How to Create Your Own Networking Event in 5 Easy Steps Building Your Future Now

How to Create Your Own Networking Event in 5 Easy Steps Building Your Future Now One of easiest ways to be proactive about developing your career is by creating your very own networking event! It does take some time and a little elbow grease, yet it is an amazing experience that can gst you connected to some awesome people! If you have no idea where to start here are 5 steps to creating your own networking event: 1.Develop your event concept Ok your creating a networking event which is a basic idea and its been done before. However, can you think of any other elements that can be added to your networking event? Maybe a cocktail hour? Business authors special event? A specialized kind of networking event focused on small business? Brainstorm and have fun. You also might find it a good opportunity to collaborate with friends. 2.Guest speakers is a good idea Getting one featured guest speaker or several might be an excellent way of adding value to your networking event. Try emailing or calling some potential guest speakers. Even if you arent successful in landing a guest speaker highlight other aspects of the event that people might likemaybe a short workshop on social media for small business. 3.Pick a venue This is your first event so look at what free options you have around you. Maybe the library offers you a free space as well as the community center. There are also pubs, restaurants, and non-profits that may be good spaces for your event. 4.Use your personal network Contact people that you know in order to build buzz for your first event. Friends, co-workers, cousins, brothers or sisters are all people that can help you add the first layer of attendees for your event. 5.Promote Advertising Use social media, blogging, and local media to promote your event. You dont have to pay a cent for promoting and advertising your event but you have to truly get out there in order for people to come out. Talk to as many as people, try postering, print business cards and try cold calling businesses and non-profits to get your event noticed. Also, allow enough runway to get the message outessentially get ready to promote at least a month in advance! Image: Geralt

5 Practical Training Ideas for Entrepreneurs

5 Practical Training Ideas for Entrepreneurs If you were to describe the typical educational path for entrepreneurs, you would probably focus a great deal on the theoretical. It only makes sense.  A great deal of business and entrepreneurship education is primarily focused on learning different theories and how they are put into practice. However, while poring over case studies and learning the terminology helps you understand the world of business â€" and can help you run your own business more effectively â€" it cannot replace the value of hands-on, practical education. That’s why more business programs are implementing practical training into their curriculum.  Theyre requiring students to complete projects that require real life application of concepts, internships, or other requirements where they need to put theories to work. But what if you aren’t currently working toward a degree?  Or, what if you already have a degree and you want to  start  and launch your own business? How can you gain more practical training? It may be surprising, but there are actually several ways that you can seek out hands on training while still running your business.  And, you can do it without going back to school for a formal degree. These opportunities will require an investment of time and in some cases money.  But pursuing any of them can help you become a more successful entrepreneur and grow your business. Earn IT Certifications Typically, IT certifications are viewed as being something only for those who want to have a career in IT. Unless they have an IT-focused business, the average entrepreneur usually hires others to handle their computing needs. However, for a small-business owner, investing resources in online IT training and taking the necessary exams to earn a certification can actually be a major boost to the enterprise. For starters, taking courses and earning a certification, even an entry-level certification, allows you to handle more of your IT needs yourself.   That saves your business money and ensures that you can handle your company’s growth from a technological standpoint. Holding a certification can also create additional opportunities for your business.  Especially if you plan to seek government contracts, since government vendors must meet certain requirements. Participate in Competitions While many business competitions are open only to students enrolled in formal business education programs, there are some competitions that are open to any entrepreneur. In addition to the potential to win prizes, including cash, consultations with business experts, and more, participating in business competitions forces you to hone your skills in certain areas. For instance, you may be required to develop a business plan for the contest.  That would require you to spend additional time perfecting your plan and really thinking through your business idea.  And that has  potential additional payoff of more support for your enterprise. Seek Public Speaking Training Public speaking consistently tops the list of adults’ biggest fears, but it’s an important skill for an entrepreneur. Feeling more comfortable speaking with others will help you network more effectively.  And improve how you communicate with others.  In addition,  developing confidence in your speaking ability can create more opportunities for you and your business. Many industry groups, civic groups, universities, and more are always on the hunt for speakers at their events.  And if you’re a polished, professional speaker, you can capitalize on these opportunities to grow your business. Internships You might be thinking that internships are only for college students.  But if you are starting a business, it may be worth your time to work as an intern for a few months. Youll  get an insider’s view on running a business.  Or to learn more about certain aspects of running a business that you aren’t familiar with. While some companies will only hire interns who can earn college credit, others are more flexible with eligibility requirements. The bottom line, though, is that nothing can give you the practical experience you need like actually doing the work in a business setting. Conduct Research Conducting original business research has the potential to straddle the line between theoretical and practical training.  But the insights that you gain can not only help you run your business more effectively.  They also provide you with a product that can help you promote your business or even create an income stream. Turning your research into a white paper, case study, guide, or book can improve your credibility.  An additionally get customers more interested in your business, and give you knowledge you may not have otherwise had. Investing in yourself by seeking some practical training is one of the best things you can do for your confidence as an entrepreneur, and to grow your business. Even if you have a few years of experience under your belt, these opportunities can help you expand.

