No meeting this Friday. (November 29th.)
Next meeting is an evening one on December 6th 6:30-8 at some location yet to be determined (I’m looking into places where people could grab a bite, and that won’t charge us to meet at their place. Currently Belltown's Uptown Espresso is my leading candidate with the Terry & Republican Starbucks a close second. Please send me your ideas. Especially those who wanted the evening meeting time. Really, I need your help.)
So in simple terms, the meeting schedule through the end of the year:
November 29th - NO meeting
December 6th - Meeting 6:30 - 8 (Location to be determined)
December 13th - NO meeting
December 20th - Meeting 6:30 - 8 (Location to be determined)
December 27th - NO meeting
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thursday, November 14, 2013
More of the same... (AKA: Tell me what you think)
I’ve really enjoyed getting your emails. It’s exciting to hear so many of you are doing well (or at least keeping your heads above water.) Those still looking to maintain your professional development through OCA can help me sort out the best meeting time by adding your input to this survey:
Link to Poll: When Do You Want To Meet? (Results collected until Nov 16th)
Like I mentioned last week, quite a few of One Connection Away’s regulars have found work and moved on. Often I hear that that consists of a contact job (and a tremendous under utilization of their skills, training, and experience) Too many of you are still underemployed in the truest sense of the word. Isolated and over-extended it’s hard to get support and find time to grow professionally or personally.
I’ve been told many times that people need help with career development but can’t get away for our Friday morning meeting to work on it. I’ve been told that OCA provides a valuable service by giving you a chance to be around people that understand what you’re going through, that can encourage you to improve your skills, and that can coach you to make strategic investments in time or relationships. (But I’m curious what YOU got out of it. Drop me a note.)
Even if you haven’t been to a meeting in a long time - add your voice to the poll. (Results collected until Nov 16th)
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE MEETING:
Be awake. (But since we meet at a coffee shop you'll be fine.) A computer would be handy but anything to take notes with works.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Topic of the moment (and survey)
Quite a few of One Connection Away’s regulars have found work and moved on. Often I hear that what they are doing now consists of a contract job, temporary gig, or some other tremendous under utilization of their skills, training, and experience. It seems too many are still underemployed in the truest sense of the word. Isolated and over-extended it’s hard to get support and find time to grow professionally or personally.
I get emailed all the time from people who need help with career development but can’t get away on a Friday morning to work on it. And those that have been in and out of our group tell me that it was vital to have someone that understands what you’re going through, that can encourage you to improve your skills, and coach you to make strategic investments in time or relationships. This is hard work on your own. But schedule conflicts and the need to eat come first.
Even if you haven’t been to a OCA meeting before, if you’ve thought about it - add your voice to the poll. I’d anticipated that I would need to adjust the meeting time soon anyway since I’ve decided I should probably return to work myself. But even working I want to continue providing this resource. Help me decide the best time, day, and frequency of meetings going forward.
Thanks -
Duane
Link to Poll: When Do You Want To Meet? (Results collected until Nov 16th)
I get emailed all the time from people who need help with career development but can’t get away on a Friday morning to work on it. And those that have been in and out of our group tell me that it was vital to have someone that understands what you’re going through, that can encourage you to improve your skills, and coach you to make strategic investments in time or relationships. This is hard work on your own. But schedule conflicts and the need to eat come first.
Even if you haven’t been to a OCA meeting before, if you’ve thought about it - add your voice to the poll. I’d anticipated that I would need to adjust the meeting time soon anyway since I’ve decided I should probably return to work myself. But even working I want to continue providing this resource. Help me decide the best time, day, and frequency of meetings going forward.
Thanks -
Duane
Link to Poll: When Do You Want To Meet? (Results collected until Nov 16th)
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Agenda item for 10/27/13
Topic: Seriously zeroing in on a target. (week 2)
Last week I issued a challenge. Those that came to the friday meeting were asked to find one person on linked in in the seattle area (or wherever they were looking for work) that has the job they want AND CAN DO. The person that they most resemble in terms of skills and ability to do the job.
The idea behind this challenge/exercise is to help people learn what their marketable skills look like and learn how to package them up and sell them in a crowded marketplace. The grocery store analogy of having a product and trying to get slotted on the shelf beside the existing product is what we’re playing with.
This isn’t as easy a challenge as it may sound.
It’s easy to find people that you can do PART of their job. That you have PART of their skill set. The challenge here is finding people that you can do ALL of what they do. This is your “career doppelgänger.” This is to be someone you have never met but is located in the market, industry, company, division, role, etc. you want to be in and YOU CAN DO THIER JOB. (The exciting part of this exercise is when we figure out how you can do what they do either better or differently. And in doing so create the argument as to why you should be added to the staff working beside your doppelgänger. And I shouldn’t have to say it but I will, those same arguments are useful for approaching that companies competitors.)
Todays topic is a discussion of why the person you picked is the person you picked. Who else you looked at and why they weren’t as good a pick. What makes that person your doppelgänger?
