The 2nd Biggest Reason To Stay Away from Social Media

“Stop using social media,” writes Fast Company reporter Austin Carr. “Today, employers are no longer just searching Google for information on applicants—they’re commissioning companies to do professional social media background checks….some 8% of companies have ALREADY FIRED SOCIAL MEDIA MISCREANTS”.

Holy Bat Beaks, Batman!!! Those are some pretty strong words from a writer writing in one of the worlds most tech/biz savvy magazines. Are we supposed to listen? Not sure.

You’ve all heard horror stories like this. You all know you’re supposed to keep yourself squeaky clean online when it comes to getting jobs and networking. ….right? Hope so.

Reality is, social media is serious. What you say and are seen doing can and will be held against you. Even if it’s deleted, companies like Social Intelligence Corp. in Santa Barbara, California are skilled at data digging into your history to find out about you.

Is it fair? Of course not. But “fair” has nothing to do with it. Social media can be your worst future enemy if you’re not careful.

Oh, but it’s only 8%....

Only 8%??? From when? Four years ago it was 0%! Three years later what will it be? 16% ...okay, logically, that’s rather fatalistic and guessy…but, I’m just saying…

Big Brother is watching!

Don’t you hate when people say things like that? I do. Instead, let’s call it Lester. LESTER is watching you! …ahhh, that sounds better. LESTER sounds like a buddy, a pal, a friend from way back. Hmmm…sounds a bit like a sicko too, but….

Your future career depends in large part on your brand. Your brand depends in large part on the image you convey. The image you convey depends in large part on what you DON’T say as it does on what you do say. (Or Do).

So, be careful when it comes to social media stuff. Remember that what you write or are seen doing can and will effect your hireability. But, a company cannot use against you what it does not know. …or can it?

So what’s the 3rd Biggest reason to stay away from social media?

The wiretap laws currently being debated. Obama wants to make it so monitoring real-time social network communication is a legal right for law enforcement agents. That means that what I do online can be even more an issue in years to come.

Are you a downloader/freeloader? In other words, do you steal movies and music? That is considered criminal. If the legislation happens, will downloading illegal stuff be punishable by prison? …jobs don’t mean much if you’re in prison.

Note to self….stop stealing episodes of BREAKING BAD. ….but damn that show is really really good!!!

Then what’s the biggest reason to stay away from social media?

That’s easy. It’s a time suck. Those stupid games on Facebook KILL ME!!!! …I wonder if playing Farmville will knock me out of any chance I have for getting that job with Facebook or IBM? …hmmm. What about Starbucks?

So here's what you should do.

Stop putting pictures of yourself taking weed or beer hits from a bong.
Stop stealing movies and music.
Stop playing with Social Media.
...but if you just can't stop...then at least work on creating the best image of you that you possibly can.

The result….you’ll get a job. …right?

5 Habits That May Be Wrecking Your Memorability

You’ve been practicing active networking.

You’ve been talking to everyone you can.

You’ve been pushing past your shyness, and putting yourself out there. You’ve been working hard to make the acquaintance of everyone you can.

You’ve even joined organizations like Toastmasters and The Chamber of Commerce.

Yet, after several months of diligence, you notice people still forget your name, they still break their promises to contact you regarding the great information you offered them last week, and worst of all, they haven’t passed you any leads on ways to improve yourself or your business.

“What the F#$%???”, you wonder to yourself.

Good question. What the F#$% indeed!

The bottom line is that there could be any number of reasons the people don’t remember you, forget to call, and or withhold information. Maybe you live in a crappy area where everyone you meet is a true and genuine shmuck! Or do you live near some sort of chemical plant that pumps memory killing toxins into the air? Perhaps you’re a recently released felon who’s just finished up a 8 year stint at a max security prison for murder and everyone knows it?

Chances are, the reason for your lack of luck is not included above. Instead, you could be displaying any of these 5 non-verbal habits that are sending weirdness and weakness signals to the people you meet.

Do You Exhibit any Strange Nervous Mannerisms?
Do you bite your nails, wring your hands, twirl your hair? There are a number of strange mannerisms that communicate lack of trust, lack of confidence, dishonesty, or weakness.

