Kudos to Lindsey and Kate, who organized this well-attended event at the  Public House in Center City, Philadelphia.

What is “Speed Networking?” It is an event designed to promote business connections, in this case among a group of professionals who already share an interest in careers in the “Sustainability” sector of business.  In my role as a resource for people interested in this sector, this association-sponsored event was sure to attract people I would be able to relate to.

How does the event work?  Participants were assigned either letters or numbers.  Letters remained seated at small tables; numbers changed seats after a specified period of time  until most attendees had an opportunity to meet one another.  In other words, letter “C” met with number “3;” then number “3″ moved over to meet with letter “D.”

Where does “speed” enter the picture? These events are staged to promote a quick introduction to as many people as possible, with time afterward for socializing.   Time seems to be our scarcest resource these days: I was able to meet and make an initial assessment of 10 people in 65 minutes.

WIIFY-What’s In It For You?

• For those who are not comfortable with face-to-face networking, this is an opportunity  to practice in a controlled environment and for a limited period of time – no need to reach-out to people ‘cuz they’ll come to you.
• This type of event preserves a bit of anonymity – you may find 1-2 gems among the 10 contacts you might make, and there is no shame in leaving the 8 or so other contacts to be mined later or not at all.
• In just a few minutes, participants  share business cards and discuss their goals, share their “1-minute commercial,” ask for recommendations”, etc.   Take notes, follow-up, be a giver…
• Your group can suggest some “prompts” or conversation starters, or leave it to the participants.  Lindsey and Kate suggested 6-minute blocks of time, so there was ample time to share information and determine if connections were worth pursuing.

I’d like to hear about your experiences:  is this a legitimate method to build your network, or is it too contrived?  So far, my take on it is that speed networking could be a great ice-breaker for a group training exercise or meeting.  I recommend it as a NYNT – Nurture Your Network Tool.  Thanks again to Lindsey and Kate, (and to whomever jammed the parking meter outside the Public House so I could park for free)!

LaSalle University’s Bucks County Center hosted a very well-attended discussion this morning.   I was honored to be among the panel members who responded to questions regarding the personal and business applications of social networking/personal marketing.   Those in attendance included faculty, staff, and adult students; their questions and comments revealed a deep engagement in the topic.   Some comments that may not have been clearly communicated:

• Social networking and personal marketing allow us to gain autonomy and independence in the workplace.   Social networking tools allow us to become more responsible for the long-term management of our careers – the “apron strings” to corporate employers are not secure.
• Online networking complements warm networking.  Those who successfully develop and nurture their network demonstrate key qualities: team work, cultural awareness, and service orientation.
• Social networking has launched an era of “giving;” a prerequisite for and a simultaneous part of the “receiving” that most people associate with the new verb, “to network.”
• Career management requires a long-term commitment to social networking.   While numbers vary,  80 – 95% of all jobs are filled through networking.  With that in-mind, tools such as LinkedIn.com allow career managers to conduct a proactive “people search” rather than a reactive “job search.”
• Age is not a predictor of success in the realm of social networking.  While members of Gen X and  Gen Y may have an advantage in the use of hardware and software, the Boomers and Traditionalists seem to have an advantage in the “social” aspects of networking.   Bette J. Walters, Esq., a fellow panel-member, referred to the need for a publication recommending social networking manners; in the meantime, click here for a relevant discussion of such issues.

The public is invited to a panel discussion sponsored by the Alumni Relations office of LaSalle University.   Panel members will address topics of interest to job seekers, career changers, and entrepreneurs:

• Developing your personal social network presence
• Developing corporate strategies and policies on social networking sites
• Protecting the organization and the employee

Web 2.0 strategies have started a shift in thinking : what are the predictions for growth using Internet building blocks?  How do we plan for changes?  How can we maintain the personal or organizational image we choose?

_________________________________________________________________

8:30 – 10am, Tuesday, February 23, 2010

LaSalle Bucks County Center, 33 University Avenue, Newtown, PA  18940

Sponsored by LaSalle University IT Leadership Panel and Alumni Relations

_________________________________________________________________

Panel Members:

Alicia Stonesifer, LaSalle University

Karen P. Katz, Career Acceleration Network (CAN), LLC

Bette Walters, Esq., ALCO Industries

________________________________________________________________

Check-out the “Made to Stick” column that appears in the monthly publication, Fast Company.  Brothers Chip and Dan Heath write cutting-edge commentary on entrepreneurship, innovation, and the integration of Web 2.0 tools.  The November 2009 contribution “caught my fancy” with an irreverent approach to solving marketing problems.

