5 Ways to Uncover Your Career Strengths

5 Ways to Uncover Your Career Strengths Personal branding is all about leveraging your strengths to stand out and differentiate yourself. Our strengths are what makes us unique, authentic, and real. Yet we tend to fall into the trap of trying to fix our weaknesses. We invest time, money, and effort trying to be better at something that we may never get better at doing even after training, studying, or practicing. This really comes as no surprise as the focus on weakness in society is hard to ignore. Almost every job interview asks about our weaknesses in light of our strengths! Why do recruiters and hiring managers waste time on such a question? John Falchetto recently wrote a great post about the importance of knowing our strengths and how to use them. He points out that we are experts at defining how much we suck at something. We are quick to say things like I cant do, Im not good at.., or I suck at. So this got me thinking. Maybe it is just easier for us to talk about our weaknesses rather then pointing out the strengths that set us apart. Here in Japan I see this all the time. Ask someone what they are good at and they immediately turn the answer into what they are NOT good at. This is certainly not unique to Japan and John says that this mind-set is the result of being conditioned that humans are naturally bad. When reading Johns post I immediately recalled a powerful commercial for Saucony running shoes called What is Strong?.  I simply love the message in this commercial that maybe strong is just what we have left when weve used up all our weak. How can you use-up your weak and use your strong? Try the following 5 activities. 1. StrengthsFinder 2.0 Are you an achiever, relator, maximizer? First introduced in 2001, the StrengthsFinder assessment was designed with the simple purpose of helping you to discover your top five strengths and how each of these plays out in your life. By doing the assessment you have more clarity in understanding how to do what you naturally do best every day, and how to identify the opportunities that will enable you to use your strengths. Access to the assessment does require a code that comes with the purchase of the book, but it is worth it. 2. Dont SWOT, SOAR! We are all familiar with the SWOT analysis. It continues to be one of the most widely used strategic planning tools. When it comes to personal branding, swat away SWOT and let your brand SOAR! SOAR retains the strengths and opportunities from the traditional SWOT, but adds a critical process of appreciative intent by including aspirations and results. Appreciative Intent (AI) really goes hand-in-hand with personal branding as its function is to build plans around what works, rather then trying to fix what doesnt. This empowers us to focus on the positives that we can imagine and actually achieve in the future. 3. ‘Headline News’ How do you want the world to see you? What do you want to be known for? If someone picks up the newspaper and there is a front page article about you, what would the headline read? Identify a list of people who know you well including friends, family, colleagues, etc. Ask them to write a front page headline about you. Remind them to be genuine and real here. You dont want them to fantasize. Their headline should be something they feel is absolutely achievable and realistic for you. What you get back will be amazing collection of headlines. Look for themes across these headlines and pay attention to all the verbs used as they will say a lot about how they see your strengths. 4. ‘Seven Stories’ Seven Stories is a comprehensive introspective activity where you first make a list of 25 enjoyable accomplishments in your life from childhood to present time. Things you not only enjoyed, but also did well. From this list you narrow it down to the seven that are the most important to you and write a short paragraph about each accomplishment. With these seven stories you will find some common threads and uncover strengths that perhaps you never realized. 5. ‘My Retirement Party’ This is a great forward visioning activity that combines aspects of Headline News and Seven Stories. Imagine you are sitting on the porch of your home and old friends, family members, and colleagues are showing up. People are coming to celebrate your retirement. As everyone gathers they are gradually breaking into smaller groups, talking, laughing, and having a great time. They are talking about you and how you have impacted their lives. You get up from the porch and walk around. As you pass by each group you can overhear what they are saying. Write down what you hear. How have you made an impact? What did you do to help them? Using any of these activities will help you to find your strong! How about you? Do you have any other ways to maximize your strong? Please share. Related: 3 Smart Ways to Brand Yourself in the Job Search Process.

