Numbers tell our worth, our potential and allow us to build confidence in our ability.  However, we seldom quantify our accomplishments, results and outcomes in numbers.

Without numbers, it’s difficult to promote our value.  This leads to lower salaries, credibility and respect.

Numbers that increase your value

Money:  In the world of business, money talks.  Whether you’re a leader or aspire to be one, it’s important to know how much money flows through your area, how much money your area saves and/or generates.  Few of us know our budgets.  Whether we are responsible for the budget or not, our worth is based on dollars.

Results:  I often say that there’s nothing worse than being successful and no one knows about it.  Quantify in numbers or percentages what your area produces, improves, decreases or enhances.

Talent: Selecting the right talent and tracking their success is important and increases your value.  Retention, engagement and productivity are good numbers to track.

Knowing your numbers help you promote your value, contribution and potential.  They also come in handy when you’re outlining your accomplishments on resumes, in interviews and during performance appraisals.

Rarely do we show our value in numbers.  Instead, we often show our value by outlining our responsibilities and processes by describing how we accomplished a goal, not the results or outcomes.

So, how successful are you?  Don’t sell yourself short. Know your numbers.  You may be surprised to find that you’re actually more successful than you thought.

Are You Getting the Most Out of Linked In?

When it comes to social networking, many women tell me that they don’t have a clue if they are doing it right.  And those who do use it, don’t always feel that they are getting anything out of it.

The truth is, social networking/media does work.  In fact I received speaking engagements, clients and job leads all from Linked In.  How?  By following these simple steps.

Step1:   Make an eye-catching profile.  Believe it or not, your profile is the most important real estate on Linked In.  It is (or should be) your mini commercial.  Make sure it outlines in a succinct way, what you do, who you do it for and what results you achieved.  You should also keep in mind that your public profile (if you select “full view”) will show up on Google searches.  Therefore, you want it to encourage others to seek further information about you and wish to connect.

Step 2:  Use keywords throughout your profile. Be sure to use relevant keywords for your industry or profession.  Many recruiters and professionals conduct keyword searches.  You want to make sure that they find you.  A great way to find keywords is to look at the profiles of others whom do the same work as you.  Check out job postings by recruiters on Linked In and see what terminology they use.

Step 3.  Update often. Be sure to update your status often with relevant information.  A great way to drive business is to include updates on things you’re working on, when you obtain new accounts or recent successes.  Whenever a client of mine is successful in obtaining a job, due to us working together, I include that in my updates.

Step 4: Don’t be bashful about including your past. The mistake I see often is when new users put only their current company in their profile. By doing so, they  limit their ability to connect with people. Be sure to include past companies, education, affiliations, and activities.  You will be surprised how much your connections will grow by doing so.

Step 5:  Join groups and participate in discussions. It is worth it to join groups as long as they are relevant, professional and about helping the members.  I have joined groups in the past where the members were all trying to sell to each other.  I hate that.  Instead find groups where the members are about supporting each other.  Then get engaged by sharing your expertise.  I love helping others solve problems.  By doing so, it led to an opportunity to co-author a book!

Big Tip:  Be sure to post your photo!  There is nothing worse than receiving an invitation to connect by a faceless person.

If you want to obtain the true benefits of Linked In, you must socialize and get involved .  Think of it this way, if you went to a networking event and didn’t talk to anyone, would you be surprised when you didn’t gain any new contacts?  The same is true with social networking.

Most of us post our information and wait.  If only it were that easy.  Unfortunately, this tool doesn’t take away the “work” out of networking.  However, it does do its job in helping you connect to the world if you so desire.

Connect With Me!

Check out these other helpful links for tips:

10 Linked in Tips for Professionals

7 Ways to Get More Out of Linked In

50 Linked Tips, Many Which are Awesome

Linked In for Job Seekers

Avoid these mistakes to move your resume to the top of the list!

Whether my client is new to the job market or has several years of professional experience, I see critical mistakes on resumes that are preventing talented professionals from getting noticed.

There are many things that may contribute to your resume being overlooked, tossed or simply not considered.  Therefore, I decided to devote this post to the 5 common mistakes I see.

5 Common Resume Mistakes

1. Failing to customize your resume to the job.

Nine times out of ten, I see generic resumes that look like they are created to be mass produced.  When your generic resume hits an experienced recruiter’s mailbox, it sends a message that you don’t know what job you want or you are desperate to get whatever job you can get.  It also screams that that you don’t care to take the time to cater your resume to suit what they are looking for.

Take the time to customize your resume to suit the job in which you are applying.  This means using keywords and job experience that is outlined in the job posting.  If you don’t take the time to sell yourself, what makes an employer feel confident that you will go above and beyond to do a great job?

