Top 10 HOT Jobs for '07

It's 2-for-1 Friday! Actually since it's so COLD outside (brrrr!), I thought you might be staying in during lunch and looking for more interesting career info.

Fast Company has posted its take on the Top 10 HOT Jobs for 2007. Since one of the key components of the Competent Advantage TM program is Know Your Market, I thought it would be useful to share this with you. Two jobs that were of particular interest to me were:

1. Viral Marketers
2. Bloggers

They both have a similar underlying premise -- the ability to gain people's attention and convince them that they should listen to what you have to say. These jobs may make us all look differently at those who excel at spreading gossip around the office! :) Seriously, as you look back on your career (or even your personal life), have you been good at creating a buzz? Perhaps one of these jobs might be right for you. In any event, you may want to check out the linked article on using blogs to launch your career.

Fast Company suggests that "it takes a creative soul with an endless amount of determination and innovation to thrive in these [hot] fields." Review the list, and take time to envision your ideal career situation in terms of the role/position, environment and work/life balance. You might get lucky and find out that your Competent Advantage TM lies in one of these new growth areas!

Women can WIN in 2007

Happy Friday! I just came across a NEW blog launched by Deloitte & Touche USA LLP to support its Women's Initiative (WIN). The blog is designed to focus on work/life issues for women (and men).

It's hosted by Cathy Benko, Principal and High Technology Sector Leader for Deloitte Consulting LLP and National Managing Director of Deloitte's Initiative for the Retention and Advancement of Women.

What I think is cool is that the blog used to be internal; now, they've opened it up to enable other professionals to benefit from the dialogue and idea exchange. WIN was launched at Deloitte 12 years ago. As a woman who's spent the past 7 years in consulting (internal and external), that says a lot to me about their commitment to the advancement of women in the industry!

Ladies, what has your company done for you lately?

New Year, New Focus, New Stress?

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope you had wonderful holiday celebrations.

You can't turn around anywhere these days without seeing (or hearing) an ad about New Year's resolutions. Recognizing that it sometimes can be hard to settle back into "reality" after a holiday break, I wanted to take a bit of the pressure OFF as you begin to refine your focus for the new year.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm all for reflecting back to plan ahead (like described in the last post). By the way, if you haven't already, I'd suggest you take a look at MyGoals.com as a resource for your goal-setting (you can get online reminders) for your action items.

I just don't want you to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of your resolutions. I did a Google search on "Stress & Resolutions" and came across some great tips on HealthyMinds.org. They include not taking on too much and congratulating yourself when you achieve something (a personal favorite because it's so easy to forget and move on to the next thing).

This year, we'll be talking more about stress and the impact on your professional success. After all, how can you Discover Your Competent Advantage TM if you're too stressed to take the first step?! Keep an eye out for more information on our NEW stress management program.

Also, be sure you've signed up for our newsletter so you can get the dial-in numbers for the Work & Money tele-series to negotiate a better 2007 Bonus on January 17 and January 23 at 8:00 PM EST.

How Will You Make 2007 Better Than 2006?

It's almost year-end and time to think about your goals for the New Year. Before you plan ahead, why not spend a few moments to look back on 2006.

As you look back on 2006, how would you rate your professional accomplishments?

• What were the high-lights? As strange as it may seem, it’s important to take note of things that you did well. Don’t be shy – write them down! Why? Because these descriptions can come in handy later (in a performance discussion with your manager, or in an interview with a recruiter).
• What were the low-lights? It’s just as important to keep track of the things that didn’t go quite as well as you would’ve hoped. Why? Having a clear sense of what areas you’d to like improve can help you focus and channel your energies.

Based on your reflection, what professional goals will you set for 2007?

When you get back from the holidays, we'll be ready to help you start the year STRONG!

Sign up for our newsletter (box to your right) so you can get registration details for my two-part January teleclass series: Work & Money -- The Real Connection in collaboration with Jacquette Timmons & Sterling Investment Management.

Until then, I wish you every happiness this Holiday Season and prosperity in the New Year. I look forward to helping you achieve your goals in 2007!

Can Video Help You Land Your Next Job?

SONY Pictures recently announced the Grand Prize winners of "PURSUE IT" - The Ultimate Internship Contest on its website. Applicants were asked to submit videos of 5 minutes or less, which share their personal motto (or words to live by) and demonstrate how it makes them uniquely qualified for their chosen company.

