Throughout out lives, there are times in which we come across others that may have a nicer car, a bigger house or other luxury items or talents we wish we had as well. Sometimes it may be difficult not having certain items or talents but looking at what you have in your life instead of what you don't have in your life may help put things into another perspective.
For example, when I was in high school, I ran track but was never as fast as some of our other runners and not as athletically gifted. It may have seemed hard at times knowing I was never going to be a championship runner, however, I decided to look at it from a different perspective. I looked at the experience as an opportunity to make some awesome friends (some of which I still talk to to this day) and find different ways to contribute to the team. I often found myself cheering on my teammates who helped win meets for us and even put together the end of the season video (a tradition that continues to this day).
In this case, I knew I didn't have the athletic ability some of my teammates possessed but I understood the awesome friends I had made and the importance of cheering on your teammates. I may not have been the fastest runner out there but knew I had met some great people and learned some valuable skills along the way.
As another example, growing up, I knew others that could paint and draw pictures really well, however, I could not (and still cannot) do either very well. Instead of being upset that I couldn't do either one of these activities very well, I found another way to be artistic by taking pictures. After years of doing video production, photography came easy because I was understood how to frame a shot, could vision what I wanted a photo to look like and it has become one of my favorite hobbies. Instead of being upset about not being able to draw or paint well, I am grateful I had the skills to take some great pictures and become artistic in that sense.
Even beyond my high school years, I have still come across those who have more athletic talents then I have, have other skills I don't possess and may have a few items I don't have as well. While it might be easy to be jealous or upset in these cases, I learned that looking at it from another perspective has helped me be grateful for the things I do have. By looking at things from this type of perspective, it has helped me appreciate the friends I have, what I can do and the small things in life that put a smile on my face.
Showing posts with label business advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business advice. Show all posts
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
No Matter How Far You Go, Don't Forget Where You Came From
Throughout your college and academic life, there will be times in which you will achieve success. This could come in the form of an award, promotion or another job and it will be a triumph in your life.
Having successes in life is great to have, however, there is a good chance there are people who helped you reach that goal. There may have been someone who helped you create a project, helped write a proposal, or gave you the guidance needed to achieve that success. No matter how far you go in your life, always take time to thank, keep in touch and appreciate those who took the time to help you along the way.
If you are a college student, chances are, there were probably numerous people who helped you get into the college you desired and lead you the right direction towards finding a career path in high school. This could have been a teacher who took time to help you with writing papers, a coach who may have taught you how to balance sports and schoolwork or someone else who took the time to help find a passion you want to pursue in life.
For example, before I came to college, a couple of people who really helped me find my path included my boss at the school's TV station and my track coaches. My boss at the school TV station took time to let me learn the editing software, announce the sporting events, and helped me hone my camera and editing skills. With his dedication and hard work, I was able to find a major I wanted to pursue in college and it helped prepare me for that next phase in my life. As for my track coaches, I was not a superb athlete but the encouragement and drive they instilled in me to get better helped me learn how hard work and dedication will pay off in the end. These people were a positive influence on my life and I still keep in touch with them to this day as a result of the help they provided.
If you are a working professional, take time to help those who have helped you achieve success on the job and beyond. Chances are, you may have had a supervisor who helped hone your skills in the office, had a network contact who provided some insight on how to improve your performance, or put in that phone call into the hiring manager that helped you get the interview for the job you wanted.
No matter how far you go in your college or professional career, take the time to thank those who have helped you along the way and helped hone your skills. Keep in touch with e-mails, visits when you have an opportunity, greeting cards (birthdays and other landmark events can be key), etc. Take the opportunity to thank these people who helped you achieve your success because their help and assistance could have been what you needed to achieve the goals you wanted.
Having successes in life is great to have, however, there is a good chance there are people who helped you reach that goal. There may have been someone who helped you create a project, helped write a proposal, or gave you the guidance needed to achieve that success. No matter how far you go in your life, always take time to thank, keep in touch and appreciate those who took the time to help you along the way.
If you are a college student, chances are, there were probably numerous people who helped you get into the college you desired and lead you the right direction towards finding a career path in high school. This could have been a teacher who took time to help you with writing papers, a coach who may have taught you how to balance sports and schoolwork or someone else who took the time to help find a passion you want to pursue in life.
