Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

How to become a recognized expert

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keppie_businessownerNo one wants to hire a novice. It’s crucial to be able to demonstrate your expertise to land your target job. This can be a challenge, especially if you’re transitioning to a new field or applying for a job that can best be described as a “reach” for you. What can you do to become a recognized expert in your field?

Luckily for you, all is not lost, even if you’ve never considered yourself an expert in the past. Embrace technology as your friend, and you too can be fielding questions from others in your industry as a recognized expert. It will take time and effort, but if you can accomplish your goal, it will be worth it. Follow these steps and you’ll become a go-to expert in your field.

1. Learn something new.
Even if you consider yourself an expert, there’s always something new to learn. Especially if you are transitioning to a new career, take advantage of online tools, where you’ll be able to learn information for free. For example, Udacity and Coursera offer various types of courses. You can learn everything from how to program code to developing a website or making a robotic car, often for free. Also, don’t underestimate YouTube as a source of information and knowledge. You can Google just about any topic and find someone who posted a video about it.

Social media is swimming with information and insights; don’t miss opportunities to use tools such as Twitter and LinkedIn; these are resources to enhance your expertise. Find out about industry conferences and determine if there is a hashtag for events that interest you. Even if you can’t attend, if you follow updates from participants, you may learn a lot. Follow industry leaders who are active online or who participate in online forums or groups.

2. Keep on top of salient topics in your profession.
If you want to be recognized as an expert, you must know about the hot topics in your industry. What are people discussing in your field? What problems are thought leaders trying to solve? What are the best solutions? If you want people to see you as an expert, it’s important to insert yourself in these conversations–and to join the conversations, you should first do your research and be clear about your opinions on these issues.

3. Expand your network.
You can’t demonstrate expertise in a room all by yourself! If you want to be considered a go-to expert, you need to have more contacts and connections. Look around: who in your network would be willing to go to bat for you or refer you for an opportunity? The more people you know who are able to speak about what you know and connect you with jobs or gigs, the better. If you have a close circle of contacts, plan to expand it by attending in-person meetings relating to your industry, volunteering for leadership roles and speaking up. In addition, use social media tools to expand the number of people who know, like and trust you. Join groups on LinkedIn and communities on Facebook and make a point to answer questions and provide resources regarding your expertise.

4. Find a mentor.
Even experts have mentors. A mentor–especially someone who is already well-respected in your field–will be well positioned to help you grow your reputation. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to impress someone who is well established in his or her niche who is willing to help shine the light on new talent (you!).

5. Showcase what you know.
Once you’ve built your knowledge base, grown your network and found a mentor, all you need to do is broadcast your expertise to as many people as possible. Luckily for you, there are many easy ways to do just that:

a. Use social media tools, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to share useful news and information relevant to your industry. Comment on articles and post links to useful information your colleagues will want to know. Be a resource and people are more likely to turn to you for your expertise and insights.

b. Publish your own content. Did you know you can publish blogs on LinkedIn? If you have an opinion about a topic, write about it and post it online. If you’re really enthusiastic about becoming known as an expert, you’ll create and manage your own website and blog where you regularly author useful, insightful articles. You can impress others in your field and attract attention.

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c. Organize online forums. Choose your favorite social media tool. It should be where you enjoy spending your time online and the tool most people in your industry prefer. Invest time and effort in creating a group or forum using that platform. For example, you may wish to start a LinkedIn group. If you prefer Twitter, it may make sense to start a regular Twitter chat. Launch a Facebook Live series. Invite others to join you and keep the conversations interesting and useful. Make sure your forum is a must-see for people in your field.

d. Identify thought leaders and make an effort to help them. Who is delivering keynote speeches at industry conferences? Who heads up industry groups or professional associations in your area? Every leader relies on people to assist and volunteer. Offer to co-moderate a LinkedIn group or volunteer to chair a committee. The more you engage with leaders in your field, the more likely they are to recognize your expertise and share your name with others in the field.

When you are able to leverage your knowledge online and in person, it won’t matter as much how many years of experience you have: your ability to hone in on important topics and to be a resource for professionals in your industry will trump everything else, and you’ll be recognized as an expert. Is it easy? No, but if you truly want to be a go-to leader in your field, it is worth it.