2.  Writing a “Resume Objective” instead of a “Professional Summary”.

Objectives are good for new grads that have no prior work experience.  However, if you have work experience, an “objective” can make you look inexperienced or outdated.

Professional summaries are usually 2-3 sentences that serve as a mini commercial of your years of experience, expertise and attributes.  Employers are not interested in what you are seeking.  They want to know what you are bringing.

3.  Outlining your job responsibilities instead of your accomplishments and results.

Most resumes I review list the job seeker’s job responsibilities, often resembling a job description.  Without a list of your accomplishments including results and outcomes,  employers don’t know what you can potentially do for them if hired.  You should include 3-5 accomplishments for every job you list on your professional resume. This is critical to getting noticed.

4.  Dating yourself. 

Believe it or not, many of us still put dates on our resumes that tell our age, especially in the education section.  Although age discrimination is illegal, you don’t want to provide any information that could present an opportunity for biases.  This also includes younger job seekers as well.  Some people have biases to younger professionals because they may see them as inexperienced.  Therefore, leave graduation dates off your resume.

5.  Missing keywords.

It is important to include current keywords for your industry and profession.  This is especially important if you have been working in a job for many years or seeking to transition to a new field.  Also be sure to include keywords that are stated in the job posting.  This will help recruiters find your resume during keyword searches and it also reinforces that you are a fit for the job.

The biggest mistake of all!

Waiting until you need a job to update your resume. 

Don’t wait until you need a job to start on your resume.  You never know when an opportunity may arise and you will need one quick.  A strong resume takes time and nothing is more frustrating than trying to write a powerful resume on short notice.   By then, you are rushed and you could miss out on a great opportunity.

With many of us out in the job market, making yourself stand out from the crowd is challenging but imperative.  Be sure to avoid these common mistakes and help move your resume to the top.

Take care,

Jocelyn,

Your coach, speaker & friend

How Powerful is Your Resume? Get Your Resume Report Card and Find Out!

There are many career strategies hidden in the world of sports that can help you increase your competitive advantage.  Captured in the Black enterprise article, Four Lessons Women of Power Can Learn from the Super Bowl, this idea actually sets the tone for my career strategy book, What’s In Your Sandwich? 10 Surefire Ingredients for Career Success, aimed to help those who find their careers stuck in ruts, or needing to start over.

The Super Bowl can help women set the proper foundation for career success by incorporating some of their tactics.  In my book, I call it “Setting Up Your Kitchen for Success”.

Nuggets you can learn from the game are as follows:

Adopting a competitive mindset:  women seldom think of their careers as a competition.  Instead we believe that our work should speak for itself.  The sport teaches that you must do what it takes to win, learn from setbacks and know when it’s time to change your strategy.  This is all part of a competitive mindset.

Understanding the playing field: Every team knows the importance of knowing whom they are competing against, their strengths/weaknesses, as well the rules of the game.  Knowing the job market and unspoken rules, known as office politics, of corporate America are important to succeed. Women must get in the game by understanding the rules and when to abide by them or break them.

Knowing why others fail: Sports teams study their own failures and those of others, attempting to avoid repeating them.  This is also critical to successful careers.  You can’t be afraid to take risks.  However, taking a risk informed helps increase your changes of success as well as learning from mistakes.  This is part of a continuous improvement strategy that helps teams advance.

Next time you watch the big game, don’t think of it as just football.  Instead, think of all of the strategies you can gain to take your game to the next level.

Most people miss an important step in goal setting.

If you are like the majority of the population, you probably have made a New Year’s resolution.  I know I have, as I do every year.

What if I told you that by doing just this one thing, you could increase your chances of keeping your resolution by 80%.  Would you believe me?  Well, it is true.

Most of us fail to do the one thing that is critical to reaching our goals.  What is it you ask?  Answer: Writing down your goals along with a plan to accomplish them.

Yes, it is true.  Those whom put their goals in writing, are 80% more successful than those whom don’t.  In fact, there is a famous study conducted by Harvard Business School involving MBA students from the class of 1979.  In the study, as sited in the book, What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School, by Mark H. McCormack, the graduates were asked 3 questions around goals.  They were as follows:

1. Have you set goals?
2. Have you written them down?
3. Do you have a plan to accomplish them?

The researched revealed that only 3% of the Harvard class had written goals and a plan to accomplish them, 13% had goals but did not put them in writing, and 84% had no specific goals at all.  When the graduates were resurveyed 10 years later, the difference in the success of the graduates was staggering.

The 3% whom had written goals with a plan to accomplish them, earned 10 times as much as the others combined!

The moral of the story: if you wish to reach your goals, put them in writing along with a plan to accomplish them.  This one step could get you on to the road to success.

writing down your goals leads to success.