For example, before I came to college, a couple of people who really helped me find my path included my boss at the school's TV station and my track coaches. My boss at the school TV station took time to let me learn the editing software, announce the sporting events, and helped me hone my camera and editing skills. With his dedication and hard work, I was able to find a major I wanted to pursue in college and it helped prepare me for that next phase in my life. As for my track coaches, I was not a superb athlete but the encouragement and drive they instilled in me to get better helped me learn how hard work and dedication will pay off in the end. These people were a positive influence on my life and I still keep in touch with them to this day as a result of the help they provided.
If you are a working professional, take time to help those who have helped you achieve success on the job and beyond. Chances are, you may have had a supervisor who helped hone your skills in the office, had a network contact who provided some insight on how to improve your performance, or put in that phone call into the hiring manager that helped you get the interview for the job you wanted.
No matter how far you go in your college or professional career, take the time to thank those who have helped you along the way and helped hone your skills. Keep in touch with e-mails, visits when you have an opportunity, greeting cards (birthdays and other landmark events can be key), etc. Take the opportunity to thank these people who helped you achieve your success because their help and assistance could have been what you needed to achieve the goals you wanted.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Community Service: Take Time To Help Others!
As a college student and even as a professional, giving back to the community is an important aspect to have in your life. Taking time to help others, volunteer and be with other people provides you with something to look forward to, an opportunity to help others and meet other people. Taking time to help may be time consuming but can have benefits in the end.
During my college years, I'll admit I didn't take as much time to help out the community but was grateful when I did during my senior year. For a class, I had to interact with a service project and I had the opportunity to teach elementary school kids how to play sports. I hadn't done anything like this for a while but was glad I did.
Each week, the kids started to warm up to everyone else in the group and it was easy to tell they looked forward to us coming on a weekly basis. It meant a lot to these children that these "big college kids" were coming each week to spend time with them and playing games with them too. Even when I was done with what I needed to do for my class, I still volunteered because I enjoyed interacting with a different group of people and felt like I was giving back. It reminded me of what how I felt whenever someone older would pay attention and spend time to me and it felt good to remember where I came from.
Even after my college years were over, I found a way to give back to the community through my photography work. After taking pictures at a Solon High School football game one afternoon, I received a lot of positive feedback on the photos after I posted them up on Facebook and was asked if I could attend more games. I took the offer and was glad I did.
It had been many years since I really followed Solon High football, however, taking pictures at the games helps me interact and meet with a different group of people. During this time, I have received lots of positive feedback on the photos from the players, band members, parents and other people involved and looked forward to each coming week. I could tell the photos were appreciated and volunteering my time to do this has been worthwhile. It's provided me with another way for me to enjoy a hobby, have something to look forward to and interact with another group of people.
No matter where you are at in your life, take time to give back to the community; you never know what you might end up looking forward to and who you will meet.
During my college years, I'll admit I didn't take as much time to help out the community but was grateful when I did during my senior year. For a class, I had to interact with a service project and I had the opportunity to teach elementary school kids how to play sports. I hadn't done anything like this for a while but was glad I did.
Each week, the kids started to warm up to everyone else in the group and it was easy to tell they looked forward to us coming on a weekly basis. It meant a lot to these children that these "big college kids" were coming each week to spend time with them and playing games with them too. Even when I was done with what I needed to do for my class, I still volunteered because I enjoyed interacting with a different group of people and felt like I was giving back. It reminded me of what how I felt whenever someone older would pay attention and spend time to me and it felt good to remember where I came from.
Even after my college years were over, I found a way to give back to the community through my photography work. After taking pictures at a Solon High School football game one afternoon, I received a lot of positive feedback on the photos after I posted them up on Facebook and was asked if I could attend more games. I took the offer and was glad I did.
It had been many years since I really followed Solon High football, however, taking pictures at the games helps me interact and meet with a different group of people. During this time, I have received lots of positive feedback on the photos from the players, band members, parents and other people involved and looked forward to each coming week. I could tell the photos were appreciated and volunteering my time to do this has been worthwhile. It's provided me with another way for me to enjoy a hobby, have something to look forward to and interact with another group of people.
