What employers are looking for are useable skills. It is often rare that candidates have had the job titles that match the direction they want to take their career, but during the time that they were working, they were doing *something* meaningful. The challenge of the writer-turned-jobseeker is to phrase these "reusable" gems and skills in a context that matches what a prospective employer is looking for. This "bridges the gap" between the career path taken and the one desired and provides a window of opportunity for employment.

I can share a full agreement with this type of style of career self-marketing. I graduated with a college degree completely different from my current career path and interest.  With the combination of opportunity and inclination, I was able to market my skills from college (engineering, mathematics and science) and my hands-on hobby interests ( fixing, repairing and trouble-shooting personal computers ) that were inline with a position in Information Technology. I can share that having recyclable skills combined with examples of personal initiative lined me up for a strong contention for a job in a field that did not exactly match my background.

Well, if you are well-versed in how to identify, develop and project your own Personal brand, then the next logical step would be to grow this into a fledgling Corporate brand. All you need to do is to find a way to remove yourself from the critical path, or if you have already learnt to think big, remove your foot from the hosepipe. Whether you encourage trusted ex-colleagues to take on parts of your role, put yourself out of a job by developing a tool that does some of the wonderful things clients want without you needing to be there, sell some of your experience in the form of courses or books, the choice is yours. At the end of the day, you can find ways to accept more clients who will value the extra special something that is behind your USP.

It all comes down the the notion that we are the people who set our own limitations - if you can just encourage yourself to think that little bit bigger, then the sky becomes your limit!

So much of everything we do is about building connections, or links, to other people--our family, friends, colleagues, etc and then using those links as a part of our efforts to reach our goals. Whatever our goals may be, and no matter how great our content, we need the support of the right links to make it to the top. You can't link with just any old person, you have to find the right mix of up and comers and established folks to put in your roster. And because not everyone can make it to the top under the same areas of life, you have to find your specialization--the one that will make you stand out among a particular niche.

Optimizing your life isn't about finding yourself, it's about defining yourself. My Dad, (who's the smartest person I know) always tells me this story about his own father who had exorbitantly high expectations for his kids--he made all 10 go to college in a time when most black kids weren't expected to graduate highschool. My grandfather came to my Dad when he was about 18 and asked him what he was going to do with his life. My Dad said he wasn't sure, but that he thought he was going to spend time finding himself. My grandfather took him to the bathroom, stood him in front of the mirror and asked my Dad, "who's that?" My Dad asked, Who's who? My grandfather asked, "Who is that person in the mirror?" My Dad responded, "That's me." My grandfather said, "There, you've found yourself. Now what are you going to do with your life?"

My Dad eventually went to college, after playing some minor league baseball, where he graduated at the top of his class and became an aerospace engineer among other things. But I think one of the things he learned, and one of the things that he has taught me, was that you have take responsibility for your content--you need not look to external factors to define who you are. At the same time, you must--if you want to achieve your goals--connect to people who have access to opportunities, cultivate those connections and then use them to differentiate yourself so that when someone is in search of your skills, your knowledge, your content, their search query will lead them to you.

Früher gingst du in den Plattenladen und hast die Platte gekauft oder nicht. Die Künstler, Verlage, der Plattenladen haben ihr Geschäft gemacht oder nicht. Heute ist das nicht mehr so einfach.

Content ist nicht mehr ein Objekt das verkauft wird wie ein Pfund Butter.

Wedia Buzz bringt das gut auf den Punkt. Content kann vielfältig verwendet werden, er kann vom Konsumenten kopiert und verändert werden, kreativ bearbeitet werden und neu publiziert werden.

Hoppla: Der Konsument ist gar kein Konsument mehr! Vielleicht wird er gar zum Konkurrenten des Orignalurhebers?

Kann/ soll der Originalurheber sich wehren? Wie kommt er auf seine Kosten?

Jeff Jarvis behauptet in seinem grundlegenden, provozierend betitelten Post "Who wants to own content?" , dass die Unterhaltung (über Content) das Königreich sein - Content is not King.

Dem Blog-Betreiber gehört die Kneipe, in der die Menschen sich austauschen.

Wie Robert Basic: Robert bringt mit seinen Posts eine Unterhaltung in Gang, die in seinem Blog, aber auch in anderen Blogs stattfindet, sich dann aber auf basicthinking bezieht.

Stimmt die Metapher mit der Kneipe? Eine Kneipe, über die in anderen Kneipen gesprochen wird.

