Communication How (mechanics) vs Why (objectives)

Communication How (mechanics) vs Why (objectives) I recently was listening to a technical presentation and as I was listening I had a profound thought.  I hope I communicate it well below.  Note: the person who did the presentation did a great job, but the way my mind works is it takes a concept and then thinks about how my readers can apply it to their job search, career management and networking Technology presentations can be very technical and mechanical.  They can talk in acronyms and jargon which excites people who get it and confuses the rest. When talking about the HOW of technology we (programmers/technologists, even project managers) can get so excited about the cloud, SSL, javascript, client-side this and server-side that, the UI and the GUI and Apache and markup languages and use cases That is the HOW that is the mechanics.  To the right audience this is the right message. But many times our audience doesnt want, and cant handle, the HOW.  They need the WHY. If the audience wants the WHY, they need to understand the big picture, the reason behind the project, the objectives, and probably most important, the WIIFM. Have you heard of WIIFM? Say that out loud. Shout it.  Its fun to yell it sounds something like this: whiffem! The WIFFM is the Whats In It For Me. When you present you must think about your audience.  If your audience will get lost in technology or jargon, dont use it.  They might not CARE about the HOW and only care about the WHY, or the WIIFM. Theres another way to say all this.  Have you ever heard you need to communicate the benefit, not the features?  That is a common phrase/concept amongst salespeople, who really get excited about features but lose the customer who wants to know about the benefits. This applies to every one of you.  I know you are proud of your features, but many times that is the HOW.  Think about your audience (networking, interviewing, friends/family who can be your evangelists) and think about the WIIFM, and the WHY. Thoughts? Communication How (mechanics) vs Why (objectives) I recently was listening to a technical presentation and as I was listening I had a profound thought.  I hope I communicate it well below.  Note: the person who did the presentation did a great job, but the way my mind works is it takes a concept and then thinks about how my readers can apply it to their job search, career management and networking Technology presentations can be very technical and mechanical.  They can talk in acronyms and jargon which excites people who get it and confuses the rest. When talking about the HOW of technology we (programmers/technologists, even project managers) can get so excited about the cloud, SSL, javascript, client-side this and server-side that, the UI and the GUI and Apache and markup languages and use cases That is the HOW that is the mechanics.  To the right audience this is the right message. But many times our audience doesnt want, and cant handle, the HOW.  They need the WHY. If the audience wants the WHY, they need to understand the big picture, the reason behind the project, the objectives, and probably most important, the WIIFM. Have you heard of WIIFM? Say that out loud. Shout it.  Its fun to yell it sounds something like this: whiffem! The WIFFM is the Whats In It For Me. When you present you must think about your audience.  If your audience will get lost in technology or jargon, dont use it.  They might not CARE about the HOW and only care about the WHY, or the WIIFM. Theres another way to say all this.  Have you ever heard you need to communicate the benefit, not the features?  That is a common phrase/concept amongst salespeople, who really get excited about features but lose the customer who wants to know about the benefits. This applies to every one of you.  I know you are proud of your features, but many times that is the HOW.  Think about your audience (networking, interviewing, friends/family who can be your evangelists) and think about the WIIFM, and the WHY. Thoughts?

