Rather than dump your hard-earned money down into some bottomless get-rich-quick scheme, you’ve done your research and ensure your stock portfolio is working for your retirement. After several years of managing your career choices and navigating various financial options, you have solid money-wrangling skills.

So with all of this monetary management know-how, you’re more than ready to handle making (potentially) the biggest career and investment move of your life, right? No, I’m not talking about adopting an aggressive stock portfolio. The biggest game changer in your career and finances could be tying the knot.

Marriage: It’s not just about love

When it comes to getting married, many couples underestimate the gravity of the investment and overlook money matters until they become serious issues. Just as you wouldn’t accept a new job offer or enter into a business deal without running the numbers and fully understanding the costs, combining incomes — and debt — should be handled with the same amount of care.

Read on for tips on how to manage finances and improve the likelihood that your new investment – your marriage – will succeed. (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Be honest

If you were interviewing for a new job, you wouldn’t lie about your skills. If you got the job based on false premises, eventually you’d be revealed as a fraud. It’s not worth it.

Lying about your finances to your partner is just as detrimental — both to your financial stability and your partner’s trust. Be honest about your debts, income, savings and other finances. If you’re uncomfortable discussing money with your spouse, that’s an issue you need to address. Unless you win the jackpot or fall into an insanely big inheritance, your debts won’t just go away. In fact, the longer you ignore money issues, the more your debt will grow and the more serious consequences you will face.

Be honest and upfront about what you’re working with. It’s better than getting your truck repo’d the day after your honeymoon.

2. Get on the same page

If you take your career seriously, you’ve likely thought through your five-year plan. Do the same for you and your partner’s finances. Figure out where you what you want to achieve together, then start working towards it.

Once you’ve laid out your combined incomes and financial obligations, make a plan to get on the same page. Establish who will pay the bills, when they will be paid, and from which account the money will be drawn.

Just as important: Establish a discretionary spending budget. Both partners deserve an independent, pre-determined portion of the budget to spend. Though you are unified in your finances, it’s important to have personal independence as well.

Sticking to your agreed upon spending plan reinforces that your own needs and wants are only part of the deal. Now that you’re married, you’re half of a two-person dream team. You and your spouse are in this budget management game together.

Respect your partner by not spending outside your means; although not always fun, it’s practical. Paying down your existing debt (and managing how much new debt you accrue) will be far more satisfactory in the long run than buying something you can’t afford to begin with.

3. Over communicate

Effective communication is the cornerstone of every healthy relationship, both at work and at home. You already know you won’t be as successful at work if you can’t communicate effectively with your peers and superiors. The same is true in your marriage.

Make sure you’re clear on what “effective communication” is. This does not count the following: yelling, bullying, lying and manipulating. If you work as part of a team, you know the project’s success depends on every team member being on the same page. Doing a project twice (or failing to complete it at all) because of miscommunication is both frustrating and potentially detrimental to your career.

Marriages follow a similar logic. Is something about the budget bothering you? Talk about it with your partner and reach a solution as a team. Building up resentment towards your spouse won’t help resolve anything, and in fact will likely make things worse.

4. Embrace failure

In both your career and personal life, you often learn more from your failures than you do from the successes. In fact, it’s the failures that make it possible to succeed.

At some point, your plans will go awry. Whether you overspend or under-communicate, you’re bound to hit a few bumps in the road. It’s okay to fumble (and maybe even fail) a few times; it’s all part of the growing process.

The important part becomes how you and your partner learn and grow from these hurdles. Don’t let a slight detour derail your progress completely. Rather, allow these moments to teach you and move you forward towards your financial goals.

Master ponderer Confucius once said, “It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop.” This is true for reaching any goal — but especially relevant for goals that do not produce instant results.

Marriage is both a career and an investment merger that without a doubt requires some serious planning by both parties. By taking a proactive approach to your happily-ever-after, you can avoid some of the most martially disastrous pitfalls around. So, go ahead, say your vows with confidence knowing that you have budgeted for wedded bliss.

Josh Redfield is an Arizona-based mountain biking junkie. When he’s not out on an epic ride, you can find him utilizing his law degree to write about any matter of legality that causes a ruckus.

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Of course, going virtual isn’t as easy as trading in your business suits for sweatpants. There’s plenty to do to hire the right people, keep everyone motivated and ensure your workplace can fly digitally: (Click here to tweet this list.)

1. Know the benefits of ditching the office

“If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?” This saying is one we’re all intimately familiar with. Before you jump to a virtual workplace because it seems like the trendy thing to do, stop and think about the reasons you’re making the switch.

Do you have smart reasons to switch or are you just trying to shake up your company culture? It’s a dramatic change, so you should be 100 percent sure it’s the right thing for your company.

Of course, there are dramatic reasons to consider jumping in with both feet. A study by Stanford University found companies can save as much as $2,000 per employee just by letting them work from home.

And if this cost savings isn’t enough for you, the virtual workplace is a real draw for top-notch candidates craving flexibility. In fact, two in five working adults would be willing to give up a portion of their salary if it meant greater flexible time options.

2. Put a plan in place

Once you’ve decided the virtual workplace really is the best way forward for your company, it’s time to put a plan of action in place. There are some big changes that come along with a digital environment, and those changes don’t just involve jettisoning the cubicle. Hammer out a workable transition plan for how your company gets projects accomplished and how employees will collaborate on important work.

Keep in constant contact with your team and be available to answer any questions your employees may have. Concerns should be heard and tackled before you do away with the office, so your virtual workplace can start from a position of understanding instead of confusion.

3. Hire great virtual workers

The best virtual employees have a lot in common with the best people currently sitting in your office: They’re smart, they’re dedicated, they’re creative and they’re always willing to go the extra mile. But virtual employees need to also have a few extra attributes to make them perfect for the digital environment.

Two of the most important attributes are tech-savvy and self-direction. After all, these employees need to use technology to connect and collaborate and also be motivated enough to do work instead of cleaning the house.

To find the best virtual workers, you have to connect personally and ask the right questions. The video interview is a smart tool for connecting with the best candidates, even if they’re located more than a car ride away.

During the video interview, it’s important you ask the right questions to ensure you’re getting the best people. Skip the boilerplate interview questions and instead ask behavioral questions to tell you more about the candidate’s personality and work experience. Asking questions about how they’ve handled their biggest mistake, their biggest professional triumph or how they work as part of a team can give you essential insight into their ability to work remotely and as part of your company culture.

4. Track workflow

Without being able to peek over your employee’s shoulder or run over to the next office to keep tabs on a special project, you’ll need a virtual solution. It’s important to choose a workflow-tracking plan that works for the specifics of your company. Try to find a digital solution that allows people to keep you updated on the status of projects and how their work is progressing.

You might also want to find internal storage for sharing important company files and essential documents to get new employees up to speed. As a bonus, by encouraging people to track their time and efforts, you’ll be empowering them to take ownership of their workflow.

5. Never stop communicating

Communication should always be continuous, but it’s even more important since you no longer share a physical workspace with your best people. Make sure you’re taking time aside to communicate clearly and efficiently with your whole team.

Set aside time for meetings and always make yourself available if a team member has a comment or question about how things are done. You can use online chat functions and email to stay in contact, so your best people still feel like they’re part of a well-defined company culture instead of left to their own devices.

Ditching your physical office for a virtual reality isn’t always easy, but it can be the right choice for your company. As long as you hire and motivate the best people, you’ll never regret your choice to go digital.

What do you think? What are some tips you have for embracing the virtual workplace? Share in the comments!

Josh Tolan is the CEO of Spark Hire, a video interview solution used by more than 2,000 companies across the globe. Learn more about using video interviewing to hire virtual talent and connect with Spark Hire on Facebook and Twitter.

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So you want to start an online business. Are you willing to be shameless in your pursuit of the right strategies, tech tools and marketing know-how?

Awesome, then let’s begin.

Let’s take a look at the technical skills you’ll need to start an online business, because it does involve the web, and that means you’ll need a certain level of technical savvy. Don’t worry; there are only four essential steps to getting techy that will help your online business succeed.

1. Decide What You Need To Learn

Websites. Google Analytics. Conversion rates.

You probably have a basic understanding of technology; now you just need to learn more about the specific tools of the online business trade.

You might think that the first step to getting an online business up and running if you’re not tech savvy is to hire all the work out. But don’t make the mistake of putting the keyboard before the mouse.

When you try to hire someone to do something that you don’t understand, you might get gypped, end up with the wrong setup and waste a ton of time.

Having a basic understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish and how it works will save you a ton of time trying to explain what you need. It could also save you a lot of money, because you’ll be able to judge how much time a certain project should realistically take and whether a quote is acceptable.

2. Find The Tech Training You Need Right Now

So, how can you go about getting a basic understanding of the tech tools you’ll need?

You can learn to code at Codecademy, watch YouTube training videos to get up to speed and find out which tools you’ll need to take orders online.

The great thing about learning the ins and outs of this technology is that you’re likely to discover it’s much easier than you thought. That alone will save you a few hundred dollars, and you’ve also just gained a new marketable skill. Level up!

3. Get Your Website and Blog Up and Running, Stat

The next step to establish your online business is setting up your online presence, and that means starting with a website and blog.

Why do I recommend having a blog instead of just a static website? Because you’ll want to be creating and curating content on your site consistently to showcase your talents.

You’ll want to buy your own domain name, and set up a WordPress website using the 5-minute install that’s available on most hosting providers.

The great thing about WordPress is that it’s such a popular platform, you’ll have a plethora of options: whether you want to hire it out or learn how to do it yourself, the resources are out there.

4. Be Adaptable, Because Technology is Always Changing

Get comfortable with change. As an online business owner, you’ll soon notice that things are always in flux: popular social media platforms, competitors, software systems and your audience’s needs.

There’s nothing wrong with these changes—they could even help your business. But be prepared to buckle down, because each time there’s a new piece of technology that’s relevant to your online business, you’ll need to get your hands dirty and learn it.

Get plugged into a community of online business go-getters to stay on the cutting edge as these changes take place.

You’ll also want to stay nimble in your own business, since you might need to tweak offerings, blog topics and more as you and your business evolve over time.

Nathalie Lussier is an online business triple threat, serving up digital strategy with integration and do-it-yourself training programs to turn your website into the asset you know it should be. She’s the creator of The Website Checkup Tool and she loves getting techy with it, doing martial arts and drinking green juice.

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Growing our customer base is something we work at every day with our own startup, iDoneThis. We help startups and businesses manage team progress with daily status reports.  Through a lot of trial and error, we’ve grown our customer base, befriended our customers and learned one very important lesson: you never know what will work, so why not experiment?  

Here are 3 things we didn’t think would work, but did:

1. Keep it simple

Start with the simplest idea. Then simplify it.

iDoneThis began with an idea that was so simple it was stupid. Think I’m joking? On Dec. 17, 2010, Rodrigo (our CTO) sent Walter (our CEO) an email entitled “Stupid Idea.” In the email, Rodrigo described an email-based system that asked you, daily, “What did you get done today?” and then kept track of your replies. Out of this email, iDoneThis was born.

Everything built slowly from there. Friends and family were incredulous that iDoneThis could become anything serious because of how simple it was. But we talked to our users who told us that they loved the service because it was so easy to use.

Keeping it simple can be a competitive advantage for your product. Simplicity appeals to a broader base of users. Simple services have a variety of use-cases that overlap with “legitimate” businesses and have an inherent advantage over those services merely for being simple.

2. Don’t Wait for Them to Come, Go to Them

Find out where your target users hang out, what they read, who they listen to and what influences them. Then seek out the channels that influence your user base and go to them.

When iDoneThis first started, we made the mistake of believing “if we build it, they will come.” They never came. So we took matters into our own hands and started talking about ourselves to influential communities.

We posted to Hacker News. We posted on Reddit. We left comments talking about ourselves on a Lifehacker article. We tailored everything we wrote to the specific audience, making sure that the story we told about our business was relevant to them.

More importantly, we didn’t give up when one channel was closed to us. We originally tried to pitch iDoneThis to Lifehacker, but to no avail. Instead, we sent a custom-written story about our product to a smaller site, How-to-Geek. Our article on How-to-Geek drew enough attention that it was picked up by Lifehacker the next day.

Each post brought us visitors to our site, visitors who became customers and continue to be customers today. So do your research. Figure out where to tell your business’s story to influence readers to become potential customers.

Which brings me to my next point…

3. Write your own story

Writing your own story means taking control of your startup’s narrative and giving your business and your team an identity and voice through that narrative. It means tailoring the story for different audiences and controlling the distribution of your stories, so that each hits the right note with the right readers.

In the past, we offered nuggets of news about our business to journalists as exclusives and we were written about on influential tech news sites. It made sense to go to the press and blogs with our news because they (1) have distribution and (2) are expert in crafting a story.

Then one day, we wrote our own story.  e posted it to our own blog. The post we wrote was simple but very personal: we wrote about the work we did behind the scenes at our company and the efforts we made to get people talking about iDoneThis.

The result? We hit an all-time one-day high for traffic and added 1,000+ customers, more than double the customers that resulted from our press piece.

Writing your own story and being transparent about your business efforts gives you a competitive advantage. When you write your own story, you build a relationship with the readers themselves. They follow you on Twitter and “like” you on Facebook, creating subscriptions, essentially. Through these channels, you can reach them again and again.

What Does This Mean for You?

These three tactics unexpectedly and directly increased our customer base. The lesson here is to get creative when spreading the word about your startup. Try a different tactic you’re not sure will succeed. People just might surprise you and come running.

Ginni Chen is Chief Happiness Officer at iDoneThis, a startup that helps other startups and businesses manage progress through daily status reports.

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Many of us have learned — the hard way — to keep our guard up and set realistic expectations for a first date. And when it comes to business, being ready for a first date is equally important as it is in a romantic setting.

It takes four adoptable roles to be a good business date:

1. Prepared investigator

Don’t treat your business relationships like blind dates. Your instincts can guide your final judgment, but you still have to do your homework.

Go trigger-happy on Google; check your social networks for common contacts and ask for honest insights. Take the time to research the history and expertise of the person and their company.

Being prepared doesn’t just give you the upper hand — it also allows you to pre-qualify your date and know enough background to break the ice for a more engaging conversation.

2. Strategic interrogator

Take the time to get to know each other through conversation. This is your honeymoon stage, so enjoy it!

But remember, the process of building relationships is a marathon, not a sprint. Make sure you have a mutual understanding and share common values before jumping into “bed.”

Ask enticing questions based on your research and understanding of their needs. This will give you clear answers and show you’ve taken a professional interest in the other person. Note: This is one area where playing hard to get will do more damage than good!

3. Genuine listener

Being a good date requires listening, and the best way to do that is to give away the power and let the other person take the wheel.

When it comes to building a business relationship, it is critical to show that what is being said is truly being heard. Start by taking notes and using them as a reference.

In dating and in business, I find that people genuinely appreciate when you remember the little things, like how they take their coffee or where their favorite restaurant is. In doing this, you’ll have the materials to develop a backbone and inspire reliability and trust.

4. Definitive decision-maker

Every growing relationship eventually needs some version of “the talk” to define boundaries and guidelines going forward. If both parties agree to take it to the next level, then make it official.

However, business relationships require more than the “Facebook official” commitment. Draft a clear and thorough contract to help avoid assumptions. Determine the roles, responsibilities and terms of each partner. Make sure to promise execution and what the potential gain will be.

Although romantic and business relationships may not be easy, they’re worthwhile. There’s a reason they call it “dating” — ideally, it doesn’t happen just once. Forging a meaningful business bond can take several meetings.

Therefore, being an active player from the beginning and following through with obligations is key to sustaining a relationship and building trust. As Greg Behrendt, author of He’s Just Not That Into You says, “Don’t be with someone who doesn’t do what they say they’re going to do.”

Lauren Perkins is a brand evangelist and digital tastemaker who delivers integrated solutions from a unique entrepreneurial perspective. She is currently the CEO and Founder of Perks Consulting, a digital and creative services marketing agency specializing in the fusion of lifestyle and technology based in New York City.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC leads  #FixYoungAmerica, a solutions-based movement that aims to end youth unemployment and put young Americans back to work.

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Check out the video below, in which Buddy Media CEO Michael Lazerow talks about how several brushes with death helped him get past fear to do some great things with his life. That includes launching Buddy Media, a social media company that sold to Salesforce.com for $689 million just hours before Lazerow told his story on YouTube.

We first learned of the video from Mashable, which wrote:

The clip is raw and emotional. However, throughout it, Lazerow doesn’t speak a single word. Instead, he tells his own remarkable story and a bit about the acquisition, via a keynote slideshow on his iPad. Lazerow, who has had a life-long heart condition is smiling during most of it, but he’s also clearly wiping away a tear or two as he reacts to some of what he’s sharing.

Here’s the four-minute video:

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Steve Cahillane, president and CEO of Coca-Cola, writes:

Over the next five years, approximately 100,000 veterans are expected to transition to civilian life. As we commemorate Memorial Day by honoring the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, I am calling on the U.S. business community to commit to hiring each of these veterans who is able and willing to work.

According to Cahillane, not only do we owe it to our vets to help them find rewarding jobs, but it is a good move for employers:

Our military personnel have voluntarily endured hardships to serve and protect our country. When they return home, they deserve support and recognition from our great American companies.

