Don’t get a “job”, create a life and career you love – why not?

I’ve done a lot of complaining here, but of all the things I’ve complained about, I can’t complain about my life…….. And all this time I’ve been paid to say what is on my mind on television, you don’t get any luckier in life than that.
~ Andy Rooney

One of the things that struck me during the coverage of Andy Rooney’s life and passing, was his resolute claim that he did what he loved professionally for 70 years – and in fact he did it right up to his passing at the age of 92. Some would say that he was one of the privileged few, but I say why not do something you love to do professionally? why shouldn’t we all do what we love?

Living your life’s passion can not only be extremely rewarding but can lead to prosperity. Interestingly, most creative professionals that I know, will tell you that they do what they love – why can’t this be true for everyone?

Watch Gary Vaynerchuk’s funny and inspiring video. Gary is a 35 year old New York Times and Wall Street Journal Best-Selling author and a self-trained wine and social media expert, and the founder of Winelibrary.com.

Gary Vaynerchuk: Do what you love (no excuses!) TED Talk

Click here to view the embedded video.

Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.
~ Wayne Dyer

Have you asked yourself:  What do you love to do? What do you care about? What sparks you? Find your niche, whether it’s working for a non-profit or becoming an entrepreneur creating a company based on your passion?

1. Is there something you already love doing, a hobby? 
2. Care about your self first – figure out what you love and then do it.
3. Study the market carefully and you will find opportunities. Consider conducting a market survey with potential customers to uncover untapped needs, position yourself to succeed

I am not suggesting that you leave your great paying job tomorrow …. but really think about it, plan it and pursue it. Start in small steps, and work on pursuing your passion after you leave the job you are lukewarm about.

Here are 3 stories of people I know who are pursuing their passions:

People might tell you, you can’t do it, you will starve – well I am here to tell you that you can! Here are 3 stories, of people that I personally know, who are making a go at it in 3 very different ways.

• Molly Butler, someone I know in Atlanta was just laid off – she actually enjoyed her full-time job, but her true love is pets. This past year she started Wag & Purr, a pet sitting services she was growing on the side. Now, it’s a no brainer, the passion she had as a side business will most certainly grow and provide her a great income – because she loves it. 

• I have a friend who has been a writer his entire career – he has written for major publications, the news – you name it. But recently he started working on writing a book about 2 of his great loves – Sports and cooking.  There is no doubt in my mind that this venture will be successful, because his passion makes him a credible source, that and the fact that there are so few cookbooks geared to men. 

• Rob Mazze was a well respected Executive at a large New York advertising agency, who got laid off less than 2 years ago. When that happened, he went through a period of introspection about WHAT to do next, and decided to follow his passion for yoga, (which he regularly practiced for 20 yrs.). He enrolled in the teacher training program at Yoga to the People and is now registered as an instructor by the Yoga Alliance. Keep in mind that he went from a highly paid executive job to being a student and re-building his career and income. In a very short time he has built a private clientele as well as regularly instructing at several studios. I have no doubt that his business will grow, and if he chooses he will soon be running his own studio.  

These are just a few of the stories I know personally, you get the idea …. define yourself by your passion, build your business based on that definition and you will have an instant brand for yourself and your business, and that is something that potential customers are naturally drawn to.

Passion is important, especially in your work life since we spend an average of 8270 hours a year at work – and I will tell you that entrepreneurs typically spend much more than that. Be in control of your own future and create the opportunities to do what you love!

Related posts:

1. What you can learn from Madonna about reinvention
2. Where are the opportunities in the “New Normal” economy
3. What roads lead to career and life reinvention?

From birth to age 18, a girl needs good parents. From 18 to 35, she needs good looks. From 35 to 55, she needs a good personality. From 55 on, she needs good cash.
~ Sophie Tucker

How do you handle ageism during career reinvention? I say NO!

As part of my career reinvention I went to Grad school and am now, like many other grads, on the job hunt. 

Recently, I was told by a respected recruiter that I was too “experienced” to present to her clients. While she was very clever and PC, I know that meant code for “too old”. Generally, I would say hey I AM NOT OLD, AND I only need one great opportunity – there is one out there just for me. But I have to admit this time it got to me …….and I am re-thinking….

