Energise Career Strategies Blog

Hello – how are you?

Blimey, modern life is full-on! Everything is changing so fast and it will get faster.

We have been reading lots of research about career success, employability, future skills and careers and the changing world of work so we can add even more value to our clients through these changing times. This blog shares some of these insights.

Here are 12 significant trends people need to be aware of and take action about

1. More specialised mastery needed – serial mastery
2. Connectivity, collaboration and networks central
3. World is increasingly virtual
4. Increasingly complex working and business environment
5. Accelerated change
6. Continuously growing competition and fragmentation
7. Skills have a shorter shelf life
8. Peace, quiet and reflection time under threat
9. Growth in innovation and creativity and solutions from diverse networks
10. Working for companies more flexible and looser
11. Need to create a trusted brand – make it authentic, create reputation and manage it
12. Evolving positioning key – ‘morph and slide’

Source – Lynda Grafton “The Shift – the future of work is already here.”

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shift-Future-Work-Already-Here/dp/000742793X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336804071&sr=1-1.

We love trends and hope you found this potted summary useful. It goes back to our time as an account planner for JWT, many moons ago.

How will these trends affect you?

What actions can you take now to stay one step ahead?

Portfolio careers is one trend on the up – read our career guide for The Telegraph – click here:

http://jobs.telegraph.co.uk/article/3899124/what-is-portfolio-working-and-why-is-it-growing-/

Download our free skills report:

http://careerstrategies.co.uk/changingcareersreport/

What trends do you think will have the most impact? Which trends would you add to the list?

I am completely unemployable. I have been self employed for over 14 years. When I left employment, the only thing I missed was the IT helpline, my company car and the salary. I still remember the excitement of getting my first invoice paid! My Mum designed my first logo, my office was my bedroom and I didn’t have any business cards for the first 2 years, just a freelance-focused CV.

Are you considering self employment or do you know someone who is? Perhaps you are finding the current jobs market frustrating and challenging. Read More »

I was scanning the best sellers list in a book shop over Easter and noticed 2 books in the top 15 about being stuck and what to do about it. The phrase feeling stuck appears 36 million times in Google search.

Feeling stuck is not something people talk about, is it? Especially the government or CEO of a company. It is a fascinating topic affecting many areas, relationships, career, projects etc.

Often feeling stuck is caused by something we are not even aware of, e.g. resistance caused by a fear so it is hard to put your finger on it and do something about it. Try saying that to your boss when you are procrastinating.

With so much uncertainty about, one of the worst things to do when feeling stuck is stick your head in the sand and hope it will go away. Occasionally around the corner, there is a magic solution and it is best to take no action, but this is rare.

Here are 3 tips to help you become unstuck:
1. Have a ‘stuckness audit’ with yourself, for a project or your company to identify the ‘don’t knows’
2. Identify the consequence of staying stuck and taking no action and the benefit of taking action
3. Check in with yourself regularly and make time to ask yourself a self-reflective question e.g. What’s the resistance about?

For a full article about becoming unstuck, e mail rachel@liberateyourtalent.com

Are you receiving the free Energise bulletins? They share insights and tip to help you move forward in your career.

http://www.liberateyourtalent.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=106

Wouldn’t it be useful to know what the magic recipe is for all those job seekers out there – those employability skills? I have been reading some research about employability, (Source = DWP 2011 Employers recruitment behaviour and decisions SMEs) desired characteristics of candidates by employers. It is an interesting topic with a lot of unconscious bias and perceptions going on.

99% of employers are small or medium enterprises (SMEs) so they are a good prospect for getting a job. Increasingly many people are getting frustrated with the politics and reduced promotion prospect caused by the downturn in bigger companies. Working for an SME gives you a wider remit and new challenges to get your teeth into.

So what are SMEs looking for in terms of employability skills?

Flexibility: Someone with a flexible attitude to work and a willingness to perform a number of roles

Competence: Ability to do the job properly

Reliability: Someone who will be at work when they are supposed to be

Stability: Personal stability is often equated in employers’ minds with reliability

Location: Living close to work so minimising cost and disruption with commuting problems

Attitude to work: Strong work ethic

Personality: Positive, proactive, good team workers

Honesty: Employees who can be trusted.