No matter where you are at in your life, take time to give back to the community; you never know what you might end up looking forward to and who you will meet.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
One of the First Steps To Succeeding is Having a Postive Attitude!
During your college career and beyond, the attitude you show towards your work and projects is noticeable to those around you. It might not be as easy for you to see but how you treat your work, treat others or different situations can be noticed by those around you. Having the right attitude and a positive approach is also noticeable and those who practice it often can stand out for positive reasons.
When you are in certain places, how often do you notice someone with a bad attitude versus a positive attitude? For example, how many times have you gone to a restaurant where your server didn't say much to you, didn't want to talk to you or didn't care that he or she made a mistake? When that happens, you are left with the impression that the person had a bad attitude, didn't care and didn't want to be there.
When turning it around, how many times have you been at a restaurant where the server took time to talk to you, carefully took time to get your order correct and cared whether or not the food was prepared well and was served on time? Chances are, you were left with the impression that this person had a positive attitude, cared about his or her guests and wanted to do a good job. By being positive and showing care and concern, you were probably left that this person has a positive attitude.
Not all situations are positive but going in with the right attitude can help you get through them. For example, if you are a college student with a 25 page paper to write, the task is not an easy one but how you approach it can make a difference. If you keep saying to yourself that writing it is impossible, you won't get a good grade no matter what and it's too much time, chances are, that will show up in your work and hinder your grade. If you look at it the other way and think that you will learn the material better by writing the paper, you will create a strategy to outline your paper so it is organized and believe you can get a good grade, it will help you believe in yourself and get through the process. How you look at the situation can help determine the path you will go towards reaching your goal.
Even though we still will have bad days from time to time (or bad weeks), how you look at the situation surrounding you can determine the outcome later on. Making mistakes can be frustrating but taking a positive approach can help you learn in the future. For example, let's say you work for your campus radio station and you are in charge of making sure the playlists for each hour are in order and you forgot to organize them one evening. The mistake may have caused a headache for people trying to do their airshifts, however, you can look at the mistake two ways.
One way would be to look at yourself as a total failure who doesn't deserve the job and should quit.
Another way to look at it would be to realize you made an error, that mistakes do happen and find a positive way to make sure it happens again like creating checklists, writing a reminder to organize the playlists or setting a designated time each week to put it all together.
If you look at the glass being half full, you can take a mistake and learn from it.
By taking a positive approach to your daily tasks and big projects, you can find different ways to look at the positive outcome of a situation versus a negative one. It's noticeable when someone has a positive attitude and how you approach a project, mistake or situation can help determine the course of action you can take and the outcome. If you have a positive attitude, it will be contagious.
When you are in certain places, how often do you notice someone with a bad attitude versus a positive attitude? For example, how many times have you gone to a restaurant where your server didn't say much to you, didn't want to talk to you or didn't care that he or she made a mistake? When that happens, you are left with the impression that the person had a bad attitude, didn't care and didn't want to be there.
When turning it around, how many times have you been at a restaurant where the server took time to talk to you, carefully took time to get your order correct and cared whether or not the food was prepared well and was served on time? Chances are, you were left with the impression that this person had a positive attitude, cared about his or her guests and wanted to do a good job. By being positive and showing care and concern, you were probably left that this person has a positive attitude.
Not all situations are positive but going in with the right attitude can help you get through them. For example, if you are a college student with a 25 page paper to write, the task is not an easy one but how you approach it can make a difference. If you keep saying to yourself that writing it is impossible, you won't get a good grade no matter what and it's too much time, chances are, that will show up in your work and hinder your grade. If you look at it the other way and think that you will learn the material better by writing the paper, you will create a strategy to outline your paper so it is organized and believe you can get a good grade, it will help you believe in yourself and get through the process. How you look at the situation can help determine the path you will go towards reaching your goal.
Even though we still will have bad days from time to time (or bad weeks), how you look at the situation surrounding you can determine the outcome later on. Making mistakes can be frustrating but taking a positive approach can help you learn in the future. For example, let's say you work for your campus radio station and you are in charge of making sure the playlists for each hour are in order and you forgot to organize them one evening. The mistake may have caused a headache for people trying to do their airshifts, however, you can look at the mistake two ways.