Use Email Segmenting to Improve Your Marketing and Communication - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Use Email Segmenting to Improve Your Marketing and Communication - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Having a focused email marketing plan is important to have in place for your personal brand in order to best connect with your subscribers. The right message for each list will greatly enhance your leads and sales. There are several ways that a segmented strategy can work for your brand, which should be well suited for the type of option form your subscribers used. Knowing the needs of your audience will also help your company know what to provide for them, especially when it comes to valuable offers. Building the right email marketing campaign takes target market research, careful planning, and a message that is based upon the specific needs and desires of your prospects. Here are several ways your communication with your leads and customers can be enhanced: Ask targeted questions Find out more about the specific needs of your niche with surveys that provide an incentive in return. This will increase your open rates with a reward of providing something of value that your audience can really use. Write appealing headlines Utilize a good headline analyzer to test out different versions for your emails. Remember that broad or generic subject lines will often get skipped or deleted. Instead, your brand should appeal to the reader’s emotions right away and provide them a reason to open your message. Segment your subscribers Your subscribers may be coming from different campaigns in both social media and via your blog. Send out specific emails targeted to these groups. Focused emails are more likely to be opened as they specifically address a more narrow market. Follow up with each list Send periodic reminders out to your subscribers about what they opted into your offer. Schedule according to your own emailing agenda it’s important not to send too many messages and overwhelm them with information. Sending regular and segmented emails throughout the month on a consistent basis will keep your personal brand at the top of your readers’ minds and will help you focus your efforts for a better return. By targeting the right subscribers they will be more likely to make a purchase and also recommend your company to their friends, family, and co-workers. The process may take some effort and research to set up for each list, but is well worth the the payoff in the end.

3 Fun Ways to Get Out of That Rut and Spice Up the Rest of 2019 -

3 Fun Ways to Get Out of That Rut and Spice Up the Rest of 2019 - If you feel like you’re living in your own personal  Groundhog Day, where every day is exactly the same, you may be in a serious rut. Even if you enjoy your job and taking care of your family, following the same routines day after day can lead to boredom and a good case of the “blahs.” Here’s some great news: There are definite cures for this monotonous feeling, and they don’t have to break the bank. For instance, the following ideas can help you break up your usual routine with some fun new activities that will add some much-needed spice to the rest of the year. Consider the following rut-busting suggestions: Take a Vacation One surefire way to get out of a rut is to take a vacation. Now, you don’t have to necessarily trek off to Europe or head to Hawaii for a couple of weeks; instead, you can plan a shorter getaway that will recharge your batteries. If you can, choose a vacation spot you have previously never visited in order to see a part of the country that’s new to you. For instance, a cruise to Alaska can be a fun vacation that’s more budget-friendly than you might think. In fact, Princess offers  a number of 2019 Alaska cruises that are a week long and include a number of ports of call.    When you’re taking photos of actual moose and eagles and seeing glaciers in-person, it will be hard to feel like you’re in a boring rut! Volunteer to Help Others It can be easy to feel “blah” about life when it feels like you’re not working toward anything. Yes, you’re definitely putting in the time at work and taking care of your family, but you might not feel like you have a true sense of purpose. To help lift your spirits, you might  look into volunteering. Think about causes and organizations you support and contact them to see if they offer any volunteer opportunities. For example, if you love animals, you might find it rewarding to volunteer at a local shelter or foster dogs from time to time to help them get placed in their forever homes. Go to a Concert or Professional Game If you love music and/or sports, instead of enjoying your favorite artists and teams on your streaming service and/or TV, consider going to a concert or game. When choosing tickets,  buy the best seats you can afford, which will give you something to look forward to and then remember for years to come. You should also make it a point to bring along your sweetie and turn it into a date night or invite a dear friend to join you and dance to the music or cheer your team on to victory. After all, being inside a lively event space can really be a tonic for boredom. End 2019 on a Fresh and Fun Note Once you start looking for ways to liven up your day-to-day life, you will likely want to continue trying out new experiences. Start by getting away for a much-needed vacation, volunteering your time and treating yourself to tickets to a fun event. These three things alone should help you feel less blasé  about life  and instead happier and invigorated.