Nervousness freaks people out. It makes them wonder what you’re hiding, what you’re really feeling. It makes people wonder why you would be nervous, and it makes them wonder if they themselves should be nervous too. So check your nervous mannerisms. Become aware of them. Practice not doing them. It’ll feel uncomfortable at first, but you can push through that just like you do with any shyness you feel.

What’s Your Eye Contact Like?
Do you hold eye contact too strong? Do you glance away all the time? Do you completely avoid eye contact?

If you were on a date, and the person you were with kept looking away from you, what would you conclude? That they were insecure? That they were weird? That they were deeply troubled?

Yes Yes Yes!

What if the person held your gaze so strongly that it made you want to vomit? WEIRD!
So check your eye contact.

What are Your Feet Doing?
Do you stand calmly? Or do you pace? Do you shuffle back and forth? Do you rock and sway?

If you’re not good at being still, chronic movement sends a loud message that you are not comfortable in your own skin. This is a dead give away that you’ve got troublesome things going on inside.

How’s Your Posture?
Hunched back of Toastmasters? Practice your posture! This is so So SOO important. Good posture passes on powerful messages of strength and vitality. Poor posture EXACTLY the opposite!

How’s Your Breathing?
Pay attention? Are you holding your breath? If you are, that’s a powerful message of stress and discomfort. Learn the art of present moment breathing. Pay attention to your breath. Feel it. Listen to it. Doing so will keep you in the moment and aware of the others. If you’re holding your breath, people are aware of it, even if you’re not. Such will attack your image.

So it may be that you live in a very strange place with lots of strange people who never remember or do what they say.

Or, it may be that you’re sending sour signals of something amiss. If it’s the latter, then you know what you need to do. If it’s the former, it seems to me you know what to do too.

All for now! Happy Networking!

How to Make a Super-Huge Impression At Any Networking Event

There are many theories and opinions on what can make you a great networker. They seem to boil down to two things you have the absolute ability to control: your attitudes and your actions.

It is your attitudes and actions during networking situations that ultimately determine WHO remembers you, HOW they remember you, and whether or not they want to CONTINUE to remember you.

Tim Tyrell-Smith (Click Here) (here also) has some fantastic tips on attitudes and actions we can adopt to improve our networking effectiveness. One of his tips is particularly brilliant. Basically make it a goal of your networking effort to commit to being completely selfless for at least part of the event you are attending.

What he means by this is that you “Take Selfless Action”.

He recommends we go to events with the purpose of ONLY helping other people. (He says that if that is too tall an order, you should try and at least make a goal of helping 5 people).

What does he mean by this?

Simply, try to find the new people at the meeting. Try and befriend the shy ones. People struggle with how to strike up conversations with strangers, especially if they are new to the situation. So, take that pressure off of them, and LET IT START WITH YOU! Be the catalyst that makes a difference in someone’s experience of the event.

You can offer to show them around, and to introduce them to people. You can ask them questions that focuses only on their needs. Stay away from thoughts and ideas that ultimately relate to your own needs and wants. Make your mark by helping another person get what they want: contacts, information, friends.

Tyrell-Smith says that doing this is absolutely NOT a waste of time. If you really think about it, you’ll be inclined to agree. Take the time to introduce a stranger to a bunch of people, and you’ve made their night remarkable. Who was responsible for that? You!

So make a super huge impression at any networking event by being a host, a friend, a guide. Act Selflessly. Focus on someone other than you.

If nothing else, you’ll feel great for having given your guts to make another person feel good. …and sometimes that’s reward enough.

Any thoughts??? Leave a comment.

Several Secrets of Looking Good

Heading out to a networking event is frustrating enough as it is. Figuring out what to wear adds extra stress that often tempts you to give up going out at all. Well, never again feel frightened by the prospect of looking loserish compared to others. Here are some secrets that can help you take the stress from your chest!

Play Follow the Leaders…

Who are the leaders you admire? What do you often see them wearing? You might not be able to afford exactly what they wear, but at least you can mimic them in certain styles. It’s amazing what a person can create on a budget. If you’ve got the cash, spare nothing. Do it right, and do it like success-already people.

