Open Up your presents today!

How delightful is to open a new present and ‘play’ with it. That new mini I-Pod or the coffee maker, the new bike or the special craft made by your kids…mmmm! Can you feel the distinctive smell?
I also love the feeling of finding one of my old toys. It is like when I go visiting my mother’s house and I go through those old photo albums and keepsakes, I get certainly nostalgic and I remember those ‘old times’ when things were different.

Then, my question is when did ‘different’ get a negative connotation? When did we start shaping ourselves to the 'play-doh' of the times forgetting our own texture and colors?

I have a fascination with originality. If it comes from your heart and you’ve taken the best is there combining it with your own genius, then we have ‘something’ and even we may get quite a number of those ‘things’. Do you know what those things are? IDEAS! your own and unique ideas. The ones that trigger your actions to where nobody else has put foot on before…your own vision!

Everyone has a gift, the main obstacle to use it resides it in oneself. Either there is a cultural reason that prevents you to enjoy your own greatness at something or a personal one that acts like a barrier with a huge sign that says: TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED.

But why are you prosecuting yourself for daring to think and dream BIG? How about playing pretend these holidays to figure out you have the right to claim a territory of your own in your life? There, you can be your own CEO to collect your dues and direct your future at your best on your own to what is there waiting for you to dare to obtain it.

Are you laying on your couch Resting In Peace while you watch a re-run of the Survivor finale or brainstorming already in what to do different, what lessons have you learned already that could take you to a next level in your career and life in 2010?

It is your call, your business, your choice as you are the Producer, Director and main actor in your own reality show called: Living a life you deserve to call your own!

Open up your presents (=TALENTS) today and enjoy the smell, the feeling, the excitement of starting to play again with them!

Have fun!

What moves you to action is what makes you WHOLE

Two days ago while meeting a spiritual counselor I’ve known since I was a child I couldn’t help but laughing at her very ‘apparently simple’ reflection that she was grateful to God for having giving her health. This comes from someone who has had multiple sclerosis for most of her adult years. She is one of the most amazing individuals I’ve met in my lifetime. When she talks to you while sitting on her wheelchair, her strength, joy, faith and evident choice of happiness makes you forget everything else but the power of her words and her message. She makes me wonder about how inaccurate the term ‘handicapped’ can be on a situation like this. Is she a handicapped individual for not using her body fully or are we the handicapped ones for not making the difficult choices that get us closer to our vision?

She has listened to people problems almost everyday for more than 40 years (maybe even more than 50!). She has supported, encouraged and moved others to action. She’s done more from the wheelchair in her room – without Internet connection - than most.

She is an inspiration and a true example to follow. Then, I am inspired by the Season (it is Christmas to me, by the way) and moved deeply by her presence and life example. Now, what moves you? What can take you to the next level? I mean, what can get you from your thoughts to real brave coherent actions?

I’ve witnessed and listened this 2009 to many stories of people who impacted by their surroundings blame the outcome of their lives to whatever events have happened to them, instead of, reflecting on the choices that put them on that particular spot on the first place.

How wonderful would be for all to take advantage of the Season to re-think in what makes us handicapped individuals or whole fulfilled ones?

No background noise or reactions to words but openness to what is there to really listen to. I met this extraordinary woman who I am immensely proud to call not just my friend but a spiritual guide and I listened with my heart, soul and ears to what her words/actions had to tell me. I also stayed in the moment, ‘squeezed’ the best of it and have taken it with me to think further.

As she is thankful to God for her health I am thankful to all the fallings, doors shut on my face, broken pieces and leaps of faith…I am thankful that I am willing to get out of the career coaching talk to move into a personal territory that triggers to most our choices; therefore, our current lives and future to make us whole with no excuse but the one we may paint in our minds on our own.

I see the choices she’s made everyday to be happy inasmuch of her physical pain and health difficulties but her election is to be thankful, to be at God’s service by helping others to choose what will hopefully make them whole and happier.

Everyday it is up to you what path to take to move you closer to what you truly want that creates some sense to your life and a meaning to it or as I even coach my own little kids at every single chance ‘happiness is a choice and not something that happens to some’.

P.S. I dedicate this to you my dear Alida, even if you do not have Internet access in your room, I am sure your life has changed the world for the better!

The Top Ten Presents to give to yourself this Season (and mostly free!)

Are you overwhelmed by the Holidays, the giving, the sharing, the socializing, the traveling, the mailing, the calling and the waiting for that special present you’ve been looking forward to get for a while (e.g. a job to many). Well, I came up with a list of my top 10 presents you could seriously enjoy by making you a happier person this Season ; therefore, a more likeable to anyone in your network.

1. Give yourself a day. Yes, it may sound overly redundant to tell you to do this as we apparently do this every day, the truth? Can you book a date with yourself to do just the things that make you happy? What about having your favorite breakfast, wearing your favorite clothes, listening to your favorite song while singing it out loud and having a blast with yourself for a whole day? Reward: Inner Peace and Joy.

2. Choose a Cause to give. I realize that times have changed, the unemployment rate is higher and economy is not at its best but most of us can make a difference if we compromise with an initiative we can relate to. Let’s say money is not in the booming department, still you can volunteer your time or your talent to make a difference with the added benefit of applying your experience and gaining visibility.

3. Be a friend. Everybody is so busy and stressed out these days that smiling has become a rarity. Use those face muscles and exercise, assume the best in others, adopt acceptance instead of judgment in your heart and spread the joy.

4. Surprise the ones you care about. A hand written letter instead of an e-mail, sipping some cocoa while enjoying a good fire, a hug and some appreciation words to that relative you care but do not get along with.

5. Be Thankful. Have you forgotten to thank the former colleague that referred to you to a key business contact that landed you a job? What about appreciating the effort others put on your cause asking nothing in reward but a thank you? Go and enjoy ‘paying your gratitude dues’ as it is never too late.

6. Pay Forward. I am glad you’ve made possible some of your goals, now what about helping others to do the same. The paying forward initiative is such a great way to embrace the best you are and you can achieve by planting your good deeds along your path.

7. Get out of your comfort zone. Assuming you have already tried a number of simultaneous resources to get you closer to your destination, what about pushing yourself out of your box to try something new. For those working on their presentation skills, what about trying Ignite or pecha-kucha instead of Toastmasters? Adventuring into unknown territory can certainly triggers your curiosity, empower your creativity and refine your ability to transfer your skills more effectively.

8. Dream a Dream! As a child I would dream of many things, the amazing part of the story is that I was actually taught to visualize and work hard towards my vision. A teaching I thought to be very personal has become what many called ‘the secret’. Do you remember the Kevin Costner movie in which he heard over and over again ‘If you build it, they’ll come’? Well, not trying to spoil the secret that there is not secret but to dare to dream big and work smart to make it true.

9. Play Pretend. Assume you’ve made it all the way to the top of that high mountain you have envisioned yourself. Watch around that vision, how it feels, how it looks like, where it is happening, who your allies are and write it down! Details count and playing pretend is such a fun and productive exercise to create a compelling vision.

10. Celebrate. Are you the result of a series of accidents in your life that happened to you or the creator of your own universe, the architect of its grounds, surroundings and outcomes? You are the product of your own choices and the amazing learning and experience you have acquired along the way is a great reason to celebrate. List your top 10 reasons for celebration and get in the Holiday season with joy, a vision and the confidence you will be at your best in 2010!

