Tag Archives: career

Posted on

The Start-Up of You, Part 1: Invest in Yourself, Invest in Your Network, AND Invest in Society

by

The Start-up of You Book CoverI finished reading The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha last weekend.  

It's a special book that will have a lasting influence on how I manage and approach my professional career AND personal choices FOREVER. 

You Were Born an Entrepreneur.  This is the book's stated mantra and working hypothesis.  But, the book seeks to fulfill a higher mission (more on that later).

I think I've been relatively savvy in managing my professional career.  But, the book identified multple gaps in my approach I must address NOW.  

The book does reinforce and validates the activities driving my personal reinvention process (which started around three years ago):

1. Immersing myself in all things relevant to digital and social media

2. Participating actively and building relationships via digital and social technologies

3. Starting, writing, and sticking with this personal blog 

4. Re-discovering a love for reading and building knowledge

5. Remembering how "giving is better than receiving"

And, the book points out the importance of constantly iterating and improving ourselves by being in "permanent beta" (e.g., adopting a continuous innovation attitude to adapt to a dynamicly changing workplace).

An Inspiring Message of Opportunity in Today's Ambiguous and Uncertain Economy

Invest In Yourself, Invest in Your Network, and Invest in Society.  There are many important Start-Up of You concepts which I'll share in this post.  In my next post, I will explore in greater detail specific ideas from the book.  

This book is special because it delivers more than pragmatic career management advice.  

"What that something special is" can be found in these inspiring direct quotes from the book's Conclusion:


"For Ben and me, this book is one our gifts back to society.  We think the tools in this book can improve both your life and society.  Sometimes giving back can be simply spreading ideas that matter."
"Invest in yourself, invest in your network, and invest in society.  When you invest in all three, you have the best shot at reaching your highest professional potential.  As important, you also have the best shot at changing the world."

Critics Say Those Statements are Presumptuous, Arrogant, and Idealistic  

A Quick Note To Critics of The Start-Up of You.  The book's critics believe that.  In addition, they dismiss this book as nothing more than "mass-targeted content supplying fluff we've all heard before."  Or, "it's nothing more than a 250+ page LinkedIn advertisement."

Those critics are flat-out wrong.  

The book's mission, principles, and message to "invest in all three" are timely and important.

Timing Is Everything.  Or paraphrasing Reid and Ben: "there's a way to court serendipity and good randomness."  When I read the following articles from reputable and credible sources, it strengthens my resolve that The Start-Up of You's principles and values matter:
 

A Four-Post Blog Series on The Start-Up of You Book and The LinkedIn Start-Up of You Community

This book's mission, pragmatic career management content, and thriving LinkedIn community are why I've decided to publish this review as a multiple-post series.  This book and its growing movement are that important.  

Here are the working themes: 

  1. Part 1, Invest in Yourself, Invest in Your Network, AND Invest in Society
  2. Part 2, Five Game Changers in Career Competitive Advantage
  3. Part 3, Theme: The Start-Up of You LinkedIn Community (The People and Ideas They Share)
  4. Part 4, My Response to Critics of The Start-Up of You

 

Want To Start Learning About The Book's Principles and Begin Participating in The Community NOW?

The Book's Executive Summary.  This link allows you to download a free Executive Summary PDF of The Start-Up of You.   If you have difficulty receiving it, please notify me in the comments.  I'll email you the PDF.

Also, here are some cool visual book notes by Sacha Chua:

Start-Up of You Visual Book Notes
 
The LinkedIn Start-Up of You LinkedIn Community.  This is a SPECIAL LinkedIn Group.  What differentiates it?

* People Genuinely Do and Want to Help Each Other.  This group epitomizes how "giving is better than receiving."

* No Blog Pimping. This unwritten code is enforced by the group and its managers. How? Those who've tried posting links to their posts without giving something to the group INSTANTLY LOSE CREDIBLITY.  Their submitted discussion posts are ignored and buried in the stream.  

Start-Up of You Community Members are smart and discerning.  They know and identify self-serving BS quickly.

* The Group Practices the IWe (I to the We) Principle (direct quotes): 

"The nuanced version of the story of success is that both the individual and team matter.  "I" vs. "We" is a false choice.  It's both.  Your career success depends on both your individual capabilities and your network's ability to magnify them."
"Think of it as IWe.  An individual's power is raised exponentially with the help of a team (a network).  But just as zero to the one hundredth power is still zero, there's no team without the individual."
"This book is titled The Start-Up of You.  Really, the "you" is at once singular and plural."

 

Closing Thoughts

Thank you for reading this far!  I hope you'll stick with me for a little longer …

Have You Read The Start-Up of You?  What did you think of it?  How will this book influence your career management approach?  Please let me know with your comments.  

I'd love to hear from you.

 

Tony Faustino writes about how the Internet is reinventing marketing strategy for companies and individuals.  He tweets at @tonyfaustino. 