It also makes perfect business sense. Military veterans bring the leadership, discipline and commitment to excellence that winning companies look for in their associates. They demonstrate tremendous accountability, and they’re hardworking and loyal. They’re problem solvers and understand that obstacles to an objective only make that objective more valuable. They’re passionate about winning and understand the value of teamwork in getting there. In short, these vets provide as much value for business as business does for them.

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The club that hosts the tournament, Augusta National, only allows men as members — no women. But now a woman is CEO of IBM, one of the club’s three big sponsors. So would Augusta National enter the 21st century bend its rules and invite IBM’s Virginia Rometty?

Apparently not.

Rometty wore a pink jacket to the tournament, not the green one that’s custom for club members.

Most everyone who should have the guts to take a stand on this issue — both the Augusta National Chairman and IBM — have remained mum to save face. Thankfully, other voices in the blogosphere have filled that void, saying what’s begging to be said: that it’s time for a change.

What do YOU think? How does this play into the career landscape for women?

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It’s easy to come off as a jerk on your own blog. Readers aren’t always able to interpret nuance in writing; with no body language, something the writer intends to be funny can wind up being insulting when put into print. Your readers can wind up thinking you’re anything from arrogant to just not particularly bright, depending on how you write about what you’re doing. That makes it crucial to think about how you come off in your blog.

Since most of us don’t have hours to invest in every single last blog post we write, though, that thought process has to be something that we can handle on top of everything else we do for our blogs.

These seven tips can help you keep control of how you sound in your blog while still managing to get other things done:

1. Don’t hit publish immediately

Many of us write up a post quickly and hit publish the moment all of the words fall into place. We know we’re supposed to try to get our posts edited, let them sit for a little while before we publish, but we don’t always let it happen.

Well, your tone of voice is one more reason to delay publishing. If you can get someone to read each of your posts before they go live, you can make sure that nothing rubs everyone the wrong way gets through. That can be enough to eliminate basic misunderstandings, more often than not.

2. Link to broader context

It’s not uncommon that a readership gets riled up by a post that seems to make some huge assumptions. You probably have some logic behind what you’re saying and if you can provide that context, along with a little research, you can reduce tensions.

You can also avoid accusations of being an expert without credentials if you can point to other people in your niche discussing similar issues. You can overdo citations, but it’s my experience that it’s better to come off as a know-it-all than someone just making things up to sound good. It doesn’t hurt that most people think of outbound links as a good thing.

3. Be open to discussion

One of the great things about blogging is that you can often get a great conversation about a particular issue going through comments and social media. You have to show that you’re open to such discussions, though, so make sure that you’re actually responding to comments where relevant and seeking out people to start discussions with on social media.

And please note that I said “discussions,” not “fights.” It’s easy to start a fight on the internet, but it takes skill to hold a discussion that doesn’t devolve.

4. Don’t go too far towards automation

Whether we’re talking about blogging or social media in general, there are plenty of ways to make your online efforts already automatic. Provided you write some blog posts in advance, you can schedule them to go out, go out to social media and generally get distributed without having to pay attention to the process.

But paying attention means that you’re involved. Readers can tell if the conversation about a particular topic evolves or if you’ve got a piece of software standing in for you. Despite the convenience, no software package can take your place as a blogger — at the very least, most people prefer arguing with another person over arguing with a computer.

5. Show your expertise, don’t tell about it

With the importance of blogging as a tool for self-promotion, it can be easy to go overboard in telling people about your credentials. But no matter how many times you justify a position with your resume, you’re not going to convince people. A well-researched, well-written blog post sharing expert-level information with a good conversation around it will actually go farther without the self-justification.

6. Don’t dismiss other opinions

A lot of bloggers write fairly opinionated pieces and that’s certainly not a problem. But because we’re talking about opinions and not facts carved in stone, you have to have a way to be sensitive to other people’s opinions. You’re probably not announcing that everyone else is wrong all the time, but you need to go more in depth. Focus on explaining, over converting.

7. Plan for when you’re wrong

Sometimes, I get something wrong. You may actually be infallible and always correct, but I’m not prepared to take that bet. So you need to have a plan in place so that if something you’ve blogged about turns out to be incorrect, or even that you simply change your mind on your own opinion, you can address it in a grown-up fashion.

Simply deleting posts rarely works out well, but if you can can bring the situation out into the open, you can make it a minor bump in the road.

Every writer has something different in her style. I’ve read plenty of bloggers who make being a jerk part of their style. It works for them and if you want to go that direction, feel free to ignore these tips. But it can be hard enough to get a point across clearly without distracting readers. If you can come across as a generally reasonable human being, your blog will be more effective in the long run.

Thursday Bram is the founder of Hyper Modern Writing and has literally written thousands of blog posts, hopefully not sounding like a jerk in most of them. You can find Thursday at her personal blog or on Twitter.

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Back in 2008, two college students had the big idea to create a reusable water bottle to fight the global water crisis.

Four years later, that idea is now an exciting and growing business – Hydros Bottle – with a full-time team and a U.S.-manufactured water bottle sold at Whole Foods. Each sale funds projects worldwide to make potable drinking water more accessible, both in remote rural and urban areas.

Aakash Mathur and Jay Parekh, two of the co-founders of Hydros Bottle, are examples of individuals who have taken a daunting challenge and presented a solution. But what makes them different is their ability to take an idea and turn it into a vibrant business — and one that can ultimately make an impact.

Unfortunately, our schools aren’t providing the tools we need for businesses like Hydros to spring up all over the place. Whether students are studying business, social work or history, they will want to have a job — or create a job — that has impact and meaning for their life. Entrepreneurs and young innovators will also need a framework to harness their talents toward ideas that affect our world. In the 21st century, innovation is the key to survival.

At ThinkImpact, we’ve made a business of helping aspiring entrepreneurs get real-world access and training to become social entrepreneurs: business-minded professionals who are eager to make a positive impact on their communities. We do this to generate big ideas and to innovate in new economies.

We teach three main concepts:

1. Take an Inventory of Your Resources

We take entrepreneurs into rural African villages to help local populations start thriving businesses. The first thing our young entrepreneurs do is make a list of available resources, including skills of local professionals, financial, environmental and other physical attributes. This helps them get oriented to find the best possible business opportunity they can sustain without outside help.

In a rural community in Kenya, a man named Juma worked with two ThinkImpact scholars, Silviano and Cindy, to develop a rainwater catchment building business. The idea emerged through understanding local resources and leveraging them to create opportunities in a place that seemed to have none. Today, Juma is the proud employer of two other workers as he sells his water systems to villagers in Kenya, and the business has 24 customers.

2. Be a Designer

Next, we teach entrepreneurs to practice “design-thinking” — a term we borrow from IDEO.org  – whereby entrepreneurs engage in research and brainstorming sessions that allow them to consider numerous ideas and solutions to social issues. We peel back layers of a problem to find the best root cause, then look for a specific, narrow way their business could fill that market gap. Then they can design a business around addressing that problem.

In South Africa, a team of locals joined two American students to ask the question: How might we increase access to nutrition in a rural area? That led to brainstorming about fertilizer, school lunch, the role of cows in society, and even peanuts. When all the layers of the problem were peeled back, an idea to create and market highly nutrient-enriched muffins was born, using local resources to develop a tasty local dessert — and one that improved nutrition!

3. Rapidly Prototype and Innovate

Through a process of iteration, we teach how products and services can become viable business options. Often the first prototype doesn’t work as planned, so we show entrepreneurs how to rapidly incorporate feedback from their initial plans and work with community members (or customers) on how to best proceed in the business sense, from writing a plan to accessing loans/seed capital.

Entrepreneurs learn to keep in mind the target audience or customer and listen carefully to feedback. After all, the customer (or population) should be at the heart of any successful social venture.

We doubt there’s such a thing as too much innovation when it comes to solving social problems — but even if there is, we’re pushing the limits until we find it.

Saul Garlick, Founder and CEO of ThinkImpact, has partnered with Brazen Careerist to offer a program that trains the next generation of social entrepreneurs. You can register or learn more about The Big Idea course by clicking here.

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The Dilemma

Let’s just say that you want it all and you’ll happily take it right now. However, I’m a firm believer that as entrepreneurs, we should accept “the process.” I’m keen on how important it is to take definitive steps. After all, a process is a series of actions or steps taken to achieve an end… Who knew?!

The fastest way to get what you want out of life and business is to ask for it. It must seem like a mundane concept, I know. But it works like a charm, most of the time.

In my personal experience, I’ve had issues with asking for help for two reasons: a) it made me feel vulnerable and b) I had a vague idea that successful people never ask for help. I was thankfully wrong on both accounts.

The quicker you master your fear, rooted in whatever misconceived notions you have about your abilities and your business, the faster your company will grow.

The Solution

I mastered my fear of asking for what I wanted by making a silent pact with myself. I would purposefully ask for something on a regular basis: if I needed a contact, I’d ask for it; if I needed a recommendation for a new dog groomer, I’d ask for that too. The point is: each day I was, and still am, learning to become comfortable with asking for what I want.

Research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggests that we grossly underestimate just how willing others are to help us out. I have to agree.

Successful people often take pleasure in helping, giving advice and revealing gems of insight. To that end, most ‘unsuccessful’ people would rather tell you to “bugger off” (in my slightly strained British vernacular). I don’t recommend that you consult with the latter anyway!

If you’re ready to catalyze your business take the following steps today:

1. Take inventory of your current business ideas and needs—make a list.
2. Consolidate your list by functional area (i.e. marketing, sales, customer service, etc.)
3. Brainstorm and develop a list of potential experts and associates in each area.
4. Create a concise email to introduce yourself, communicate your need and offer your support to help your new contact meet his or her goals. Don’t even think about receiving without giving.
5. Ask for a brief five-minute call. Give them an opportunity to graciously bow out.

This may seem contrived, but understand that it’s a numbers game. Don’t get caught up on who doesn’t respond, who says no and who won’t be your friend. In my stern yet sympathetic friend tone, “Cry a river, build a bridge and get over it.”

You should only be interested in developing partnerships with people who have the time to commit, understand the potential value and are ready to act. And if they aren’t a match, be gracious; ask them if they know of anyone who you should contact and move along. Not every opportunity is right for everyone at any given time — it’s not personal.

The Result

I’m convinced that some partnerships, deals and opportunities are simply meant to happen. There is someone literally praying that someone like you would miraculously fall from the sky to help them on their journey too. If you disagree, think back to the various stages of your business — you were likely one of them. We all were, are or will be.

The moment you develop the gumption to “show and tell” your vision and follow up to close the deal — asking for help — the whole world will promptly step aside. Why? For me it was simple, I knew where I was going and like Nancy Sinatra, “these boots were made for walking and that’s just what they’ll do.”

Instead of moping around your office, “back and forth, back and forth” in your Badgley Mischka stilettos or Born Airdam Mocs, “stop, think, and ask!” Who’s ready to help me today? More importantly, what are you willing to give along the way?

If you have a vision for your business, then it is your duty to bring it to fruition — period. What are you ready to ask for?

Erica Nicole is a serial entrepreneur, syndicated columnist, small business expert, national speaker, Christian thought leader and founder of the internationally acclaimed and award-winning small business news site, YFS Magazine: Young, Fabulous & Self-Employed. She is also a member of The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment and underemployment and provides its members with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a business’s development and growth.

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1. Tons of open jobs and not enough applicants.

2. You know you’re probably gonna land up with some gifts you don’t love this holiday season. Here are the regifting rules.

3. The most important website.

4. This writer describes the toughest job she ever had. It’s probably not what you think.

5. 10 key skills you’ll need for work in the future.

6. Agree with this list? The 10 biggest ideas of 2011.

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The post The 10 Biggest Ideas of 2011 #BrazenStuff 12.23.11 appeared first on Brazen Life.

Let’s face it, creative people can sometimes be a bit precious about what we create. When we start a project, we like to connect with our work, to have it filled with meaning and sense, and to indulge our muse or inspiration — rather than follow the directions of someone else.

Ah, the wonderful dream! The harsh reality though, is that unless you’re Tracey Emin or Mario Testino – creative people who can afford to dictate how they will work — then to operate as a business (oh such a dirty word), you have to think like one. This means the preciousness must die.

It’s one of the hardest things to learn when turning your creative streak into your career. When I started out as a freelance writer more than seven years ago, I wanted to write about the things that I wanted to write about. Why wouldn’t I? Writing was what I loved to do.

And then I hurt my butt when I bumped firmly back down to earth. It seemed that writing what I wanted to write wasn’t going to earn me money because, guess what? The editors who were paying me had specific editorial plans that they wanted to follow. How dare they!

But starvation wasn’t an option, so I learned how to turn my creative penchant for the written word into a career, and to think in a business-minded way. If you feel your creative side is not nurturing your bank account, then read on for my tips on how to lose the preciousness.

Become client-orientated

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes, and form the mind-set that you are providing a service. A good job done and positive client relationships will reward you with more juicy freelance work further down the line, whether from that same client or through word of mouth.

If you become known as “difficult to work with” because that creative temperament gets in the way, then you won’t get work going forward.

What the customer says, goes

Of course, you may tactfully advise your clients and question their briefs based on your experience, but if they’re paying, their word is final. The most difficult thing to learn as a freelancer is that you have to give your clients what they want, not what you want to produce.

Imagine if you were paying a decorator to paint your house and you’d asked for Ravishing Red, and they did it in Languishing Lilac because they thought it more fashionable? You’d not be a happy bunny.

Sell your work where you can

A painter that I know refuses to sell her work online or through sites such as Etsy, because she says that people can’t see and “feel it.” Does it really matter if they’re paying?

Unless you fully maximize the selling outlets available to you, then you’ll always play the role of struggling artist. Quite frankly, I’ll sell my ideas to whoever will accept, and have frequently “sold-out” by writing for newspapers that don’t match my political ideals (and I remember saying I’d never!).

Act like a business

If you’ve decide you want to turn your creativity into a career, then you have to behave like you’re earning your bread and butter. Get sensible business advice, be organized about your accounts, purchase quality business cards, attend networking events, and do all the other things that “proper” business people do. You might even consider wearing smart clothes at meetings.

Know you can still be unique

This is the bit you wanted to read isn’t it? The person commissioning your work has chosen you for a reason, and hopefully that isn’t just because you’re undercutting all your competitors and offering the cheapest price.

You’ve been commissioned because they like your work and your individual style and personality. While they want the work to meet their requirements, they still want your flair and talent to show though.

So, you get to be creative, after all.

Andrea Wren is a freelance journalist and travel writer. She blogs at Butterflyist.com, aiming to inspire people around the world to have the confidence to push their comfort zones. Find Andrea on Twitter via @thebutterflyist.

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The post How Creatives Can Think Like a Business and Lose the Preciousness appeared first on Brazen Life.

A lot of people I know follow these rules. Yet, they tell me they don’t feel like they’re winning. They are frustrated. They feel like they aren’t taking any steps forward in their career. They say they are underpaid. That’s not what you’d expect if you read mainstream career advice.  Main stream rules often suggest that following the rules gives you a shot at success.

Let’s be clear. If you follow the rules you just get to play. Winning is an entirely different story.

Being great at your job alone will NOT bring you more money

A friend I haven’t heard from in a while called me a few days ago. She complained about her job and how little it pays. Then she told me she is going to ask for a raise at her next performance review meeting.

I said: “Why do you think you deserve one?”

“Well, I achieved all last year’s objectives brilliantly and I haven’t got a raise in 2 years,” she said.

“That’s just why they pay you. But why should they pay you more?”

I find in the workplace there is quite a lot of misunderstandings. Doing your job well is what you’re paid for. You don’t deserve a raise or a promotion for that.

You deserve a raise for something that sets you apart from the others. And I’m afraid you’re not going to find that within the limits of your current role. Connect the dots outside your current role. Find something new. Involve somebody new.

Here’s what I do. I pretend I have two jobs. The first is the one I was hired for. Even though I perform well, it doesn’t count for a raise. Then I have a second one. In this job I talk to people who do not work directly with me. I see what they need, how I can help them achieving their goals and how they can help me achieving mine (or better, my manager’s). Then I come up with ideas that connect the dots and pitch them to my boss and any other person involved. That is my shot at success.

To give you an example, these days I’m trying a bunch of different marketing activities for my own blog. As soon as I find something that works great, I’ll start thinking how I can apply that to our marketing strategy at work. Maybe I’ll suggest the two best social media channels to reach our customers and what to do to set them up. This is when I connect the dots outside my job role. Once I believe the idea I have in mind is going to work, I’ll pitch it to all the marketing guys. That’s what’s going to set me apart from the others.

Initiate the change

Initiate. That is the one word you guys looking for a raise (or even a promotion) should always bear in mind. Because of the hierarchical way in which big companies are structured, they rarely see real initiative. Generally the work is very compartmentalized and not many go out of their way to make new things happen without precise instructions to do so. Those who do, catch people’s attention.