Happy Holidays!!!!

Are you a Do-Do?

Are you the kind of person that when asked ‘JUMP’ the reply is always ‘HOW HIGH’? And there you go jumping all along everyday at the beat of what others instruct you to do. Or, are you the workaholic that does a zillion things one after the other without reasoning the sense of all that work?

I go to a HRM class every other Saturday at Rice University where a wonderful professor, Mr. Davis, is always opening discussions about day-to-day HR matters. He empowers the class to be strategic on their thinking; therefore, more efficient in their decisions and definitely more aligned to the business needs.

He said something in one of the classes that has resonated with me since I’ve heard it. If you do a lot of things all the time, everyday with no strategic planning and no reflection (review) on the results, then you are repeating yourself constantly, so what happens when you just do, do, do stuff all the time? You become a do-do!!!!

Isn’t that obvious? Yes, you need that vision to align your action to and the space to check they are moving you on the direction you want to go. But lots of folks have become precisely a ‘do-do’ type of professionals and even worse, ‘do-do’ persons.

Organizations are laying off people resulting in much more work for those keeping their jobs and those who are job transitioning feel such a pressure that keep applying to job after job without thinking or assessing what resources are more effective in their search.

I can think of many disadvantages of being a do-do, such as:

1. Level of stress is much higher. I know someone whose health has been jeopardized a few times by the obsession of doing too much with no planning. Every week is the same story, level of stress, same old complaining talk of how time is never enough. How many trips to the emergency room will take for this individual to realize a CHANGE is needed?

2. Lack of joy. What pleasure is there to complete one thing after the other without celebrating any success, completion or closure of any of it? I couldn’t believe these days when I got a letter from my daughter’s school notifying the report card would be sent this Friday and reminding the parents the need to celebrate their kids’ achievements instead of focusing on what did not work on this period. Whoao! Are people even going so far in their obsession to do things that they do not even celebrate anymore their kids’ accomplishments? Then, where is the joy in the day-to-day living?

3. Routine kills creativity. If you assume your day is what you get and there is no sense to change any of it, can you imagine the level of boredom? Not counting the mechanical reaction towards every request to JUMP and keep JUMPING. There is a Charly Chaplin movie I love that makes a parody of a factory worker that does a manual activity with his hands all day and that when leaving work his hands keep moving on the same way no matter what he is doing or who he is with. Hilarious and sad, so are you out of ideas already?

4. A network disabler. Who wants to be around a ‘do-do’ or hire one? Yes, I know it depends on the job but when you have three interview candidates for a job and 2 out of 3 are ‘do-dos’ and there is that one that takes the time to reason and learn from previous experiences, who do you think will get hired? . Also, if you see someone who repeats itself all the time and no matter how long you see that person there is no change, what value would that person add to your network?

Now, use your ‘life brakes’, stop and start thinking on your vision, that strategy you need to make some sense of your actions and creativity to effectively achieve what you really want to have.

At the end, it is about how you decide to spend everyday what will make your life/job what you want it to be.

So, get rid of the ‘do-do’ spirit and awake the amazing person who hides beneath the covers of ‘too much work to do and too little time to think on anything else’.

Be an enabler of your life and career! BE!

Your coach,

Mariela

Are you on a diet these days?

Have you met those folks (not you, of course!) that when being a bit overweight and eating a big slice of pizza speak about the wonderful diet they are thinking on starting on Monday? And then, Monday comes; the diet is broken on Tuesday by that piece of candy nobody can refuse to have. Even if your diet last a whole week, it is a horrible week filled with cravings for everything you are missing that you want to have. You become a ‘foodaholic’, somebody whose life turns into an obsession with whatever cannot be eaten instead of enjoying the pleasures of other healthier foods available right at your table.


So, what does all this diet talk have to do with your career transition and/or development plan?

Easy answer, most people when looking for either a job or a career switch tend to focus in what they do NOT have, they get obsessed on that particular skill that they have NOT mastered and which according to their expectations they should be better at. Then, there they go ready to move into a whole world of opportunities thinking and hoping nobody out there finds out they do not have that, yes, that particular thing they have created and built into their minds as a barrier, an obstacle that will decrease their chances to be noticed or selected to what they want. They become ‘gapholic’ people that only see the gaps and the holes they believe make them incomplete.

What chances have somebody like that to be successful on this ‘career diet plan’? What do you think? Almost none. Frankly, there is nothing more appealing than precisely the opposite.

Have you met those ‘health gurus’ that when talking to you resemble precisely the image of everything you would expect from somebody that eats and lives healthy in the inside and outside. They do not seem to deprive themselves to what they need but to move forward with such a level of clarity to what they want. Have you got friends like that? They are attractive and inspiring. They truly walk the talk on what they believe it is best for them.

The same could apply to your career. What if you could live the dream and embrace who you are? Your achievements, your skills, your competencies, your built network, your own goals and acceptance of the potential you have to drive yourself to the top of that high mountain instead of the bottom of a high wall.

An effective career diet plan requires guts to believe you can and preparation to make you more effective in your path, it does not take away what you enjoy but takes you closer to what brings you joy: that job you have always wanted or the corporation you think you’d be perfect for. Can you imagine going to a networking event or talking to an interviewer with the passion that comes from the clarity on your own ability to conquer and do beyond what anyone else in your shoes could do?

Doors will get open; people will notice you and you’ll be happier managing your own ‘career diet’.

So, step out of that  pile of applications you have waiting for you on the job board you face everyday and start making phone calls to meet the people that will see what you bring with you on that amazing portfolio of attributes, achievements and competencies called: YOU!

Dare to do your best, dare to enjoy who you are and beat your competition while you do so. Walk the talk and BE!

Best success,
Your coach.

I love your accent!

What happens when your communication gets impacted by your belief that your accent makes you incompetent of telling others your story? What are the consequences of having a second language but feeling unsecured about your ability to speak it without an accent to make your point effectively go across?

So, is it the accent or your lack of self-confidence the one jeopardizing your networking skills and a successful job transitioning process?

On my former corporate life I was exposed to a diverse platform of clients that were from everywhere you could think of, even from places I did not know existed in our global geography. The meaning was that I worked in a particular organization with a very inclusive culture in which accents were taken as part of the day-to-day communications and where everyone was able to ask, if not understanding somebody else's words due to this reality. It was not a barrier but a cultural enabler that made it cooler, funnier, more relaxed and certainly inclusive to the point in which you would feel at ease and at your best by the acceptance of it. No offense was taken as no offense was intended. There was a global management team that felt like the Miss Universe contest but without the looks!
Certainly, though we experience everyday the consequences of a global market, we also live mostly in a domestic/local job culture in which we'll likely face what is called 'minority' or 'majority' tagging games. Does this matter when we talk about your accent and your level of confidence to market your brand? Do you feel a 'minority', I mean, less that something bigger and greater called 'majority'? Hopefully, you don’t.
You make your own brand with your history and then, you reveal it to tell the story that will connect you to those wanting to hear it and buy it.
So, do I believe in Accent Reduction programs? Certainly, if it is going to help you make yourself understood and at ease under any circumstance, then go for it but if what you are having is not an accent problem but a self-confidence issue, then you are looking at the wrong resource to get you on the right track.
First, let me give you some very old news, everyone, yes, EVERYONE has an accent. It is part of your roots and who you are. The trick is not to let the accent determine your professional identity but your own brand to be the one that speaks by itself with its own attributes. Do not misunderstand my words, I believe that if you live in a host country and you call it home, wouldn't it make sense for you to learn the language of it? However, there is a big difference between the accent and the lack of language proficiency, don't you think?

