Win,
You mentioned that I need to let people know what I can do for them in the form of “accomplishment stories.” Can you go over for me what I should be considering when coming up with these?
Thank you,
Subir
Hi Subir,
Here are some thoughts on what to include in your accomplishment stories. There is no one way to do this. The overall idea is to get the listener's interest. The things you talk about do not all have to be your most impressive accomplishments and as we discussed, a major accomplishment can have many smaller accomplishment stories in it. When selecting accomplishments, keep your focus on things you enjoyed and which have a recognized, perhaps measurable, result.
To catch their attention, be clear where you began: problem situation that you recognized or that was brought to your attention. Then fill in some detail about what was difficult or what went wrong. The mark of a professional is how you deal with problems that arise (calls not returned, unexpected client development, changed requirement or resources, etc.) Don't leave out the problems. The actions you take to overcome problems are the most compelling evidence that you can give of how you work. The Princess does not meet the Prince and get married the next day. Take the audience along on the experience, which ends with a fabulous accomplishment.
Develop any number of stories. As you begin to look at them, you will begin to recognize what skills of yours they represent. As you hone your direction and find out which of your abilities are most in demand for the positions that interest you, you can develop stories that illustrate those particular skills or that experience.
If any of this is not clear or any questions occur to you, please don't hesitate to ask.
Win
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Press coverage
If you are interested in press coverage of some of Win's career tips, please click on some of the links below.
March 2009 See Win with a successful client on the CBS Early Show
:
Hear Win's ideas on networking by Joe Connolly on WCBS for the Wall Street Journal.
January 2009 Tips for People Who Shy Away from Neworking
January 2009 You Don't Need a Personality Transplant . . .
October 2008 Learn how Win helps clients in the New York Post
Win's advice on negotiating in eFinancialCareers
June 2007 Shape an Unborn Offer Through Shadow Negotiating
July 2007 Got an Offer? There's Negotiating to Do
March 2007 Coverage of a talk by Win at the New York Public Library on New York One
March 2009 See Win with a successful client on the CBS Early Show
:
Hear Win's ideas on networking by Joe Connolly on WCBS for the Wall Street Journal.
January 2009 Tips for People Who Shy Away from Neworking
January 2009 You Don't Need a Personality Transplant . . .
October 2008 Learn how Win helps clients in the New York Post
Win's advice on negotiating in eFinancialCareers
June 2007 Shape an Unborn Offer Through Shadow Negotiating
July 2007 Got an Offer? There's Negotiating to Do
March 2007 Coverage of a talk by Win at the New York Public Library on New York One
Monday, March 2, 2009
Win,
I am done with *****, have completed and published the book we were negotiating when I last saw you, and I'm recovering from my grandmother's death . . . and just left wondering!
I'm in a bit of a "mood," if I can freely confess, and am loathe to take on job I don't want, but know it's time to get another one. Trying to get into a more positive mindset!
Can you wave a magic wand?
Terry
Hi Terry,
Sorry to hear about your grandmother. Your thoughts around that sound like figuring out the relative place of work within your wider life might be something to discuss.
As for a magic wand, yes: for any and all jobs or projects, try to list your accomplishments (even if you never need to do whatever it was again.) I do this in an old resume, using the reverse chronological format. List all accomplishments, big and small ones within a bigger project. I call this document an Experience Bank; it is a resource for the future. The idea here is to be exhaustive, not exclusionary and see if that doesn't help remind you of what you can do, have done and like!
Win
I am done with *****, have completed and published the book we were negotiating when I last saw you, and I'm recovering from my grandmother's death . . . and just left wondering!
I'm in a bit of a "mood," if I can freely confess, and am loathe to take on job I don't want, but know it's time to get another one. Trying to get into a more positive mindset!
Can you wave a magic wand?
Terry
Hi Terry,
Sorry to hear about your grandmother. Your thoughts around that sound like figuring out the relative place of work within your wider life might be something to discuss.
As for a magic wand, yes: for any and all jobs or projects, try to list your accomplishments (even if you never need to do whatever it was again.) I do this in an old resume, using the reverse chronological format. List all accomplishments, big and small ones within a bigger project. I call this document an Experience Bank; it is a resource for the future. The idea here is to be exhaustive, not exclusionary and see if that doesn't help remind you of what you can do, have done and like!
Win
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Win,
I was at last night's presentation. I was a little apprehensive about asking this question in that forum so I hope you'll indulge me. . . . I have been a working journalist for more than 30 years. . . . The fact is that after a long career with several national awards, I was unceremoniously laid off from my daily newspaper job at the end of October. Although the panel gave a number of good tips, some of which I will follow up on, my problem is straightforward: Employers hear "30 years of experience," or if I omit that fact and still manage to get an interview, they see a 56-year-old head full of gray hair and that's as far as it goes. Why hire me when, if there is any job at all, they can fill it with a kid half my age, at half the salary, one they see as more attuned to the youth market? This is the second time I've been laid off because of downsizing in less than a decade, and my prospects at this point are bleak. Not only is there no retirement in my future, but it's dicey whether I can even survive and support my family on the meager savings I've got left.