One way would be to look at yourself as a total failure who doesn't deserve the job and should quit.
Another way to look at it would be to realize you made an error, that mistakes do happen and find a positive way to make sure it happens again like creating checklists, writing a reminder to organize the playlists or setting a designated time each week to put it all together.
If you look at the glass being half full, you can take a mistake and learn from it.
By taking a positive approach to your daily tasks and big projects, you can find different ways to look at the positive outcome of a situation versus a negative one. It's noticeable when someone has a positive attitude and how you approach a project, mistake or situation can help determine the course of action you can take and the outcome. If you have a positive attitude, it will be contagious.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Speaking In Front of Others: A Good Skill to Have
Public speaking can be scary for many but it is an important skill to learn. As you go through your college or professional career, there may be times in which you may have to get up in front of a crowd of people to give a speech. Speech giving can sound intimidating but is a skill that can be mastered with practice and some helpful tips.
Before you present your speech, take time to consider your audience and understand who you will be talking to. Take time to understand your audience, what they may or may not know and understand how to tailor your message so it suits them.
For example, if you are a college senior talking to freshmen and sophomores about getting internships, consider the following:
1) The students you will be talking to may not know the best way to get an internship
2) These students may not know the importance of having a good resume
3) These students want to learn how to get the foot in the door and land an internship during their college careers
When taking this in mind, consider key areas you might want to focus on when giving your talk:
1) Briefly mention how you worked on your resume before submitting it
2) Mention how you reached out to prospective internships
3) Mention dos and do nots when applying for internships
This answers some of the questions this audience may have and gives them a reason to keep listening.
Once you have determined your audience, take time to get organized. Take time to organize your thoughts, what you want to say and understand the amount of time you will have to speak. This is the time in which you need to decide what will be important to mention, what you want to share and how you will construct that message to fit the audience's needs. Speeches that go on longer then expected or get off topic (sometimes by sharing too many stories instead of discussing the topic at hand) could bore your audience and the message will be lost.
As a way to get organized, think of putting your speech together like you would a paper with the following in mind:
1) Introduction- briefly gauge the audience and provide the thesis to your speech. This should be brief and should mention the different areas you will touch on.
2) Body of your speech - similar to the body paragraphs of a paper, this should contain the key points you want to hit on for the speech. Like writing a paper, stick with one point per paragraph and provide the evidence that goes with it. Try not to veer off and stick with this plan. This will help keep your audience engaged and keep you on topic.
3) Close- take time to summarize your message and the different areas you talked about.
Once you become organized, there is another simple way to make sure you aren't dragging on too long or won't stumble during your talk: practice! If you have access to the room you will be speaking in ahead of time, go in a day or two beforehand (if possible) to understand where you will be speaking from, learn the different equipment you may have to use (such as computers for a Powerpoint) and time yourself when going through the speech. This way, you will understand the lay of the land, how to hook up the equipment and if your speech is a lot longer then you anticipated (you might be surprised how long your speech will run the first time you time yourself). Run through the speech at least three or four times (depending on how important the talk is).
Last but not least, never write your speech word for word and don't read it the same way on note cards or a piece of paper. It's okay to have note cards with reminders and key notes on them but don't read the speech word for word. If you are reading a piece of paper word for word, you are not engaging your audience and you may not be making enough eye contact either! How often have we heard someone read something word for word and not be interested after a while because it sounded mundane, to scripted and not engaging?
Even though public speaking can be intimidating at first, it can be mastered by taking time to understand your audience, taking time to get organized and practicing.
Before you present your speech, take time to consider your audience and understand who you will be talking to. Take time to understand your audience, what they may or may not know and understand how to tailor your message so it suits them.
For example, if you are a college senior talking to freshmen and sophomores about getting internships, consider the following:
1) The students you will be talking to may not know the best way to get an internship
2) These students may not know the importance of having a good resume
3) These students want to learn how to get the foot in the door and land an internship during their college careers
When taking this in mind, consider key areas you might want to focus on when giving your talk:
1) Briefly mention how you worked on your resume before submitting it
2) Mention how you reached out to prospective internships
3) Mention dos and do nots when applying for internships
This answers some of the questions this audience may have and gives them a reason to keep listening.