Ageism is making me re-think my job strategy

At first this really pissed me off – but in retrospect this recruiter did me a favor;

• This new reality made me re-think my job strategy.
• Re-evaluate the kind of organization I might join. 
• Re-adjust some expectations. 
• Think of alternatives – like starting my own company if I cannot find the right fit.
• Ask recruiters about their views on age…..and their clients.

Undeniably, ageism is a serious issue facing job seekers today, and although the practice is still illegal, it is nearly impossible to prove in the hiring process, (honestly who has time to file a complaint when you are looking for a job) and it is rampant. In fact complaints of age discrimination with the EEOC have risen dramatically this last quarter, and currently one of BNET’s most popular posts complaints are about age discrimination in hiring practices. This used to be an issue that only affected the 55+ crowd but with the tough job market younger workers 40+ are now equally impacted. In fact, Men typically suffer age discrimination in their mid-50s, while this happens to women almost 10 years before in their 40′s. 

Does this makes sense?

Corporate ageism really doesn’t make sense in the light of:

• The median age in the US is 35.
• We are an aging population with most of us right in the middle
• Most people are much better leaders as we age – no doubt there are a few “Alexander the Greats” out there – but overall we learn and grow and get better.
• You get more bang for the buck with older employees who have cred, experience and maturity.
• Why does chronological age matter in the hiring practice? It’s not like I need special equipment or help getting around, in fact I am in good physical shape.

Re-thinking how I look……

Nature gives you the face you have at twenty, but it’s up to you to merit the face you have at 50.
~ Coco Chanel

Ageism is an unfortunate bi-product of the US culture, which venerates the young, while showing disdain for the more “experienced” types like myself.  

People do not generally guess my age, and when they do it’s usually younger – I do not act, look, speak, dress or feel “my age”. I keep current, and with a recent MBA in Global Management from Thunderbrid – my education and leadership skills are top notch and very relevant.  

OK I WILL ADMIT IT, even though I look fine, this has made me reconsider how I look to others, and I am considering cosmetic procedures that will make me look younger (not 20) and fresher (as a single woman this brings up all kinds of insecurities beyond the job search)….I guess the comforting news is that I am not alone, today women account for 91% of ALL cosmetic procedures in the US.

Some ideas…… re-thinking the job search…..

1. I am going to look for companies that can be “a good fit” for me both in culture, and age attitudes.
2. Look at companies that currently lack real “senior” management, due to transition as a potential opportunity.
3. Pitch my expertise and experience, and offer consulting services to younger entrepreneurs/companies who may lack depth in their management team.
4. Look at companies that service the baby boomer market.
5. Simplyhired has a great tool Search Jobs at Age 50+ Friendly Companies.
6. Revise the words on my resume – I had no idea but I was using some outdated phrases like “team player,” “trustworthy,” “problem solver”, “proven”, “relevant” “innovative”, Extensive experience”, these really didn’t work anymore. Focus on actual career accomplishments and milestones.
7.  Listen to people – recruiters, hiring managers and friends ask for feedback to tweak.
8. Paper resume, no way! I have one that I use for recruiters who insist, but I created a visual resume – and that has given me an edge Visual Resume http://bit.ly/nCvxJR
9. Leverage your social media networks – communicate your job search on LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter, Webgrrls, and don’t forget to brag about your Klout!
10. Don’t lie or mislead about your age by omitting information – I had taken out my undergraduate graduation date – a recruiter strongly advised me to add it back.
11. Keep at it everyday – I set a goal to research, find, and send out my credentials to at least 10 potential employers.
12.  Network – there can’t be enough said about this.  Today I had a casual conversation with a friend, whom I had forgotten is related to a very powerful guy in the advertising biz – immediately she offered to get my information into his hands directly.
13. Pay it forward – I often hear of other opportunities that are not a good fit for me, but if I know of someone, I always hook them up.

To stay positive and inspired, here are some fun facts I have found about “older women”.

