On Reinvention & "Making Lemonade"

Wrigley's made soap. Nokia made paper and Tiffany's sold stationary. Avon sold books. These are a handful of the "surprising first products of 14 famous companies" mentioned by CNN recently.

Surprised? Don't be. You can change a company just like you can change a career...One of my favorite chocolate makers, Scharffenberger, was co-founded by Robert Steinberg, a physician after learning he had a 50% chance of surviving a cancer diagnosis. He loved to cook, and he loved to eat chocolate. He lived for 19 more years after his diagnosis--long enough to learn how to make amazing artisanal chocolate out of cocoa nibs, and ultimately--to sell his new venture to Hershey's. Long enough for Julia Child to reportedly refer to his creation as the "best chocolate she'd ever have in the United States."

Over 70,000 advertising executives have been laid off since August 2008. One of those affected was Erik Proulx, a Boston based former ad executive turned documentary film maker. Erik now defines himself as a "maker of lemonade" and is showcasing how others are making lemonade, too. I'm looking forward to the release of his project.

Need help pursuing your next career move or turning a negative into a positive? Contact me and let me know how I can help!

Is the Business Card Dying (Or Evolving?)

Yesterday, I stopped by The Roger Smith Hotel, a favorite Manhattan gathering spot for individuals interested in social media. I was there to meet Pam Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation and Jonathan Fields, author of Career Renegade. Jonathan and Pam had joined forces to present a workshop for emerging entrepreneurs. They did not disappoint--even in late afternoon, their energy was palpable--and clearly contagious for those who had attended the workshop.

As is standard practice at such gatherings, business cards were exchanged. And I began to hear a common refrain--one that I've heard frequently in the last 15 months:

"How can I find you on LinkedIn?
What is your Twitter handle?
Is this information on your business card?"

I recognize that this group may not be representative of the general public--after all, these individuals had all signed up to spend a day with two entrepreneurs known for their tech savvy, but the questions about social media URLs on business cards are becoming common.

As a result, I'm beginning to wonder if the traditional business card is dying. Is it only a matter of time before LinkedIn profile URLs become a standard field on the corporate business card? (I don't necessarily see this future for Twitter--outside of PR, marketing, and advertising related fields--but I can definitely foresee this change for LinkedIn.)

I have yet to add social media URLs to my own business card, but I do plan on making this modification when my current supply runs out. In the interim, I've implemented a temporary "green" solution: My LinkedIn profile URL is now a permanent part of my e-mail signature, I've created a new paperless card.ly profile, and I've provided additional contact information through a customized background on Twitter.

While connections are never as good on screen or paper as they are in person, I think providing these additional channels for connectivity represents the evolving future of the "business card" exchange. These are my theories--and action steps--regarding this subject.

What are your thoughts, and how can I help you with your personal marketing plan?

To Your Success,
Chandlee

The Art of the Career Fair

In my last post, I said that my next piece would include more about social media strategies for your job search. I'm digressing a bit: today, I'm talking about networking in person.

Consider this post a "15 second break." On my other blog, "The Emerging Professional," I've written a short piece on the art and strategy of navigating a career fair. If you want to read it, here are my top seven tips on navigating a career fair...And stay tuned here for more on social media.

Behind the Music Resume with Alec Biedrzycki...

For the past year, I've been scouting for talented job seekers who've made bold moves through public "hire me" campaigns. In the process, I've identified a handful of people who've been able to achieve "career gold": These job seekers have demonstrated the ability not only to execute a clever marketing approach but also to follow up and showcase the skills and aptitudes that will make them successful on the job. I call these individuals my career "rock stars."

My newest rockstar is Alec Biedrzycki, a recent grad of Bentley College and current YouTube sensation. After four internships and applying for several full-time jobs without noticeable response from employers, Alec developed a music video resume and uploaded it to YouTube.

Since creating his video last week, Alec has been had over 2,000 views on YouTube, been interviewed by CNN, and received a few calls from potential employers. To learn more about how he created his video, what he learned along the way, and what he's looking for in a position, read the full post on my other blog, The Emerging Professional.

You can find also Alec on Twitter: @albiedrzycki