Last week on "Ask J.T. Anything," I was asked the best way to use LinkedIn to change careers. The video above explains the single most important thing you must do if you want to succeed.
May 11, 2016
Learn how to land a career you love
There are certain ways we can exit our current company without burning any bridges. When leaving a job, it's imperative to remember what we do and how we do it can stay with us for years to come.
Any time we leave one company for another, there are sometimes hurt feelings no matter how delicately you try to balance the transition. Oftentimes, bosses feel "betrayed" you are leaving the company, and this can lead to some pretty awkward and weird moments in the two remaining weeks after giving notice.
Here are six ways you can avoid burning those proverbial bridges when you leave your current job.
1. Outline Your Accomplishments
Before you leave, create a report summarizing your positive contributions to the organization, and send it to your boss on or just before your last day. By showing how much you achieved while there, this will leave a better taste in the mouth of the boss by reminding them that you were a good worker and brought something to the table. Who knows? They may suddenly decide to not let you slip away and provide a counter-offer. You should be prepared for this possibility, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen.
2. Thank Everyone
It's always a good idea to err on the side of being gracious (without being fake)—and thank your office mates. Be genuine, and let go of any hostilities that you may have held in the workplace. You want to start off on a clean slate in your new job, and carrying around baggage from your previous employer doesn't do you any good. Let go, say thank you, then say good bye. It doesn't cost you anything, and you might just surprise someone! And, more importantly, you never know where you might run into them again, so it's best to go out on a positive note.
3. Suggest Someone As Your Replacement
Sometimes, the most bitter pill an employer has to swallow is the departure of a core staff member when the team is already short on people. Their first concern is filling your old position to keep project momentum moving forward. If you know of a qualified person who could step into your role, make that suggestion to your superiors. I've done that in the past personally, and 100% of the people I suggested ended up being hired! If the employer respected your work, they will respect your opinion and act accordingly. Think of your recommendation as the "easy button" the employer is hoping for when engineering a quick hire for your job!
4. Write A Formal Resignation Letter
Write a letter to your boss and make it positive and personal. Outline how much you enjoyed your time at the company and maybe provide a couple of examples of amazing things you learned while on the job. This reinforces your professionalism and adds to your reputation as a classy person.
Never (ever) write anything negative or vent. Remember, this letter can frame up the conditions under which you depart, and will likely reside in your permanent personnel file. Be mindful of what will be in that file should a future employer call your current company for references, and a human resources professional goes to retrieve your file. What will they read about you?
5. Stay Focused And Don't "Check Out"
Bosses tend to understand the excitement of an employee's new job can lead to certain "school's out for the summer" mentality with workers, but you need to exceed those expectations to go out on the best note possible. Stay hungry, and keep putting in 100% so you are not perceived as a "short-timer" slacker.
6. Tie Up Loose Ends
Finish as many projects up as possible, notify all stakeholders of a change in personnel, and provide an interim point of contact. If you haven't finished projects, provide updates on them that are easily understandable, and if there are any mission-critical steps that need to happen in the immediate future, point those out to those who will be managing your job duties after you leave. What you want to do is create a situation where anyone could walk into your old job and quickly get up to speed on what projects are in the pipeline and which priorities need attention first.
How you leave a job says a lot about you. Take the high road and be gracious. It might be a horrible employment situation, but if you are able to depart with grace, class, and integrity, it says a lot more about you than the company. And that's what matters!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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As a leader, actively maintaining your executive presence builds credibility, trust, and, ultimately, a following. It gives you a competitive advantage over other job candidates, allowing you to gain access to better career opportunities.
Every executive needs to think about their presence. But before you can effectively build a strategy to grow your executive presence and create tools that support it, you need to understand what your executive presence is. To start, here are three components of executive presence every leader should know.
1. Gravitas
Gravitas is the first component of executive presence. It's your chosen value. It's how you like to create value in the world, how you save or make an organization money to justify the cost of hiring you.
One of the factors of executive presence that corresponds with gravitas is your depth of knowledge. As an executive, you've gotten to where you are today because you've thought through a lot of situations. Developing gravitas happens naturally in your career as you gain more experience and climb the corporate ladder.
Some traits related to gravitas include practical knowledge, composure, confidence, resonance, and vision.
