Your professional reputation will be affected by other’s opinions of you and your accomplishments. Your work relationships will be important to your short and long term success while you are employed, and when you are searching for work.
Don’t wait until you are in a crunch situation to line up recommendations that will enhance your opportunities. Collect written recommendations as references throughout your career. Here are a few tips:
• The best recommendations and references come from people who have their own professional credibility. Who do you know well, whom you admire? (Google them to make sure they have a positive online presence.)
• Don’t be afraid to ask. Most people are flattered to be asked to provide a reference – as long as you are sure they know your work and respect you for it.
• You can suggest the points on which you would like the recommendation to focus. For example, “It would be great if you could comment on how successfully I managed that big project last year."
• Ask superiors, peers, former employees (whose careers have blossomed), and even clients and service providers with whom you have developed positive relationships.
• Select the best recommendations you receive to actually use. When read serially, they should give a well-rounded and impressive picture of who you are professionally.
• Keep your file of recommendations fresh and current. That nice letter you got 15 years ago will have lost its punch by now.
Special hints for LinkedIn recommendations:
• They should be brief; no more than 2 to 4 sentences.
• Target your requests to people who have good LinkedIn profiles and lots of connections.
• LinkedIn provides a means not only to approve recommendations you receive, but to ask for them to be edited. Ask for an edit if content, grammar, or spelling isn’t correct.
• Return the favor when you can. Write thoughtful recommendations for people you admire. (It’s another way to get visibility on LinkedIn and enhance your network.)
• If you get a recommendation that falls flat with you, or is too much like another you already have, you can choose not to show it on your profile.
19 April 2010
52 Weeks of Blogging
It has been one year since I started this Haropulos Bailey Consulting blog. Every Monday I have had the self-generated pleasure and pressure of posting original material as a means to share snippets of my business experience, give unsolicited advice, rant, and reflect. This is proving to be an interesting journey for me, which I hope others are enjoying and appreciating as well.
Some fun and interesting tidbits:
• TOTAL PAGE HITS: 1,875
• MOST VISITORS ON A SINGLE DAY: 53
• MOST PAGE LOADS ON A SINGLE DAY: 69
• GLOBAL REACH: 76% of my visitors are from all over the U.S. The other 24% have been from at least 26 other countries, plus Puerto Rico and Guam.
• MOST READ: Highest readership on a single blog entry has been for 10 Ways to Screw-Up Your LinkedIn Presence.
• MY FAVORITE: Shifting Tides of Communication, because I learned some thought-provoking things from interviews of several 16-20 year olds.
• OBSERVATION: Humor, sarcasm and a catchy title draw readers. (I’m not always that clever.)
• MOST EFFECTIVE PROMOTION: Googling related subjects on high profile web sites and adding my blog link as a comment, offering more information.
• BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Motivating readers to share their comments and ideas.
Thank you for visiting. Come back soon and often.
Some fun and interesting tidbits:
• TOTAL PAGE HITS: 1,875
• MOST VISITORS ON A SINGLE DAY: 53
• MOST PAGE LOADS ON A SINGLE DAY: 69
• GLOBAL REACH: 76% of my visitors are from all over the U.S. The other 24% have been from at least 26 other countries, plus Puerto Rico and Guam.
• MOST READ: Highest readership on a single blog entry has been for 10 Ways to Screw-Up Your LinkedIn Presence.
• MY FAVORITE: Shifting Tides of Communication, because I learned some thought-provoking things from interviews of several 16-20 year olds.
• OBSERVATION: Humor, sarcasm and a catchy title draw readers. (I’m not always that clever.)
• MOST EFFECTIVE PROMOTION: Googling related subjects on high profile web sites and adding my blog link as a comment, offering more information.
• BIGGEST CHALLENGE: Motivating readers to share their comments and ideas.
Thank you for visiting. Come back soon and often.
12 April 2010
No Time for You? Big Mistake
For many years, I was a hardworking and loyal employee of a major, public company. I embraced the responsibility that came with promotions and titles. I gave a good deal of thought and consideration to my team members – setting goals and creating opportunities that were intended to enhance their careers. There was a lot of business travel (which I often enjoyed) that required me to spend time away from my home and family. There were also projects that became all-consuming as far as focus, hours worked, stress and worry. Honestly, I don’t regret any of this. On the other hand, there are choices I made that I do regret, so here’s the free advice:
• Regularly make time for experiences that will provide growth opportunities for YOU. Sign up for training, classes, and conferences. Get that certification that will enhance your career profile.
• Keep your resume updated, as well as your LinkedIn profile. It doesn’t mean you are looking for a new job. It just means you are ready if something interesting falls into your lap.
• Take advantage of the availability of consultants. Good ones probably have experience you don’t, and will share with you. Not only can you learn from them; having their assistance can make you look good and be more successful.
