High Gain Nuggets -"3 Reasons Why Personal Branding is Esstential"

1. In today's marketplace YOU are the product. Your Personal Brand sells you and will continue selling you throughout your career .


2. Your Personal Brand focuses on who you are and what you stand for. Clients want to work with and buy from people they trust and who hold the same values they do.


3. Your Personal Brand highlights your unique talents and sets you apart from the competition.

Building a Personal Brand starts by knowing who you are and what need you fill in today's marketplace. Your Brand is about the perception people have of you. Personal Branding also involves emotions. What one word would you use to describe your Personal Brand? Contact me (jan.highgainco@gmail.com and we can build your Brand so you can start living it!

High Gain Nuggets - Book Excerpt - Personal Power

"Personal Power starts with how you feel about yourself. If you feel positive about yourself, your personal power is very strong. If you feel negative about yourself, you are not claiming your personal power. Sounds good, huh? So why do we seem to consistently give away our power? For me the answer lies in the fact that most of the time I'm in Automatic Pilot mode. I dissipate my personal power when I'm on automatic pilot- it’s easier to operate by rote every day- it’s safe to do the same routine every morning. It’s comforting to hand over control of MY life to “the company”, "the family", etc.

Showing up – being fully present in the “now” - not in the past or the future, but now- this moment helps us reclaim personal power. Here's how to start:
1. Make decisions to be present now
2. Practice and reinforce your decision
3. Trust yourself and your decisions

Know that you are part of a bigger picture. Your life has meaning and everyone you touch is affected positively or negatively by your actions. Positive interactions increase your positive power- you have a great impact on the universe and contribute to the good.

People are waiting for your contribution- you may not know what it is right now – don’t worry- ask for guidance- still your mind- close your eyes and trust that the answer will come to you- practice this every day for 10 minutes- the answer will come and it’s then up to you to trust yourself and give your thoughts form. We are waiting for you- now is the time."

Recruting Backlash

David Kagan is our guest bogger this month. He has been a recruiter for nearly 15 years in a variety of industries, including several years consulting for major corporations. He has filled hundred of positions, managed campus recruiting, lead diversity initiatives, reorganized recruiting processes and organized an internal outplacement program for displaced employees. David has functioned mainly as an IT Recruiter with additional experience in Retirement Services and Investments. He’s had the unique opportunity to experience the various waves of recruiting from the days of sourcing resumes through newspaper ads to the internet revolution. He lives in NY and loves watching his beloved Yankees.


The Recruiting Backlash
By David Kagan
A few years into my recruiting career, the big topic of conversation was around the great hope of the internet. We talked about how it would be a great tool to improve how we recruit and engage candidates. It seems like a lifetime ago that our primary source of resumes was running classified ads in the Sunday employment section. Though we had to open hundreds of envelopes at least we were guaranteed to see each resume. Yes, more work for us but candidates knew their credentials were being reviewed and at the very least it gave them a shot to get a call back. The process was cumbersome but we were very engaged.
Fast forward almost 15 years and the idea of receiving snail mail resumes seems like something out of the dark ages. Undoubtedly technology has made recruiters more effective in many ways, except it has all but killed the candidate dialogue. How many times have we heard from candidates about the dreaded “black hole.” You know, that not so mythical place where resumes go to die while applicants wait for a response they likely won’t get. This mythical place turns out to be our own ATS databases. It seems obvious that we would make the best of those resumes, when in reality recruiters often overlook their ATS, and often in favor of some unproven new sourcing methodology.
It’s not only about resumes; the larger issue at play is how we communicate with candidates on an on-going basis. It’s also about how we keep talent engaged in a dialogue about our business, our industry, our new products and services, big wins and acquisitions so when we’re ready to work together the relationship exists. Keeping candidates informed keeps candidates interested. Recruiting is about the relationship with candidates, the candidates we need today and the candidates we’ll need tomorrow. I’m not writing this from some ivory tower, I’ve been in the trenches dealing with hundreds of resumes for each vacancy. I know how daunting it can be but it’s high time that we figure out how to use technology to communicate in a two way dialogue and without feeding the “black hole.”
A candidate backlash is well underway. They are fed up with organizations that are unresponsive. If you’re thinking it’s a buyer’s market and you can dictate the terms of the game, think again. Hiring is increasing and candidates are savvier than ever. Your organization can not afford a bad reputation about how you recruit. It’s not just word of mouth you have to worry about, it’s word of internet. Web sites dedicated to candidates dishing about everything from unresponsive recruiters, to broken recruiting processes to bad interviewers are popping up everywhere. Take back control, communicate with your candidates and set expectations. There’s no doubt recruiters are swamped, we’ve become a catchall for everything in staffing. However, with the use of smart technology and engaging talent in a two-way dialogue we’ll be on our way to creating a sustainable, winning recruiting culture.

Our Old Friend "Telecommuting"

Telecommuting Trail Tips

Here are the new workplace realities I see everyday as a personal branding expert: Less Job Security - More Freelancing - Delayed Retirement - Generational Diversity - Increased Telecommuting.