This might feel like an obvious list, but it is worth remembering as you need to prove you have these employability skills with examples at the interview. Often employers have perceptions/bias that you need to overcome e.g. younger people are less reliable than older people and foreign nationals have a better work ethic than UK citizens.

With a small company, recruitment is felt to be more risky because there are less people representing the company, so the impact of making the wrong decision feels greater.

The competencies that employers are changing. What do you think they are looking for now in the ever changing world of work?

Are you receiving our Energise bulletins yet?

Click on this link to read historical ones:

http://www.liberateyourtalent.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=106

Click on this link to opt in to receive future ones absolutely free.

http://visitor.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?m=1102862873131&p=oi

Here is part 2 – more top tips to help you from members of The Chartered Institute of Marketing. (CIM)

“I would focus on the vision and proposition of your business first and then optimize your network, and use your contacts to get referrals/introductions, generate word of mouth and help create awareness and interest in your business. You should never underestimate the power of networking as a marketing tool.”

“Do not venture out on your own if you don’t have active customers/clients in hand and then build from there. For a small start up, word of mouth marketing is probably the soundest way to go.”

“Work out what knowledge you have that a group of people (your potential customers) are willing to pay for, collate contact data on the group so you can reach them, and then ask them how they would like to hear about what you have to offer. The above is much harder than it sounds. Bernadette Doyle of Client Magnets has excellent advice on how to do this http://clientmagnets.com/ She has helped me enormously over the last couple of years.”

“Develop a thick skin too. That need not be as painful as it sounds. Also, obtain testimonials – be direct and ask for them if necessary – particularly if you’re offering a service and if that service is yourself!”

“Very few people get the success right first time but if you do a bit of research into what you think are your segments, talk to key stakeholders in those markets, create a ‘niche’ for yourself and do a 2-3 year marketing plan as identified above covering – external environment P.E.S.T.E.L., the specific market you are going to be trading in, your products/services, S.W.O.T. analysis, are you going to have the capital to sustain the business given the difficult economic challenges you face and a contingency plan if things start to go pear-shape? It’s not easy to go out there and crack it but you really need to ‘market’ yourself and your products well. Get out and talk to people, network, fish around in the small ponds to get known and established. Most of all, believe in yourself and your products – even when things don’t seem to be going right!”

“Be creative, follow your instincts and have fun with it. You are allowed. Everything else is a process and sensible.”

“You can sub-contract much of the marketing – even get people to help you with strategy.”

“The one thing you MUST DO yourself is take total responsibility for SALES.
It doesn’t matter if you employ a sales manager (or even director) get good at sales.”

“The hardest thing is to employ yourself, anticipate the staff you will need and start setting out the culture of your organisation drawing up job & people specifications as you are actually doing the job.“

“BRAND the business. Plan it based on future expectations.”

Source = Chartered Institute of Marketing LinkedIn group January 2012

Here are some client examples of people who we have helped become self- employed.

Becoming self-employed as a working mum:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106769308248.html

Evolving a business with changing market conditions:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106770475879.html

Turning a passion into a business:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106787631322.html

Self-employment in your 50s:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106768912605.html

Why are we useful to help people become self-employed?

■Background in marketing, brand strategy and communication; design, innovation and advertising
■Helping people to ‘blow their own trumpet’ is a specality – we have published articles and done events on this topic
■Good at coming up with insights and ideas to help you achieve results fast
■We have been self employed for 14 years including doing contracts, freelance and marketing a service
■Certified coach so help you focus and overcome actual and perceived blocks
■Lots of practical tools and tips giving you more for your investment; 60 articles, 40 career guides and Energise bulletins on Self Promotion, Career Strategies and Smart living and working topics
■Great connector of people and resources to save you time
■Energise ‘Marketing what I do’ on-line prgramme, e mail us for details:
rachel@liberateyourtalent.com

Click here for details of our service setting up your own business:

http://www.liberateyourtalent.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=37

Thanks!

Rachel

Just before Christmas, I gave a talk to a group of people who are part of the government’s Enterprise initiative about ‘becoming self employed.’

It reminded me that the only thing I missed about employment apart from the regular salary 14 years ago was having an IT helpline to mop up my IT incompetence.

