Archive for the 'Hints and Tips' Category
Are you looking to expand your professional network? Perhaps you are looking for a job. Maybe you are always on the lookout for new clients or business partners. For these, and a bevy of other reasons, you should seek out professional organizations in your field.
What is it?
Wikipedia explains that a professional organization “exists to further a particular profession, to protect both the public interest and the interests of professionals.” Quite simply, professional organizations help advance the interests of their members, while at the same time watching out for the public interest and the future of the profession.
This applies to you in a simple, concrete way. By joining with a group of people in your profession, you are uniting under common goals. You instantly become part of the larger community in which you work, becoming part of a whole.
A few examples
If you are scratching your head thinking, “I have never seen one of these,” think again. Surely you have heard of the American Bar Association. What about the American Medical Association? Virtually ever professional field has some type of association to which you can belong. They are typically organized on the national and local levels.
An off-the-wall example is the American Society of Civil Engineers. These are the people who design and build the amazing structures in our world. Think “Golden Gate Bridge.” Perhaps “The English Channel Tunnel.” These guys made them. If you’re interested in that type of a career, check them out! See, there’s an organization for everyone.
Benefits to you
The major benefit you gain by joining these organizations is being connected. Isn’t that what networking is all about? You come together with people in your field and unite over common goals and aspirations.
To help with networking and learning in the field, most organizations have different events their members can attend. For example, bar associations typically host continuing education events. Some of these might be luncheons; whereas, others might be full fledged conferences. Most organizations also organize purely social events, just to become more familiar with your colleagues.
Even students can benefit from being members of professional organizations. Most organizations allow students to join and participate in many events. Are you studying to be an interior designer? You can join your school’s chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Many organizations will provide discounted fees for students. This allows you to join and begin enhancing your network before you even graduate!
Are you convinced yet? If you do not belong to your profession’s organization, go look it up. See if there is a local chapter near you. Connect with your colleagues.
How many times have you seen a job opportunity that sounds like a good fit for you, but you did not contact the employer? Do you ever see a “Now Hiring” sign at one of your favorite stores but do not even inquire about the position? 90% of getting that dream job is simply showing up! You may have heard a similar saying regarding competitions (90% of winning is showing up); this motto holds especially true for job hunting. Here’s what showing up does for you:
Makes Yourself Visible
You may think about finding a new job 24/7, but no one else may know about your goals. If you never show up to fill out an application or drop off a resume, how will potential employers ever know? If you actively inquire and apply for jobs, you immediately become visible to employers. Putting your name in the hat for different jobs alerts employers that you are available and looking. Without such efforts, your inner-most job desires will remain hidden.
Boosts Self-Esteem
Another great benefit of applying to more jobs, dropping off more resumes, etc, is that you will have increased self-esteem regarding your job prospects. If you broaden your search net in this manner, you will encounter more employers, and some of them will be more interested in you than others. Enjoy and relish these more positive employer encounters; they prove that you are marketable and that employers want your skills.
Gives You Experience
Any contact with a potential employer gives you experience that will help land the job of your dreams. Even just going in to drop off a resume includes a small exchange between you and a current employee. You can learn how to make a little small talk, how to be polite, and how to present yourself in a professional manner.
More importantly, if you happen to get an interview (even over the phone), you gain incredibly valuable experience. You get the chance to learn more about employers in general, the industry in which you are searching, and yourself. The more interviews you have, the more comfortable you will be, and the better chance you have of getting the job you really want.
Increases Your Chances
On the note of increasing your chances, statistics would say that more applications, more resumes, and more interviews lead to more job offers. Isn’t that the goal? Don’t you want the job offer of your dreams? Show up more often!
Now that I have your attention, let me explain what I mean by “discriminatory.” I use the word in its older, traditional sense. As Dictionary.com explains, “3. the power of making fine distinctions; discriminating judgment: She chose the colors with great discrimination.”
Is this not a key component to networking? You physically cannot network with every other human on the planet, so you must have some criteria by which you judge the people with whom to network. This article will go through several different criteria and attempt to discern the best ones to use in your discriminatory networking.
Money
You could only network with people who have money (or at least the appearance of having money). The rationale for this factor appears to be that money = power. You want powerful people in your network, right? Sort-of.
There seem to be two problems with this idea. First, does money always link to the kind-of power with which you want to be associated. In other words, does money always equal positive power that aligns with your beliefs and ideals? I hope you realize that this question requires a prompt response of “NO.”
