A manifesto for living in the new economy.
Having been out of the country for almost two years, I’ve effectively been out of the day-to-day marketplace. The fact that I’m not ready to retire, means that I’m not ready to stop working.
But the challenge becomes…how do I get back in the game? So I sat down and put together a strategy that I’m hoping makes sense…not only for me…but for all those people currently doing the same thing.
Please feel free to forward it to one of YOUR friends that might be in the same boat!
Change your thinking:
- Looking for a job is a powerless position. If you are looking for a job, you’re basically trying to persuade someone to find value in you. Once you’re an employee, you become a simple line item in their overhead budget and that and costs them money.
- Alternative: They need you! View them as a client. You must boil down what talent you can bring them. You must give them ideas of how they can use you. Specific ideas. Give them real life examples of the problems you can solve within their company. Either with photos, names, pursuits or problems you know they are facing.
- Bring value from Day 1. There will be no learning curve. They need you…they just don’t know it yet.
Change the way you view money – Finances:
- Your life is a balance sheet. You are looking for income. Yet, you are also cutting expenses.
- Income. People are always looking for people to take care of a problem they have. The bigger the problem, the more they will pay. Your job…find problems. Then either fix them, if you have the skill and expertise… or find someone who can fix them… and then manage the process.
- You do this by getting to know people.
- Asking them questions about themselves.
- Learning…about them.
- Listening to…you guessed it….them.
- Do this…and at some point you’ll hear what they are struggling with. Spend time looking for problems…then solve them….and get paid.
- There are also other means of income. SELL YOUR CRAP! Literally! If you have moved at any point in the past few years, you will undoubtedly have said…I’ve got too much crap! Most of us do and it all has a price tag! Bottom line…if you are not actively using it…it’s crap…and it is just as good as a stack of bills…just waiting for you to find a buyer.
Change the way you deal with people – Networking:
- Hang out with people who are working! Don’t hang out in the library, at Starbucks, Panera or any other place that has free wi-fi. Everyone there is in the same boat as you…they are not working!
- Working people are busy! You must schedule a time to get on their schedule. These are the people who you want to be around because they have money, they have problems that they deal with every day and they have both connections (that are working) and money to pay you.
- Meet new people. Attend events that are specific to your business and expertise. Not generalized loser mixers…where everyone is looking for the same thing and nobody there has any authority to hire you.
- Make it easy for people to find you and learn about you.
- Blog
- Visual CV
- Personal website
Change the way you view yourself –
- Get up each day and get out of the house by 8 am.
- Get dressed in business attire.
- Eat lunch downtown.
- Smile.
- Workout.
- Never say you’re unemployed, you are consulting.
- Never have a bad day.
- Business comes from people…not computers…get in front of people.
- Always call…never text, email or other spineless ways of trying to get in front of someone.
- Advertise your success on Facebook, LinkedIn… But in a professional way.
- Bring value. If you read something interesting. Write a note to a colleague and send it. Highlight several points so they can see you actually read it and boil it down to why you sent it to them. (Remember, they are busy…they have a job).
- You are a BRAND! If I googled you…what would I find? Would it be consistent and would it support the message you are telling me and the world about you?
- Work on your BRAND every day.