Second, TRUST yourself, your own guts and instinct more than anything else. I get quite often clients that have forgotten their STAR which is the inner talent that made them successful in their career journey to a point in which they can list the value of what they did with clear and tangible contribution. How can you go to an interview if you do not believe you've got what it takes and blame it to your own 'minority' sense or 'accent' image? It is just an image you made with words that does not tell the whole story of who you are and your previous successes. Life is no accident, so do not make your career a matter of coincidences when it's always been a matter of preparation, hard work and readiness to take on the next steps.

Third, yes, some people suck! But at the end, it is how you react to what they do what gets you closer to your goal or takes you away from it. I confess I have an accent! Ops! Now you know, I share this amazing ‘unique’ attribute with you and guess what? I looove it. It is who I am and my story is to play with it. I speak faster at a social gathering and much slower at a professional one. It supports my openness to those willing to hear me and struggling to get me whenever my pronunciation does not come across in the way their listening is used to or my tongue is intending to. It also ensures my own willingness to be at my best squeezing every single chance to communicate. I learn everyday; I listen to the stories behind the accents to SEE the person that is telling it. I am amazed at the talent, the dreams, the goals, the possibilities, the incredible contributions people with accents have made and will keep making ensuring our world is a diverse and inclusive one in which we all do our homework to be open and to get what others are telling beyond the accents, beyond the biases and beyond the self-doubts.

Open up to the possibility that comes from your own self, your identity, your strengths, your own special and unique accent…your brand
And please, stay one more minute here to reflect on the amazing words shared by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander in their book The Art of Possibility (Harvard Business School Press):
‘We can make a conscious use of our way with words to define new frameworks for possibility that bring out the part of us that is most contributory, most unencumbered, most open to participation. And why not say that is who we really are?

Multiple Hats Career Development Plan

Are you a procrastinating indecisive person? Or are you one of the zillion ‘multiple hats’ professionals coping with tons of choices every day?
Most of the reasons people give me everyday to procrastinate their important choices/actions is the inability to commit themselves to choose what ultimately will make them not just more effective in achieving their longer term goals but meeting their final dream destination.
I was just talking about it today with not just one but quite a few people and the conclusion is that …mmmm! Well, the truth is that there is not conclusion on the ‘Multiple Hat Career Development plan’ but a way to be happier and cooler about it.
I know there seems to be an infinite horizon when you look at the number/variety of hats we wear and choices that come with them such as, subscriptions, volunteering responsibilities, professional affiliations, affinity groups, training, certifications, social interactions, family commitments, pets, etc. But I also know that if you have a clear vision, what stops you is just the inability to believe you CAN tackle the task ahead by repeating your successful past choices - with the ‘experience’ as an added value - in your future and narrow your options, so then you begin recreating the success feeling that comes out of working hard towards a dream that is aligned to a personal/professional vision.
And what if what you need is just some extra courage? Then, go and talk to that mentor you have not seen in ages or seek guidance in a career coach. Ask questions and allow yourself to be humble in your own reflexion while you re-energize yourself and prepare for success.
You know that you can quit some hats, right? You can also save some others for the next season and wear the ones that get the best from you, so then you move somewhere that is closer to the place you wanted to go from the beginning.
Have you seen the lady at the wedding reception that missed reading the dress code note on the invitation and came casually dressed? That could be any of us if we do not ‘read our external/internal’ clues that tell us how far (or close) we are from our desired destination.
Ok, I confess, I am one of you, I mean, I am a ‘Multiple Hat’ professional and I make my choices everyday. Some of them are hard to make, especially when the heart is involved but nobody said the journey to a dream was easy. So, it may be, you sacrifice a little bit here and now but you will be getting much more in the longer run and saving the best for that final mile that lets you move to the winning podium of your life once you take control of it.
Assuming ownership and accountability not just for your choices, but actions and consequences that come from them with a good compass will not just ensure your sense of direction but your focus and sense of fulfillment; therefore, happiness.
Just remember to choose your hats wisely!

Is S-T-R-E-S-S winning this battle?

According to the American Institute of Stress, surveys show that 75 to 90 percent of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints.
Then, a common element of the recession is the stress caused either by losing a job and the uncertainty of the unknown regarding what to do about it (like if we ever knew our future, anyway!).
Though I am not playing the Doctor's role in here I can certainly coach you about re-thinking how to cope with your level of stress on this uncertainty. The trick is staying resilient through the challenges of these life changing events. After all, we never know what challenges or difficulties lay ahead.
Then, if Resilience is about taking action to make the future better, may I suggest...?
I. Re-discover a vision to commit to.
Where is your passion? Where is that destiny you feel you belong to and the strategy and goals that indicate you are getting closer to it? When was the last time you thought of it?
II. Stay positive.
Yes, it is easier to say than to do it, but nothing works better for a healthy mind than a busy day full of things to do that are aligned to that vision. After all, optimism is a skill than can be learned.
If you lost your job and are 100% focused in finding a new one, find some fulfilling activities that complete your job hunting strategy and energize your spirit. E.g. talk to a mentor, volunteer in a non-profit group or schedule some needed friends' night out after a long week.
III. Think like a winner and act like one.
No, I am not telling you to move to 'fantasy island' when you still have bills to pay and a job to find to be able to meet your obligations, but your level of energy is perceived by those who interact with you on daily basis = your network!. What about listening to your favorite music when going to that professional networking meeting and getting there ready to promote the attributes of your brand instead of complaining about the cost of living and how hard the economy is? Does that sound like something dummy to do? Well, I've witnessed that kind of behavior and how it repels others. Then, instead of feeling sorry, switch your mood for grabbing that piece of pie that belongs to you. Be the owner of your own life by choosing to be a doer, not a complainer. Your successes are not the result of a series of accidents but the outcome of your talent and competency put into action.
IV. Take care of yourself.
Have you seen the fellow next door who always looks like he never washes his face even if it is 2:00 pm in the afternoon? Having a full agenda committed to your success means taking care of its most important asset: YOU! What about eating healthy? Exercising a little? Enjoying the small things of life and share a smile with others? Turn off that TV, leave the computer behind and take a walk. Refresh your mind and come back fully creative to face a new way to fulfill that career aspiration. Depression may be a serious matter for some not to be taken lightly, so pay a visit to that Doctor that you have not seen in ages and put your own mental and physical health as #1 priority.
V. Be Ready for Change.
You have no choice, as Charles Darwin figured this out: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change".

And do not forget to laugh a little "...the fastest way to change is to laugh at your own folly - then you can let go and quickly move on."
- Dr. Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?