Goal Writing

Most of us don’t put our goals in writing because:

1. We don’t know how to write a goal
2. If we do know how to write a goal ,we hate to do it.
3. We don’t understand the importance of this exercise.

For me, using the SMART ( SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) goal method is still  the best tool for goal writing.  Most of us are familiar with it and using it will help you write a goal that is  specific,  while ensuring that you have a plan to carry it out.

If you need a refresher or information on how to use this method, check out the information below on establishing your SMART goal.  Be sure to include each step in your goal writing exercise.

1. Be Specific: The more specific your goal, the more apt you are to achieve it and know when you are successful.  Be sure to answer: who, what, how, when.

2. Make sure it is Measurable: To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as…How will I know when it is accomplished?

3. Goals must be Attainable: Just about any goal you set to achieve is attainable if you put your mind and effort to it.

4. Goals must be Realistic: To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work.

5. Set a Timely Completion: A goal should be grounded within a specific time frame.

Here is an example of SMART I wrote for myself in 2011:

I will obtain a mentor with expertise in business management by June 2010, by attending business association meetings, asking for referrals from friends and connecting with members of my executive team and network.

And, yes, I was successful in meeting this goal.

If you wish to reach your goals and perform better than than most, write a SMART goal and stick to it.  If you want help, reach out and contact me.  I would be happy to help you put it in writing.

Take Our Weekly Poll by selecting the step you have taken -Be honest : ).

“To change where you’re going, you need to know where you’ve been.”

-Jocelyn Giangrande

Where you are going, depends a great deal on where you’ve been. Therefore, I always reflect on the past to make plans for the future. When I evaluate my past, it helps me learn from mistakes and enhance my strengths.

We are you going? Have you evaluated your past performance in planning 2012 goals ?

Evaluating the past

Throughout the year, I poll readers to understand how we feel about ourselves in the workplace.  This information is critical in evaluating our past as a whole. Let’s take a look at our past, and see how we did.

In 2011, …

64%   Used weak language with a boss.

50%   Believed their resume could use a boost.

57%   Were not comfortable using social networking.

77%    Felt insecure in salary negotiations.

96%   Have had to restore their reputations.

67%   Don’t feel confident about their communication skills.

92%   Believed that women are harder bosses.

50%   Did not asked for help when needed.

33%   Don’t promote their work well.

Source: Readers of “The Confident Woman”, published by SASHE, LLC

When you evaluate your past, it gives you the opportunity to learn from mistakes and enhance your strengths.  Taking this step is critical to future success.

What do you plan to work on in 2012?

Avoiding 3 simple phrases can boost your power with your boss.

Communicating confidently with your boss can be challenging.  Day- to- day we have conversations with our boss that impact how they view our work, our potential and our relationship.  Therefore, knowing how to talk to your boss with confidence as well as ensuring that you are building the right reputation is critical.

Below are 3 things you should avoid saying to your boss to maintain a positive impression:

1.  “It was nothing.”  One should never say “it was nothing” to a boss whom has given a compliment on a job well done.

Many of us down play our achievements.  We believe if we say our achievements come easy, we will earn respect and recognition.  Most of us also have been socialized to believe that self-promotion is distasteful.  Therefore, we are uncomfortable taking full credit for our work.

When we downplay our achievements, instead of winning accolades for our strategic approach, project management skills and meeting aggressive deadlines, telling our boss that our accomplishment was nothing, diminishes our contribution and credibility.

When you have a success, learn how to take credit for it by simply saying “thank you”.  You may even try kicking it up a notch by adding, “you picked the best person for the job.”  Remember, if you don’t think your accomplishment is a big deal, no one else will either.

 2.  “No” Even when your boss gives you an assignment that may seem unreasonable or unrealistic, saying “no” could tarnish your reputation and jeopardize future advancement opportunities.

Unless the request is unethical, illegal or against company policy, finding a way to “yes” will boost your status with your boss.  Bosses are loyal to those who they can count on to get it done.  Therefore, instead of saying “No or that’s impossible”,  outline what resources, support or information you need to get the job done.  Saying something like; “Sure we can do that.  I will put together a plan on how we will meet that objective.” will go a long way.

When you find a way to “yes”,  you become the “go to” person.  This is a valuable position.  When your boss knows that she can count on you, her confidence in you will soar.  You will also earn respect when you learn how to ask for what you need to complete the job.

3.  “I feel…”   Using words like I feel, weakens your language and focuses on emotions rather than actions.

Small adjustments to the words you use with your boss can change how you’re perceived.  If you wish to communicate confidence with your boss, establish a reputation as someone who takes action.  Below is an example of how a small adjustment enhances the power of your words:

Emotional & Weak:  I feel really good about how the project is going.

