Jeannette Kraar - Executive Career Coaching » Blog Articles http://www.jkraar.com Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:59:42 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Create a Compelling Brand Identity Through a Professional Competency Audit http://www.jkraar.com/create-a-compelling-brand-identity-through-a-professional-competency-audit/ http://www.jkraar.com/create-a-compelling-brand-identity-through-a-professional-competency-audit/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:59:42 +0000 Jeannette Kraar http://www.jkraar.com/?p=1022 Our professional identity is all too often determined by the title of our positions and the list of corresponding responsibilities we’ve had over the course of our careers. Unfortunately, these characteristics don’t communicate our confidence, competitive advantage or true value in the workplace. Knowledge that is accumulated through experience is good — APPLIED KNOWLEDGE [...]]]> Our professional identity is all too often determined by the title of our positions and the list of corresponding responsibilities we’ve had over the course of our careers. Unfortunately, these characteristics don’t communicate our confidence, competitive advantage or true value in the workplace. Knowledge that is accumulated through experience is good — APPLIED KNOWLEDGE that produces results is BETTER!

To demonstrate your expertise, separate yourself from the masses and command the compensation of a top performer, your focus has to switch from tasks associated with past jobs to the specific results you can produce in terms of creating change that improves bottom-line performance.

Steps are outlined below to provide an “accumulative stream of consciousness”. Follow each point to take an inventory of your skills, abilities and measurable accomplishments. Then incorporate the information you gather to use as meaningful statements on your resume and verbal networking and interview communications to re-position yourself as an exceptional Solution Provider rather then a common commodity in the workplace:

  1. Consider, in specific terms, the type of situations you have effectively dealt with in past positions. What were the obstacles you overcame? What roadblocks did you remove?
  2. Now ask yourself – What skills supported your success? Did you negotiate effectively? Did you use resourceful and creative problem-solving or delegating skills? Was it your detail orientation or relationship development abilities? Where do you absolutely excel?
  3. Do you see sets of skills that can be grouped together? I.e. negotiation, presentation, training, and/or public speaking skills could all be considered communication abilities; motivation, vision, clarity of purpose might all be combined as leadership traits. Where you see these associations you will be able to pinpoint your areas of competencies.
  4. Why are your unique competencies important in terms of business growth, improvement or development? (This will become part of your professional value proposition).
  5. How do you respond to situations and obstacles in the workplace? What actions or strategies do you typically use to generate results?
  6. What are some of the changes you’ve made, strategies you’ve implemented, or activities you’ve produced?
  7. Why were these important to the business? (How did they affect productivity, quality, quantity and/or profitability?)
  8. What were the specific, consistent, measurable results that were produced?
  9. Do the results listed in step 8 have universal appeal – meaning would someone else want to pay you to produce the same results for them? If not – why not?
  10. When asked what you do – dump the job title. Instead, take all the information you have accessed from this exercise and create a dynamic, concise one to two sentence statement that tells others your area of expertise, the problems you can consistently resolve and the meaningful bottom-line benefits you can produce. Case in point – If you asked me about myself, which has more impact: A. I’m an executive coach; B. I build successful careers and business capacity, fast. Where do you want to go next?
]]> http://www.jkraar.com/create-a-compelling-brand-identity-through-a-professional-competency-audit/feed/ 0 The 2011 Employment Dilemma http://www.jkraar.com/the-2011-employment-dilemma/ http://www.jkraar.com/the-2011-employment-dilemma/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 02:04:27 +0000 Jeannette Kraar http://www.jkraar.com/?p=1009 HEY — are you one of the millions who have been “downsized” more then once at this point? Are you over 50 and curled up in a fetal position under your desk because you just found another gray hair? Have you thought about dropping out of the corporate insanity to create a little chaos of [...]]]> HEY — are you one of the millions who have been “downsized” more then once at this point? Are you over 50 and curled up in a fetal position under your desk because you just found another gray hair? Have you thought about dropping out of the corporate insanity to create a little chaos of your own?

In meeting with clients, looking at media and watching the trends, these three situations seem to be the most worried and talked about perceived career killers of current times.