The Mind Reading Syndrome

An interview is a chance to probe who the best candidate for a job is, isn’t it?, so what happens when you believe to be that perfect match and once you leave the interview you never get a call back.
It may sound quite too much when you hear ‘prepare, prepare and prepare’ for the interview as it seems obvious, but in real life most people seem to prepare in their minds while going through their different resume versions and job description and never really rehearsing or role playing for the interview, hoping as a result what I will name as the ‘mind-reading syndrome’ outcome.
Now, take a look at some questions I’d like you to ask yourself to check whether you are a ‘mind-reading syndrome’ victim:

1. When you go to an interview, you:
a. Hope the interviewer will ask the easy open questions that provide the best freedom to choose what to say at your best
b. Dress for success and hope they like what they see
c. Have clarity on the key professional Brand messages you are ready to sell
2. When talking to the interviewer, you:
a. Focus in telling your story
b. Listen to what the interviewer wants to know and read between lines
c. Ask proactive questions that show how prepare you are for the interview and the job
d. Share some personal stories ‘to connect’ to him/her
3. When leaving the interview, you:
a. Shake hands, thank the interviewer and leave the office hoping for the best
b. Do not leave the place until you have clarity on the next steps, decision making process and feedback on your own questions regarding the open position relationship map and career development for it
c. Go straight back home to send that thank you letter that will put you on the right spot

Now, what do you think? Have you got what it takes to learn from the experience and figure out what happened to that perfect job you were so ready for but never heard anything back on? Are you doing your homework to verbalize while role-playing with one of your allies what you’ve got to tell while in the interview? Have you identified what distinguishes you from the other candidates? Have you done your research on the company, networked among your key contacts stories about its corporate culture, business dynamics and decision making process? Have you worked on your virtual brand to ensure once you are done the interviewer will find a remarkable profile on the web that tells a positive story about your track record with referrals included (e.g. LinkedIn)? Are you ready to thank the ones that not just interviewed you but potentially referred you to it?

So, what about switching for a minute the syndrome and making it your responsibility, so then you are so prepared in a way that gets you to proactively respond with tangible and concise examples what makes you not only competent for that job but a perfect fit for it.
And what if that calls you never got did not have anything to do with you but with the fact that there may have been another preferred candidate selected?
The fact is that I could give you lots of excuses (or reasons) to push you to be under the ‘mind-reading syndrome’ for a looong time, but I will do you a favor and just tell you that learning from your own stories and growing your Brand in between will not make you a mind-reader but a successful job seeker that knows how to move on to get to a goal and achieve a career vision.

“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.“- Moliere

“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.“ William Feather

Great Networking Rewards Program

'Get Great Networking Rewards by Earning Points with Thank you notes '...wouldn't you like a program like that?
Though, ALL of us do some level of networking the basic rules of asking for what you want (need) by saying please and thanking properly your contact for getting back to you with a 'Thank you' seems not to be consistently applied across the board.
Your contact will never forget how appreciative you are of the time, effort or response generated by your polite request but will also NOT forget how you may obtain what you asked for and never bothered to come back with a simple 'thank you'.
During my career 'I've had both extremes' and I confess I've given much more to those appreciative of my time than the ones that got my attention, my referrals, my tips and never even bothered to thank me or update me on the success generated by that information.
The chances are it has happened to you!
How wonderful to have a Brand that reflects courtesy and kindness to manage effective relationships with your network. Even better a Brand that plays the networking game of 'give and take' at its best. Doing so will open you doors to wonderful and unthinkable opportunities that lie ahead of you if you dare not just to think bold but act kindly.
So, how many points have you earned for your Networking Reward Program this month?
Don't miss this opportunity to expand your job search network even when you may not be looking for a job at this time!

"To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude" Albert Schweitzer (Humanitarian).

Surviving the crisis or creating opportunities?

It is amazing the entrepreneurial talent some people have when facing a crisis. Just go back in History and check info related to the new fortunes amazed by the Great depression (e.g. HP; Century Fox, etc) and Oil shock & market crash (e.g. Microsoft) and you’ll find some very inspirational stuff that will empower you to look at your current present situation with different glasses.
But beyond the radical measures you’ve got to make to simply survive how do you tune up your brain to create lasting opportunities?
1. Switch your definition of ‘insanity’. Have your menu changed! How can you lose weight if you keep having the same diet? Or how can you achieve your goals if you spend your time thinking and doing the same stuff in a cycling mode that repeats itself by following self-made steps previously marked with the no success sign?.
2. Dare to try something new. A leap of faith does not necessarily implies that you’ve got to risk it all to win when you can actually start making small changes along the way to grab your piece of pie or get closer to your goals.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice. Do you remember the story of the vacuum cleaner entrepreneur that took years and lots of failures to create an empire? Dyson is sure that the key to success in design engineering is all about making mistakes. According to him, each mistake brings you closer to a functioning design. Just don't quit.
4. Get out of the ‘fear hole’. Or like David Ramsey says, “Without a doubt fear drives you to mediocrity. Fear keeps you at a job you hate. Fear keeps you from going and living your dreams." Dare to live the live you want and be strategic and operational in working towards your dream job.
5. Be at your best everyday and no less! Do you remember the last time you lie on the grass looking at the clouds trying to figure out their different shapes? You were there connected to that moment in time, wasn’t that a fantastic moment to remember later on? What about remembering for a minute the times you were at your best, finding the pattern and recreating those moments in your present?
The power of creating knowingly the path you want by putting the pieces of your own puzzle together is valuable just because of your own acceptance to try it at your best today!
Go and grab some inspirations that lead to action..
Create, not just react.
Be at your best and not just survive.
If you did it before, chances are you’ll do it again!

So...what's your brand?

Every time I am going to meet a prospective client I Google his/her name to find out more about that person. I am truly interested in understanding whether that individual is up to date in knowing and marketing his/her professional brand or what makes him/her distinctive. Or as William Arruda says: 'What makes you unique makes you successful'.
It is an evolutionary process that implies daring to dream BIG and self-explore and re-discover yourself with glasses that will go through every strength, skills, ability, previous successes, personal characteristics and lessons learned...your own expertise in that personal/professional self is what will make you successful in developing your own brand. There is just one single YOU! Once you have clarity on that dream and you have discovered what makes you unique, then there is time to design the path that will help you fulfill your destiny. And believe me, that path is brand-embedded and self changing.
All strong brands evolve with the times. You can read the current US automobile industry crisis in newspapers and their own critical evolution to adjust to a greener and a more fuel efficient demanding crowd.
Who does not know" 'Change you can believe in' as such a powerful brand backed up by not just words but facts. Independently of your political views you've got to admire the ability to put together such a powerful image in the voters' minds.
You MUST really know yourself, so you can have a successful brand.
If I ask you what makes you distinctive or what hiring managers ask a lot of times: Why should I hire you and you do not have an effective and passionate reply then, you are losing your momentum to distinguish yourself from the crowd, from those zillion applicants to the job you want...it is not what makes you right to a job what will get your foot into that office but what makes you the best possible fit for it.
Tom Peters in his marvelous way puts it this way: "We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You."
So, there you go, you either have a distinctive brand on these particularly competitive times or else!

Creating, building and transforming an Affinity group to a Powerful network!

I have been fortunate to be part of the Founding committee of the V-AAT Professional network which first event was delivered VERY successfully last Thursday with 90+ participants and a growing waiting list. Having a great speaker like Dennis Tardan and its inspirational vision of what the future holds for a new network like ours was enough to get people raising their hands looking for an opportunity to share the words they never thought of sharing with other mostly Venezuelan professionals in the same room. A magical moment filled by pride, collaboration, openness, volunteering, knowledge sharing and willingness to keep the network moving on. Oh! A night I will never forget!