Powerful & Active:    The project is on target, on budget and will be completed in time for the release date.

Communicating with confidence with your boss is important.  Choosing the rights words is critical to establishing a solid reputation and credibility.  A few simple adjustments can have you communicating with confidence in no time.

© Jocelyn Giangrande, SASHE, LLC and The Confident Woman, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from this blog’s author  is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE, LLC with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

How to Communicate Effectively and Get Your Opinions Heard

Learn to communicate with confidence and get the respect you deserve in business meetings, with your boss and colleagues. Watch the above video and learn the 3 easy steps to ensure that your voice is heard.

Step 1: Avoid I, Me and You Statements

Step 2: Blend Action Verbs into Your Statements

Step 3: Manage Interruptions     

Looking at your current situation differently can help you love your job even when you hate it.

Once a client of mine was in a tough situation.  She was frustrated because her team had failed to embrace her and she felt like an outsider.  When she started to withdraw from them as well, her boss blamed her for not being a team player.

She was also frustrated because her full potential wasn’t being utilized and her boss started leaving her off important projects. After missing out on developmental opportunities, it didn’t take her long to decide that it was time to leave.  She desperately wanted off the team and her negative feelings were starting to show.

Knowing that her reputation was important and she didn’t want to blow it, she came to me for advice.  My advice, after helping to assess the pros and cons of her situation, was to plan a perfect exit strategy.

The Exit Strategy Goal: Exit with an abundance of transitional skills, information, and knowledge.

If you are miserable or looking for something new, part of your exit strategy should be to gain as much as you can from your current position before moving on.

Learn to love the job you have until you find something better.

The  following 5 steps could help you plan for your next move:  (before implementing these steps,  be sure to assess the pros and cons of  your situation.  If there are more pros than cons, you may want to stick it out and change your perspective).

5 Steps to Implement Before You Leave Your Current Job

I find that when women implement a planned strategy, they feel confident and empowered.  Knowing they are gaining from their current experience brings a new positive perspective on their situation; making it easier to stick it out.

Clients whom have tried this approach often find that they have taken for granted the positive things their current position offers.  Benefits such as a steady paycheck, flexibility, health benefits, resources, access to information, exposure to networks, etc.  are often underutilized.  Most were planning on leaving their employer without taking advantage of these benefits.

Learning to love the job you have until you move on, could help to make an unbearable situation, bearable.  If you are leaving anyway, you may as well make the most of it.  Who knows, you may find out that your situation is better than you thought.

“I had a good time on Saturday.  I look forward to future seminars that encourage me to grow beyond my comfort zone.” -J. Sharp

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© Jocelyn Giangrande and The Confident Woman, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author  is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and Sisters Keeping it Real with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Is Your Hard work Paying Off?

Many women believe that their hard work will get them to where they want to go.  Therefore, many of us are working our butts off.  Yet, we are not getting anywhere.  Why?

Answer:  Many of us fall victim to the myth of hard work.

Your hard work means nothing if no one knows how well you are doing, what your accomplishments are and how successful you have been.  I often tell my clients that;

“there is nothing worse than being successful and no one knows about it.”

Although we work hard, most of our superiors, networks and business contacts don’t have a clue of how successful we are.  We have not told them about our work.  Your hard work will not pay off until you let people know what it is you are accomplishing.

If you are successful at your job, there are many ways to let others know.  Here are three steps to help you do just that:

1.  Take credit for your success:

Many of us down play our accomplishments when someone pays us a compliment.  You would be surprised how many times I have heard a woman say, “it was nothing”, or  “it wasn’t all me, it was my team”, or “it’s no big deal,” when someone complimented their achievement.  If you don’t think it is a big deal, no one else will either.  Learning to say “Thank You” sounds easy, but is difficult for most.    When you have a success, learn how to take credit for it by saying “thank you”. Try it for a week and let me know what you find.

2.  Make yourself and your hard work known.

I bet you are accomplishing many things but the world doesn’t know.  You don’t have to scream from the rooftop,  but you should come close to it.  At a minimum,  provide simple project updates that can be presented to your supervisor, department leaders or peers.  This is a great way to let others know what you are accomplishing.  Just got a promotion, ask your PR department to write a release for you or at least put it in the company newsletter. Have a best practice, ask to have a write-up in the company newsletter about your new process.  This will get you recognition within your organization.

3. Ask for feedback.

If you are a bit modest, this may work for you.  When you are working on an important project, ask for feedback from others in your network, from mentors or potential clients.  This is an indirect way to let them know what you are doing and the complexity and level of expertise you have.  People like to be asked for their input.  However by doing so, you are also letting them know more about your work.

Don’t fall victim to the myth of hard work.  Remember, it means nothing if no one knows about it.  Get out and tell them what you are working with!