 

Your Turn

Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my thoughts in the comments. I would love to hear from you. I’m here to read, listen, and learn from YOUR PERSPECTIVE.   Comments are open. So let’er rip!

 

If You Enjoyed This Post, Please Share It and Subscribe to My Blog

Subscribe to Social Media ReInvention

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Ideas that spread win. You can unsubscribe any time you like.

Please share my work with your friends. Many Thanks!

Posted on

Content Curation #3: Three Articles I Evernoted This Week

by

Number 3

 

The Premise / Goal / Timing of This Weekly Feature

Premise.  If you like the content in this blog, you may like the type of content I regularly read and study on the Web.

Goal.  On a weekly basis, I'm going to publish links to three (3) articles I find interesting.  I'll include a brief summary with some bullet points explaining why I think the content is worth consuming.  

Timing.  I'll publish this content every Wednesday / Thursday.

The Three Articles I Evernoted 

1. The Start-Up of You Website: This is the home base for the new book by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha: The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career.  These two (2) Start-Up of You blog posts are reasons why The Start-Up of You and The Lean Start-Up by Eric Ries are the most important books I'm reading / studying in 2012.

2. The Three Laws of Future Employment by Daniel Jelski:  This is a THOUGHT-PROVOKING article commenting on individual competitiveness in today's dynamic employment market.  Jelski's three (3) laws and subsequent conclusions are important:

  • Law #1: People will get jobs doing things that computers can't do (i.e., jobs requiring human-human interaction)
  • Law #2: A global market place will result in lower pay and future opportunities for many careers (but also in cheaper and better products and a higher standard of living for American consumers)
  • Law #3: Professional people will more likely be freelancers and less likely to have a steady job

3. (Forbes) 5 Reasons Why Your Online Presence Will Replace Your Resume in 10 Years by Dan Schawbel:  When I decided to publish my personal blog, I studied Dan's personal branding insights from his book, Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future.  

I recently wrote a post about the challenges in standing out in today's fiercely competitive job market with only a resume to represent one's career.  Dan, however, has been sharing personal branding insights for years.  

Here are the Dan's five (5) reasons from the Forbes article: 

  • Social networking use is skyrocketing while email is plummeting
  • You can't find jobs traditionally anymore
  • People are managing their careers as entrepreneurs
  • The traditional resume is now virtual and easy to build
  • Job seeker passion has become the deciding factor in employment

 

Your Feedback Please!

I'd like to experiment with this type of post for the next two to three months.  Let me know what you think (especially if this idea sucks):

  • How can I improve the value of these weekly posts?
  • Is my initial timing choice for publication okay with you (e.g., middle of the week versus the end of it)?  If not, please tell me.
  • What content are you reading?  Please share your links with our community in the comments section!

 

Link to Photo Credit by Andreas Cappell via flickr

Posted on

Content Curation #2: Three Articles I Evernoted This Week

by

Number 3

The Premise / Goal / Timing of This Weekly Feature

Premise.  If you like the content in this blog, you may like the type of content I regularly read and study on the Web.

Goal.  On a weekly basis, I'm going to publish links to three (3) articles I find interesting.  I'll include a brief summary with some bullet points explaining why I think the content is worth consuming.  

Timing.  I'll publish this content every Wednesday / Thursday. 


This Week's Three Evernoted Articles 


1. The Real Way to Build a Social Network (Fortune / CNN Money):  This article is absolute gold. This book excerpt from Reid Hoffman's upcoming book, The Startup of You, provides insights into the networking philosophy of LinkedIn's founder.   I've wish-listed his book in Amazon so I can download the Kindle version immediately upon it's February 14th release.  

Hoffman bases his networking philosophy two (2) basic principles: 

* See the world from the other person's perspective — putting yourself in another person's shoes is the first step to developing an honest connection

* Think about how you can collaborate with and help the other person versus thinking about what you can get out of the relationship — your first move should always be "how can I help."

2. The $1.6 Billion Woman, Staying on Message (The New York Times):  I'm a huge fan of Facebook's COO, Sheryl Sandberg.  In my opinion, she deserves just as much credit (or more) as Mark Zuckerberg in transforming Facebook into an advertising revenue juggernaut.  

I find this article interesting because it emphasizes her multi-faceted role at Facebook:

* Sandberg is the public face of of Facebook.  She's Facebook's corporate amabassador to Wall Street analysts, thought leaders at global forums such as Davos, global government leaders, and global brands (i.e., she's one of the few global corporate leaders who's been to Bentonville, Arkansas twice).

* She's the driving force in recruiting and mentoring top talent at Facebook (especially women).

* She's publicly stated her views about furthering the professional interests of women in Corporate America (particularly Silicon Valley and the technology industry).

The last point is especially intriguing because Sandberg's recently received criticism for expressing her views on the success of women in the workplace.  And, the critics are women.

