Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

Gary Vaynerchuk on personal branding and working hard

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Gary_Vaynerchuk_by_Erik_KastnerYesterday, I reviewed Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book, Crush It!

It’s a great guide for job seekers and entrepreneurs (or “wanna-be” business owners) who hope to make a name for themselves. There are some additional points I wanted to share that I thought were particularly important:


It takes hustle – lots of hard work – to Crush It!

There really are no true shortcuts to success. Gary says, “…Hustle is it. Without it, you should just pack up your toys and go home…You might have thought your old boss was bad, but if you want YOUR business to go anywhere, your new boss had better be a slave driver (p. 88).

Gary doesn’t believe you can pay “lip service” if you want to succeed. He says, “The only differentiator in the game is your passion and your hustle…Expect this to be all consuming” (p. 89).

Personal Branding

Gary makes a lot of great points about personal branding, which I think is a bit of a mystery for a lot of job seekers. He says, “Developing your personal brand is the same thing as living and breathing your resume every second that you’re working (p. 38).

In essence, your personal “brand” is just that – YOU!  Everything you do online just gives you the opportunity to share YOU with an audience.

However, the most important piece of a personal brand according to Crush It? Quality. What you have to offer is more important than how you offer it. It’s the underpinning of every job seeker or entrepreneur: if you aren’t good at what you do, Gary says, no one will care.

Something to think about!

Do you need help demonstrating your best “YOU” online and in your job search materials? I can help!

Photo by Erik Kastner

Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk, a review

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book-header-transI’ve heard a lot about Gary Vaynerchuk. He is well known and widely lauded for his approach to personal branding for business owners. He “leveraged social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to promote Wine Library TV,” a video blog about wine. He’s hob nobbed with Meredith and Ann on the Today Show, shared wine with Ellen and Conan and been featured on Nightline, among other appearances.

So, when I was invited to participate in launching his book, I was happy to join in. (I love reading advance copies to share with my readers!)

Gary’s book is a high-energy guide for business owners and would-be business owners to harnessing the power of social media to fuel not only your bottom line, but also your personal brand. (And, if you don’t think you need a personal brand because you are happy with your day job, Gary’s response, “What you think you’re invincible?” He notes, “Developing your personal brand is the same thing as living and breathing your resume every second that you’re working” (p. 38).

He reminds readers how important it is to create bonds with other professionals in your field and to share your ideas and expertise on the social networks. (I LOVE when other writers second what I tell my readers!)

Gary thinks traditional resumes are going to be irrelevant. This is a common belief among the social media elite. I agree that your reputation (aka, personal brand) will be key, but having a great traditional resume is still important for most people! The good thing? Pursuing a new media strategy to support your professional reputation does not prevent you from having a terrific, traditional resume. The best approach? A multi-tiered plan that has potential to appeal to everyone in your target audience.

Other terrific points relevant for job seekers from the book? Wait for it…this is key:

If you are authentic, you will sometimes lose people along the way!

Gary knows this – he admits that his loud, in your face, brash style does not appeal to all wine lovers. He says, “I lose about 12 percent of my viewers right off the bat because I yell and scream like a maniac” (page 85). You can’t be everything to all people, whether you are a job seeker or an entrepreneur. And, you really shouldn’t try. When you differentiate, you will lose some people, but those probably are not “your people.” On the other hand, by strongly focusing on what you have to offer – your best and authentic you – you have a better chance to connect and appeal to a community of “good matches.”

Crush It! is a terrific guide for anyone (entrepreneur or job seeker) who needs a nudge and a guide to begin to shift his or her mindset to move forward with today’s tools. Stay tuned for more thoughts from his book tomorrow, the official launch date!

If you need help using social networking tools for your business or job search and just need a helping hand, contact me to learn how I can help!

The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use

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workinggirlfor-about-the-book-copy1It’s not often I review a book whose author self-proclaims NOT to be an expert! (In this case, not an expert “in the field of work. Or in any other field.”) If you are a believer in the value of experience, however, I think you will agree that Karen Burns, author of  The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl has a lot of great insights and useful information to share with readers seeking a job, a career or just a nice way to spend an afternoon reading an empowering story about work! (Don’t miss her blog – an equally good read!)

Karen’s claim to fame is that she held 59 jobs over 40 years in 22 cities and 4 countries. (Mind you, she started when she was 9.)  All that job hopping and experiences led to a lot of terrific life lessons. One of my favorites was the chapter on “Advanced Job Hunting.” Here, Working Girl notes:

The best way to get a job you will LOVE is to figure out:

  • What you want to do,
  • Where you want to do it,
  • and WHO you want to do it for,
  • and then go apply at places that supply all that, whether or not they “have an opening (p. 96).”

