Career Reinvention and
Personal Brand Strategist
rbussin@AspireForSuccess.com
Blog Articles
By: Randi Bussin-Career Coach, Personal Branding Specialist
In this month’s issue of the Harvard Business Review, there was a very interesting article on the mistakes that seasoned C-level executives make when changing jobs. The article was done following research with executive search consultants, HR Executives and C-level executives and points to five major blunders these seasoned executives make:
Mistake 1-Executives Did Not Do Their Homework
The researchers found that despite executives strong backgrounds in their disciplines, when it comes to job change, they did not do their due diligence in the following areas:
§ They did not research the industry or job function to understand the job-market realities of where they were heading.
§ They did not research the financial stability of the potential employer.
§ They did not research the cultural fit between themselves and the firm.
§ They did not explore the alignment between the job title and their actual job duties or functions.
§ They did not ask how performance in the new role would be measured.
Mistake 2-Leaving For Money
Although C-level executives stated that money/income was not their top “reward” they were seeking with new employment, when it came to decision-making, they always put money first. They forgot to consider other rewards that might be possible with their current employer such as opportunity for advancement, professional development and mentoring.
Mistake 3-Running From The pain
These executives became so unhappy in their current roles that they tended to lurch from one place to another with “artificial urgency”. They were NOT strategic about their choices nor did they evaluate if there were other opportunities for them in their existing firm.
Mistake 4-Unrealistic Self Awareness
The executives who were interviewed tended to have an unrealistic view of their skills, strengths and opportunities available to them. They were not strong in self-analysis and tended to blame their organization for their woes.
They also had very unrealistic expectations regarding how long it would take to find a job and what they could make in the new role.
Mistake 5-Short-Term Thinking
Even though short-term thinking feeds into the other mistakes, this was also cited as a major career misstep on it own.
Recommendations:
The article listed several recommendations to overcome these mistakes, to which I have added in my own comments.
§ Be self-aware and evaluate your strengths, skills and unique differentiators. Also understand your weaknesses, especially if they are blocking you from reaching your goals. (Yes, this is a big part of the work that goes into extracting your Personal Brand!)
§ Do your homework and ask alot of questions before you join a new company. Use social media tools such LinkedIn to find people whom you can speak with to get the inside scoop.
§ Have a back up plan for your career-don’t just think short-term.
§ Try to salvage your current situation by either moving to another role in your firm, if possible, or having an open dialogue with your manager about what is not working for you.
§ If you do leave and make a mistake, don’t jump from the frying pan to the fire.
To read more, visit:
Career Coach Articles > Job Search
Use the following address when linking to this page: http://www.aspireforsuccess.com/weblog/177
By: Randi Bussin-Career Coach, Personal Branding Specialist
January’s Recruiter Confidence Index from Execunet shows that a growing number of companies are adding executive jobs and that fewer firms are eliminating them The monthly study confirms that the economic recovery is beginning to take hold. In January, 64% of companies said they are “confident” or “very confident” that the executive job market will improve in the next six months.
This Index, which is published monthly by Execunet, survey’s executive search firms and is a key indicator in the executive job market.
To learn more about Exeunet or to read about the survey, go to www.execunet.com
Career Coach Articles > Employment Trends
Use the following address when linking to this page: http://www.aspireforsuccess.com/weblog/176
By: Randi Bussin-Career Coach, Personal Branding Specialist
Remember the last time you did something crazy to get in the door? We’ve all heard the stories--- some highly creative like designing a jigsaw puzzle from scratch with the one ‘missing piece’ being you. While mildly amusing and sometimes eye catching, these gimmicks rarely work. Employers are time deprived and desperately looking for the ideal candidate. If you run down the list of attributes employers are looking for in their new hires today, many of them stem back to some of the basics in ‘fit 101’. Will this person fit into our culture? Will this person work well in a team environment? Does this person have the initiative, energy and enthusiasm to add value in the role? Is this person a good communicator? A creative thinker? How many of these items can be communicated effectively in a resume? VERY FEW.
People hire people, not resumes. Where the rubber hits the road from the employers view is, do I trust this person? Do I feel they understand what we are looking for and have taken the initiative to communicate this to us? Is this a stand-out candidate? What if you could bring this advantage out earlier in the hiring process—before the interview? What if you could give yourself that leading chance to get in front of that hiring manager? Would you do it?
Believing in yourself and conveying that authentically and relevantly goes a long way with potential employers. It is tough to fake enthusiasm and video tells a full story and goes a long way in creating trust much earlier in the hiring cycle. Innovative and committed job seekers are investing in videoBIO's to improve their chances of getting noticed and standing out of the crowd at the earliest stages of resume review. Your personal brand is something that is uniquely yours and by some statistics can represent over 75% of the ultimate hiring decision. In this market climate where employers are paralyzed by perfection, the skills and experience outlined in the resume are expected, so do something unexpected that helps to create trust and familiarity early on.
Published Dec. 20th, 2009 by Catharine Fennell, CEO, videoBIO, www.videobio.com
Career Coach Articles > Personal Branding
Use the following address when linking to this page: http://www.aspireforsuccess.com/weblog/175
By: Randi Bussin-Career Coach, Personal Branding Specialist
This week, I received a link from my fellow Personal Brand Strategists, with a video clip about the rise and fall of Kodak. Kodak, which one employed over 145,000 people, now employs less than 20,000. The firm’s traditional products and corporate brand were wiped out by the digital revolution. Kodak’s CMO, Jeffrey Hayzlett, has a tough job and he talks about it in this very entertaining video about marketing, branding and life in the fast lane. The LESSON: know your differentiation and competition, innovate and stay on top of your game.
http://adage.com/brightcove/single.php?bcpid=1370868150&bctid=55060343001
Career Coach Articles > Personal Branding
Use the following address when linking to this page: http://www.aspireforsuccess.com/weblog/174
By: Randi Bussin-Career Coach, Personal Branding Specialist
This week, I read a great article by Career Rocketeer about how to use Twitter more effectively to express your gratitude to those who re-tweet you Tweets. Here are three things I learned form the article:
1. Do not just thank the person for re-tweeting your message. Use this as an opportunity to either engage them in a dialogue about a topic, or use this as an opportunity to get to know them better so that you can engage with them in the future. Try to use their first name so you can create an emotional connection with them.
