I find one of the most challenging situations I face as a freelancer is telling people what I do. I have a "portfolio career" (many different careers at the same time) Nate Thompson Jersey , so when I am asked, "And what do you do?" I don't have a straight-forward answer, like "lawyer, doctor, or football player." I feel that this can be an advantage, if approached properly. Therefore, in this article Derek Forbort Jersey , I discuss this definition dilemma, ways to attack it, and pose some questions that can help direct those of us who love living a freelance life.
Avoid labels. Mark Sanborn, a successful entrepreneurspeaker told a group of us an interesting fact about using a label for what we do. He said that if we say we are a consultant, doctor, speaker, lawyer Alex Iafallo Jersey , banker, etc. right away whoever is listening not only jumps to an incorrect conclusion about us, but often has some preconceived notion - good or bad, but many times bad - about our profession. He suggested that if we feel we need some description on our business card, pick an all encompassing, non-specific title. For example, his was "Small Business Resource."
Develop a short Ilya Kovalchuk Jersey , unique sentence that will whet others' interest. This exercise will not only help you get attention from others, but will also help you to define who you are, who you work for, and what you do. If you are at all like me and other freelancers, you probably have many skills and talents, but have trouble narrowing a description down to a short, punchy sentence. The first step is to decide what it is that you love doing the most and want others to know about. Then Adrian Kempe Jersey , ask yourself who would benefit from this activitywork and for whom would you prefer working. What groups do you already have a working relationship with? Finally, determine what this target group needs the most.
Now, it is time to formulate you opening sentence. Mine is: "Everyone has a compelling story. I help small businesses and non-profits tell their stories to the people who need to hear them." In other words, I use my writing, storytelling, communication, and web site design and development skills to help small businesses and non-profits with their marketing. I think that you would agree that the first sentence is more interesting and leads to more questions.
Practice and test your defining sentence. There is only one way to find out if your new definition works. First of all Oscar Fantenberg Jersey , write it down, tape it and practice saying it until you feel comfortable and the sentence becomes second nature. Now it is time to find out if it works. Attend as many meetings and networking events as possible. After you ask someone what he or she does and have listened with obvious interest, that person will ask you what you do. Hit them with your unique sentence, and watch for the reaction.
Not everyone will enthusiastically ask for more information, but if several do, you are on your way. Now, it is time to tweak and polish Jake Muzzin Jersey , and then work on follow-up answers to others' questions. The more often you use the words, the more natural and fun the process becomes. Be prepared to feel a bit awkward in the beginning, because your answer isn't the standard, expected answer. As you get good feedback, however, you will start enjoying the whole process and start increasing business and your potential client base.
This article relates to the Career Opportunity competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It explores issues such as internal growth opportunities Dion Phaneuf Jersey , potential for advancement, career development importance, and the relationship between job performance and career advancement. It examines whether your employees believe they have a chance to grow within the organization. Studies show that lack of career opportunity is one of the top reasons why employees leave an organization.
Also, continually hiring open positions from outside the organization can be detrimental to morale when a qualified candidate is available internally. Topics covered in this competency are: perceived opportunity for advancement, existence of a career development plan, and organizational commitment to staff development.
This short story, Providing Career Opportunity Jonathan Quick Jersey , is part of AlphaMeasure's compilation, Tales From the Corporate Frontlines. It illustrates how employers can offer career opportunity to their employees using a well-planned career development strategy, and reap the benefits of a knowledgeable and dedicated workforce.
Anonymous Submission
While searching through the employment ads in my local newspaper, I noticed that several companies made a point of adding the line----"we promote from within". Those are definitely the companies I would apply to - if I were on a job hunt.
But, the fact is, I am currently working for one of those companies. That's not to say that we never hire from the outside; sometimes it's unavoidable. If an employee leaves the company with a unique level of skill or training, it may have to look outside for a replacement. The point is that whenever possible Dustin Brown Jersey , our company offers a career opportunity to a current employee.
This advancement doesn't happen magically. Employees have to be on the lookout for career opportunity within the company, and prepare for it. Our company helps them by operating a structured career development program. Managers are entrusted with the duty to help employees evaluate their skills and performance on a regular basis and create a plan for the future based career goals.
Departments also form career development teams. They meet regularly and help employees to define their goals, provide feedback about applicable training programs, assign duties to employees to help them gain new skills, formulate job descriptions and generally make sure that employee career development programs are on the right track.