3. Zuckerberg Remains the Undisputed Boss at Facebook (The New York Times):  The corporate governance structure Facebook currently has in place gives Facebook's CEO and Founder, Mark Zuckerberg, extraordinary control over his company (even though it will soon become publicly traded):

* He holds more than 25% of the company's stock.

* His voting power with those shares (due to various agreements with other investors) grants him voting control of 60% of the company's shares.

* The article gives context to how Zuckerberg's control of company stock compares with Microsoft's Bill Gates and Google founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, when their respective companies went public:

  • Microsoft: Bill Gates controlled 49% of company shares
  • Google: Brin and Page controlled 16% each of the company shares (for a total of 32%)

 

Your Feedback Please!

I'd like to experiment with this type of post for the next two to three months.  Let me know what you think (especially if this idea sucks):

  • How can I improve the value of these weekly posts?
  • Is my initial timing choice for publication okay with you (e.g., middle of the week versus the end of it)?  If not, please tell me.
  • What content are you reading?  Please share your links with our community in the comments section!

 

Link to Photo Credit by Andreas Cappell via flickr

Posted on

Social Media Expertise, Part 2: Self-Publishing Content Versus Submitting a Resume

by

Stack of Paper

The Wall Street Journal Careers Section published the following articles on January 24th describing the challenges and sense of futility job candidates encounter when applying to a prospective employer:

Both articles highlight relevant trends in personal brand differentiation and demonstrating digital strategy / digital marketing expertise.  

Bottom Line.  Becoming an expert is one thing.  Demonstrating that expertise online to a potential client or employer is another.  Because, it doesn't matter if you're trying to earn a digital marketing or social media marketing position or another position in an unrelated industry.  

Either way, your online presence must be FINDABLE and HUGE.

Clients or Employers Conduct Online Due Diligence 

Is Your Online Presence Visible or Invisible?  Clients and employers use online search and social networks in hiring evaluations.  Key themes emphasized in both Wall Street Journal articles included:

  • How The Internet Reinforces a "Show-Me-What-You-Got" Mindset
  • Why Clients and Employers Want to Understand How You Think
  • Too Many Job Candidates / Self-Proclaimed Experts, So Little Time
  • How Employers / Clients are Using the Internet Evaluate Talents and Skills

Your Online Activity Represents How You Think.  Your resume does not.  The opening paragraphs of the No More Resumes, Say Some Firms article reinforce this growing notion especially among employers:

"Union Square Ventures recently posted an opening for an investment analyst.  Instead of asking for résumés, the New York venture-capital firm—which has invested in Twitter, Foursquare, Zynga and other technology companies—asked applicants to send links representing their "Web presence," such as a Twitter account or Tumblr blog. Applicants also had to submit short videos demonstrating their interest in the position."

"Union Square says its process nets better-quality candidates —especially for a venture-capital operation that invests heavily in the Internet and social-media—and the firm plans to use it going forward to fill analyst positions and other jobs."

"Companies are increasingly relying on social networks such as LinkedIn, video profiles and online quizzes to gauge candidates' suitability for a job. While most still request a résumé as part of the application package, some are bypassing the staid requirement altogether."

"A résumé doesn't provide much depth about a candidate, says Christina Cacioppo, an associate at Union Square Ventures who blogs about the hiring process on the company's website and was herself hired after she compiled a profile comprising her personal blog, Twitter feed, LinkedIn profile, and links to social-media sites Delicious and Dopplr, which showed places where she had traveled."

"We are most interested in what people are like, what they are like to work with, how they think," she says."

 
Rage Against the Machine

A Two-Front War: Other Candidates and the Company's Online Applicant Tracking System.  The accompanying WSJ video shares why optimizing a resume for keywords is vital.  Your resume can be unfairly weeded out by a machine's keyword algorithm (even with internal referrals). 



 

 

Show Clients and Employers Differentiating Content 

Show Me, Don't Tell Me.  This excerpt from Adam Singer's September 2011 blog post, How to Start a Career in Social Media, bears repeating.  The excerpt validates the WSJ article Union Square Ventures example (direct quote from Adam's blog):

"A friend of mine Eric Friedman tells the tale of his job interview with renowned VC firm Union Square Ventures in New York. During a pivotal second round interview Eric sat down with one of the partners, Brad Burnham and presented his resume. Brad told Eric to hang on to it as he just wanted to chat. When Eric pressed him as to why, Brad responded with something remarkable which went like this: “You can work really hard on crafting a well written, organized, resume with bullet points of accomplishments – but you can’t fake 500 blog posts.” On the web, it’s “show me, don’t tell me.”


Courage, Creativity, and Dedication Produce Differentiating Content.  David Meerman Scott wrote this great blog post titled, Courage.   He states the hardest part is starting:
 

"The tough part is the courage both to begin and to sustain the content creation effort.'
 