The Heath brothers describe an intractable problem faced by a Procter & Gamble business unit.  The group director may have invoked the famous words of Albert Einstein, who said:  “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  Unable to solve a problem within the P&G domain, the group director took the team on a field trip to the San Diego Zoo – looking for answers on another turf!

Observations of plant life and animal behavior sparked eight fresh approaches to the CPG problem, driving home the point that “…someone else may have a different perspective…problems that are difficult in one domain may be trivial to solve from the perspective of a different domain.”

The work of the Heath brothers promotes innovative thinking and problem solving strategies.  Their clever and slightly irreverent metaphors drive home the point that solutions to problems may be “in-your-face,” and yet not visible through your own mirror.  Clearly, the message is to search outside our own borders, beyond our own companies, and outside the paradigms created by our industries.  Maybe it is time to bring back my own irreverent metaphor for those in career transition:  the unicellular paramecium.

The Reach Personal Branding group recently circulated a post that deserves wider circulation.  William Arruda,  a respected advocate for personal branding and co-author of Career Distinction, commented on a NYT piece by Thomas Friedman called,  “The New Untouchables.”

Arruda makes the point that those who will survive and flourish during challenging times are those who can distinguish themselves – those who can become the purple cow in the herd of brown and white cows.   As I prepare to meet MBA students who aspire to be the corporate and entrepreneurial leaders of tomorrow (Net Impact Conference 11/13 & 11/14),  it seems timely to extrapolate these words from William’s post:

As I see it, this is all about personal branding. What do you offer that is not available from anyone else? What emotional brand attributes do you add onto your competence that gets people excited about you? What unique talents and abilities put you in a class by yourself?

Will you make the case to a prospective employer that you understand their issues – that you are prepared to integrate your education, experience, and personal qualities in a plan that makes an overwhelming case for hiring and retaining you.  Will you make yourself indispensable?

Here’s what we already know: The demographics of the workforce are a train coming down the track.  While we are currently experiencing a 9.5% national unemployment rate, the burden is disproportionately born by younger workers (more than 50% of non-students are unemployed – referred to as the Dead End Kids).

Here’s what many don’t know: The AARP (Pdf)  predicts that by 2015, there will be more jobs than trained employees – indeed, the group expects a gap of 35 million jobs.  It is becoming more and more likely that those who entered the workforce in the 1970’s will not become “snow birds” anytime soon.  Are they making it more difficult for younger workers to enter the workforce?   More results from the AARP’s  2005 report, “American’s Aging Workforce:”

• By 2015, 20% of the workforce will be age 55 and older
• The highest growth rate in the workforce will be among those 55-64  (an increase of 51%)
• Concurrently, there will be a decrease in the population of workers age 35-44   (a loss of 7%)
• Today, most  middle and senior managers are Baby Boomers, age 42-60.   40% of this cohort  hold college degrees; unlike their  Traditionalist predecessors,  who were more likely to perform physically demanding work,   most of these collegiate Boomers should be able to continue in professional, technical, and managerial roles well beyond retirement age.

The AARP’s data focused on the demographic trends of the workforce:  in September 2009, the Pew Research Center published a report on the impact of the recession on the graying of our workforce.  There are many interesting findings; for now, let’s look at the impact of the current recession on those who had planned to retire at age 62:

• 40% who are working past the median retirement age of 62 have delayed their retirement because of the recession
• 63% of those who were expecting to retire (ages 50 – 61) believe they may need to delay retirement because of the recession;  18% more women than men expressed this concern about their financial security in retirement.

The Pew Research Center analyzed U.S. Census Bureau survey data and conducted their own survey of 1,815 people ages 16 + between July 20 – August 2, 2009.   While the labor force participation rate for older workers is influenced by the current recession, this same survey revealed that 54% of workers ages 65+ state that the main reason they work is that they want to.  As you might expect, the younger and middle aged aged workers  are more likely to express a need to work for pocketbook considerations  (49%).

So what can be done to balance the needs of our economy with the availability of workers across generational lines?

• Re-introduce “job sharing,” a concept that was popular in the early 1980’s.  Maybe some inter-generational job sharing?
• Make it possible for older workers to take “internships.”  As with college students, these could be offered  with minimal pay, but would be designed to meet the desire of seniors “to feel useful, ” grow professionally, and supplement their retirement income.
• Create a cadre of older and younger people who could be national civilian volunteers or employees of the military.  This source of manpower could complement the efforts of our military; perhaps the right people could offer additional training to prepare soldiers for effective nation-building and  a successful return to civilian life.