Five Points for Thinking Handy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Five Points for Thinking Handy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Build your soft skills by building things. Building things build skills Whether you are building a spreadsheet or a tiny house. Building things builds skills. Do you remember how it felt to create something, finish it, look at it and enjoy it? Are you handy? Seventeen years ago this week I lost my dad. One of the many things he taught me was that working with your hands can be as fun as working with your head. He taught me how to be handy. He taught me to try things, break things, and repair things. Not a day goes by where I dont get to put some of those Thinking Handy skills to use. Just this week I fixed my mother-in-laws toilet. It was an easy fix. It took me about 60 seconds to evaluate the problem and then to fix it. What happened in those 60 seconds was that I quickly determined if any new parts were needed. Then realizing the design of the system was built to fail the way it did. And, finally knowing what to do in order to fix it. All within about 60 seconds. The way I was able to do this so quickly was because Ive seen it before and took the time to figure it out. Then, when I saw it again I could fix it very quickly by Thinking Handy. What about you? Do you know your way around the woodshop? Can you pick up an oxyacetylene torch and know what to do with it? Do you like to put things together? The final forming of a persons character lies in their own hands. ~Anne Frank If said yes to any of these questions then you probably already know what Im going to talk about next. But, please read on and also add a comment to what working with your hands does for you, for your personal relationships, and your overall outlook on life. Here are Five Points for Thinking Handy While building your soft skills you will be growing your physical skills for dexterity and to see how things go together and work together. You will also be building your mental skills as you learn to envision the inter-operation of things and how the tools youve learned to use can help you solve problems and address challenges in different ways. First Off Age is NOT an issue It doesnt matter how old you are. A lot of times these programs are filled by teenagers and young adults, but there are people in their 60s and 70s that are picking up skills by building things every day. They often have the time and they want to get involved. So, dont be surprised if you see a senior citizen picking up a hammer. And, perhaps seek to get some seniors you know involved. See below for Where to Get Started. Second Skills Transfer is Free When you get involved you will be getting training from experts. You will be learning skills on how to use tools, when to use tools and why to use tools. Like with everything in life when you learn from experts, especially those that are great teachers, their skills rub off on you. The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. ~ Mark Van Doren Third  â€" Be a Lifelong Learner You can always learn something. Whether you are learning to use a bandsaw or building a tiny house the skills you will learn can be used in a lot of different ways. Perhaps in ways you never imagined. Learning how to build things adds to your lifelong learning skillset. Fourth Bring What You Know You dont need to learn or know everything. The advantage of many of these programs is that experts will help you learn new skills. The skills you bring are also valuable to the overall equation. You might be a great organizer or communicator. These skills can be very helpful on projects. These skills can complement the task at hand. Fifth Low Cost Learning It wont cost a lot. You dont need to buy a bunch of tools. One of the challenges of building things is that tools can be varied and can be expensive. The great news about the programs described below and the ones that are running right in your neighborhood is that they will be provide the tools … and as noted above … teach you how to use them. And, always remember … The skills you are learning look great on your resume. In addition to the pride youll feel with building something and perhaps helping others youll be able to note this on your curriculum vitae, your CV. Giving back is always a good thing on a personal level and its also something employers (and schools) look for when considering applicants. Where to Get Started? If you are wondering … this sounds great, but I don’t know where to get started. Here are three examples for you. There are lots of other organizations that need help. Reach out to your local community or consider going on a eco-trip where you’ll help people in other counties. Sawhorse Revolution is a Seattle based non-profit that is Habitat for Humanity YMCA Your local YMCA can always use help. Adding to your Toolbelt In addition to the new found confidence youve developed by building things you also get an another skill to add to your toolbelt (pun intended) and your resume. You will also meet many other new people in this journey. The network of people you will meet can help you as much as you are helping them. Make the most of your network. Connect, Build and Grow. Start today (if you haven’t already) and soon you will be building things and be able to add Thinking Handy to your toolbelt.

Start Your Sewing at Home Businesses Career Successfully with These 5 Ideas CareerMetis.com

