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Companies are accurately aware of the value and importance of branding. When you see “Coke,” you immediately think of the soft drink. In fact, when you see the characteristic white script on a red background, you think “Coke.” That’s branding.
Do you have a personal brand?
Is there something that people automatically associate with you? Do you have a style, type of work, catchphrase, or something else unique that sets you apart?
Fortunately, it’s really easy to create and promote your personal brand. Doing so will refine your image and enhance your career. Here’s some ideas to consider.
Think up a brand
Like I mentioned above, this can be something simple like a color, a style of work, a type of writing, or some niche you specialize in. You’ve probably already got a brand, but you don’t think of it as such.
If you’ve got a favorite color, you’re already halfway at your brand. Just think up something to put with it, maybe just your name, and you’ll be there.
Maybe you’ve got a nickname. This could be the key to your personal branding.
If you don’t get the gist yet, keep reading and it will become clear.
Make a business card
This is a front-line place to show off your brand. You’ll give business cards to potential employers, clients, and networking contacts. To help them associate you with your brand (the goal here), you’ll want to brand your business card.
For a silly example, think of Bob. His nickname is “Slim,” and he’s a lawyer. He could have a standard business card, just saying “Bob - Attorney at Law.” But he could really brand himself by having a card that says: Bob, the “Slim” lawyer. He’d probably come up with something a bit better, but you get the picture.
If Bob has a favorite color, he would also integrate that into his card. You don’t want too many elements for your personal brand, but a couple is great. Think back to our first example: Coke. It’s a word, with two colors. Think simple, and put it on your card.
Use stationary
Even in our digital age, we still use regular mail. Splurge a bit and get some custom stationary made up. You’ll need some basic letterhead and some simple thank you notes.
These don’t have to match your business cards, but they should further promote your personal brand. If Bob’s using his phrase of “the Slim lawyer,” he’d include that on his letterhead and thank you cards. Simple, right?
Start a blog
A great way to promote your brand in today’s world is through blogging. You can get a free blog from several different services. Or you can register a custom domain name and have a bit more control over your blogging.
The point is to carry your brand through your blog as well. This should be a professional outlet for you, a sort-of online resume. Consider getting YourName.com as the domain. Then use your brand as the blog’s design. This is where your brand’s colors can be very useful.
Go forth and brand
This is only the tip of the iceberg for personal branding. But hopefully you’ve got some ideas to get started.
Branding will enhance your career, your name recognition, and your social networking. Promote your brand, and your career will benefit.
Photo courtesy of grumbler.
An important part of any job is being able to communicate with your boss. Talking efficiently with your boss can make or break your job. With that in mind, here are some things to consider.
Listen first
Good communication always begins with listening. If you don’t listen to your boss, it will be hard to perform your job. Actually, make that impossible.
Without listening to your boss, you can’t know what you need to do. Your projects will be a muddled mess.
On the other hand, if you listen attentively, you will catch most of what your boss tells you. Careful listening will tell you exactly what you need to do.
Ask questions
After you’ve listened carefully, it’s time to clarify your assignment. You’ll undoubtedly have questions about the task. Fortunately, you can easily ask your boss for clarification.
Here’s a few things that might be unclear:
- When is the deadline?
- What final product is expected?
- Are periodic status reports needed?
It’s important not to be shy about asking questions like this. Your boss won’t think your ignorant. In reality, he’ll appreciate your foresight and eagerly provide answers.
Send updates
Keep your boss in the loop. Just because she assigned a project to you does not mean that she knows what’s going on. It’s up to you to fill her in.
A good way to do this is with periodic status reports. Consider sending an email to your boss once a week, simply listing the status of your projects. This doesn’t have to be detailed. In fact, it should be a broad snapshot that your boss can quickly skim to see your progress and availability.
If you work remotely, status reports are even more important. It’s difficult for a supervisor to know what employees in other locations are doing. Remove the guesswork by periodically (and reliably) telling your boss what’s on your plate.
Get approval
My final thought on supervisor communication pertains to new projects. Always clear them with your supervisor.
In many jobs, other people in the company will come to you with tasks and things they need. But your supervisor may not want to devote time to these things. Thus, it’s crucial to be sure you are doing things that are important to your boss.
The rule of thumb: ask, if you’re not sure.
Your career will likely include lunches and dinners with coworkers, clients, or as a part of interviews. Thus, it is crucial that you understand basic etiquette. How can you impress people with your career skills and personality, if you make a fool of yourself over dinner?
There are entire books and courses on etiquette, so this post barely scratches the surface. However, this should provide good basic guidance.
Place settings
If you are at a more formal meal, there will be fair number of plates, glasses, and utensils on the table. It’s always a little nerve-racking to decide which things to use and when. Here are a couple quick rules of thumb:
- Utensils are used starting from the outside of your place setting. For example, your salad fork is usually on the far left.
- Your dessert utensil will be at the top of your place setting.
- Your bread plate is on the left, and your glasses are on the right. Remember that your left hand makes a “b” for “bread” (index finger and thumb together), while your right hand makes a “d” for “drink.”