Sound familiar? Remember Aleksey Vayner's video to UBS?

We've talked before about the pros and cons of electronic portfolios as a job search strategy in general, and his in particular. In this case, 7 lucky winners have earned internships with companies such as Gap Inc., NBC and Yahoo! One winner will even work at Morgan Stanley, which challenges my earlier premise that investment banking firms wouldn't see videos as a viable job search technique.

Of course, these video submissions focus on the applicants' personal philosophies, giving them a chance to articulate how their philosophy gives them a competent advantage over their peers -- which is what you want to do with any of the tools in your career portfolio. I'm sure this won't be the last time we see videos as a search technique.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! What would you say?

How Will You Spend Your Bonus?

They're predicting another "banner year" on Wall Street for bonuses -- up 20% to 25% from 2005. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, it's important to maximize your earnings.

Tune into the Competent Advantage TM Gcast channel for a podcast with tips on reducing your debt and increasing your savings to improve your lifestyle.

Thanksgiving Greetings & Year-End Preview

Here's wishing you a wonderful start to the holiday season!

When you get back from the Thanksgiving holiday, we'll be ready to help you end the year strong!

Stay tuned for our year-end podcasts including:

• Financial Tips to Manage Your Year-End Bonus
• Practical Hints to Master the Holiday Party Circuit

Sign up for our newsletter (box on right side of this site) to get registration details for our January 2007 teleclasses:

• Not Satisfied with Your Bonus, Now What?
• Build on Your Strengths: Get in the 2007 Bonus Pool

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

What's Your Competent Advantage Score?

It's November and we're committed to helping you hit the ground running in 2007! We've created a NEW Competent Advantage TM self-assessment to help you measure your career portability. The tool is based on the concepts we discuss in our workshops and advisory sessions.

In general, assessments can help you track progress towards your goals and make wiser decisions. The Competent Advantage TM self-assessment will help you:

• determine how you're progressing towards your ultimate career goals and
• make informed, competent decisions about activities and skills to keep moving forward

Take the assessment and let us know how you score!

Visit the Resources page of our website to get the self-assessment, access the career goals survey and download other tip sheets from the Competent Advantage TM program.

On Halloween, it's OK to "Do it Scared!"

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
In our last post, we reviewed tips to help you prepare for your year-end review. Now, you can learn how to raise important issues with your colleagues or ask for feedback from your manager.

On this "tricky" day, why not TREAT yourself to tips on how to take risks and have difficult conversations at work -- even if it's a bit scary at first. How can you do it?

Tune into our NEW podcast channel on Gcast! The first podcast called Do it Scared! has practical ideas on how to prepare for and conduct courageous conversations. Tune in and then let me know what topics you'd like to hear more about.

Don't forget to subcribe so you can get regular updates on future career podcasts that you can listen to on your PC or download to your iPod.

Ready for Your Year-End Review?

Now that fall is in full swing, are you ready for your year-end performance review? If done well, these review meetings can help foster your career growth. How prepared you are to have the performance discussion with your manager will be a significant predictor of the outcome. Will you be able to:

1. Reference specific accomplishments and contributions you made to the organization this year?
2. Suggest relevant developmental opportunities (coaching, training, or mentoring) to build on your strengths?
3. Recommend ways to expand your role or take on new responsibilities in 2007?

Where would you like to be in your career this time next year?

Tell us some of the strategies you'll use to get ahead in 2007. Take our Career Goals survey.

In the meantime, PLAN AHEAD! Create your roadmap and equip yourself with the skills to get there!

Has Vayner Ruined E-Portfolios as a Job Search Strategy?

There has been much buzz about a recent "presumed-failure" in job search strategies: A Yale senior, Aleksey Vayner, sent an email with a 7-minute video describing some of his attributes and investment-banking career aspirations to UBS. Somehow, the video became part of the public domain and eventually aired on You Tube.

Since we've had recent posts on career portfolios, I thought I'd continue the thread.
What role can electronic portfolios play in your career management strategy?

Electronic portfolios use interactive multimedia to increase the range and type of materials that can be included in a portfolio. They enable you to take full advantage of advanced technology and utilize graphics, animation, sound and video.

Forbes has all but relegated Vayner to its Career Hall of Shame. I've reviewed the video excerpt -- aside from the somewhat suggestive dancing scenes, is there any value in his creativity? You can probably bet that no other aspiring I-bankers created a similar montage.