Personal Branding Interview Maggie Mistal - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Maggie Mistal - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Maggie Mistal, who is a career coach, radio host, TV contributor and blogger.   Maggie is Martha Stewart Living Radio’s Career Coach on SIRIUS and XM Satellite Radio.   In this interview, Maggie talks about career coaching, from the qualifications you need, to what makes a successful career coach, how to keep your brand name out there and get new clients and her web strategy.   Take a journey inside the mind of a career coach! What does it mean to be a career coach in 2009? What new qualifications must you have? For me being a career coach is about helping people find their ideal careers through soul search, research and job search. My approach provides the framework for my clients to find their own answers and create careers that match their unique skills, interests and motivators. My approach hasn’t changed in 2009 but the need now is greater than ever. People are finding that traditional career paths are not as stable as they once believed and many realize this a perfect time to reinvent their careers. No new qualifications have been necessary, but as a career change coach I must to continue doing more of what Ive always done â€" to get people to be honest with themselves and to continue supporting them to make their ideal careers a reality. What was it like to work in Martha Stewarts organization? How did it help build your personal brand? Martha Stewart employs creative and innovative people. Working at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia full-time (I still contract with the organization to do my weekly SIRIUS XM radio show) was enlightening. I coached and trained individuals at all levels across four different areas of business from publishing to merchandising to media to web. I also witnessed the power of someone whos talented and passionate about what she does. This was especially evident during my 45 minute on air radio interview with Martha Stewart herself, discussing her successful approach to business and career. Her example and my time at the company helped my personal brand in that I learned how important integrity, consistency and quality are in your message and your services. The bar is high at Martha Stewart, which is credit to her brand. I too hold myself to high standards and see how crucial that is to building something that lasts. How does speaking, your radio show and your other promotional vehicles help your business? What would happen if you didnt have them? Coaching is a personal service. My clients need to get a sense for me to know whether or not I can help them. My radio show Making a Living with Maggie, my speaking engagements, and my TV appearances on CNN, all give people a chance to get to know me and provide a platform to get my message out to the public. Once theyve heard my messages and see my passion for what I do, I feel it instills in people a sense of confidence that I can help them and that they can make a career change. If I didnt have these vehicles, I would still be able to promote my business through word-of-mouth. My past clients are my biggest and best source of future clients and that hasnt changed in all the years Ive been a coach. You can read their testimonials on my website. You have your own branded website maggiemistal.com. When you created this site, what did you want to achieve with it? The initial goals for the site were two fold. First I launched the site to become known as a career coach in a formal way and give credibility to my practice. It also gave me a way to communicate how I can help people unhappy in their careers and help them make changes. Still today, my website gives people a safe and easy way to understand my services and how I could help them with their career needs and goals. But over time, my site has transformed from information-focused to resource-focused. And this summer Im launching a new version of maggiemistal.com that will incorporate my blog, my media appearances and publications, my radio show, and all my services and products in one place. It will still be a way to educate people about coaching but now they will be able to download more resources in real time. There are over 4 million people out of work right now, but most of them wont see a career coach. Why do you think this is? Is it because theyre afraid? To be honest, Im not so sure most of them wont see a career coach. Youd be amazed at the number of requests for services Ive received since the financial crisis started in the fall of 2008. And for the ones who don’t see a coach formally, I’d be very surprised if they didn’t ask a friend, colleague, or family member for help and advice about their careers. People need help with their careers, and why not? Work is where most of us spend our time. The biggest obstacle I see for most people is that they don’t think to invest in their careers. They invest in their retirement; they spend weeks planning a one-week vacation but still many people wait until there is a crisis to invest in their careers. Many havent saved or budgeted for investment in their careers and find it difficult to save when living paycheck to paycheck. But investing in your career where you spend over a third of your life does not sound like a luxury to me but rather a necessity if you want long-term, consistent happiness and success at work. Maggie Mistal is a career coach, radio host, TV contributor and blogger.   CNN recently called Maggie, one of the nations best known career coaches. Maggie has appeared several times on CNN Newsroom with Kyra Phillips and Alina Cho and on CNNs Your Money as a career expert. She is a certified life purpose and career coach and hosts a weekly national radio show called Making a Living with Maggie.   After being Director of Learning Development for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for several years, Maggie became Martha Stewart Living Radio’s Career Coach on SIRIUS and XM Satellite Radio. She has interviewed some of the most successful names in their fields from Martha Stewart to Sally Field to Deepak Chopra to Cynthia Rowley.