There are dozens of ways you can show initiative. Here is how you can start right now:

• Ask to have a cup of coffee with people who don’t work with you directly. Don’t ask for a meeting, people tend to take meetings more seriously and they show up with notebooks and laptops. This is an exploratory cup of coffee for general understanding. Meet people at different levels of the organization
• Explain what you do. Ask them about their objectives for the year. Understand whether you can help them achieving those
• Repeat with others
• See which partnership would be more beneficial to your manager
• Sell the idea to him/her

Take responsibility

Initiating something new requires you to take on responsibility. The corporate world is weird in this sense. You hear the word “responsibility” 50 times a day. People often think about responsibility in terms of the success of a certain project falling on you because somebody gave you power for making things happen. But if you think about it, that is not responsibility. That is authority. Someone gave you authority to make things happen.

If you want responsibility, you move first and ask for it. You say: “I have this idea that is going to benefit the whole business unit. I can make this happen today.” If you want a raise, show responsibility. Forget the authority for now. Once responsibility has been embraced, you will be free to ask for authority.

Think of your last year at work. What did you initiate? How did you sell your idea to your managers?

Alex Dogliotti is a corporate trainer and coach who has lots of fun helping people think like an entrepreneur. He blogs at Stuckaholic.

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Whether you’re sampling the latest double-fudge ewe-gooey brownie at the grocery store, previewing Jay-Z’s new CD on iTunes, or downloading a free chapter of Snooki’s book on Amazon (please don’t tell me you read Snook lit), we all like to test drive before we buy.

And while we love getting free sh*t, we aren’t always ecstatic about giving our hard work away. But I’m here to tell you that you should be! I’m also here to tell you why giving 50 percent of your work away for free is one of the smartest moves you’ll ever make, especially if you’re starting out.

One of the most effective ways to generate interest in you or your business is to give something away for free. Because everyone loves free sh*t! The objective here though is to give something of value to people you want to start a conversation with. For example, if you’re a web designer, offering a free website makeover is an opportunity to showcase your skills and to get people talking about your work. Encourage the world to sit up and take notice of you.

That all-important first nibble

Ever notice that people who have a product or service of value are happy to give you a trial run or a money-back guarantee? That’s because they’re confident that once you get a taste of what they’ve created, you’ll come back for more. It’s the classic “try before you buy” concept. You hook them with that nibble.

It’s sort of like a first-date kiss. (Well, minus the nibble unless you’re into that sort of thing.) The kiss should be good, but small. Just enough to make them want more, to convince them to say yes to a second date and keep the thought of you lingering. And just like you shouldn’t give it all away on a first date, you shouldn’t give it all away for free in business either, no more than 50 percent.

It’s true that if something costs money, people tend to value it more. That’s one reason why college degrees are worth more than reading a lot of books in the library. But I’m a firm believer that if you’re willing to invest in doing great work, people will eventually invest in you. And how do you get people to notice all the great work you have to offer? By giving 50 percent of your work away for free!

Think I’m preaching insanity? Worried you’ll be living in a van down by the river if you follow this advice? Then maybe this short story will change your mind…

A tale of two Ryans

Once upon a time there were two 20-something guys named Ryan. The two friends were fed up with the way their generation was stereotyped and decided to do something about it. So in March 2007, Ryan and Ryan took to the Internet and started a blog called Employee Evolution, a place for GenY to speak directly to corporate America.

Like most bloggers, they created content for free, asked others to contribute content for free, and gave it all away on the Internet for free.

A lot of hard work and no money to show for it. How could this “give it away for free” business model ever payoff?

Simple. It made people sit up and take notice.

And notice they did! Everyone nibbled. Soon Ryan and Ryan had interview requests from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and 60 Minutes. They also caught the eye of someone you may have heard of, Penelope Trunk.

Needless to say, the Ryans I speak of are none other than Brazen Careerist co-founders Ryan Healy and Ryan Paugh. Along with Penelope, the trio started the very site you’re reading now, Brazen Careerist.

What’s the moral of this story? Employee Evolution evolved into something greater because of free work. Ryan and Ryan’s careers both took off because of free work.

Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s sh*t

Getting people to sit up and take notice is the first step. And nothing does that better than offering free work to the world.

Just because you’re doing “free work” doesn’t mean you aren’t providing value. The payoff will come later and in ways you never expected.

So keep doing free work. As much free work as you can. Worry less about the lack of dough and focus more on how the work could grow.

David Stehle started a Network Security Consulting company by offering his nerdy expertise for free. You can find him on his blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten and on Twitter @davidstehle.

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The post Giving It Away On a First Date and in Business appeared first on Brazen Life.

Something I’ve noticed — especially among women — is that we often get stuck when trying to grow our practice; not for lack of knowledge, but simply lack of confidence. We get stuck because we’re holding a subconscious belief that we shouldn’t be charging for something that we love doing so much we’d do it for free. Other times procrastinate on starting that Big Project due to a fear of failure.

While women have great entrepreneurial potential, we often fall into various “mind traps”  that sabotage our businesses and keep us doing what we need to do to achieve our full financial potential.

Here are six mind traps to watch out for:

1. You’re not selling

Most women hate selling with a passion. We’d rather make friends with people and have them turn into customers organically. As a result, we often find it difficult to put ourselves out there and market our businesses and ask for sales.

2. You’re not charging enough

Women often have a hard time asking for what we’re worth. According to research by negotiation expert Linda Babcock, women are two-and-a-half times more likely than men to feel “a great deal of apprehension” about negotiating. This is very common in salary negotiation and also shows up in how we price our expertise, services or products.

3. You’re not charging at all

When you’re starting out as a consultant, it can be easy to fall into the mindset that you have to offer your services pro-bono or at a deep discount to get some experience or encourage word of mouth marketing. The problem with that is if you provide too much value to your customers for free, they won’t want to pay you when you start charging for it.

4. You shy away from the press

True story: Last year, a local reporter emailed me, asking me to meet him at the television studio in two hours for a story about Generation Y. I’m an extreme introvert, so the idea of getting on camera initially scared me, but I knew the exposure would be good for my business. As a result of the TV segment, I began seeing an uptick in my speaking income from groups who wanted to better understand the Gen-Y demographic. Unfortunately, many women shy away from press opportunities like this, not realizing what an impact it can have on their bottom line.

5. You’re afraid of social media

While women dominate many social networks online, we don’t use the tools as much as we could to promote our businesses and engage with potential customers. If you’re already on Twitter and Facebook, you might tend to use it for personal use rather than as a marketing tool because you’re afraid people will unfollow or unfriend you. But social media offers an enormous opportunity for marketing your business. The sooner you take advantage of it, the more income you can bring in. Fun fact: 99 percent of my business comes through my blog and Twitter!

6. You’re choosing money over passion

When I started my consulting business, many people advised against it because of the economy; they said I should pick something more stable. Instead, I chose the rather unpredictable path of earning a living from helping others.  But guess what? I’m loving every minute of it, and this passion helps me stay motivated through the rough patches. When you prioritize your passion, it can keep you from starting a business doing something you hate just so you can make money. And the sweet irony is that when you do what you love, the money follows.

If you’re not making any money in your consulting business right now (or not making as much as you want to), don’t agonize over it — you’re not alone. Ask yourself if you’re stuck in any of these six mind traps and what one small step can you take today to overcome it?

Note from Brazen Editors: Do you think this affects young female entrepreneurs more than their male counterparts? Why or why not?

Rosetta Thurman is a keynote speaker, author, consultant and coach who helps nonprofit leaders and passionate entrepreneurs change the world. Find out more about her business coaching services at http://thurmanconsulting.org.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (Y.E.C.) is an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The Y.E.C promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment and underemployment and provides its members with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a business’s development and growth.

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For whatever reason, I freak out that everyone knows each other and no one wants me there, so I hide in a corner and make a grand total of zero new contacts. Regardless of the fact that most other people also hate these events, I still find ways to avoid them.

Problem is, we all know if you want to go anywhere with your career you need to know people. The solution for shy people like yours truly? Grow some balls.

Turns out the difficulty isn’t usually the conversation, but getting the conversation started. So here are some ways to work your way into the crowd and triumphantly come out with a pile of business cards you may or may not throw out later:

Find a break in the clumps

If you’ve ever been one of the lucky few who finds themselves in a clump of chatty people, you’ve probably experienced this phenomenon: You’re in the Clump, talking about health care or whatever and you notice a Lurker, someone who’s found a hole in the clump and is awkwardly trying to join the conversation.

Be that lurker

Thing is, no one actually minds the lurker! It’s not like you’re high schoolers gossiping about Tammi’s new haircut. These folks are all here to network and those lurkers have the right idea.

So if you arrive at an event and notice everyone’s already in little circles making friends, find a break in the groups. Listen for a bit, then chime in with your own story. It will be like you’d been there all along — and I pinky-promise no one will mind.

Find the Loner

I’m better networking one-on-one than trying to charm a group of people, so the trick is to look for the person who looks the way you feel – someone desperately clutching a glass of wine in one hand and pretending to text in the other. Yes, pretending. (I’ve gone so far as pretend to take a phone call.)

Waltz on up to them and FAKE. IT. Act like that charming person who rocks up and makes friends immediately. Say, “Hi, my name’s Francois. How are you getting on?” or even, “What are you doing all alone over here?”

Tell it like it is

While people may look at you weird, it often pays to be really honest in these situations. Sometimes I’ll push my way into a clump and say, “I know absolutely no one here and was standing awkwardly in the corner pretending to text. Will you guys make me look like I have some sort of a social life?”

Doing this successfully not only gives you the confidence to do it again, it helps you realize everyone can relate.

Head to the punch bowl

People usually head to the food and drink area alone, making this the perfect time to laugh with the person next to you about the cheap wine or vegetarian options. So if you’re really lonely, head over the food area often. Just make sure you don’t refill your wine glass every time. (Though, if you do, you might be infinitely better at making new friends.)

Offer your help

Occasionally I’ve arrived early to events and offered to help set up. Doing this can make you feel like you have a purpose other than standing around, and the organizers will get to know you, meaning you have someone to talk to later.

But be wary of getting roped into helping with the whole event. Surprisingly, attendees may see you as “the help” and not make an effort to get to know you. (I was once asked to film a speaker and ended up working the whole night.)

These tricks have seriously helped me be less of a whiny bitch and more of superstar. And by “superstar,” I mean “not a huge embarrassment.”

What can you add to this? Any advice for those of us who still cringe at the thought of networking events?

Marian Schembari is a blogger, traveler and all-around social media thug. She’s based in Auckland, New Zealand, hails from Connecticut and blogs at marianlibrarian.com.

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The post How to Grow Some Balls at Your Next Networking Event appeared first on Brazen Life.

In fact, as soon as  you identified your “dream industry,” you excitedly shared your plans with the world. Your ambitions were a status symbol to let people know you were headed somewhere.

Then graduation came. There were few jobs available and even fewer offers for you. Panic-stricken, you networked as much as you could and made use of all the career resources you could find.

Then there was that night when you returned from a little too much “networking” at the Pour House.  You plopped yourself in front of the computer and proceeded to spend the next several hours staring bleary-eyed at online job boards swearing you had at least seven out of 10 qualifications to be a temporary administrative research assistant on the mid-morning shift.

Surely you had amounted to enough on your own not to have to limp back into mom and pop’s shop, right?

Listen guys: if you are contemplating moving back home to work alongside a parent, relative, or family friend at their small business, you actually have an opportunity to start your career out the best way possible.  It might feel like you’re throwing in the towel, but in reality, you’ve been handed an amazing  opportunity. And this is doubly true for those of you whose career ambitions are entirely different from the family business you have an opportunity to work with.

Here’s what I mean. Suppose you have always wanted to work for the environment. You send away applications for the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, etc. No dice. Your aunt offers you a job at her fashion merchandising store specializing in elaborate gowns. You need the money and experience; she could use your youthful energy and fresh perspective. You decide to focus your efforts toward purchasing clothing lines made of recycled, biodegradable fabric, engage your co-workers on philanthropic activities that support your cause, and buy your textiles locally to reduce your company’s carbon footprint.

Had you have gotten an offer from major employers, you would have a specific role and probably wouldn’t be able to innovate that much. But given the circumstances, you improvised. You now have an accomplishment, perhaps even a niche enterprise. You were able to do this not only because of your closeness to the boss, but because small businesses require generalists who see the big picture; these firms have less capital to fill their payroll with functionaries who do not see outside of their areas of specialization.

I graduated with a degree in political science two years ago from a school in Washington, D.C. A consummate news junkie, I had hoped to start a career in public affairs. After a part-time service job ended and zero callbacks from the organizations I had hoped to join, I decided to pack it in and move back to join the family business in Brooklyn, New York. Our company, which my late grandfather founded with his wife and three sons in his garage 30 years ago, distributes bolts, nuts, and other building materials to contractors who work on jobs ranging from home improvement to building the new World Trade Center.

My tenure at Tanner Fasteners and Industrial Supplies  has lasted a little over a year so far, and I am gaining a holistic education about how a business works, from buying and selling to resolving conflicts between departments. I also took the opportunity to showcase our company at PV America in Philadelphia, one of the nation’s largest renewable energy trade shows. There’s no way I’d be doing stuff like this at this point in my career if things had gone differently.

Was I sitting in class dreaming about power tools and metal framings while my professors talked about peak oil or their experience at the State Department? Not quite. But I have learned that if you are willing to switch up your career goals and try things out with the family business, you can open yourself to a greater breadth of experience and look at the world and your plans to impact it in a very different light.

Adam Tannenbaum studied politics at The George Washington University. He is in sales in his family’s building materials business and is focusing on developing business in the clean energy industry. His career transition was recently chronicled on AOL News. You can connect with him on Twitter.

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The post Entry-Level Hack: Jump into the Family Business appeared first on Brazen Life.

Projects take longer than they should.

Teamwork dissolves.

Frustrations mount.

Business gets personal.

And, ultimately, no one wins in the end.

So now that our reps have given us an example of what NOT to do – bravo, people! – here are a few things to keep in mind when you need to find the middle ground on a team without an act of Congress.

1. Comprise, by nature, isn’t a zero-sum game. In other words, you’ll go a lot further if you take a we’re-all-in-this-together approach versus dividing your group into phony camps based on their position.

As we’ve seen, pitting people against each other who are ultimately on the same side is cancerous to effective negotiation. The very first thing you should do when trying to obtain a compromise is to reinforce the fact that no one is going to “lose.” Not everyone will get exactly what they want, but no one will walk away empty-handed.

2. Focus on mutual purpose. After you’ve got the team thinking less black and more grey, it’s time to discover your collective North Star. So before you dive into the potentially controversial minutia, zoom out and really spend some quality time discovering broad stroke items the group can agree on. Then, once you have written agreement on what the finish line looks like, post it on the wall (or online) where everyone can see it.

Moving forward, this document will become your guide point, making group decision-making a lot easier. All you’ll have to do is ask, “Does this idea get us closer to X?” If it does, it stays on the table. If it doesn’t, the group can vote it down.

3. Respect the process, even when you disagree with the person. The surest way to kill a negotiation is to challenge the credibility or dignity of anyone who disagrees with you. If you want to get nowhere – fast – be sure to employ this tactic freely. (There are plenty of examples to choose from.) On the other hand, if you’re interested in actually moving forward, you have to keep your emotions in check by consciously maintaining soft language and tone, focusing on facts versus opinion, genuinely seeking to understand opposing viewpoints, and l-i-s-t-e-n-i-n-g as much as (if not more than) you talk.

Obviously, this doesn’t come as naturally as, say, blurting out what we think as soon as it comes to us, but a respectful environment is as critical to compromise as the very air we breathe. So when you notice the tone of your meeting falling (even slightly) into contention, stop immediately and see No. 2.

4. Know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. In advance of any negotiation, prepare a list of steadfast items (areas where you’re less willing to compromise) and flexible items (areas where you’re more willing to concede). This doesn’t have to be a lengthy exercise, but it must be done prior to any discussions so you’re less likely to make decisions on the spot. Also, as you’re crafting these lists, really spend some time thinking about the merits of your steadfast items so you will be prepared to defend them if needed.

You want to keep the list private so as not to “show your hand” during the negotiations, but don’t be afraid to refer to it often in the meetings. Finally, don’t get too hung up if you lose some of the items on your steadfast list. The only thing you should consider 100 percent non-negotiable are ethical matters. Other than that, everything is on the table.

We all know compromise isn’t easy (if it was, everyone would do it) but that doesn’t mean it has to be as hard as we make it sometimes.

So whether it’s the state of the economy or the state of your project, when everyone contributes with an open mind and constructive dialogue, you’re in a much better position to make savvy decisions, ultimately leading to smart actions. And that’s something I think we can all agree on.

Emily Bennington is coauthor of “Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job,” a business book for new grads. She can be reached online at www.ProfessionalStudio365.com or on Twitter @EmilyBennington.

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The post What Happened to Compromise? appeared first on Brazen Life.

“	@BrazenCareerist Hurts!
	sfleegel August 16, 2011

“	@BrazenCareerist Hurts more than helps. You want to be friendly and approachable, but “chatterbox” reads as “disruptive.”
	kristahiner August 16, 2011

“	@BrazenCareerist Chatterbox = hurts. Good communicator = helps!
	GenYCoach August 16, 2011

“	@BrazenCareerist I think it depends on your field/industry.
	SaraLanePR August 16, 2011

“	@BrazenCareerist Exactly! I’m in the PR and Marketing industry so it’s pretty much expected of us to be chatty!
	SaraLanePR August 16, 2011

Good question…

 

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]]> http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/08/16/is-it-bad-to-be-known-as-the-office-chatterbox/feed/ 6 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/07/25/millennials-the-can%e2%80%99t-think-for-ourselves-generation/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=millennials-the-can%25e2%2580%2599t-think-for-ourselves-generation http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/07/25/millennials-the-can%e2%80%99t-think-for-ourselves-generation/#comments Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:35:31 +0000 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/?p=2401 A recent poll found that most Millennials like to ask their friends before choosing a restaurant. That's a good way to find the best pizza in your hood, but we shouldn't let this mentality affect our approach in the office.