• Right before she turned 50, Katie Couric became the first female solo anchor of a US national evening news show.
• Julia Child published “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” after the age of 50.
• At 57, Diane Keaton produced “Something’s Gotta Give” where she played the love interest to 39-year-old Keanu Reeves.
• At 61, actress Susan Sarandon is still the American prototype for the sexy older woman, a title she claimed in her 40s.
• Bethenny Frankel 40+ sold Skinnygirl drink line for a reported $100 m.
• Arianna Huffington 60 created and sold the Huffington Post for $315m.

Related posts:

1. Following Your Instincts On the Job Hunt: Listening to your heart instead of your mind
2. 5 Tips to Getting Hired in a Recession
3. Job Interview Preparation – What not to say

But when you’re burned out at your job, how do you know if it’s a new job or a whole new direction that will make you happy? I’ve got some suggestions:

You need a new job if:

• You dread going to work in the morning. We all drag a bit when the alarm goes off, but real reluctance to get the office is a real sign you need a change.
• Your commute is too long. Any commute can seem too long when you’re ready to leave your job. But if working closer to home is a possibility in your field and location, don’t let a long, exhausting commute bring you down.
• There’s nowhere to go. It’s not all about getting promoted and climbing the ladder, but it is about keeping yourself happy and motivated. If there are no other groups or jobs at your company you could move into, can you really see yourself in the same position for the next n years?
• You hate your co-workers. Well, OK, you don’t really hate your co-workers, right? Me neither. But maybe there are a few you don’t want to work with, the ones where you roll your eyes at the mention of their names. If there are too many in that category, get out of there.

You need a new direction if:

• You listen wistfully to other people’s job descriptions. I did this a lot when I was looking for a change. You work for a non-profit/the government/at an art gallery? That’s amazing—tell me more!
• Interviews in the same field feel like the same place. When you go on an interview for the same kind of job you already have and it feels like you just went into your current office, that’s a sign you need a real change. New possibilities should seem exciting and different, not old and stale.
• Working late on a Friday sucks. Working late always sucks a little. But when you find yourself asking “What am I doing this for??,” you need a good answer.

Have you been in need of a new job lately? How about a new direction?

Related posts:

1. Women Leaving Science and Engineering – Tips for balancing work & home life
2. The Case for “Normal” Interviews
3. Tips to stay ahead and keep a job in these fast pace times

If you’ve never had the chance to visit your congressional representatives, I highly recommend it—though it sounds a little wonkish, it’s actually a really fun time. For this year’s CVD, I visited Washington, D.C., along with around 50 other members of IEEE from all over the country. I’ve written to and called my congresswoman, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, before (and she always writes back), but being backed by IEEE, with 40,000 members in my home state of California alone, definitely added some gravitas to my visit. I didn’t quite know what to expect at CVD, but the congressional staffers definitely took us seriously and it felt like we got to have a real impact.

IEEE split us into groups based on our home states. My three-person California delegation met with staffers from the offices of Senators Feinstein and Boxer, and Representatives Waxman and Pelosi. It was especially exciting to visit Nancy Pelosi’s office. She’s been a strong supporter of scientific research over the years, as well as of women in science issues, and it was kind of a trip to see the Speaker’s office in person. We even got to leave behind the congressional offices and venture into the majestic Capitol Building for that meeting. (My excitement was dampened a bit when it took me three tries and twenty minutes to get through security. No food or drinks allowed, and who knew how many squished-up granola bars were hidden away in my laptop bag?)

Accompanying us for all the meetings was an IEEE staffer, a professional lobbyist named Russ who really knows his stuff. He was a great help through the whole thing—the calm, knowledgeable political operative surrounded by spazzy engineers. We mostly advocated for the America COMPETES Act, which aims to double funding for basic scientific research in three federal agencies. It initially passed three years ago but is up for reauthorization. By the end of our meetings, the COMPETES Act had been approved by the House Science and Technology Committee—and since we left it’s been introduced on the floor, pulled from the floor, and reintroduced. I don’t know what’s ultimately going to happen with the bill, but it was exhilirating to depart from my usual Silicon Valley engineer role to play a small part in advocating for it in Washington.

Have you ever met with your congressional representatives? Would you like to? What would or did you talk about?

