Recently by Julie Hiipakka

We had a VERY well attended webcast. Over 1100 of you out there took time out of your day to attend (THANK YOU!), and we got a lot of questions. A few were asked repeatedly:

How  much time should I spend networking compared to applying for jobs?
Our vote is for as much time networking as possible. Since only about 10% of job seekers get hired from responding to job ads, and the vast majority get hired through referrals, spend your time trying to get referred to people who are hiring. To learn one way to get those referrals, listen to the webcast.

What's a good example of a positioning statement for a marketer?
I'm a seasoned brand manager who has worked in consumer packaged goods at Procter & Gamble and as a consultant to Fortune 100 companies.  My extensive experience in new product innovation would be an asset to companies looking for top line growth through the introduction of new-to-the-world products or line extensions.     

To learn what you do with this positioning statement, watch the webcast.

How does a marketer take a step back to a director or manager level from a VP / Director level position?
Human Resources Managers and hiring managers can be reluctant to hire someone they see as overqualified for their opening, and for two reasons. Be prepared to address these concerns:

1. you won't stay in the job when one at your "real" level pops up
2. you'll be too expensive

You can't address either of these in a resume or cover letter, and HR screeners are very likely to reject you. So focus your efforts on networking with real live people so you can talk about WHY you want to do this: maybe you're seeking better work-life balance, or maybe you want to change industries. You can address -- and allay -- their fears.

We'll answer the common social media questions raised in an upcoming post.

Did you have other questions -- or comments -- from the webcast? Post them and we'll do our best to answer!

image by Leo Reynolds

Tomorrow I am participating in a panel discussion with two of our very smart and accomplished Practice Directors, Tracy Sinclair, and Eric Waldinger. Our topic? Why and how you should manage your career with a personal brand. (Consider this a well-intended, semi-shameless plug.)

Your personal brand, unless you're a creative, isn't really about your identify or logo mark. It includes literally everything you do and say, how people perceive you, and what's out in the intrawebblogstweetlinkedsphere that has your name* on it. If you ARE a creative, than the look and feel and tone of your resume, etc matters a little more, sure, but all the other stuff still matters too.

(*to learn why your name can have blg implications, you should really attend the webcast. I'm tempted to give a spoiler here, but I'll save it)

If you're skeptical about this, consider how quickly you come to like, dislike or detest people on reality television and how we do this based on just a few quick scenes. Remember "The Apprentice"? I started to not like the infamous Omarosa within minutes of the first episode (apologies to members of the Omarosa Fan Club).

So, Tracy, Eric, and I will share some ideas on what you need to do to start figuring out what your brand is, and how to explain that to brand to people who can help you find your next gig, and what your brand looks like online.This is important to do if you're currently job seeking, and probably a good idea if you're happy where you are. After all, any good brand expert will tell you brand management is ongoing and constant.

And the time to start managing your personal brand? Now. Ask Omarosa what that season of the Apprentice was like. She'll agree.

No matter who you're managing or what those people do, good people management has some common themes. Here are three of my favorites.

1) Observe your employees in action. You can't coach what you don't see. If your employees build bicycles, you should spend time every day watching them build bicycles. You can reinforce and praise what they do well, and identify what they need to do differently, and help them adjust on the spot. (Just make sure you deliver the feedback about the adjustments in private, not publicly).



2)  Catch your staff in the act of a job well done. Give them specific positive feedback on what they did well, like "That was a great call. I really liked the question you asked about....because it showed...." or "You did a great job on that presentation today! I liked how you explained our pricing model". Find out why they did it that way. You might learn something, too.

3) Address small problems before they become big ones. As with a hole in a windshield, it gets bigger when you ignore it.  So If you see an issue brewing, ask about what you are seeing. Don't assume you know what's going on; just ask what is going on. "I noticed during the meeting that you and Pedro kept avoiding eye contact and speaking over each other. What's going on?"

My VOIP provider at home sent me a letter (yes, the old fashioned kind that comes in the mail) informing me my service will be discontinued this fall and that I need to find a new provider.

This is the second time I've chosen a provider that ultimately goes out of business. (No, I'm not a betting woman. This is one example of why.)

Interestingly, both times I've searched for a provider, I've looked at websites where customers rate the various services and chosen highly rated providers. The first time, my provider started strong and then their service quality collapsed as their business imploded; this time, I've had no complaints but the company's decided to discontinue the offering.

My real question has nothing to do with Voice Over IP, really, because despite this post, that's a topic I prefer not to think about:

1) What motivates a person to do those reviews? Do really bad experiences motivate MORE than really good ones?

2) How come I've been wrong twice?

You tell me.

 Here's how to play:

1. Watch this thing (it is less than a minute long)
2. Answer the poll question below
   
3. Use "add comments" below (be sure to include your name) to answer two questions for me:
1. What is the reason for rating you just gave?
2. If the agent asked you what she should do differently, what would you suggest (if anything)?

Every Aquent staff member who comments gets entered into a drawing for free Aquent swag we have on hand, and the best comments will be included in a future LS Presents. And your colleagues will think you are very smart.

Don't groan. We didn't say you'd win a pony.

I'm reading Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman (I tend to read the hot books about five years late) so I'm thinking a lot about feelings this week.

Interesting bit from the book: Martin Seligman conducted a study of MetLife salespeople. He convinced MetLife to use a different screening process than usual, and screen for optimism. The people that scored high on optimism but failed their usual screening process ended up selling 21 percent more in their first year and 57 percent more in their second year compared to those who passed MetLife's typical screening process and considered themselves pessimists.

 When I was agenting, I found talent with average or slightly-above-average skills with upbeat attitudes and flexible workstyles to be more successful on assignment for us than the gurus who were cynical or jaded.

So does attitude matter more than ability? You tell me, folks.

image by Mr. Benn

A lot of staff I talk with are looking for ways to get more done. A recurring theme? "I make a to-do list or a daily plan, but I can't get through it or stick to it because new things keep coming up!"

The next time you're approached with a new task, and you planned to do something else, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I have to do that RIGHT now?
   
2. Could that new thing wait an hour or two - or three?
3. Could someone else do this?
4. What's the opportunity cost of me NOT doing what I planned to do?

There are good reasons - at times - to deviate from your plan, especially in a rapidly changing team environment. But there are good reasons not to also. Just make sure YOU are choosing.

image by smenon