Female Entrepreneurs By The Numbers - Classy Career Girl

Female Entrepreneurs By The Numbers According to the 2012 U.S. Census, women own 36% of all businesses, which is a 30% jump from 6% in 2007.  18% of startups have at least 1 female founder. Globally, Women-owned entities in the formal sector represent approximately 37% of enterprises, which translates to  126 million women starting or running businesses and 98 million female-operating established (over three and a half years) businesses. That’s 224 million women impacting the global economy, and this is in only 67 of 188 countries recognized by the World Bank, according to  Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). Female Entrepreneurship in the U.S. Women are starting 1200 businesses per day.  Four out of 10 new firms are now started by women.  Women start companies at 1.5x the average rate in the US, and there are currently 9 million+ women-owned companies in the US. U.S. women entrepreneurs say theyre 3x happier than non-business owning women. What Female Entrepreneurs Need: 48% of female founders (almost half) cite a lack of available mentors or advisers as holding them back. However, only a third say lack of capital is a constraint. [RELATED: 8 Reasons Why Women Excel As Entrepreneurs] According to the Harvard Business Review there are 126 million women entrepreneurs impacting the global economy and that number is expected to grow exponentially in the years to come. Women are starting 1200 businesses per day and there is absolutely nothing stopping you from doing it too. Facebook has acquired information from over 1.2 billion people and you have access to each of these people online now. You don’t have to invest millions in Superbowl commercials and feel like you can’t compete with the big guys. Everything has changed and it is so much easier to start a business these days. Now is your time girl! There is no more waiting and thinking. But heres a much more important stat I want you to know. Women entrepreneurs in the US rank their happiness at nearly 3 times that of women who are not entrepreneurs or established business owners. Do you need a little more happiness in your work life? The goal of our upcoming free training series is simple, to equip you with a proven plan, a plan that makes getting out of bed and going to work fun and not feel like work. This plan will give you more freedom to travel, hang out with your kids, check off those things on your bucket list and take care of yourself and your family. It’s about reducing the stress of starting a business and having a step-by-step action plan helping you along the way so you can be the woman you dream of becoming in this lifetime, contribute to charities, start your own foundation, build schools in Africa or just be present and spend quality time with you kids in the comfort of your home at 2pm in the afternoon to sing nursery rhymes rather than stuck in a cubicle. This is about living your purpose, making a lasting impact on this world and leaving a legacy. And the more you do that, the more you will inspire others and use your gifts and talents in the world to make a difference. Are you ready to make this happen? We will be sharing the entire Startup Blueprint at The Freedom Workshop starting on December 29th!!  Sign up here.