However, there is one definite downside to his approach -- it doesn't appear as if Vayner really KNEW HIS TARGET INDUSTRY. Given the traditionally-conservative nature of investment banking, the less likely it is that the video would have been seen as a viable introduction to his capabilities.

While electronic portfolios can be valuable tools to help you stand out from the crowd, you have to know how receptive your audience will be to this career management tool. What do you think?

Women: Let's Empower Each Other on November 4

I'm excited to announce that I've been invited to speak at the Women of Color Leadership Conference sponsored by the Rho Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The event will be held on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at New Jersey City University.

WCLC endeavors to empower women of color by providing a forum in which they can obtain knowledge to develop leadership skills and enhance professional growth. Workshops will include:

1. Changing Directions of Your Career: Uncover the Explorer in You! (from my Competent Advantage TM series)
2. So Now You're a Leader: A Guide to Policy Making and Event Planning for the Young Leader: Arika Easley, Stevens Institute of Technology; Dara Govan, Esq.
3. Making a Dollar out of Fifteen Cents: An Introduction to Investing: Candice Beaty, Northwestern Mutual

If you are in the New York metro area, DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE -- REGISTER NOW! Your $30 investment includes access to sessions and admission to the Closing Reception.

Contact: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Rho Kappa Omega Chapter

Phone: (201) 344-9225 Email: aka_pkq@yahoo.com

Address: P.O. Box 15537, Jersey City, NJ 07305

Does Your Career Portfolio Match Your Shoes?

Now that fall semester and campus recruiting are in full swing, I thought we'd continue our conversation on career portfolios. OK, I was KIDDING with the title for this post. In our last post, we confirmed that we're NOT talking about fashion accessories! (just checking to see if you're paying attention)

A career portfolio is:

• a reflection of your professional self
• a record of your professional (or academic) development
• tangible evidence of your "on-the-job" (or "in-the-classroom") performance

With that said, what do you think you should include in your career portfolio? Many career portfolios include:

• Resume or CV
• Licenses or Certifications
• Letters of reference
• Transcripts or diplomas
• Professional affiliation documentation
• Work samples (e.g., reports, presentations, etc.) With samples, it is important that you eliminate information that could be considered confidential.

The exercise of creating your career portfolio can help you to critically examine your life experiences and accomplishments. If you are preparing for an interview (or a performance appraisal meeting with your manager), the process enables you to highlight specific accomplishments and identify valuable workplace skills.

As usual, tell me about your experiences and thoughts. Soon, we'll discuss tips for organizing your career portfolio.

Top 5 Skills Gained from Volunteer Work

In preparation for today's teleclass with the Downtown Women's Club on Volunteering & Leadership Development, we created an online survey to learn about your volunteer experiences. So, I thought I'd share some initial results from the survey.

Here are the TOP 5 Career Skills you have developed or acquired by getting involved in your community: {online drumroll, please}

1. Communication (72%)
2. Leadership (69%)
3. Teamwork (59%)
4. Fundraising (47%)
5. Problem solving AND Public Speaking (tie at 44%)

In today's session, we talked about how important it is to be clear about your goals for a volunteer experience -- whether they are purely charitable/philanthropic or include a professional component. Either perspective is OK; just be sure you (and the organization) are clear from the beginning about what you hope to achieve.

When both parties are on the same page, it can be a win-win experience for all. This became obvious to me as I read your comments on the recognition and support you've received from organizations for whom you volunteer, including:

• Introductions to executives/senior leaders
• References for work
• Invitations to networking and special events

All are important for taking your career to the next level. There's still time to tell us about your volunteer experiences. Take our brief survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=263272577354. I look forward to hearing from you!

Do You Have a Career Portfolio?

No, I'm not talking about the newest collection from Coach or Tumi! Artists, photographers, architects, designers and writers have used portfolios for decades to showcase their abilities and talents. In today’s competitive job market, portfolios have become a useful tool for professionals outside the artistic arena.

The ability to effectively showcase your relevant knowledge and skills is critical, whether you are seeking a new opportunity or staying with your current employer. Along with a tailored resume, a career portfolio can provide further evidence of your professional qualifications and abilities.

What is a portfolio?
A portfolio is a personal collection of information describing and documenting [your] achievements and learning. As a visual representation of your skills, capabilities and knowledge, it shows your potential to add value to an organization.