The post Millennials: Stop Cruising for a ‘Like’ on the Job appeared first on Brazen Life.

]]> AdAge, a popular marketing magazine, recently unveiled a poll about Millennials and our ability to make decisions.  The most notable finding: 68% of us ask friends before choosing a restaurant.

No big deal, right?  It only makes sense to seek the opinions of our peers before spending an evening — and our money — at a new, trendy dinner spot.  And in the larger landscape of Yelp, daily deal websites and now Google’s ‘+1’ feature, a group mentality for selecting the next dining locale has become standard fare.

But what about the even larger landscape?  Group decision-making helps avoid bad table service or lackluster surf ‘n turf, but a pack mentality has its limits.  Will such reliance on the food we eat hinder our ability to make bigger choices and ultimately hurt us professionally?

In business, the right move isn’t always the most popular one.  Leadership takes vision, boldness and a streak of independence.  Sometimes it’s not sound practice to ask everyone’s opinion before making a big decision.  If you are in a position of authority, you get paid to take risks and chart a course for the rest of the office.

I am not advocating we should dwell in isolation in an office and make rash decisions without warning.  But we can’t always depend on our peers to tell us ‘yes’ or ‘no.’  Use the facts and figures on the table, listen to those you respect, and then…

Trust yourself to do what you think is best.

Face it.  Our economy is in shambles, and when we assume the reigns at our various companies, we will face difficult challenges: having to freeze wages, let people go and pare down a budget.  And when it comes to managing a budget, everyone’s got an opinion (see: Capitol Hill all day, every day). But there’s no Google ‘+1’ or ‘like’ button for the best way to cut costs.  Should we seek the counsel of those we respect?  Absolutely.  But in the end, the decision may be ours and ours alone.  No help from Yelp or anywhere else.

Lost in a world of GPS, smartphones and online peer reviews is that we can be quite resourceful and discerning on our own.  The web frees us from the burden of having to choose based on our gut instinct.   But offline, in the real world, we Millennials can and should think for ourselves.

It might not always fetch the best BBQ ribs in town, but it will show toughness and individuality on the job, where it matters most.

Danny Rubin is a member of the Brazen Contributor Network.

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]]> http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/07/25/millennials-the-can%e2%80%99t-think-for-ourselves-generation/feed/ 18 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/07/08/a-how-to-guide-for-climbing-the-corporate-ladder-book-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-how-to-guide-for-climbing-the-corporate-ladder-book-review http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/07/08/a-how-to-guide-for-climbing-the-corporate-ladder-book-review/#comments Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:00:46 +0000 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/?p=2130 "From Graduation to Corporation: The Practical Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder One Rung at a Time" will help you get inside the minds of your older coworkers and use that to your advantage.

The post A How-To Guide for Climbing the Corporate Ladder [BOOK REVIEW] appeared first on Brazen Life.

]]> We know hindsight is 20/20 and that we all would have appreciated having sage advice about how to avoid obstacles as we made the transition from school into work. But would we have really listened? Or being the hotshots we are, figured, “Hey, that’s not going to happen to me.”

You never think it’s going to happen to you, and yet it does.

I get the feeling that author and lecturer Andy Teach felt the same way when he went from being an anti-corporate student to being a prominent leader and corporate businessman. Suddenly you embrace the person you never thought you’d become.

Teach’s book, the recently released second edition of “From Graduation to Corporation: The Practical Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder One Rung at a Time,” will help you get inside the minds of your older coworkers and provides a glimpse of how bosses view the Millennial generation. He breaks the book down into quick-reference sections like, “Why a Career is So Important,” “At the End of the Day, Don’t Just Get Up and Leave,” “Dating a Co-Worker,” and “Life Isn’t Fair, So Don’t Expect Work to be Either.” Through his advice and examples, he’s using this book not only as a tool to help younger workers overcome generational divisions, but as a working guide you’ll continue to check when you need advice about the next corporate rung.

If this book is targeted specifically for the Millennial generation, I had to ask: What are some of the strengths Millennials add to the corporate world? “Your generation is well-educated, goal-oriented, and optimistic,” Teach said in our interview. “These are attributes important for success, not just in the corporate world. You are known for being team players, and supervisors really look for that. If Millennials can request working on a team to demonstrate these skills, they can use that to their advantage.”

Alright, what about the blind spots? “Young employees are not sure how to act when they get constructive criticism. When they do get criticized, they take it personally because they’re not used to it. Since you’re known as the ‘Trophy Generation’ (for getting constant praise and all those participation trophies), you’re overly personal with the feedback, and that’s not the reaction you want to have.” Essentially, while we all claim to want feedback, we need the bad even when we really only want the good. We need to react professionally because the criticism isn’t personal.

Some of the other blind spots shouldn’t be there, but it’s almost as if we’re ignoring them: spending too much time on the cell or Internet at work for personal reasons. “You need to know your Internet usage is being tracked, and that the company knows exactly what you’re doing. Just because they haven’t said anything to you about it, doesn’t mean people above you aren’t using that information to make decisions.”

“With privacy settings always changing, assume your boss can see your profiles. If you have Facebook ‘friends’ posting pictures and expletives on your Wall, you might want to consider asking them to stop or unfriending them. Those funny moments hurt your career, not theirs,” Teach advises.

As someone who has explored being pro-corporate and understanding sometimes you just want structure, I can identify with Teach wanting to share ways we can make the most out of our careers. Remember, Google may have been a start-up, but it’s a pretty huge corporation now. We could find ourselves making the same transition. “I think the word ‘corporate’ is considered scary for Millennials. It’s as if the word is telling you that your career will be out of your hands. However, if you do take control and enjoy what you do, it isn’t work. That can happen in a variety of settings, even a corporate one.”

In the spirit of helping you start your own transition, Teach provides four steps a young employee can actively take to get over the first-job hurdles:

1. Go with the flow, at least at the beginning of your career. “If you get in a job, and right away start complaining, you’re alienating yourself from your team and supervisors,” he said. “Get to know people first, then understand some of the politics. If you spend time developing a strong work reputation, then later, people will listen to your feedback.”
2. Ask questions, listen to the answers. “If you think about it, the person in power is the one asking the questions. However, you can’t learn anything if you aren’t actually listening to the answers.”
3. Initiate. “In the working world, 90% of people execute, but only 10% initiate. Is is this 10% who move up the ladder fastest. Those initiating are the people doing things above and beyond, anticipating needs and changes. For example, Millennials are the go-to people for technology. Embrace those teaching moments with your peers and supervisors because you are trusted in that ‘go-to’ role. It could be what makes you stand out and a keeper if your organization has to make changes or layoffs.”
4. Patience. “I have had interns commit to a six-month position, only to quit two months later with two days’ notice for a ‘dream’ job. They get fired from that, and the result is no dream job and no recommendation from me. If you move up too quickly, you go from being a qualified promotion candidate to under-qualified, and it’s difficult to start from behind. Be patient, you’re not going to fall into your dream job right away, but do your research, and maybe you’ll find a company where you’ll want to stay a while.”

A notable component of the book is that Teach shares a lot of his own personal mishaps and bad moments. “I really think my own personal stories drive home the main points and learnings to be taken away from the book,” he said. “These, ‘I wish I knew then’ moments provide validation for me when I get up in front of audiences and speak. I’ve been in their shoes, and I can admit that.”

Emily Jasper is a member of the Brazen Contributor Network.

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The post A How-To Guide for Climbing the Corporate Ladder [BOOK REVIEW] appeared first on Brazen Life.

]]> http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/07/08/a-how-to-guide-for-climbing-the-corporate-ladder-book-review/feed/ 2 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/07/05/government-contracting-101/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=government-contracting-101 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/07/05/government-contracting-101/#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2011 20:11:23 +0000 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/?p=2042 What do government contracting jobs really involve? Elliot Volkman, community manager of GovWin, outlines the basics.

The post Government Contracting 101 appeared first on Brazen Life.

]]> When I tell people I work in government contracting, the response usually comes in the form of a question.

‘What exactly do you do?’ or ‘Does that mean you have top secret security clearance?’ are some of the common things I get asked.

There are also many misconceptions about the work environments. When people hear about government contracting, they often assume:

• Positions are always short-term
• Security clearances are always required
• The application process will take months
• Dress codes are strict and you always have to wear a tie

That last misconception may be a requirement when meeting with federal customers, but when it comes to government contracting, the task orders you work on are not always short term, and many positions do not require security clearances.

The process of getting a job with a contracting company often takes the same amount of time as it does with any other company; however, security and background checks can cause delays in the hiring process.

The stuff I wish I knew when I started

Apart from answering questions from others, when I first started working in government contracting (I focused on task order contracts, but there are lots of different types of contracts out there), I had many questions of my own. It’s a broad field, and I wasn’t clear on the scope of the work.

But really, a government contract is just what it sounds like. Your company places a bid on a government opportunity after a process of capture management, business development and internal audits to ensure it can complete the task. If the company wins the contract, contractors begin working on contract execution or task orders depending on the contract type.

Once your company has won the award, you will have a solid timeline of how long your company has to fulfill the contract, but this doesn’t mean that employees will be left behind at the recompetition of a contract — even if the same company doesn’t win it again. Contractors can often transfer to a new contract regardless of which company wins it, and this is where networking becomes crucial.

Effective networking can help you get the contracts you want

Networking will help you continue on with the project or find opportunities in other areas of government contracting. Whether you network at a job fair, a contracting teaming event or when representing your company as a potential contractor with federal agencies, it is important to keep communication flowing.

In a recent article, “Get An Insider’s Look at Relationship Building and Past Performance,” Victor Holt, president of V-Tech Solutions, and Jay McCargo, president of ARServices, outlined a process to make the most out of networking events:

1. Go home and mine the business cards you collected. See what relationships you have with that company, or research the company to find possible points of interested on which to build a relationship.
2. Follow up. Don’t just say “Hey, nice meeting you.” Instead, see if there’s something you can glean from them to trigger another conversation, whether over the phone or face to face.
3. If this is a person you might reach out to later, send an email. If it’s someone with whom you want a more active relationship, send a handwritten note.
4. If possible, provide the person with something of value. If you have information you can get to someone who’s looking for it, get it to them quickly.

Though contracting jobs are often noted to be in the Washington, D.C., area, companies all over the world are often seeking employees. That is why sites like GovWin and others can be useful resources for finding jobs and teaming opportunities with other contracting companies if you can’t meet in person.

Still have more questions or interested in connecting with other government contracting professionals? Join us for an online networking event next week to discuss best practices, the importance of having an elevator pitch, challenges facing federal and government contracting employees and more.

Elliot Volkman is the community manager of GovWin, a Deltek network that helps government contractors win new business every day. He can be reached at elliotvolkman@deltek.com or follow him on Twitter @thejournalizer.

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]]> http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/07/05/government-contracting-101/feed/ 12 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/28/the-best-way-to-grow-in-a-job-embrace-the-unfamiliar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-best-way-to-grow-in-a-job-embrace-the-unfamiliar http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/28/the-best-way-to-grow-in-a-job-embrace-the-unfamiliar/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:00:37 +0000 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/?p=1910 Your boss hands you a task you have never done before, and your mind begins to race. These brief and unexpected moments of panic place us squarely at the crossroads of stagnation and development. It's a good thing.

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]]> Admit it.  You’ve done this too.

Your boss hands you a task you have never done before, and your mind begins to race.  ‘I have no clue how to do this. Why would they stick me with a job I can’t handle? How am I going to get this done?‘

These brief and unexpected moments of panic place us squarely at the crossroads of stagnation and development.  You can easily tell your boss, “Sorry, I don’t know how to do that.” Or you can take the professional road less-traveled, trusting your instincts, current skillset and the belief that somehow you will get it done.

The second strategy sure is working for many 20-somethings on Capitol Hill as was made clear in a recent National Journal article from the publication’s “Hill People” issue, which includes data and profiles of high-level Congressional staffers.

Take, for instance, Katie Grant, a 28-year-old communications director for the House Minority Whip, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).  Do you think Katie has that job – at that age – by shirking from new and potentially unnerving opportunities? No way.

To climb the ladder at any organization, we (young folk) have to be willing to step outside of what is comfortable and just go for it.  There is no possible way we have the knowledge base in our 20s to do any and all tasks effortlessly.  But the savvy among us know something just as valuable: your experience thus far combined with the ability to learn as you go will almost always lead to success.

Recently at my own job, I was handed a task that, at first, I thought I couldn’t do.  My boss asked me to write a consulting “white paper” for a client.  I didn’t know what a white paper was much less what goes into it.  But my answer was simple: “Sure, I can handle that.”

After we finished our conversation, I went to work… learning about white papers and how to write them.  I found some examples online and determined what mine should look like.  Then I leaned on my writing and research skills to put it together. A week later, the job was finished, and I presented the white paper to my appreciative boss. Mission accomplished. At the jump, I kinda panicked.  I really had no idea what to do.  But once my nerves settled, I began to think strategically about how to tackle the project.  I already had the necessary skills to write a white paper. I just needed to think it through, take my time and trust myself.

Our generation is smart, capable and unparalleled in our ability to learn quickly.  You might even amaze yourself by taking on a project that once seemed scary and unfamiliar. Plus, you will impress your higher-ups, and the next time they will hopefully give you larger responsibilities (i.e. Katie Grant).

At our age, respect in the workplace is earned, and proving yourself to a superior is a great way to build a reputation. The only sure guarantee of failure?
Saying ‘No, I can’t’ right from the start.

Danny Rubin is a member of the Brazen Contributor Network.

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]]> http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/28/the-best-way-to-grow-in-a-job-embrace-the-unfamiliar/feed/ 10 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/23/how-young-professional-organizations-can-aid-professional-success-interview/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-young-professional-organizations-can-aid-professional-success-interview http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/23/how-young-professional-organizations-can-aid-professional-success-interview/#comments Thu, 23 Jun 2011 17:25:15 +0000 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/?p=1826 You might have seen Brazen’s upcoming networking event for young professional organizations. But maybe you’re unclear on what these organizations are about and how they can help you professionally. To find out more, I talked to Molly Foley of Madison, Wisc.-based Next Generation Consulting. Molly shared details about what young professional organizations do and how […]

The post How Young Professional Organizations Can Aid Professional Success [Interview] appeared first on Brazen Life.

]]> You might have seen Brazen’s upcoming networking event for young professional organizations. But maybe you’re unclear on what these organizations are about and how they can help you professionally.

To find out more, I talked to Molly Foley of Madison, Wisc.-based Next Generation Consulting. Molly shared details about what young professional organizations do and how they can help your professional development.

Jaclyn Schiff: In short, what does Next Generation Consulting do?

Molly Foley: We’re a small market research firm, founded in 1998 by Rebecca Ryan. Our purpose is to leave the world a better place for the next generation and our niche is in bridging generational gaps and helping cities and companies create cultures that attract, retain, and engage young, educated talent.

JS: That’s neat! What is one of the most interesting findings from your research on young professionals?

MF: In terms of the workforce, “life-work balance” has different meanings for everybody and older generations need to better understand younger workers’ definition of “l/w-b” is more defined as having flexibility in how, when, and where they get their work done. It is less defined as the number of hours they want to work, which is what older workers tend to assume.

JS: So what exactly is a young professional organization (YP Org)?

MF: YP Orgs are organizations in communities that target the “under 40″ demographic and typically offer a customized, locally relevant blend of offerings, such as: social activities, civic projects, philanthropic efforts, political advocacy, volunteerism, and professional development.

YP Orgs play a key role in attracting and retaining a city’s younger workforce.  As “brain drain” becomes a critical issue in communities across North America, YP Orgs help their communities engage and retain talent by giving them a dynamic forum of their peers, committed to making a difference in their communities. There is no “recipe” for a YP Org.  Each city is different and YPs have broad interests and passions.

Molly Foley of Next Generation Consulting

JS: Okay, sounds interesting. How do you find YP Orgs near you?

MF: The best way to find local YP Orgs is to ask your peers or do a simple Google search for the name of your city and “young professional.”  Many communities have more than one kind of YP Org with different focuses. You can also check with your local Chamber of Commerce as many are affiliated with Chambers.

Next Generation Consulting also offers an online directory of more than 300 YP Orgs throughout North America. Click here to see if your state/city is listed. If you don’t see a listing but are aware of a YP Org in your community encourage them to post their information.

JS: There are so many things to get involved with outside of work. What are some of the benefits of joining these groups?

MF: Young professionals should take advantage of these groups in their communities for a few reasons: 1. Many offer great community engagement and development opportunities; 2. Networking options – developing strong relationships early on in ones career can help catapult success; and 3. We need stronger YP voices in our cities and YP organizations can help foster this advocacy.

JS: Do you have a favorite YP Org?