If you feel a bit goofy mimicking someone else, then tweak the style with a little touch of YOU. Wear unique socks or shoes that match your brand, the image you want to project and leave in the minds of those you’re meeting.

The key to this is…

Wear whatever you wear with confidence…

Confidence is the magic ingredient to anything you wear. Dennis Rodman used to care little what others thought. He knew he was awesome, and so the clothes he wore mattered little. Same for Madonna, or many of the stars we see parading about in magazines and television shows. Be confident, and you can darn near wear anything at all.

Finally, dress as you want to be seen….remembered….considered….thought of.

What is your brand? Who are you wanting to be remembered as? What is your industry, and what message are you wanting to send? If you see yourself as the ever professional, then wear clothes accordingly. Shorts, a button down, a tie and a coat are cool if you’re a young rockstar who’s actually getting paid: if you are a young marketing executive, this might not be best for you.

So now you have a couple things to consider when you’re debating whether to go out or not. Not should NOT be the action you’re looking for. Instead, OUT should be. Go out, look good, meet cool people, and change your life.

If you’re interested in the basics of style, check out this article in FORBES.

How To Tell The Truth And Still Get The Job

STOP! Think for a second. What’s the best way to get a job? If you’re anything like me, you probably answered “by presenting my best self, my most positive self, the most outstanding version of me I know how to present!” If you’re not like me, you probably said something different.

So what did you say?

A brilliantly written resume? Having the right skills? Being a perfect match to what the company needs?

Truth is, these ARE vital. But they’re far from being the single most important way to get the job you want.

The single most important thing you can do to get a job is sell yourself in the MOST exceptionally honest way possible.

What do I mean?

Well, each of you has experienced a lot of life. You have worked at a variety of jobs, attended university, engaged in extracurricular activities, and you’ve experienced a whole library full of varied circumstances and events. In short, you’ve lived a charmed life.

The only trouble is….you fail to recognize the gold mine you’re living with. You are failing to see the REAL truth.

If you were asked to describe the details of your previous job, many of you would probably give a list of specific things you do for your company.

The question you should be asking yourself, is if you’re telling the right version of the truth? Are you selling the BEST VERSION OF YOU?

So many people write or speak meekly about themselves. They write or speak in a way that seems appropriate and accurate. They say things like, “I want to leave my current company because I feel I can help another company better than my current company.

Or worse, they speak negatively about themselves. “I want to leave my current company because they don’t appreciate me. I work so hard, yet do not feel appreciated for my diligence and effort. I want to be appreciated.”

Both these answers are somewhat commendable, because they are the truth. (We’ll assume). Yet, are they the right version of the truth?

FACT: the truth has many faces.

Most of you feel afraid of a meaningful version of the truth, a confident version of the truth about yourself and your experience.

What's happened, is that you’ve lost the imaginative sense of story that we can use to interpret the meaning in our lives and our journey.

TRUTH: To be a really hot commodity, regaining this attitude or perspective is seriously necessary.

As you think about this, consider this rewriting of the above interview answer:

“I’ve spent the last three years with XXX company. I’ve provided them with my best as far as my commitment and effort are concerned. They’ve had the benefit of a young person who’s persuasive skills and interpersonal relational abilities helped increase their overall sales and overall growth.

It’s my passion to be committed to the development and expansion of the companies I work for. However, I feel XXX has reached a plateau. Yet I myself still want to push and move and expand. I love to find new ways of reaching out to serve customers and to help a company grow. And that’s what I’m looking for.

I want to help companies grow. In fact, I see it as a mission in my life.

To become a part of your company would be a perfect match for me. You’re a growing organization that’s committed to innovative development of high quality services and products. I want to help.”

Same answer as the ones above, yet…..different.

How?

One is telling the truth in a fresh and exciting THEM oriented way. The third example looks at the reasons for leaving their company in a very positive and enthusiastic way. Here the person concerns herself with the meaning behind what she is doing, she focuses on the deeper reason for her choice.