Start Your Sewing at Home Businesses Career Successfully with These 5 Ideas The old days when you had to go to a certain workplace in order to work are long over now. Online work like blogging or video streaming, freelance work like article writing or translating, or just the simple yet effective work-at-home types of jobsare the ones that are gaining some real popularity in the last decade or so.So, what’s stopping you, a sewing enthusiast, to start your business career right now, right there in your living room? Actually, nothing is.evalIt’s time for you to do the thing that you’re good at, but more importantly love to do, and get paid for it. The best part is the fact that you won’t be wasting any time nor energy on trips to and from your workplace. Because your home will be your workplace. And that way, you can give your best and achieve maximum efficiency.How can you do that? Easily, just check out these 5 ideas we’ve prepared for you and you’ll be ready to go. It’s time to get to work!1) Start A Fashion BlogevalThis kind of a home sewing businessis probably the easiest one which is why we’re starting with it. But that doesn’t mean it’s as easy as you’d think.Blogging is a great way to spread your thoughts and ideas but also your stances on certain topics and situations to a broad spectrum of readers online. But in order to do so, you need an audience. If you blog but no one actually reads those articles then you’ve achieved nothing actually.So, you need to know how to attract and entertain your readers while making them want to hear more from you. Let’s not forget that you absolutely must be up to date and quite knowledgeable about the topic you’ll be covering.So, if your forte is fashion theoretics like color blending or outfit matching, you can maybe start a celebrity outfit review blog where you’ll be grading celebrity outfits and pointing out what they did good and what they did wrong and of course, why did they do so.evalOr if perhaps you’re better at some practical fashion work like sewing, q uilting or embroidery, you can try and start up a “how to” type of blog where you’ll write Instructional articles and teach your readers how to create certain projects in that area.The important thing is that you get an audience and retain it, that way your blog will be successful.2) Sew and Sell Dolls and Doll ClothingCreating small plush dolls and appropriate clothing meant for them is something you could easily do if you know the fundamentals, have some basic sewing skills and a decent sewing machine. You could do such a job even with a portable sewing machine.Of course, you will need some suitable fabrics, the basic sewing essentials and materials, and of course a touch of creativity and originality as well as some patience and energy.evalDesign the dolls as normal children dolls, animals in clothes, or even famous cartoon characters if you wish but make sure you make them pretty enough and interesting enough so that you can attract customers more easily.After you’ve mad e a few different variations and types of dolls and their clothing, try pitching them on the market online through social network pages and offline at various flea markets or fairs. Sell the dolls clothed but also sell their clothing pieces individually so that children can expand the wardrobes of their favorite toys instead of buying other dolls just because they like their outfits better.3) Sew and Sell Pet ClothesWe all love pets, whether we have them or not. And seeing one wearing a cute and nicely made outfit always brings a smile on our faces.Since there are a lot of different kinds of pets out there, your possibilities are also very broad. If you wish you can create outfits only for dogs, only for cats, only for hamsters or for all of them, depending what your customer keeps as his best friend.It’s true that mostly short haired pets need additional clothing to keep them warm but that doesn’t mean that the larger ones can’t wear them as well because that outfit can easil y be a purely aesthetical touch.Make a few samples for the most common pet sizes and go to your local pet shop in order to make an agreement with them. Share the profit with them if they get you your customers.If you’re a solo gunman and you don’t like partnering up you can just skip the pet shop idea in that case and advertise your products online instead, or maybe even give out a few free pieces to your friends with pets so that they can send some potential customers your way.4) Sew and Sell or Rent CostumesHalloween is loads of fun. Everyone is dressed up, you don’t really know who’s who until they talk to you and last but not least, we must not forget the candy, oh the candy. And since everyone is dressed up in a costume on that night, all those shops selling or renting them get emptied out.So, the poor guy who got to the store last usually ends up without a costume or even worse than that, wearing one that no one wanted to wear so it got left behind in the store.evalEnt er, you. Start making some most popular costumes before Halloween and make them in few sizes or better yet, in a one size fits all size. Then when Halloween comes, you’ll be able to sell or rent them out ridiculously easy.You’ll earn some money and the poor guy who always arrives to the costume shop late will be happy and satisfied, wearing his favorite costume like everyone else!5) Sew and Sell Baby ClothesevalFor some weird reason that’s honestly way over my head, baby clothing tends to be surprisingly expensive nowadays. Luckily this opens up a nice possibility for you to earn some money but also have some fun while doing so.Start up your baby clothing mini business and sew those cute little onesies or tiny shirts and trousers for the new inhabitants of our planet. You’re bound to have a fair number if customers who will want to buy them from you.Not only are millions of babies born daily, but those babies also have mothers, aunts, grandmothers and other cousins who will want to buy something pretty and original for their new family member. And if you lower the price, compared to the prices of pieces you’d find in stores, you’ll get even more customers heading your way.evalIf you’re willing to work a bit more and have the mad organizational skillsto jiggle one more thing, then try making clothes for pregnant soon to be mommies as well and advertise them along with the baby clothing. Expand your target audience and make your business grow.Whichever road you decide to take, just believe in yourself and in your currently small but potentially very big business you’ll be running from home. If you have an even better idea than the ones we presented you here then by all means endeavor in it, as long as you enjoy it and earn some money while doing it.