MF: Well, I have to be a little biased to the organization I helped develop, The Network, in the Quad Cities region (Iowa/Illinois). FUEL Milwaukee is another favorite group of mine because they really paved the way for this YP “movement” in many ways. FUEL was very lucky to gain community and business support early on, something many YP Orgs struggle with year after year.

JS: I hear that there’s a good opportunity for those who are already involved with YP Orgs. What’s the deal with that?

MF: The Next Leaders initiative was started to bring together leaders of the “YP movement”. Those emerging leaders and change agents who are passionate about building better places to live and work for the next generation. The primary goal of Next Leaders is to outfit YP organizations with the resources and tools they need to grow and engage their local young professionals.

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]]> http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/23/how-young-professional-organizations-can-aid-professional-success-interview/feed/ 13 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/21/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-working-with-a-career-coach/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-get-the-most-out-of-working-with-a-career-coach http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/21/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-working-with-a-career-coach/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 09:00:19 +0000 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/?p=1782 I had just been overlooked for a promotion I really worked my tail off to get. I was pulling 60-70 hour work weeks (salaried too, ouch). I was up to my eyeballs in work, while hitting my deliverables out of the park in every aspect. I even had a glowing recommendation from my boss. But […]

The post How to Get the Most Out of Working With a Career Coach appeared first on Brazen Life.

]]> I had just been overlooked for a promotion I really worked my tail off to get. I was pulling 60-70 hour work weeks (salaried too, ouch). I was up to my eyeballs in work, while hitting my deliverables out of the park in every aspect. I even had a glowing recommendation from my boss.

But I never got an interview. I didn’t even get a meeting with anyone to tell me I wasn’t being considered. I got a rejection email.

Needless to say, I was pissed. Indignant and on a mission to really understand what I was missing, I hired a career coach. I thought for sure that a coach could tell me what I was doing wrong. Was I too ambitious? With all those extra hours I was working, was I enabling an overworked/under-recognized pattern? Maybe I just smell like corn chips or something.

I discovered Coach Jennie at a Network Roulette event here at Brazen Careerist. Jennie is spunky, audacious and a driver of awesomeness for folks. She spoke my big, loud language and I was convinced she was the coach for me (side note: check out the “Ask a Coach” group to identify more awesome coaches).

But Jennie was also 700 miles away. I was certainly more than a little skeptical about giving money to someone who knew nothing about me, the company I worked for or my industry. Additionally, I seriously questioned whether or not a remote coach could help me. An hour on the phone with a stranger once or twice a month was supposed to change my world? It seemed like a big iffy risk with money I shouldn’t spend.

But I set my doubts aside and decided to just go for it. I jumped in head first, and it has paid off in a huge way. In a few short months, I went from being desperate for a promotion among a sea of cubicles to creating my own promotional materials in anticipation of launching my own business in the fall.

You can gain similar benefits from a career coach if you take the necessary steps. Here are some guidelines for how you can get the most out of working with a career coach:

1) Pick the right coach

Personal dynamics are so important in a coaching relationship. Some career coaches are nurturing and like to give a lot of affirmations. Some coaches are data-driven and pragmatic. Some subscribe to the tough love philosophy while others provide a more spiritual angle. Mine doesn’t allow excuses or the words “I don’t know” during sessions, which suited me perfectly. Pick a coach that complements your own communication style. Strike up a conversation with the coach via email and you should be able to determine whether the two of you are a good match or not. Don’t settle for a coach that doesn’t fit.

2) Always answer honestly

You’re paying a coach to help you so you better be giving them the tools they need to do so. Fudging the truth and holding back are just going to postpone your ability to succeed with a coach. Coaches gauge their approach to working with you based solely on what you tell them and what they can infer from those stories. If everything is out there on the table, they’ll have the tools they need to get you moving where you want to go.

3) Do the work

If your coach wants you to write down all your strengths and weaknesses, take the time to do it and do it well. Just like homework in school, if you wait until the last minute and deliver weak answers on the spot the next day, you’re only cheating yourself out of the learning experience. You’re paying a professional to help you – trust that he or she will know what you need to learn about yourself and do the work that is asked of you (no matter how bizarre or goofy it may sound). It helps you to learn about yourself and helps your coach know where to lead you next.

4) Leave your self-doubt and skepticism at the door

Negativity can serve as a protective shield against the scary stuff of life, but it’s not helpful in the coaching environment. Upon suggestion that I start my own business, I once told my coach that entrepreneurship is “just not for me” and explained that the inherent risks of going it alone were just not in my life plan. Weeks later (while watching some admittedly awful reality TV) I realized I was not open to creating my own business simply because I had been taught all my life that it was too risky. The shield I was wielding was from other peoples’ fear of risk — not my own. I really wasn’t scared of risk of at all. Now I’m in the beginning stages of building my own business and I’m loving every minute of it.

The coaching experience can be phenomenal if you’re committed to it. I went from being a scorned young professional trying to make traction on the corporate ladder to corporate day-jobber and budding entrepreneur in a handful of sessions with Coach Jennie. I also don’t think my experience was so positive because Jennie is magically more effective than other career coaches necessarily (I might argue she is, but of course I’m biased). The success of this experience is because she was the right coach for me, and I did my part too.

What other strategies can help you get the most out of sessions with a career coach?

Megan Atkinson is a member of the Brazen Life Contributor Network.

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]]> http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/21/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-working-with-a-career-coach/feed/ 17 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/17/the-true-myth-of-the-8-hour-work-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-true-myth-of-the-8-hour-work-day http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/17/the-true-myth-of-the-8-hour-work-day/#comments Fri, 17 Jun 2011 09:00:48 +0000 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/?p=1745 Everybody spends at least some of the work day hanging out online, right? Zappos’ and Hootsuite’s many temptations have become the modern equivalent of gossiping about last night’s sitcoms in front of the water cooler. Wasting time online gives us a little break, and we all know breaks are healthy and help us think more […]

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]]> Everybody spends at least some of the work day hanging out online, right? Zappos’ and Hootsuite’s many temptations have become the modern equivalent of gossiping about last night’s sitcoms in front of the water cooler. Wasting time online gives us a little break, and we all know breaks are healthy and help us think more creatively. After all, even our bosses waste at least a few minutes of every work day.

But what happens when updating Facebook and catching up on Memorandum in the office consumes as much time and energy as, well, work? This Social Cast infographic details just how much time many professionals waste online during the official eight-hour work day.

According to the findings, people spend an hour and 14 minutes each work week on social networks, 34 minutes on games and another 27 minutes on personal email. Survey respondents offered different reasons for not working in the office. Almost half (46 percent) said they were unsatisfied at work; 34 percent felt underpaid; and 24 percent cited lack of deadlines or worthwhile incentives.

We waste time at work, because we are bored and aren’t fully engaged in our professions. Frankly, it also feels good to connect with each other, learn new and interesting things and play games.

Sometimes, it might also hold us back. The most successful people I know use office downtime to plan, think, connect and conquer in ways that help them professionally and engage them even more than playing a few levels Angry Birds.

Just Do Something

During my first month of graduate school, my strategic communications professor, Ed Grefe, told us that the next time we’re bored at work or don’t feel challenged, we should “just do something.” Research what competitors are up to; connect with clients; look for important trends in the media; or offer to help someone else. Don’t just sit there Googling pictures of cats. Do something.

I recently talked to Grefe, who had a tremendous career as a journalist, grassroots community organizer and fundraiser, about that class. I asked him to discuss the habits and practices he developed as a young professional to stay engaged in the workplace. Grefe’s intellectual curiosity, particular about different perspectives and ways of doing things, helped him turn just another day at the office into a lifetime of learning about people, ideas, systems and entire political movements.

“I tend to try and learn as much from the other people as possible,” he said. “It’s been my impression that people have a lot of good ideas and ways of doing things — even when I don’t always agree with the way they think.”

This habit impacted the way Grefe interacted with us as our professor (all of our classes were highly interactive and discussion-based) and how he taught us to think strategically. He did this by connecting patterns in a diverse array of areas — from a Sunday New York Times article to a friend’s Facebook comment to a conversation in a grocery store line — to teach us to be better issue advocates and grassroots organizers.

Bored at the office? Take the initiative and become more engaged in learning — about your clients, colleagues, competitors and the issues that affect them most.

Developing this kind of curiosity can be extremely worthwhile.

“If you cant have some element of joy in what you’re doing, then you’re killing yourself,” Grefe said. “I’ve found that my experiences made me grateful for what I am doing and have given me a positive outlook. Even negative experiences can lead to positive things.”

Be Fully Engaged in Your Profession or Change Career Paths

Passion for your profession is a tremendous driver for success. Leadership expert and coach Kathleen Schafer believes that being passionate and fully engaged in the workplace starts with understanding what you like to do and using your talents and skills to create a career you really love.

“If you’ve got time on your hands, figure out who you are and what you should be doing,” she said. “Do you want to spend your career being bored or do something you find engaging?”

Schafer coaches professionals of all ages to discover their purposes and recognize their strengths and interests. The process begins by accessing resources online, some of which are available on Schafer’s Leadership Connection website, and using leadership assessment tools to help professionals determine what they should be doing.

“If you’re going to be in a place that doesn’t engage you, the best thing you can focus on is figuring out what you should be doing. If its just for the money, you’re never going to be happy doing it,” said Schafer.

Connect, Solve Problems and Innovate

New York Times columnist David Brooks took a tougher approach in his column to recent graduates last month.

“Most successful young people don’t look inside and then plan a life,” he wrote. “They look outside and find a problem, which summons their life.”

I get what Brooks is saying. Sometimes young professionals can’t just rely on happiness and joy to get ahead. Being excellent isn’t a part-time commitment; it requires perseverance and diligence, even when a project or work environment doesn’t sprout rainbows and unicorns.

And, I will add, sometimes laziness and disengagement actually is your fault. Sometimes you do need to dig in and work.

Peter Corbett is the founder of iStrategy Labs, a community and social marketing company that delivers some of the most innovative digital campaigns in the Washington, D.C., area and nationally.

Corbett is one of Washingtonian magazine’s “Tech Titans.” He spends a considerable amount of time organizing community events like Digital Capital Week and the D.C. Tech Meetup — activities that drive collaboration in the digital space and have positioned him as a leader in his field.

For Corbett, his passion is his work and his work day never ends.

“I don’t count hours, and I sometime don’t know that it’s the weekend,” he said. “I operate on a 24/7 cycle, where I do all the things that I love to do and have the fortune of having a company that supports my ability to live this way. I’m able spend about 50 percent of my time working on community focused efforts, because I don’t have to fit it in. It’s baked into my model – one that doesn’t work without that commitment.”

Another young connector, Bryce Cullinane, moved to D.C. three years ago to work as my research assistant while in graduate school. I noticed after our first informational interview that Cullinane knew how to connect with people and invested a lot of time and energy in cultivating relationships. He launched a network for young political professionals, Politics Under 30, and ran the 2009 Politics Online Conference while managing his day job.

Today, Cullinane works in business development for online attitudinal targeting firm Resonate Networks. Instead of just focusing on traditional sales, he also engages in areas that help him build relationships and establish trust with current and potential clients.

“My goal each day is to figure out what value I can offer to the people in my network, what value my network can provide and how I can grow it,” he said.

Cullinane doesn’t define success by meeting the kinds of traditional goals that can be accomplished in a 9-to-5 work day. For Cullinane, investing in people after-hours and before work is a full-time calling.

“When I saw how many successful people in my life took serious time to go to happy hours and other non-traditional work events, I realized it wasn’t coincidence,” he said. “I learned it was about developing real and meaningful relationships with co-workers, clients and those in your industry.”

What is the true myth of the eight-hour work day?

In 2011, successful professionals know that the work day never ends. As Corbett put it:

“I never thought success was about clocking in. I’ve been fortune to have worked hard since as far back as I can remember regardless of the clock or compensation. The work is the reward in and of itself.”
Passionate people drive themselves, invest in those around them and achieve a level of excellence that impacts their clients, colleagues and professional community.

It’s not just a career decision; it’s a lifestyle choice.

Julie Barko Germany is the vice president of digital strategy at DCI Group, a global grassroots public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. The opinions expressed here are her own and do not reflect her organization or its clients.

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]]> http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/17/the-true-myth-of-the-8-hour-work-day/feed/ 13 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/10/the-one-thing-you-should-do-to-get-ahead-at-work/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-one-thing-you-should-do-to-get-ahead-at-work http://blog.brazencareerist.com/2011/06/10/the-one-thing-you-should-do-to-get-ahead-at-work/#comments Fri, 10 Jun 2011 09:15:46 +0000 http://blog.brazencareerist.com/?p=1656 Whether you’re starting a new job, looking to move up in your current job, or trying to survive layoffs, I have a valuable tip that is sure to help you achieve your goal. It’s not pretty, it’s not glamorous, but it is effective and could save your job. What’s the tip? You need to take […]

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Whether you’re starting a new job, looking to move up in your current job, or trying to survive layoffs, I have a valuable tip that is sure to help you achieve your goal. It’s not pretty, it’s not glamorous, but it is effective and could save your job.

What’s the tip? You need to take ownership.

It’s a very simple concept, but it presents a huge opportunity that most people miss.

So what does it entail? Taking ownership means standing up and announcing that you are responsible for executing a particular task or project. Sometimes taking ownership will just mean being accountable for a project within your job description. In that case, taking ownership isn’t terribly remarkable.

But there are other times when taking ownership means doing things outside of your job description. In fact, it means doing the stuff no one else wants to do. Think: filing, building proposals, editing, cold calling. I’m sure you know what I mean.

Taking ownership also means making an active and enthusiastic commitment. If you begrudgingly take on a task only because you have to, you’re not making much of an impression.

Why should you take ownership?

Basically, when you take ownership of a task or project, you’re telling whoever is in charge, “Don’t worry, I got this.” You’re taking something off their plate and putting it on yours. That is any busy person’s fantasy. If there’s a difficult or unpleasant task, then the person in charge probably isn’t keen on doing it personally and is also dreading the task of finding someone else to do it. It also adds one more difficult thing to his or her rapidly growing to-do list. When you stand up and say, “I’ll do it, no problem,” you’ve just killed some major anxiety. Everyone loves an anxiety killer.

Think about it. Have you ever been in a meeting or on a conference call where everyone is trying to dodge a task? Aside from the time it wastes, it’s just awkward as hell! Or have you ever seen people dart around as they try to avoid a task, only to have someone volunteer to do it? The relief in the room is palpable. It’s like freakin’ Spiderman came in and saved the day.

There’s more to taking ownership than just being a people-pleaser, though many people simply take issue with that aspect and don’t want to be seen as the office suck-up. Yes, there is a certain degree of people-pleasing when you take ownership of annoying, menial tasks. But you’re also becoming the go-to person. You’re establishing your reputation as the problem solver. You’re becoming the one your boss associates with getting things done, with control, and with solutions. You own those tasks, so the boss doesn’t have to worry about them.  In other words, taking ownership makes you a leader.

If layoffs come around, who do you think your boss will let go? The person who solved problems time and again, or the one who sat there looking at his shoes while difficult tasks needed to be done?

Now I know what you’re thinking:  “Thanks, Tim. Sounds like a great way to become the office bitch.” And you might be right. This method will certainly not lead to more free time and it’s not a glamorous way of getting ahead either. But it will help you differentiate yourself from the rest of the non-doers. You’re becoming the person your boss feels comfortable going to, and once that happens, he or she is much more likely to feel comfortable going to you with other, more meaningful tasks. Plus, if you’ve done your share of grunt work, you’ll feel more comfortable asking the boss to be included on the more desirable, meaningful projects.

This is especially true in a small business setting. I worked for a communications firm in Washington, D.C. (informational interviews work!) for a few years and saw this first hand. My boss, the owner, didn’t have time for pettiness or egos. He needed people to help out across the board – from making coffee to filing and making cold calls. If you were “above” that kind of thing, you just looked like a jerk who wouldn’t help. The office manager, as she became known after taking ownership of everything she could, was one of the most valued people in the company. She knew everything about the office, the clients, and the business in general. She made herself indispensable. Had she been petty and not confident enough in her other work (the stuff she was actually hired to do), there’s no way she would have stood out in the same fashion.

Taking ownership of menial or annoying tasks doesn’t diminish your intelligence or your worth at a company. If it does, I bet there are other reasons at play.  Taking on more tasks differentiates you from other workers and forces you to keep learning new things. Plus, the more projects you take on, the more likely it is for you to carve out a niche within the company.

Doing the tasks that no one else wants to do makes you look good, it diversifies what you do and it creates job security. Don’t let pettiness stand in the way of all that good stuff.

Tim Murphy is a member of the Brazen Life Contributor Network.

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I’ve experienced it all but, when I eventually launched my own business — coaching other word nerds — I was regularly surprised by the issues that were holding them back the most.

What follows are the five most common problems that come up among my clients, and what you can do about them.

1. Fear of sending out the pitch

This one baffles me. Especially considering that the ones who mention it the most seem to have no problem generating new ideas or writing up query letters. Nay, their fears don’t lie in preparing their pitch. Rather, they let their perfectly good query letters languish in their draft email folders for weeks on end. Why? They worry they’ve made a mistake or left out a crucial bit of info. They worry that their letter is just not perfect enough to land them the assignment. They worry that —with their weak portfolio — they don’t even deserve the assignment.