Five Costumes Every Twentysomething Should Avoid

Five Costumes Every Twentysomething Should Avoid Happy Halloween!! Yesterday I had the pleasure of teaching two college classes: an entrepreneurship class at Miami University and a communications internship class at DePaul.  While each class had a completely different lesson plan, there was an over-arching theme in both that became part of our discussion: life as a twentysomething. Ive mentored more college students than I can count and have had cocktails with enough young pros to know that most people will face a lot of uncertainty and change in their twenties.  And because of this, many of us spend a portion of this decade in disguise while we try to figure it out.  A perfect example?  Miley Cyrus. (And yes, I couldnt help but share her Lil Kim Halloween costume!) While costumes are a little different for non-celebs, Ive thought a lot about the types of costumes twentysomethings wear and wrote a post about it over at the Premier Protein blog that I hope youll check out.  Are you a People Pleaser? Someone who tells themselves that 30 is the new 20? Are you a Do Good Martyr? Are you the Overly Eager Adult? Are you the $30k Millionaire? Read the full post here. And in the meantime, heres a #ThrowbackThursday Halloween costume of mine from a few years ago: Snookie and The Situation!

Resume Writing For the Underemployed - How to Write a Professional Resume For the Underemployed

Resume Writing For the Underemployed - How to Write a Professional Resume For the UnderemployedIf you are currently seeking employment, there is a good chance that you will find that you need to write your resume for the underemployed. There are many factors that can determine whether or not you are going to be able to find a job, and if you have a history of unemployment in the past, it will certainly give you a better chance of being hired.Resume writing for the underemployed, though, should be done according to some type of method. It might be a little confusing to try to figure out what your current situation would be, but you will find that when you make the effort to follow some of the steps outlined here, your odds of finding a job can improve significantly. Here are a few things to consider:Your market: This is the first thing that you need to think about when you are looking at resume writing for the underemployed. There are many different markets out there, and not all of t hem require all of the same information, in the same formats, to be put on a resume. If you are in a market that requires you to put certain things on your resume, then it will be easier for you to find a job if you already know how to put them on your resume.Time frame: You also need to know what time frame you will be looking at when you are applying for a job. Some companies only hire for a short time frame, and if you have not been with that company long enough to prove your worth, you will not be in their target market. Others do not require that you have been with them long enough to prove your worth, but they want to see that you are serious about taking the job. There are certain things that you will need to be clear about when it comes to the time frame that you are looking at when you are writing a resume for the underemployed.Field of specialization: You will also need to know what type of job you are applying for. This is another point that will affect the type of resume that you need to write, as well as the type of employer that you want to get. There are a lot of jobs out there that do not require any type of specialized training, and that do not require you to know anything about any type of field, which is why you will need to consider this factor when it comes to resume writing for the underemployed.Marketing skills: If you are a candidate for a marketing job, you will want to know if the company has already developed marketing systems. A lot of companies that need people to write resumes for them are still in the process of setting up their marketing programs. This means that you will need to be clear about this when you are writing your resume. You will also need to make sure that you look over the marketing products that the company offers, and see if you have any issues with these or if you would prefer to avoid them.Position type: The last thing that you will need to consider when you are creating your resume for the underemployed is the type of position that you are applying for. While positions might not be known for their specific requirements, most companies are looking for applicants who have experience with different types of positions. For example, if you are applying for a customer service position, you will want to know that the company has an arrangement with other customers, or a service center. This will help you to be able to better tailor your resume for the underemployed.Resume writing for the underemployed can be a difficult task, but it is one that can be made easier by making sure that you follow some of the guidelines outlined above. While these tips may seem to be a little complicated, once you get into the process, it will be much easier for you to get started on your resume for the underemployed.

How You Can Be More Effective With Recruiters [Insights from Recruiters]