Avoid these mistakes when starting a side business

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moonYou’re starting a business on the side while working full time? Join the club. You’re in good company. MBO Partners research shows “30 million Americans (are) already…self-employed — either as a main source of work (17.9 million solopreneurs) or by using self-employment as a way to augment other income (12.1 million side-giggers).”

Running a business on the side can be a great way to supplement your income, but you want to be careful not to jeopardize your day job while you start your own business if you’re not ready to quit and be on your own full time.

Here’s a list of what not to do when you start your business if you want to be sure to keep your job:

Do not work on your side job while you are on the clock at your full-time job. This is a big “no no.” While it is challenging to accomplish everything you may want to do for your own business after hours, if you use company time, equipment or resources, you are asking for trouble. Use your lunch hour wisely and consider taking advantage of your vacation or leave time to manage important tasks for your side business that cannot be done after hours.

Even if you use a company phone or computer for personal use, do not use it for your side business, or you may be in legal hot water in the future.

Do not ignore non-compete agreements. Assuming your new business is related to what you do at work, be aware of any legal agreements you have with your current company. In the future, if your consulting business takes off, it’s best to make a clean break and maintain your relationship with your employer; you don’t want to gain a reputation of building your business on stolen clients. If you are lucky, the company where you worked will become a client, especially if you’re an essential employee they can’t do without.

Don’t forget to familiarize yourself with company policies regarding side businesses. Read your company’s manual. If there is a rule against having a side business, even if your business is not related to your current work, be prepared for the consequences. If you choose to move ahead and your new business is successful, it may be difficult to keep it a secret. On the other hand, if your side business does not compete or seem to interfere with your day job, you may face no resistance at all. Even if there is no rule against it, if you are building an empire similar to your current employer’s, and you can’t make a case for how your personal success helps the company, be prepared to be shown the door if your employer accidentally runs across your new website or reads an article about you online.

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Never share proprietary information from your current company to grow your own business. Can you say, “lawsuit?” You don’t want to launch your new business with the prospect of legal action against you. Be mindful of ethical rules as well as specific guidelines your current company expects you to adhere to so you won’t be in trouble later.

Don’t forget you can still look for opportunities to learn new things at work to help your future business. Plan ahead. It may be a long time before you are ready to leave your day job, or you may choose to continue to work for someone else while you maintain your business on the side. Think about how you can learn new skills while on-the-job. Volunteer for projects and position yourself to meet people who will be good contacts for you in the future.

Appeared on AOLJobs.com.

How your personality can help you land or lose a job

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ManWomanShakingHands-6It’s difficult to find a job if you don’t know what you want to do. Sounds obvious? Have you really focused on your skills and accomplishments and whether they help qualify you for the jobs you seek? One pet peeve of recruiters and hiring managers is that job seekers often apply for positions ill-suited to their requirements. Don’t be one of those job seekers. Before applying, take some time to figure out what you want to do – and what you’re good at – and it will be easier to get hiring managers to notice you.

Kerry Schofield, chief psychometrics officer at Good.Co., a self-discovery platform and network serving professionals who are looking for more meaning in their careers, suggests the following reasons why knowing yourself better will improve your job prospects:

1. You’ll narrow down your options. Don’t focus on the most general factors about the job, such as whether it has the right pay grade, prospects and location. These are all important variables to consider, but many positions fit these basic, practical criteria.

Schofield notes: “Self-assessment can help us move beyond these questions to make more informed selections from the possibilities available, based on our individual personality and how it fits with the culture of the organizations we’re considering.” For example, do you prefer a more structured environment with hands-on guidance, or a flexible one where initiative is rewarded? Is it more important to have a supportive, friendly team of co-workers, or the opportunity to work as independently as possible?

Your personality will dictate your answers to these questions. “When you narrow down the options, it allows you to focus on quality over quantity – a smaller number of more tailored applications with a higher probability of success,” Schofield explains.

2. You’ll know yourself better. You may prepare to discuss your strengths and weaknesses at an interview, but how well do you really understand them? “You’ll want to assess any gaps in your skills, but when you look at these from the perspective of your personality and values, you can gain a realistic, genuinely insightful understanding of your true pattern of strengths and weaknesses,” Schofield says. The result? You will appear more sincere, mature and self-aware in applications and interviews. “Everybody has weaknesses; if we can demonstrate that we already recognize ours, and know how to ameliorate or channel them in a positive way, this will come across much better than a half-hearted stock-phrase.”