Each of you can take a lesson from this.

You must search for the meaning in your own experiences.

FACT: Meaning is truth!!!

Many of you probably object to this idea. You may think, a) speaking in a "wow wow" way is not my style. Or, b) this type of spin is B.S., I should be ashamed of myself.

Yet, consider this: Coca-Cola both tastes great and rots a persons teeth. Yet, to sell Coca-cola, advertisers refuse to focus on the negative truth. Instead they focus on the positive truth. They sell a positive version of what is real. They sell the meaning! The sensual.

Is this wrong?

Is it especially wrong when you are looking for work in a world where there are 1000 people applying for the same job you’re applying for?

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Unique positive honesty is a PROVEN key to success. It's been scientifically studied. It’s a MUST-DO way to tell the truth so you get the job!

Yes it takes bravery to practice. Therefore, developing such bravery should be a major priority for you. Because, fear of being arrogant or vain or overexaggerational block you from the proper degree of spin required to be HOT.

Fight Your Way Into A Job Interview With These 5 Resume Writing Tips

You are your own product! You are a commodity on shelves of a store, and it’s up to you to get yourself picked. Who’s the shopper? The shopper is any number of companies out there looking for some special person to help make them money! Will you be that person?

The interview determines this.

An interview is akin to a shopper who picks up an apple and tests it for freshness. They feel it, smell it, touch it and try to imagine what it will taste like. A company does the same with you during the interview.

How many red apples do shoppers pick up to test that already have dark brown bruises and strange looking appearances? Not too many.

Our resume is the skin on our delicious inner core. It’s a prelude of coming attractions. It’s a sales pitch, a marketing tool that yells at the employer, “I’m different! I’ll make you tonnes of money! I’ll keep your customers coming back for more!!!” If your resume is not saying this….bye bye.

These 5 resume writing tips will help you develop a powerful tool to market yourself into a job interview. For those who are not practicing these tips, you’re going to be at a huge disadvantage.

First:

Do you include an objective?

Yes or no. Yes if it is well written and focused specifically on a job you know that you want. No if it is generic and unfocused.

Yes, if it gives a quick snapshot of your career and abilities. No, if it talks babble about a bunch of stuff that means little, using words that mean little.

Yes, if it is written in a way that will provide the company with insight into what you will do for the company. No, if it requires the company to determine what you can do.

Bottomline: If you write an objective, then say what job you want, what you will provide, and say it in a way that is exciting and enticing. (Enticing enough for the reader to want to read more).

For example, DO write: Industrial sales position where I can utilize my 5+ years of proven persuasion and interpersonal skills.

DO NOT write: Seeking a position where I can increase my ability to persuade and relate to people.

ALSO remember that your objective should be like the thesis of an essay. Everything that follows in your resume should support what you stated in your objective. …otherwise, cut the objective, and take your chances.

Second:

Talk about your accomplishments! When describing the work environment you worked in, focus on the things you did that made the place better. How did you improve the pizza company you worked for? How did you increase value at the volunteering opportunity you were involved in? How have you changed the world? It can be small, but it should be something.

Knowing this is important to remember, because when we work, we should always be thinking of how we can help the situation we are in. Doing so for the reason of a) it makes the place better, but also b) it makes good resume story material. Accomplishments sell! Remember this.

How to write them? Easy: Increased overall company sales by 3%. Created strategic marketing plans that resulted in improved brand image. Interviewed customers for feedback on our pizza sauce.

Third:

Delete the Inessentials. Resumes should never be generic. They should be aimed and written specifically for each and every company we are applying to. This means work for us. Hard work! But, it also means a powerful and effective resume. One that supports our position that we have something that can help the company we are applying to. So, think this in all your writing!

Eliminate anything that does not pertain to the company and position that you are applying to.

Eliminate those things that do not contribute to supporting the statement you made in your objective.

Keep your resume well trimmed of fat that gets in the way of your selling your unique skills, abilities, and attitudes to the company you’re applying to. Cut, cut, cut!

