Pamela Slims Body Of Work A New Perspective On Your Career

Pamela Slim’s ‘Body Of Work’ A New Perspective On Your Career Book Reviews Pamela Slim’s ‘Body Of Work’: A New Perspective On Your Career By Natasha Stanley * The world of work is changing, and there are hundreds of career change books out there professing to give you the tools and techniques necessary to navigate it. But what’strulynecessary to operate effectively in a shifting career landscape is a new perspective on what a career is, and what it can be. Pamela Slim’s ‘Body of Work’ gives you exactly that, in a fresh, down-to-earth and accessible way. I started excitedly nodding as soon as I started reading Pamela Slim’s ‘Body Of Work’. Her approach to her subject is like hitting the Zoom-Out button on the contemporary career landscape, and then zooming right in on the day-to-day tools required to navigate it. The result is a well-grounded argument for a new career paradigm, coupled with solid, practical and empathetic advice for employees, freelancers, business owners and corporations alike. Slim explains that historically, a conventional career was vertical and constrictive. You entered a line of work and the only way to move was vertically. If you didn’t progress upward, you were failing, and a sideways move represented a failure. In contrast, your body of work is a broad and complex story â€" an ever-evolving celebration of something that matters to you, and that you’re uniquely placed to support: ‘Your body of work is everything you create, contribute, affect, and impact. For individuals, it is the personal legacy you leave at the end of your life, including all the tangible and intangible things you have created… A body of work is big and deep and complex. It allows you to experiment and play and change and test.’ Slim argues that a ‘body of work’ is not just the most effective way to view your career in today’s work landscape, it’s the best and most flexible way to navigate the process of a developing career. It’s flexible, it’s grounded deep in the nuts and bolts of what makes you unique and valuable, and it focuses on the long game rather than the short gain, which liberates you from the angst attached to having to make the ‘right move, right now’. What's particularly impressive is the fact that Slim's ideas around creating a body of work apply to people and businesses of all types and stages; employees, startups, freelancers and even corporations, making them useful for anyone who picks up the book. 'Body of Work' outlines the eight specific steps involved in creating a body of work, which encompass both discovering pre-existing themes in your career and wider life, and envisioning and creating your impact on the world in the future. Chapters such as ‘Define Your Root’, ‘Choose Your Work Mode’, and ‘Surf The Fear’ are each dedicated to one of Slim’s eight steps, delving deep into the questions that will help you create your personal body of work. Slim anchors her arguments in real-life stories from her own career and those of people she's met along her way (ranging from bestselling authors and musicians to stay-at-home mothers), and regularly references websites, tools and other books to help readers make the most of her ideas. It's this beautiful balance between big concepts and small actions that makes 'Body of Work' such a comprehensive pleasure to read. The exercises offered within each chapter are broad and challenging. Some people may find the questions she asks us to consider ('What do you want to create'? 'Who do you want to help'? What drives you to act'?) too big to grapple with without further guidance, especially if you're at a total loss for what to do next with your career. However, whether or not you can articluate clear answers to them right now, questions such as these are important to consider for any career changer, and clearly offer compelling food for thought. Top Takeaways Recognise that you are the sole agent of your career Where there used to be a clearly-defined career ladder to climb, it’s becoming increasingly unusual for people to stay in one job for more than a few years at a time. When you also consider that more and more companies are moving online and making use of global talent pools, it becomes clear that as a worker, you’re more and more on your own. It’s time to start relying on more than your CV. “No one is looking out for your career any more. You must find meaning, locate opportunities, sell yourself, and plan for failure, calamity, and unexpected disasters. The new world of work requires a new lens and skill set to ensure career success.” Broaden your conception of what you’re here to do A ‘body of work’ encompasses anything and everything that you do in aid of the cause you’ve chosen to serve. By creating a body of work, you open up a previously unheard-of level of possibility and freedom: “It will give you more freedom and clarity to choose different work options throughout your life, and you’ll be able to connect your diverse accomplishments, sell your story, and continually reinvent and relaunch your brand. You won’t have to say things like: ‘I am throwing away ten years of studying and practicing law if I start a yoga studio’” Define success on your own terms Your body of work is self-defined and self-created. As such, your definition of success must also come from within. Be very clear about what success looks like to you, and be conscious of ‘success dysmorphia’ creeping in and making you question your path: “Success dysmorphia is viewing your success through someone else’s results and finding yourself feeling awkward, ugly, less then, and not quite on par with their accomplishments” If your conception of success is aligned with your roots and your values, you’re on the right track. Tell the right stories Your body of work is defined by how you articulate your purpose in the world, and then by what steps you take to support it. How you talk about yourself (and to yourself) about what you do and why you do it is a major part of who you are, and therefore of your personal brand. Become conscious of the stories you tell. “Every day, I see people with similar backgrounds and equivalent skills accomplish radically different results. One big reason for this is the story they tell themselves and others on a daily basis. The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of your stories. You must craft them well.”

