Evangelism and Premature Obituaries

I am way behind on reading some of the blogs I follow. Just last night I saw the title "How to Change the World" on my subscription feed and felt both overwhelmed by it -- I really don't want to change the world, do I? No, not today. Maybe tomorrow. -- and at the same time I thought that it couldn't be at all relevant to the work I have been doing over the last several months. How could I forget that "How to Change the World" and its author, Guy Kawasaki, is the source for information and opinions on evangelism, sales and marketing? Guy rocks. He can teach anyone how to build support for their product, service or themselves.

I was first introduced to Guy and his work back in -- yes, I'm going to age both him and myself by writing this -- 1991 when he was the keynote speaker at the National Association of Career Educators and Employers conference in San Francisco. Guy Kawasaki was one of the original Apple employees and credited with bringing the concept of evangelism to the high-tech business, focusing on creating passionate user-advocates for the Apple brand. His blog is one of the most popular in the world. I haven't forgotten his speech. Guy is MUCH older than I am, by the way. I was only 22 when I went to that conference. Do the math.

Anyhow, I'm getting caught up now on how to save the world -- after reading a few inspiring posts, I might just take on the challenge -- and today I'll direct you to a post not by Guy, but by one of his guest writers, Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin (an online real estate brokerage firm) that went up back in February. (Hey, I told you I was behind.)

Glenn writes

"Resumes are horrible documents, premature and unsentimental obituaries: our lives are rarely reduced to such a small number of facts. And writing a resume is a balancing act between feeling outrageously boastful and unimpressive."

Do you feel like you are writing your own obituary when you work on your resume? Interesting thought.

Read the rest of Glenn Kelman has to say about
"What Employers Want to See on Your Resume"

KISS (Keeping it Simple for Seekers)

Some of the categories on Guy's blog include:
* Apple
* Blogging
* Books
* Bootstrapping -- to start a business without external help/capital
* Competition
* Cool stuff -- he likes fast, expensive cars
* Customer Service
* Entre/intra-preneurship
* Facebook
* Innovation
* Lies -- his top ten lists
* Management
* Pitching, Presenting, and Speaking
* Recruiting -- what employers do to hire people like you, what they like and don't like
* Ten Questions -- interviews with other experts
* Venture Capital
* Web/Tech

Don't just market yourself, evangelize yourself! Check it out. I won't be ignoring Guy's blog anymore.
How to Change the World



...Pam

Can you Tweet your way to a new job?

Lots of Gen-Y bloggers out there think so, however I think that the rules of marketing yourself are pretty much the same whether you are using social networking or going to cocktail parties to do it. There is something to be said for developing real relationships with real people and having the skills to discuss problems and opportunities face-to-face (or at least over the phone), whether those relationships start online or in-person. Employers are need skills, but ultimately they hire people, real people with real skills including real people skills. Go ahead and use the net but remember its just one more tool in your job search kit. And remember, the older the person, the slower they may be to adopt new technology; many managers are not net-savvy GenY-ers and won't be looking for you online, except on a passive job board or your emailed application to them. Eventually they will want to see a resume and meet you "for real". Will you be ready for that conversation?

Check out these pages:

How Blogging and Social Networking Can Impact Your Job Search

Will Social Networking Get You a Job? on Yahoo Hot Jobs

Twitter Your Way to a New Job on Employment Digest Net

KISS (Keeping it Simple for Seekers)
- Reflect your personality on your profile but keep it professional
- Post quality content that shows an employer the qualities and skills you can contribute
- Don’t blog, tweet or go on Facebook during company time unless its part of your job to do so
- Google yourself every once in a while; see what potential employers might see when they search for your name; you may be careful, but are your friends?
- Don't spam your followers or friends
- The quality of your effort determines the return you get from your investment of time
- Remember that social networking is just one tool

...Pam

Summer Job and a Summer Vacation? Can you have BOTH?

You sweat your way through the fall and winter semesters at school. You struggled to land a job for the summer or may be you are still looking. You need to work, but what you really want is a vacation. Can you pull it off? While you might be thinking of where you'd go and whether or not you can afford the trip, there is another critical piece to the planning process that is often overlooked by summer employees. Will the boss give you the time off?

Don't assume because everyone else at work is going to get some time away this summer that you will, too. The fact is that your job may exist because others are going on vacation and you are needed to hold down the fort. So how do you take care of you?

Negotiate!

If you know in advance that Cousin Jim is finally marrying his longtime girlfriend in Saskabush this summer and that you'll need a couple of extra days off to get to the wedding and back again, ask for this time off when you are negotiating other aspects of the job offer like pay and work schedule. You may have a rough time getting along with your supervisor if you accept a summer job only to ask for time off soon after your work begins.

Sometimes, though, opportunities to get away just pop up. On Tuesday you may think that you'll be stuck in an artificially-lit cubicle all summer, but by Thursday you may have an offer you don't want to refuse to stay at a beach-side cabin the following week. What shall you do? How should you ask?

The following articles all offer some good tips on negotiating days off and for other things, too, that make working worthwhile. Check them out:

Canadian Living - "Negotiate Time off for the Holidays"

Career Builder - Things You Can Negotiate for at Work and Didn't Know

Changing Minds - The Right Time to Negotiate

KISS

- Ideally, negotiate for time off when you are negotiating the job offer; you may even get paid days off if you ask for them up front
- Ask co-workers who have been on the job longer for tips on how to approach the boss
- Know your employer's (the organization's and your supervisor's) needs and tailor your request to be win-win
- Anticipate and plan around any draw-backs your employer may bring up
- Choose an appropriate time to meet; don't send your request by email unless several long-time employees insist that this is the best strategy
- Make your case clearly and be honest
- Be prepared for the offer of un-paid leave; will you take it?
- Be prepared for "no"; how will you cope if you cannot go?

Have a great summer and, my wish for you, a happy vacation, too.


...Pam