Okay. Aber auch: über deren Events, Videos, Musik in anderen Kneipen gesprochen wird. Und da wird´s schwierig. Denn das Video und die MP3´s, die kann die andere Kneipe auch anbieten. Dieser Content ist austauschbar und trägt allenfalls zum Erfolg der Kneipe bei, wenn sie ihn zuerst anbietet, oder wenn sie sich als einzige an ein bestimmtes Publikum wendet.

Will work for money

Getting Started

Essentially getting started in any careers are generally the same. It is all about marketing. Similar to selling a product, but in this case is to market and sell the service that you have to offer to a potential employer. Begin by understanding yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, your design style, and researching which job market interest you: corporate, big design firm, small design studio, freelance, etc. Apply your skill to where they would excel. For example, if you have a great imaginary mind or a conceptual vision, working in design/advertising agencies would suit you best. If not, you may be more suitable in production process.

Once you’ve become familiar with yourself, the big next step would be resume. Often times, this would be your first chance of contact with your future company. Here are a few tips about a resume summarized by American Institute of Graphic Arts, Minnesota chapter. Opening your resume with “Dear Sir/Madam” makes your resume sounds meaningless. Do your research! Make an impression. Show your effort of interest to their company. It is you who want the job. Knowing a little bit of the company and what they do, would help to design and focus your application process. Find out to whom you should be sending your resume and cover letter. Try your best to get the name of the person in charge of the hiring process. Make sure you spell his/her name correctly. Call the firm and double check if it is necessary. Read and reread your resume and cover letter, making sure every single information in it is accurate and up-to-date, especially your contact information, because you would want the company to be able to contact you back when needed. Pay attention to details, such as grammar and consistency. If you said that you are a good typesetter, make sure your resume and cover letter don’t have any typographical errors, mispellings, orphans, widows, or type rivers. Don’t say you love to do web design just to get a job, when in reality you actually don’t. Be accurate in what you say. Avoid vague languages. Simply state clearly your position, the firm’s name and location, and brief description of your responsibilities.

Do Your Research

Researching who is the important person you should be sending your resume is one effort to get your name heard by your prospective employer, but by doing so does not guarantee he/she is going to notice your resume among the countless other projects that they have coming on their desk. Planet Propaganda, a communication company based in Madison, Wisconsin, US, says they receive resumes and portfolios from hundreds of designers every year and it is simply too much for them to go through all of them. Nobody is going to notice a resume attached to an email. It is not going to be enough to be an attention grabber; no matter how much time you’ve put it to design it or how unique it is. A promo book containing samples of your work or even little self-promo teasers would start to differentiate you from the pile of applicants. It could simply be (depending on your time and budget) a sample of a “before and after” example, a message in a bottle, an elaborate mini game that you’ve designed, or something so good that makes the receiver wants to keep it (knowing more of the decision-maker’s personality would be great – this is where your research could also become handy). Whatever the teasers are, it should be unique, memorable and compelling for the receiver to want to contact you back. Dyan Parro, art director of Thumbnail Art Direction + Design, says, “We, designers, operate visually. If something unique lands on my desk, then it would start to grab my attention. It’s that little extra effort that would make the difference.”

Check Back

Follow up with your prospective employers after sending your promo materials. A simple phone call would suffice. Know when to stop, don’t over do it or you may being pushy. Danielle Moore, a Graphic Designer for Laird + Partners, says, “We just simply want to make sure they’ve got it.” At this point, a bribe would also be handy. Treating them out for a simple lunch, or a beer would definitely draw their attention.

When they actually call you for an interview, dress appropriately. At some places, you even may dress casually, but groomed. You want to make your best impression to them. Smile and make eye contact. Practice mock interviews if it helps. Firm handshake, but not bone crushing. Watch your body language. Don’t just sit there and wait for questions to be thrown at you. Ask questions when possible about the job you’re applying or about the company. Be interested in them. You would notice an interview is working when there’s a dialogue involved. A thank you note would be appreciated and helps the interviewer to remember you.

A portfolio would be where you get a chance to really showcase what you have to offer. It could be in as simple as a standard zippered mass manufactured portfolio case or custom made cases. It shouldn’t be too complicated nor it is too precious. Choose your sample carefully. Ten of your best pieces for your portfolio are enough to make an impression, rather than coming in with your whole set of works. These samples would be the ones communicating your personality and style. Similar to a book, your portfolio should be structured. It should have a beginning, middle and end. Your samples should be clean, easy to go through and removable. Place your best piece at the beginning. Like a book cover, you would want to grab your interviewer’s attention right away. End your piece with your second best piece, so that it would leave nice impression in their memory.

