3 Steps Towards Doing Your Dream Job

Neil Wadhwa

Work for the sake of work certainly keeps the bills paid, but eventually the feeling of wanting to do what you love gnaws at you until you make a change.

Why do you admire some people, but are turned off by others? This helps filter out what career may or may not be right for you.

When you do what you love, a “job” doesn’t feel like a job. Your career becomes an extension of yourself, where your best skills are highlighted, and where the company shares your values.

Daniel Goleman, author of Starting a New Career? Consider Good Work, considers this blend—work you enjoy, using your best skills, and aligned with your best values—to be “good work.” It’s a concept that was first outlined by Howard Gardner, a developmental psychologist and co-director of the Good Project.

If you’re a new graduate and just starting your career, or are transitioning into a new career, here are three steps towards doing “good work”:

1. Determine What You Would Like to Spend Your Life Doing

This is different than asking what job you would like to hold, as the employment landscape changes quite often. Determining what you would like to spend your life doing pinpoints what you really get a bang out of, and where you excel at, while leaving the other aspects open-ended.

Goleman uses the example of someone getting into journalism in the hopes of working for a newspaper. The news publishing industry is changing, so working for a newspaper may be a bit uncertain, but journalism and the aspects that come with it— writing, investigating, and interviewing—can still be carried out in different venues and mediums. You know what you love to do—where it gets done is secondary.

2. Think About People You Admire

The next step is to think about people whom you admire and respect—and people you don’t want to be like.

Why do you admire some people, but are turned off by others? This helps filter out what career may or may not be right for you. Do you find yourself admiring people that are all from a similar line of work, or with similar hobbies and interests? Continue reading →

Traditional Marketing Has Changed – Check Out Some of These New School Marketing Roles

Lori Franze

While Technology has made some roles endangered (think postal worker, bank teller and travel agents), technology has also created roles within some corporate teams. Urberflip, a technology provider whose tools allow marketers to aggregate social content released a list of 9 roles that a modern marketing team needs and cites some of the recent trends for influencing these changes. These trends include:

Content marketing
Marketing automation
Social media
Big data

Below are four of these new roles. One might just be right for you:

Content Director

Created out of content marketing is the role of content director or manager of content. The person in this role will be responsible for developing and managing the content that buyers value and that ultimately feeds SEO efforts.

While the role of traditional journalist may be moving towards extinction the role of brand journalist is emerging and on the rise.

The person in this role not just writes content but also curates third-party content, manages others who work on content pieces and tracks the ROI of these efforts.

This role might work for you if you have a writing background, PR or marketing with an interest in diving deep in to products, services and the needs of the customer.

Brand Journalist

While the role of traditional journalist may be moving towards extinction the role of brand journalist is emerging and on the rise. These brand journalists are in charge of the storytelling of the brand and targeting to specific audiences.

Coming likely from the field of copywriting and traditional journalists, the brand journalist, will monitor industry related information and craft copy that aligns to company’s mission. Continue reading →

5 Time Management Tips To Become A Productivity Ninja

Lori Franze

How many times this week have your heard “there just isn’t enough time in the day” or “I can’t get to everything I need to in a day”? I think everyone would gladly take more time in the day to do things either at work or home or maybe just to sleep!

Well I don’t think hours will be added to the day any time soon so the only other option is to manage time better in a quest to get it all done. And to get it all done well! I am not going to recommend multi-tasking as research shows that people don’t really do things well when they are working on several things at one time. (If you must multi-task check out our earlier post on how to do it right.)

Lump your like tasks together. This will minimize the time lost from going back and forth from making phone calls to writing a proposal to meeting with teammates to reviewing the documents your boss left on your chair the night before.

I have combed through several articles to find the best tips from both Celestine Chua, founder of Personal Excellence shares 20 Quick Tips For Better Time Management and Entrepreneur.com.

