishing a professional and memorable identity in order to drive your career forward, and it provides concrete advice you can use today for leveraging online avenues like blogging, social networking, and multimedia.

I would trust anything Dan has to say about personal branding, because he has done it so expertly.  In just a year or so, he has firmly established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the career blogosphere.  As a result of the smart way Dan has presented himself in his networking efforts, he’s managed to secure contributions from the likes of Jim Stroud, Guy Kawasaki, and Joel Cheesman.   He’s a thriving example of how you don’t have Microsoft’s marketing budget to do personal branding successfully.

Each issue will be sold quarterly as a pdf document in the months of February, May, August and November, and 50% of the proceeds benefit The American Cancer Society.  And best of all, you can try before you buy.  Check out a sample, and let me know what you think of Dan’s latest effort!

How'd You Score That Gig? - A Word of Thanks

As you’ve heard, it has been a bit of a challenge to birth a new book and a baby in the same month.  I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported How’d You Score That Gig? thus far, especially those who were kind enough to feature the book on their blogs, podcasts, and e-newsletters:

Jason Alba/Jibber Jobber

Anita Bruzzese/45 Things

Kristen Fischer/Ramen Noodles, Rent, and Resumes

Michelle Goodman/Anti 9-5 Guide

Lisa Haneberg/Management Craft

Christine Hassler (e-newsletter)

Scot Herrick/Cube Rules 

Susan Johnson/Urban Muse

Cody McKibben/Thrilling Heroics

Heather Mundell/Life at Work

Monica O’Brien/TwentySet

Allie Osmar/The Creative Career

J.D. Roth/Get Rich Slowly

Steven Rothberg/CollegeRecruiter

Chris Russell/Secrets of the Job Hunt

Hannah Seligson/DailyCents (e-newsletter)

Pam Slim/Escape from Cubicle Nation

Nina Smith/QueerCents

Rebecca Thorman/Modite

Penelope Trunk/Brazen Careerist

Check out some of these wonderful resources if you have a chance!

The One Time It’s Okay to Gossip

What’s the one time it’s okay to gossip? When you’re looking for a job.

Discussion of your job search should not be reserved for close friends/family or headhunters or official networking events.  If you’re looking for work or thinking about looking for work, you shouldn’t hesitate to tell everyone you know the particulars, and encourage those people to talk to the people in their networks.  This is because you absolutely never know when you will meet someone, or be introduced to someone, who will be in a position to help you. 

Here’s an example.  One of my friends recently moved from New York City to Cambridge in the UK as a result of her boyfriend’s job. For her part, she was in need of a senior-level position in a financial services firm.  So instead of relying on her resumes and cover letters to make their way across the pond, my friend simply started talking. Turns out one of her good friends from college currently worked with a woman from Cambridge who was well-connected in the financial industry.  The college friend was able to set her up for several informational interviews as soon as she arrived in town.

Within three degrees of separation, my friend had a plum job offer in another country.   Not too shabby! 

Everyone is Helpful in His Own Way

I love watching George Carlin specials on HBO.  Even after all of these years, his cynical, grumpy-old-man schtick is still funny to me.  The other night, I saw an episode in which Carlin commented on how ridiculous it is when you are in mourning, or going through a hard time, and someone says, if there’s anything I can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to ask. “Sure,” says Carlin, “like they really mean that.  Like they’ll really be cool with you asking them to come over and clean your house or paint your garage.”

Carlin has a point here.  We had a lot of family in town last month, ostensibly to help with the baby.  But I noticed that everyone who visited had specific ideas about the best way to assist.  For example, I might be eternally grateful if my stepmother-in-law would offer to take a feeding off my hands, but she is nervous around newborns so she’d rather do a Babies R Us run instead. 

Most people sincerely want to lend a hand when their loved ones are undergoing stressful periods, but they will do it in their own way (which may not end up being helpful at all) unless explicitly told otherwise.  This goes for the office too.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  If you want your colleagues to assist you, you must ask, and you must be direct about exactly what you want them to do.  Sometimes people will still do what they want as opposed to what you need, but if you don’t verbalize your requirements, then you can’t complain when they aren’t met.

The Secret of My Success

Here’s a disclaimer before you start reading this post.  I’m not writing it to brag or leave you thinking that I’m the greatest colleague or employee of all time.  I’m trying to make a point, so I hope you will look at it in that light. 