When I was approached by a V-AAT board member few weeks ago with quite a challenge to create something very unique and needed from nothing I had to rely in some few essentials:
1. Defining the common dream to connect our hearts to: Our Vision and goals for this network
2. Setting up the strategy to get to it (e.g. sponsorship and allies to connect people with the idea)
3. Resources available to open doors to a community used to work at their best by themselves but in need to be equipped more efficiently in how to share best practice/knowledge in the US with others wearing the same or similar shoes. This is the beginning of a transformational movement that will eventually switch all professionals involved from group members to Network members (and there is a BIG difference between the two!)
4. A challenging timeline!

We literally started from zero finding the speaker through a previous engagement he had at the HR Roundtable, then creating the opportunity in which the amazing happened when both of us - Dennis Tardan and myself - found out that we both were Appreciative Inquiry practitioners, in other words, the Power of Inquiry in full was proven once more on the execution of this beautiful 1st. time initiative.

Having a speaker made it easier to enroll sponsors (at least we thought so at the time!) and so, we knocked on all possible doors using all our professional and personal influences to impact with our words the perception that the future will not be less than magnificent for the evolution, development and growth of the network.

Networking made the difference and it was the key of success for the event! It made possible that we were able to speed our learning curve by the mentoring of folks like Angela Moretti of Houston Coaches and attract the attention of our next meeting speakers - Mike Demarest and Kevin Blasco - who as Senior Intn'l Recruiters at Conoco-Phillips will share some 'insiders' information' with the participants for the August 27th event.

A happy ending story that translates in a wonderful beginning that will prove:
1. A clear vision that connects the emotional intelligence to the intellects of those to share the journey with does wonders!
2. A strong professional brand that empowers people to give you a 'leap of faith' for a dream (or a cause if you feel more comfortable calling it that way) due to a proven track record of always delivering what's been promised!
3. A team that gets the best of its members, non-judgmental but open to new ideas and volunteers to make them happen!
4. The best that people have to offer when you expect the best they can provide! If you know you can and you share your belief on what others can do, the synergy magic will occur!

I am thrilled to be part of this team to share a wonderful journey that promises a future of changes for a community that is mostly composed by first generation professional immigrants to a Country that we have adopted as home!

Now, it is time to start the whole cycle again by recruiting sponsors and allies for the next event!

Do you want to be part of this V-AAT Professional Network and work with us by being a sponsor or volunteering your services? And do you want to get news/invitations for future events? Then, E-Mail to vaat_texas@yahoo.com .

Best success!

Networkers don't bite your hand!

I confess I am a Networking cheerleader! I can't get enough of its benefits and I facilitate my clients the process in which they raise their level of comfort with it to be more successful.
Here are the most frequent excuses I have found that prevent people to do effective networking:
1. I do not have the time now. That is the #1 procrastinating excuse for people that find the time to TIVO and watch their favorite TV shows, play golf every Saturday or spend quite a number of hours a week looking for a job on the web. My response back is: what is important to you? If you want to advance your career or just find that job that will allow you to get your bills back on track, then you have no choice but network yourself into those affinity groups that allow you to expand your contacts and strengthen your professional brand in a way that is more visible for potential employers. It works!!!! The CareerXRoad's 2007 Annual Sources of Hire Survey shows that 34% of new hires brought in from outside an organization were due to employee referrals.
2. I do not like or do not know how to engage in small talk with strangers. There are lots of things we all feel uncomfortable in doing and that may be one of them. As many others, you'll have to figure a way to overcome that barrier and get yourself into the spotlight if you want to get out of the anonymous pile of applicants that each recruiter gets for a job. So, what to do? Make a script, prepare for that network talk, practice your 30 seconds branding speech about who you are, what you do and your professional highlights. And be ready to respond to any further inquiry on what you've done that demonstrates with clear and tangible examples your successes and contributions. But hey! Do not forget to listen and keeping attentive to clues that eventually will move you to the right direction.
3. What if I get rejected? There are lots of people at a networking gathering event. Everyone is looking to extend their own networks and some have a further clarity on the type of people they are looking to meet. Do not spend more time than necessary with people you feel you do not have any commonality with. Go to the next person and start over. Remember, not everyone is skillful at these meetings. That is why there are so many resources to learn the art of networking. A couple of books I've enjoyed and recommend reading are Breakthrough Networking: Building Relationships That Last and Guerrilla PR wired. Remember, the chances are that once you have become a regular member of a network, its members will acknowledge your presence and your professional brand will have better chances to be recognized.
4. I do not know anyone there! Well, isn't that the point of networking? Yes, you are entitled to have - like most of us - butterflies in your stomach the first time to go to a meeting and you do not know anyone, but as everything takes practice you can just win by stretching out of your comfort zone to network. It is a marvelous learning experience that has only benefits.

So, are you ready to go and move on beyond your excuses to network and build your brand successfully?
And as my Mom used to say (like most) when I was little: Try it, you may like it.

Immigrant Latino Unemployment and tools to get out of the statistics

What can we - Latinos - do to take full responsibility of our own 'statistics' in terms of the job we are looking for and ways to get it.
There are many reasons to play smarter at these particular times, to do what makes sense in terms of building your professional brand, networking actively, using simultaneous job / business sources and keeping on top of the market trends and data.
One of the alternatives to play smart is to do what is called Research Informational Interviews which consist in the approach you'll make as a candidate to have a productive talk to a successful professional in the field of your interest regarding your own transition and ways to improve your own productivity as per that matter.
That way you can have a 'sense-check' on your own professional branding perception, get insiders info regarding a particular company or industry and upgrade your job marketing skills more efficiently. You shouldn't take more than 30 minutes of somebody's agenda to do this unless it is somebody you have a closer relationship with. Still, I wouldn't ever take more than 1 hour of anybody's time to have a conversation like this.
You can split the info you want to get on:
1. The Person: What are the tips that have made him/her successful on his/her field e.g. education, training, personal characteristics, etc. What are the lessons learned you could get from his/her track record and any tips for you.
2. The Business: Is it expanding or contracting? Are there any 'hot' skills in demand?
3. Feedback and Potential Referrals: Share in a very professional, tangible results oriented way your background and ask him/her to take a look at your resume, question on reference to potential strengths or areas you may consider to market more (or less) aggressively. Once you get good constructive impact and you consider there has been a positive conversation ask kindly whether he/she could refer you to potential employers on the field. e.g. Would you refer me to other people in the field who may have some useful info for my job market exploration process? Could I use your name as a referral to contact them? Do you know any organization that could be interested on my set of skills?
4. Be grateful, keep on touch but do not overwhelm your contacts with more info than they need to know. It is good to keep a presence among potential employers but do not ever push too much as any perceived despair could potentially leave you alone on your search.

Remember to be S-M-A-R-T in achieving your goals (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely).

Keep on top of relevant employment/unemployment data. Do not hide your head like an ostrich but keep it up looking for clues.

