So you’ve drained all your energy on social media and don’t know what direction to go next? Don’t fear my hard workin’ friend! The next step is closer than that notebook you’re drooling on. Come on! Wake up! You’re makin’ us look bad.
I know you’ve been trying to take it to the next level and figure out how to break into the blogging stratosphere alongside the Brogan’s and Scoble’s of the world. Of course, the reality is that getting to that level is through a LOT of hard work. A never-ending job of reading, learning, tweeting, researching, writing, blogging, writing, and (hopefully) consulting. All to become really good at what you do. As any expert, and they’ll describe the same type of thing. Long hours, following their passion on a topic that they want to share as much as learn about.
So you’ve been writing about social media, talking & tweeting with the rest of the flock about social media. What’s the next step for you to make your mark?
Find something else to talk about.
Seriously, I’m not trying to be a smartass about this. You stumbled upon (heh, get it 😉 ) social media and something clicked, but you came from doing something else. I’m not saying there isn’t space to explore social media as a career. What I am saying is that its nothing more than a set of tools to better communicate. You need to use these tools to better interact with folks either in your industry or the genre that fits your passions.
Social Media allows you to listen to customers better and faster.
Social Media allows you to start, and join in conversations with customers.
Social Media can be a new teambuilding tool.
Social Media are tools of change for those looking to affect change.
So if you still have dreams of being a blogging superstar, make sure that you find your niche and get started sharing your knowledge. That’s one of the values of social media – sharing what you know in a way that helps other folks, but also brings more folks to your doorstep.
Good luck my friend, and don’t let the keyboard leave marks on your forehead!
I have to take a minute and talk about the atmosphere that I’ve been working in as a consultant for the last eight months. It’s been an unbelievable stressful environment. Why have I stuck with it? Guess I’ve fallen into that rut of feeling like I need to be “responsible†and keep the nose to the grindstone – or something like that.
The reality, of course, is that this particular contract has taken more of my time, energy, and attention to participate in this environment. More than I would like to admit to friends and family – though they can probably tell from my blogging tempo at the very least.
That’s the rub too isn’t it? Coworkers who’ve been in their particular pressure cooker don’t see it for what it really is. Or is it easier from an outside perspective to criticize what you perceive is wrong and how it contributes the behaviors you observe?
At any rate, I’m finding the pressure of my current contract to be more than I desire to maintain. There are options to follow up on, and directions to pursue. Despite the news you hear from the mainstream media, there just seems to be an avalanche of opportunities out there if you’re watching for them.
So instead of stewing here in the juices of an unhappy circumstance, I’m off to change the future once again. Why don’t you join me?
We had an interesting discussion around the lunch table the other day regarding many aspects of the current economy. From the mounting job purges of too many large companies and what it all means to us the average person.
Really the discussion came around to how the traditional exercise of searching for a job is changing. There were three of us at lunch today and, not surprisingly, there were three different perspectives and understanding of the process in an environment that we all find ourselves in.
Here is where the differences in age come into play. Among the three of us around the table, there was about a decade from the youngest to oldest. The perception of how best to position oneself in today’s market was probably best understood by the younger two of the group, with the oldest standing fairly firm to the notion that job search and how you go about it hasn’t changed much.
Really, the truth is that it depends on the job you’re looking to get. Calling it a job to begin with is part of the problem, as anyone looking for the next job should really believe that they are looking for the next step in their career. Following the old, tried and true methods of mass mailings, cold-calls, and relying on a headhunter finding you may still work, but one wonders for how long?
Instead, following the example of many an enterprising young millennial may actually be your best bet. Maybe everyone doesn’t feel up to posting videos of themselves on YouTube, or spending hours on Twitter, or the many other social networks. However, at least a full LinkedIn profile, and even a Facebook page, so folks are able to find you, may be in order.
The point I suppose I’m trying to get to is that change has already taken place in the area of job search & career placement; and the sooner you understand that the easier it’ll be to prepare for the next phase of your career. This is as true for seasoned corporate veterans as it is for the new college grad looking to jump into the fray.
It’s time to manage yourself into the next career change rather than falling into it.
Yep, it’s time for the next issue of the magazine that can change your career: Personal Branding Magazine. I’m quite proud of the work that I’ve contributed to the magazine, and want to send a personal thank-you to publisher Dan Schawbel for putting together a great magazine in every issue. So please check out the latest issue – I hope you purchase a subscription as a large portion of the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.
Personal Branding Magazine Volume 2, Issue 3 focuses on the first step of the personal branding process, brand discovery. Many people rush into personal branding, without first taking precious time to discover who they are and what they want to do for the rest of their lives. In this issue, we expose how to unlock your true potential, unearth your passion, acquire the necessary skills and how to set achievable goals. We’ve interviewed some of the leading businessmen, such as Marcus Buckingham, to help you with your own personal development.
Features:
Focus on Discovering Your Brand
Interviews with Marcus Buckingham, Marshall Goldsmith, John Assaraf, Tim Sanders, and Gurbaksh Chahal
Full paid issue (available February 1st) with 24 articles covering personal discovery and related topics
Free sample issue with 6 articles, including how to Use The Internet To Discover Yourself, and SEO for Brand Discovery
I have to hand it to blogging friend and fellow SOBCon 2008 alumni Robert Hruzek of Middle Zone Musings. His monthly What I Learned From… series morphed into a fantastic display of blogging talent from around the web in January of this year.
Robert opened his blog to anyone interested in sharing a list of their posts from their blogs. Calling it BLOGAPALOOZA! – What I Learned From 2008, this blogging extravaganza has featured some of the best writing talent you can find on the ‘net.
You can find my post here – just posted today actually. So I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Robert for the chance to share some posts of mine from 2008, and be part of a great group blogging project that has accumulated well over 100 entries so far.
So Robert, here’s a “tip o’ the hat†to you for organizing BLOGAPALOOZA 2008.
Hi there, it’s time again for the next SMBMSP event here in the Twin Cities – our 11th event if you can believe it!
We’ll be talking about social media and how it can be used in job search. This is a hot topic during our current economic situation, and I’m sure there are a number of people who will benefit from the discussion.
We’ll have Paul DeBettignies (@MNHeadhunter) to talk about these things from a recruiter’s point of view. Other folks with great ideas for using social media for job search are welcome to stand up and share them with the group.
We’ll also look at brainstorming ideas for our fellow SMBers and invite you to share job leads on our Forum here on our Ning site.
We’re working on sponsors, but currently this event may be BYOB. We’ll keep you posted on that from the smbmsp.ning.com site, so you may want to check in there once or twice. Or follow us on Twitter (@smbmsp) for updates.
So join us in taking our understanding of social media and applying it back to our own community for job search.