How To Really Impress During A Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How To Really Impress During A Job Interview - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Next to a root canal appointment, few things in life are as nerve inducing as the job interview. In this day and age, the face-to-face interview is typically the first time a prospective employee will speak to an actual person. This “actual” person literally has your career in the palm of their hand. They will determine, based on this portion of the hiring process, whether or not the process will continue or come to a screeching halt. Wow! No wonder you’re nervous. Right? Below are a few ideas that will go a long way toward taking some of the pressure off of you and making the most of your time with the interviewer. 1.  Keep in mind, this company called you. From the stack of resumes they  received, something about you gave them the confidence in your qualifications and abilities to want to get to know you better. That knowledge alone should put a spring in your step and arm you with the confidence  necessary for a successful interview. 2.  Save the bright colors for the first casual  Friday  at your new job. For the interview, though, keep it neat and professional. Doing so will immediately create an air of quiet confidence that will be evident in how the interviewer responds to you. 3.  Few things in life can boost your confidence levels like a good round of exercise. Try to schedule a  vigorous workout routine as close to the interview time as possible. Doing so will keep the butterflies in your stomach at bay, and will help you to interview from a standpoint of strength versus weakness. 4.  Get plenty of rest the night before. You may be thinking to yourself, “Well, duh.” But believe it or not, many  job seekers are so nervous they find it hard to sleep and wind up pacing the floor half the night, only to be exhausted by the time they get to the interview. I don’t have to tell you how adverse this condition can be to an interview. 5.  Don’t forget to eat. Studies have proven, time and again, that a  nutritious breakfast increases concentration. The ability to focus is essential for a winning interview. And besides, few things are as distracting as  the sound of a growling stomach. In addition to the simple suggestions above, get ready for your interview by conducting a few preparatory steps: 1.  Equip yourself with ample research on the company’s needs. Visit Glassdoor.com, Hoovers.com, BizJournals.com, WSJ.com, LinkedIn.com, Forbes.com and the company’s website. Simply Google the company’s name or a combination of the company name + targeted keywords to vet as much detail about the company for which you are interviewing as possible. Read between the lines about how their current growth patterns, product or marketplace positioning and so forth speaks to present and future needs â€" their areas of pain. 2.  From that info, ferret out where you sense their needs and your talents intersect. Make sure you prepare at least 4-5+ mini-stories (Challenge-Action-Result format) that vividly describe how you have achieved solutions similar to problems this company has faced, or will face. Paint a picture that YOU are THEIR solution, a better fit than the next interviewing candidate. 3.  Prepare for the multiplicity of questions interviewers often ask, such as: Tell me about yourself. What is the greatest value you can bring to us? Why do you want to leave your present position? What qualities do you admire in others? What are your salary expectations? What does ‘success’ mean to you? What is the most stressful situation you have experienced at work within the past year, and how did you handle it? What would your current (or past) employer say about your work? 4.  Prepare questions to ask them, such as: What are the greatest challenges you’re facing in your industry? Is your industry/business growing? What is the most important thing I can do to help within the first 30 days of my employment? 60 days? 90 days? What did you like most about the person who previously held this position? To the interviewer: What excites you about this job? What do you like most about this company? I’d like to know something about your background and how you came to work here? What main factors do you attribute to your growth? What do you attribute to the success of your company? What makes you better than your nearest competitor? 5.  Have a friend or family member (or hire an interview coach) to act the part of the interviewer. This will go a long way to quieting those nerves by giving you an opportunity to practice your tone and ensuring you won’t verbally stumble during the actual event. The person interviewing you has one goal in mind: fill a vacancy with the best-qualified candidate possible. You can make their job easier by being that candidate. So practice, prepare and be cognizant of the fact that this company would not have called you, if they didn’t need you. Author: Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, a member of the Glassdoor Clearview Collection, is chief career writer and partner with CareerTrend.   She has written for the Career Management Alliance Connection monthly newsletter and blog, ExecuNet’s Career Smart Advisor, The Kansas City Star, The Business Journal and The Wall Street Journal.