2. Add them to one of your customer lists. This is another way to thank an individual for their efforts.
3. Re-Tweet instead of jus saying thank you. A nice way to show appreciation to someone is to re-tweet something they have written on their blog, or something they have recently tweeted about.
This article is chock full of great ideas. To read more, go to:
http://www.careerrocketeer.com/2009/12/8-ways-to-say-thank-you-on-twitter.html
Twitter, follow: @CareerRocketeer
Career Coach Articles > LinkedIn and Social Media
Use the following address when linking to this page: http://www.aspireforsuccess.com/weblog/173
By: Randi Bussin-Career Coach, Personal Branding Specialist
The start of each year marks a time of new resolutions for many of us. Losing weight, more exercise, or saving money for a trip are common vows. But, this also is the time to do something for yourself that will help you for the rest of the year.
This is the best time to take a step back and make sure you have set your career and life goals for the remainder of the year. Goal setting is a crucial exercise for career reinvention, your job search, and personal branding. Yet, many of us don’t set career or life goals.
Goal setting is important because it helps you clarify what you want, identify what distractions might be blocking your success, motivate you, and leads to success, increased income, and greater career/life happiness.
Here are 10 steps to help you set your goals:
1. Create a list of what you want to accomplish in your life.
Write down everything you want to accomplish in the next 10 years. Be sure to include goals for your career, education, professional development, community service, family activities, general health, and financial commitments.
2. Prioritize your goals by time frame.
Go back to the list you just created and break the goals into three smaller time frames—the next 12 months (short term), two to five years (medium term), and six to 10 years (longer term). This will help you focus on your most important and timely, short-term goals.
3. Rewrite your short-term goals in SMART goal format.
SMART goals are specific, stating what you are trying to accomplish and why. They are measurable, stating how you will measure progress. And, they must be attainable, relevant, realistic, and timely.
4. Put your goals in obvious places, and review them daily.
This will become a daily reminder of what you are trying to accomplish. Spend a minute every day in front of your list of goals and read them to yourself. Review your goals regularly and revise them if you reach them too easily, or if they are too difficult.
5. Identify the obstacles to achieving your goals.
What will get in the way of you achieving your goals? Often, it is a factor that is internally focused. Ask yourself: What is that limiting factor for you? And, what within yourself is holding you back?
6. Identify the knowledge, skills, and competencies you need to achieve your goals.
Identify what one skill, if you developed it, would have the greatest impact on your life or career. Begin working each day on the one skill, if you developed it and did it consistently, that would help you achieve your most important goal.
7. Identify the support team you need to achieve your goals.
To achieve big goals, you will need the help and support of many people. Identify the family members, work colleagues, and mentors you will need. You also could include your coach, an industry consultant, and professional associates.
8. Celebrate Successes.
Take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having reached a goal. Treat yourself to something to mark the accomplishment. You do not have to spend a lot of money. Relishing your successes will help boost your confidence.
9. Organize your 12-month goals into smaller steps.
The more detailed you can be in outlining your activities, the more you will accomplish in less time. Plan the next 12 months, month by month. For each month, list two or three activities that you must accomplish that would have the most profound impact on the bigger picture.
10. Take action every day.
Lots of baby steps add up to big goals. If you are having a very busy week at work, don’t beat yourself up. Just try to do one little thing each day that will keep the momentum going and keep you moving forward.
Career Coach Articles > Other
Use the following address when linking to this page: http://www.aspireforsuccess.com/weblog/172
By: Randi Bussin-Career Coach, Personal Branding Specialist
Sunny Outlook for Solar Market
If you are looking for a job that might have some staying power, you might want to consider something in the U.S. solar market. According to a recent report by GTM Research, the U.S. is set to challenge Germany for world dominance in the solar market.
GTM Research estimates a 50 percent increase in the next two years in solar-related projects in this country that could create 50,000 new jobs. These projects would generate new solar power resources for 1.5 million homes.
Despite the downturn in the economy, solar projects increased to a record level in 2009, increasing predictions that this sector is a growth market. Both home- and commercial-site projects are sparking this growth.
Not surprisingly, California is the leading state in generating new solar-project businesses and jobs. But, Massachusetts is not that far behind. Massachusetts, along with Arizona, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Nevada, make up a strong second tier of states that have emerged in this field.
If you are interested in reading more about the GTM Research report, visit http://ow.ly/M2M1.
Career Coach Articles > Employment Trends
Use the following address when linking to this page: http://www.aspireforsuccess.com/weblog/171
Showing page 1 of 26 pages [Next] [Last Page]
- Are you Planning Your Job Change Carefully? C-Level Executives Makes Mistakes When Changing Roles
- Recruiter Confidence Points to Executive Job Growth
- Meet Me, Trust Me, Hire Me-Use videoBIOS to get Noticied by Employers!!!!
- Can You Revive a Failing Brand and Product Line?
- Can you use Twitter to say "thank you"?
- Set Your Goals Now and Begin the Year on the Right Foot
- Sunny Outlook for Solar Market