Do The Work.  Publishing great content lurks inside all of us.  Here are some examples David suggests pursuing:

  1. Writing (i.e., a blog, eBooks)
  2. Doing Videos (i.e., how-two, reviews)
  3. Shooting Photos
  4. Creating Infographics (i.e., visualizing data)
  5. Speaking


Conclusion

Start It and Ship It.  In 2012, I'm focusing on additional writing not only via this blog but also through creating and publishing a promotional eBook.

It's time to start.  I've mapped out enough ideas.  

And, I have to have the courage to see what happens.

Additional 2012 calls-to-action for execution and experimentation:

  • Publishing mindmaps about how I approach a problem / story
  • Shooting and publishing videos (as part of my book reviews in this blog and in my Amazon book reviews)
  • Networking with social media thought leaders by meeting them face-to-face

Becoming a Thought Leader Requires Courage.  You can't hope someone picks you.  You have to pick yourself.  But, self-proclamations aren't enough.  You have to do the work to back up that claim.  

Therefore, achieving this goal requires more effort.  And, I'm reminding myself to focus on one thing at time.  

Because, starting is everything.

Your Turn.  How are you going to show your expertise / your art to a potential employer or client?  How are you going to differentiate yourself among the masses?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.  And, I hope you'll return next week for Part 3.

Thank You.

 

Link to Photo Credit by striatic Via flickr

Posted on

Tom Peters’ Media Sightings Page Cites Social Media ReInvention Blog

by

Jumping For Joy

 

I have wonderful news to share with the Social Media ReInvention Blog Community.

Tom Peters’ website, www.tompeters.com cited and linked to my post: Tom Peters’ Personal Branding Lessons, Part 1: Why YOUR Blog Matters.

The blog post is listed on the Media Sightings Page of the Tom Peters Website (screen shot as of August 4, 2011):

Tom Peters Media Sightings Pic

Mr. Peters’ bio states:

Tom Peters is co-author of In Search of Excellence – the book that changed the way the world does business, and often tagged the best business book ever.  Keep up with Tom at tompeters.com, ranked #9 among The Top 150 Management and Leadership Blogs.

 

His globally-respected work on business, leadership, and management includes:

 

Conclusion


Thank You Mr. Peters and Team!  I’m honored by the listing on your website.  I jumped for joy when I saw my blog post on your Media Sightings page!

Who Says Blogging Is Dead?  The people promoting this message are misinformed.  Don’t buy into this noise.  Read this direct quote from The Brand Called You about earning recognition and building reputation for your personal brand:

“If you’re a better writer than you are a teacher, try contributing a column or an opinion piece to your local newspaper.  And, when I say local, I mean local.  You don’t have to make the op-ed page of The New York Times to make the grade.  Community newspapers, professional newsletters, even inhouse company publications have white spaces they need to fill.  Once you get started, you’ve got a track record – and clips that you can use to snatch more chances.”

Blogging Matters More Than Ever.  Take note of this advice from Seth Godin and Tom Peters about marketing your personal brand via writing a blog:

 


Your Turn.  You’ve got something inspiring inside you.  Share it in your blog, your column, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, or Google+.  I want to read about your victories!


Start blogging. Start writing. Start creating.  And, don’t look back.

 

Photo Credit by Lauren Manning via Flickr

Posted on

Tom Peters’ Personal Branding Lessons, Part 3: YOUR Lifelong Reinvention Matters

by

Fortune Magazine Reinvent Your Career

Fortune Magazine published, Reinvent Your Career, in its July 4, 2011 issue. 

The article shares real-life stories of five (5) professionals who confronted and overcame personal and professional setbacks.  

And, these compelling examples prove successful reinvention happens at any age despite your previous job description.

The following video profiles one of these true-life reinventions (note: the beginning contains a short commercial):

 

 

Lifelong Reinvention Is A Professional Requirement

U.S. Labor Statistics Paint a Sobering Picture. These statistics are from the Fortune Magazine article.  We’re living in an era of:

* Job Destruction.  12.6% of the workforce lost their jobs in the past recession, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Displaced Worker Survey (the highest rate since at least 1981).

* Multiple Professional Identities.  The youngest baby boomers (those born from 1957 to 1964) held an average of 11 jobs from ages 18 to 44, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  The Denali Group, a procurement-services company, predicts Generation Y will have 15 to 25 jobs in their lifetime.

* A Project-Based Economy.  By the end of 2010, the number of people working part-time because they couldn’t find full-time work had nearly quadrupled since the 1950s to 2.38 million people.

Tom Peters Described Our Project-Based Economy In 1997

Read The Fast Company Article, The Brand Called You.  These Tom Peters quotes underscore the personal branding opportunities in a project-based economy:

One key to growing your power is to recognize the simple fact that we now live in a project world.  Almost all work today is organized into bite-sized packets called projects.  

A project-based world is ideal for growing your brand: projects exist around deliverables, they create measurables, and they leave you with braggables.  If you’re not spending at least 70% of your time working on projects, creating projects, or organizing your (apparently mundane) tasks into projects, you are sadly living in the past.