Now that said, I’ve often been told that I am really great to work with.  Some people have gone so far as to tell me that I’m their favorite person in the organization to deal with.  They mean it too.  And why?  It’s not because I’m the smartest, most knowledgeable, most talented, most likeable, or most competent.  It’s because I answer their e-mails and return their phone calls within 24 hours of receiving a message.

That’s it.  Nothing special, but unique because so many people fail to respond in a timely manner – if at all – when others contact them.  Our inboxes and voice mailboxes are flooded with hundreds of messages a day, and people understandably want to prioritize.  They answer the inquiries from their boss and other people considered “important,” and they ignore everyone else.  If you’re a salesperson or an entry-level staffer in nearly any field, you can almost count on the fact that no one will ever get back to you about anything.

I make it a habit to answer every person who gets in touch with me, even if it’s just to say that they have the wrong person or I’m not interested.  This sets me apart, and strengthens my reputation as a team player and a considerate human being.  It’s a good idea for you to aim for the same thing, but how can you pull it off without spending all day in Outlook or on the phone?  I recommend setting aside an hour each day to return messages.  Do not attempt to respond at other times unless the matter is urgent or the requester is your boss or someone on your immediate team. You may find that your productivity actually increases as a result.

Don’t Let Rejection Get the Best of You

Over at Employment Digest, Kit Samuels talks about how you can turn a rejection from a job into a second chance at a future opportunity.  Bill suggests that you let go of your anger as soon as possible and e-mail a simple, clean, professional response to the rejection.  Don’t let spite or even a shred of sarcasm creep into your message.  Among the things you should include:

·         Tell the hiring manager, or whoever you spoke with in person, how you truly appreciate the time they took to interview you.  Be sure to thank them for this.

·         Tell this person that you hope you’ll be kept in mind for any future openings that may arise.

·         Wish his/her company the best of luck, and mention something positive that recently happened, like a new acquisition or a rise in sales. Why? It’s a reminder of your strong interest and shows that you’re aware of what’s going on.

Those of you who have read this blog for a while know I am a big fan of never burning bridges.  The fact is that interviewing is networking, and even if you don’t get the job the first time, you’ve inevitably met at least one person who might be in a position to help you later on.  A candidate who responds professional and courteously to rejection will be remembered, either a few months down the line when another position opens up, or a few years down the line when he or she is working somewhere else and is looking for great talent like you.

Branding Isn't Everything

In the blogosphere, we love to throw the term “branding” around.  Well, I’ve had almost ten years of marketing communications experience, and branding – what it means and how to do it – has been burned into my brain from a young age. I have been very careful that what I write on my blog and my website relates strictly to my brand as a professional, savvy, twenty-something workplace author and consultant.  For the most part, this approach has worked.  I’m considered a knowledgeable expert and get lots of requests to do speaking engagements and media interviews.

But I’ve noticed that it’s hard to get readers to join me in a conversation.  I’ll throw out a question or request for feedback from time to time, and usually, no one will respond. I wonder about the reason for this.  I know people are reading my stuff.  Are they not commenting because they’re not sure who they’re talking to?  Would that change if I allowed them to see, to know, a little more about what drives me, what I fear, and what I think is really important?

In honor of the 120 forthright, talented, and courageous individuals who are profiled in my new book on dream jobs, How’d You Score That Gig?: A Guide to the Coolest Careers and How to Get Them, I’m pledging to loosen the collar of my branding.  In the March episode of my 30/20 Vision radio show and podcast, I took a step in this direction when I talked about the insecurity I felt about my career now that I’ve had a baby. How’d You Score That Gig? has just been released, and in talking to people about it, I want to share the true reason I wrote it (to rip the lid off the elusive careers that everyone wants but thinks are impossible to get and provide instructions for breaking in that are actually useful instead of the frustrating vagueries put forth by other authors) and the critical takeaway point (finding meaningful work is totally possible, but you’ll have to bust your butt to get there). 

Successful career change requires a certain type of personality – mainly, someone who is enterprising and persistent.  I’d like to think that I have those qualities down. But in my relatively new career as a writer and blogger, I’m learning that authenticity and yes, even a little vulnerability, are assets that can’t be overlooked or faked. I hope that some of you might be willing to help me reach my potential as someone you’d like to have coffee with on a Sunday afternoon.   

4 Tips for Scoring Your Dream Gig

It’s finally here.  My new book, How’d You Score That Gig? - A Guide to the Coolest Careers and How to Get Them, has just been released! The book starts with a quiz that tells you your job personality – be it an adventurer, creator, data-head, entrepreneur, investigator, networker, or nurturer – and then suggests several unusual and enticing careers you might want to check out. I selected the careers via a survey in which I asked 500 people to tell me about their dream jobs, and then set out to interview individuals in those fields about what it takes to break in and be successful.