Also, while it's necessary to keep up with trends and technology, I can spend a lot of time, energy and effort to learn all the new bells and whistles, and then in a year or so, the technocrats invent a whole new generation, and you have to learn once again. All these wonderful toys are just tools, after all; the content is supposed to be the point. But the gearheads seem to think the technology itself is the point, as though a brand new high-tech hammer is more important than the house you build it with.
I probably sound bitter, angry and worried. Yeah, I am. If there were any indication that things were going to get better, I might be a little less so, but I don't see that happening. For most of the 22-year-olds in last night's audience, a temporary setback early in their career is part of the colorful, fun time they'll look back on when they're my age. At my age, it's not colorful or fun; it's pathetic and scary. What do I do? I don't expect you to have an answer.
Alan
Hi Alan,
I can understand how you feel. It is a frustrating market, generally, and specifically in most parts of media. The key to what you say is the salary. The problem is not that by dint of doing it longer, that you get to have more money, it is that you are worth more money, so people pay you more. If you are writing articles that a 25-year-old can write, then you are barking up the wrong tree.
Where do you have a competitive advantage and what do you like to write? For instance, if you like to write about what 25-year-olds like to write about, then write about those things for an audience of 60-year-olds. Where is your experience an advantage? And who cares what you look like if you can write? How can you write pieces that will speak for themselves? Only by going for an audience who appreciates what you bring to the table will you be able to earn what you are worth.
On the subject of technology, much of it is free and the basics, which is all you should need to know is not that time consuming to learn. The medium is only part of the message. Don't let it screen you out.
Hope that helps a little. The good news is that you can still write.
Win
I was at last night's presentation. I was a little apprehensive about asking this question in that forum so I hope you'll indulge me. . . . I have been a working journalist for more than 30 years. . . . The fact is that after a long career with several national awards, I was unceremoniously laid off from my daily newspaper job at the end of October. Although the panel gave a number of good tips, some of which I will follow up on, my problem is straightforward: Employers hear "30 years of experience," or if I omit that fact and still manage to get an interview, they see a 56-year-old head full of gray hair and that's as far as it goes. Why hire me when, if there is any job at all, they can fill it with a kid half my age, at half the salary, one they see as more attuned to the youth market? This is the second time I've been laid off because of downsizing in less than a decade, and my prospects at this point are bleak. Not only is there no retirement in my future, but it's dicey whether I can even survive and support my family on the meager savings I've got left.
Also, while it's necessary to keep up with trends and technology, I can spend a lot of time, energy and effort to learn all the new bells and whistles, and then in a year or so, the technocrats invent a whole new generation, and you have to learn once again. All these wonderful toys are just tools, after all; the content is supposed to be the point. But the gearheads seem to think the technology itself is the point, as though a brand new high-tech hammer is more important than the house you build it with.
I probably sound bitter, angry and worried. Yeah, I am. If there were any indication that things were going to get better, I might be a little less so, but I don't see that happening. For most of the 22-year-olds in last night's audience, a temporary setback early in their career is part of the colorful, fun time they'll look back on when they're my age. At my age, it's not colorful or fun; it's pathetic and scary. What do I do? I don't expect you to have an answer.
Alan
Hi Alan,
I can understand how you feel. It is a frustrating market, generally, and specifically in most parts of media. The key to what you say is the salary. The problem is not that by dint of doing it longer, that you get to have more money, it is that you are worth more money, so people pay you more. If you are writing articles that a 25-year-old can write, then you are barking up the wrong tree.
Where do you have a competitive advantage and what do you like to write? For instance, if you like to write about what 25-year-olds like to write about, then write about those things for an audience of 60-year-olds. Where is your experience an advantage? And who cares what you look like if you can write? How can you write pieces that will speak for themselves? Only by going for an audience who appreciates what you bring to the table will you be able to earn what you are worth.
On the subject of technology, much of it is free and the basics, which is all you should need to know is not that time consuming to learn. The medium is only part of the message. Don't let it screen you out.
Hope that helps a little. The good news is that you can still write.
Win
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Resume History
How far back should my resume should date? It currently starts (in reverse chrono) with 1985.
Anne
Hi Anne,
As far as history on the resume, there is no fixed rule. Some people put a line that says, for example, "Experience before 1997". Often they do this to disguise their age. You may want to do it so that you could include any experience that would be relevant to your targets, leaving out less relevant experience.
Win
Anne
Hi Anne,
As far as history on the resume, there is no fixed rule. Some people put a line that says, for example, "Experience before 1997". Often they do this to disguise their age. You may want to do it so that you could include any experience that would be relevant to your targets, leaving out less relevant experience.
Win
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Networking among sustainability fans
Here is the inforamtion on "Green Drinks" as forwarded by a client:
I'm sure you've attended Margaret Lydecker's Manhattan Green Drinks but if not, the event takes place once a month in cities all over the planet. It's a simple opportunity for eco-minded people across every industry to get together, talk, toast a cocktail or two and walk away richer for new conversation and connections by the end of the night.