Another reason I liked this book? It gives advice that mirrors what I tell my clients! For example, job seekers should:

  • Be prepared. (To talk about what you have to offer.)
  • Be cool. Job hunt from a position of strength.
  • Be irresistible.  Build a website. Write a blog. Comment on other blogs.
  • Be in the loop. Ask for help.
  • Be thorough. Find as much as you can about potential employers.
  • Be persistent.
  • Be real. (Not arrogant.)
  • Be patient.

(Read more on pages 97-99.)

This book encourages readers to take their own paths (even suggesting reading the book itself in random order) and reminds job seekers and careerists that, while there are certain factors that may be out of their control, the journey along the way can be exciting and even fun! I’d recommend this terrific guide to anyone who needs some practical, down-to-earth advice about job seeking, job hopping and finding your career bliss!

Here is Karen’s video about her book:


You know what you want to do, but need help getting there? Learn how I can help you find a job!

Review – Twitter for Dummies

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twitter for dummies51GY-XBFhfL._SX106_Starting out with a handy, tear-outable list of Twitter Don’ts (Don’t follow 100s of people when you first sign up.), Twitter Do’s (Listen to what your Twitter friends are saying) and a great list of shorthand commands (stats – get your followers and following count)…and ending with a handy glossary of terms useful for Twitter users to understand, Twitter for Dummies, by Laura Fitton, Michael E. Gruen and Leslie Poston, is a book that is chock full of information for anyone who uses (or wants to use) this terrific social networking platform.

In the introduction, the authors point out an important aspect of using Twitter – Learning to communicate in 140 characters or less (as required in “tweets”) may very well help you communicate more effectively as your writing “becomes shorter and more to the point.” Personally, I have found this to be true, and a real benefit of being a power Twitter user. Let’s face it – less is more, and learning to get to the point quickly and succinctly has many benefits.

Laura, Michael and Leslie also remind readers that “Twitter is a living, breathing and constantly changing dynamic community.” Their book offers a snapshot of tools and tricks to use it well, but it is up to the user to take advantage of the ideas and to stay up-to-date going forward.

No useful Twitter manual is complete without a discussion of “finding your Tweet voice” and information about using Twitter for business. I love the author’s answer to the question, “What’s the business use of Twitter?” Laura replies, “What’s the business use of email?” (p. 177). I laughed out loud, because that is exactly what my friend Stephanie A. Lloyd and I reply to Twitter skeptics! (Another reply we offer – Do you make time to use the phone?)

The book is directed at first-time Twitter users. It offers step-by-step instructions that give you the tools to become a true Twitter expert. The user who has the patience for extremely in-depth information will find a plethora of information – enough to really become a power user. However, for the more casual tweep, the level of information may be a bit overwhelming. I would recommend focusing on one or two topics at a time, mastering them, and moving on.

Definitely get a copy of Twitter for Dummies if you are the type of person who likes to know everything about a topic and you have the bandwidth to get through a fairly intensive guide. You can be sure that you’ll be a real pro once you learn everything that Laura (@pistachio), Michael (@gruen) and Leslie (@geechee_girl) share. You can also follow @dummies for up-to-date information about the book.

Need some help getting your job search going? Find out how I can help you look for a job the right way, with optimized materials and a forward focus.

Review of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High

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crucialconversationsIf you asked me, “What is the single most important skill a job seeking candidate can have?,” I would initially probably respond along the lines of, “It depends on the job!” However, upon further thought, I might also reply, “Being a strong communicator is an underlying key skill for any job seeker.”

I’ve written about the importance of “soft skills” or “emotional intelligence.” Some business schools are incorporating classes to teach communication and leadership skills, as they are so important in the workplace. Let’s face it – if you have trouble communicating, you are likely to have trouble getting along with colleagues, persuading others to agree with you and succeeding in most workplaces.

So, when I received a review copy of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler, I was intrigued. Yes – we all have and (should) expect to encounter opportunities for “crucial” conversations. For some, those conversations will occur in an elevator in a chance encounter with an influential person. For others, it is a critical moment in their careers – a presentation, an interaction – that has the capacity to propel or stall progress.

As the authors note – “stakes are high.” They also assert what they call their “audacious claim:” Master your crucial conversations and you’ll kick-start your career, strengthen your relationships and improve your health. As you and others master high-stakes discussions, you’ll also vitalize your organization and your community” (p. 9). Wow…Certainly a tall order!

Are you ready for a crucial conversation? Can you easily communicate in a way that sells your idea? If not, the authors assure us that dialogue skills are “moderately easy to learn.”

The book continues with anecdotes and stories to describe ways to think about communication. Readers are encouraged to first look within – to understand their own motivations and biases and to examine their own styles in various circumstances. I love the fact that self-assessment is a key aspect of this book, as I believe it is an often overlooked piece of the pie.

Via dialogues, examples and mini personal assessments, the authors show you how to express your needs and wants in ways that attract agreement. I’d recommend this book to anyone who needs to communicate well…And, well – I guess that is just about anyone!

It takes more than being a great communicator to propel your job search (although it helps). Find out how I can help you get moving in the right direction.