Networking Is Weird for Everyone

Networking Is Weird for EveryoneNetworking Is Weird for EveryoneYou were taught not to talk to strangers as a kid. Thats why its normal that networking is uncomfortable. Find out how being brave enough to extend a flosse can bring unforeseen opportunities.Who is sitting near you right now? Look around. Do you really ever know exactly who you are attracting? A fun exercise Consider the folks who surround you at any moment, and think about the role they could play in yur job search.Were out and about in our everyday lives all the time, but not until we slightly tweak those simple interactions toward a job search-related conversation do we realize the wealth of contacts waiting on our doorstep. I believe that what we are seeking is seeking us - we just have to demonstrate the courage to get out of our comfort zones, extend a hand and meet the people around us.Brave little moments like this can reveal incredible relationships and opportunities virtually at our fingertips.When I lead wor kshops for recently laid- off professionals, I make a game of our mid-morning and lunchtime breaks by challenging participants to go out and meet someone they would not usually meet and strike up a conversation. At first, my attendees look at me like Im crazy because they are so used to living in their comfort zones of safe and rational living. Yet, in times like these, if youre going to produce networking results outside the ordinary, youre going to need to stretch yourself beyond ordinary ways of operating.I encourage people to become a COW a Citizen of the World, finding creative ways to engage people in conversations that artfully turn toward your career campaign.Here are a few points that can help you get outside your own comfort zone1. Realize that networking is weird for most people.Youre not the only one afraid to stick out that hand or start a conversation. Fear of rejection shapes most of our lives but its the brave ones who go beyond that False Evidence Appearing Real t hat make others comfortable in relating back. We all converge in the streets as brothers and sisters during an earthquake - why not generate that same relatedness all the time?2. Find natural opportunities to connect.With a little practice, you can learn how to start up a conversation anywhere in the line at the coffee shop, checking out at the grocery store or in the elevator at the office. When you want to buy a Prius, you see them all over the place. When you want to find ways to connect with people, youll be overwhelmed by all the opportunities to do so surrounding you every day. You just have to start looking3. Add a simple question to your brief conversations What do you do?Its a simple ice-breaking question that most people dont think to include in their short, passing conversations, yet it turns that everyday conversation into one that can help you. If you ask someone What do you do? they will most often ask the same question of you which gives you a job search-related con versation that can reap you information and connections that you would have simply walked by.4. Develop your 30-second HELLO.Helping Everyone Locate and Land Opportunities is your mission. Your purpose is to be of service, and to make as many helpful connections for others as possible. When you relate to others from that service frame of mind, others will naturally seek to do the same for you. Theyd feel guilty not to5. Give a card w ith contact info.Most people out of work dont think to print up personal business cards, yet youll give out your verbal resume (what you do) much mora than a written resume and its often those unexpected connections who will amaze you with the extent of their reach. But if they cant reach you after the contact, youre lost. Print up something simple and make a point, just short of shamelessness, to give it out after any and all chance meetings.Dont wait until you feel like it to start networking better. It will never come naturally or easily at first b ecause its outside your comfort zone. Yet, once youve stretched a few times and noticed the incredible goodies of helpful information, contacts and relationships that you gain from simple-acts-of-everyday-networking-bravery, youll get addicted and grow more savvy. Dont try to become a networking guru extraordinaire overnight. Just one day at a time, stretch yourself a bit further than the day before.

Good Headhunting with The Headhuntress

Good Headhunting with The Headhuntress Good Headhunting with The Headhuntress The Headhuntress stays true to the recruiting business.A recruiter watching the show will say over and over again, Its just like that and That always happens. Its worth putting on your DVR, if only to give your spouse a glimpse into your what you deal with every day.About half of the show is dedicated to job coachingand counseling candidates. On the debut of The Headhuntress, she coaches a former porn actor and a hapless women that professes a faith in numerology. The emphasis on job coaching may just be for TV the general public will appreciate that more than the part about taking job orders and filling reqs. Wendy has some fun tricks for coaching candidates, including going up and down in an elevator with a candidate while she performs a literal elevator pitch. In another scene straight out of The Kings Speech, she coaches an introverted candidate until he is yelling Im a Winner at the top of his voice. Her best advice of the first show was, however, given to her staff. She prods them into following up with candidates by saying You have to keep close to your talent. To fill a job and close candidates, she says to pretend your life depends on it. Its that kind of sage headhunting advice that has probably never seen the outside of an office, much less the light of semi-primetime TV.If youhaventseen the first episode, I wont spoil it for you. However, her client does end up giving her some high praise Good headhunting Its at that moment that Wendy, like any recruiter, is transfixed the brief,transcendentmoment when the candidates talent is the headhunters, before they are again at zero and its time to just fill another job. The Headhuntress truthfullydocumentsthe ups and downs of the headhunting business, and at least on the first show, I thought there were more ups than downs.

5 Ways to Invest Your Tax Refund in Your Career

5 Ways to Invest Your Tax Refund in Your Career5 Ways to Invest Your Tax Refund in Your CareerHow are you planning to spend your tax refund this year? Heres a thought Invest it back into your career. A new outfit or the latest tech gadget sounds attractive now, but investing in your career will be more valuable to you in the long run. If youre feeling stumped on how you can invest in your professional growth, here is a list of five ways to spend your tax refund to benefit your career. Hire a Career CoachRanging from $100-$500 an hour, a career coach is similar to a personal trainer. He or she is there to help you bust through career plateaus and reach your long-term goals. A career coach will keep you accountable and motivate you to be disciplined when making choices concerning your professional growth. A coach can help you lay out a plan if youre looking to change industries or are working towards a promotion. Take a ClassIf whats standing in your way is a certain skill, invest your tax refund in taking a class. There are so many online classes that can teach you everything from coding to social media marketing. If you like face-to-face interaction, you can take a course at the local community college or through a colleges extended studies program. Read a Career BookIf youre looking to boost your professional and personal growth, a few good books are the perfect investment. Check out topics that youre interested in and let the knowledge soak in. The right career book can change your mindset and energy, motivating you to do more in your career. If you need recommendations on good career books, check out these 5 Career Books You Must Read. Take a TripSound too fun to be actually benefit your career? Going on an adventure to a place youve never been will make you see the world with a new perspective and increase your creativity. If youre feeling burned out or need a unique solution to a business problem, its probably time for a vacation. Take a break from work to experience new scenery, and come back fresh with new and innovative ideas. Attend a ConferenceAttending a conference is the best way to invest in your career. Not only are you learning and sharing new strategies, concepts and trends in your industry, but its filled with tons of networking events. It can be expensive to attend, so it might be worthwhile to let your manager know that youre interested in a certain conference. If your company thinks its valuable, it might pay for part of your ticket, if not all of it. Upgrade Your Work StyleIf you really want to spend your tax refund on new clothes, spend it on upgrading your work wardrobe. There are tons of ideas online on appropriate, stylish business attire for every role. The cliche, Dress for Success is very true, and investing in a few key pieces for your work wardrobe will impress your colleagues. This list should spark some of your own ideas on how you can invest your tax refund in your career. Whatever you decide to do with yo ur tax refund, think it through and spend it wisely.