Also, what about people who don’t have money today, but might in the future? If you base your networking solely on money, you will not network with these up-and-coming people until they are already wealthy and have left you behind. At this point, lots of other people will seek them out for networking, and you might not be able to develop a relationship. Problem, right?
Job
Another criterion you could use is to network with people depending upon the current job they have. In theory, you would select people with jobs that are either similar to yours or might be beneficial to your career in the future.
This principle is more sound than money, but it still has some weaknesses. First, how do you determine which jobs qualify for your network? You have no idea what job market you might be in after 10 years. Also, you have no idea what kind-of services or different people with whom you will need to be connected down the road. Thus, it’s difficult to come up with your ideal list of job types to seek out when making network contacts.
Second, and similar to a criticism of the money factor, how do you foresee what jobs other people might have down the road? Today’s bus boy might be tomorrow’s CEO. If you don’t network with him while he’s a bus boy, you will have probably lost a great relationship.
Character
One of the fundamental critiques of the job and money criteria is their changing nature. Thus, networking distinctions require a more fundamental quality: character.
If you choose networking contacts based on a person’s character, your problems should be solved. You will most likely be drawn to people with character like yours (and they will be drawn toward you). Also, you will not have the problem of predicting what people will be earning or doing down the road.
If you trust your instinct, you will hopefully network with people today who take on important positions tomorrow. Regardless, you should at least make more valuable relationships. In many cases, a great friend (regardless his/her status in life) is better than a wealthy or powerful acquaintance.
Have you visited your local library lately? If not, you’re missing out on a wealth of information for careers, interviews, and networking advice. Check out the kind of things you can find!
Great magazines
Why pay for magazines at the news stand or by subscription? The cost is prohibitive if you’re trying to live on a budget.
Fortunately, your local library has a number of useful magazines for your reading. The library will have current issues, as well as a number of back issues of many major publications. Many libraries don’t allow you to check out the newest issue, but a lot of times you can check out the back issues.
Now you can read Forbes or Money for free. That’s indispensable!
Important newspapers
While on the subject of magazines, did you know your local library will usually have several different major newspapers? You can keep up on major news in your career field by reading these for free. Go grab the latest copy of the Wall Street Journal or the Washington Post, and you can read until your heart’s content. This is a great way to supplement your internet news.
Career guides
Just go to your local library and look in the “careers” section. You’ll find a wealth of information.
Many libraries will have books on different career ideas. You know, the books that answer “what can I do with a degree in X?” You’ll also find books to help you pick out a college or degree program. Among these, the library will probably have books with interviewing, application, and resume tips.
Self-development books
Along with the traditional career-oriented books, the local library will also have books in the self-development section that might be of help. You can find books on networking, social skills, and the like in this section.
I found one great book that specifically focuses on helping make the best initial impression with another person. Isn’t that what an interview is all about? And this great resource wasn’t even in the career section.
Talk to the librarians
As a final note, be sure to ask for help from the librarians. They are the best resource at any library.
Librarians know what they have in the library and what obscure sections you might check. They can help you get a book through inter-library loan or refer you to another nearby library.
Visit your local library. Your career will be better off.
During the course of your life, many thank you notes will need to be written. Whether you are searching for a job, interviewing with employers, building your personal network, or just being nice to Aunt Polly, thank you notes are key. This article will give you the essential tools you need to write a professional thank you note.
Get your supplies
Cards - You can’t write a good thank you note without good cards on which to write. Thus, you should go to your local office supply store and start shopping. For your career needs, be sure to pick out a professional-looking card. Feel free to express a little personality, but be cautious. You might want to save the dancing monkey cards for your personal thank you notes.
Pen - You don’t need a special pen for writing thank you notes. However, do make sure your pen writes well. And make sure to use a pen. Don’t use marker, crayon, or map pencil. Even though it may be tempting, steer away from pink glitter pens. Stick with blue or black ink.
Stamps - What good is a thank you note, if you can’t mail it? Unless you get odd-sized thank you notes (which you shouldn’t), a regular, first-class postage stamp will do fine.
Be ready - If you have these supplies on hand at all times, you can dash off a quick thank you note when needed. One idea would be to have a little box near your desk where you store these things. You also should take a few cards and stamps when you go on a business trip; you never know who you might want to follow-up with before you return home.
Continue reading ‘How To: Write A Thank You Note’
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