See below the link for the Immigration Latino Unemployment report published recently by the Pew Research Org and a brief summary of it.
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1120/immigrant-latino-unemployment-rises

“Unemployment and Job LossesChanges in unemployment during the recession reveal a rapidly worsening situation for foreign-born Hispanics, native-born Hispanics and blacks in the labor market. The unemployment rates for these groups increased by similar amounts from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2008. However, the number of unemployed persons increased at a much faster rate for foreign-born Hispanics.The unemployment rate for foreign-born Hispanics increased from 5.1% to 8.0%. The 2.9-percentage-point rise was greater than the 2.0-percentage-point increase in the overall economy as the unemployment rate for all persons rose from 4.6% to 6.6%.3 The unemployment rate for native-born Hispanics increased from 6.7% to 9.5%, and the rate for blacks went up from 8.6% to 11.5%. The increases in the unemployment rates for these groups were similar to the increase for foreign-born Hispanics. The number of unemployed persons in the U.S. economy rose by 3.1 million from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2008, an increase of 44.3%. The percentage increase in the number unemployed was highest among foreign-born Latinos-58.3%, or 348,000 persons. Unemployment among native-born Latinos increased by 49.1% (329,000 persons) and among blacks by 34.4% (502,000 persons). Job losses are now widespread across the economy, but the construction sector remains the leading source of job loss for both Hispanics and non-Hispanics. Hispanics lost 343,000 jobs in this industry, and non-Hispanics lost 844,000 jobs. "

Having said that, look at the contrast between foreign-born and native-born Hispanics data regarding employment.

"Outcomes for foreign-born Hispanics were the worst by both key indicators of employment -- the percentage change in the number employed and the change in the employment rate.Employment fell for all groups except native-born Hispanics.
(...)"The percentage drop in employment was highest for foreign-born Hispanics. Their number employed fell 2.6%, in contrast with a loss of 1.7% for whites, 2.0% for blacks and 1.6% for Asians. "The employment rate for all groups, including native-born Hispanics, fell from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the fourth quarter of 2008. The decrease was greatest for foreign-born Hispanics -- 2.8 percentage points. The employment rate for white, black and Asian workers fell 1.3, 2.0 and 1.5 percentage points respectively. "

A Final Thought: El hombre bien preparado para la lucha ya ha conseguido medio triunfo.Miguel de Cervantes

Global Nomads and FIGT Intn'l Conference

I had an amazing opportunity this last Friday to be part of the International Families in Global Transition Conference here in Houston where +300 people from everywhere came to join a wonderful dialogue and set of presentations and round tables oriented to maximize the learnings each on his/her particular field has gained by either living/working abroad or researching the subject.
I met a lady who has lived in 20 places in the last 20 years and some women who have faced the challenges of raising 'Third Culture Kids' by managing global careers around the world. Challenges are immense but the bridge that is being built for the new generations to cross is a wonderful and solid one full of inclusiveness, dialogue, listening, understanding and growth.
The connection among participants was very high as all of us some way or another had been a nomad or expatriate or inpatriate or foreigner or a returning local ...and we can all share the same boat by moving just forward using the tools available by the wonderful sharing achieved thanks to some pioneers on knowledge management on this field.
In conclusion, there are options, sources, blogs, web sites, people to talk to...but never again think you'll be alone crossing that bridge on your next move abroad.
Opportunities are infinite and it is up to you to grab them wherever they are.

As one of the facilitators shared:
'The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes'
Marcel Proust

Surprise! I've been cheated on and dumped!!!

'How did it happen?'' How did I not see the signs?'' I am just as surprised as anyone about this' 'It's been unexpected in so many levels' 'I thought it would never happen to me', after all, 'I've been always a top performer...'
Well, as much personal it may look like it is about being fired, terminated, downsized or whatever way you want to call it but as many may feel 'dumped'!

Were there signs you missed or just happened from nowhere? It is very likely there were signs indicating changes were on their way in the organization... or not.
1. Less clients or business profit.
2. More time to navigate on the web, to pause yourself during your day, to take a proper lunch out of the office sitting actually on a chair that is not the one in front of your computer.
3. Busy managers in very busy meetings.
4. A salary reduction, salary freeze, review of benefits...
5. Or none of the above.

Some phrases I've heard are:
'I had just played golf with my Manager three weeks before my termination and as I expressed some concern on the business situation he told me to relax as I was well appreciated in the company'
'My manager and I had a talk few days before and he told me I was a top performer that the company would never let go'
' I got a bonus the month before and then, this happened out of nowhere'

What does this mean? Can you do anything to stop it? Maybe yes or maybe not but there are certainly ways to minimize its impact and the transition between jobs.

Some ethical and very basic rules are:
1. Do the best with what you have as long as you have it=your job. Keep performing, do not allow the gossip get in between what you do and your achievements, do not be the 'bitch' at the office and keep the negativity outside of your vocabulary.
2. Keep networking extensively even more on these particular times. Do you still have a job? Great! now keep it that way. Ensure you can effectively highlight your professional contributions and job outcomes to managers, go and meet people from other departments, interact with other managers, expose yourself for success even outside the company. Have mentoring lunches with senior colleagues from other companies you admire, get their sense of the market and even some coaching on how to enable your success.
3. Use simultaneous resources to keep 'live' on the memory of key stakeholders in the job market. Get a linkedin profile, build an anonymous profile at a career job board (e.g. rigzone), google yourself and build your own brand not just on the virtual world but among your contacts.
4. Do not believe you are 'untouchable' but do not over stress about it, either. Keep the perspective and allow the benefits all of the above can bring to your career no matter what.

Build your future today, the one you have worked so hard to get, no matter what.

When it comes to the future, our task is not to foresee it, but rather to enable it to happen. — Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Stop the blaming! It is YOU!

Some of the people impacted by the crisis get into a cycle of victimizing themselves as being 'under' a situation that simply requires them to be 'on top' of it.
It goes straight into the basics of asking yourself what kind of job seeker you are.
Are you the passive one that gets into Internet and apply to every single job posting matching with his skills waiting to be 'discovered' by the system and brought into the light?
Are you the indecise applicant that applies to lots of different things getting anything that jumps in between wether it is a professional chance to grow a career or just a job to get by?
Or are you willing to start doing what it takes to become a pro-active job seeker that uses a VARIETY of resources to get him into his career GOAL?

And there is when the key element of success gets noticed. Do you know what makes a difference between success and failure? YOU! yes, it is YOU!

So, take a breath and stop for a minute to think what can get you into an action gear mode that provides you with the really wanted results either on your job search or your career exploration (or both!).

Reflect on your strenghts and achievements. Most resumes and even linkedin profiles fail to mention what you have done and contributed in the past that could make you a candidate to be considered out of the pile. Hiring companies are looking to those who can potentially ADD value.
Re-think, then your value proposition to the market based on your results and successes.

Yes, there are lots of circumstances out there that get in the way, but one of the key elements that will get you out of the hole is precisely your inner motivation which together with your competencies and ability to insert successfully into challenging situations learned from previous experiences will land you that job or career you want.

There are many tools and resources for success available for you to move on. Google in Internet what you need, have informative meetings with those role models you may have, network actively with a purpose or hire a career coach to facilitate your journey but design a plan and start going for it!

So, the beginning starts with you!

Best success!

Your coach.

A strong alliance will always conquer!