2. Communication
The second, and most important, component of executive presence is communication. How do you deliver on your value? Communication also includes things like your personality and your approach. These are the things that are going to convey your executive presence.
A factor of executive presence that corresponds with communication is your delivery of knowledge. After thinking through a lot of situations in your career, you've been able to communicate that evolution of thought. You've taken those experiences and learned and grown from them. This is the most important component of executive presence because for leaders with an effective executive presence, communication makes up 51% of it. In other words, the effectiveness of your executive presence depends on your delivery of knowledge.
Some traits related to communication include authenticity, constraint, integrity, concern, and humility.
3. Appearance
The last component of your executive presence is your appearance. This is how your value is interpreted. It can be physical appearance (how you dress) or it can be body language like facial expressions and hand gestures.
The final factor of executive presence that corresponds with appearance is your style of delivery. As an executive, you've thought through a lot of situations in your career and communicated that evolution of that, and now appearance is the type of representation you choose to convey that message.
Some traits related to appearance include personal style, intentionality, inclusiveness, interactivity, and assertiveness.
As a leader in your industry, you have an executive presence. When others are assessing your executive presence (your reputation), they're taking into account your gravitas, communication, and appearance. Understanding the three components of executive presence is the first step to building an effective executive presence strategy, one that will give you access to better career opportunities.
To learn more about how to build your executive presence, download our eBook, 4-Step Process for Creating Your Executive Presence Online, written by J.T. O'Donnell, founder and CEO of Work It Daily.
Want To Build Your Executive Presence?
If you're an executive looking to advance in your career, you need to make your executive presence a priority. This includes your online executive presence. Failing to consistently contribute online in a meaningful way will put you on the fast track to being irrelevant and forgotten.
Join J.T. O'Donnell, LinkedIn Influencer and founder and CEO of Work It Daily, for this 3-hour live class designed to help you overcome these hurdles and stand out in the new normal of 2021 and beyond.
During this class, you will learn how to:
- Assess your executive presence to determine what you should convey online
- Make your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other professional branding tools say more by intentionally sharing less
- Create a "content tree" to ensure you always have plenty to share online
- Select the right types of content to share to maximize your ROI
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Listen To The Article
What Is A Value Proposition?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2020/09/14/the-optics-perception-matters-more-than-reality-in-business/?sh=53a693b83726
First, let's take a look at what a value proposition is. A value proposition summarizes a promise of value, delivered to customers should they choose to buy your product or service. A good value proposition, as defined by Peep Laja, explains three things:
- Relevancy: Explains how your product solves customers' problems or improves their situation.
- Quantified Value: Delivers specific benefits.
- Differentiation: Tells the ideal customer why they should buy from you and not from the competition.
Your value proposition needs to be front and center across your communication (i.e. homepage, marketing materials, videos, social media, etc.). If you don't state why consumers should buy from you and what the value is that you provide, you'll lose them. Clearly stating and reinforcing your value proposition improves growth, conversions, and customer lifetime value (CLV).
Understanding Your Value
https://www.lovefood.com/gallerylist/64837/the-incredible-story-of-how-mcdonalds-conquered-the-world
In 1948, two brothers opened a burger joint selling them for half the price in half the time, utilizing self-serve counters, with food prepared ahead of time and kept warm under heat lamps, giving them an overwhelming competitive edge. In 1954, a traveling appliance salesman, Ray Kroc, convinced the McDonald brothers to let him sell franchises. Over time, he built the company into the multi-billion dollar enterprise it is today ($170B).
Ray Kroc had a vision for these unique hamburger joints: to serve burgers, fries, and beverages that taste as good in Alaska as they do in Alabama. The most important part of any business is the value it provides to its customers. McDonald's has been known for their value proposition: food of a constant quality, that is served quickly and consistently across the globe.
When crafting your brand's value proposition, think about the value you deliver to your customers. How does this value focus on a need that you fill in a unique way?
How To Create A Value Proposition
https://www.allbusiness.com/11-tips-create-winning-value-proposition-business-23340-1.html
In my experience, many businesses struggle to define their value proposition because they don't know how to identify their unique offering that differentiates themselves from their competitors. When it comes down to it, there may not be a great deal of difference between you and your competitors. However, for your brand to stand out and be successful, you need to create a perception of unique value.