Once you have determined your audience, take time to get organized. Take time to organize your thoughts, what you want to say and understand the amount of time you will have to speak. This is the time in which you need to decide what will be important to mention, what you want to share and how you will construct that message to fit the audience's needs. Speeches that go on longer then expected or get off topic (sometimes by sharing too many stories instead of discussing the topic at hand) could bore your audience and the message will be lost.
As a way to get organized, think of putting your speech together like you would a paper with the following in mind:
1) Introduction- briefly gauge the audience and provide the thesis to your speech. This should be brief and should mention the different areas you will touch on.
2) Body of your speech - similar to the body paragraphs of a paper, this should contain the key points you want to hit on for the speech. Like writing a paper, stick with one point per paragraph and provide the evidence that goes with it. Try not to veer off and stick with this plan. This will help keep your audience engaged and keep you on topic.
3) Close- take time to summarize your message and the different areas you talked about.
Once you become organized, there is another simple way to make sure you aren't dragging on too long or won't stumble during your talk: practice! If you have access to the room you will be speaking in ahead of time, go in a day or two beforehand (if possible) to understand where you will be speaking from, learn the different equipment you may have to use (such as computers for a Powerpoint) and time yourself when going through the speech. This way, you will understand the lay of the land, how to hook up the equipment and if your speech is a lot longer then you anticipated (you might be surprised how long your speech will run the first time you time yourself). Run through the speech at least three or four times (depending on how important the talk is).
Last but not least, never write your speech word for word and don't read it the same way on note cards or a piece of paper. It's okay to have note cards with reminders and key notes on them but don't read the speech word for word. If you are reading a piece of paper word for word, you are not engaging your audience and you may not be making enough eye contact either! How often have we heard someone read something word for word and not be interested after a while because it sounded mundane, to scripted and not engaging?
Even though public speaking can be intimidating at first, it can be mastered by taking time to understand your audience, taking time to get organized and practicing.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Take Time To Enjoy Others, Your Hobbies and Exercise!
Whether you are a college student or a seasoned professional, there are always times of the year in which stress levels will be high. For most college students, mid-terms, final exams and final projects can raise stress levels. For working professionals, long weeks, busy schedules and long-term projects can be stressful and exhausting. It's not easy to avoid these situations but taking time to enjoy the company of others, your hobbies and exercising can help you refresh and alleviate the stress.
After a long week of classes or work, taking time to enjoy the company of others, whether it's friends or family, can help you relax and take your mind off school or work. Taking some time each week to spend time with a girlfriend/boyfriend, friends, or family members in social situations will help focus your attention elsewhere for a while and provide different interaction. Instead of being focused on schoolwork or your job, it will force you to socialize and discuss other topics with these people and put you at ease.
In addition to spending time with others outside of work or school, taking time during the week to enjoy hobbies can help provide relaxation and put your mind at ease. If you are into running, take time during the week to go on a long run can help relieve some of the tension built up from the stress related from school or work. If you are into photography, painting or art, taking time during the week or the weekend to work on a piece (or pieces) can help put your focus elsewhere for a while and can serve as a getaway. There are different hobbies out there and taking time to enjoy them during stressful times can help alleviate some of the tension being that is being built up.
Lastly, it's been said numerous times but taking time to work out or exercise is still one of the best stress relievers. Instead of laying around, take time to go for a run, hit the gym, go for a swim (if you enjoy the water) or go for a walk (especially if you have a canine friend who enjoys the outdoors). Taking time to exercise during the week will help relieve the tension being built up, will give you another outlet for some of the excess energy and make you feel better about yourself.
Even though stress is unavoidable at times, finding different methods of handling it by spending time with others, taking time for your hobbies and exercising can help relieve the tension that is built up. Spending time with others can help focus your attention elsewhere in a social setting, taking time to enjoy your hobbies can channel your energy and thoughts into a project that is fun for you, and exercising will help relieve tension and help you relax. Stress can't always be avoided but finding ways to handle it can help in the long run.