For those doppelgängers that survive the discussion we’ll move on to step 2: Research and contact. For those doppelgängers that don’t it's back to linkedin and more searching for you. (We can do some of that immediately after the meeting 12-12:30 if you’d like.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE MEETING:
Be awake. (But since we meet at a coffee shop you'll be fine.) A computer would be handy.
(Used doppelgänger 5 times in one post. Is that some kind of record?)
Last week I issued a challenge. Those that came to the friday meeting were asked to find one person on linked in in the seattle area (or wherever they were looking for work) that has the job they want AND CAN DO. The person that they most resemble in terms of skills and ability to do the job.
The idea behind this challenge/exercise is to help people learn what their marketable skills look like and learn how to package them up and sell them in a crowded marketplace. The grocery store analogy of having a product and trying to get slotted on the shelf beside the existing product is what we’re playing with.
This isn’t as easy a challenge as it may sound.
It’s easy to find people that you can do PART of their job. That you have PART of their skill set. The challenge here is finding people that you can do ALL of what they do. This is your “career doppelgänger.” This is to be someone you have never met but is located in the market, industry, company, division, role, etc. you want to be in and YOU CAN DO THIER JOB. (The exciting part of this exercise is when we figure out how you can do what they do either better or differently. And in doing so create the argument as to why you should be added to the staff working beside your doppelgänger. And I shouldn’t have to say it but I will, those same arguments are useful for approaching that companies competitors.)
Todays topic is a discussion of why the person you picked is the person you picked. Who else you looked at and why they weren’t as good a pick. What makes that person your doppelgänger?
For those doppelgängers that survive the discussion we’ll move on to step 2: Research and contact. For those doppelgängers that don’t it's back to linkedin and more searching for you. (We can do some of that immediately after the meeting 12-12:30 if you’d like.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE MEETING:
Be awake. (But since we meet at a coffee shop you'll be fine.) A computer would be handy.
(Used doppelgänger 5 times in one post. Is that some kind of record?)
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Agenda item for 10/18/13
Topic: Seriously zeroing in on a target.
We've talked about this before so many of you already know the concepts. The challenge is never really knowing what to do it's in being motivated to do it and staying motivated enough to follow through. Crisis is always pretty motivating. When you don't have any other choice but to act people usually act. It's always a little disappointing when we look back and say to ourselves "what took us so long?"
This week, first we'll kick around the concept of targeting for anyone that doesn't already know the reason for and the power of having a clear target. Then I'm going to issue a challenge. And we're going to work on it together. (You'll be able to meet it. The real question is will you follow through and do the work?) Hint: the challenge will involve acting on your targeting.
OK, It will be first to identify the target organization, then the target role you want, then to find out who hires that target role. And then… Well, that's where the fun begins.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE MEETING:
Be awake. (But since we meet at a coffee shop you'll be fine.) A computer would be handy.
We've talked about this before so many of you already know the concepts. The challenge is never really knowing what to do it's in being motivated to do it and staying motivated enough to follow through. Crisis is always pretty motivating. When you don't have any other choice but to act people usually act. It's always a little disappointing when we look back and say to ourselves "what took us so long?"
This week, first we'll kick around the concept of targeting for anyone that doesn't already know the reason for and the power of having a clear target. Then I'm going to issue a challenge. And we're going to work on it together. (You'll be able to meet it. The real question is will you follow through and do the work?) Hint: the challenge will involve acting on your targeting.
OK, It will be first to identify the target organization, then the target role you want, then to find out who hires that target role. And then… Well, that's where the fun begins.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE MEETING:
Be awake. (But since we meet at a coffee shop you'll be fine.) A computer would be handy.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Agenda for: 10/4/2013
Quite a lot went into creating this presentation and frankly I'm nervous it's not going to be any good. But I'm sharing it anyway in the hopes it will be useful to the people who most need it. (And to get feedback so I can improve it.)
What is it? The Value Proposition Bootcamp (this version anyway) is a very short primer on what a value proposition really is and what's involved in creating them. Plus a couple exercises to get people started developing their own.
Why am I doing it? Because I feel it will give those who are struggling in their job transition something to re-energize their search. Once you understand the power of a strong value proposition you'll be able to do things like:
- ORGANIZE & OPTIMIZE YOUR CAREER PATH
- CREATE A PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN
- BECOME SEEN AS AN EXPERT
- CREATE A BETTER TARGETING LIST
- CREATE A MORE PERSUASIVE LINKEDIN PAGE
- CREATE A MORE PERSUASIVE RESUME
- WRITE MORE PERSUASIVE COVER LETTERS
- HAVE MORE PRODUCTIVE INFORMATIONALS
- GET BETTER JOB REFERRALS
- GET BETTER JOB OFFERS
- GET STRONGER RECOMMENDATIONS
- GET YOUR EMAILS OPENED
Why else am I doing this? Because I just have to, frankly. Value-centric Branding is what I know and for better or worse I'm driven to try and help as many people as I can discover, define, design, and deliver the greatest possible value they can. For their sake as well as for all the rest of us. Incrementally I'm trying to make the world a better place. Corny I know.
(yes this is a free meeting)
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