Related posts:

1. Science Contest – Girls Shatter the Glass Ceiling
2. Accelerating with a Career Coach
3. Brag and Boast and Tell All About It!

Data is KING

Tim measures and tests EVERYTHING… He says “from wording to read time…test it all”…learning as much as you can about your user will help you serve your audience better and help you make more sound promotional decisions. Tim uses Crazyegg.com tool to figure out user click patterns on his sites.

Determine your target market

Before he started marketing his book, Tim decided on the demographic he was going after…first, 18-25 tech savvy males and secondly 18-25 tech savvy females.  He advised to identify your demographic well because if you try to target too many people you won’t sell anything.

Go Where the Bloggers Go

Tim spent $25,000 on the book launch. $18,000 was “wasted on a PR firm”…the PR firm he worked with was not “accountable or measurable”. He spent the rest of his budget meeting people in person as “the e-mail channel is too crowded”.

To learn about blogging, he attended the CES expo.  He would join blogger conversations by listening and if he did not understand a term, he would ask.  Although that made him seem ignorant, eventually people asked him what he did and he would tell them that he was writing a book.  He would not pitch the book or himself and in fact, never asked the them to review the book….he just elicited questions and EMPHASIZED that he did not think the book would appeal to them, except for about five pages of it.  Tim says “Nobody has time to read the whole book but everyone has time to read 5 pages”.  His goal was to obtain 20,000 evangelists — not customers but avid fans, 3 months before the launch of the book.

Sell around the product

To create a fast-acting meme, Ferris says you need to do the following:

• Phenomenize: “identify and name a legitimate societal shift or new phenomenon….to best spread a message or product, sell around it by discussing larger issues surrounding its creation: the person (himself in this case), the changing social landscape, and emerging trends.  No one cares about your new software, but the reasons it needs to exist might ‘make for a great TV segment on 20/20.’”
• Polarize: “Good stories and trend-spotting, told unapologetically, will create both supporters (”That’s the solution!”) and attackers (”It’s a fraud!”). The battle and ongoing debate this generates is the fuel needed for word-of-mouth wildfire”.
• Communitize: Ferris encourages community creation for your online users. He encouraged his readers to create their own communities on the social networking site Ning and there are currently 12 different mini-communities that were formed to date.

Tim left us with two inspirational parting thoughts “Plan big but test assumptions and Doing the unthinkable is easier than you think”.

This session set the tone for what would turn out to be a great day 1 at the MediaBistro Circus hearing great insights about open source publishing, the future of books, magazines, newspapers, blogging, and the distribution and consumption of content, how customer behavior is evolving around technology, the best way to employ data so your company makes money, integrated marketing partnerships and of course meeting some really great people.

Related posts:

1. Create, Self Publish, and Sell Children’s Picture Books
2. Free Guide to Learning How to Create Web Videos
3. Social Networks and Online Shopping Collide to Create “Social Shopping”

The usual medical jobs (nurses and technicians), along with some new ones like career counseling or public relations professionals who can handle crisis communications, software developers were also noted to be in the top 10.  But with one caveat – software developers who can stay on top of change with the rapid pace we are going through for technology convergence and new device deployments around the world.

So how do you not just accept change as part of your career, but embrace it with everything you do?  Here are some tips to stay ahead and keep a job in these fast pace times.

1. Stay On Top Of Industry Research

Stay in tune with new channels for communications, and the particular industry vertical you serve – be it manufacturing, retail, energy or something else.  There are many ways to get information now, from the heavy hitting research firms (with heavy hitting prices – ask your company if they have a subscription you can tap into) of Gartner and Forrester, to online data sources like CNET, to individuals who have a passion for blogging on tech, like GigaOm and Guy Kawasaki.  (and of course the Webgrrls blog!)

Make it a habit to stay on top of different writers and points of views either by scheduling a daily catch up on your calendar in the morning or evening, or, focus on catching up on the weekend.

2. Write

Volunteer to write white papers for your company, for a reputable provider of content online or your own blog.  This will force you to continue to do your homework while getting your name out there for being knowledgeable on the next cutting edge widget.

