Be Different or be dead

May 14, 2018

Bright people follow these 8 proven steps to succeed

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Bright people follow these 8 proven steps to succeed.

Success doesn’t come easy to a young professional these days.

Fewer opportunities. More intense competition for the few jobs that exist.

These actions will increase your chances of having a rewarding and successful career.

1. Tone down your education

Downplay your academic pedigree aside. Your credentials won’t help because most people vying for new roles also have a healthy education portfolio.
Yes, you need a strong educational background to play the career game but winning takes much more.

Turn down the volume on your degree — what you know — and turn up the volume on your the practical accomplishments — what you’ve actually delivered. This focus approach will put you ahead of others who will continue to rely on their MBA to get them ahead (and it won’t).

2. Find a ‘done it’ mentor

Find a mentor who has actually done something to guide you. There are many potential mentors out there but choose one who has demonstrated practical success in execution and implementation.

Success is a function of delivering results not achieving excellence in pondering over possibilities. Seek guidance from people who excel in getting stuff done in the real world complicated with uncertainty and unpredictability.

3. Be guided by the business plan

Get intimate with the strategy of the organization you work for. You will draw attention from the career decision makers if you are delivering on projects that directly relate to strategy. Know how your company intends to compete at a detailed granular level, and determine what your specific role is to make a noticeable contribution.

4. Do three things; toss out your to-do list

Focus your energy on the critical few things that matter to advancing the strategy of your organization. Organizations can lure you into chasing many things that can be unproductive. Don’t get sucked in. Prioritize a handful of things to achieve and resist the temptations to wander.

5. Get out of the crowd

Be clear on who you are and how you are different from the crowd around you. The world is full of people who “look the same”; you need to find a way to break away from this commonness and be distinguished.
Develop your personal brand that defines your uniqueness and live it everyday.

6. Build a killer résumé

Keep your resume up to date and make it available to others when the right opportunity arises. Always be on the hunt for your next move but ensure it doesn’t interfere with performance in your current position. Avoid using boilerplate templates; make your CV look different than anyone else’s.

7. Surprise people

Be comfortable to step outside your job description. Get known as a person who does what it takes to deliver results and who is unafraid to go beyond what is expected of them. Do the right thing not the correct thing.

8. Get on with it

Avoid pondering and just do it.  Success is determined by the number of tries you make so don’t let thought process get in the way of acting. A corollary to this is to accept imperfection as necessary to deliver constant results. Nothing is perfect and why you are seeking it you’re not EXECUTING.

There is no silver bullet to success.

It’s the result of doing a few simple things consistently and with passion and tenacity.

Get going.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 5.14.18 at 04:26 am by Roy Osing
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March 12, 2018

5 tested things to do when you feel a job change is looming

Before you do anything, stop and pause…

Examine the reasons behind why you want a move.

What’s driving the need you have to move on?
— a boss that’s making everyday a crummy day for you?
— a bad recent experience on a project that’s left you questioning your future in the organization?
— the sudden realization that there is no fit between your personal needs and the organization’s value system?
— your conclusion that the future opportunities from your current employer are limited and your long term career plan is in jeopardy if you stay?

Whatever the reason, it’s critical to get your thinking straight on why you want to change before you jump.

You should take action if moving out the only way to achieve your long term goals.

Once you go you’re gone and the likelihood of returning is slim to none.

At one point in my career I was demoted from the executive leadership team due to a company merger and I felt intense pressure by many people around me (including family) to leave the company because of the way the new leadership treated me.

Even though I was emotionally driven to leave this organization that didn’t recognize my worth, I decided to stay because I felt that, notwithstanding the short term hit I received by being demoted, in the the long run hanging in would present opportunities to regain my position in the hierarchy and continue my rewarding career.

It was the right call; it paid off.

I didn’t particular enjoy being removed from the executive leadership team and told to report to an individual who previously was my peer. But within a year of hard work and keeping my head down, I was appointed to the position of president of our exciting data and internet business and rejoined the executive leadership team.

Looking back, the easy thing would have been to pack it all in; to escape the emotionally ego draining experience I was buried in.

But, fortunately, I gave the matter considerable thought because it was a huge decision I had to make; I couldn’t afford to react to my plight and make a quick decision.

Be thoughtful when thinking about making a job change; do it for the right reasons.

Once you’ve decided to go, create a moving-on action plan

Define the things you need to do to not only get you out of your current situation but also leave with your currency strong and your head high.

Burning bridges when you leave a job is not in your long term interests; it’s dumb. Leave on the winds of elegance.

Your moving-on plan should include these 5 elements.

Dust off your career game plan and revise it based on your current circumstances

Look specifically at the organizations you are interested in and wish to target, the position you would like to get and the foxes you should connect with to help you.

Always consider your career plan a work in progress;  constantly update it because you never know when you might have to revisit it to make a move.