Question: Is your work as a cook at McDonalds important for the sales position you are applying to? Yes…if you write it in a way that can improve the image of you as a good candidate. If no, then cut it. (At least as much as the description. If there is room, you can state that you worked there, but without any description of the work).

Fourth:

References! Write them down. Have them attached with your resume. But! Have them attached and on a separate paper. Do it!

Never say, “Available Upon Request”.

Instead, include contact information and job & title information. And, this is very important, remember to contact your references that they know to expect a call from your potential employers. VITAL for you and for them. You want to make sure you know what they will say, and that they know what coming. A surprise call might result in a poor recommendation.

Finally:

Tell Mini Stories! Always be telling stories. Think action. I am…is not a story. I did….is a story. Think action. One sentence is enough to tell a story. Sold 16 million dollars worth of farm equipment is a powerful story.

While considering accomplishments, consider the impact of the story. Verbs are essential storytelling tools. Use them and win!

Competition for the sale of any commodity is fierce these days! Competition for a job is vicious. The interview is the key to getting that job. A resume is a key to getting that interview. Practice the five tips listed above and you’ll be sure to see yourself slipping into interview after interview. What you do there is another matter. We’ll cover that next time.

All for now. Happy writing!

How To Stop Shyness From Killing Your Networking Opportunties

So you’re at a networking event.

There’s fifty or so people in a room, each milling around and smoozing with one another. All except for you. What’s wrong? Why are you sitting in the corner with a beer warming in your hand while others are trotting about saying this, talking that, laughing and building relationships?

The reason: you are shy!

Shy people have a really difficult time with networking.

Obviously!

But, shyness no longer has to hold you back from building new friendships, contacts, and potential work relationships. Why? Because you can practice these 5 tips to help you network despite that opportunity suppressing shyness that haunts you at every turn.

First, try refocusing your concept of the situation. Most people view networking as a chance to swindle someone into getting what they want. If you think job fair, you can imagine many people standing around trying to butter up people to give them a job. Or, if you think a party among the famous, you can imagine people of less fame trying to win the favour of some big name, that the big name will spread the news of the lesser.

Instead of this slant, try thinking of yourself as a gift giver. Be a service person. Think in terms of resource. What is it you can give to people at the event? Think of yourself as a Twitter Tweet. The beauty of Twitter is information sharing. You’ve got information that can help solve others problems. Learn to give. Doing such gets you out of you. Getting out of you takes your mental focus off of you and onto others. Such action can cure most of the shyness that wreaks havoc on millions. Focus on others!

Second, remember to go at it in tiny steps. There’s no reason to be a super networker right away. Make small goals. Perhaps your goal can be to meet one new person. Or, to have one friend at the even introduce you to one person. From that, you have to ask a few interesting “open ended, meaningful” questions of the person before leaving the event. …but don’t forget to listen.

Listening well is a KEY to successful networking.

Once you ask those questions, reward yourself somehow. Yes, four shots of tequila may be the wrong way to reward yourself.

Third, never say “sorry”. Stop excusing yourself for being one way or another in anyone’s presence. Doing such sends really negative messages. Just be. There is nothing wrong with you. That feeling that you’re imposing on others is just an illusion. Some people believe networking is a burden to those they talk with. Some feel that they have no right to ask for help, or offer help. But, the truth is….you do!

So stop saying “sorry” in whatever way you happen to say it.

Fourth, Smile. This one is a Dale Carnegie special! …and it’s just good common sense. Grumpy faces keep everyone away. …except maybe mosquitos.

Fifth, work at being yourself. This is related to tip three. Again, you are alright. There’s nothing wrong with you.

Most people think that you have to be super cool to be good at networking. The truth is, however, that you simply need to be yourself. Some people will like you just as you are.

And, when you are yourself, you can ask direct questions, ask directly for help, and basically be honest. You’ll find that direct asking and forthright communication will generally always get you more than you need.

Before reading these, you were probably expecting a magic pill that would take away your shyness. Maybe now you're upset that you already knew this advice.

Well, unfortunately, no pill exists. The only way out of shyness is through it. You must learn to endure and act through, to do despite the pain. These tips will help you on your way.

Happy Networking!

