The 8 BEST Networking Tips Ever Written!

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about 5 easy and natural ways to network for #boss women who want to build new relationships in an organic way. One of the ways I mentioned to do this was to build your network before you actually need it.  This way it wouldn't seemed phony or forced when you are reaching out to your contact to help with a job search, introducing you to a key person, etc.  It's always easier to build a relationship with someone when you aren't asking for favors from the beginning.

I received a few questions after I wrote the article on how to actually spark a new relationship and build your network.

Here are 8 great ways to excel at the game of networking:

1. Be authentic.  This should go without saying, but hey - I've said it anyway.  No one wants to build a relationship with someone who comes off as fake and insincere.
2. Be prepared to exchange contact information.  Seems obvious, right?  But I can't tell you how many times I've been in situations where I've just met someone in person and they don't have a business card to give to me or a thorough email signature online.  How do I get in contact with you, honey?
3. Own the room (or meeting, conversation, lunch, etc).  No matter what type of networking situation you are in, OWN IT!  Be confident in what you have to offer and in the reason the other person should want to get to know you.
4. Don't be a mean girl.  NEVER judge a book by its cover - or by its profile pic and bio.  People are so much more than what you see on the surface.  Take the time to actually get to know each person you meet to find common areas of connection.
5. Don't make it all about you.  Always approach a budding contact as if they are silently asking "What's in it for me?".  Look for ways to get to know and add value to the person you are meeting.
6. Let conversation flow naturally.  While you should always be ready to spark and maintain interesting and thoughtful dialogue, don't force anything.  Begin with lighthearted conversations and let things expand from there.
7. Be able to explain who you are and what you do.  The foundation of building a new relationship is to introduce yourself, right? Make sure you have an interesting and concise personal pitch to help frame the initial meeting.
8. Follow up.  This one is a big deal - NEVER, EVER offer or take contact information if you have no intention of actually using it. A good rule of thumb is to reach out within 48 hours of the first meeting to stay in touch.

Whether you love it or hate it, networking is a HUGE part of career success. With so many ways to connect with people these days, there's no excuse to not get into it.

Try out a few of these tips and let me know how it goes!

All the best,

Dorianne

6 Easy Ways to Perfect Your Personal Pitch

If you've ever had a job or internship, or know someone who's had a job or internship in Corporate America, then you've likely heard of the concept of the elevator pitch. 

The elevator pitch stems from the idea that you should be prepared to introduce yourself and give a summary of your professional accomplishments to the CEO of the company all during the time it takes to ride the elevator for a few flights up.  Typically the pitch should be no longer than 30 seconds and has the connotation of being all business and very stuffy.

Since the likelihood of you being trapped in an elevator with a C-level exec is pretty slim, however, the concept has been revamped in recent years and we millennials have renamed it the personal pitch.

Personal pitch is based on the same exact premise as the elevator pitch, except it's been adapted to be used in all situations where you have to introduce yourself and showcase your talents - not just in an elevator.

Here are 6 super easy ways to perfect your pitch today!

1. Get clear on what your personal pitch is and what it isn't. Your pitch is a short and sweet summary of who you are, what you do and why you're awesome.  It is not a free pass to go through your entire personal and professional biography.  Be thoughtful and strategic about what you include in your pitch.

2. Put it down on paper. Once you're clear on the purpose of your pitch, get everything out your head and down on paper.  For now, don't worry about how long it is - you can edit it later. Focus on what you do well, your top skills, your career goals and your professional motivation.

3. Look at sample pitches from other people.  A simple google search on 'elevator pitch' will turn up hundreds of examples of pitches for all different industries.  Take a look at no less than 10 of them and highlight what you like and don't like about them.  Model yours on a format or tone that speaks to you.

4. Edit. Now that you have your content and format, rework your pitch into your own words.  Focus on letting your audience know what's in it for them. You should be sharing what makes you unique and how that uniqueness can add value to their company, team, volunteer group, etc.

5. Have someone you trust take a look at your pitch and give you feedback. Is your pitch clear and concise? Easy to understand? Your goal should be to construct your pitch in plain English. Avoid convoluted industry jargon or acronyms that the average person wouldn't understand.

6. Practice. Practice. Practice. Take every opportunity to deliver your pitch to someone new.  Remember, your personal pitch shouldn't be tucked away in the hopes that one day you will get your chance to be stuck in an elevator with the CEO (spoiler alert: it most likely will not happen), deliver your pitch at networking events, during an interview, to a new stakeholder on a project your working on and basically whenever you meet someone new in a professional setting.

Here's an example of my personal pitch:

Hi, my name is Dorianne St Fleur and I consider myself a hybrid HR professional.  I have a solid foundation in the Financial Services industry, with a number of years in Operations and Human Resources where I have developed a knack for motivating others to produce their best work.  In addition to my corporate experience, I am the owner of KIR Consulting Group, a career coaching boutique dedicated to building the careers of millennial women.  My goal is to use my expertise in career development to help my clients navigate the beast that is Corporate America and turn their careers up to the next level. 

Remember, the entire point of a personal pitch is to give your audience a reason to care about you and what you are saying. Leave them wanting to know more about you by being authentic and memorable.