Giving the talk got me thinking afresh about self-employment and what advice to give people now. My marketing training was in the dark ages, otherwise known as the 1980’s so I thought I would ask via LinkedIn what members of the Chartered Institute of Marketing thought. The question I posed was:

“What advice would you give about marketing to someone becoming self employed for the first time?”

In case you are thinking of jumping into the world of self-employment or perhaps being pushed, as after all, it is a young industry, here are their tips:

“Make sure you offer something that is different and be prepared to change and update what you offer as your market whatever you choose will evolve.”

“Draw up a business plan and keep within a budget. Network and build up your contacts carefully, targeting your chosen market carefully.”

“Business is about making money and protecting margin. Get your pricing, costings and overheads right, choose the customers you want in the location you want them, don’t be frightened to lose them and keep your promises. And most important – get some of your own money behind you to weather the downtimes.”

“Think niches. Think networks. Think partners. Think elevator pitch. Think about what the customers’ hurts/needs and wants are and how you can engage with the customers. Get some good books written by small business people for small business people.”

“Be concise and give a prospect a real reason to choose you.”

“Be prepared for the quiet periods and have a plan to identify opportunities in a downturn. It’s great to get a regular salary however when you are self employed income can be very irregular. Also, use your contacts to identify opportunities and network where your customers are likely to be. Have plans for worse the case scenarios.”

“Take your time. You don’t have to do everything straight away. It’s better to do it right than just to do it.”

“Have a plan in mind and listing it down on a paper is very important. You should be very clear about your Target Segment, narrow it as much as you can. Also, one more important step in marketing is to know the Opportunities and possible Threats. And not to forget depending on your business prepare the Marketing Plan!!”

“Prepare a simple marketing plan and revisit/update often. Do a SWOT on yourself, your business and your main competitors. Take a section of the plan at a time to work on, develop and understand more fully. Know your competition and identify how you stand out from them. Learn the marketing basics from webinars and meetings. Consider carefully your communications options and don’t rush into any major spend. Test and measure.”

“Build profitable relationships in the sector where you are a real “expert”. Hopefully you have some work/clients coming with you but you should also build your base. And don’t do work for free in the hope that one day it’ll come right – we all do it and it’ll suck up your time.”

“Rehearse an Elevator Test to ensure that you dont miss any points when talking to prospects. Use your track record/expertise to give credibility to your pitch. Attend any events where your target is likely to be – expect to build relationships first before a sale.”

“You are the whole company; you are the personal assistant, the secretary,the financial accountant, the driver, the messenge, .but best of all you are also the shareholder,all profits and proceeds come to you. Never ever ever underestimate the power of marketing.”
Source = Chartered Institute of Marketing LinkedIn group December 2011

If you are pondering becoming self-employed, you might find:

1) Our bulletins useful:

http://www.liberateyourtalent.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=106

2) These client examples inspiring to make that leap, even in a downturn.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106786138562.html

Wishing you a successful 2012 personally and professionally.

Rachel

I have noticed a trend emerging in the ether in the last few weeks. It has been simmering in the background for a while, but its temperature is definitely hotting up. The theme is paradoxical, because the ‘fixed grin, thank goodness I have a job’ has been nudging the ‘I want job satisfaction and to feel engaged at work’ off the top slot, so there is likely to be a trend that is a bit hidden at the moment. I have noticed the trend to be especially prevalent amongst working Mums.

If they are doing grunt work or where they get treated like second class citizens, the wrench of being away from their kids is magnified.

After all, if you are going to have to fork out not insignificant sums of money to pay for an au pair, nanny or nursery, you at least want to feel that the sacrifice is worth it, and work is rewarding, and for many it seems it isn’t and maybe never has been.

There is such a huge waste of female talent amongst working mothers. Why don’t employers do more about flexibility?

Could working mums be the key to keeping the ‘fixed grin’ brigade happy through these challenging years, with the very resilience and patience that their dual role gives, an asset to share in the Boardroom? What is your view?

Did you know we do gift vouchers? They make a thoughtful and practical Christmas present or leaving gift. E mail us for details: rachel@liberateyourtalent.com

How simple are you? The mnemonic ‘Keep It Simple Stupid’, always makes me smile, I am note sure why. This week 2 things have got me pondering simplicity. 1) I have been reading about simplicity and how business has got far too bureaucratic and is tying itself in knots by overcomplicated things. 2) My parents bought a kettle because they found their automatic boiling water device was too complicated to meet their requirements. As someone who wakes up early at 5 a.m. and was unable to make a coffee until the device switched itself on at 7a.m., it was also unable to meet my ‘I need an injection of caffeine’ requirement, I am very very glad!