Here are three steps to create a value proposition that's actually valuable.
Step 1: Look For A Theme/Angle
Start by looking for a theme or angle for your value proposition. There are four categories of value propositions that work. If your value proposition does not fit into one of these categories, look at adjusting your approach.
- Best Quality: Successful brands in this category, set best-in-class standards, defining what quality is (i.e. Benjamin Moore paint).
- Best Bang For The Buck: Consumers are looking for the best quality-to-price ratio in this category (i.e. JetBlue).
- Luxury & Aspiration: This category promises the experience of a wealthy lifestyle to aspirational consumers (i.e. Patek Philippe).
- Must-Haves: The "must-have" content that business professionals could not do their jobs without (i.e. legal information and tools WestLaw provides to lawyers).
Step 2: Map Your Value Proposition
Next, the Value Proposition Canvas tool is a great place to begin mapping your value proposition by identifying and validating the makeup of your product and why people buy it.
The Value Proposition Canvas tool is formed around two building blocks:
The Customer:
- Wants: What are the emotional drivers of purchasing?
- Fears: What are the risks of switching to your product?
- Needs: What are the rational drivers of purchasing? What are your customers' hidden needs?
Product Value:
- Benefits: What does your product do for your customers?
- Features: How does your product work?
- Experience: What does it feel like to use your product?
Step 3: Develop Value Proposition Statement
Once you've pulled together the information from the Value Proposition Canvas tool, the next step is to distill these insights into your value proposition statement. An easy way to articulate this is with Steve Blank's (entrepreneurship professor at Stanford and Columbia University) XYZ template.
We help (X) do (Y) by doing (Z).
Final Thoughts
Your value proposition is a promise of value to future customers. If that promise is delivered successfully, you will turn your potential customers into paying customers. Spending time developing a clear, distinct, and meaningful value proposition will pay off by driving growth, conversions, and customer lifetime value for your business. Start building your brand leadership today. You've got this!
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There are typical red flags employers watch for in job interviews. Any one red flag can reduce your chances of getting a job offer, so here's what you need to avoid in your next job interview...
1. Poor Communication
This includes everything from talking too little, talking too much, or simply having poor nonverbal behavior like a lack of eye contact or making the situation uncomfortable with poor body language. When it comes to questions and answers, a job candidate who can't provide effective responses to questions that are necessary to assess their experience and skills is always a problem.
Be prepared to address every point you have on your resume. And when an employer presents a follow-up question like "Tell me more about..." they are trying to dig deeper either because they're curious, or you provided an insufficient response.
An inability to communicate well in a job interview will leave the employer questioning whether you do have the experience and skills you say you have on paper.
2. Question Of Permanency
When an employer puts out a job offer, it's going to be to someone they believe is committed to the job—not to someone who's simply looking to fill in an employment gap until a more fitting job comes along. Any reasonable job seeker wouldn't present such a front, but sometimes casual conversation can lead you to say things that are better off unsaid.
Avoid talking about challenges in your job search or how you were looking for a job in fashion marketing, but somehow you're now applying for this job in healthcare marketing. It brings to question if you're really interested in the job the employer has to offer.
Also, avoid talking about any long-distance relationships and try not to mention that your spouse and kids remain in another state. The employer will question if your personal situation may impact your job loyalty down the road if a relocation package is not going to be a part of the offer. And if they ask where you want to be in three years, answer with a position that corresponds with their growth opportunities.
3. Bad Talk
The purpose of the interview is to demonstrate why you're a great candidate for the job and effectively convey what you have to offer. It's not about letting your frustrations out about a boss you don't like or people you don't like working with. Any bad-mouthing simply sends a negative message about your character. It'll also make the employer question if you can manage workplace relationships professionally.
Often, bad-mouthing occurs when employers ask questions like, "Why are you leaving your current job?" Stay focused on answering with a positive response that relates back to the goal of improving yourself and utilizing what you're capable of offering.
4. Not Dressing The Part
Yes, it's wrong to judge a book by its cover. But in a job interview, this is what happens. If you're not dressed the part to look like you suit the job, it's going to be hard for the employer to see that, too.
