Don't Take Shelter From the Storm

Preparing for 2010

March 2009

Many people dream of a job where they get to make a difference in someone's life. I'm lucky enough to actually have one. Building on years of corporate experience in PR, branding, positioning and marketing, I work with individuals - executives who are seeking jobs and entrepreneurs launching or re-energizing a business.

I help people market themselves or their businesses, so they can achieve their career goals and live the life they really want.

Blue Feet answers that all-important question - what makes you so special? - and provides tools and training so you can tell the world all about it.

We all know it's tough out there, but I can help. If your friend, family member or colleague is talented and amazing, but has a hard time saying so, send them my way. Help them get their very own pair of Blue Feet.

Don't Take Shelter From the Storm

This is not the time to batten down the hatches, hide out and wait for the economic storm to pass. The time to market yourself is today.

While it is tempting to snuggle up in front of the fire with a cup of cocoa and a box of bon bons for the next few months, you need to be like those Weather Channel reporters, standing out in the roiling surf and howling winds, shouting your story to the world.

Here's why:

Heavy Competition - When there are fewer jobs or fewer customers, the prize goes to those who can make it clear that they're the best of the bunch.

Early Birds Win - Start now to position yourself for 2010 with revved up marketing. When money starts flowing again, success will come quickest to those who are top of mind.

Mood Management - Sitting around hoping things will get better does not make you feel better. Connecting with people, learning something new, doing volunteer work - taking action will make you feel better.

Need a bit of help to get going? Check out the Blue Feet Flash Marketing Plan.

Objections to Objectives

It absolutely pains me to see a bad résumé, and there are a lot of them out there. Yes, it's a tough environment, but it's much tougher for those with a generic résumé. Or even worse, a bad one.

A few mistakes (I swear I am not making these up):

Putting education first, despite 30+ years of professional experience.
Listing the name of your former employer or university incorrectly.
And, my personal favorite, listing dead references, as in persons who are deceased.

A more common mistake is to start with an objective. This is a waste of space and says nothing of value to your target audience.

Instead, open with a strong positioning statement or profile. This should state, in one or two sentences, what you have to offer the prospective employer. It should send a clear signal that you're a winner and you can make that boss and that company winners too.

Need a bit of help? Blue Feet offers a one-hour résumé consult for $150. No canned e-mail exchange here. With Blue Feet you get a real, live conversation with marketing expert Lilli Cloud. Find out more.

Perfect Pitch

Both job seekers and entrepreneurs need an elevator pitch -- a powerful, concise description of what makes you or your business so special. Of course, this should include what you actually do.

But don't just say you're a dentist or a writer. Say something about the way you work, your ideal client, how you make an impact. Say something people will remember, and that will open a window to conversation. And know what it will be, before you get to the elevator.

Boring: I'm a dentist.
Better: I'm a local dentist providing caring dentistry for the whole family, from baby teeth to dentures.

Boring: I'm a former Ohio Times business reporter.
Better: I'm a journalist specializing in business coverage of everything from local trends to Fortune 500 executive compensation. I was formerly with the Ohio Times, and now I'm looking for my next opportunity to capitalize on my business background.

Boring: I'm in advertising.
Better: I'm one of the guys who came up with the E*TRADE baby commercials. I'm on the lookout for another opportunity be part of a dynamic creative team.

To see how important it is to be prepared, check out Elevator Pitch videos on MSN, filmed in, well, an elevator.

Read on...

Building Your Own Job

This is definitely the time to get creative about your career. Like everything else in this recession, we're getting the wake up call about things that were happening anyway. This includes our careers.

Here's some things we now know for sure:

You will have more than one career in your life, maybe several.
You may not get to pick when your career change happens.
You may create a successful business or career in an area that is not what you studied in school.
You may not have traditional corporate opportunities in the late stages of your career.
Even if you have money, you may be working well past traditional retirement age.

My goal is to never have a job I want to retire from, which means I'll definitely be reinventing myself again. Perhaps when I'm done with Blue Feet, I'll become a Lego artist, like Nathan Sawaya. Check out Nathan's job and other unusual options at Condé Nast Portfolio.

Give In to Your Inner Narcissist

I've never met a personality test I didn't like. So when my clients at Wells Fargo asked me to take the over-the-counter version of Gallup's StrengthsFinder, I didn't need to be asked twice.

Not only do such tests provide me a chance to give in to my inner narcissist, they also validate the choices I make in my life. I've also found them useful in the workplace.

At PainePR, the wonderful facilitator Daniel Pitlik gave us all personality tests, which we posted on our doors. It was helpful to know what you were walking into, and explained a lot. Like why the tech guy needed to tell me every single detail of every single byte and pixel in his brain, and why I only wanted the headlines. We strived to meet somewhere the middle.

Here's a couple of favorites. Enjoy!

StrengthsFinder
For just $22 you can buy the book, which gives you access to the online test built on 30 years of Gallup research. The philosophy is great. Instead of spending all your efforts trying to fix your weaknesses, focus instead on building your strengths. This is in widespread use throughout corporate America.

Part of the fun is comparing yours to others. Here's mine: Strategic, Connectedness, Activator, Relator, Belief.

Personal DNA A little less serious, but it comes with this great visual map (above) that you can post to your Facebook page or blog. And, it includes an awesome tool that is so overdue - you can assess someone else's personality. Your boss? Your boyfriend? Then you can share it with them, or not.

In case you're wondering, I'm an Animated Leader.

Learn More

Thanks for taking a minute to read my newsletter. In addition to my personalized Blue Feet consulting, I'm also available for workshops, seminars and panels. If you know of an organization or individual that would benefit from some Blue Feet advice, I'd welcome the opportunity to talk with them about it.

Find out more