Why create a Career Portfolio?
You can use a career portfolio to:

• market your capabilities in a job interview
• support a request to your manager for a promotion or raise
• document the quality and quantity of your professional development
• demonstrate prior work or learning experiences for educational credit

Career portfolios have become a nearly universal requirement for the hiring process. But, if you already have a secure job (i.e., one that's not on the Endangered Careers List), you can view a career portfolio as your insurance against unforeseen shake-ups at your company. Keeping this self-promotion tool up-to-date also can be a good exercise in self-evaluation.

In upcoming posts, we’ll help you to organize your career portfolio and use it as a tool in your career development and advancement.

Can Volunteering Make You a Better Leader?

So, it's September and back to school season. I'm gearing up for some great fall events and seminars.

My NEXT teleclass on Volunteerism & Leadership is on Wednesday, September 27 at 12:00 PM EST with the Downtown Women's Club.

Join us for an interactive Competent Advantage(TM) - Downtown Women’s Club teleclass that will help you:

• Identify volunteer opportunities that align with your personal motivators
• Create volunteer experiences that enable you to practice and enhance your professional skills
• Position your volunteer experiences in performance management discussions
• Use volunteer experiences to step out of your “professional comfort zone"

RSVP to teleclass@downtownwomensclub.com and you'll receive the dial-in number. Hope to chat with you on September 27th!

Can't Get No (Job) Satisfaction?

Hey there, I hope you've been enjoying your summer. I've spent some time catching up with my colleagues over (iced!) coffee and tea.

Recently, I spoke with Tim Mulvaney Founder & President of The Mulvaney Group. He and I got to talking about our clients and reflecting on some of the challenges people face with achieving career fulfillment -- particularly the Courageous Conversations TM with their managers when things aren't going so well.

Well, before we knew it, we came up with some cool tips to leverage your Competent Advantage TM to increase your job satisfaction and take charge of your career. Since it's still summer, we've made it easy for you to get this info while you're catching your last rays on the beach:

1. LISTEN to our podcast on the web: http://www.themulvaneygroup.com/2006/08/live_conversati_1.html
2. You can also READ the tip sheet
3. Or, you can DOWNLOAD the podcast to your iPod from the iTunes Music Store! Search "Podcasts" for "Courageous Conversations"

Let me know what you think!

NY BizAcademy Students Record Commercial's for TODAY'S BAZAAR

Demonstrating their creativity and business savvy, both student companies participating in the NY BizAcademy recorded commercials to draw customers to today's Sales Bazaar at the Westside YMCA.

View Capture the Moment commercial: http://homepage.mac.com/sfdc_foundation/BizAcademyNY/iMovieTheater123.html

View VENE (Virtual Expressions n Emotions) commercial: http://homepage.mac.com/sfdc_foundation/BizAcademyNY/iMovieTheater124.html

Don't miss the chance to buy their limited edition, handcrafted merchandise!

JOIN US TODAY from 4:00 - 6:00 PM at the Sales Bazaar at 5 West 63rd Street in New York.

NY BizAcademy Students Produce Handcrafted Merchandise

Here's a quick update on the BizAcademy program. We're about to begin a fantastic second week of training and hands-on experiences!

Last Thursday, each company presented their concepts and business plans to "investors" to receive seed capital for their ventures. Above are two photos I took during last Friday's Manufacturing Day.

The two companies VENE (Virtual Expressions 'n Emotions) and Capture the Moment will be selling their handcrafted candles and picture frames THIS THURSDAY, from 4:00 - 6:00 PM, at the West Side YMCA located at 5 West 63rd Street.

We hope you can join us for the BizAcademy Sales Bazaar!

InStep Consulting Founder to Teach BizAcademy for NYC Youth

Beginning Monday July 31, I'll be teaching BizAcademy to high school students from Opening Doors and Building Bridges Youth Development & After School Program. Sponsored by salesforce.com/foundation, BizAcademy offers offers students from underserved urban school districts an opportunity they might not otherwise receive – the chance to run their own business.

In this ten-day entrepreneurial workshop, high school students will gain hands-on experience while learning business basics. Teams will be responsible for managing all phases of their businesses including prototyping ideas, pitching to investors, manufacturing, marketing and selling office-related products. Participants will use salesforce.com’s on-demand CRM solution to track revenues and expenses and to manage contacts.

I'm excited to help these youth gain fundamental business skills and discover their competent advantageTM!

Stay tuned for more posts about their accomplishments -- including a “Sales Bazaar” at the West Side YMCA on Thursday, August 10th.