Here’s the thing. While a strong portfolio, or strong connections, definitely help, you can still land an assignment if you have a strong idea and strong writing ability.

And if you don’t land the assignment (or hear back from an editor within five minutes of sending out your award-worthy query letter)? You can’t take it personally. Editors are busy and overburdened. Timing can be off. Your idea may be too evergreen for them, or a better fit for someone else. The only thing you can do to conquer your fear is to change your mindset and remember: a rejection is not the ultimate reflection of your abilities as a writer.

2. Inability to negotiate, or to say no to poorly paying work

When I first started out as a freelancer — struggling to land assignments and make new contacts — it seemed crazytown to turn down work, no matter how insulting the pay. And so, I said yes to publications that were paying in pennies, telling myself that the exposure was good, and that it would strengthen my portfolio.

And while the exposure was good, and I eventually got to a place where the work was coming to me, my low rates were holding me back and, oftentimes, attracting the wrong kind of interest. Which is why I had to become a hard-ass.

Have the courage to ask for what you deserve, from the very beginning. Push for more and, if they say no, be willing to walk away. Know that, in saying no to the riffraff, the higher-paying work and higher-quality clients will follow.

3. Issues with scope creep, and poor time management

Sometimes, we experience scope creep because a crafty client keeps throwing new tasks at us… and we let them. Sometimes, we wildly underestimate how long a project will take. And sometimes, we spend four hours retweeting video clips of kittens and sneaking in time with the latest Top Chef marathon.

All things that will only cause panic attacks and Xanax binges as due dates creep ever closer.

How can we avoid this? Keep detailed records of how long past projects have taken, so as to aid you in future time estimates. Make sure that all aspects of a project are detailed in writing before you start work on it, with the understanding that adding on extras will increase your fee. With your due date in hand, draw up a projected project schedule, down to the very hour of each day. Find someone to provide you with a bit of accountability. (For example, I email someone with my daily goals every morning, and they ask me how I fared at the end of the day.) And for the love of god, keep the kitten videos to a minimum.

4. Income-related agita, and self-doubt

Before jumping into freelancedom, you should be clear on the fact that your chosen career provides no guarantee of a steady paycheck. It’s all on you. Can you handle this?

The successful ones can… at least most of the time. But some of the time, they’re powerless to do anything more than track their dwindling bank account with mounting horror, paralyzed by fear, and wonder: WHY DO I SUCK SO BAD!?

I’m pretty sure you don’t suck. You’re just experiencing a totally normal crisis in confidence. I have those all the time. Booze helps.

You know what else helps? A detailed budget. The ability to hustle. And the willingness to diversify. If you remember not to put all your eggs in one basket, you’ll end up feeling a lot more secure.

5. Burnout

Of course, our greatest enemy is ourselves… something that pops up in all of the aforementioned problems. But the worst thing we do? Deprive ourselves of downtime. Such behavior can eventually cause burnout: fatigue, illness, depression, lack of motivation, damaged relationships, etc. And that’s when freelancing stops being fun, and starts being… totally sucky.

So in addition to scheduling out your work, schedule out your downtime, too. Your meals. Your social plans. Your exercise. Your sleep. Make these things as much of a priority as your work, and you’ll find yourself leading a delightfully balanced life. That and you won’t burn out early, forced into early retirement and/or the nuthouse.

Looking for some more in-depth help? You could always hire me for some one-on-one coaching.

Or you can get some advice from me and chat it up with fellow freelancers during Brazen Careerist’s monthly Networking for Word Nerds. This month we’ll be discussing your greatest challenge as a word nerd.

Steph Auteri is a career coach for writers and other publishing professionals. Her work has appeared in Playgirl, Time Out New York, Nerve, The Frisky and other publications. She invites you to visit her blog or stalk her on Twitter.

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Despite the mainstream adoption of social media globally, the basic principles of personal branding still apply. You have to define your brand, position yourself in the marketplace, and constantly reinvent your brand over time. You have to figure out what makes you special and then communicate that to the right people, who are interested in your story and message.

Social network profiles, and blogs, have made it easier to build a brand because you’re investing your time instead of thousands of dollars. In today’s competitive landscape, just having a presence isn’t enough. You have to maintain it for the rest of your existence and be committed to your career and business objectives.

I’ve been following the personal branding movement for over four years and have identified several trends that you need to become aware of if you want to remain competitive. Each trend will have a dramatic impact on your life moving forward and the sooner you build your brand, and take advantage of new technologies, the more prepared you will be for a successful future!

1. LinkedIn will replace resumes and job boards

About a week ago, I predicted the end of resumes and job boards in Forbes and the recruiting world retaliated. Although, you will still see job boards for time to come, the real pathway to employment is through the connections that we all share. Companies such as BranchOut.com and LinkedIn.com have put a “social graph” over our job search, which allows us to tap into the people we already know to get job referrals. Networking is clearly the key to getting the best jobs in the world, and applying through job boards isn’t going to get you anywhere.

Traditional resumes as we know them don’t fit into the new workplace paradigm. Forget the Microsoft Word resume and start building your online presence so that recruiters can find you and place you. Soon companies won’t even ask for your resume; they will ask for a single URL that should point them to a reason why they should hire you.

2. Your personal and professional lives will converge

Did you know that 96 percent of Americans under 50 are on Facebook? Facebook connects the world and even when we leave our laptop or desktop computers, we login through our mobile phones. Forty-six million Americans check their social networking sites multiple times each day. When you live online, your actions can affect the way people around you treat you, in and out of the workplace. Everything you publish, and whatever is published about you and can haunt your career for time to come. Rep. Anthony Weiner found this out the hard way. He, like many other politicians, celebrities and regular people, learned what you say online is in the public domain and can be used against you to ruin your reputation.

3. The recruitment process will have a mandatory online presence background check

A 2010 study by Jobvite  reported that approximately 80 percent of companies plan to use social networks in the background check process. Eventually, all companies will use the Internet to verify candidates and it will be as common as a drug test. If you aren’t found online, it will show that you aren’t as valuable to employers as other candidates. My advice is to build a website and manage your reputation before other people do it for you.

4. Online influence will be a determining factor of whether you get a job

A decade or so ago, if you had the right hard skills, you would be almost guaranteed a job. Then, when the market became more competitive, companies started looking for soft skills, including presentation, writing, organization and leadership. This way, companies could recruit the individuals who would be the best fit to the organization. Today, you need to have hard skills, soft skills and online influence. You might be hired based on the number of Twitter followers you have or if Lady Gaga retweets you. Individuals who have the largest and most influential networks bring more to a company – they bring an audience of potential buyers.

5. Relevancy will become our greatest challenge

It’s becoming a great challenge to keep up with the latest information and technology that’s pertinent to your career. I see relevancy becoming even more important but very challenging because our brains can’t process the sheer amount of information out there. I skim through eight hundred blog posts each day and that number isn’t going to decrease anytime soon. You need to know what’s going on in your marketplace and react to it. Consumers are expecting more from businesses and if you aren’t current then you’re irrelevant to the marketplace, which means that you will eventually go out of business or get laid off.
Dan Schawbel is the managing partner of Millennial Branding, LLC, a full-service personal branding agency. Dan is the author of “Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future,” the founder of the Personal Branding Blog, and publisher of Personal Branding Magazine.

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Finally in March, I managed to find a pair of Etienne Aigner shoes. They even had a cute buckle. They’re incredibly comfortable, and I would like to think chic and professional at the same time. Of course, this summer, I’m on the hunt for color. And what do I find?

Hundreds of nude pumps, peep-toes and sandals. Seriously.

One major thing we learn about in economics and operations is that having the first-mover advantage can be amazing. There’s open road, and you can take advantage of a head start. It can also be challenging because your customer base is incredibly limited and often contains only the most interested buyers out there. They’re the ones willing to take the risk on something new or see the value way ahead of everyone else.

But a successful first-mover, isn’t alone for long.

Soon, thanks to marketing and reverse engineering, everyone has a version of your original, and the market is saturated. Down the line, you end up with bubbles which eventually lead to bursts and shakeouts. If you’re lucky, the first-mover is still left over at the end, but it’s not likely.

What happens when you’re the customer and you’re a first mover? You could be like me, shopping around for exactly what you want, then blocked by anything new because there’s suddenly too much of what you wanted. You might end up in a state of constant frustration because you’re not an inventor or you don’t have the resources to make what you want. There’s so much market research being done, why haven’t companies read your mind yet?

In the same way a customer is leery of the risk in purchasing something from a first-mover company, companies are hesitant to cater to every individual customer’s first whim. Yes, a marketer could make you think the company has targeted your exact want or need (I’m a marketer, I should know), but the team in engineering or production isn’t changing everything for one request. Even services that are customized can actually be combinations of predetermined modules instead of true ground-up customized services.

If it is impossible to be the first-mover customer and get what you want, what is the answer?

Determine who will follow you. Make a point of attracting influencers who have ideas or products out there that attract followers. Get an idea of what might happen once you get what you want, and then push beyond those first reactions. The same way a company scans the market, you can do so as well. Eventually, if you have influence, that market research will appear as if it is reading your mind. You could eventually drive company behavior.

Then you both could be first-movers.

Emily Jasper is a member of the Brazen Life Contributor Network.

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Mom reminds you not to use “like” in your job interview. (Like, thanks Mom.) Your uncle tells you to go to law school. Your friends are as confused as you are. So who do you really trust to deliver the real insights, the kind of advice that changes your life?

To find the answer, we surveyed educated online users about who they trust most when it comes to business insights. The number one answer? Industry leaders. Makes sense, right? If you want insights on business, you ask business leaders. If you want career insights, you talk to successful people (no offense, Mom), the kind of people who are shaping the organizations where you want to build a career.

For the Brazen Careerists of the world, we’ve rounded up six of our most actionable and inspiring career videos.

1. Tal Ben-Shahar: Write It Down

The psychologist of happiness outlines one simple thing you can do to realize your dreams.

2. Porochista Khakpour: Ditch the Script

Khakpour, the Iranian-American author and writer, gives young writers a piece of advice you can’t ignore.

3. Edward Norton: Feel the Terror

He’s an actor, yes, but did you know he’s a social entrepreneur? Norton co-founded Crowdrise, an online platform for fundraising. Here he talks about what it’s like to do something new.

4. Simon Sinek: Find Fulfillment

Sinek, the management consultant with the hipster look, explains how to find the passion that will make your work worthwhile.

5. Jason Fried: Work at Work

In one of Big Think’s most popular video segments ever, Fried, the entrepreneur who co-founded 37signals, talks about why an office is not the right place to get your work done.

→6. Brazen Careerist Exclusive*: Ken Mehlman, former Republican National Committee chairman

Mehlman, the environmental lawyer-turned-political-leader has one question for you: What do you like to do on Saturdays?

*Big Think released this video for Brazen Life’s audience. Previously it was available to subscribers only.

Andrea Useem is the director of educational licensing and partnerships at Big Think, a global knowledge forum. Previously, she served as leadership editor at the Washington Post. Contact her via Twitter, LinkedIn or email. For information about licensing the Big Think Careers learning platform, please contact career@bigthink.com.

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Just take a look around the Internet, people! Big names like Leo Babauta and Darren Rowse have been making a living from their blogs for years. There are also lesser-known bloggers who have used their blogs to create money-making side projects, land book deals and start blog-centric businesses. And just last week, my blog, which I’ve successfully used to land several clients, helped me get a full-time job offer. But more on that later.

So what’s the secret? How do people use their blogs to get projects and job offers? They do it by providing thoughtful, substantive content that appeals to employers.

Your Blog as a Portfolio of Excellence

I have used my blog as a portfolio to show potential clients that I know how to write. Some of them were so impressed that I knew my way around WordPress and the written word that they didn’t hesitate to offer me good rates for projects. Likewise, I have had other people find me through my blog and request me for their projects.

The secret is to use your blog like a portfolio. While it’s perfectly fine to add your own personal flair (after all, you are the editor-in-chief), keep in mind that professionalism is key. You need to find a focus and not ramble on and on about the random events of your day. Potential clients are looking for substance, professionalism and an ability to connect with an audience.

Nail those three things and you’ll nab readers from all over, all of whom have the potential to become clients or provide job opportunities.

A Place to Highlight Your Expertise

Blogs give you the perfect opportunity to become an expert on any given subject. Do you have an affinity for rock climbing? Is cooking your thing? Does gardening make you warm and fuzzy inside? Are you particularly passionate about a political issue or movement?

Whatever your passions and talents, blogging helps you become an authority on the subject. Pick a focus by looking at your life experience, educate yourself as much as possible, and share the wealth with others.

Need an example? I had no idea what I was doing when I got out of college, so I started a blog to keep myself focused and help others. There are plenty of bloggers out there, from mommies to skydivers, who have taken some experience from their actual lives, made a successful blog out of it and found exciting projects as a result.

A Unique Edge for Your Resume

Perhaps having multiple clients isn’t your thing and you prefer a traditional full-time job. No problem. Blogs can help you there too.

With today’s job market you’re facing a sea of tough competition for very few positions, so you’d better stand out and bring something unique to the table. I just used my Gen Y personal development blog on a resume and landed a full-time job at a local career consulting agency that specializes in placing college grads in professional positions. The president of the company was so impressed by my interest in the business and my creative abilities that she hired me on the spot.

Providing content of substance will not only get you readers, but it will also open your blog to a world of job opportunities. Untraditional as it may be, blogging can give you the creative edge employers are looking for while building a clientele of your own.

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In practice, that means earning income from multiple sources, constantly investing in and upgrading our skills and promoting our own “brands.” On average, we’ll change jobs 10 times before age 36 (PDF), which means that even if we technically have a boss, we won’t have him for long – and we need to be ready to impress the next one.

Create Multiple Income Streams

As my friend Chhayal explained when I interviewed her for my book “Generation Earn,” that kind of flexibility can save you in today’s economy. She works as a professional videographer, but always keeps up a second source of income by working as a fitness instructor at local gyms. She’s passionate about exercise, and loves encouraging other people to work out. When she unexpectedly lost her job, she was able to quickly ramp up her teaching gigs to make it easier to weather that rough patch of unemployment. And in the future, she wants to turn her exercise expertise into a full-time small business, especially now that she’s also a new mom.

We’re not all exercise buffs, but most of us have some kind of hobby that could potentially earn us some cash, such as teaching a second language, designing websites, or even blogging. Brainstorming with a friend can turn up some unexpected ideas. At the very least, moonlighting provides some extra income insurance in case your full-time job suddenly disappears one day.

Invest in Your Skills

Investing in the skills you use everyday also helps. Career expert Alexandra Levit told me that she didn’t always feel like she knew how to excel in the corporate world. She learned the hard way about the importance of relationships after she didn’t get promoted despite working hard, while she watched as her more social and networking peers did. To help her with the social side of work, she took a Dale Carnegie course in personal development, and that’s when she started getting promoted.

Personal or group coaching, in fact, can be just the kind of investment that helps you take your career to the next level. Whether it’s learning better public speaking skills, mastering the art of goal-setting, or picking up a new certification in your field, working with professionals can be worth their price. Coaching usually starts around $200 per hour, but sometimes employers offer to pay part of the cost or coaches offer discounts in exchange for helping to spread the word about their services. Of course, you can always try to get free help by taking a more experienced colleague out to lunch.

Promote Your Brand

Lastly, brand promotion – what seems second nature to Kim Kardashian – can be one of the hardest tricks to learn, but it’s essential for almost everyone today. We might not all need a Twitter account (although it doesn’t hurt), but we do need to know how to highlight strengths and accomplishments to supervisors, clients, and other decision-makers.

As brand guru Dan Schawbel points out, successful “personal branding” can even help you in the most traditional of job interviews. He suggests deciding what your long-term goals are, and then cultivating your online presence around that goal. When someone runs your name through a web search, your LinkedIn profile and other identifying websites will appear – and they should read the way you want them to.

If these traits don’t come naturally to you, then you can nurture them with a little TLC. Maybe self-promotion feels a little icky to you; if that’s the case, run ideas by a trusted significant other or friend first. If you receive praise from a client, then you probably want to pass on the message to your boss, and that trusted cheerleader can help reassure you that it’s the right move.

After some practice, you might decide that you’re actually more like Kim Kardashian than you thought.

Kimberly Palmer is the author of the new book “Generation Earn: The Young Professional’s Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back.” You can connect with her on Twitter.

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But what’s good for the dinner table is not necessarily what’s best for developing a professional network.

Many churches, mosques, synagogues and temples of all sorts run professional networks. A search through LinkedIn groups for the terms “church” and “professional,” for example, yields 159 groups (related search here).

“Mormons like to hire other Mormons,” noted the journalist and author Kenneth Woodward in his 2007 New York Times op-ed The Presidency’s Mormon Moment, “and those who lose their jobs can count on the church networks to find them openings elsewhere.”

Woodward may be right, but singling out the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints could be misleading. Often asking neighbors in the pews — whatever the faith group or denomination — for job tips or for informational interviews is a great strategy, and a perk that is probably endemic only to faith communities.

However effective faith-based rolodexes are for landing jobs, religious networking can and should continue after one is hired. I’m not suggesting you missionize your coworkers,  just that you remain open to having a respectful conversation about faith with your colleagues.