Have a plan – everyday

Don’t start the day buried under a list of things to do. Start with a plan on what you are going to accomplish for the day and even schedule the items in your calendar to keep you on track. I actually try and plan out the next day before I close the laptop on the day before – it makes me feel less panicked about what faces me in the morning.

Just say NO

Most of us take on more than we can manage between our work responsibilities and our home commitments making it no surprise that we can’t get everything done in the day. Start to be more selective with the tasks and activities that are optional like joining the social committee at the office or organizing the neighbourhood block party. Continue reading →

How to Be a Good Boss – Tools That Will Help You

Lori Franze

Everyone has the stories and the war wounds maybe even the therapy bills. There is even a movie! We’ve all had a bad boss (if you have one now check out our post on how to deal with a bad boss) whose behaviour has taught us how not to be and we have promised to never be “that boss” but have you ever truly worked on your leadership skills and identified the traits you want to develop to help you be a better boss?

Understanding more about yourself will help you be a better leader.

My first recommendation is a quick read “Managing from the Heart” by Hyler Bracey, Jack Rosenblum, Aubrey Sanford and Roy Trueblood. Recommended to me by a mentor early in my career it shaped the way I work with teammates and those who report to me. The lessons are told in an easy to read story about a boss named Harry who as the head of a oil refinery uses the same philosophy to lead as he did as a fullback in college: put your head down and run through the hole in the line: keep driving toward the goal until somebody stronger than you stops you; and never let go of the ball. Know any bosses using this philosophy? Continue reading →

6 Marketing Buzzwords That Have No Room in Your Messaging

Neil Wadhwa

Buzzwords seem fresh and exciting, but actually create confusion and noise when used haphazardly in your marketing messaging. To get people to hear and act upon your message, toss the buzzwords aside in favour of words and statements that are sharp and concise.

In the article 7 Overused Marketing Buzzwords (and What to Say Instead), author Geoffrey James outlines simple ways to make your messages clear without the use of buzzwords. Let’s take a look at few buzzwords you should stop using immediately.

1. Substantial

Substantial is just a fancy way of saying “big,” and is accompanied with the vagueness and confusion over what “substantial” actually is. “Substantial savings,” or a “substantial increase in web traffic” may sound appealing, but the better option is to provide a hard, quantifiable number that customers can refer to.

Next time, try “20% off your purchase” instead of “substantial savings.”

Next time, don’t tell customers how easy it is to use and assemble your product, but rather show them with concrete examples.

2. Quick

“Quickness is a relative concept and therefore has no real meaning,” says Geoffrey. “To a snail, for example, a turtle is quick.”

Not only do customers have different ideas of what exactly “quick” is, but companies also have different ideas of what the term means. One construction company may consider building a house in 6 months to be quick, while another construction company down the street may consider 2 years for the same project to be quick.

The quick fix? Provide an actual time frame in your messaging.

3. Cheap

The connotations associated with “cheap” aren’t what you want people associating with your product. “Cheap” is often used to describe a flimsy product, or a baseless statement.

If you want to convey that your product or service is affordable, compare it to other (higher-priced) alternatives on the market in your messaging.

4. Easy

Much like “quick,” “easy” is another relative concept. It may be easy for an 18 year old to download an app to their phone, but an 88 year old may struggle with the same thing. Adding to the frustration is the general overuse of the word “easy,” leading to many customers now being weary of the claim.

Next time, don’t tell customers how easy it is to use and assemble your product, but rather show them with concrete examples. Continue reading →

5 Tips for Staying Focused & Productive at Work

Neil Wadhwa

Knocking out projects and crossing tasks off your checklist makes you feel unstoppable, but even the best of us occasionally fall victim to restlessness, fatigue, and… browsing Reddit for 10 minutes (which always turns into 30 minutes).

Peter Economy knows that burnout and boredom are common distractors to a productive workday. In his article, 7 Proven Steps to a Better Workday, he outlines simple ways to give your daily routine a quick sharpening to help you stay on track. Let’s take a look at 5 easy tips to keep you focused and productive at work.