Increase Your Marketability Now by Improving In These Key Skills

Recruiters and HR people talk a lot these days about the importance of soft skills in today and tomorrows marketplace. Many people easily qualify as far as hard skills--technical ability--go. Many more, however, are handing in "F" grade work when it comes to soft-skills.

Sadly, many universities fail to teach soft skills. If we look around, it is rather easy to see that this lack shows.

To be highly marketable in today and tomorrow’s market place, you need to assess yourself in terms of your soft skill ability. If you find you lack in some areas, it would be a good to get to work improving yourself immediately.

So to start, how are your relationship building skills? Your interpersonal skills? On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being awesome, what score would you give yourself? More importantly, what score would others give you?

How articulate are you? How well can you express yourself; make your ideas known? How well can you get your point across in both writing and reading? Again, would others agree?

How about your listening skills? Tom Peters calls these THE MOST REQUIRED SKILLS in business. He’s a pretty smart guy. Can you see room for improvement in this area?

How about your presentation skills? What are you doing to improve in this area? Do you belong to any communication clubs? If not, why not?

How are you as a leader? A manager?

What about your problem-solving abilities? Are you an idea person, or a "sit around until someone else figures it out" kind of person?

What’s your personality like? Is negativity your defining characteristic? Or is it optimism? …again, what would others who know you say? BE HONEST!

Speaking of honesty….how’s your honesty? How about integrity? Do you do what you say you will do? Or do you delay? Cheat? Cut corners?

How well do you self-manage? Do you require someone to tell you what to do, or are you apt at governing yourself, creating goals for yourself, creating projects for yourself, and completing these things on your own, without direction from others?

How about blogging? Are you blogging on a regular basis? Are you studying a subject area, making yourself an expert, and giving that information away to others for free regardless of whether people are reading it or not? You should be, according to many career experts.

(Blogging is also a great way to improve your writing skills).

Right now you’re probably saying to yourself, “This is too much! How can I change myself this much? Forget it!!!”

Well, don’t forget it!

Instead, realize that you've got a natural resistance to change. It’s normal. Everyone hates to change. We love our comfortable lifestyles, even if they produce negative results sometimes.

But so what!

We must keep working on developing ourselves in these areas. The change does not need to happen overnight, but it does need to happen. The longer we wait, the worse it gets. Slow steps in a positive direction is enough. But start now.

Each of these skills, if we improve them, will add value to the companies we either work for now, or hope to work for in the future. As mentioned, companies want hard skills, but they are right dying for people with the kinds of soft skills being described here.

So get to it.

By the way, how is your creativitys?

How well do you multi-task?

Deal with Change?

Find creative solutions to problems?

How open are you to doing a broader role than you’re used to?

Finally, how are your networking skills? Are you one who goes to an event with the cold sweat of desperation and neediness streaming down your face? Or are you one who goes to make new friends, to build new relationships; one who goes into an event with the intent of seeing what you can add to the world, not just what you can get from it?

I hope the latter.

Learning to improve yourself in these soft-skill areas will help you pull away from the crowd of competitors. Find some great ways to get these skills.

Immediately, I can think of one great place to do all that has been listed here.

Toastmasters! Join today!

More Good News For The Not-So Good Looking

Awesome!!!

Just after writing my earlier post of the same title, I came upon this.

I'm a professor. I'm average looking. I have a great chance for staying in my job. According to this article in the Vancouver Sun, Sexy professors will suffer! ...from here on out, I'm ordering up a whole tub load of nerdy glasses and funny sweaters.

Good News For The Not-So Good Looking

According to an article published by the AFP, good looking women are at a disadvantage.

Finally!

The article discussed research published in the Journal of Social Psychology. The research concludes that good looking women are at a disadvantage for those jobs considered masculine. In jobs such as truck driver, construction supervisor, prison guard, director of security, and hardware salesperson beautiful women are almost unanimously disregarded based solely on their looks.

This is such awesome news! At last there is something a beautiful woman can’t get easily. …of course, how many beautiful women do you know who are dying to get a job as a welder, a tow truck driver, or a tug boat captain? If your daughter told you she wanted to be hardware salesperson, you’d probably raise your eye brows, run out and buy her three or four more Barbies, right?