Let’s do a reality check……

I am not a believer in age discrimination. Does it happen? Of course it does – but often it’s more of a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” People buy into the hype and it erodes their their self-esteem and confidence so they don’t present themselves from a position of strength; OR some have been in the same job for 30 years and get stuck in a rut and become resistant to change – that’s personality, not age; OR after being in the job market for so long and building an income based on perks and bonuses, there are others who have unrealistic expectations of what today’s market can bear as far as competitive salaries – pay is much the same as any other commodity – it’s more frequently based on the balance of supply and demand. Beyond that, whoever brings the most business savvy to the table, wins.

In addition, we live and work in a time of immediate gratification. If there is a choice between age and competence, most companies will still go with the person who brings the most current value because they want an ROI on their investment as fast as possible. If you’re 60+ but you have energy, confidence, contacts, up-to date knowledge and you know how to communicate your value as a solution provider to your target market (you know what keeps them up a night and you can fix it in a profitable way)- once again, you win.

By the way, did I mention that the average job stint in today’s workplace is between 2-5 years? So if you plan on working longer then that, plan that you will be changing jobs again (your choice or not) within that time frame.

As for the employment/self-employment question – the trend for 50+ professionals is that more and more folks are going the entrepreneurial route. So many people have gone through the job loss routine multiple times that self-employment seems less scary. Plus people are taking stock of their market value and through the process of evaluation and research are recognizing how to best use their unique expertise.

If you decide to start (or evaluate) a business the first step is to create a complete business plan. Some people choose to work the start-up full time and others grow their companies while working full or part-time for someone else. There’s no right or wrong on this one – ya just have to do it “right” in either scenario.

I believe the fastest way to build a business is through collaborations – and I’m not talking about business partners. I mean referral partners. Finding complimentary services that are established and creating a cross promotion or referral program is one example.

Come out from under the table and get busy. Take some time to evaluate employment vs self employment. If you haven’t read the book, The E Myth, I highly recommend it. Evaluate your financial needs, consider your tolerance to risk, research the market/industry to see where you offer the most value and use this data to make an intelligent vs emotional decision.

Then as Nike likes to say, Just Do It!

]]> http://www.jkraar.com/the-2011-employment-dilemma/feed/ 0 You Are Exposed http://www.jkraar.com/you-are-exposed/ http://www.jkraar.com/you-are-exposed/#comments Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:38:13 +0000 Jeannette Kraar http://www.jkraar.com/?p=986 This information was sent to me from my good friend Terri Eileen Liggins. (terri@theliteraryfront.com). She’s not only a great writer but she uses her talent to keep us in the know about things that can affect our personal and professional success.

If you’ve ever plugged your name into Google, you were probably pretty surprised to see [...]]]> This information was sent to me from my good friend Terri Eileen Liggins. (terri@theliteraryfront.com). She’s not only a great writer but she uses her talent to keep us in the know about things that can affect our personal and professional success.

If you’ve ever plugged your name into Google, you were probably pretty surprised to see the information that turned up. (If you’ve never done this – you should).  Terri just filled me in on another site I had never heard of and was shocked when I checked it out. See what she has to say:

Have you jumped on the social network bandwagon yet? If not, you’re one among few. Whether people use it for corporate social networking or just plain ol’ noseyness networking, it’s a hybrid of the 21st century that is here to stay.

I know several folks who are still “facebook phobic” and I suppose their hesitation is justified – well, to an extent. When dealing with ALL Internet venues, even just e-mail, one should stay mindful of what he/she is writing. Once your information is out there in cyberspace, it’s virtually there for good. So just because you steer clear of MySpace™ and facebook™ don’t think you’re safe from Big Cyber-Brother or Big Cyber-Sister watching and tracking almost every move you make in life.

Take for instance, this people-search site, www.spokeo.com, compliments of another Ivy League-type brainy kid. Spokeo™ is a powerful search and organization technology that with one click of the mouse far surpasses conventional search engines. What would normally take an individual multiple searches (some paid ones) to determine a person’s age, income, home’s value and credit score is now down to a single search in some cases.  