It might also make the employer think that if you can't even manage to present a well-groomed appearance for a job interview that you'll be a slacker when on the job—and that's not going to work, especially if this is a position where you may have interface with customers or business partners that require a professional appearance.
5. It's All About The Money
Salary is a factor in determining whether the job offer is ultimately right for you, but bringing it up too early in the interview process comes off as though you're only in it for the money. And when you're the one to bring it up, it puts you at a disadvantage. You create a situation where you need to reveal your desired salary before the employer offers insight to what they're considering, which may end up being much lower or much higher from what the employer has budgeted.
The point is to first make the most impressive mark you can. If you're the one they want, they'll bring up the topic of salary and you'll have an idea of what they're offering, which you can then further negotiate so it meets your expectations.
Employers take into account many factors during the job interview. It's not just about the experience and skills you put on paper. Now, you can avoid all the typical red flags to keep yourself in the running.
Need help preparing for your next job interview?
Check out our FREE resources page!
Or, join our career growth club today and get access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and cover letter reviews, online tutorials, and unlimited networking opportunities—all in your back pocket!
If you want FREE career advice in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily Dose!
Struggling to find the right job?
Check out Work It Daily's Incredible Companies page to see snapshots of companies hiring. Work It Daily also highlights job opportunities on a daily basis on TikTok.
This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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Online networking should be the foundation of your job search. It should be the main focus, the priority. A strong networking strategy will help you network your way into a new company by allowing you to go around job boards and avoid the ATS. It is, simply, the best, most effective way to find a new job.
If the thought of networking scares you, you're definitely not alone. But, in order to find your next job and grow your career, you need to overcome your fears and make online networking a priority. Here are a few things to know about online networking before you start building your professional network for career and job search success.
When It Comes To Networking, Quality Is Better Than Quantity
With online networking, it's easier to meet people and add them to your professional network. But, if you're connected with hundreds or even thousands of people on LinkedIn, how many of those people do you actually talk to on a regular basis? How many of those connections do you have an actual professional relationship with?
As you build your professional network, remember that quality is always better than quantity. What good is it to have a lot of connections if they're not providing you with any value, and you're not providing them with any value either?
One of the aspects of an effective job search strategy we teach at Work It Daily is the interview bucket list, which is a list of the top 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. With an interview bucket list, you are able to conduct a targeted job search by proactively trying to network your way into those companies through reaching out to current or past employees. This means the quality of your connections will be better than if you were just connecting with a bunch of random hiring managers and other professionals not directly related to your job search or career goals.
Online Networking Is About Connection
You might not like the idea of online networking because you think it's all about asking for favors, but this couldn't be further from the truth.
Strategic networking is about connection. Effectively building your professional network revolves around connecting with others through common experiences, interests, and goals. Think about it. That's how you build relationships, right? That's how you make friends. So, the foundation of every relationship, including professional relationships, is connection through those things. It is not about asking for favors. It is not about the give and take.
Once you connect with someone and establish a relationship with them, you want to consistently provide them with value—you want prove yourself to be a valuable connection and person to have in their network. You do this by sharing relevant content, introducing them to other connections, and offering your support. It's only after you establish a relationship with someone in your network that you'll ask them for a favor, and feel comfortable doing so. And they won't hesitate to help you out because they know you'd do the same for them. That type of relationship is only possible through genuine connection.
A Strong LinkedIn Profile Makes A Big Difference
Most of your online networking will probably happen on LinkedIn, the popular social networking platform for professionals of all ages and skill levels. Not only is a strong, optimized LinkedIn profile a crucial tool in your job search, but to your peers, it also helps you seem like a credible person in your industry—a person someone would want to connect with and learn more about.
To optimize your LinkedIn profile so you stand out as someone with authority and credibility in your industry (and also as an active member on the platform) add keywords to your headline, fill out your "About" section, and change your profile photo to a photo where you look professional, yet approachable.
If you're trying to build your professional network on LinkedIn, remember that when you're networking on that platform your LinkedIn profile is someone's first impression of you. Make sure it's a good one.
Want More Networking Opportunities?
Now that you know how important networking is and you're ready to overcome your networking fears, you might be wondering where to find the best networking opportunities.
Well, good news!
With a Work It Daily subscription, you get access to our one-of-a-kind professional community with unlimited networking opportunities!
Sign up for your FREE TRIAL today!
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