How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything

How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything I follow author Tim Ferris (it’s a wild ride) and this post was inspired by one of his.   I happen to agree with him that you can tell a lot about people by how they do the small things.   One of my personal observations: how you maintain your car is how you take care of almost everything in your life.   If your car gets regular maintenance and is kept clean (no matter how old it is), you’re probably the kind of person who takes care of all of the things you own.   You can’t convince me, however, that you’re a detail-oriented, organized person if your car is a wreck (metaphorically or literally.) Small details matter   and they’re a clue to how you do the big things.   If you calculate a tip carefully after a meal out and insist that everyone pay their fair share of the bill down to the penny, you’re probably going to be a stickler in a business partnership.   If you don’t bother to do the math and just throw down a couple of loose bills, that’s also a clue to how you handle money.   Show me a woman with a single rose in a crystal vase on her desk, and I’ll show you someone who cares about esthetics everywhere.   I wouldn’t take her to a grimy dive on a date, no matter how good the food is.   You get the point; like it or not, your character is showing in a hundred ways every day. Back to Tim Ferris’ post: If you’re a baby boomer like me, you may remember the story about David Lee Roth (of Van Halen fame) having a clause in his concert contracts about brown MMs.  It sounded insane.   The clause stated that “a bowl of MM’s has to be provided backstage, with every single brown candy removed, upon pain of forfeiture of the show, with full compensation to the band.”   Egomaniacal star obsessed with his own fame?   Not according to his explanation in his memoir “Crazy from the Heat.”   Van Halen often traveled to small markets where no one had ever handled a show with as much equipment and as many technical requirements as theirs.   Roth says that if he went backstage and saw brown MMs in the bowl, he’d order a line by line check of the entire production plan.   They’d almost always find some oversight or error in planning that could have ruined the show â€" or worse. (The recent collapse of a stage at the Indiana State Fair killed seven and woun ded over 40 people.) David Lee Roth understood what most of us don’t take the time to process: that how you do all the small things gives us a clue as to how you do the big things.   Like show up when you’re needed.   Take care of what matters.   Stand by your friends. Pay back your debts. Pay attention to details. The next time you’re tempted to tell a friend, a family member, or your spouse that they’re overreacting to how you handled some minor detail, stop and think.   Is how I do this how I do everything?   And what does that say about me? Now apply that to your job search.   When you meet with a prospective employer, are you organized, on time and prepared? If not, how will you convince her that you will be when it counts?

How to Find Accomplishments for Your Resume

How to Find Accomplishments for Your Resume Accomplishments, accomplishments, accomplishments. It’s probably been said over a million times Here are 3 Questions to Ask Yourself when You Feel Unaccomplished:1. What’s Gone Wrong? If you’re often described as reliable or dependable, perhaps that’s because you consistently achieve deadlines or productivity goals.Are you described as a motivating or inspiring manager?Maybe you have lifted employee engagement or championed professional development plans that resulted in promotions for team members.Has a boss described you as business-savvy?evalThat probably means you’ve voiced concerns about an approach or provided suggestions to improve the effectiveness of a proposed strategy.On the surface, the words people use to describe you at work often seem vague and impersonal. But, there is a reason behind their word choice â€" something you’ve done has resonated with them in a specific way.3. What do People Come to You For?This one is similar to the question above, but I’ve found it can often help clients uncover new information. Think about why co-workers stop at your desk â€" instead of someone else’s. Colleagues asking you for help has probably become so common, you fail to notice the value you’re adding. Becoming a go-to resource is evidence that you’ve become a highly-valuable expert.Do you interpret complex policies or procedures? Does your boss always seem to tap you when there’s a project that requires quick turnaround? Are the “problem” clients always assigned to you? Are you frequently invited to help finalize a contract or close a sale? Are you the default presenter/public speaker on your team?Now, how did you become this known expert? You must have done something right, multiple times, to earn your reputation. Those incidents, are seriously impactful accomplishments to include on your resume. The reputation you’ve built in the workplace, is a big part of your brand. And, the best part is, if you market yourself on these types of accomplishments, others will naturally reinforce this brand for you (references, LinkedIn endorsements, sponsor comments, etc.).Still drawing a blank?Dig-up those old performance reviews â€" some of the best accomplishment gems I’ve helped clients uncover have come from long-forgotten appraisals. You may also consider booking some time with a career coach or resume writer, who can ask the kind of probing questions that will launch your self-discovery in the right direction.