The concept of Spokeo™ started in 2005, when a Stanford student named Harrison looked for a way to avoid juggling between various social networks to keep up with his friends’ profiles, activities and YouTube™ videos. He rounded up his college buddies who helped him build a social-network aggregator: a collector of information. In 2006, from his parents’ basement (as the cliche’ goes), Harrison’s pioneering concept launched on Techcrunch. Since then, the innovative technology of this Pasadena, CA based company has received numerous accolades from Newsweek, WSJ, PCWorld, and the like.

What distinguishes Spokeo™ from Google™ and facebook™ – and why it’s such an effective people-related search engine – is its ability to gather and organize vast quantities of various types of web data from third-party sources. Just a few of its sources are social networks, phone books and marketing surveys. Who knows what their many other sources consist of. Your utility companies, perhaps? Lenders? Insurance companies? The possibilities are far-reaching.

Of course, you can’t sit around worrying about something like this. Instead, we just have to be watchful and vigilant about all things – that includes our personal information.

Here’s how to remove your personal information from Spokeo’s site now!

  1. Go to www.spokeo.com 
  2. Put your name in the search bar. Nine times out of ten you will find yourself listed there – and multiple times! 
  3. Find the URL of your page(s)
  4. Go to the bottom right corner of the home page, click on the Privacy button and remove yourself! 

 

Get more great information from Terri at www.theliteraryfront.com or email her at terri@theliteraryfront.com.

]]> http://www.jkraar.com/you-are-exposed/feed/ 1 This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Experience and Gain Presence (instead of presents) Through Collaborations http://www.jkraar.com/this-holiday-season-give-the-gift-of-experience-and-gain-presence-instead-of-presents-through-collaborations/ http://www.jkraar.com/this-holiday-season-give-the-gift-of-experience-and-gain-presence-instead-of-presents-through-collaborations/#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:35:50 +0000 Jeannette Kraar http://www.jkraar.com/?p=982 Once upon a time there was a professional who didn’t have to do everything, know everything or have everything but this person lived happily ever after multiplying their contacts, resources, time, energy and income without increasing their workload. The really good news is, this is no tall tale and it could be your new reality. [...]]]> Once upon a time there was a professional who didn’t have to do everything, know everything or have everything but this person lived happily ever after multiplying their contacts, resources, time, energy and income without increasing their workload. The really good news is, this is no tall tale and it could be your new reality. Just remember the magic word. It’s collaboration. 

A collaboration could also be called a partnership or strategic alliance and participants are often referred to as colleagues, associates, partners, supporters, sidekicks and possibly an accomplice (meant only in the most upstanding of ways). But no matter what terminology you use, the concept remains the same. It is a group of two or more people who come together to cooperatively achieve a mutually desired objective. In the process, the benefits of an effective collaboration are much greater then the end result.

 Collaboration allows you to

  1. Learn from others: Each person brings and contributes their unique skills and knowledge. It is a great way to have diverse expertise within an environment that allows you to acquire new undeveloped abilities. 
  2. Model Success: You can benefit from the insights that come from “hind-sight” and proven performance while expanding your own experience base.
  3. Increase opportunities: Pre-existing limitations are removed. When you collaborate with others, your opportunities increase as the “span of influence” broadens through your partnerships. By span of influence, I mean contacts, experience, resources and demonstrated results.
  4. Share responsibilities: It doesn’t get much simpler then this. When you partner with other people, you don’t have to do everything yourself. Responsibilities can be divided based on strengthens so that tasks not only get done, but they are completed with greater proficiency.
  5. Expand resources: Whether you need a resume writer or a copy writer; a color printer or a fax machine, Collaborators pool their resources to provide the wherewithal to support objectives.
  6. Increase income – Sometimes you can increase your income simply by decreasing your costs, which would be a benefit of a collaborative effort where everyone contributes to overhead. But you can actually raise your perceived market value by your associations –the company you keep, the referrals you get, the testimonials offered and/or the introductions that are made on your behalf.
  7. Create a brain-trust. A collaboration creates a mastermind group of sorts and illustrates the adage of how two people can each have one idea, but when shared their ideas double.
  8. Fast-forward results. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work.”  When you can divide duties, optimize experience and align responsibilities with expertise, the job gets done faster and better than doing it yourself. 
  9. Enjoy third-party endorsements. Effective collaborations mean you’ll only work with people you like and respect who bring value to a project. When relationships are built on these characteristics endorsements and promotions are genuine and free-flowing. In addition, once you understand the power of collaborations, you’ll be able to ask and get big-name endorsements for your work. (That’s how I got motivational speaker extraordinaire Les Brown to write the forward for my book)
  10. Have more fun: Let’s face it working alone can be lonely and kind of a drag. Add a partner or two and gain greater pleasure, satisfaction and support that will make work feel more like “playing with purpose.”
]]> http://www.jkraar.com/this-holiday-season-give-the-gift-of-experience-and-gain-presence-instead-of-presents-through-collaborations/feed/ 0 Take the $10 Holiday Challenge http://www.jkraar.com/take-the-10-holiday-challenge/ http://www.jkraar.com/take-the-10-holiday-challenge/#comments Thu, 16 Dec 2010 11:14:17 +0000 Jeannette Kraar http://www.jkraar.com/?p=976 For those of you who know me well, you know I love a challenge – I find it exhilarating to overcome an obstacle, defy a risk or breakthrough a limitation. You also know I am adamant about helping people find and keep meaningful employment.