Those conversations represent not only tremendous learning opportunities, but have also helped me develop better listening skills and learn more about some of my favorite coworkers. (How could sharing experiences about what we hold most dear do anything but bring us together?)

It goes without saying that it’s vital to be mature and respectful when discussing controversial issues in the work place, but respect and maturity should be best practices even when discussing work-related topics. “Nothing like religious blasphemy in the workplace to bring employees together,” writes Today.com contributor Michael Avila of The Office character Michael Scott.

Michael Scott is a good example of what not to do, but maybe there is a proper time for his approach to the office — a  family rather than a team. Let’s continue to be careful about respecting coworkers, but if we relaxed the politics and religion ban just a little, we have the world to gain.

Menachem Wecker writes on religion for the Houston Chronicle, amongst other publications.

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In contrast, Gen Y’s often feel handicapped by their lack of experience and wish they had the resume of someone more seasoned. But the truth is that Gen Y’s are better at taking advantage of many of the opportunities that more senior professionals fail to tap. And being younger means you need to worry less about not knowing everything, which frees you up to ask all the right questions.

Here are a few areas where youth rules in the job market:

Networking Online and Offline

Senior people in busy jobs are notoriously bad at networking. Despite all the advice to network when you have a job, it is tough for those with busy jobs and families to put time into networking with others because as they see it, it is a waste of time if it doesn’t serve a specific end.

Gen Y’s, on the other hand, understand social networking intuitively and love to connect with others throughout the day—both in and out of a work setting. So when they are looking for a new job or information on something, they have an automatic network to consult.

Blogging to Leverage Their Careers

One great way to get the attention of industry pros is to blog about a specific sector. If you do it well, and you’re provocative, smart and good at SEO, you may be contacted by interested companies. And if not, you have a portfolio of writing and opinion ready to take to an interview.

Blogging to share an interest you have and get a conversation going comes much more naturally to younger people. Although those with experience could more easily create a compelling body of research and opinion about a sector they know well, chances are they won’t do it.

Seeking Advice from Mentors

When you’re new or relatively new to the workforce it’s a lot easier to ask people for advice, especially if you do it in the right way (specifically, with a message that the meeting will require just 20 minutes of someone’s time). It could even tie into an article you’re writing (for your blog, etc.), to make it more business-focused.

Older generations have a natural desire to help up-and-coming professionals in the industry and share their knowledge and years of experience. Don’t underestimate the power of the legacy factor—successful people are interested in mentoring people who remind them of their younger selves and appear to have potential. Especially if those Gen Y’s have good ideas for solving problems or creating new opportunities.

It’s clear: youth and inexperience don’t need to be an obstacle in the workplace. Being younger has clear strengths, and young workers should derive confidence from these advantages.

—-

Allison Cheston is a New York City-based career advisor. Cheston holds a BA from the University of Michigan in International Relations & Romance Languages, and an MA in International Education and a Certificate in Adult Career Planning from New York University. She is also the NY Career Change Examiner.

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What will the business leaders of our generation be like?

They will strive for self-actualization

We are a generation in which we feel we have all the potential in the world. However, we will not squander it. We pursue Maslow’s “desire for self-fulfillment” not because we should, but because we are driven to do so. With this comes a reality in which once we have accomplished some achievement, we will already be thinking about our next grand pursuit.

They will be experts who lead

Engineers, scientists, and technical experts are in high demand. They come out of top universities ready to change the world, and they walk into businesses that expect them to understand the people-side of business as well the technical side. These future leaders will not have positions of authority and respect because they only understand the human side, but because they are able to marry the two with success. We will have leaders who are able to “do” and execute as well inspire the best from their people.

They will understand scale and scope

Business failure can often be directed towards issues with scale and scope. Economically, you must know the points at which it is more cost effective to produce more volume of the same or bundles of a variety. However, beyond economics, more of one or more of many can change the nature of a business. In trying to be the best in one, you may limit yourself and be unable to compete in a market of other perfect substitutes. In trying to be everything to everyone, you are never differentiated.

They will be willing to fail

We consider failure part of everyday life. We don’t like it, but we accept it. Our future leaders know that things aren’t going to work out each and every time they make a decision, but they go in ready for the consequences. What will set the best apart, however, will be the willingness to personally invest in these decisions. Leaders don’t believe bad things happen to them or that they are constant victims. Instead, they take personal responsibility over the things they can control.

They will understand the value of the team

We are a collaborative generation, and we can produce better results as a team than as individuals working together. However, we also know that you must contribute. No one gets a free ride in our teams, and our leaders will expect the same from the teams they run. Perhaps it will be the same Welch philosophy: if you don’t want to be here, we don’t want you either. Our leaders will fill their teams with active contributors, not people hoping to lay low until retirement.

They will be international

International doesn’t mean, “I spent a summer in Florence.” No, international means you’re working on teams with people from 15 countries. You’re willing to get in the office at 6am so you can reach your team in Paris. You take time to read about, visit, and absorb cultures across the globe. Americans will also understand they are not dominant by default. They know they must work with other countries which are becoming or have been leaders themselves.

They will be fabulous

As CEO coach and branding expert Ellen Lubin-Sherman writes in The Essentials of Fabulous: Because Whatever Doesn’t Work Here Anymore: “Being fabulous requires respect for old-world courtliness as well as adapting to the latest technology… Being fabulous requires enthusiasm, a love of purpose and people (and yourself!), and a passion for living that’s more contagious than chicken pox.” Our leaders will possess that je ne sais quoi (also known as charisma) that makes people turn when they walk into a room. These leaders will be able to traverse generations, styles, and cultures flawlessly.

You have the capacity to be one of these great leaders. Take a look at what you are doing professionally, personally, and culturally to make yourself stand out. We have many years ahead of us, but we are able to set the stage now.

Emily Jasper is an MBA candidate at Virginia Tech. She brings her perspective of a young professional attempting to understand the journey to her blog, From the Gen Y Perspective.

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So it is an unjust coincidence, let me tell you, that something I love would be named exactly, “Rich, Happy and Hot B-School.” Business coaches Marie Forleo and Laura Roeder run the online program, and I have a wee bit of a girl crush on them.

Once you watch one of their videos, you will understand. They’re smart, good-looking and uber-creative which would normally make me feel quite threatened (and a bit jealous, let’s be honest), but they only manage to make me feel all warm inside.

As a woman entrepreneur with multiple side projects and a full-time job to boot, I need guidance that can help my business and is entertaining, engaging and above all, effective. I need it to work. I don’t want it to take up too much time, and did I mention, I want it to work?

That’s my real problem with every other site that wants to teach you how to be rich and happy. I would never want to be like the people running it. I don’t want to emulate their lives; they’re sleazy! Not to mention, most have no freaking clue what they are talking about. They present abstract ideas that sound good in theory, but that’s where they stay, in theory, and never reach the tangible step of action and follow-through.

Marie and Laura, however, know what they are talking about. They speak from success and experience, and are focused on results. In an interview on Mixergy, Laura revealed that she made more than $300,000 from her business in 2010. Marie — who is a best-selling author, a “multi-passionate” entrepreneur and a master athlete — talked about how she has achieved so much during an appearance on The Rise to the Top. Besides all that, I would want to have drinks with them. Multiple times.

Let me stop gushing for a moment though, and let you know exactly why the Rich, Happy and Hot B-School gets me completely excited to rock my business:

• It is refreshing to see women speak directly, with a great amount of humor and confidence (none of that self-effacing nonsense).
• The duo are focused on helping women achieve, but anyone can get in on it. They skip the stereotypical and patronizing advice, and just dole out smart, effective and useful how-tos, tips, templates, stories and support that you can use today to increase the profitability of your business immediately.
• They dive right into the nitty-gritty of what you don’t know how to do, and tell you exactly how to do it.
• Their teaching style is amazingly fun; it is how learning is supposed to be. They’re exhilarating and give you all the right tools. They set you up to execute, over and over, and to do it well.

Shall I continue to count the ways I love Rich, Happy and Hot B-School? Probably not, I mean, you get the point, right? Now it’s time for you head on over and enroll.

It is single-handedly the best resource I’ve seen to start a new business or improve the one you have. I’m excited to see you there.

Rebecca Thorman writes exclusive content on entrepreneurship, media, gender and more through the screens of technology on her new blog Kontrary. She currently resides in Washington, DC and actively has many projects up her sleeve.

Brazen Careerist has partnered with Rich, Happy and Hot B-School, but this is the author’s personal opinion.

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The post Ladies: Take Your Business to the Next Level with a Hot New Program appeared first on Brazen Life.

1. Learn to Say No and/or Delegate

Whether you’re addicted to doing everything yourself, or if you just have a hard time letting go, successful managers and leaders learn to accept that there are simply not enough hours to do it all. You can effectively increase your hourly pay if you can reduce your workload by delegating tasks to other members of your team. This can help to free up time to enjoy more personal and family activities without decreasing your salary. (Just be careful not to delegate the wrong things.)

2. Learn a Specialized Skill

Sometimes having a specialized, highly desirable skill set can make you more valuable to your employer. Find out what skills are most valuable in your industry and decide whether it’s something you can easily acquire in your spare time or whether your employer will help pay for you to acquire the skill. It could be learning HTML, learning the latest networking technology in the IT sector, or becoming a six-sigma black-belt. Previous employers of mine helped me to learn specific software programs like Adobe InDesign and Photoshop which increased my productivity (and in turn enhanced my worth to the company).

3. Earn a Higher Degree or Qualification

In some job sectors, merely having a certain degree, certificate or specialized training puts you in a higher pay scale. This can be more labor intensive, time consuming, and financially challenging, so be careful about how you navigate the pursuit of more formal education to improve your earning potential. Some employers will help pay for courses that are directly relevant to your current work, so it may be possible to pursue a part-time evening program and not decrease your earnings while you do it. This option is actually more work in the short term, but could have the most benefits over the long term. Many higher management jobs have minimum qualifications of a college degree or even an MBA. If that’s a job you’re aiming for, think about the best way to achieve that given your own circumstances.

4. Telecommute or Change Your Hours

If your employer is unwilling or unable to give you a raise for the incredible amount of work you do, they may be willing to adjust your hours or allow a telecommuting option, depending on the nature of your work. This doesn’t work for many industries, but if you’re in a job where you can complete most of your tasks from home, it may be worth asking if you can have a regular ‘work from home’ day once a week, or twice a month.

Alternatively, if you regularly stay late at the office, say 8 or 9 pm more than two or three times a week, ask if you can come in to the office at 10am or 11am instead of 8am or 9am. Your employer is still getting 40+ hours from you, but it will free up your mornings to have a workout, take the kids to school (if you have them), and do some personal chores. If you’re more productive in the mornings and would rather be home for dinner with your family, the reverse might be an option — suggest you come into the office at 6 or 7am instead of the normal 8 or 9am so you can leave by 3 or 4.

5. Become a Consultant rather than a Full-timer

If you regularly work well above and beyond the 40 hour work week, you might consider whether becoming an hourly consultant to your company makes more sense for you financially. It may not technically be less work, but it will be more flexible — and you can take on additional clients when you need the extra income rather than working 80 hours for the same employer without getting paid overtime.

6. Get a Raise for Work You Are Already Doing

If you’re the type of person that’s able to document significant increases in profit that you’ve brought to your company, or you’ve been doing way more than you were hired to do, you might be able to ask for a raise based on prior performance. If you can’t document significant outcomes (not outputs) that improved the company’s bottom line, consider what you need in order to do so — when your employer knows exactly how valuable you are to the company, it makes more business sense to invest in your personal happiness to keep you around.

7. Increase Your Productivity

If you find yourself repeating certain tasks on a regular basis, spend a portion of your day finding more efficient ways to complete them. For instance, in a previous job I was responsible for maintaining press lists for all the reporters in our research area. When I first became in charge of this task, I manually entered in phone numbers and email addresses for members of the press and would regularly make calls to ensure I still had correct contact information for distributing press releases. Eventually we subscribed to a service that maintained up to date press lists on our behalf. The service wasn’t free, but removing that task from my schedule increased my productivity and allowed me to focus my efforts on more important and valuable aspects of my job. There are thousands of companies out there trying to make you more efficient at your job — so spend some time investigating options for tasks that are repetitive.

8. Change Jobs

When all else fails and there’s not a way to transition into a healthier work-life balance at your current company, consider finding a new work environment where your skills and experience are more highly valued.

The bottom line is this: If your overworked and underpaid, you’ll head toward burnout quickly. Find a way to create more balance and earn more money for doing less (or the same) amount of work. These are a few tips to get there, but we’re always eager to hear what’s worked and what hasn’t work for your specific situation. Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

Whitney Parker is Brazen Careerist’s vice president of user experience/design. She specializes in helping nonprofits, small businesses, individuals and start-up organizations achieve greater recognition for their causes and products in the digital world. Follow her on Twitter.

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1. Capitalize on Your Entry-Level Position

To get your dream job, or even a mid-level role, yes, you will need relevant (probably professional) experience. However, entry-level jobs don’t require much experience and they are a great way to position yourself within a target industry. For example, being an office assistant produces a paycheck (not to be dismissed), allows you to observe and learn about the job you really want, and can facilitate a relationship with the person hiring. Think like a spy here – all you need is an “in” and you can work your magic from the inside.

Once your foot is in the door, talk to everyone you can, ask lots of questions, and take up every task related or unrelated to your job. Once you become the person everyone knows will step up and do good work, people will want you on their team. Now you’re an insider who knows what the job requires, what personalities are in play, and how you can solve their needs.

Not many people take this approach because it requires accepting a menial job for little pay. Keep your eye on the prize though – getting in the door is a huge step toward your desired job, especially if your experience is light.

2. You Don’t Need a Job to Get Experience

There are myriad ways to get the experience needed for your ideal job, you just have to find them. For example, creating a side business is a great way to take your academic experience to the next level. Interacting with clients, pitching services, delivering products on time, and responding to customer inquiries are the kind of professional experiences you can’t get in a classroom. By starting a side business, you create the experience your resume is lacking and you’ll have concrete examples to reference when applying.

Does the job you want require specialized experience working with certain software? Try finding someone in your network who has those skills and is willing to teach you. Often it’s a matter of learning the basics and practicing in your free time to get better. Can’t find someone who can teach the skills you need? Check out an online course, book, or community college that might be able to give you those first layers of instruction. Once your skills improve, start reaching out to friends and family that might need those services and build a portfolio of pro bono work. Now you have the skills needed and a portfolio of work to display.

3. Volunteering is an Experience Shortcut

Volunteer work is another great way to beef up your resume with professional experience. You might have to start low on the totem pole, but most volunteer organizations are dying for help so you’ll be able to move up as quickly as you can take on other projects. In very little time you could be managing teams, looking at budgets, proposing marketing projects, raising funds, or ordering inventory – all fantastic professional experience.

Like any business, you’ll find that some volunteer organizations are poorly run, which means you’re even better positioned to make a large, quantifiable difference. If you see some gross inefficiency or mismanagement, take note of what’s wrong and either propose a fix or, whenever possible, just fix it.

When you begin volunteering, set goals and write them down. This ensures you’ll be working toward something specific the whole time, making the whole experience more beneficial. These goals could change after you’ve been there a while, especially as you start to notice what needs improving, but it’s good to have an idea of where you want to go from the outset.

Next, track your projects and related numbers, comparing how things looked before you got there with after you were involved. That way you have specific examples to reference during interviews or when applying. When an employer hears that your project increased the number of people fed at a food bank while lowering expenses, they’ll know they have a go-getter who means business.

Lack of experience can be the bane of a job applicant’s existence. Employers want to spend as little time training you as possible because, well, you’re expensive and they need you producing something to offset that expense. But your lack of experience will hold you back only as much as you let it. Fill in the holes with side projects, volunteer work, and whatever else it takes. Keep detailed notes of what you did and list that confidently on your resume. While others might get held up, you’ll stride right across that experience gap.

Tim Murphy is Founder of ApplyMate.com, a free web app that helps you track and manage job and school applications. He also blogs regularly at ApplyMate.com/blog.

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The post How to Bridge the Experience Gap (When You Don’t Have Any) appeared first on Brazen Life.

1. Write a Job Description and a Plan

The first thing you should do when starting a new job is clarify the scope of your responsibilities and your key daily and weekly tasks. How will your performance be measured? If your employer doesn’t provide this for you (or at least a working draft), write your own and share it, edit and modify until you have a shared understanding of your roles and responsibilities. (See this great article by Noel Rozny on a similar topic here.)

2. Set Key Goals and Milestones

Ask your supervisor what they’ve wanted to do but don’t have the time to or what their goals are for the department/team. You should always have a clear grasp of what’s important to the leadership above you. Set goals for your first week, your first month, and your first 6 months, and develop a system that works for you to manage your progress toward reaching them (Google tasks is great because it plays nicely with Google calendar, but here are a few others you might like).

Also think about your ultimate goals for your time in the position. Is this a company you want to grow with and eventually take a leadership role, or is this a job merely a stepping stone where you can master a certain set of skills? Thinking about the end goals when you first start out will make it easier to identify the steps to get there.