Rejection is also part of the whole process. Don’t be scarred or disappointed or discouraged by it. It doesn’t mean that you are not good enough. They may just not be the right timing. They may possibly not need any help at the moment. Don’t stop marketing yourself out there. If you failed, think of every interview opportunity you get is a learning process for the next. Look at it as a reflection tool and improve upon it. Your first design job may not be your dream job, but do it and make your way up and learn what you can along the way.

Comment and leave some other tips if you've got some! :D

Benefits of interims

For me, one of the most valuable findings concerned the reasons why clients chose to hire Interim Managers. Executives Online found that over two thirds of clients cited one of the following amongst the most important qualities of interim managers:

1. Skills/experience for job
2. Strategic but also implement (sic)
3. Results focused
4. Quickly get people on side

The report suggests that clients like to reduce risk by employing someone who’s “done it before” - obviously no great surprise there. However, once you understand the other key qualities clients appreciate, then it makes it easier to emphasise to them that you are capable of delivering.

Technorati Tags: interim, deliver, quality, skill, client

There are some of the school of thought to LINK WITH ANYONE THAT FOGS A MIRROR. I don't believe in that. I still believe that "on-line" access is just another form of communication (who knows what other more modern forms or communication are coming down the pipe). So, just like in a face to face contact, I want to know someone before I connect them or even introduce them to anyone I know. So, while some people are linking like CRAZY and boast numbers of contacts from 500+, I still believe the quality of a relationship is far better to focus on than the quantity.

So, as you get started in "thinking before linking", here are some first steps on the path to managing your on-line brand -

Come back and visit as we continue our conversation on "thinking before linking"!

People Are The Brand -

Maria Elena Duron - click my name to Google Me!

Buzz To Bucks Connections– grow your personal brand today
“dedicated to helping executives & entrepreneurs connect strategically through a compelling personal brand”
www.buzz2bucks.com Buzz To Bucks Connections|a personal branding agency

Parlando quindi di marketing "non convenzionale" non possiamo non dibattere di quanto le aziende vogliano e possano rischiare per mettere in pratica azioni alternative a quelle "tradizionali".

Ieri sera ero a colloquio (piacevole) con il direttore commerciale di una grossa azienda alimentare italiana: ebbene, questo coraggio bisogna trovarlo - è stato il sunto della conversazione. In momenti di crisi e passaggio (come quello attuale) sono le aziende "coraggiose" che emergono e si salvano dal baratro.

Evoluzione e crisi come momenti ideali per l'epifania di strumenti e ideologie diverse e innovative...

There is one that I have been checking out lately and the owner has offered to train me on how to be a DJ. Can’t really pass up the opportunity to learn—we’ll know soon how much more involved it can be soon enough. I have to contact her on the Yahoo Messenger later today.

Is anyone out there an Internet DJ? Do you enjoy it? Do you have any tips or suggestions???

Look forward to hearing what folks have to say…..

It is certainly something different, and a whole new world to explore. Who knows where it will lead to—or, not! lol… It will be fun to explore, nontheless!

I put out some cat food while she was in the shower after not seeing the cat myself.  After cleaning up the home we left but she thanked me for everything as she was encouraged by Joel Olsteen's power talk about minimizing our adversities and putting a magnifying glass towards the bigger and better things to come for us ahead - and, she agreed the the shower did make her feel refreshed as well.

We set out and went to Denny's for breakfast and then off to Sun Harvest for some bits and pieces for things to make at home.  Poor thing.  She got in her mind that she was going to make her famed chicken soup and when I told her that we might not need to buy a whole chicken because it won't fit into the toaster oven, she felt despair and disgust to her son who had taken apart her stove to keep her from setting the place on fire accidentally.  I tried to point out that she might be able to do the same in a crockpot and she toyed with the idea for a moment then said, "No, I just want my stove to be working!".  We went around and put some of those ingredients back and searched for other possibilities that she could do -- for instance instant oatmeal with the water boiled in the electric kettle, etc.

When we finally got home, we prepared some tuna salad for sandwiches this week and put away the groceries we did purchase.  After calling her son to tell him that he really must get the stove working and hanging up on him after a conversation about his love life that isn't working out too hot, she pulled up a chair for me to sit in and said, "Come.  Talk to me!"

I sat down and I got a lecture about taking a chance with life and finding a man for me.  She called me a "gootah" (phonetically correct, but Jewish for a woman that does things for everyone else but herself).  She says that she wants me to go out and spend $100 on myself -- a new dress, earrings, lipstick -- and go dancing.  She says that I should get a sign to wear (like a nametag) and say that I am a free woman! (I can just see it now -- women who have already been married and are now divorced and/or widowed must wear a "W" - - an "M" inverted for "woman" and signifying turning over a new leaf!  OMG...lol.....