3. Your Process to Develop Software

How “agile” is your software development process?  You don’t have to adopt full blown agile approaches like scrum, but you can modify parts of your process to be more open to change as you learn more about the goals and objectives of a project you are working on.  While you may kick off a project today that is due in a year, you may find along the way that there are 4 more devices that are coming out you need to support, and 2 being sunset.  So make sure you can, at a minimum, adjust for changes along the way.

How are you planning to embrace change in 2009?

Related posts:

1. Four Tips to Keep Rolling In the Business
2. Leverage your Gender in Job Negotiations
3. Free online meetings with Mikogo

I keep hearing everywhere around me that PR is dead and that the new marketing medium is social media.  While I believe that social media is a great way to reach new audiences and build more authentic relationships, I think that PR plays it’s own role as the main stream media has great reach and can’t be left out of the mix, but the introduction of the social media newsroom template has maybe changed PR forever.

If hiring a PR agency is not be in your budget,  here are some tools you can use to generate Press for your company for FREE:

Get reporter queries in your email

HARO – stands for “Help a Reporter Out” was created by a PR guy Peter Shankman. Each day, you’ll receive up to three emails, each with anywhere from 15-30 queries per email. They’ll all be labeled with [shankman.com] in the subject line, for easy filtering. If you see a query you can answer, go for it!  And it’s all FREE!

Find & Build relationships with reporters

Use Twello to find reporters who cover your industry.  Twello is a search engine that searches Twitter account entries.  You can run a keyword search by keyword “reporter” to find anyone who has included that keyword in their Twitter profile (bio, name).  You can also search by News & Media categories to help you identify reporters.  Once you find the reporter, try to build a relationship with them before pitching your stories.

Easily create a social media newsroom

PitchEngine makes it easy for you to incorporate PR assets like video, audio and images directly into your press release and share it with your media contacts via email and cut-and-paste links or post it directly to Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook.  You can create an account for free.  Your Press releases will be hosted for free for 30 days and you can purchase a subscription to create a permanent media newsroom.

Tap into the existing resources

The Publicity Hound is a great resource of Free publicity articles and ebooks.  It covers a broad range of topics including: Writing Press Releases, Pitching and Contacting the Media and Bloggers,  TV & Radio Publicity, Newspaper & Magazine Publicity, and much more.

Do you know any other resources for generating PR at no or low cost?  Let me know!

Related posts:

1. New Marketing Summit: What’s next in Social media
2. Copywriting Tools that Work For You (& Your Business)
3. Tips for managing your Social Networks

Recently the group I’m in at work faced this challenge because we needed to come up with a name for a new offering. When we were asked to submit ideas, I remember looking at the blank screen wondering how best to begin my brainstorming.

Then my manager sent a link to a Naming Worksheet that guides you through the brainstorming process for naming. The worksheet, by WOW Branding, categorizes various types of brand names for you to consider. It defines each naming approach and provides examples of well-known brands who use that approach.

Here are just a few of the 9 naming approaches covered in the worksheet:

Conjoined

Names that are a combination or connection of two or more ideas

Examples: FedEx, Microsoft, Bisquick

Random Words, Appropriation

Completely random words that will be appropriate for the new concept over time.

Examples: Old Navy, Section 3

Acronym, Abbreviation

Names that stated as a group of letters that are intended to become the common name.

Examples: BMW, IBM, BBC, UPS

The Naming Worksheet also includes blank lines for you to fill in your own ideas. Send it out to your teammates. Have them fill it out. This worksheet helped my work group generate about 300 names after just two days.

After you pare down the list to the best of the best, be sure to score each name using WOW Branding’s Naming Criteria Worksheet and see which name ends up with the most points. And of course go back and brush up on the Rules for Naming Your Startup to be sure you have a winner.

Related posts:

1. Rules for Naming Your Startup
2. What are you doing to promote creativity at your company?
3. Lifestreaming to promote your brand: a new social media trend

At Webgrrls, we made a naming mistake. Back in 1995 when we were trying to come up with a name that reflected the fun personality behind the company, we came up with webgrrls.com (web women was too boring and webgirls sounded too young). Coming up with a fun name was not the mistake…it was not buying the webgirls.com domain that forced us to come up with creative means of building our brand. When we mention Webgrrls to vendors and clients we always say it with personality and emphasize the GRRL part of it and sometimes even point out that GRR stands for empowerment.