After a long week of classes or work, taking time to enjoy the company of others, whether it's friends or family, can help you relax and take your mind off school or work. Taking some time each week to spend time with a girlfriend/boyfriend, friends, or family members in social situations will help focus your attention elsewhere for a while and provide different interaction. Instead of being focused on schoolwork or your job, it will force you to socialize and discuss other topics with these people and put you at ease.
In addition to spending time with others outside of work or school, taking time during the week to enjoy hobbies can help provide relaxation and put your mind at ease. If you are into running, take time during the week to go on a long run can help relieve some of the tension built up from the stress related from school or work. If you are into photography, painting or art, taking time during the week or the weekend to work on a piece (or pieces) can help put your focus elsewhere for a while and can serve as a getaway. There are different hobbies out there and taking time to enjoy them during stressful times can help alleviate some of the tension being that is being built up.
Lastly, it's been said numerous times but taking time to work out or exercise is still one of the best stress relievers. Instead of laying around, take time to go for a run, hit the gym, go for a swim (if you enjoy the water) or go for a walk (especially if you have a canine friend who enjoys the outdoors). Taking time to exercise during the week will help relieve the tension being built up, will give you another outlet for some of the excess energy and make you feel better about yourself.
Even though stress is unavoidable at times, finding different methods of handling it by spending time with others, taking time for your hobbies and exercising can help relieve the tension that is built up. Spending time with others can help focus your attention elsewhere in a social setting, taking time to enjoy your hobbies can channel your energy and thoughts into a project that is fun for you, and exercising will help relieve tension and help you relax. Stress can't always be avoided but finding ways to handle it can help in the long run.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Holidays Are Coming Up Soon So Give Thanks!
It's the first weekend in November but in just a few weeks Thanksgiving will arrive and then the holiday season. The holiday season can be stressful at times for many people but opens up an opportunity to give thanks as well. It's the end of the year and it's a great time to take a few moments to send those who have helped you get through the year or have become good friends a simple thank you.
Taking time to say thank you during that time of year will mean a lot to the people you are expressing gratitude towards and below are some tips on how to give thanks:
Taking time to say thank you during that time of year will mean a lot to the people you are expressing gratitude towards and below are some tips on how to give thanks:
- Send Holiday Cards - writing these cards out can be time consuming but will mean a lot to someone who receives them in the mail. Getting a holiday card during a time of year that is synonymous with celebrations can be very meaningful to a person and appreciated as well. You can simply purchase your own cards or get creative and make them yourself!
- Send Holiday E-Cards- for those of you who prefer to send cards electronically, this idea is for you! More and more card companies are allowing users the ability to send cards through e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media. Sometimes these companies allow users to design their own cards and provides a more personal touch
- Bring in a treat for the office and co-workers to enjoy - this typically goes over pretty well and can be a nice little surprise for the people you work with. One example of this going over well was when I did an internship over a long winter break in December during my college years. As we got closer to Christmas, I was trying to figure out something to bring in for the people who I worked alongside during this internship and an idea came to me; candy canes! When I walked in the door that morning with packages of candy canes for these people, it meant a lot that someone took the time to bring these into the office for others to enjoy. It showed I cared and was a way for me to say thank you and Happy Holidays.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Reading: One of The Best Skills To Have
Learning is a never ending process and when it comes to building your career, taking time to read different types of material can benefit you. With different books available on various topics for a wide range of industries, taking time to read respected and well known books and articles can help benefit you and provide other insight.
Finding reading material online or in your bookstore is easy, however, trust your network on which books to select. People within your network may have insight on which articles and materials to read that are beneficial to your career growth. For example, if you are a salesman, talking to other salespeople inside your network may open up idea for sales books are recommended. If you are studying to be a teacher, talk with current teachers and ask if they have read books on different teaching methods out there for certain subjects. Finding the material is easy but take time to ask people within your network what they would recommend.
By taking time to read different materials, this could open up different opportunities, practices and theories on developing your skill set and your career. Using the sales example again, if you are a salesperson, taking time to read different sales books can help you find different methods in learning more about the customer, putting together a proposal, asking for referrals, handling objections and closing the sale. It never hurts to take time to read another viewpoint and what you learn different ways to improve your work performance an develop your career.