Are You Linked In

Are You Linked In By now, you know that LinkedIn is a great resource for professionals in a job search.   It’s a great way to enhance your in-person networking.   One of the weaknesses of personal networking is that you meet only the person you meet.   You might get to chat with him or her for a few minutes at a professional or social event; you might even, in that short time, get to know what he does or where she works.   What you don’t get to know (much) about is who she knows.  Each of us is valuable as a contact, but it’s our network of contacts that really adds value when people meet us. So you might learn that Rick is the production foreman at a local manufacturer. But he might never mention that he used to work with an industrial engineer who’s now with the very company you’re pursuing.   LinkedIn provides a way to connect with people you meet and their former companies, colleagues and connections. In its jobseeker tips, LinkedIn stresses the value of making sure that your network represents your real connections.   The site says: When your network represents those you know and trust, you can utilize them for recommendations, and ask for introductions into a job or opportunity that you are interested in.” LinkedIn also touts its ability to give you an “inside connection” to get access to company or job you are interested in. When you browse to a job listing on LinkedIn Jobs, you can see which of your connections are at that company. Leverage these connections to help you find the right contacts at the company you are interested in. You can also use the Advanced Search to find a user by keywords or companies. You can directly contact users through inMails or request an introduction through one of your contacts if you have common connections.   The site also recommends that you use it to research your recruiters or interviewers. You can learn more about their background to have an edge over the other candidates. Find more jobseeker tips from LinkedIn here. Next:   Mistakes to Avoid on LinkedIn.

7 Phrases I Never Want to See on Your Cover Letter

7 Phrases I Never Want to See on Your Cover Letter The cover letter is a critical document that makes a good difference in the job application procedure of the applicant. It presents you in a professional manner to the employer and lets the employer know that you are the most desired candidate for the job position for which you have put in your job application. Hence, it is very essential to produce a well written cover letter that will win the attention of the recruiter and thereby, amplify your opportunities of winning the desired job interview. The candidate must ensure that the cover letter is written in an uncomplicated language so that the reader does not have troublesome experiences while interpreting the document. The candidate should plan what points are needed to be included in the cover letter. The best way to do it is to create a basic skeleton of the cover letter. Later, the candidate can add more points and elaborate the letter. Every cover letter should have an introduction, body, and conclusion. At the end of the letter, the candidate should give his gratitude to the recruiter for having read the document. It should be noted that the job title, name and address of the organization, and the personal details of the applicant must be mentioned in a precise and accurate way without any mistake. The candidate should avoid beating around the bush and come right to the point. This will avoid the unnecessary lengthening of the letter and even maintain the curiosity of the employer to read your document. It is beneficial to use the online proofreading tools for making sure that your letter is free from any type of typographical errors, sentence construction errors or spelling mistakes. Most of the applicants are found performing the usual mistakes in their cover letters, especially by adding some phrases which are strictly needed to be eradicated from an ideal cover letter. 7 phrases you need to avoid in your cover letter: To whomsoever it may concern: This is one of the common phrases that the applicants make use of in their cover letters. It is more a generic kind of phrase which is not suitable to be included in the letter. Every letter should be addressed to a specific person. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly mention the name of the individual to whom the letter is addressed. Moreover, such kind of phrases showcase unprofessional attitude to the reader, which creates a spoiled impression on the recruiter Call me at : It is a phrase which most of the candidates use in their cover letters so as to make sure that the employer gives them a call once he/she decides to select them for the job position they have applied for. However, this is not the right way to invite the interview call from the employer through your letter. The candidate should be subtle in his language and ask the employer to call him for further procedures in a more formal and humble manner. For example, You can contact me as per your convenience Yours lovingly: This is a commonly made mistake by the applicants in their cover letters. Such phrases are usually used as a concluding phrase in informal letters and not in formal letters like the cover letter. Since the cover letter is drafted to the recruiter with a purpose of applying for a job, it should be created in a professional way by keeping in mind the formal etiquette of letter writing. Instead of such phrases, you can use yours sincerely, yours respectfully, regards, etc., in your cover letter I want a positive response: This is a too direct and commanding type of phrase which the applicants should avoid using in their cover letters. On the contrary, phrases like I am waiting for an affirmative reply from you or I hope for a positive response can be used by the candidates in their letters. These sentences sound more formal and modest. The purpose behind including these sentences in the document is to receive a reply from the addressee for the job application sent Phrases with I: It is redundant to use phrases starting with the word I. This is another type of common error that most applicants use in their cover letters. Due to constant use of the word I, the reader may lose his interest in reading the letter. In this case, the candidates can try to use different words or start the sentence with any word other than I. Another way to avoid the word I is to change the structure or formation of the sentence in such a way that it does not start with the word I Looking for an interesting job: This is a non specific phrase which does not really tell the employer what exactly is the applicant looking for. While drafting any type of cover letter, the candidate should be very specific and not let the reader keep guessing about it. The candidate should be very clear while mentioning the job title he is applying for; otherwise, it may create confusion in the hiring process. There is also a possibility of the recruiter evaluating the candidate for some other position which the candidate is not looking for. Hence, such phrases should be avoided in the document I feel that: This phrase is considered to be vague in the corporate world. By using such phrases, you tell the reader that you are low in confidence. It shows that you are not sure about what you are talking about. It has to be either I believe or I am confident. As a candidate, you need to be confident and maintain clarity in speech. This will help the recruiter to understand you and reflect you as a sure-footed and steady individual Once you are aware of these 7 cover letter phrases which need to be stringently avoided, you can develop your skills for drafting an idealistic cover letter. Related: How to Make Your Cover Letter Grab the Employer’s Attention. Sandy Dsouza is a freelance author and blogger who is having more than 4 years of experience in the field of writing. She is always eager to share her knowledge on various topics like resume and career development. Connect with her on Twitter to know more about her and also to get new tips and updates from her own experiences. Check out more on resume and cover letter tips at bestsampleresume.com.

