The Nice Guy Gets Ahead

In the words of Seth Godin from his book, Small is the New Big, “What if, just maybe, we quit making stuff and started making a difference?” How many of us have had the opportunity to go out there and really think about making a difference.  Whether it’s starting your own business, reaching out to the community, assisting someone to get through a project, or just taking the extra time to listen to someone in need. That doesn’t seem like much, but during these tough economic times many are only focused on how can I get through the day to save my job, keep food on the table for my family and are worried about their financial future. Yet the world would be a better place if all of us took $1, or the extra ten minutes out of our day to do something to inspire someone, educate someone, shake up the status quo and seek to make a difference.

Obama recently passed legislation to help stimulate the economy after sitting in on a boardroom listening to Top CEO’s about their gripes, concerns and issues in today’s marketplace. Although we do need something to stop the bleeding in this country, I disagree that the big CEO’s need to continue to gain money to bail out their businesses. In fact, I think it’s more about bailing out their personal interests rather than the little guy like you and I.

Yes, we want to create new jobs. Yes, we want to encourage people there is hope for the future. Yes, we want to get this economy to work for us in our favor. However, it’s the smaller businesses that seek to change things from the norm and should be receiving subsidies and/or funding from new investments. For the most part, these are the people that worked for big businesses, may have seen the inefficiencies and don’t have ulterior motives. They have the desire and passion to revolutionize how we do business which could potentially save our economy. Seth Godin continues to state, “In a time of rapid change, the best organizations are small and fast, and the people who run them have a chance to make an impact that will last.”

This should not be a time of giving out handouts to others that aren’t willing to make drastic changes. Others think this is a time of doom and gloom when it’s really not for the professionals that are seek to make a difference. It’s a time for these new leaders to shine. It’s a time for every major organization to evaluate how one conducts business. How we can be more efficient, how can we rely on new technology for production, embrace change and seek out ways to collaborate with others through social networks, as well as build relationships with other experts face-to-face. “Big companies are big companies because they’re very good at yesterday’s business,” states Godin. The world is changing rapidly and it’s up to us, as Obama suggests to see how we can individually contribute to the growth. No it won’t happen overnight. No man is an island, but it may happen if we can put on our thinking caps to stand fear in the face. Be a little creative and mix things up from the norm. We can hopefully identify the hope for the future. The more people in numbers that take strides each day will inevitably put us all in a better place than we are today.

I am determined to make this year a time to focus on my desires, to learn more skills, as well as make a difference. I strive to stand out in the crowd and work with others that want to help climb to the top in hopes to contribute to the growth of each individual. We must invest in the new entrepreneurs, listen to bloggers, the youth, and the men and women that seek to make a change in this society. Those are the people I would like to take my tax dollars and invest in our future. No more can we risk letting new actions from falling on deaf ears.  It’s unfortunate that some of the crooks will continue to get ahead being deceptive, look for the easy solution, or consider only their best interest. I certainly hope in my lifetime that it’s the individuals that will do what it takes to see “the nice guy get ahead,” and these individuals make a difference to thrive in our next generation.

Where Is The Next Chapter In My Life?

The web does wonders and I am fortunate to have had experiences working and understanding the digital space. The one thing that does make that arena exciting is that everyday there is something new to learn.  There are always new challenges to think creatively to solve!

I like to think of myself as someone forward-thinking, creative with diverse experiences, working both online and off-line and I would be marketable to many different opportunities. I would be pleased working for an organization in a marketing capacity. I would be pleased working again as a consultant in an organization, or part-time starting my own business on the side. I would be pleased given the opportunity to work in an outside sales capacity. I would be pleased to develop research and market a new product, or make enhancements to a new design. More importantly, I would be pleased to be apart of a team of other talented, driven and open-minded professionals that enjoy collaborating, as much as working hard independently.

I want to find something to add new life to a business, as well as reaches to assist and engage others. Whether one is young or old, I want to influence and help others. As I’ve gone through life, I’ve realized at the end of the day, I want to do something that works to make a difference in one’s life. It doesn’t have to move mountains, but most jobs provide a means to collaborate with others with a goal to solve a problem. As the old adage states, “Do what you love and the money will follow,” which is true for many, but sometimes it takes a long journey for some to find. 