Complain about Your Job On Facebook and NOT get Fired

Case #2: Go Beyond FacebookOn November 9, 2009, in New Haven, Conn., an EMT posted that her supervisor was a “dick” after he sided with a patient’s husband who had complained about her. The supervisor threatened disciplinary action over the Facebook post and asked her to fill out an incident report. The EMT asked for a union representative but was refused.The NLRB sided with the EMT, stating that her Facebook comments were protected because they did not disrupt work, they were posted after her shift, the name-calling was not accompanied by any threats, and the post was in response to work conditions.The fact that the employee had requested a union representative and had her partner as a witness contributed to her protection. Otherwise, this case may have turned out very differently.Just Don’t Do ItThe bottom line is that it’s simply safer to avoid complaining about your job or employer online. You are not guaranteed protection under the law.It’s possible to sway a judge b y getting Likes, mentioning work conditions, having in-person conversations with co-workers or avoiding threats, but in the heat of the moment, you’ll rarely be considering those small details â€" even if you do understand them. The guidelines here are a great start, but the results will ultimately fall in the hands of a specific judge.Above all, remember that Facebook is a public publishing platform, and anything you say there could get you canned. Look at our Wyoming-bound truck driver. When he couldn’t get in touch with dispatch, he posted that “his company was running off all the good hardworking drivers.” No one liked his comment, nor did he discuss his comment with anyone offline. Again, his mistake was failing to suggest some kind of action to be taken, and not getting documented support for his complaint from other workers.The best advice of all is simple: don’t. If you have a real problem at work, take it up with your manager or with HR, and document each conversa tion. If you’ve already complained and have gotten fired for it, take a look at the NLRB site to see if you might have a case.Have you or someone you know gotten fired for something posted on Facebook? Share your story in the comments below.

Pinterest and Your Career Portfolio

Pinterest and Your Career Portfolio Social media sites are an effective way to brand and market your work. Pinterest is one such site where you can create boards onto which you can pin examples of your work. It is especially effective for those with visual careers such as filmmaking, fashion, illustration, photography, or graphic or product design. A group of boards can function as an online portfolio where you can send potential employers or customers to view your work. This free, online portfolio can be paired with a creative arts industry resume to give an employer a complete view of your work and career. It is easy to get started on Pinterest. You can have a friend send you an invitation to join Pinterest, or go to pinterest.com and click on Get Invitation at the top of the page. The Pinterest invitation allows you to create an account by using either your Facebook or Twitter accounts. You then choose a user name and fill out and save a profile. Create your boards from your Pinterest home page by clicking on Add at the top of the page and then on Create a Board. Name the board, choose a category, provide a brief description for it and then click Save. You can then upload your work to your Pinterest boards. You can add and delete pictures at any time, including moving pictures from one board to another. Add captions or pin pictures with no captions. Once you have your career portfolio set up on your Pinterest boards to your satisfaction, you can send your Pinterest URL to potential employers and clients. For example, if the name you chose for your Pinterest account is cameraman, your Pinterest URL would be pinterest.com/cameraman. Be sure to list your Pinterest URL on your resume under the Online Career Portfolio section and also mention it in your cover letter.