Here’s something you may not know. I have been affiliated with an [...]]]> For those of you who know me well, you know I love a challenge – I find it exhilarating to overcome an obstacle, defy a risk or breakthrough a limitation. You also know I am adamant about helping people find and keep meaningful employment.

Here’s something you may not know. I have been affiliated with an organization called The Women’s Alliance for over ten years. 

The Women’s Alliance is a national membership organization of independent, community based non-profit agencies who share a unified mission:

To provide professional attire and career skills training to disadvantaged women and their families to achieve self-sufficiency through employment.

The Women’s Alliance functions as a national resource for collaborative program development, fund raising, public relations, marketing and advocacy to help members maximize services within their local communities while raising awareness and support of employment solutions for underserved populations nationwide.

After over a decade of service helping a diverse population transition into the workplace by providing appropriate professional attire, skill development and job training support, our services are needed more than ever. 

And in these difficult economic times, clothing, training and job search support are needed not only by women, but by men and disadvantaged youth too.  The Women’s Alliance is not only aware of these needs, but working to respond with real solutions that can and will help people regain their self-sufficiency through employment.

Over the years when we said, “Someone’s Future Is hanging in Your Closet”™, you’ve given generously of your clothes, your time and your resources.  And for this, we thank you.

Now we’d like to ask you to join with us in our $10 Challenge to prove that it doesn’t take a lot to make a big difference in the lives of those around us.  

  • $10 will provide a new suit to a client
  • $10 will provide two blouses and a pair of work shoes
  • $10 will help off-set the cost of a training room to provide career and job search training
  • $10 will help to provide someone out of work with the resources needed to support the confidence and skills required to get a job

There is true power in small actions when those actions are backed by many. Your $10 gift will help one of the 60,000 people we serve each year.  Your donation will also help us achieve our goal to raise $100,000 so that we may dress and train a growing population to transition back into the workforce.

Donate Now Securely

Please click here to share your $10 with us…and a little bit more if you like.

And, through the support of FlipCam, you will be able to see the immediate effect your contributions will provide.

Flip Cam is providing The Women’s Alliance with their video recorders as part of their Flipforgood program. Over the coming months you’ll be able to go to our website at www.thewomensalliance.org  to see our $10 Challenge at work — to create work!  Thanks in advance for your support.

Enjoy the happiest of holiday seasons

All the best

Jeannette ,

Managing Partner, The Women’s Alliance

]]> http://www.jkraar.com/take-the-10-holiday-challenge/feed/ 0 Run Your Business Online with $10 and a Google Account http://www.jkraar.com/run-your-business-online-with-10-and-a-google-account/ http://www.jkraar.com/run-your-business-online-with-10-and-a-google-account/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:20:19 +0000 Jeannette Kraar http://www.jkraar.com/?p=939 Ok everyone.  I have something to tell you.  I just have to come clean.  Here it is:

 I’m not an expert at all this web and social media stuff.  