Announcement Do You Live a Double Life Like I Did

Announcement Do You Live a Double Life Like I Did In the past I used to live a double life â€" working a day job I hated and then coming home and being a “job applicant” after work and on weekends. I was totally stuck and didn’t know how to get out.   I didn’t even know or care what jobs I applied to, all I knew is that I needed to get out!   It took years for me to finally figure out that applying to jobs online didn’t work because I needed to understand myself better first.   And as soon as I did that, that dream job just starting popping up left and right.   Eventually, I didn’t even have to apply for jobs because those jobs would just come to me. It took me a long time to figure out but I realized the simple tool of learning more about myself through networking and self-assessment.   Knowing myself better has helped me nail interviews so much better than before when I was shy, introverted and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. If you are ready to discover how to get unstuck and find a career you LOVE to go to everyday instead of wasting your life in a job you hate, get excited because Classy Career Girls Get Your Career Unstuck and LOVE Your Life Bootcamp is coming soon!  I held this course back in April and was blown away by the awesome transformations by those who participated in the course.  Not only that, but I absolutely LOVED preparing for and giving the course so I knew that I needed to do it again.  Teaching the course even helped me get unstuck, that is how awesome it is!  But I have learned so much since April, so this course is going to be better than ever! Watch the video to learn more details! To make sure you are notified when all the free goodies are ready for you, make sure you are signed up to my new and REVAMPED newsletter (click here).  It is coming out again on Sunday!  Will it be in your inbox?  If not it should be!

Tips For Writing a Resume Headline

Tips For Writing a Resume HeadlineTips for writing a resume headline are not really that difficult to come up with if you have some imagination. You need to come up with a compelling headline because it will be your headline that will get your resume read. The advantage of having a great headline is that it will get your resume noticed when your job search takes a turn for the better.Resume headlines will also get the attention of your prospective employer. It will seem that you are competent, professional and organized, and you will have a great chance of getting hired. How do you achieve this?First of all, you need to be aware that some employers prefer to hire people who have their resumes ready. They don't want to read your resume while they are completing it and you don't want to get caught in that situation either. So if you have nothing to say right off the bat, just remember that you will need to do something about it.A fantastic way to give a resume of the boost that it need s is to send your resume out to a number of companies. If your resume has an interesting title, some of these companies will take the time to read it over. If they like what they see, they will call you back to get your details and contact you if they think you would be a good fit for the position. You won't be able to control the way your resume will get to read though.To get your resume read, make sure you put your personal information in the top right hand corner and then add your contact information in the upper left hand corner. This will help your resume stand out from the rest and be noticed by those who will be reading it. Your resume should be brief and focused on the skills that you have that make you the best candidate for the job.This simple example is a very general guide to get you started on how to write a resume headline. If you want to create a headline that makes your resume stand out and get the attention of your potential employer, go out and find examples and im plement them in your own resume.The tips for writing a resume headline do not involve any fancy or complicated tricks or jargon. However, creating a headline that stands out and gets the attention of your prospective employer is an art and it is something that you can achieve. There are many ways to accomplish this but using examples is one of the best ways to get started.Once you are able to put a good, compelling and attention-grabbing headline on your resume, you can rest assured that your job search will be much more successful. You will be taken seriously and you will not have to worry about being overlooked for a job opportunity.