BONUS: Take a stab at updating your own pitch and when you're done, email me your pitch at dorianne@kirconsultinggroup.com for a FREE critique.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Dorianne

How To Recover From a Professional Setback

A few days ago, I asked my Instagram community if they've ever had a blow up or emotional meltdown at work and what they did to overcome it. Often times we work so hard to carefully develop our personal brand and then BAM, just like that one incident can threaten to undo all the progress we made up to that point. Although there was consensus that issues will and do arise over the course of one's career, there were differing opinions as to how to move past these issues. We know professional curve balls are inevitable, but they don't have to wreak havoc on your reputation and personal brand.

Related: The Truth About Personal Brand

Read on for 3 classy ways to recover from a professional setback with your career in tact.

Admit you made a mistake.  Whether you've just had a blow up with a colleague in front of everyone {including your boss}, burst into a puddle of tears at a meeting, or sent a confidential email to the wrong person, mistakes happen.  It's one of the the side effects of being human. Own up to your error and avoid being defensive.  Although there may be consequences for the mistake, the outcome is almost never career ending if you take responsibility for what you've done.

Be solutions oriented.  Another way to move past your mistake is to have a solution {or solutions} to the problem.  Just yelled at your cubicle-mate?  Draft your apology.  Gave your client the wrong metrics? Call them to explain the mistake and assure them you will send the correct figures over right away.  Nine times out of ten, as long as you've escalated to your boss and provided a list of possible solutions, you will have the support you need to move on.

Create a revised plan. Although mistakes are unavoidable, it doesn't mean they are easily forgettable.  You will have to adjust your moves in order to remind people of your brand and work ethic.  As part of your process of resolving the issue, come up with a strategy that shows you are deliberately working on making sure the mistake does not happen again.  Sign up for conflict resolution training.  Delete the auto-fill feature when inputting email recipients' names.  Create a double check process before submitting any final numbers.  Once your boss sees that you've not only fixed the original mistake, but are doing your part to ensure it doesn't happen again, it won't be long before all is forgotten.

At the end of the day, it's not making a mistake that is detrimental to our career, instead it's how we recover from that mistake.  Use these tips the next time you find yourself in the midst of a career crisis.

Dorianne

How Do You Know When It's Time to Move on to a New Career

Are you happy with your job?  Seems like a simple question, but every time I ask it, I don't get a straight answer.  There's a lot of hesitation, pauses, thinking, and explaining. Here's an easier question.  Do you dread Mondays?  Or - is it a daily struggle to get out of bed in the morning because you aren't thrilled with where you will have to spend the next 8-10 hours of your day?

At our very core, we all know whether the current job we are in is right for us or not.  So, why then is it so hard for us to admit we are unhappy with our work?

Listen, I know you have student loans to pay and a family to take care of.  I know you want to travel the world and live the lifestyle you have become accustomed to.  What I also know is that true career fulfillment will only come when you enjoy what you actually do. It's ok to want to try something different in your career.

It doesn't matter that you've been at the same company for 5 years or in the same industry for twice that.  By now you probably already know what you're passionate about - and even if you haven't figured it out yet, you at least are 100% sure of what you are not passionate about.  You have so much potential and should spend your time doing things that give you fulfillment AND pay your bills.  It doesn't have to be a choice between one or the other.

The first step toward finding your dream job is a complete shift in mindset.  You have to admit that it's time to move on - which is often the hardest part.

-Dorianne

Say My Name: 5 Myths About Personal Brand

Personal brand is the most important tool you have in your belt when it comes to career success.  Not being in control of what other people (especially your boss or hiring manager) think of you is the number one reason many women see their career stalled even though they feel they are doing their best. Personal brand is a deliberate and strategic effort to promote your skills.  In other words, it's the way you decide to package yourself for the world to see.  The sad truth is that although it's the most important aspect of career development, it's also the most misunderstood.

These are the 5 common misconceptions about personal brand.

Personal brand and reputation are the same thing. I'd say this is the most common misconception people have.  While reputation is one aspect of personal brand, there are 3 other factors that contribute to your brand as well.  They are 1) your online presence, 2) your professional portfolio, and 3) your in person connections.  While each has a distinct set of rules and best practices on its own, when put together correctly, they help create a total brand package that will keep you in demand in your career.

I don't have a brand...and I don't need one.  I think this is the most dangerous misconception to have.  First off, EVERYONE has a brand, whether you deliberately work at it or not.   As I stated above, personal brand includes your reputation (among other things).  We all know that your reputation affects the way others view and treat you.  If people are going to use your brand to decide how to interact with you, then it really is in your best interest to have a say in how you are being perceived and not leave something this important to chance.

Only senior execs need to worry about personal brand.  Again, this couldn't be further from the truth.  Not only should we all be aware of our brand perception, we also need to make sure we have an action plan in place that constantly assesses and revamps that brand as needed.  Senior execs most likely got to where they are because of the personal brand they cultivated early on in their careers.

Only professional social media outlets count toward my personal brand.  no. No. NO.  ALL online media count toward your personal brand.  91% of recruiters use social media as another way to screen candidates during the application process.  So it's not only important to make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and professional, but you should also clean up your Facebook, Instagram and countless other ones as well.  When's the last time you googled yourself?  Are you happy with everything that shows up?

I can't control my personal brand.  By now you should notice a theme in all of the previous myths.  Every aspect of personal brand can definitely be controlled; though some more than others.  The key is to assess our current brand and then create a plan to revamp as necessary.

Mastering your personal brand is critical to career success.  Don't leave something this important to chance.  Get in front of they way you are being perceived by others and make sure you are doing everything within your power to create and maintain a positive image.