Margaret launched Green Drinks in the US in 2002. Now there are 100+ chapters across the country. The Manhattan group now draws appx. 400-800 people per month from a mailing list of 6000.
Green Drinks Manhattan- 2nd Tuesday of each month
Green Drinks Brooklyn - 3rd Wednesday of each month
Win
I'm sure you've attended Margaret Lydecker's Manhattan Green Drinks but if not, the event takes place once a month in cities all over the planet. It's a simple opportunity for eco-minded people across every industry to get together, talk, toast a cocktail or two and walk away richer for new conversation and connections by the end of the night.
Margaret launched Green Drinks in the US in 2002. Now there are 100+ chapters across the country. The Manhattan group now draws appx. 400-800 people per month from a mailing list of 6000.
Green Drinks Manhattan- 2nd Tuesday of each month
Green Drinks Brooklyn - 3rd Wednesday of each month
Win
Career Tip: Getting ready for fall
Hello,
I hope you are enjoying this wonderful weather. As we approach September, the second biggest hiring month (after January), it is a great time to begin to make a career and job search plans. Having a marketing plan will help you eliminate a lot of wasted time and provide some support when things start getting busy and distractions crop up. The big question is what should that plan look like? The answer is: not that complicated. There are just three basic questions that you will want to answer.
1. Where are you heading?
What jobs, professions or fields might be interesting to you? These are your targets. You don’t need definitive targets right away, but you ought at least to have some ideas about what might interest you. If you are looking for a good culture to work in, for instance, talk to people about what you like. You never know who has ideas. If you have no idea at all, just ask people what their work is like or how they spend their days. If you already know where you are heading, start with step two!
2. Who to talk to?
First, pick those targets from your list that are of greatest interest to you. Also see which, because of prior experience or friends in the business, are easiest to pursue. Look for industry groups, alumni and other social groups for people who will be happy to hear from you. Starting with people who want to talk to you and those in whom you are interested may not seem efficient, but in the end it is a lot easier and can turn out to be unexpectedly productive.
3. Why are you talking to them?
Naturally, you will not want to alienate or intimidate any of your contacts by asking them for a job, as it is unlikely that anyone of them will have the right job for you at that moment (assuming you know what that ideal job is). But, if you can get them talking about their field or their company, and you share why you are interested, including something about your relevant experience, they may have ideas of other people for you to talk to.
To get started on that, list questions you have. These will change over time as you become more informed. Start by turning any assumptions you have into questions. E.g., My understanding is that Marketing departments are increasingly integrating their efforts across new and old media, what is your experience? Other questions may range from ‘What do managers get paid here?’ to ‘Where does your area fit within the organization?’
If you can answer any or all of the three basic questions above, put the results down on paper. It will make it easier to execute. Set aside a little time each week (or even each day) to do this. Just a little time begins to accumulate if you keep at it. See what you can do in 2 hours or less working on it. That way you can have a plan to begin to move ahead in the fall.
If you are currently working, that is not a reason for skipping this exercise. It is never a bad time to be spending a little time on your career!
Win
I hope you are enjoying this wonderful weather. As we approach September, the second biggest hiring month (after January), it is a great time to begin to make a career and job search plans. Having a marketing plan will help you eliminate a lot of wasted time and provide some support when things start getting busy and distractions crop up. The big question is what should that plan look like? The answer is: not that complicated. There are just three basic questions that you will want to answer.
1. Where are you heading?
What jobs, professions or fields might be interesting to you? These are your targets. You don’t need definitive targets right away, but you ought at least to have some ideas about what might interest you. If you are looking for a good culture to work in, for instance, talk to people about what you like. You never know who has ideas. If you have no idea at all, just ask people what their work is like or how they spend their days. If you already know where you are heading, start with step two!
2. Who to talk to?
First, pick those targets from your list that are of greatest interest to you. Also see which, because of prior experience or friends in the business, are easiest to pursue. Look for industry groups, alumni and other social groups for people who will be happy to hear from you. Starting with people who want to talk to you and those in whom you are interested may not seem efficient, but in the end it is a lot easier and can turn out to be unexpectedly productive.
3. Why are you talking to them?
Naturally, you will not want to alienate or intimidate any of your contacts by asking them for a job, as it is unlikely that anyone of them will have the right job for you at that moment (assuming you know what that ideal job is). But, if you can get them talking about their field or their company, and you share why you are interested, including something about your relevant experience, they may have ideas of other people for you to talk to.
To get started on that, list questions you have. These will change over time as you become more informed. Start by turning any assumptions you have into questions. E.g., My understanding is that Marketing departments are increasingly integrating their efforts across new and old media, what is your experience? Other questions may range from ‘What do managers get paid here?’ to ‘Where does your area fit within the organization?’
If you can answer any or all of the three basic questions above, put the results down on paper. It will make it easier to execute. Set aside a little time each week (or even each day) to do this. Just a little time begins to accumulate if you keep at it. See what you can do in 2 hours or less working on it. That way you can have a plan to begin to move ahead in the fall.
If you are currently working, that is not a reason for skipping this exercise. It is never a bad time to be spending a little time on your career!
Win
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