You will be better prepared for interviews, and when you’re honest about whether you’re a good fit for the job, you’ll have a better chance of landing the interview.

3. You’ll avoid applying for unsuitable jobs. You can be more confident when job searching if you understand what has gone wrong in the past. If you keep missing out on positions that appear to be perfect matches, you’ll want to put your finger on what went wrong.

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“Self-assessment and an understanding of organizational culture and cultural fit can help us recognize the reasons why previous applications or positions may not have worked out,” Schofield says. “This knowledge gives us the tools we need to make changes next time around – we can learn more about the organization’s culture and our fit with it before applying for a job, for example, identify any potential mismatches in personality, goals or values, and plan for how to deal with this at the outset.”

4. You’ll avoid surprises. Companies know the cost of making a poor hiring choice, and they are increasingly trying to identify and parse individual differences and match for cultural fit. While not all companies include a personality assessment as part of the application, it is not unusual for potential and existing employers to expect applicants and current to complete some kind of psychometric test, Schofield says.

If you understand the information and processes involved in psychometric assessments, you’ll have a head start on answering difficult questions and assuage concerns employers might have about your fit. The best way to do this is to take self-assessment tests yourself so you’ll be well-informed and prepared.

5. You’ll improve your communication skills, and be a better candidate. Communication skills are key to qualifying for most jobs, and they’re important when job seeking, too. “From reading between the lines of a job advertisement to presenting oneself effectively in an interview, self-assessment brings awareness of the way in which we naturally prefer to communicate,” Schofield says. “Are you bubbly, energetic and accommodating, or serious, thoughtful and straightforward?”

Understanding others’ communication styles and how they interact with you is just as important as knowing about your own. When you have a firm handle on your own skills, personality and interests as they relate to your job search, you’ll be a better candidate and more likely to land the job when interviewed.

Originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report

How to deal with 5 types of bosses

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Screen Shot 2014-07-03 at 10.19.37 PMMost people would agree that a boss could help make or break a job. A great boss can make even the most mundane job seem more worthwhile, and a terrible boss can create a toxic work environment and ruin an otherwise perfect career opportunity. In fact, it’s often said people don’t leave jobs; they leave bosses.

Tom Gimbel, founder and CEO of LaSalle Network, a Chicago-based staffing and recruiting firm, notes that there are many different types of supervisors. He categorizes them as: “the narcissist, the friend, the buzzword boss, the cheapskate and the uncaring.”  Perhaps you think your boss is a clown! No matter what you think of your boss, consider the following advice to help manage it.

The narcissistic boss. “This manager makes everything about them. Everything is about their schedule and about how senior leadership views them,” Gimbel says. How can you adjust if you have a self-centered boss? Gimbel suggests you try to focus on what you are passionate about at work and see where there is overlap between that passion and what appeals to your boss. “If the boss wants to be the star, then do the work and execute, because when that boss is promoted, the employee will be brought along for the ride,” he explains.

If you can keep your own ego in check, you may be able to access new opportunities. Another typical scenario with the narcissist: He or she will delegate work but won’t get into the trenches to understand all the intricacies. This could provide opportunities for you to be invited to speak to an executive team if you’re the subject matter expert on a topic. Instead of being frustrated, take advantage of the opportunity to shine whenever possible.

The “I’m your friend” boss. This is common in workplaces where people are promoted from within and wind up supervising their previous colleagues. These bosses still want to be included in lunches out and happy hours and may even already be your Facebook friend. Gimbel suggests that these managers may worry more about being liked than about getting results. Be careful when this happens, as this scenario could negatively affect your career.

Speak up if you’re concerned. If you don’t, you may find your career stagnating as your new boss tries to be your friend and not your mentor. Explain that you want to be held accountable for your results and understand what’s necessary to do in order to succeed.

The buzzword boss. We’ve all had managers who seem to spout nothing but cliches. For example, they consistently use terms, such as “synergies,” “symbiosis of relationships,” ” win-win situation” and others. This language seems to replace real action or activity on the boss’s part. If your assignment or goal is lost in translation, Gimbel suggests you ask for clarification. “Come to each meeting with questions requiring direct answers,” he says. “Don’t be offensive and cut the boss short, but be sure you walk out of each meeting understanding exactly what is expected.”