Defining your dream and then, the goals and the strategy that will lead you to it is not an easy task if you are just considering the smaller picture. However, once you identify your allies and work with them, it is a whole different story. What starts as a possibility becomes a formula for success!
The premise for this thinking is that there is nothing more powerful than synergism which translates in how the actions of your allies when working together for either your goals or theirs create a bigger effect that if doing it separately. It is like Michael Jordan once said: "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships".
So, how far have you got to go to find your allies? The simpliest way is mainly about identifying in your life the people you have bonded to, those that when together create sparks of innovation. Your allies can be your mentor (s), relatives, friends, colleagues and at the end those that when put in a room with you make you a better strategic thinker.
We find allies in the most unexpected ways. There is the one that push us out of our comfort zone to look at the bigger picture, there is also the risk oriented ally that by sharing her on-going challenges and successes empower us to follow our own leap of faith and there is also the cheerleader type that constructevely provides the needed feedback to reinforce the capabilities we believe we had in place to get started on the first place. There is the business savvy one, the inter-cultural expert, the IT genious...go figure. Alliances can be vertical, horizontal and so on.
However, the ability to plan, create, embrace, re-inforce, promote and sustain an alliance is a key differentiator that could seriously mean the choice between achieving your goals or not.

But what makes an alliance a formula for success?
- It increases the delivery quality. Once you've cross-checked the talents in your alliance the capability of the sum of its parts is certainly bigger.
- It is goals oriented as everyone is focused on the future; therefore, improving performance and adding value is a 'must'.
- When times are tough, it grows stronger! Call it survival mode or just trusting that the collective experience will keep all the involved ones afloat. Whatever way you want to look at it, it works!
- It beats the competition whatever the goals of its members are. From looking for a job to growing a business or just building a friendship the ending result is so superior that chances are everyone is more fullfilled and satisfied at the end.
- It is a rewarding, win-win experience for everyone. Nothing is unconditional. Can you still say your proper please and thank-you?
- Allies tend to reciprocate not because they have to but because they want to. There is the commitment to look for improvement in your partner's business and their desire to do the same for yours.
- It makes the road less travelled a 'not-that-solitary' one.

So, ask yourself who your allies are and start working on a successful alliance (I've got some wonderful allies already to be very thankful to!!!)

Remember:
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved"
William Jennings Bryan

and,

"The path to greatness is along with others"
Baltasar Gracion

Seizing the opportunity every single day!

It is beyond overwhelming all the news we are getting about the bad shape of the economy and lay offs. It could potentially be enough to 'downsize' your own job exploration goals not knowing that there are ways to use the resources you have to be successful.
1. Networking is not a job, it is not an add-up task. It is something that you just do and keep doing to keep up to date with your contacts, to be present in their minds and eventually in their consideration for potential employment. It is about opening doors,but how?
3. Count your assets! I do not mean that you go and get all your banking accounts together but actually assess your capabilities and past/current contributions and successes. Understand what you are worth, a clear awareness of your own self net value will do wonders in how you interact and the lasting impression you create in others.
2. P-E-N-A son 4 letras (the word 'shy' is just 4 letters). That is what I was always told as a kid and as a professional whenever looking to contact or to meet someone that I was interested either for personal or professional reasons. That means you can always reach for more. Keep extending your network, go to talks, conferences, networking events. Have a business card ready and a couple of lines that clearly set yourself for success.
5. Build your virtual network. There are many people that have very busy lives between work and personal/family commitments; however, the virtual social networks are wonderful to look at potential opportunities and extend your network. Be bold, participate in groups' discussions, ask questions, dare to respond, give an opinion. You'll be extending your network beyond the people you've known to those that are in your field in a more efficient way.
6. Believe in your product and its attributes which means BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Re-discover your talents, search for examples when you overcame the impossible and remember how you felt when you were able to meet your goals. Was there a commonality? Be proud on your strengths and verbalize them in a tangible way for others to understand, still work on your areas of development, face them, commit to yourself.
All of this will help you have your eyes, mind and heart open to the opportunity when it arises, when you create it and then, seize it! catch it!.
As Martha Stewart shared on her book (The Martha Rules) "If the word risk makes you nervous, call it an investment".

Brand yourself to fight the bad economy...

One of the big topics involved with my clients is always the subject of 'branding' themselves effectively.
I have found a wonderful article that I hope can call for a reflection, specially, during this global financial crisis. Now, do me a favor, finish the reading and google your name. Then, go and start taking control of it!

http://www.businessweek.com/managing/content/oct2008/ca20081028_901617.htm

Brand Yourself to Fight the Bad Economy
Author Dan Schawbel lays out his strategy for individuals who want to make a name for themselves—or simply protect their jobs
By Marshall Goldsmith

My friend Dan Schawbel is a leading voice in the area of personal branding, focusing on helping individuals gain self-confidence, discover their passion, and develop a brand by using social media tools.
I invited Dan to discuss how personal branding can be used to fight the economic downturn and protect people from future layoffs. In his new book, Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, he provides a detailed four-step strategy for success. Edited excerpts of our conversation follow:
Marshall Goldsmith: Dan, what exactly is personal branding, and why is it so important in today's challenging workplace?
Dan Schawbel: Personal branding is how we market ourselves to others. Each and every one of us has a brand because we are constantly being judged based on first impressions. Also, we are forced to sell our ideas and unique abilities to all stakeholders inside a company or as an entrepreneur.
Ten years ago, in a Web 1.0 world, your brand was hidden unless you were an executive at a leading company or a Hollywood celebrity. Now, with the evolution of the Internet into a Web 2.0 environment, every single person has a voice that can build or destroy their reputation and that of their company in an instant. Another major difference is that you needed a lot of mainstream press years ago to make a name for yourself. Today you can start a blog and join social networks for free.
Everyone from hiring managers to admissions officers and even talent agencies is scrubbing the Internet, either in search of their next hire or as a background check. According to Careerbuilder.com, 22% of managers screen their staff using social networks like Facebook, and Kaplan says that 10% of admissions officers verify potential students using social networks. There is a massive opportunity for you to position yourself as an extraordinary brand and be recruited based on your passion.
What led you to get involved with personal branding?
I graduated from Bentley College in 2006, after accumulating eight internships and seven leadership positions. During my interviews, hiring managers had noticed my "personal branding toolkit," which contained a custom portfolio, résumé, cover letter, and Web site. This made me stand out. After several interviews, I landed the marketing job I wanted at EMC Corp (EMC).
One year later, I started experimenting with social media outside of work. I launched my own blog, after reading Tom Peters' famous "Brand Called You" article. I soon realized that my passion was in fact personal branding, as I love marketing, mentoring, and all things social media. What started as a blog became awards, an online TV show, and my own magazine. I was profiled in Fast Company, and the article was read by EMC PR and sent to a vice-president, who then hired me to be the first social media specialist. Long story short, I was hired without even applying for the job.
What is your four-step process for building a powerful brand?
•Discover: In order to really understand who you are and carve out a career path moving forward, investing in self-discovery is critical. In fact, if you don't spend time learning about yourself, your values, personal mission, and unique attributes, you will be at a disadvantage when marketing your brand to others. Start by removing yourself from distractions and ask yourself, "Who am I?" and, "If I could do anything, what would it be?"
•Create: Your personal branding toolkit may consist of a blog, Web site, business card, résumé, reference document, cover letter, portfolio, or even a LinkedIn profile. Each piece has to be consistent with the next and reflect the brand you discovered in Step 1.
•Communicate: Now it's time to use everything you've created to let people know you exist. By attending professional networking events, writing articles for Web sites, and putting on your "personal PR hat," pitch bloggers and traditional journalists to start gaining attention and recognition for the brand you created in Step 2.
•Maintain: As you grow, mature, and accelerate in your career, everything you've created has to be updated and accurately represent the current "brand you." Also, you need to monitor your brand online to ensure all conversations about you are positive and factual. You can do this by using a combination of tools, including a Google Alert for your name.
Can you explain how social media tools can protect workers?
You need to build your brand equity outside of your current job because there is no such thing as job security anymore. To do this, you should become a blogger, reserve your name on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and take ownership of your Google (GOOG) results by constantly monitoring what shows up for your name over time. Each of these social media tools rank high in Google, therefore they can give you the necessary visibility you need to seize opportunities.
Thank you! I love to give my readers new techniques to adapt and succeed, especially in today's turbulent business environment. How can we reach you?
I can be reached at http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/ or dan.schawbel@gmail.com.
Readers, I would love comments from you. Please send your advice for developing a personal brand.
his articles and videos online at MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com.