1. Eat Healthy Snacks

You’re more likely to be groggy and unfocused if you have a big, heavy, lunchtime meal. Don’t suffer from the burrito burnout or the dreaded Phoma (Pho coma). Instead, opt for healthy snacks, such as fruits and vegetables, which you can munch on throughout the day, keeping you satiated and energized.

Getting away from the artificial light, soaking up the sun, and getting fresh air, all give you the energy boost and refreshment needed to jump back in the office and knockout the rest of your scheduled tasks.

2. Keep a To-Do List

A to-do list keeps you focused and on track. Make one as soon as you arrive at the office in the morning to get your day started on the right foot – or even better, make a to-do list the night before, so you can jump right into the days activities when you arrive at the office. Keep the most important tasks at the very top of the list and work your way down.

Take it a step further and schedule time for breaks throughout the day in your public calendar. Continue reading →

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Building a Career Strategy

Neil Wadhwa

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

It’s question we’ve all been asked before. It’s straightforward, and usually has a simple answer.

But if you have trouble answering that question, it’s time to develop a career strategy.

Identify what you can offer, create, and deliver, that nobody else can. This is what sets you apart from everyone else.

According to Michael E. May, author of Can’t Picture Where You’ll Be in 5 Years? Find Your Strategy., a career strategy is a thoughtful framework to help increase the odds of professional success, and is built by focusing your resources, making thoughtful choices, finding your competitive advantage, and being creative and scientific.

It’s a lot to take in. It’s overwhelming. It’s necessary.

Here are five questions to ask yourself when formulating your career strategy, as first outlined in the book Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works by authors Roger L. Martin and A. G. Lafley.

1. What is my winning aspiration?

The answer to this question sets the framework for all other questions. Look to the future and spell out what “winning” means for you. Be honest with yourself when answering this question.

“[A winning aspiration] describes the choice you make about what you exist to do and what business you’re really in,” says Michael. “It’s not a modest statement, and it doesn’t describe playing to simply play.”

2. Where will I play?

This question outlines your ideal working space. Consider everything, including industries, verticals, geography, distribution channels, specific companies, and more. This question not only highlights your ideal playing field, but also helps identify spaces that you don’t have any interest in.

By knowing exactly where you would like to work, you can focus your full attention on targeted areas, as opposed to simply working for the sake of work.

3. How will I win?

Identify what you can offer, create, and deliver, that nobody else can. This is what sets you apart from everyone else.

Identifying your where-to-play/how-to-win combination highlights the skills you need to focus on developing that make you unique from everyone else in your identified area of play. Continue reading →

Why Employers Value “Soft” Skills More Than Ever Before

Neil Wadhwa

Employees with technical skills and targeted specialties are in high demand by companies of all sizes. With new and emerging technology, changing customer expectations, and an increasingly growing number of competitors that offer the same product or service with their own unique twist, employees are expected to know, and do, more than ever.

But employees looking for higher earning potential, and the desire to make a lasting impression with employers, need to turn back to a basic source: soft skills.

While having the ability to collaborate with teams seems straightforward, the dependence on technology, and communication/collaborating online, has caused a slight breakdown with effective communication skills.

“‘Soft skills’ refer to a cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitudes and social graces that make someone a good employee and compatible to work with,” outlines Kate Lorenz, author of Top 10 Soft Skills for Job Hunters. “Companies value soft skills because research suggests and experience shows that they can be just as important an indicator of job performance as hard skills.”

Employees who demonstrate an aptitude for soft skills, in addition to technical abilities, earn an average of 10% more than employees who excel in just one area. It’s just one of the many findings highlighted in a recent research paper by Catherine Weinberger of the Institute for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and discussed by Katie Simon, author of Well-Rounded Workers: 2 Skills That Boost Earning Potential. Continue reading →

Watch for These 6 Red Flags Before Accepting a New Job

Neil Wadhwa

Much like a company waits until they find the right candidate before making a hire, you need to constantly re-evaluate job opportunities to ensure you work with a company that helps grow your personal and professional goals.