Getting Things Off to a Smooth Start to Your Manufacturing

Getting Things Off to a Smooth Start to Your Manufacturing The early days of setting up and starting a business can often be spent doing research, assessing the market, looking into your competition, and then looking for ways to fund the business and get things started. One step of the process, especially if you have a product to develop, is starting talks with manufacturers. At that point, things can all start to feel real. But this isn’t always a smooth process, as you need to find one that will be right for you. So here are some tips to do and some pitfalls to look out for when it comes to creating a product for sale. Set-up a beneficial partnership Because your business is a start-up, you will have to take steps to make sure that you can be taken seriously by manufacturers, especially those that are well established. The volume of business that you will be able to bring to them is not significant either. So as a result, it is really important to look to create something like an incentive for the manufacturer to want to work with you. Research No matter if you are looking to set up a relationship with a manufacturer, or you want to set up a manufacturing unit of your own, then you need to do some extensive research before you make the ultimate decision of what to do. The best places to look are spots like trade journals, as well as fairs, and they can be good avenues to help you to do some research and connect with other manufacturers. You should look into all different things like their processes, what furnace monitoring they have in place, and their costing breakdown. So make sure that you research the people that you want to do business with, but don’t just settle for the first one that you look at.   Sort Out the Legal Details Once you have made a decision on what route to go down, then ironing out the finer details and keeping this legal is the next step. It can be a good idea to visit government websites in your area, as well as talking to people that are already in the industry, that can help you and give you some advice. Then you can start to get the business licences and things in place, so that you can get your business up and running. When that is all done, you can start to go into business feeling much more confident, and start making decisions like hiring employees and getting the equipment that you need. Have Several Open Partnerships If you want to do well in business, then having several reliable options, rather than just honing in on one vendor over another, can be just what you need. Having a choice of good vendors to choose from, and then being able to alternate between the vendors that you choose, can really help to reduce the risk and can help you to have some really competitive pricing, which can be really great for your business.

What Would Marcus Lemonis Say

What Would Marcus Lemonis Say If you are going to be an executive, an entrepreneur or an effective manager, you have to constantly develop new ways of looking at your business and then learn the skills to solve them. The most challenging part is just seeing the issues in your business that need changing the most. This is followed closely by the challenge of breaking out of your routines to learn the necessary skills and take on the issues. Watch The Profit on CNBC I’ll admit this blog comes after watching “The Profit” on CNBC. The star, Marcus Lemonis, and I went to the same college so I started watching his show. Regardless of the episode there’s usually a predictable issue with the business: the owner(s) don’t know how to manage part of it. Either: the sales team only finds small customers and isn’t aggressive enough finding new customers the company doesn’t keep accurate financial records or doesn’t study their financial records enough to know how to improve profitability the staff doesn’t know what raw materials they order, the status of their inventory or how to prevent waste the boss tries to be everything to everyone and wastes the companys time making products and services that very few people purchase or that aren’t profitable the executives don’t understand how to market the right product whether it’s packaging, distribution or promotional placement the executive team just doesn’t think big enough, i.e. nationwide distribution, a big partnership or new ways to scale Of course, the businesses on The Profit usually have other problems that keep them from getting off the ground like dysfunctional relationships, personal baggage, too much emotional investment, etc. It makes for some entertaining TV! Getting Started is the Hardest Part Recently, I’ve had to push myself to learn new areas. What I found is that the hardest part is getting started. Once I got started I found it easier to just take it one step at a time. Then, before I knew it, I had confidence that I could understand the new area and began to see the process that we needed to be effective. Entrepreneurs, managers and job seekers have something in common here. Both need to push themselves in new areas and, if they don’t, they won’t break through to new ways of thinking and new habits that will bring the change they seek. Time to Make a Deal So here’s what I would do: watch The Profit on CNBC some night or online. Pretend that Marcus Lemonis is coming into your business or looking at your career. Ask yourself, What would Marcus say is wrong? What are the first things he would fix? You see, he looks at things and makes them simple then he pinpoints exactly what needs to be done to get on the right track. You probably know what you need to do to get on the right track. Pretend Marcus has told you to fix these areas and he wants them fixed right away. Use him as an accountability partner, who is going to get upset if you don’t start pushing yourself to learn new areas and fix your existing process. Finally, imagine that you are on his TV show. Implement the changes you need and youll get a deal with Marcus; dont and hell walk away without investing in you.