How You Can Be More Effective With Recruiters [Insights from Recruiters] Most people know how to do their job.  But when they hit the streets looking for their next job they land in unfamiliar territory.  And dealing effectively with recruiters can be a challenge.  They dont know what is expected or what mistakes to avoid. In this article I polled my LinkedIn network for insights directly from the recruiters mouths.  Heres what they say. Steve Crider,  Senior Recruiter at McKinsey Valuts #1 and Most Prestigious Consulting Firm Youre interested in a company, find a Recruiter from that company on LinkedIn, and decide to send them a personal message. Ive been reviewing and responding to hundreds of those (still backlogged) in the last week. Here are some tips and observations. 1) Say Hello (kind of shocking that needs to be said) 2) Dont write Hi Steve and wait for me to respond as if were in a chat room. 3) Message should be four sentences maxnot multiple paragraphs or whole resumes. Sentence 1: Greeting and personal reference. Sentences 2 and 3: Highlight of relevant experience/skills (also helpful to reference a particular job opening). Sentence 4: The Ask and closing. But what should you ask the Recruiter for? This is likely your FIRST contact. Dont ask for phone conversations, career advice, resume tips, or other general requests. Almost always dead ends. Ask for one thing: Can I send you my resume for review via email? 1) Easy for Recruiter to quickly respond with their email address. 2) Resume can easily be forwarded and shared with other Recruiters. 3) Resume should be loaded into companys tracking system and tagged for future reference. Certainly no guarantees, but best to start simple. Let Recruiters see/shop your resume before you ask for more. Jan Macias, Corporate Recruiter Contracting at Sprint I had a candidate for an entry level role that was extremely excited about the position. I scheduled a phone screen with the manager for the candidate, which went very well. She was then set up for a face to face interview with the manager, but no showed. I waited a couple of days to call her and when I finally reached her she told me she had over slept. This is not the end of the world but a responsible person would call the manager, she did not; or call me, she did not. There will always be someone who does not return calls as quickly as you would like them to. This can indicate lack of interest, or that someone is truly busy. The one thing I learned a long time ago was never assume. You can educate someone but you cannot guarantee that they will listen. A good recruiter realizes that not everyone has great communication skills. It is our job to learn how to deal successfully with different people. There will always be a person who changes their mind and walks away without an explanation. Its part of the business. Joyce Wood, Recruiter/Coach Here are a few hints that would help both parties [recruiter and candidate] achieve the desired outcome (finding the right job/candidate quickly) Update your resume. I may contact you via LinkedIn and conduct the phone interview off your LI profile but my client will want a resume to review. Responding on LinkedIn When replying back on LinkedIn, please include your phone number and email. That allows me to get a Job Description in your hands and start the process of scheduling a phone interview quickly. Working with Another Recruiter If you have been approached by another recruiter or you have applied directly for the position please let the recruiter know. Job Not a Fit If the job is not a fit, please send me your resume for future openings. 25% of my placements this year were with candidates I talked to last year. Help Your Network Out If you know someone who would fit the position get them connected to the recruiter. Networking pays forward! Devin Dupre, Account Manager  at TEKsystems Don’t always rely on your recruiter to initiate communication. It’s okay to be persistent in following up with your recruiter though it is best to establish expectations up front. For example, ask your recruiter how often you should follow up with him/her. Once/week is usually about right but each scenario is different so establish this upfront. The reason this is important is that successful recruiters are extremely busy and juggle multiple candidates at a time. Naturally, the candidates with whom the recruiter has had recent communications tend to be fresh on the mind when a new opportunity arises. Do: Be reliable. Get back to your recruiter in a timely manner. Time can be of the essence when pursuing opportunities. Do: Be transparent and honest at all times. If you are dealing with a good recruiter, they should automatically possess these traits and it is most likely the secret behind their success. The candidate/recruiter relationship is like any other relationship in which establishing and maintaining trust is key-critical to the success of the relationship. If you do not deal with your recruiter in an honest fashion, it will decrease your attractiveness as a candidate and limit your opportunities with that recruiter. Its ok to tell your recruiter you have other opportunities. We expect you to. Whether youre actively working with a recruiter right now or will be in the future, these are some good things to remember.  Landing a job is a challenge enough without torpedoing your chances through a misstep with a recruiter. Are you in the job hunt now?  Or preparing for one?  Contact me today to see how I can help you.

Summary Sunday The Big Ooops

Summary Sunday The Big Ooops Mistakes happen! What do you do when you screw up? Fess up! Say Im sorry! Saying sorry goes a long way in smoothing out the situation. You are owning the mistake! Sometimes the fix is outside of your immediate control. Do what you can to understand why it happened and put measures in place to prevent it from happening again. Realize that you have an opportunity to make others feel better, and thats the big secret! Do You Have A Good Attitude at Work from CAREEREALISM Mistakes are Learning Opportunities When you are new at doing something, mistakes are a right of passage. You WILL make them. Learn from them! 7 Rookie Networking Mistakes Youre Making Right Now from YouTern Using Failure as Fuel: The Anti-Bio from Glassdoor My apology For those of you who receive my blog post via email or rss feed, I am so sorry that for a week you have not been getting updates! I was blogging away but wasnt monitoring the feed and just realized it was kind of broken.   It has been fixed by a talented web guy and all should be good. Let me know if you cant access the posts from last week. As a way of saying Im sorry, please accept this mini eBook on how to start your job off on the right foot! Youve landed a new job Congratulations Now What It is something I send to people when I hear they have secured a new job. We all know how important it is to make a great first impression and hit the ground running! I hope this will help. Let me know what you think about this little piece in a comment!