3. Think Big, Think New

Once you become ingrained in the bureaucracy and group think of an organization, the less likely you’ll be able to think outside the box. The best ideas often come from new people — they don’t have a grasp on any sensitive political issues, like “I can’t offer that suggestion because that’s in Anna’s portfolio and Anna would be upset.” You’re coming in fresh, they want you because you’re fresh, so be that way. (Cue Kool and the Gang right about now.)

Rozny adds a great note of caution on implementing your big ideas: “Identify areas where you would like to help, and then learn them well. I’ve watched new employees who want to make a “splash” try to implement change before they really know a system, and it tends to end in failure.”

4. Fake It Till You Make It

Who are we kidding? When you leave a job you have been at for two or more years, you really “own” your space. Day/Week/Month One at your new job, you’re going to feel like a fish out of water. You want to feel confident on the phone in front of your colleagues, but you don’t. You want to say something in the staff meeting, but you edit the two sentences 27 times in your head and by the time you’re ready (and now nervous), the time has passed. Confidence exudes confidence, so in order to start succeeding and owning space in your new role, find confidence from everything and every success that got you to where you are now. Give yourself one or two weeks to get your bearings, but then start going. Because just like the gym, the more you walk on the treadmill, the harder it is to run.

5. Do Your Research

If your new job is a significant change for you, try to branch out and develop new sources of information to improve and expand your skill sets. Are there new trade magazines you should subscribe to, or industry blogs and twitter feeds you should start to follow? Scout out interesting opportunities to learn more about the new elements of your job.

6. Engage with New Colleagues One-on-One

Take the time to get to know your new colleagues before your day-to-day calendar gets overwhelmed by minutiae. Schedule coffee breaks, lunches, (or perhaps happy hours) in one-on-one settings so you can get to know the new members of your team. This proactive approach shows that you are ready to be engaged right from the start and you’ll learn valuable information right out of the gate. Ask all of your immediate new colleagues for their advice and wisdom, and reflect on what they have to say as you plan your goals and milestones for your first few weeks and months on the job. Brazen member and University of Missouri student Derrick Idleberg, Jr. agrees: “I think that asking about something as simple as a hobby or family or alma mater can help foster a good workplace relationship.”

7. Document (and Share) Progress

Nothing will get you off on a better foot than summarizing your key accomplishments at the end of each week, and sending a quick email progress report to your supervisor or key team members. Alternatively, one thing we do at Brazen Careerist is summarize what we learned and what we’re testing each week, and we share that with our whole staff. It keeps us all accountable to each other, and we’re all aware of what’s on our team member’s plates. Who you share progress with depends on the size and nature of your team or office, but its a great way to keep your boss (or your whole team) in the loop on your activities.

Do you have any pearls of wisdom to share with our members starting off on a new adventure? We’d love to hear what works for you (or what doesn’t), and specific advice for your profession! Join the conversation by visiting here.

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It’s like this – you can attend a highly selective liberal arts college, graduate at the top of your class, work 90 hours a week drafting impeccable cover letters and grapple with every electronic job application system under the sun, and still find yourself with few to no prospects for professional employment when all is said and done.

For all your blood, sweat, and torn up resumes, it’s simply not enough to stakeout a corner of silicon interface and wait for your career to unfold.  Even if you are securely employed, the value of face-to-face contact in career networking CANNOT be overestimated, and young professional organizations (YPOs) offer many ways to serve this crucial imperative. From economic forums to community service activities to social events, YPOs sponsor a diverse range of gatherings that provide the chance to make impressions live and in color.

Kristi Gage-Linderman explains: “Immediately after graduating from college and moving back to my hometown, I needed a way to get reconnected – fast.” She joined the Greater Reading (Pennsylvania) Young Professionals and made dozens of new contacts that led her to be nominated to serve on GRYP’s board of directors and contributed to her rising success at her family’s staffing firm.

Sarah Jane Maxted of Young Consultants of DCconfirms “Any opportunity to leverage relationships naturally and in person should be capitalized upon. Get out and go to everything.”

Graham Garvie, also of YCDC adds: “Effective young professionals understand that it’s not just ‘who you know,’ but it’s also ‘who knows you’.”

2. Practice Makes Perfect

YPOs offer opportunities to demonstrate your work ethic and qualifications beyond a practical skill set. Taking the time to introduce yourself and discuss industry topics is, effectively, interviewing without the pressure of having a formal job offer at stake.

Hone your elevator pitch and know what skills you have to offer. Always be able to articulate what you can offer and what you’re looking for when you meet people. At the end of a conversation, always ask for an introduction to other people who can be helpful: “Can you introduce me to anyone looking for a (fill in the blank: web designer, freelance writer, foreign policy analyst, etc.)?”  In most professions, employers are looking for people who have strong interpersonal skills, and this is a great way to show it.

Volunteering for a YPO also gives you a chance to demonstrate how well you interact with others and handle professional responsibilities. Writing a newsletter article or coordinating an event shows that you’re willing to take initiative and go above and beyond what’s required.

Garvie advises: “Research the group’s mission, identify your niche, and add value. I recently led a team to monetize high-impact job postings on YCDC.org and develop our first revenue stream.”

3. Gain Knowledge of the Business Community

Corporate connections are important to every professional, whether you’re interested in non-profit management, government agency work or launching a high-tech start-up. Moreover, learning key tenets of business strategy can be important to your long-term success.  Whether you have a strong academic background in business or only limited knowledge of the subject, YPOs are usually populated with some seasoned business professionals who know how to keep cash-flow in the black plus some.  These people like to talk about their work and mentor young ambition. Take the opportunity to listen, observe, and ask questions.

Mike Swanson, also of Greater Reading Young Professionals comments: “The idea is not to be the center of the party but rather engage with the intent to learn.  You want to exhibit a watchful style and absorb as much as you can from those around you.”
Whatever their product or service may be, business leaders are successful at the same things any professional wants to be successful at: recognizing needs in a given demographic and being competitive at serving them.

4. Strength in Numbers

We live in a day and age where establishing a presence in any given career field often demands working long hours in the office and bringing work home when the doors close.  The stereotype of the young, unmarried 20-something saddled with boundless energy and drive, blazing his or her way through the company ranks on coffee and handshakes may be attractive to an extent, but it can be exhausting at the same time.

At the end of the day, you may have ideas for cultivating partnerships, yet not feel up to shouldering all the responsibility to organize them.  Managing a club or group can feel like a second full-time job. “YPOs offer the benefit of having an organization that does half the work for you,” says Maxted.

In a strong YPO, you have access to an established support system of experienced people who are motivated to get things done.  Couple this with an established network of point people at local restaurants and meeting places and the battle is half won.

5. Legislative Impact

The benefits of a YPO membership are not limited to leveraging your network and enjoying free snacks and drinks at sponsored events. Many YPOs have committees and subgroups dedicated to promoting dialogue between young professionals, local businesses, and elected officials.  There is often ample opportunity to get involved and influence legislation from the grass-roots level on up.  In addition, these committees often organize panels and forums as non-partisan venues for informing members on important issues in the community.

6. Love What You Do

Matthew J. Wright of Reading, PA,  made the point about the importance of finding work that you love to do. “You may not even know that you love something, but it’s important to be proactive about things you discover on the journey. Don’t wait until you’re laid off to discover something you really love.”

Participating in a YPO can provide you with a low-risk way to try out different careers and learn new skills. Your day job might be at a bank, but if you suspect you would make a good social media manager, you can try to volunteer for your local YPO in that capacity to see whether you have the skills and passion to succeed in a different field.

The Bottom Line

Think about it: Young Professional Organization. Membership is organized around the theme of being young (almost always an advantage) and motivated to advance professionally. These are very good qualities to have in common with people.

Want to meet other young professionals involved in YPOs? Join Brazen Careerist’s Network Roulette event for Young Professional Organizations on April 26 (12pm ET) or April 28 (1pm ET) and start building your network today!

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The post Six Reasons to Join a Young Professional Organization in Your City appeared first on Brazen Life.

1. Your career is neither a ladder nor a pyramid. One of the troubling metaphors in our quest for success, is the idea that we’re climbing a ladder or building a pyramid, and at one point we will reach the top. But, Jenny said, we will never cease to set goals and set out new plans to go even further. Moreover, your career is not a linear experience. Instead, “think of your career like an iPhone,” said Jenny, “and every experience or job you have is like an application you download to it.” In this scenario, it’s OK to make lateral moves — and lots of them — to continue acquiring new and diverse experiences (or “apps”) that interest you.

2. You don’t always need a “five-year plan.” Jenny mentioned that one of her biggest pet peeves is being asked “So where do you see yourself in 5 years?” She said she’d rather not know, and just follow the opportunities as they come. According to TJ, a Brazen community member who attended the webinar, it was reassuring to think that “You don’t have to see the top of the stairs, that it’s best to just look at the next step or two,” that way taking on a big project or goal won’t seem so overwhelming.

3. Your job cannot be your sole-source of life worth. Just like you can’t derive all your self-worth from your partner in a relationship, trying to define your life by your career is just as problematic. Especially when you’re just starting out, it will be hard to gain much satisfaction from sorting mail or answering your bosses phone calls. Instead Jenny advised, think about your first jobs in terms of the skills you’re acquiring that will become the basis for succeeding in later roles. “For instance, making sales calls might be teaching you good communication skills,” said Jenny.

4. Find a “side-hustle.” If you’re not feeling completely fulfilled by your day job (a tall order in itself) — that’s okay! If you aren’t yet ready to make a major change or if it’s just not giving you all the skills you want, Jenny suggested a “side-hustle” may be for you. “A side hustle is anything you are doing outside of your full-time job (you know…the one that pays the bills), and often involves an entrepreneurial enterprise of some sort,” according to Jenny. Tracy Brisson, founder and CEO of The Opportunities Project and a life-coach in New York City agreed. “Jenny’s advice is about building your skills so you increase your control over your professional journey.” However, Brisson continued, “That advice is important whether you decide to start a side-hustle or not.”. Brazen community member and fellow side-hustler Mike Bruny also agreed: “You don’t have to choose a 9-5 or a business. You can do both (9-5 and a business).”

5. Lean on your support network. Jenny’s webinar inspired Brazen community member Dawn Batts to take some action on her idea for a baking side-hustle. “The first thing I did after the webinar and Roulette session was talk to my parents and friends about my ideas at launching a small business from my hobby. I thought that they (especially my parents) would tell me it was a waste of time and that I should focus more on going to graduate school and getting a “real job”, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how much positive feedback and support I’ve received.”

After the webinar, event participants had a chance to “Find Jenny” during an hour-long Network Roulette event. Congratulations to the five lucky participants who won copies of Life After College during the event! Also, a shout-out to Catherine Adamson, who won my personal award for the most creative side-hustle as a bee-keeper!

To learn more about Jenny’s book, visit her book website, her blog, or purchase your own copy on Amazon (currently selling for less than $9!).

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The post The secret to climbing the career ladder: Realize there is no ladder appeared first on Brazen Life.

1. Don’t consume excessive amounts of alcohol with or around your boss.

We all have a healthy limit for behaving professionally in public while drinking alcohol. Maybe you can handle one drink, maybe two, but when it comes to places where you’re around your boss, like a company happy hour or holiday party, resist the urge to have a drunken bonding moment with your boss. Maybe it worked for one guy one time, but upon sober reflection, your boss may get the impression that you’re one they have to “keep an eye on.” Set a limit for a safe “business drunk” and stick to it. Your self-control will be seen as a sign of maturity and professionalism.

2. Don’t tell your boss your plans to leave the company … after telling everyone else.

Nothing will burn your bridges faster than letting your boss find out from the grapevine that you’re leaving. On the other hand, telling your boss that you’re interviewing or talking to other employers can give the impression that you have no interest in getting promoted or growing professionally within your current job. You have to balance the need to keep your boss in the loop, while also keeping open your professional options. When in doubt, err on the side of discretion, and don’t be too liberal with discussing your plans to leave the company with colleagues before you’ve discussed with your boss — and given him or her the chance to persuade you to stay.

3. Never tell your boss “No, I can’t do that.“

Obviously if your boss is asking you to do something illegal, immoral or otherwise, that’s a different case. But when it comes to professional tasks and responsibilities, bosses like to see a can-do attitude. Instead of reacting to a difficult, challenging assignment with a sigh and immediate reasons why it can’t be done, instead consider what resources you’d need to actually get the job done. Maybe you need an assistant, a bigger budget, more time, access to a special person or resource. Think of it as an opportunity to expand your responsibilities in a way that can lead to a raise or promotion at the end of the day.

4. Don’t start a romantic relationship with your boss.

I don’t think this needs any elaboration. It still shocks me that it happens all the time.

5. Never lie to your boss.

When it comes to making a mistake, always own it — never blame a subordinate, colleague or your dog. However, it’s better to have a solution in place or at least options to fix the mistake in mind when it comes time to fess up. If the mistake is minor, you may be able to fix it and not tell your boss, but never lie about it if asked! While not lying seems obvious, as the advice above indicates, there are plenty of situations when being selective about what you tell your boss is very different than lying.

Do you have any regrets about telling you boss too much? Please let me know if I’ve missed any nuggets of good advice when it comes to developing a healthy employee-employer relationship!

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The post 5 Things Never to Tell (or Do With) Your Boss appeared first on Brazen Life.

Social media is changing everything. Business Week recently published an article about the power of social media and how companies are beginning to embrace it, because they really don’t have a choice. Not everyone has a blog, or wants to blog, but you would be hard pressed to find many people who aren’t on some type of social network. Now it’s time for corporate America to follow suit and meet their potential customers on their own turf, or risk falling behind the times.

The article says, “It’s as if the walls around our companies are vanishing and old org charts are lying on their sides.”

There is truth to that statement. Social media is changing how business works, so businesses better figure out how social media works. Here’s why every company needs to embrace social media, now.

Brand Awareness and Traffic

Brand awareness is crucial, it always was. But today you have to go beyond old media to market your message to the masses.

On Friday, my post about Gen Y changing the work place was picked up on Stumble Upon and Digg. On Sunday, 60 Minutes re-aired a segment featuring my blog. Guess what? Our site received 4 times more traffic and 10 times more comments on Friday then it did on Sunday. When prime time national media attention can’t compete with a couple of niche websites on a Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend, you know that things just aren’t what they used to be. These days, if you want to create real brand awareness, you better start with the niche communities.

Passive Job Seekers

Job boards are dying, fast. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Lou Adler, a chief executive of the Adler Group, a company that trains corporate recruiters on hiring practices, says, “I certainly see many, many companies posting their jobs on job boards….and not getting any results and wondering why.”

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The reason why is because people aren’t actively looking for jobs. They are, however, actively browsing social media sites and spending time on social networks, and even if they don’t know it, they’re passively looking for jobs. The smartest companies are taking advantage of this and creating a social media presence.

Someone may not be looking for a job, but if they stumble across an interesting blog post, Facebook page, or Twitter profile that mentions a great company, they will take the time to investigate further. So everyone is a passive job seeker. It’s up to every company to create a large enough online presence so the right people will stumble on them.

Credibility

Online credibility comes from the way you handle your brand and the links and references your blog or website receives. When people link to you, it’s like an unofficial endorsement from that person. Think of it like politics. When John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama, it made a big splash. A company can gain serious online street-cred when one of the big guns endorses them.

But again, like politics, the common folks matter too. You must first establish credibility with the masses, and then the big fish can provide you that final push. Even if it takes a while, online credibility will eventually lead to mainstream coolness.

The Coolness factor

The majority of social networks and social media sites are not “mainstream cool.” Outside of Silicon Valley and the 900,000 tech crunch readers, the majority of people don’t know what Friend Feed, Digg, or even Twitter is. But your company should, if you want to be cool. Why be cool?

If your company can adopt a bunch of these new technologies and figure out how to properly use them to leverage your brand, at some point it will pay off. Not only will your company immediately be considered cool in the tech world, but when one of these sites becomes a legitimate hit, like Twitter is about to become, your company will be mainstream-cool as well.

And when you’re mainstream cool, everything changes. You’ll have people knocking down your doors trying to get an interview with your company. Just ask Google.

Controlling the conversation

Social media is a constant conversation and because of this, business is now a constant conversation. It’s acomment string on Brazen Careerist, its someone’s Facebook wall, and it’s a Linked In recommendation. Someone, somewhere is out there talking about your company, and they can say whatever they want. All you can do is control the conversation.

Controlling the conversation does not mean telling people how to talk about your company or spamming a couple bloggers with job postings or company descriptions. It means creating a presence where you can initiate and continue a conversation.

What social media requires is authenticity, because even a newbie social media user can sniff out a phony quickly. But authentic conversation isn’t what most companies do naturally. So when corporations want to initiate a conversation, they have to find the right people, and they better empower those people to tell the truth, which isn’t always great news to deliver.

Starbucks is a great example. When things started going south, they publicly admitted to being at fault. They started a social networking site to ask for help from the customers. And we all remember when they shut down the stores across the country for an afternoon to address some fundamental problems. Smart decisions like that come when you take the time to start a conversation and then remember to listen, too.

It’s not easy. It takes a ton of time and it may even consist of a couple full time hires, but establishing a social media presence is worth it. Sooner or later every company will be actively using social media, but the trendsetters are the one’s who will get the most out of it. Don’t be left behind.

Ryan Healy is the COO/Co-Founder of Brazen Careerist and regularly writes and speaks on all things Gen Y, Careers and Entrepreneurship‬

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