So how can one come up with a name that is meaningful and fun and also helps build brand awareness? Evan Paull of GigaOM suggests a two-part rule:

Look at many of the most successful brands and you’ll notice they’re often compound names, consistently made up of two components:

• a word that relates to the company product in a direct, literal sense, establishing a clear association between the brand and what the company does.
• a word not literally related to the product, but rather a metaphorical adjective to evoke a differentiating characteristic or “feeling” about the company’s product.

Our minds are built to make connections, mostly at a subconscious level. When a metaphor is detected, it triggers a process in our brains that associates the metaphor with the next object or reference. This naming system forces the mind to take the cognitive step of associating the metaphor to the product it represents, thus forming a positive association to the brand. And once your brain has woven the connection, it sticks, so there’s a great chance your company name won’t be forgotten.

Having a good company name will help you tremendously in your grass roots marketing efforts. If people can’t remember the name of your company or remember how to spell it, it going to be hard for them to recommend you to their friends and for their friends to find you once they hear about you.

Evan also points out that “of course there are startups that get so far out in front of their competitive fields, or whose products are so exemplary, that names which ought to have been tricky are nevertheless well received”.

For more resources on finding a perfect name for your company, check out Guy Kawasaki’s guidelines about naming a company or product and an archive of how some successful company names originated.

Related posts:

1. Microsoft Social Media Outreach Case Study
2. Marketing advice from successful entrepreneurs
3. What are you doing to promote creativity at your company?

Do you send out Newsletters on a regular basis to communicate with your users?

If not, you should start…email newsletters are one of the best ways to communicate to your users and to stay on top of your customer’s minds. They should go out on a regular schedule with a consistent format.

But how can your ensure that your Newsletters don’t end up in the spam folder? Here are some tips:

Keep HTML Simple and Well coded

Make sure that all of your HTML tags are valid and that all of the open tags have their appropriate closing tags. Do not use a lot of images. Keep message size no more than 50K

Also, do not use

• Scripts (e.g.. JavaScript, VBScript)
• Java
• Frames and IFrames
• Tooltips
• Active X
• Video
• Audio
• External Style Sheets
• Meta Refresh

Use Capitalization Sparingly

Capitalization words are viewed as “spammy” and you should use them sparingly.

Avoid using Spam Filtering Words in your content

• Avoid Spam Filters That Flag The “To Unsubscribe” and “To be removed” Phrases – Do not use these phrases in your removal notice. A number of spam filters flag emails containing that particular word as possible spam. The reason is many spammers now offer “unsubscribe” functions that don’t actually do anything. Read alternative phrases you can use instead of “To Unsubscribe” and “To be removed“.
• Avoid Spam Filters That Flag Chain Letters – Some spam filters are flagging emails that asks readers to forward the newsletter on as chain letters.
  Avoid using the word “forward” and any of the following words in the same sentence, “all, anyone, every, friends, many, others, people.” Instead of “forward,” try using “pass,” “share,” or “send.”
• There are many other words that trigger spam filters. Here is a list of 250 Words & Phrases That Trigger Some Spam Filters
  

Check if your Domain name has been blacklisted

Use this utility to check if your domain has been blacklisted. It checks multiple blacklists at once to see if your domain is on a black list.

Avoid E-Mail Software Used by Spammers

Cheaper email marketing software is not always the best way to go. Spammers use these cheaper services to send out spam because it is affordable. Ask your email software company what relationships they have with major email companies. You may have to pay more for these services but it maybe well worth it.

Use a Spam Checker to Test Your Message

I run all of my newsletters through SpamCheck, which is a free service that analysis your newsletter and gives you a spam score. It will also send you recommendations on how to reduce the odds of your email ending up in a spam mailbox.

More Resources:

Avoiding anti-spam filters
Spam Filters and Salmon (how spam filters think)
2007 Email Design Guidelines

Related posts:

1. 40 tips to transform your business
2. Project a professional image with your email address
3. Handwriting Marketing – Tips on how to save time