Whether someone is to thank me for my assistance to improve their business, enlighten others with new ideas, and develop something to change one’s lifestyle, or just bring someone a smile. I enjoy learning new skills, making personal contact with others in hopes to be memorable for my work, as well as making differences in one’s life.

 

Read what others have said about my work and learn more about my background.

Laid-Off: Now What?

Okay, so you’ve been terminated from your employer due to lay-offs and NOW WHAT? For more and more professionals it’s becoming a reality one has to face each day. Don’t despair; people may want to help you just when you think the world maybe turning its back on you. First thing to do after it all sinks in, get out there and NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK.  Do whatever it takes to STAND OUT IN THE CROWD and make yourself known, and take the time to contemplate more about your personal goals, interests, dislikes and what may make you happy.

 

I am one of the many that has been laid-off in the last few weeks and I feel that keeping my options open to a few different career paths is important. I have been fortunate to be given opportunities in previous roles that I had no prior knowledge about that particular industry. Whether it was learning about the teen market, the B2B space, or how to send the best email campaigns to avoid Spam and much more. An individual was willing to give me a break, the chance to prove myself with my transferable skills and thankfully I had achieved success and recognition. In the past, I’ve noticed that anything I’ve applied myself to having little or no knowledge, I make it a concerted effort to surround myself around a particular topic, understand the industry and become known as an expert for others to turn to for guidance. It shows that my hard efforts, focus, research skills and drive can be applied to achieve a particular goal.

 

After being laid off, this is the perfect time to evaluate who you really are and where your future career may bring much joy. Ask your friends; ask your colleagues for a recommendation, you may realize that certain individuals have noticed your hidden talents that you may have never thought to promote.

 

Job Search & Professional Trade Journals
There are many good tools online that can start to spread the news about you. Yes, one can turn to Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com, Hotjobs.com and so on. Yet, turn to others sites, such as Indeed.com, a search engine for job seekers of all types. This site allows you to put in your preferred job role and it will crawl the web for all sorts of postings relevant to your interests. Try also finding an association or trade magazine that is specific to your industry to learn of opportunities available. For example, GPS WORLD specializes in helping professionals in an industry focused on navigation. They have recently launched the GPS Career Locator which provides niche specific industry job postings.

 

 

Blogging

Here is your chance to write your own blog and provide your accomplishments to others directly online. Look to see what the buzz is about in your industry, write your thoughts and respond to other blogs contributing your ideas. Believe me, someone should notice your responses and here is your opportunity to reach out to others.

 

Business Cards & Other Online Resources

Don’t forget to create business cards and make sure your resume has links directly to your blog, LinkedIN profile, Facebook page, or any other resource that can get your name out there to STAND OUT IN THE CROWD, as well as highlight examples of your work. You can also add any important links featuring your work and personal messages about your search on many social media community sites. For example, rather than just writing on Facebook, “what are you doing now?,” use that opportunity as a billboard to promote your search!

 

Check out mine:Keri’s Facebook page, Keri’s LinkedIN profile

Twitter and other Tools

If you like to explore another new phenomenon, start using Twitter.com to reach out and follow others, or share your work on SlideShare.com to offer examples of your presentations from the past.

Cover Letters, Resumes and Get Out There!

Don’t forget the traditional ways of perfecting your resume, cover letter, making phone calls, as well as making a point to go to networking events in person are key to building relations and making yourself marketable. Check out Meetup.com, or try MarksGuide.com, as great alternatives to finding out where and what’s going on in your neighborhood to connect with individuals that share similar interests and backgrounds. You could not only meet new people, but also explore new things that actually could add a new dimension to your world.

 

Your Next Job: Looking for Work

Looking for work is a full-time job, especially in a competitive marketplace. It does add a lot of responsibility to make an effort to update your online profiles, seek out others via email, phone, or social communities, and look for  the many new ways to get noticed. I have a lot to accomplish and hope my efforts pay off to get recognized once again by my next employer.