I am simple and I like simplicity, in fact it is one of my values. One of the reasons I choose not to have any employees is so I can have short Board meetings with myself, enjoy fast decision-making and have a duvet day or five if I want one.

Career change can feel the opposite of simple. In fact it can feel so huge, complicated and overwhelming that many people never even start. But you know what? A big change does not have to be complicated. It can be just as simple as a small change. It is a question of breaking it down into smaller bits and tackling them one at a time. If you were to create a change in your career, what would be your first small step?

Being simple, one of the concepts I read this week that I really liked was the principle of having all key information for a business; vision, goals and actions on one piece of paper. Love it. One of the tools I use in career change is all the insights for the ingredients of your career change on one piece of A4 paper including fears, values, skills, and ‘no no’s’ i.e. things you never ever want to have again at work e.g. bullying bosses or someone else giving you a last minute task as a result of their PPP. You work out that mnemonic for that one, but it has nothing to do with an insurance company.

Here is another simple concept, the later you start your career change, the longer you wait to enjoy the benefits and the more delayed your escape is. With companies taking longer to find the right candidate and being less compromising, looking for an ‘exact fit’, that wait could feel like a prison sentence with no parole.

If you are pondering a career change, but you find yourself procrastinating and simply not starting, why not take the first step small and do one of these 3 things:

1) Download a free report to better understand your skills and where else they are useful. Click on this link:

http://careerstrategies.co.uk/changingcareersreport/

or

2) Read our bulletins with free tips to help you in your career – click on this link.

http://www.liberateyourtalent.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=106

or

3) Read about the career changes of people who, like you, felt the fear and did it anyway. Click on this link:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs042/1102862873131/archive/1106786138562.html

The 6 week timeframe to sort out the debt crisis has got me thinking about deadlines. They can be a pain but they are also very useful to focus the mind. Work deadlines under pressure imposed by someone else can get you enraged, renewal deadlines like car insurance or the end of a fixed mortgage force you to think about it/explore other options rather than ignore or forget about the issue. Forced deadlines like redundancy or early retirement give you short or long timescales to get your act together and plan.
Without deadlines procrastination can be king and “I didn’t get around to it” Queen.

For many people being made redundant, while not nice, can be a push to do something different rather than drift/cruise at work. I have found that people who hate their career can take years, even decades to take action. That is a lot of time being fed up of work and having a sinking feeling on Monday mornings. The reason? No deadline and it feeling like a huge overwhelming decision.

I find that the tipping point to people finally deciding to come to me about career change is often a birth, death, birthday or sometimes the straw that broke the camel’s back – e.g. a colleague getting a promotion or the umpteenth time they have worked late and their boss taken the credit.

What deadline could you set for yourself in 6 weeks time to achieve something important but not urgent? E mail me and I will hold you accountable – click on the link.

http://careerstrategies.co.uk/careercoaching/what-next/

Like media fragmentation, the landscape of careers is changing hugely.

I have had a virtual PA for over 10 years and she keeps me sane and enables me to focus on the important tasks and things I love. I never ever waste time holding on the telephone listening to ‘excruciating lift music’ to sort out a niggly hassle.

Virtual PAs did not exist a decade ago and it is just as well the role was created with technology increasingly replacing the full time office secretary and PA. It looks like virtual PAs will be made redundant too, according to ‘The Shift – the future of work is already here’ by Lynda Gratton. The predictions in the book which are based on global research are both exciting and scary at the same time.

What do you think the future of work will be? Can you imagine having a digital computer assistant to manage the deluge of contacts and opportunities that social media enables for you? It could be the first thing you see when you open your eyes.

What do you think the marketing and communication industry will look like in 20 years? What roles will disappear and what new ones will be created? If you are pondering what other roles your skills could be useful for, why not download our free Skills report? Click on this link:

http://careerstrategies.co.uk/changingcareersreport/

To read more about The shift, click on this link:

http://www.lyndagratton.com/