• Nurture positive relationships with your service providers. They also have things to teach you. They are more than bodies that take work off your plate.
• Know where to draw the line on what you give to your job. Eventually you will crash and burn if you don’t protect your mental and physical well-being.
• Use your vacation time! You need to rest and refuel to stay healthy and be productive.
• Be visible in your field of expertise. Do interviews. Write articles. Speak at conferences. Join organizations. Get your name known.
• Network, network, network. Meet people outside your immediate professional sphere, and cultivate mutually-beneficial relationships.
If you think there is no time for these things – no time for you – then you are making a big mistake. Your job is a big part of your life, but it is not your life.
• Regularly make time for experiences that will provide growth opportunities for YOU. Sign up for training, classes, and conferences. Get that certification that will enhance your career profile.
• Keep your resume updated, as well as your LinkedIn profile. It doesn’t mean you are looking for a new job. It just means you are ready if something interesting falls into your lap.
• Take advantage of the availability of consultants. Good ones probably have experience you don’t, and will share with you. Not only can you learn from them; having their assistance can make you look good and be more successful.
• Nurture positive relationships with your service providers. They also have things to teach you. They are more than bodies that take work off your plate.
• Know where to draw the line on what you give to your job. Eventually you will crash and burn if you don’t protect your mental and physical well-being.
• Use your vacation time! You need to rest and refuel to stay healthy and be productive.
• Be visible in your field of expertise. Do interviews. Write articles. Speak at conferences. Join organizations. Get your name known.
• Network, network, network. Meet people outside your immediate professional sphere, and cultivate mutually-beneficial relationships.
If you think there is no time for these things – no time for you – then you are making a big mistake. Your job is a big part of your life, but it is not your life.
05 April 2010
A Little Stress Can Be Good
Stress often gets a bad rap. “I’m so stressed out” or “My job is so stressful” are common complaints heard when the going gets tough at work. There’s no doubt that the wrong kind of stress, or too much, can be really bad for our performance and health. It can affect how well we sleep, cause us to eat poorly, and result in a lack of focus. But a little stress isn’t a bad thing, and some stress can be managed to our benefit.
A little stress creates urgency; an important ingredient in the workplace that is often sorely lacking. It can sharpen our focus on priorities and boost energy. Appropriate levels of stress and urgency can motivate us to perform more efficiently, at the peak of our capability. An element of excitement and a dash of adrenaline are added to the workplace.
Stress can be destructive, or can result in creativity. Either can be inflicted or gifted upon us by a boss or by ourselves. Whether we suffer or make something good from it is often within our own control. Receiving criticism from a boss can be upsetting, but we can either communicate and respond in a constructive way, or create unnecessary stress for ourselves by overanalyzing the issue or by being too defensive. Notification of an aggressive deadline for an important assignment can be worrisome, but it also creates intense focus, brings a team together, and provides satisfaction and an opportunity to celebrate victory once the goal is achieved.
To convert “stress” into positive action, analyze what about the situation is bothering you. If faced with complicated assignment – break it into manageable steps. When you don’t know how to do something – ask for more guidance or help from an experienced co-worker. If you’re worried about whether your work is appreciated – talk frankly with your boss. Feeling overworked? – prioritize your tasks and focus on what’s really important. When tired – use your free time wisely, getting more relaxation and sleep. Most importantly, if you are stressing about something completely beyond your control – let go of it.
Facing any sort of challenge causes some degree of stress, and individuals respond differently. Take time to analyze the source of your stress and turn it into positive energy and heightened performance.
A little stress creates urgency; an important ingredient in the workplace that is often sorely lacking. It can sharpen our focus on priorities and boost energy. Appropriate levels of stress and urgency can motivate us to perform more efficiently, at the peak of our capability. An element of excitement and a dash of adrenaline are added to the workplace.
Stress can be destructive, or can result in creativity. Either can be inflicted or gifted upon us by a boss or by ourselves. Whether we suffer or make something good from it is often within our own control. Receiving criticism from a boss can be upsetting, but we can either communicate and respond in a constructive way, or create unnecessary stress for ourselves by overanalyzing the issue or by being too defensive. Notification of an aggressive deadline for an important assignment can be worrisome, but it also creates intense focus, brings a team together, and provides satisfaction and an opportunity to celebrate victory once the goal is achieved.
To convert “stress” into positive action, analyze what about the situation is bothering you. If faced with complicated assignment – break it into manageable steps. When you don’t know how to do something – ask for more guidance or help from an experienced co-worker. If you’re worried about whether your work is appreciated – talk frankly with your boss. Feeling overworked? – prioritize your tasks and focus on what’s really important. When tired – use your free time wisely, getting more relaxation and sleep. Most importantly, if you are stressing about something completely beyond your control – let go of it.
Facing any sort of challenge causes some degree of stress, and individuals respond differently. Take time to analyze the source of your stress and turn it into positive energy and heightened performance.
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