Meat for thought: Latinos y Latinas in the Workplace Insights

A fellow member of the Hispanic Human Resources Network at linkedin posted this question ' Latinos y Latinas in the Workplace: How Much Progress Have We Made' and the link to the article related to it as published by Diversity Best Practices (July 2008) http://www.diversitybestpractices.com/member/cdo_insights/CDOI-2008-03.pdf

Take a look whenever you have a chance. It has some similarities to another article featured on the SHRM magazine recently on this matter.

What are dreams without hard work? My many thoughts on what each can achieve no matter what.

Long time ago a dreamer was found to be poetic, now a dreamer has a conglomerate of interpretations. It sounds better to say you are a 'goals oriented' person than to say you are a 'dream catcher', don't you think it is a contradiction that we try to instill creativity and imagination to our kids but then, narrow their career choices to traditionally accepted options?.

Are you under a politically correct career choice that makes you unhappy? do you wonder how wonderful your retirement will be once you get that chance to really do what you want and fulfill that childhood dream?

Here's a brief story. Henry David Thoreau was a man that lived a life dictated by his own beliefs and principles. He lived in the 19th. century and was an anti-slavery advocate that helped escaped slaves on the Underground Railway. He had a very simplistic life , close to nature and himself but with eyes that would make wonderful discoveries. He died at 42 and left quite a legacy.

Don't you wonder what will be left behind you once you are gone? what seeds had you planted? what principles had you defended?

Are you a citizen of your own words that build a better world or a victim of this world?

There are these words by Thoreau that I'd like to share with you "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.Now put the foundations under them".

What do you see when you look at the mirror? a satisfied individual that leads a life of fulfillment or a victimized one that has no choice but to keep surviving day after day?.

The key is simple: DARE!!!! DARE to explore, to discover, to go on the wonderful journey that means giving yourself and your dreams a chance. It takes work, lots of it. A dream without foundation is like a leaf that flies as per the wind desires.

I like to use the word DREAM with my clients, my family, my friends. I still go to sleep and wonder what surprises life will bring if I keep working hard on my journey.

A dreamer is not a Don Quijote fighting fantasies to conquer but a warrior that creates a vision, designs a strategy, goals that match with it and move on working really hard to get there.

Most of the clients that call me are professional foreigners that have worked really hard to be where they are at but have forgotten what their dreams are or have no faith in their abilities as warriors to pursue their task. Some get shocked by what's different around them , forgetting the value of their own distinctiveness and failing to sell themselves. Cultural shock some may say. I like to see it as a lapse of memory of those times when an adventure and a challenge was all what was needed to fight for something really wanted. Can you switch your mind and look at yourself more kindly, at the world more generously, at the opportunities more openly?

The beginning starts with yourself. Can you dare to explore what makes you different? do you believe it? now just use the words to build it. We all speak differently, we have accents, different backgrounds but a common language is spoken more often on this very global job market. Learn the language and go and sell your uniqueness.

If you have a dream, a strategy, set of goals and work hard, then every experience will build upon your portfolio - if you learn from them - to make you stronger and chances are you can be successful and happier.

NOT 'the end'

It is a new year, so...what now?

The first few days of the year are promising and full of hope, commitment to our inner wishes and ultimate dreams. Some are very optimistic, others more cautious about what to expect out of a year of a global financial constraint. Whatever way you put it or situation you are at or goal you aim to achieve there are some common principles you can follow that are pretty easy and universal for everyone whether living in a Latin American Country, USA or anywhere else.
1. You know people, don't you? Not hard as we are mostly social animals by nature. right? even if you believe your work and personal life consume most of your days not leaving space for anything else, hey! here's a treat: the people you know and how kind you've been to them, may actually return the favor one day. "What goes around, comes around". Even if they don't - believe that actually some will remember your kindness and pay you back in unexpected and some times unknown ways! - the fact that you plant a seed should be good enough to bring a smile in your face and bring some joy to your life that may actually return to you in a fulfilling way that will eventually reflect both in your performance and potential career development. So, keep networking and building connections that will open doors for you if you...
2. Dare to dream big! If dreaming sounds too wild for you, then set up ambitious goals. Share them with others (unless confidentiality is key for their success!). Once your mind and heart are into something, all your energy and resources move toward your wants until finally your needs are also met on a wonderful and satisfactory career ride.
3. Planning and respecting your own set of priorities are key for your success. There will be always emergencies, urgencies, unpredicted stuff that will make the ride looks like a very hard wall impossible to climb but stick to your plan and set up your boundaries. Do you remember your childhood lessons about saying NO to others when you did not want to do something but were afraid to upset or hurt somebody else? well, what about starting for making yourself happy? Go for it and do not settle for less.
4. Work like a flying ant. Ants are hard and disciplined non-stop workers, but what if you could see from the above what's happening at the bottom and be able to actually look at the big picture. So, work hard with that dream stuck to your heart and get a helicopter ride once in a while to change the perspective. Do not forget the Monkey joke when climbing a tree and make sure those at your feet look at your face and not at your bottom, which ultimately means, be kind to others no matter their hierarchy level or range of importance as per your project needs.
5. Keep a sense of adventure, exploration and fun in your life. I do not think things move smoothly and perfectly synchronized to align to a plan. As I come from a very chaotic region where the unexpected is the rule, I have learned - like most of my fellow pals with either living or working experience in Latin America - to enjoy, embrace and look at the potential opportunities in every unexpected turn that could swift my plan. The result could be amazingly rich in its possibilities and allow you a further sense of growth and a wonderful instinct for opportunities, not counting, your own happiness. The top head of my former employer in Venezuela told me once that the secret of success was having fun at what you did, he must know well as he is currently the head of BP worldwide.

In conclusion, network kindly, dream big, plan and set yourself as a priority, work hard without missing the bigger picture and enjoy the ride!

IT IS YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHOICE, YOUR PRESENT AND ULTIMATELY THE FUTURE YOU DECIDE TO BUILD WITH YOUR MIND, HANDS AND HEART.

So, can you decide to have a happy and full filling 2009? Tomorrow starts now.