Today, you have to think, breathe act, and work in projects.

Project World makes it easier for you to assess — and advertise — the strength of Brand You.

Project World Dictates Lifelong Learning and Reinvention

Brand You Requires Regular Reinvention.  Tom Peters emphasizes this conclusion in The Brand Called You:

A career is a portfolio of projects that teach you new skills, gain you new expertise, develop new capabilities, grow your colleague set, and constantly reinvent you as a brand.  

Instead of making yourself a slave to the concept of a career ladder, reinvent yourself on a semi-regular basis.

Common Traits of Successful Reinventors.  In the Fortune Magazine article, Pulling Off The Ultimate Career Makeover, successful reinventors share a common attitude:

  • They love learning by doing  
  • They embrace the future (especially new technologies like social media)
  • They take calculated risks (e.g., they are willing to fail)

Read, Read, Read!  Tom Peters shares important advice on keeping your analytical skills and creativity fresh (e.g., new skills and knowledge powering reinvention): Out-Read The Other Guy.


  

Reinvent Yourself By Doing Work That Matters

Seth Godin’s Seven Ways to Reinvent Yourself.  “Doing work that matters” may require a personal transformation.  Here are Godin’s seven (7) ways to do it:

1. Connect.  Social media and a laptop allow us to make direct connections on a global scale.  Connect and learn new insights from other people.  Better yet, create something that impacts their lives.  In return, you’ll build reputation, influence, and power.

2. Be Generous.  By creating something that benefit others and by not expecting anything back, you’ll cultivate community (aka a tribe).  And, communities spread ideas.  Your personal brand could be one of those ideas.

3. Make Art.  All of us are capable of creating art.  With today’s technology, it could be an informative website, a great blog post, or a thought-provoking eBook.  Your art can move and influence others.

4. Acknowledge the Lizard.  That voice inside our heads that prevents us from creating art — that’s the lizard brain.  The lizard brain reminds us how we fear being laughed at or looking foolish.  Acknowledge it.  Now, ignore it.  And, create the art that’s inside you.  

5. Ship.  Godin says: “The key to reinvention of who you are, then, is to become someone who ships (aka The Linchpin).”  The Linchpin is the person who accepts accountability, has the skills for getting things done, and creates outcomes.  To create outcomes, you have to ship (i.e., hit enter to send that email, press publish to post that blog article, or make the hard decision).

6. Fail.  Reinvention requires failing often and failing small.  You have to be willing to fail.  Watch this Tech Crunch TV interview with Godin on The Value of Failing Small (especially time stamp 1:59 to 3:26).


    

 

7. Learn.  Another direct quote from Seth Godin: “The path to reinvention, though, is just that — a path.  The opportunity of our time is to discard what you think you know and instead learn what you need to learn.  Every single day.


Read Godin’s eBook: Brainwashed — Seven Ways to Reinvent Yourself.  Here it is from Slideshare:  

 

Seth Godin – Reinvent Yourself

View more presentations from LeeFuller

Conclusion

Leverage Technology To Your Advantage.  The Internet levels the playing field.  In the following video, Godin makes a strong case how technology powers your reinvention:

* Your Laptop Is The 21st Century Factory (0:38 – 1:54).  Now, you own the means of production.  What are you going to do with your laptop to make something that changes the world?

* You Can Globally and Directly Connect (2:17 – 3:54).  Plus, the Internet enables your global connections to promote your work and do business (and vice versa).  

* You Can Spread Ideas Via Social Media Connections (3:55 – 4:58).  Developing these connections (or knowing people who have them) is vital.  Why?  Social media influences: 

  1. The ideas that get a head start
  2. The ideas that spread 

 


 

Don’t Make My Mistake.  I started my blog and personal reinvention process in July 2009.    

 My ONE Regret — Not starting sooner.  


And, it isn’t just because of the resulting opportunities.  Reinvention Is Fun.  


Go. Connect.  Be generous.  Make art.  Acknowledge the lizard.  Ship.  Fail.  Learn.

And, please let me know how it goes. 

 

Did You Enjoy This Post?

If yes, please share it with your friends and subscribe to my blog. Many Thanks!

 

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He thinks and writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy in his personal blog, Social Media ReInvention. Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+.

   

 

Photo Credit via Mike D Merrill   

Posted on

Tom Peters’ Personal Branding Lessons, Part 1: Why YOUR Blog Matters

by

Brand Called You - Personal Brand

 

 

Fast Company published The Brand Called You by Tom Peters in August 1997.  Mr. Peters’ timeless advice about personal branding is especially relevant in our current economy.

Personal Branding is Important.  Here are two (2) direct quotes from the article:

  • “We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc.”
  • “To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for The Brand Called You.”