For many different industries, there are trade and online publications that could help you learn more about developments in your industry. Taking time to read through these can help you keep up on current events in your industry, understand what direction your line of work could be headed and develop strategies based upon the information you read. These publications are either printed on a weekly, monthly or even a daily basis and can help you keep up with current trends in your industry.
Early on, reading is one of the best skills we are taught and even as developing professionals, we can never do too much reading.
Finding reading material online or in your bookstore is easy, however, trust your network on which books to select. People within your network may have insight on which articles and materials to read that are beneficial to your career growth. For example, if you are a salesman, talking to other salespeople inside your network may open up idea for sales books are recommended. If you are studying to be a teacher, talk with current teachers and ask if they have read books on different teaching methods out there for certain subjects. Finding the material is easy but take time to ask people within your network what they would recommend.
By taking time to read different materials, this could open up different opportunities, practices and theories on developing your skill set and your career. Using the sales example again, if you are a salesperson, taking time to read different sales books can help you find different methods in learning more about the customer, putting together a proposal, asking for referrals, handling objections and closing the sale. It never hurts to take time to read another viewpoint and what you learn different ways to improve your work performance an develop your career.
For many different industries, there are trade and online publications that could help you learn more about developments in your industry. Taking time to read through these can help you keep up on current events in your industry, understand what direction your line of work could be headed and develop strategies based upon the information you read. These publications are either printed on a weekly, monthly or even a daily basis and can help you keep up with current trends in your industry.
Early on, reading is one of the best skills we are taught and even as developing professionals, we can never do too much reading.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
ABBC- Always Bring Business Cards
Networking is one of the most powerful tools in business today but a surprising number of people forget to bring a valuable item when going to networking events; business cards. Even though it makes sense, there are many different networking and social events out there in which people forget to bring business cards.
These events are great opportunities to meet people but how are you supposed to be remembered if you don't have any information to leave with the people you are conversing with?
Whenever you go to a networking event, social or business-oriented function, take a fair number of business cards with you. You never know who you may run across as these events, who can be a valuable contact and the doors that can open up from these interactions so make sure you have your business cards with you. With the number of people that attend, it's best to leave the people you talk to a card with your contact information for future reference. The people you meet may end up with a lot of business cards towards the end of the night but your will be in the pile if you provide one.
If you are currently unemployed, it's understandable if you don't have a current business card, however, you can obtain business cards for this use. One of the most popular web-sites to go to for personal business cards is www.vistaprint.com, where you can design your own business cards and get a certain number of them for free. This web-site has helped a lot of different job seekers get business cards when they needed it and can provide you with the same benefits as well. Taking time to design these cards is worth the investment and having these available at a networking event can help key people you meet remember who you are.
Even though it can seem like a hassle, there are ways in which you can carry business cards efficiently and effectively. Sometimes having a case full of them in your pocket, wallet or purse makes them easy to pull out when you need it. Others will carry them in a shirt pocket for easy access and other simply keep them in a coat or pants pocket. Carrying these is easier then you think and it's always good to make sure they are accessible.
Whenever you go to a business function or networking event, remember ABBC, Always Bring Business Cards!
These events are great opportunities to meet people but how are you supposed to be remembered if you don't have any information to leave with the people you are conversing with?
Whenever you go to a networking event, social or business-oriented function, take a fair number of business cards with you. You never know who you may run across as these events, who can be a valuable contact and the doors that can open up from these interactions so make sure you have your business cards with you. With the number of people that attend, it's best to leave the people you talk to a card with your contact information for future reference. The people you meet may end up with a lot of business cards towards the end of the night but your will be in the pile if you provide one.
If you are currently unemployed, it's understandable if you don't have a current business card, however, you can obtain business cards for this use. One of the most popular web-sites to go to for personal business cards is www.vistaprint.com, where you can design your own business cards and get a certain number of them for free. This web-site has helped a lot of different job seekers get business cards when they needed it and can provide you with the same benefits as well. Taking time to design these cards is worth the investment and having these available at a networking event can help key people you meet remember who you are.