As I finally was heading out the door after spending 30-1/2 hrs this weekend with her this weekend, she said to me, "You are a lovely woman.  I enjoy spending time with you because you make me feel sane and you are fun to be around.  You need to buy that dress, earrings, and lipstick -- and, find something daring to do!"  It almost sounded like a preacher giving me a charge to do for the week ahead, as well as a challenge to find something daring to do.

Thank goodness she has Alzhiemers and she may not remember that she told me that next weekend or I might have to actually report to her the daring thing that I did this week; however, on the other hand, because she does have some degrees of Alzheimers, I might have the same lecture next week.  Oh, nooooooo!!! lol....

In fact, I find it highly satisfying that Jason lists only one important driver that I do not esteem - personal note cards. But anyone who has tried to decipher a scrawled personal message from me in the past decade will appreciate that no amount of gold-emblazoned bonded card stock could ever make my handwriting appear professional.

Wow!  Isn't that a formidable quest at times???  A more stable basis for carrying oneself through the world???  After all, our world as we might know it gets shaken up all the time -- divorce, marriage, becoming pregnant, realizing you can't have children, in a domestic violence situation (whether it be physically or emotionally OR even if it doesn't directly involve you but involves someone that you love or have as a friend), illnesses, deaths, etc.  We don't plan on these events happening in our lives (directly or indirectly) but many are destined to be inevitable to happend, after all wherever there is life, there is also death around us.

For some, it can feel like a never ending cycle.  "Let me off of this roller coaster ride, please!" some will say; others, will not feel the affects of the roller coaster rides of life in general because they live ever so protected lives whereas many of us will feel small in comparison.  After all, how is it that they can have such even keel lives and others don't?  I certainly don't see "Hurt me!" written on the foreheads of victims nor do I see "Immortal!" written on the foreheads of those seemingly completely escaping the vast majority of the effects of the rash, bumby roller coaster ride.

How does one truly set out to find oneself more stable for carrying oneself through the world? 

* Having one job that can support yourself and your family?

* Advocating for the future of others?

* Having a job that allows you to afford to be able to spend more time with your family?

* Decluttering life's "treasures" from one's home?

* Having an income that will provide for a possibility that you actually have a savings for those emergencies and/or to set aside for retirement -- so that one can truly enjoy retirement?

* Vowing to live healthier?

* Having opportunities for vacation time so that one can truly enjoy life?

* Restoring one's faith in humanity?

* Having an opportunity to make time to enjoy doing things that one enjoys doing besides just working, sleeping, working, and sleeping?

What in the world is it going to take to make one more stable in order to carry themselves in the world?  What would it be for you?

For me, it would be to find that perfect balance in life where I can work to have the bills paid and a bit left over for savings, while having enough time to continue doing the things I enjoy doing -- ie,  being with family and friends, blogging (go figure, huh?), artistic endeavors -- as well as achieving the things that I want to do -- ie, writing the book that is swarming in my head and waiting to be put into print, traveling to other countries that I haven't been yet to (Belize, Equador, Scotland, Ireland, and Peru), building a modest home in the countryside, and finding a mate to share the rest of my life with one day (someone, that I can see us sitting in our rockers on our porch on our countryside home and just reminiscing about the good things in our lives when we become too old to move around like we had in the last 40-50 years of our lives).   Obviously, though, not all of those things can be accomplished in 2008 -- or, can it?  We all must realize our limitations without letting our visions of our limitations stimy our growth. 

I am not sure that one can ever truly find that "perfect balance in life", but surely one can attempt to try, can't they?

Goals are nice, but getting them put into action seems daunting at times; sometimes, appropropriately determining one goal in particular is more important that setting many that will merely set us up for failure of being able to accomplish anything.  The purpose of having a New Year's Resolution, after all, can be to light that fire of inspiration below ourselves to motivate ourselves to move forward from whatever level of instability that we have had in our lives in the past to empower us to move towards the level of stability that we all really truly desire.

Do you have a goal that you are going to put into action?  What might that be???

The funniest one I think from yesterday is "little green giant myspace codes"???  It isn't too often I hear of people talking about the Little Green Giant, much less utilizing it as some MySpace page! :)

It is just interesting, don't you think?

Not too sure that it is going to work for the Easter Bunny too, though!! :)

What do you think?

Do you think people would buy these on eBay????

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