Revise your resume to reflect any changes you made to your career game plan

As your career game plan changes, your must your CV change to reflect the latest conditions. And keep morphing it to try and make it different from the thousands of résumés out there that all look the same. The way your career story will be noticed by prospective employers is to make it unique and have it standout from others in some meaningful way.

Meet with each of the top 5 in your personal network

Start the conversation on what opportunities exist in other organizations and get their views on how you should move forward.
Actually, engaging with your network should be an ongoing priority even when you are not looking to move — be in a constant job hunting mode; it will prepare you if and when you decide to pursue other opportunities.

Contact close colleagues in your present organization and explain why you are intending to leave

This includes bosses that you have had that you respect. It is extremely important that you leave with strong currency and personal integrity, as you never know when you might need their support in the future. NEVER close the door on the possibility of returning to the organization at some point.

Thank the people in your current organization who supported you and ask if there is anything you can do for them

A little recognition for the people who helped you out goes a long way. They will often give you valuable advice and will recommend you to people in their network.
When you decide to close the pages on the current chapter of your career, make sure your champions and allies know they each played an important and valuable role in your life.

The decision to leave your present job is one thing, but doing it in the right way is another.

Don’t fall victim to a knee-jerk reaction and an emotional exit.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 3.12.18 at 04:15 am by Roy Osing
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February 3, 2018

8 simple things to do so your boss can’t live without you

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8 simple things to do so your boss can’t live without you.

In the world of work, it is often easy to feel like you’re expendable. There’s so much competition in the modern world, with more and more people receiving a full and extensive education. But there are ways to ensure you’re always top dog, no matter where you work or who you work for.

Follow these simple steps to make sure you’re never first on the boss’ lips when it comes to firing people, and work your way to the top.

1. Be loyal to your company

Even if you’re working a job that you hate, loyalty to your company is extremely important. You have to show that the job means something to you if you want your boss to recognise your worth.
That means no half-hearted attempts at a job, and no sneaking off for other interviews behind your boss’ back. Stick to the job at hand, and make sure your focus isn’t drawn away from what matters.

2. Get in with your co-workers

You might despise the people you work with. They might not be your kind of person at all, but being successful at work is all about good communication.
If you want to ensure your boss could not live without you, get in a good social circle. If you’re well liked in the office, you’ll have an extra security blanket around you when it comes to making cuts in the company. No one wants to fire their friend, right?

3. Be adaptable and stay on your toes

New challenges will be presented to you at work all the time. Don’t let them worry you, or stop you from excelling. If you’re working on something new that you don’t understand, that’s fine.
You can adjust if you put your mind to it and work hard. It’s okay to ask for help, so long as you’re moving forwards and getting better all the time.

Is the day to day grind getting you down? Augmented reality is the new way to escape the nine to five life. Why live in this world when you can be a part of thousands?

4. Go the extra mile

Is the boss looking for someone to do overtime? Volunteer yourself. Is there a bunch of paperwork that needs doing after hours? Take it on. Doing the little extras for your boss shows them that you’re not just there for the nine to five slog.
It shows that you’re a valuable member of their team, and it’ll put you first in line for raises, promotions and all the best benefits of the company.

5. Keep saying yes and open doors for yourself

Take on any opportunity that you’re offered. If the company is looking for someone to go to a conference abroad, for example, take on the opportunity. Of course, you must consider your personal life before jumping in to anything, but the benefits you’ll reap from taking on anything thrown your way are astronomical. Keep in mind that opportunities don’t appear every day, and that there’s no turning back once you’ve said no.

6. Make good use of your time

8 simple things to do so your boss can’t live without you.

If you used to be one of those people desperate for a two-minute break at the coffee machine, drop that attitude. You’re better than that. Utilize your time to ensure that the work you produce is top notch. If it helps, create a timetable, and cram in as much work as you can (though quality is always the most important thing.) It’s surprising how much more you get done when you designate time for a specific task!

7. Don’t wait to be asked – just do it

There’s always something to do in a busy work environment, and often important tasks are abandoned in favour of the easy ones. These tasks are yours to take on. Find out what needs completing and do it without being asked.
You’re in control of how much you do, but even taking on a little extra work can be a really good sign for your boss that you’re not expendable.

8. Never stop trying

Each work environment is different. There are too many factors at play to give a fool proof plan to reach the top. But the one thing you can do is never stop trying. Giving up is the sign of someone who doesn’t care if they reach their goals or not. Never be that person. No matter how much work gets you down, remember the goal in sight and keep at it. Go in head strong and with your heart set on success, and you can never fall far from grace.

There will be tough times in any job, and there will be some setbacks. Don’t allow someone else getting a promotion to stop you reaching yours. Don’t focus on others – focus on your own merit, and achieve within your parameters.

The world is your oyster if you’re willing to put the hours in.