Even though it can seem like a hassle, there are ways in which you can carry business cards efficiently and effectively. Sometimes having a case full of them in your pocket, wallet or purse makes them easy to pull out when you need it. Others will carry them in a shirt pocket for easy access and other simply keep them in a coat or pants pocket. Carrying these is easier then you think and it's always good to make sure they are accessible.
Whenever you go to a business function or networking event, remember ABBC, Always Bring Business Cards!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Getting Back Up After Being Knocked Down Can Open More Doors Later On
Going through tough times is never easy but giving up and not trying won't help your situation. No matter what level you are at, we have all gone through periods professionally and personally that have been tough and difficult to deal with. Getting knocked down is hard but getting back on your feet will open the door for more opportunities later on.
One of the best examples of reaching the benefits to getting back up after being knocked down comes from looking at the history of Walt Disney.
Early on in his entertainment career, Walt Disney's mistakes with his first company, Laugh-O-Grams, taught him valuable lessons of moving forward despite being knocked down. Laugh-O-Grams was Disney's first attempt to start a company and while he was able to find animators to work with him, he made the mistake of not managing the money properly. As a result the company went bankrupt and the business was a failure.
At this point, Disney could have given up but decided to move on with another venture. With the help of his brother, Disney set up a studio in Hollywood and produced a series called The Alice Companies. This success of the series helped give the two brothers a terrific head start to a company that has since evolved into one of the leading entertainment companies in the world. Instead of giving up, Disney got back up on his feet and pushed forward by forming a more successful company.
Not too long after the success of The Alice Comedies, Disney found himself knocked down again after he learned he lost the rights to the character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald was a successful character for Disney, however, Universal Pictures owned the rights to the character. As a result, Universal could make Oswald productions with or without Disney and many of Disney's animators left the company not too long after this news broke.
Instead of giving up, Disney created a new star, Mickey Mouse. This time, Disney held onto the rights and the character became more successful then Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Disney created the first cartoons featuring Mickey that had sound and other characters were created along the way. These characters led to other successes for the Disney company and proved that Disney's determination to keep moving forward paid off.
Not every situation is easy to get through but perseverance can pay off in the end. Disney was knocked down twice when his first studio failed and when he lost the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. In both instances, Disney continued to press forward and created both a company and characters that are leaders in entertainment worldwide. Disney isn't the only person who has gotten back up after being knocked down and you can get back on your feet after tough times too.
One of the best examples of reaching the benefits to getting back up after being knocked down comes from looking at the history of Walt Disney.
Early on in his entertainment career, Walt Disney's mistakes with his first company, Laugh-O-Grams, taught him valuable lessons of moving forward despite being knocked down. Laugh-O-Grams was Disney's first attempt to start a company and while he was able to find animators to work with him, he made the mistake of not managing the money properly. As a result the company went bankrupt and the business was a failure.
At this point, Disney could have given up but decided to move on with another venture. With the help of his brother, Disney set up a studio in Hollywood and produced a series called The Alice Companies. This success of the series helped give the two brothers a terrific head start to a company that has since evolved into one of the leading entertainment companies in the world. Instead of giving up, Disney got back up on his feet and pushed forward by forming a more successful company.
Not too long after the success of The Alice Comedies, Disney found himself knocked down again after he learned he lost the rights to the character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald was a successful character for Disney, however, Universal Pictures owned the rights to the character. As a result, Universal could make Oswald productions with or without Disney and many of Disney's animators left the company not too long after this news broke.
Instead of giving up, Disney created a new star, Mickey Mouse. This time, Disney held onto the rights and the character became more successful then Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Disney created the first cartoons featuring Mickey that had sound and other characters were created along the way. These characters led to other successes for the Disney company and proved that Disney's determination to keep moving forward paid off.
Not every situation is easy to get through but perseverance can pay off in the end. Disney was knocked down twice when his first studio failed and when he lost the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. In both instances, Disney continued to press forward and created both a company and characters that are leaders in entertainment worldwide. Disney isn't the only person who has gotten back up after being knocked down and you can get back on your feet after tough times too.
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