A Brand = A Promise of Value.  Think of personal branding like this:

  • The distinctive role / niche you create for yourself
  • The message and the strategy you’ll conduct to promote The Brand Called You


Your Personal Branding Hub: A Personal Blog 

A personal blog can be an important component of your personal brand (maybe the most important): 

* Blogging provides your forum for demonstrating your expertise about a subject you’re passionate about.  And, you get to pick the subject area — don’t worry about your current job description.

* Blogging drives your creativity, imagination, and intellect.  Adam Singer says it best: Blogging Is Like Going to the Gym … For Your Brain

* Blogging and personal branding means building community.  Community is a key concept in Mitch Joel’s book, Six Pixels of Separation.  Building community (online and in-person) includes:

  • Commenting on other blogs
  • Attending conferences related to your chosen subject area
  • Participating and contributing to conversations in social networks relevant to that subject (i.e., LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.)
  • Developing new relationships inside and outside of your current employer

You’re Not Defined By Your Job Title … 


… And, You’re Not Confined by Your Job Description.  This is another timeless lesson from Mr. Peters.  For corporate employees, his insight brings significant career implications:  

“No more vertical.  No more ladder.  That’s not the way careers work anymore.  Linearity is out.  A career is now a checkerboard.  Or even a maze.  It’s full of moves that go sideways, forward, slide on the diagonal, even go backward when that makes sense.  (It often does.)  A career is a portfolio of projects that teach you new skills, gain you new expertise, develop new capabilities, grow your colleague set, and constantly reinvent you as a brand.”  

Mr. Peters explains this concept in the following video:

  


You Own The Means of Production to Mold Your Personal Brand


Take the Initiative — The Internet Levels the Playing Field.  Paraphrasing a key concept from Seth Godin’s book, Linchpin, “employees no longer have to be cogs in the giant industrial machine.”   

Why? The Internet provides direct and infinite opportunities in building a personal brand.  The only limit is your imagination.  On page 24 of Linchpin, Godin states:

  1. “Today the means of production = a laptop computer with Internet connectivity.”
  2. “Three thousand dollars buys a worker an entire factory.”

Godin shares his thinking with David Meerman Scott in this video interview (time stamp 3:48 to 5:12). 

 

David Meerman Scott interviews Seth Godin from David Meerman Scott on Vimeo.

 


You are Responsible for What You Do with the Means of Production.  There are two (2) important requirements in leveraging the “Digital Age Factory”:

  1. Initiative — Having the courage to start.  
  2. Persisting and persevering to finish.

Career Security Versus Job Security.  The means of production can lead to career security.  I’ll take career security over job security everyday of the week (and twice on Sunday).  To understand the difference between them, read these articles by Adam Singer of The Future Buzz:

Start Your Personal Blog.  Select a subject you’re passionate about.  Set up a WordPress, Blogger, or TypePad account.  

Keep Keeping On.  For most beginning bloggers, the writing and creative process doesn’t always flow easily.  Don’t worry.  It gets better with time and practice.

 

The Most Important Marketing Tool for Your Personal Brand

Tom Peters and Seth Godin Say Blogging Matters.  Check out this video.  Both Peters and Godin provide their personal insights on why blogging is a powerful marketing platform.  

Mr. Peters says “blogging is the best damn marketing tool by an order of magnitude that I ever had.  And, it’s free.” 

 

Blogging = Writing …  

… And, Writing is a Vital Business Skill.  Thoughtfully expressing written ideas directly impacts your career.  Think about it.  How many corporate emails do you write on a daily basis for one of the following audiences:

  • Your clients
  • Your boss
  • Your teammates
  • Your boss’s boss
  • Outside vendors

Practice Breeds Confidence.  I’ve published and maintained my personal blog for five and half years.  Blogging allows me to practice writing more than any other business activity.  

And, blogging is something I love practicing!   

A resulting benefit of consistent practice — increased confidence.  Written communications require confidence when:

  • Summarizing “the so what” to an executive audience
  • Delivering good news
  • Delivering bad news (and the plan to address the situation)
  • Crediting a colleague(s) on outstanding work (especially to upper management)
  • Gaining consensus (especially among team members beyond your management control)
  • Framing / Describing a politically sensitive situation (and the plan to address the situation)

Writing and the Link to Your Business Career.  Don’t believe me?  Listen to what Mr. Peters says about business writing skills and its importance:

 

Conclusion

You Don’t Have to Make the Op-Ed of The New York Times to Make the Grade.  That’s my favorite direct quote from The Brand Called You.  Your effort, your passion establishes your personal brand / reputation.

Publish. Connect. Give.

Do these three (3) things regularly and people WILL:

  • Find you online
  • Link to your blog
  • Cite you in their blog posts and articles
  • Ask you to contribute to their publications
  • Say you contribute value to their respective communities 

It Happened to Me. It Can Happen to You.  Here are links to other blogs or content highlighting my personal brand and/or citing my personal blog.  My blog posts or other networking activities created these personal branding opportunities: 

Start blogging.  Start writing.  Start creating.  And, Don’t Look Back.