Sure I got my website, Twitter, Facebook and a gazillion other things, but I create the magic using the smarts of my web guy who takes care of all my needs.  (I’m talkin’ web [...]]]> Ok everyone.  I have something to tell you.  I just have to come clean.  Here it is:

 I’m not an expert at all this web and social media stuff.  

Sure I got my website, Twitter, Facebook and a gazillion other things, but I create the magic using the smarts of my web guy who takes care of all my needs.  (I’m talkin’ web needs everybody.  My gosh!) 

But here’s a suggestion I want to recommend for someone who needs a really inexpensive solution but still wants to look professional.  I can’t tell you enough about Google and all their stuff.  This article, which you can reach by clicking here, shows you how to make use of a few Google pieces and parts to get your email and website all put in place so people reach you by typing www.yourcompanyname.com and youremailaddress@yourcompanyname.com. 

You get rid of the less than professional looking myemailaddress@yahoo.com or whoknowswhere@gmail.com which looks really amateurish.  You get a matching website at the same time.  And it all really costs $10 for the domain name.

I’ve run this by my web guy and he says it’s all legit.  No scam here.

Let me know what you think.

]]> http://www.jkraar.com/run-your-business-online-with-10-and-a-google-account/feed/ 0 Finding Your Dream Job Through LinkedIn and Other Tips http://www.jkraar.com/finding-your-dream-job-through-linkedin-and-other-tips/ http://www.jkraar.com/finding-your-dream-job-through-linkedin-and-other-tips/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:46:21 +0000 Jeannette Kraar http://www.jkraar.com/?p=917 The Financial Post reprinted an article by Susan Adams from Forbes that gave some really good advice on using these social media sites to get ourselves some real job hunt value.  You can get to the article by clicking here.

It not only gives some good specific and practical advice.  It gives links to six articles [...]]]> The Financial Post reprinted an article by Susan Adams from Forbes that gave some really good advice on using these social media sites to get ourselves some real job hunt value.  You can get to the article by clicking here.

It not only gives some good specific and practical advice.  It gives links to six articles at Forbes that include additional advice.

]]> http://www.jkraar.com/finding-your-dream-job-through-linkedin-and-other-tips/feed/ 0 WEDDLE’s 2010 User’s Choice Awards, The Elite of the Online Employment Industry http://www.jkraar.com/weddles-2010-users-choice-awards-the-elite-of-the-online-employment-industry/ http://www.jkraar.com/weddles-2010-users-choice-awards-the-elite-of-the-online-employment-industry/#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:37:27 +0000 Jeannette Kraar http://www.jkraar.com/?p=893 I wanted to share with you a list I discovered online.  It contains some really solid online employment sites.  Check them out and tell me what you think about using them to find your next job.

Absolutely Health Care http://www.healthjobsusa.com/ AfterCollege.com http://www.AfterCollege.com/ AllHealthcareJobs.com http://AllHealthcareJobs.com/ AllRetailJobs.com http://www.AllRetailJobs.com/ CareerBuilder.com http://www.CareerBuilder.com/ CollegeGrad.com http://www.CollegeGrad.com/ CollegeRecruiter.com http://www.collegerecruiter.com/ Dice.com http://www.dice.com/ DirectEmployers.com http://www.DirectEmployers.com DiversityJobs.com http://www.DiversityJobs.com/ EmploymentGuide.com http://www.EmploymentGuide.com ExecuNet http://www.execunet.com/ GetTheJob.com http://www.GetTheJob.com Hcareers http://www.Hcareers.com/ HealthCareerWeb.com http://www.HealthCareerWeb.com/ HEALTHeCAREERS Network http://www.HEALTHeCAREERS.com/ Indeed.com [...]]]> I wanted to share with you a list I discovered online.  It contains some really solid online employment sites.  Check them out and tell me what you think about using them to find your next job.