How to Stop Worrying 4 Steps to Conquer Your Fears

How to Stop Worrying 4 Steps to Conquer Your Fears What are you worrying about right now? A presentation you have to give, an interview, closing a major deal, throwing your first dinner party, or something even more stressful? The thing is, worrying takes a toll. Whether it’s because you care, you’ve been too busy to focus, or it’s part of your DNA, worrying is a drain on your energy. And when you worry, it affects the people around you too. As a master worrier, I’ve tried a lot of strategies â€" hanging things on the worry tree, scheduling 30 minutes a day to worry, telling someone else about my troubles. And all of them have their place. But the strategy that’s helped me the most is one I’ve applied just this year to a big project that looked like it was going to crash and burn. Maybe it can help you too. My Big Worry I had agreed to host a special high-end event in London on behalf of a friend. This was my friend’s brainchild, and she had entrusted me to run this first-ever version in London. With just 8 weeks to go, I had filled only a handful of seats. That wouldn’t have been so bad except that in the US this event typically had 30-40 people. It felt like an impossible mountain to climb. All I could think of was “what was I thinking when I agreed to do something so challenging?” My friend was really nice about it. She said we could just reschedule and choose a day later in the year. People hadn’t seemed to mind when they had to reschedule that one time in the US. But for me, this wasn’t an option. My reputation was on the line. I had promised to deliver this event, and 5 people had already paid to attend. It was up to me to deliver a great experience, which wouldn’t happen unless we got the numbers up to at least 15-16. What was I going to do? The 4-Step Solution That’s when my daughter came on the scene, saying, “Mom, you’re wasting so much energy worrying. It’s probably going to turn out fine, especially if you channel all that energy into doing something about the things you’re worried about.” Here’s the 4-step strategy we came up with. Step 1 â€" Make a List of Your Worries: Take out a sheet of paper. On the left side, make a list of all the things you’re worried about. Here, you want to be complete list everything that’s bothering you and don’t leave anything out. Make sure you hold onto this list because you’ll need it again in Step 4. In my case, I turned out to be very good at listing my very darkest, grimmest fears. It actually felt good to write down every “what if” scenario that weighed on my mind. As the saying goes, “sunlight is the best disinfectant”. Getting your fears out into the light reduces their power over you. Here’s how my list looked: Not enough people to make it worthwhile People drop out at the last minute People don’t show up We run out of things to say or do to make it worthwhile for each person It feels like too small a group and we’re rattling around in the conference room People don’t like it and want their money back Then the question is what to do about that big long list, which is Step 2. Step 2 â€" Take Action on What You Can Control: Go through each item on the list and look for actions you could take right now to make sure that fear doesn’t come true. Basically, you’re looking for what’s in your control versus what’s not in your control. For the things in your control, figure out what actions you can take. Then take them. Looking at my list, my fears really came down to two things. First, having enough people attend. Second, making sure whoever attended had a great experience, which in part relied on having enough people to interact with. Having had enough experience at running events, I knew I could make it a great experience for people… as long as there were enough people in the room. That meant my biggest focus had to be on getting enough “bums in seats” as they say in the UK. My problem was that I was being a perfectionist about how the invitations should be worded, and therefore procrastinating. As a result, I had sent out only 10 invitations. So my “hit rate” was actually 50%, which is quite good. What I needed to do was send out lots more invitations. This was the wake up call I needed. Now that my fear of having an empty room trumped my fear of putting myself out there with imperfect invitations, I had less trouble pressing  â€˜send’ on those emails. And once I had done my bit, it was easier to follow up with friends who had said they would spread the word but hadn’t yet. Step 3 â€" Make It a Daily Focus: Going forward, wake up every morning and ask yourself, “What can I do today to move the project forward and address the things I’m worried about?” This will prompt you to keep taking actions. In my case, it was building on the discovery I made in Step 2: that while I couldn’t control who said “yes”, I could control the number of invitations I sent out. So every day for the next five weeks, I identified more people to invite, sent more invitations, and asked friends to extend invitations as well. I went through my entire LinkedIn contact list, reconnected with former colleagues and leveraged corporate relationships. No stone went unturned. In the end, we had 25 yesses! By the way, I kept the “catastrophe list” list from Step 1 handy. That’s what gave me a kick in the backside to keep taking action and to stay focused. And if I identified additional worries, it made it easy to add them to the list and get to work on those too. Step 4 â€" Do a Post Game Review: Once the source of your worry is over, whether that’s an event, a presentation or an interview, it’s time to do what I think of as a “Post Game Review”. Go back to your original list of worries from Step 1. On the right side of the page, write down what actually happened. The point is to compare the two lists. If you’re a fellow worrier, your “before” list is going to be larger than your “after” list. Here’s what mine looked like: Before After Not enough people to make it worthwhile People drop out at the last minute People don’t show up We run out of things to say or do to make it worthwhile for each person It feels like too small a group and we’re rattling around in the conference room People don’t like it and want their money back It went great! 21 people came, they loved it, and asked when the next one will take place! By doing this comparison of your before and after lists, you’ll get data on how disconnected your worrying is from what actually happens. And that will help you to lighten up on the unproductive worrying next time, and get to action faster. Why This Strategy Works The beauty of this strategy is that simply writing down your worries takes them out of your head where they can ping around and seem bigger than they really are. In my case, worries left unattended in my brain can take on an emotional quality that super-sizes them. So it’s so helpful to get them out where I can do see them in one list. Then you can more rationally deal with each one, and get others to help you move through the list, whether that’s assessing how real the fear is or a team member helping to take an action. Some of your concerns will be very real and also very addressable. That’s why they say, “a problem shared is a problem solved”. Whether it’s just getting it out into the light where you can see it properly, or getting others to do something that they can do but you can’t or shouldn’t because others are better placed to do it. So, when you find yourself worrying about something, make the list and go through it with someone you trust to listen and not judge. Then focus on where you can make an impact and start taking actions. How to Stop Worrying: (1) Make a list (2) Take action on what you can control (3) Keep taking action Finally, let the results take care of themselves. Over time, the weight of the data about your worries versus reality will start to sink in so you can jump quickly into productive mode. What Will You Do? Now it’s time to step back and think about how to conquer what you’re worrying about. What’s your biggest worry right now? And what will you do to shift your energy from negative worry to positive action? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Where Can You Get Free Assistance With Writing a Resume?