Of these realities, increased telecommunting gets very little attention because it's been around since the late 80's and 90's. We assume that workers know the "ins and outs" of the work-from home option. Telecommuting can be our best friend or our worst enemy....so here are practical trail tips I learned as a telecommuter for six years:

1. Secure a designated space in your home for an office....the kitchen table isn't the best place camp out. Choose a space that is your place and customize it for you and your needs i.e. shelves, printer and laptop space, dedicated phone line, unless you're like me and have gone strickly cell, good lighting, window if possible, sunbox if not, ergonomic chair, whiteboard and above all a "keep out" sign (unless you're in a Les Nesman situation like me-then take over the basement).

2. Get organized and keep a schedule and become very disciplined. Depending on your job, expect to spend a lot of time of conference calls....endless conference calls....boring, droning on-&-on conference calls where they completely forget you're on the line....so learn to multitask.

3. Make it a habit to stay in touch with your organization on a regular basis. "Out of sight, out of mind" is very true when it comes to telecommuting....lots of "things" go on in the corporate office...like project assignments,etc...remind your colleagues you're still on the team. Calls or emails, LinkedIn whatever works.

4. Get dressed every day - business casual is good....ratty workout clothes aren't not. Wearing ratting clothes all day made you feel grungy and crabby....crabby telecommuter's aren't good.

5. Try to keep regular hours....you can work all the time and not realize that you haven't left the house in days - honestly. Take regular breaks.

6. Fight the isolation by moving the office to Panera's one day a week.

7. Remember that you'll be having very interesting conversations with your dog or cat and they always have the best answers!

"I have to Network - OMG!"

A life time of networking.....OMG!!!

I hardly ever hear any clients say "I can hardly wait to start networking.....it's so great and I'm really good at it!" In fact, never have I had a client say that! I'm talking about face-to-face networking...the kind where you have to make eye contact and conversation....usually in a room full of people you don't know, wearing a name tag that keeps falling off, trying to figure out what you did to deserve this torture....THAT kind of networking. Here are some trail tips to help you get started:

Decide before you attend an event what your goal is -

1. mingling and drinking


2. hanging out where everyone's eating


3. meeting as many people as you can


4. make three quality contacts

Decide what a quality contact is-

1. a very "connected" person


2. a person who is willing to make introductions for you


3. the first person who talks to you at an event


4. the best dressed person at the event

Topics to talk about-

1. what you want from them i.e leads


2. what they want from you i.e. leads


3. what you have in common


4. how you can help them

How do you introduce yourself?

1. "Hi, my name is Jan Marino and I'm was a CFO. I'm in transition and I'm looking for a new opportunity.


2. "Hi, I'm Jan Marino. I'm an executive in transition.


3. "Hi, I'm Jan Marino. I'm a CFO with successes in taxation, risk management and strategic planning.
   

What networking events will you attend?

1. as many as I can


2. the one nearest my house


3. an event suggested by someone I know and trust


4. the event that best fits my networking goals and strategy

Here's a few more tips from clients who are very successful networkers:

1. Enlist the help of an accountability partner
2. Practice at events when you first start
3. Be persistent and keep asking for feedback so you can improve
4. Remember to breathe
5. Write down and post what works best for you
   

Remember, networking is the ultimate contact game!

“I Am” Statement

This is one of the most important pieces of information you will use throughout your job search. The “I Am” statement tells people who you are, what your values are and what you can do for them in two simple sentences. You’ll use it when you introduce yourself, when you network, when you interview, in your bio, resume, in your Linkedin profile, for your Twitter profile…..basically whenever you talk about yourself. So, you want to spent time and get this statement down so it becomes part of you.

"I am an engineer who saved my last company $75K on one project. I could increase your cost savings."

"I am a marketing professional who knows how to increase brand awareness. I re-introduced a product line and increased sales by 25%."

"I am a senior marketing executive who has extensive corporate and non-profit experience including the auto industry, financial services and most recently the ABA.
I bring my corporate expertise for streamlining and pricing to non-profits."

"I am a data-driven marketing professional who has been both the CIO and CMO simultaneously for a global corporation. I could increase your RIO and provide your organization with cutting edge data management and marketing leadership."

You'll be surprised how this statement will help you clarify your goals and how often you'll use it. So, take time right now to write your "I Am" statement...if you want feedback or help let me know!

The Big 60

My birthday was November 2. I’m 60! It’s a milestone and great because:

 Partying with my 84 year old Mom on Rush Street and being proud of how well we party hardy isn’t surprising.

 Not having to do anything I don’t want to do or work with people I don’t like is liberating.

 Looking in the mirror and seeing a 20 year-old who’s reinventing herself is AB FAB.

 “Acting as if” and “making up as I go along” with even more conviction is way more fun.

 Deciding to work until I’m 87 is an easy decision.

 Giving back through volunteering and serving on the Board of Directors of the Community Career Center is even more fulfilling.

 Learning from all generations in the workplace is more fun than ever because I finally understand that we all can help each other.

 Embracing chaos is much easier than when I was 30….I understand it’s only temporary.

 Having fun with social networking and building my brand as THE Career Management Expert is easy.

 Trusting myself and my abilities and knowing that I’m surrounded by a great husband, family and friends pushes me forward fearlessly.

 Happy 60th to me!