 

Did You Enjoy This Post?

If yes, please share it with your friends and subscribe to my blog. Many Thanks!

 

Tony Faustino is a marketing and corporate strategist.  He thinks and writes about how The Internet reinvents marketing strategy in his personal blog, Social Media ReInvention. Follow his tweets @tonyfaustino or circle him on Google+.

 

 

Photo Credit: by ViteVu via Flickr

Posted on

LinkedIn’s InMaps: A Cool Way to Visualize & Understand Your Professional Network

by

LinkedIn InMaps Visual My Network 

Have you tried LinkedIn's InMaps?  What have you learned about your visualizing your professional network?

This past week LinkedIn launched LinkedIn Today.  In learning about LinkedIn Today, I also learned about another cool LinkedIn innovation released in late January 2011 called InMaps.

Using the LinkedIn InMap Application allows me to quickly see how my current professional network is grouped into four (4) main clusters:

  • Cluster 1: Kantar Health Contacts (my current employer)
  • Cluster 2: Washington University Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity Contacts
  • Cluster 3: Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGEY) Management Consulting Alumni
  • Cluster 4: Washington University / Olin School of Business MBA Alumni

InMaps provides me several insights about my professional network:

Insight 1: Identify the Highly Networked Individuals Within Your Clusters.  In the InMaps application, you can zoom in to see the individual names of people within your professional network clusters.  It quickly becomes obvious who has significant reach (which is important when you turn to your professional network to solve specific problems).

Insight 2: Never Underestimate the Influence of Old School Ties.  Until, I used InMaps, I never fully understood the influence of my Washington University undergraduate (Cluster 2) and graduate school (Cluster 3, MBA) relationships on my professional network. 

Looking back, I leaned heavily on these relationships (epecially my former Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Fraternity brothers) when I applied to business school, looked for new jobs, sought advice in dealing with the dynamics of corporate politics, or needed a trusted sounding board on personal as well as professional issues.  

Insight 3: My Current Employer and First Job After Business School Comprise A Significant Number of My Professional Contacts.  My working years in Cluster 1 (Kantar Health / MattsonJack) and Cluster 3 (CGEY Management Consulting Alumni) comprise a significant portion of my professional network.

I attribute this to a number of factors:

  • Both firms are management consulting firms
  • You build strong, individual ties with fellow colleagues in team-driven environments
  • Nothing rallies a management consulting team together more than the goal of outstanding client service under tight timelines  

Insight 4: Why Haven't I Reconnected with Contacts from Other Jobs?  I've held other jobs at different organizations, but I'm not connected with these individuals on LinkedIn.  Perhaps, this represents an opportunity to reunite with past colleagues? 

I'll have to think more about that because this observation requires more self-reflection.

Conclusion

I Recommend Using LinkedIn's InMaps.  The application helps you understand important aspects of your professional life especially why you've chosen to connect with specific individuals. 

In addition, understanding why you haven't reconnected with certain people from certain organizations is also valuable.

Have you tried LinkedIn's InMaps?  What have you learned about your visualizing your professional network?

If you'd like to learn more about InMaps, here's a YouTube Video from the LinkedIn Blog:

 

 

BONUS:  This post by Whitney Hess, Hubs and Connectors: Understanding Networks Through Data Visualization, is the most informative post I've read on the science behind social networks and LinkedIn's InMaps.

Posted on

Fortune 500 Companies Achieve ROI with LinkedIn

by

Money at HandA recent Fortune Magazine article, How LinkedIn Will Fire Up a Career, provides a great example of social media delivering significant financial savings to Fortune 500 companies. 

The article initially talks about how Accenture, a major player in management consulting, plans on hiring tens of thousands of new employees in 2010.  Then, the author asks its readers "will Accenture be able to find you" and further discusses the importance of online visibility (specifically through LinkedIn).  The article states: "If you don't have a profile on LinkedIn, you're nowhere." 

I agree with this opinion and have commented on this point in previous posts.  However, I believe there are other relevant insights from the article particularly LinkedIn's success in generating tangible return on investment (ROI) in Fortune 500 recruiting: 

 

1. LinkedIn Saves Fortune 500 Companies Significant Money and Time
According to John Campagnino, Accenture's Head of Global Recruiting, a major recruiting firm's fees can cost $100,000 to $150,000 per person.  Campagnino goes further and says: "Start multiplying that by a number of senior executives, and you start talking about significant numbers of dollars very quickly."  In addition, online services like LinkedIn decrease the time it takes to fill positions by nearly 50%.  Arlette Guthrie, Home Depot's Vice President of Talent Management, says time to fill a position is an important metric among recruiters.

In my opinion, these significant cost savings in money and time clearly demonstrate the financial value of social media.  Having a well-respected business periodical like Fortune publicize these results will increase the credibility and adoption of social media in America's largest corporations. 