]]> http://www.jkraar.com/weddles-2010-users-choice-awards-the-elite-of-the-online-employment-industry/feed/ 1 Do You Offer Others Real Value? http://www.jkraar.com/do-you-offer-others-real-value/ http://www.jkraar.com/do-you-offer-others-real-value/#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 06:59:56 +0000 alextarasiuk http://www.jkraar.com/?p=837 “Everything You Do MUST Have Value to Others.” That’s the title of a Career Opportunities podcast I listened to recently. It made a recommendation we should all consider when we doing just about anything.

I see this problem over and over again. Someone takes an idea for a new business, a product idea or even something [...]]]> “Everything You Do MUST Have Value to Others.” That’s the title of a Career Opportunities podcast I listened to recently. It made a recommendation we should all consider when we doing just about anything.

I see this problem over and over again. Someone takes an idea for a new business, a product idea or even something they’d like to do as a career and when they execute the idea, it flops. It gets flat out rejected by the target audience. Then everyone sits around staring at each other asking, “What happened?”

Those in denial might be tempted to blame the economic climate, the user’s inability to grasp the concept, a lack of support, distribution network, etc. etc. There’s no shortage of excuses.

The BIG, BIG, BIG question to ask is:

    What value does it have for others?

It’s tough to stay objective when you work on something for a long time. Your passion takes over and it’s tough to stay objective. That being the case, you’re typically the last one that’s going to call your baby ugly. But unless you ask yourself this question and really work to get the true answer, you could be making a huge mistake.

You have to ask yourself:

  • What do other people see in it?
  • What’s your spouse, friends and fellow business contacts think?
  • Did you ask them?
  • Are you afraid to?

I know when someone presents me with an idea, my first question inside is, “What’s in it for me?” The podcast says just that. It’s just the way people think. People have so many options. They need a way to quickly trudge through things and pick out what matters from what doesn’t.

So if you are considering a move, deciding upon a new business, product or some other new venture, here are some steps you can follow to force yourself to identify its value before you spend a lot of wasted effort.

Step 1 – Explain the Idea to an Outsider. The key here is to get outside your head and the saying, “Birds of a feather flock together” plays against you here. People in the same industry or the same age group or the same peer group often see things from the same perspective. This develops a blind spot that can prevent you from seeing how your audience could miss your value.

If you can’t get someone to understand the value in a few paragraphs you’ve got to go do some homework. Either your idea sucks or you have to work on the value it provides. Remember: If your audience can see the value, there is no value.

Step 2 – Ask your spouse. (Careful here. This one’s dangerous. It just might hit your ego.) If you are married or in a longer term relationship, you and your other half probably see the world differently. Figure that half of your potential audience sees your product from the other person’s perspective. Also figure your spouse isn’t as tied to your idea as you are. They can be a little more objective.

If they’ve been down on your idea from the beginning, explore the reasons why. If it’s because of the risk or issues it brings up in their life (like a reduction in security), you have some other things to discuss. Maybe I’ll write about that one in the future.

However, if you can dig and discover why they don’t see value, you have ammunition for improving it or deciding against it.

Here’s some food for thought. If you have avoided updated your spouse on the idea, if it feels more like a scheme, ask yourself, “Why is that?” Are you hiding something from them? Are you hiding something from yourself?

A spouses is an inexpensive sounding boards vested in your outcome. Leveraging the relationship can reveal some interesting info.

Step 3 – Take advantage of organizations. If you have a business idea, take a look at your local SCORE office. They have program where experienced executives review your idea and provide you with some feedback. If you are considering a job change, make a point of meeting with a recruiter or two. Get their thoughts on your career change idea and how best to go about it. If you have an idea for a product, check out what your local business schools have available. Sometimes faculty or entrepreneur programs there are eager to hear about ideas like yours so their students can apply what they’ve learned on real world projects.

I’m sure you can come up with other ideas, but the key is to confirm the value of your project in the early stages before you commit a lot of time and resources to it. That way as you proceed you have the assurance your own passion and biases aren’t your worst enemies.

Anyone have examples of an approach you took the look over the value of your idea?