Every step of the way – from finding the job posting, to signing on the dotted line –gives you the chance to assess the opportunity and say “this isn’t for me,” or “I’d like to pursue this further.”

Pauline Millard, author of 8 Signs You Might Not Want to Take the Job, says that you should pay attention to, and evaluate, every red flag along the way to make certain that you don’t hastily accept a questionable job offer. Here are 6 warning signs to look out for before accepting a new job.

1. The Interview Questions Get Personal

Asking about your marital status, race, religion, and more, is off-limits. Not only are those questions illegal during an interview, but personal questions also disrespect all you have to bring to the table by focusing on irrelevant points, which don’t add to your qualifications.

“You’re there to talk about the job,” says Pauline, “not how you spent your weekend.”

In the same way that you shouldn’t badmouth your former employers, the hiring manger you’re interviewing with shouldn’t badmouth former company employees.

The interviewer can certainly be outgoing and friendly, but it goes too far when the questions become personal. Being asked if you socially drink is a step overboard, and sign of what’s to come should you work full-time with the company.

2. The Company’s Online Reviews are Discouraging

While Yelp is a useful tool that people can use to research local businesses, sites like Glassdoor are designed to perform a similar, more targeted, function – looking up the ratings and reviews of companies with job openings.

Employees use Glassdoor, and similar sites, to rate the companies they’ve worked for, and which you can browse to see the comments and feedback.

While you should take Glassdoor with a grain of salt – as vindictive employees may write some purposefully harmful reviews – be sure to check the date of each review to see whether these problems are recent or outdated, and look for recurring themes and concerns raised by employees.

If you receive a job offer and are still unsure if these concerns are warranted, try sending an inbox message directly to a former employee on LinkedIn to get some direct, and in depth, insight into the company and its culture.

3. The Company Has a High Turnover Rate

Looking at the LinkedIn company profile – or as noted above, browsing through Glassdoor – is an easy way to find out about the company turnover rate. If people stay with the company on an average of less than a year, it’s a sign your tenure with the company will be short and rocky if you accept a job offer from the company.

Finding out about the turnover rate during an interview is possible by asking a few subtle questions. Ask the hiring manager about his or her trajectory through the company, how the company hierarchy has changed throughout the years, and why the role you’re applying for is open, to gain insight into the turnover rate.

4. The Hiring Manager Badmouths Former Employees

In the same way that you shouldn’t badmouth your former employers, the hiring manger you’re interviewing with shouldn’t badmouth former company employees. Making discouraging remarks about former employees speaks poorly of the company and its character, and as is a glaring red flag for you to consider before accepting a position with the company. Continue reading →

Tools That Will Help You Be a Better Boss (or just a better person)

Lori Franze

Keep driving toward the goal until somebody stronger than you stops you; and never let go of the ball. Know any bosses using this philosophy?

Another great resource is Strength Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. Several years ago I employed the services of a career coach and the first thing she had me do was go out, buy this book and do the quiz. The results of the online survey floored me but also gave me insight in to my self that I had never had before. It tells you the five traits that you have had with you since childhood and how you can use them to your advantage when they may have been limiting you. Understanding more about yourself will help you be a better leader. Reading this book and understanding the different traits will help you better understand others. This book, I recommend to anyone I mentor. It is a great exercise in self-discovery.

I’ve mentioned Coursera.org in earlier posts but there is one course specifically that can help you become a better leader; “Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence”. This course is done online for 8 weeks. It is about 3-4 hours of work a week and free unless you want the verified certificate and even then it is a bargain. Emotional connects is how great leaders motivate us. Think about the last great leader you had and what they did that had you motivated, invigorated and inspired.

I am always trying to improve my leadership skills – what tools can you recommend that have shaped you