I hope you’ll have a look at the book and let me know what you think. Join our Facebook group, write a review on Amazon, or chime into the 30/20 Vision Radio Show tomorrow at 9PM ET. I’d love to hear from you!  In the meantime, though, here are some top tips for scoring your dream gig:

1. Learn about yourself.  Take time to do a self-assessment of your values, how you like to work, and what you’d be compelled to do even if you never got paid.  Research careers and industries that map to your skills and interests.  Hit the Internet, set up informational interviews, take relevant coursework, and arrange to go onsite at a company in your chosen field.

2. Don’t be deterred by a lack of experience.  In developing a resume and other promotional materials for the field you want to pursue, think about how your current skills and talents apply to the responsibilities you’ll hold in the new job.  For example, knowledge of project management, client relations, information technology, and sales will take you far in most types of careers.

3. Ease into a new career one foot at a time.  Perhaps this means earning a paycheck at your current job while doing a part-time internship in your new field or taking an adult education class or workshop on the weekend.  The only way to find out if you’re passionate about something is to try it – ideally with as little risk as you can manage.

4. Remember that any progress is good progress.  Even confident people stay in unsatisfying jobs because they feel safe, and because they’re afraid of making a bad decision.  But in the quest to uncover a source of meaningful work, though, your worst enemy is inertia.  Make an effort to do one thing, like e-mailing a networking contact or attending an event – that moves you a bit closer to your big picture goal. 

Career Issues When You'll Live to 100

Ben Casnocha brought back to life a very cool commencement speech given by David Mahoney at Rutgers University in 1996. Mahoney, then chairman of the Dana Foundation, a brain research organization, provided some compelling tips about why young people should adopt a "Centenarian Strategy" for life.

The central premise is that if you're a young person today, you have a pretty decent shot at living until you are 100 years old.  Not only that, thanks to advancements in brain science, you have a decent shot at enjoying an "active fourth quarter" - that is, your 70s, 80s, and 90s won't be about wheelchairs in retirement homes and somebody reminding you what you ate for breakfast, but rather decades in which you'll remain intellectually vibrant and independent.  Among the points are:

1. Diversify your career from the very beginning. Stop thinking of jobs in series, one after the other; instead, think of careers in parallel. That might mean engaging in an avocation in music or art while you are nurturing a career in business.

2. Take advantage of your opportunity to wind up a millionaire. The trick is to use the new tools the government is giving you to save, to avoid taxes in your IRAs and 40I (k) accounts, and to invest in broad index funds that are sure to grow. To the centenarian, credit-card living is out, leveraged saving is in.

3. Invest in your family dimension. The wave of the future, in the Centenarian Strategy, is to frame your life in traditional family settings. Do your market research in singlehood, choose for the long term, and then commit to marriage and have kids.

4. Pace yourself: it's a small world and a long life. The centenarian thinks about success differently, with a longer view. He or she measures success in getting to personal satisfaction, which does not always mean getting to the top of the heap.

It’s especially interesting that Mahoney intended these points for his audience of Gen X-ers, and Casnocha feels they are equally relevant to Gen Y-ers today.

What if YOU are the Jerk?

Bob Sutton’s book, the No A**hole Rule:  Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't,  has been generating buzz since it was published last year. 

Sutton, a professor of management science at Stanford University, argues that a**holes—those who deliberately make co-workers feel bad about themselves and who focus their aggression on the less powerful—poison the work environment, decrease productivity, induce qualified employees to quit and therefore are detrimental to businesses, regardless of their individual effectiveness. He also makes the solution plain: they have to go.

Sutton provides advice for how to weed these people out of your organization, and on his website he also offers a compelling proposition: what if YOU are the a**hole?  It’s a valid question. After all, don’t we always think that the problem lies with someone else? 

Sutton and Guy Kawasaki created a quiz called the A R S E  (a**hole rating self-exam) that proposes questions like, “True or False: you are surrounded by incompetent idiots and you can’t help letting them know the truth every now and then,” “True or False: you see your co-workers as competitors,” and “True or False: your jokes can get a bit nasty at times, but you have to admit, they’re pretty funny.”

A certain number of True answers receive this warning from Bob: “You sound like a borderline certified a**hole, perhaps the time has come to start changing your behavior before it gets worse.”  An unacceptable number gets this:  “Get help immediately. But, please, don’t come to me, as I would rather not meet you.”