Irina Kashevskaya is a certified specialist at the Designdroide specializing in interior design, web design and graphic design.

• Posted 2.3.18 at 07:37 am by Roy Osing
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December 18, 2017

A great résumé is different than others; here are 5 proven ways to build one

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A great résumé is different than others; here are 5 proven ways to build one.

Forget the boilerplate versions you find on the internet. They’re all the same and you’ll put the reader to sleep if they read it at all.

I’ve hired many people in my career and I’ve always considered someone’s CV regardless of the form it’s in, as the applicant’s moment of truth with me.
If it blended into everyone else’s in front of me, I ignored it, but if it had an interesting “side to it I was ready to lean in and pay attention.

Your résumé should be your own individual piece of art; unique and original — a piece of you

It should absolutely not be the product of a template that millions of people use — a common and boring approach that says very little about who you are except that you are comfortable copying what the crowd does.

If you want to maximize your opportunities to impress a prospective employer, craft your résumé with these elements.

Make it custom — Your piece of art should be specific to each opportunity you are vying for; it needs to be unique to the position and organization you’re approaching. Using the same résumé to apply for a variety of roles in different organizations won’t work; it will miss the mark because it won’t talk to the differences between each potential opportunity.

The sales director in NIKE doesn’t represent the same challenge as the same position in Apple. The organizations have different cultures and values and their strategic game plans are a product of their particular circumstances.

Likewise, a marketing manager in any company is different in every way than a sales director, so why would you consider using the same résumé template to show interest in both?

If you are interested in 10 different jobs, you need to create 10 completely different masterpieces, each distinctively unique from the other in some relevant and meaningful way.

Declare your uniqueness — Each piece of your art should answer the question; ‘Why should you hire me and not the other 100 people who also applied?’

Dedicate time to creating the ONLY piece of your art. It will be the best investment you’ve ever made and it will open up career opportunities you never thought existed

As I’ve said in other articles, the job hunting herd typically answers the ‘why hire me?’ question by trotting out their credentials and a smidgen of their skills and experience.

‘You should hire me because I have an MBA from ABC University and have great marketing and conflict management skills’ is a view that unfortunately gets claimed by most of their competition in the hunt for the same position.

To the person doing the hiring, this kind of response is not particularly useful because they want to know how you are different from everyone else; the same response will most likely find your art in the deleted folder.

You must declare what you and ONLY you possess — reread your career game plan — that makes you standout from everyone else who’s applying. ‘You should hire me because I’m the ONLY one who…’ is the compelling way to separate yourself from the job hunting herd.

Source: Unsplash

Know their strategy — Have a section that shows you have studied and you understand the business plan of the organization you’re interested in and their strategic priorities.

Knowledge of what the organization intends to do to thrive and survive makes your ONLY claim relevant; your claim of uniqueness will make sense because it is grounded in what the organization intends to achieve in the marketplace.

For example, claiming you are the ONLY one who has demonstrated experience in a specific marketing discipline won’t resonate if the organization has a strategy demanding a merger and acquisition skill set.

Talk about their markets, competition and technology and that you have some ideas on how you can be successful. It shows initiative and understanding of who your target is.

Few job applicants spend the amount of time that this task takes to do it well. But it will make you different and I suspect the ONLY job hunter who does it. They will be impressed if you can talk their language.

Stress your skills that apply to them — Once you have articulated as best you can your understanding of the strategic game plan of their organization, you now have a context to talk about what you bring to the table.

This is where you can discuss the skills, experience and competencies you have that could make a positive contribution to the direction they are taking.

A game plan that stresses growth, for example, is the opportunity to talk about your marketing and sales expertise and your proven capabilities in building effective teams and product sales to achieve aggressive revenue goals.

Talk about what you’ve done — This section is focussed on achievements. It’s one thing to promote what you think your skills and competencies are; it’s another thing to emphasize what you’ve actually delivered in a messy and chaotic world that would be of interest to the hiring organization.

If you are a recent graduate with limited practical experience, discuss any lab work or projects that would relate to the challenges you’ve discovered the organization faces. The important thing is to create your narrative on what you’ve done that is relevant to the conversation.

Your focus on what you’ve done should represent the overwhelming share of your résumé. Your narrative should be 80% on accomplishments and 20% on the more subjective (and argumentative) aspects of your persona.

The objective of your résumé is not to communicate what you think your skills and capabilities are.

Who cares about what you know. I want to know what you’ve done

A résumé that actually works — measured by the number of job contests you actually win — cuts through the fog and fluffiness and defines exactly why you are the ONLY relevant person for the job.

It declares in very specific terms why you are the ONLY individual who has the proven skills and experience to contribute to the challenges the organization faces.

Cheers,
Roy
Check out my BE DiFFERENT or be dead Book Series

• Posted 12.18.17 at 03:27 am by Roy Osing
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