The cost-conscious boss. This overly frugal boss looks at every penny people spend. This can go as far as asking employees why they’re using new notepads when they can use scrap paper. “This type of boss is the easiest to manage. It’s easy to identify the issue,” Gimbel says. “Play within their rules. Don’t purchase new stationary or extra staples. Skimp. With all the lunacy out there, a cheap boss isn’t all that bad.” Plus, with a cost-conscious boss, you know the way to his or her heart. Save money, however small the amount, and you could be a big winner.

The uncaring boss. Even in a time when work culture and caring about employees seems in vogue, you still hear stories about insensitive bosses. These are the bosses who don’t seem to care whether or not an employee’s family member is having surgery or passes away and who don’t understand pressures from outside work.

“The key here is to kill this type of boss with kindness. Be compassionate and show you care about what’s going on in his or her life,” Gimbel says. Perhaps “killing with kindness” will help. If not, it may be time to look for a new job with a different organizational culture.

If you’re dealing with a difficult boss, at least you’re learning how not to manage people when you have the opportunity. Use these tips to turn the situation to your advantage, and you won’t miss a single career step.

Originally appeared on U.S. News & World Reports.

5 tips to achieve work-life balance

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Resolution - better time managementWork-life balance is a topic on the minds of many professionals and job seekers. WorkplaceTrends.com, a research and advisory membership service for forward-thinking human resources professionals, and CareerArc, a global recruitment and outplacement firm, recently announced the results of the 2015 Workplace Flexibility Study. They surveyed 1,087 professionals nationally, both employed and unemployed, and 116 HR professionals.

Interestingly, 67 percent of human resources professionals think their employees have a balanced work life, yet 45 percent of employees believe they don’t have enough time each week to handle their personal business. Plus, 20 percent of employees surveyed spend more than 20 hours per week working during their own time.

Yair Riemer, chief marketing officer of CareerArc, suggests the following tips to help employees achieve work-life balance while reducing stress and increasing productivity.

1. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. “Prioritization is the key to success and is a lesson that can be applied across a wide variety of industries – not just startups where product and engineering teams often prioritize tasks weekly,” Riemer says. When you identify the most important items on your to-do list, it’s easier to know where to start and when you can finish for the day or week. Prioritization helps you focus on what is really important and decreases unnecessary stress that comes with an urgent focus on less timely or unimportant tasks.

It’s a good idea to touch base with your supervisor if you have multiple projects and need help deciding which one is most important.

2. Be proactive – not reactive. “When you’re reactive, you lose touch with what’s really important,” Riemer says. “And thus, you fail to operate at peak capacity, causing stress.” When you take the time and effort to plan ahead and anticipate what your colleagues or managers may request, you’ll be better prepared to juggle multiple tasks and schedule your time. “With your schedule planned, you can attack those tasks proactively, rather than waiting for external inputs to land on your desk, increasing your stress levels and leaving you overwhelmed,” he says. Hopefully, this will prevent you from bringing a lot of work home on a regular basis.

3. Use your vacation. The average American takes only about half their paid time off per year. “That’s not enough time to recharge,” Riemer says.

Plus, studies show that many workers don’t disconnect from work, even when they’re on vacation. They are still glued to their devices and screens to check work email and keep up with colleagues. Riemer believes taking a vacation and truly disconnecting is key to recharging and getting re-energized once back at the office.

4. Trust in your peers. “The best managers trust their employees, and the best employees have trust in their company’s leadership,” Riemer says. “If you believe in your colleagues – in their intellect, in their work ethic, in their skill set – then share the load.” Even if you believe you have to do everything yourself, it’s unlikely you’re expected to carry the entire burden at the expense of all of your personal time.

If you work with a team, be sure to collaborate on projects, and don’t own tasks for the sake of ownership. “You may be a Type A perfectionist or love control, but winning organizations are made up of teammates, not individuals,” he says. “Your work-life balance will improve significantly with a little bit of help from your friends.”

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5. Exercise. Don’t put off taking care of yourself. You don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment to exercise. Even a brisk walk in the morning or at lunchtime can be invigorating and help clear your mind. “Research shows regular exercise helps keep you clear-headed, which improves control of work-life balance, reduces stress and increases self-efficacy,” Riemer says.

The 2015 Workplace Flexibility Study found that 75 percent of employees ranked workplace flexibility as their top desired benefit. Whether or not your employer is actively seeking ways to enhance your flexibility, use these steps to protect your personal time and to make an effort to tip the balance in your work-life hours.

Appeared on U.S. News & World Report.