What do you think?  Look for an upcoming Frontline show and get back to us with your comments…

A new post on the Netshare.com newsletter offers yet another strong suggestion to employ S-W-O-T analysis as a job search tool.  Since 2007, I have recommended this business analysis tool to my clients; now I am happy to suggest that clients check-out the S-W-O-T prompts posted by Katherine E. Simmons, President & CEO of Netshare.com.  Ms. Simmons offers some fresh prompts that can help with brand clarification, e.g.:

Strengths:

* What advantages do you have?  *What do you do better than anyone else?  *What unique or low-cost resources do you have to offer?  *What do others see as your strengths?  *How do you help close the sale or reduce overhead?

Weaknesses:

* What areas can you improve?  * What areas should you avoid?  * What do peers in your market see as weaknesses? *Where do you fail when trying to close a sale or reduce costs?

Recently,  I have recommend that candidates take the S-W-O-T analysis tool to the next level by applying it to their target companies.  In other words, use S-W-O-T as the framework for company research, e.g.:

Clearly this tool can be a very effective job search strategy tool.  Check the Netshare.com for the full post; contact this writer for more information about how to S-W-O-T your target organizations.

A chain of posts through the Net Impact LinkedIn group led me to rant again about the disparity between the innovation that is taught in “better” business schools and the conformity that is foisted-upon new graduates.

Ivy League universities hire distinguished faculty to teach classes in “innovation;” these same professors rally around the need for change to compete in the global marketplace.  Yet as students approach graduation and complete their exams, theses, and dissertations, it seems they are ushered into the back room to have the creativity beaten out of them.  The Biz School back-room “whoopin” leaves new graduates wondering about their considerable investment of time, money, and faith.

Resumes must conform to a specific style to earn a place in the recruitment “book; ” cover letters may as well be automated, and networking is almost incestuous (maybe due to over-reliance on alumni).  I shouldn’t complain, as many students seek the services of experienced career professionals to flesh-out their personal brand and manage their job search campaigns.  (Look for CAN and other career strategists at the Sept. 17th PA Governor’s Conference for Women,  as well as several MBA Career Expos and the November Net Impact Conference.)

The NetImpact group discussion led me to a related post by Matt Madden, a Presidio School of Management student who is writing a book tentatively titled Status Quo Values. The purpose of this project is to explore status quo value systems – economic, political and social values – and discuss the role these values play in our society’s aversion to change.  The goal of the work is to define status quo values, discuss the historical roots of our institutional embrace of status quo values, examine the role our institutions play in promoting these values to individuals and investigate examples of institutions and individuals adhering to alternative value systems.  Sounds like a continuation of the dialog started by Robert Reich in his Fast Company issue, Your Job Is Change.  I’ll be looking for the book, Matt…

Thanks to ExecuNet for sharing their quarterly projections.  Our economy requires that talented people walk into the some of the same doors that others have walked out of…

To stimulate growth, companies are looking for people who can prove their value to an organization.  Do your homework – SWOT your target organizations – and present your unique value proposition.

B. Executive Job Functions Most in Demand for 2009

Employers are emphasizing business development and sales roles that can push organizational performance in a challenging economy, according to ExecuNet’s exclusive Recruiter Confidence Poll. Executive recruiters believe leaders with proven business development and sales experience and a track record of consistently high results will be most in demand in the executive employment market over the next six months. Leaders in a host of engineering functions, executive recruiters say, are also among those with the most promising career options in this tough economic environment.

Where Recruiters See the Greatest Growth in Exec Hiring in Next Six Months Business development 17.3% Sales 15.0% Engineering 10.4% Operations management (incl. supply chain, logistics, quality) 8.7% Marketing 8.7% Consulting 8.2% Finance 7.9% Research and development 7.7% General management 7.1% MIS/Information technology 6.2% Human resources 1.5% Other 1.2% Source: ExecuNet

Posted by Karen P. Katz

.custom .teaser {
   width: 100%;
   margin-top: 2em;
   padding-top: 2em;
   border-top: 1px dotted #bbb;
   text-align: justify;
}
.custom .teasers_box {
   padding-top: 0;
   border-top: 0;}

Social Networking tools, including Twitter, have attracted a lot of attention among traditional media outlets.  The latest edition of BusinessWeek magazine (March 16, 2009) includes a nice piece on how Twitter is used and how its founders are handling acquisition efforts by Facebook, Google, and Yahoo.  The article I'm referring to has yet to appear online:  look for "Six Million Users: Nothing to Twitter At."

NBC's TODAY show conducted interview with Kirsten Dixson, one of the authors of Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building your Brand.  Personal branding is one of the aspects of online identity management that Kirsten discussed with Jenna Wolfe and Al Roker this morning.

If you don't think that carving out a place for yourself online is important, think again! 

Posted by Karen P. Katz