Wine selection
Once you are oriented at the table, wine might be an option. A good general rule of thumb is not to consume alcohol at lunch and only to drink a moderate amount with dinner if others are also partaking in alcohol.
If you are having wine and aren’t sure what to order, ask your waiter if he has a suggestion. Most will be able to recommend a couple moderately priced selections from the menu. You can also ask others in your party what they might suggest.
A final thing to remember about wine is that some choices can be very expensive. Pay attention to prices and do not order an extravagant wine, unless the occasion truly warrants it.
Meal timing
Even at a casual dining restaurant, timing is important for etiquette. You should consider others when you pick up your fork and begin to eat. A few tips:
- Do not begin eating until everyone has their food.
- The eldest female (or host) should be first to pick up her fork and begin eating.
- The waiter should not remove plates for a course until everyone has finished that course. This ensures that people are not rushed. If the waiter asks to remove your plate early, kindly ask that he wait until everyone is finished.
Further guidance
Remember that these are only a few general etiquette guidelines. Like every rule of thumb, these all have exceptions.
For great etiquette tips by podcast, check out Mr. Manners. For more career-oriented tips, be sure to check back here.
This is Part 4 in a series on “Working Abroad.” In this series, we’ve examined the possibility of jobs abroad and highlighted some practical steps to aid an overseas career. Be sure to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
If you’re thinking about working abroad, you cannot forget a crucial step: complying with the law. Countries have immigration laws that regulate people coming and going. Most countries regularly allow visitors, but actually working in another country is more complicated. This final “Working Abroad” post gives you some points to consider.
Start early
Paperwork takes time. Even if you land a great job in another country, you cannot legally work there until your paperwork is cleared. If you don’t start the paperwork until the day before you leave, you are asking for trouble.
Thus, as you think about potential work opportunities, also look at the country’s temporary work requirements. Find out how long it usually takes to process the paperwork. Give yourself plenty of time to get everything completed and approved.
Countries vary
Part of what makes this step difficult is that countries have varying requirements. For example, if you’re a citizen of a full European Union member country, you can work in another full EU member country for up to three months without any paperwork.
Aside from the EU, most countries will have varying fees and processes for obtaining your paperwork. The key is just to do your homework and understand what you need to do.
Fortunately, most countries have websites where you can find the pertinent information. Here are just a few such sites: Australia, Canada, and United States. You could also obtain information by calling or writing to the destination country’s consulate in your own country.
Get a sponsor company
In most countries, the easiest way to get a work visa is to have a company sponsor you. Countries usually favor this type of arrangement, since it shows a specific need for your talents in the country. Also, you will already have a job once you arrive in the country.
If you find a job with a foreign company (or a foreign office of a domestic company), you will already have a sponsorship lined up. Without a sponsor, you will just have to apply on your own. But it can still be done!
Plan ahead
The biggest thing to remember is to plan ahead. Do your research, find out what you need, and figure out a way to get it. There are many great online resources out there, as well resources in your local library. Utilize what you find. You’ll be on your way to a career overseas in no time!
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This is Part 3 in a series on “Working Abroad.” In this series, we’ll examine the possibility of jobs abroad and highlight some practical steps to aid an overseas career. Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2.
At this point you’ve seen why a job overseas might be good for you, and we’ve looked at a couple cool jobs that you might consider.
Now it’s time to get to the meat of working abroad. How do you find a job?
Work remotely for a domestic company
We already covered part of this idea in the series, but it merits repeating. If you already work remotely, you might be able to simply move to another country for a little while. Definitely talk with your employer about this, but they might not mind, depending upon your work needs.
If you don’t currently have a telecommuting job, perhaps you could find one. There are numerous companies these days who are seeking qualified and talented candidates, regardless of their location. If you land a job with flexible location requirements, this might be your ticket to living abroad.
Foreign offices of domestic companies
Another easy route to take would be finding large domestic companies who have foreign offices. Many times these companies will consider relocating job candidates, if they fit the company’s needs abroad.
For this type of job, your best bets are to work on your professional networking, let people know what you are seeking, and search out potential opportunities on job boards. It may take a little while to find a job of this nature, but the rewards are worth it.
Find a teaching job
If you are a teacher looking for work abroad, you’re in luck. There is a huge array of teaching opportunities in other countries.
One notable opportunity for teachers is to teach your native language to people in another country. Obviously you’ll need to speak the destination country’s language as well. There is a great Canadian website that specializes in helping Canadians find this type of work (although it would probably help any English speaker). There is also another comprehensive site for English speakers in general.
Contract work overseas
If you have experience in construction, engineering, or other similar fields, companies may need your help abroad. In fact, there are job boards specifically for overseas contractors.
One comprehensive site to check out is Road Techs, which has an extensive overseas job board. Based on a quick look, this site is updated very often, and there a lots of jobs to peruse.
Do some searching
This post is not meant to list every type of job you could find in another country. It is meant to show you that for most any skill set, you can find overseas opportunities. Do a little searching online, and you’ll be amazed and what you find.
Be sure to check back for Part 4, where we’ll cover tips on getting visas and other paperwork for working abroad. To easily read future job and career tips, subscribe to Job Tuition by email or RSS.
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