Where Can You Get Free Assistance With Writing a Resume?In this day and age, it's more important than ever that you're able to get free assistance with writing a resume. One of the most common types of errors you'll find when it comes to a resume is in how you've highlighted or omitted sections of information. One of the best things you can do when you're trying to get free help with writing a resume is to see if you can find someone who has already done the job for you.There are a few places that you can go to get free assistance with writing a resume. The best one to start with is the internet. There are a variety of websites that specialize in helping people create resumes that are easy to read and follow. The internet is always available to help you with anything that needs to be done on the job market.Another place that you can go to find help with writing a resume is through the business schools you attend. For example, if you're attending school at a business school that offer s a class on job search techniques, that's the place you can go to get free assistance with writing a resume. You will learn techniques for presenting yourself professionally, and this information can really help you in your job search.There are other places where you can find free assistance with writing a resume that doesn't involve an educational institution. For example, there are several online job boards that give a different type of service to those who need help with writing a resume. These job boards are specialized for employers and job seekers to connect and communicate to each other about jobs and what you have to offer.You can find jobs that you might have otherwise missed out on because you missed the right timing in the market. Online job boards are perfect for such needs. They're well-stocked with job applications for you to look over and submit applications for a number of different jobs.Also, if you're looking for assistance with writing a resume, there are other p rofessionals that can assist you. There are so many different individuals in a wide variety of fields that can help you with writing a resume. For example, there are marketing professionals who can create a resume that will showcase you as a professional who is capable of being hired for the job.Another place where you can find free assistance with writing a resume is through personal networks. If you know someone in the community or even in the area, you might be able to get that person to help you with your resume. For example, if you know a local business owner, you might want to make sure they have a few pieces of paper to help you with writing a resume.As you can see, there are a number of different places where you can get free assistance with writing a resume. While it may take some time to find a site that will help you, it's well worth the effort. If you're able to get free assistance with writing a resume from a community member, it will likely be worth it.