]]> http://www.jkraar.com/do-you-offer-others-real-value/feed/ 1 For Greater Professional Success – Let Lady Gaga Make You A Star http://www.jkraar.com/for-greater-professional-success-let-lady-gaga-make-you-a-star/ http://www.jkraar.com/for-greater-professional-success-let-lady-gaga-make-you-a-star/#comments Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:49:05 +0000 Jeannette Kraar http://www.jkraar.com/?p=830 Even if you’re my age you’ve probably heard of her. In a very short period of time Lady Gaga has become a phenomenon – an internationally celebrated and very successful icon. So, the question is, how did this young, 24 year old performer – a total newbie – climb to the top of pop [...]]]> Even if you’re my age you’ve probably heard of her. In a very short period of time Lady Gaga has become a phenomenon – an internationally celebrated and very successful icon. So, the question is, how did this young, 24 year old performer – a total newbie – climb to the top of pop music and to the top of charts?

One thing we know for sure – it took more than just talent. The music industry is one of the most difficult and competitive of any professions.

So how did she do it?

Rather than simply rely on her talent, Gaga also used a superb business instinct, a unique style and the desire to incite attention that makes her a standout.

If you’re finding that your job search and/or your business is flat, you might want to try a few of Gaga’s strategies.

First: Flaunt your talent. Get it out into center stage – but keep something in mind.  You use your talent for your personal satisfaction, but you give of your talent to provide for others. While Lady Gaga loves to sing, she gives of her talent to entertain others. She “flaunts her talent” by adding “over-the-top” costumes and an element of surprise to her persona. That attracts and retains interest.

If your talent is sales or marketing or designing, or consulting or teaching or whatever, what does your talent give to others? What about your talent attracts others and retains their interest/support? (If your answer is nothing – get an agent (or in your case a coach) to get from the audition stage to become a headliner!)

Once you figure this out – sing it loud and sing it proud. Just make it a song that your
target audience wants to hear. Gaga didn’t try to reinvent the sixties. She’s hip and now. You need to be current and relevant too.

Second: Get business savvy. Gaga studied success. Her look was inspired by models like Bowie, Grace Jones, Cindy Lauper and others. Gaga has said that she wants to set a revolution in the pop music industry surpassing the queen of pop Madonna. So she started by studying Madonna’s success to see how she could improve upon that business model to make it her own unique brand.

The lesson here is to embrace competition and learn from it – especially from people/professionals/companies/businesses that are more successful then you. Then take that information and make it authentically yours.

Three: Be unique. From the time we’re old enough to know what it means we
all want to “fit in”. But in business this is the kiss of death. If nothing makes you better, smarter, more valuable, nicer, more affordable, more dependable, more productive, more interesting, easier to work with, higher quality, more consistent… why should I care?

And, like Gaga, you can’t just talk about it – you have to demonstrate it.
This is a “performance piece” for everyone.

Four: Incite attention. None of us want to be the industries best kept secret. Gaga aligned herself with people in the business that could help her. She wrote music for others besides writing for herself to get more exposure. She took her look and made
it extreme to attract attention in an industry that is all about fashion and image. But
rather then create a “signature look” she created a signature brand that’s all about
change and innovation. Gaga knows getting attention is one thing. Keeping it is another.

The good news is you don’t have to bleach your hair platinum or walk around in see-through clothes (although if you went to a networking meeting dressed that way I’m sure you’d be highly memorable).

Just a few ways you can become a rock star in your own rite is to build a strong network, get testimonials, referrals and endorsements for your work, stay current, be visible on line and off, watch and set trends, get out into the industry and/or community as a known expert or leading provider by participating in associations, organizations, civic groups, boards of directors and Chambers. The key here is to participate. You must get involved – give of yourself and your expertise.

Thea Andrews, who until recently was Entertainment Tonight’s senior correspondent
covering music and celebrity has said of Gaga, “She’s got that faux-edgy, boundary-pushing persona that makes people feel like they’re indulging in something just a little naughty and cutting-edge.”

Consider this – my thesaurus says “naughty” can also be defined as playful, mischievous and lively. “Cutting edge” has lots of positive connotations like superior, progressive and innovative. So go push a boundary and let people in on your progressive self. You may not get a recording contract, but your professional star power is sure to rise.

Let me know how you’ve used ideas like that to grow to the stardom you want for yourself.

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