2. Other Fortune 500 Companies Recruiting Successfully with LinkedIn
Here are some of the companies mentioned in the article on how they're successfully using LinkedIn (and these are major brand name corporations):

Accenture.  Campagnino further elaborates that he plans to make as many as 40% of Accenture's hires in the next few years through social media.  He says: "This is the future of recruiting for our company.

IBM.  Annie Shanklin Jones, Head of IBM's U.S. Recruiting, says LinkedIn "is a great equalizer" and "gives the recruiter an opportunity to reach out directly to a candidate."  She says, "LinkedIn is the most important social media site for reaching prospective hires."  Also, the article points out that IBM was a first-mover in experimenting with social networking particularly for recruiting talent.  It uses Twitter to broadcast job openings, and the company organizes its own talent communities.   

Oracle.  The firm found its CFO, Jeff Epstein through LinkedIn in 2008.

Home Depot.  Guthrie says Home Depot uses LinkedIn to find candidates for difficult-to-fill jobs such as supply chain, information technology, and global sourcing.  Their recruiters use LinkedIn to research potential hires, engage with them in groups, and respond to inquiries.

3. Fortune 500 Companies Target "Passive Candidates" by Using LinkedIn
Fortune 500 firms perceive that the most talented and sought-after candidates are those currently employed.  Headhunters categorize these individuals as "passive candidates," and LinkedIn provides a target-rich population.  Finding these candidates is difficult and explains why the recruiting industry is an $8 billion industry.

LinkedIn currently has 60 million members.  A typical member's profile is a college-educated 43-year-old making $107,000.  More than a quarter are senior executives.  According to the article, every Fortune 500 company is represented on LinkedIn — and that's why recruiters rely on it to recruit high-caliber talent.

In May 2009, JobVite published the results of its second annual Social Recruitment Survey.  Here are some findings relevant to this post:

* 77% of respondents said they use social networks to reach passive candidates who are not actively seeing employment
* Among online sites used to research candidates, LinkedIn was first (76%) followed by search engines (67%), Facebook (44%), and Twitter (21%).

Bonus Round: Helpful Resources for Achieving ROI with Your Own LinkedIn Profile
I hope you feel this post made a good case for the financial ROI Fortune 500 companies are producing with LinkedIn.  Here are some additional resources you may find helpful in achieving ROI with your personal LinkedIn Profile:

* Mashable — HOW TO: Build Your Personal Brand on LinkedIn by Dan Schawbel
* HubSpot Internet Marketing Blog — 4 Minutes to Optimize a LinkedIn Profile for SEO by Mike Volpe

Photo Credit: From Flickr by Don Hankins

Posted on

Sara Bareilles Taught Me Why I Blog — I Do It for Love …

by

* Why do you blog?
* Why do you read blogs and other content to learn more about social media?
* Why do you invest time in tweeting, monitoring conversations, connecting on LinkedIn, sharing stuff on Facebook (and the list goes on and on)?

I'm listening to one of my favorite musical artists, Sara Bareilles, and I had an epiphany during her song, "Bottle It Up," from her passionate live album, Between the Lines: Sara Bareilles Live at The Fillmore.  The opening refrain of this song is "I do it for love. Love. I do it for love …" 

At First, It was Something Else …

J0385540[1] When I first started blogging, a good friend asked me why are you doing this?

Initially, my answer centered around all the commonplace reasons you read from executive search experts and personal branding gurus:

* It's never been more important to establish your individual thought leadership
* If you're not visible online, "you might as well be invisible"
* The Internet is "the great equalizer" in proliferating your expertise and helping you find better professional opportunities
* A resume is not enough to differentiate yourself in an employer "buyer's market" — You Need a Blog!

There's a good bit of truth in those aforementioned reasons.  And in these uncertain economic times, differentiation and fighting for your corporate survival have never been more challenging.  I know this first-hand because I believe/feel like I'm fighting like hell to remain relevant and employed in Corporate America.

… but I Realized that I Do It For Love

J0444783[1]I spent the past week putting together a multiple piece series on what I learned from the very smart and savvy, Tina Brown, Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beast.  It was during this writing process that I learned something very important. 

There is something incredibly liberating and empowering about blogging.  I'm not a professional blogger by any stretch of the imagination (and I hold zero delusions of grandeur of ever getting paid to do it).  The reasons why I love to blog include:

* Participating in a creative process and creating "something from nothing"
* Experiencing the freedom and autonomy of complete editorial control
* Seeing that other people actually read what you publish (thank you Google Analytics)
* And most of all, learning from simple trial and error

Yup, I do it for love.  It isn't sexy, but it's the truth. 

Fellow bloggers, if you've taken the time to read this post, please let me know your thoughts.  Thank you for reading if you made it this far.

P.S. Sara Bareilles is performing in New York City on October 26th at Feinsteins @Lowes Regency according to her tour schedule.  I wish my wife and I could be there …