Well, I’d recommend you do that, because the research proves that beautiful girls are still getting more jobs than those considered not so beautiful when it comes to “feminine jobs”. (Of course, I wonder exactly what they mean by feminine?)

The sad news, however, is that for men….looks matter no matter what the job. Good looking dudes are almost always favored.

This makes me wonder why more guys aren’t going for plastic surgery.

Women have a large amount of jobs waiting for them if they’d just let themselves go. Instead they kill themselves with plastic surgery to struggle for a job that a zillion other natural beauties are hunting for. It’s a waste of money.

Instead, keep your looks, and just change your attitude. Become a prison guard today. The last I heard it was one of the top 10 job prospects in America.

As for the guys, here’s the number of a local plastic surgeon.

What Is A Hot Commodity?

Today I’m going to officially define what it means to be a HOT Commodity.

A hot commodity is:

Someone who realizes that the job search is their responsibility. It is someone who knows that no one can do for them what they themselves must do for themselves.

A hot commodity takes all the action necessary to get the job they want. No one will give their dream to them, they have to go out and make it happen. Action is the key.

A hot commodity is someone who knows that attitude is everything. Positive attitude, enthusiastic attitude, and can-do attitudes are awesome attitudes to have, and that these are often the main selling point for getting a job, and for being promoted once you’ve got the job.

A hot commodity knows that they themselves are a product. They realize that a company is not a job provider, but is a kind of consumer. A company is like a person buying a product to use to make their own life better. We are the product, and we are what will make the companies life better. Knowing this, we need to be aware of how we can make a companies life better. So, we need to know ourselves, and create ourselves to be what a company needs.

A hot commodity knows we need to sell ourselves! Sell Sell Sell!!! We will not be given a job, we must prove ourselves for a job. We must win a job! A hot commodity knows the power of focus. They know that purpose sells. They know that knowing what we want, and why we want it are powerful ways to sell ourselves in an interview.

A hot commodity knows that a resume and cover letter are marketing tools. They need to be designed to persuade a company to try us out in an interview. A hot commodity knows that these need to be written with powerful verbs, they need to be targeted to sell the gifts we bring to the company. They need to highlight how you the job hunter can help the company.

Targeted resumes, each uniquely designed to fit perfectly with each company we are applying to. In general, they’ve taken time to study what makes a great resume. They also know what is expected on different kinds of resume. For example, an international companies requirements compared to a domestic company’s requirements.

A hot commodity uses powerful words in their resume. They follow the art of advertising copywriting, and create a wonderful masterpiece. They also know the difference between a CV and a Resume. And they have one of each in case either is needed.

A hot commodity knows the power of a network. They take action to develop and improve their networks. They take action to make new networks. They are always providing a service to their network. They are trying to establish themselves as a resource person.

A hot commidty knows that a network is usually the key to fantastic jobs! Word of mouth is the best marketing tool in the world! A hot commodity uses the time they have wisely. They realize that finding a job is a fully time job.

A hot commodity uses the hunting time to get busy doing things that can increase their value and marketability. IF they have yet to find work, they are busy exercising—so they can look great. They are busy taking classes to learn how to better speak English, or do certain things on a computer. They are volunteering. They are getting experience. They are busy doing things that can help build the stories of accomplishment and success they need to persuade an employer of their value.

A hot commodity works on improving their story telling abilities. They recognize the importance of the ability to tell a story that has meaning, and sells their abilities well. They also know the importance of telling a “why I am here” story during the self introduction.

A hot commodity is generally working on developing their communication skills. Persuasive skills. Interpersonal skills. A hot commodity does not give up. They realize that failure is a big part of learning and growing.

A hot commodity realizes that sometimes not getting the job we want means we will find the job we need. As well, sometimes a hot commodity realizes that sometimes not getting the job we want means we must try harder.

And, a hot commodity knows that though it is difficult to try harder, they are willing to do it. Because it’s what they want. And the effort is worth it! A hot commodity knows how to relax.

If they are currently unable to find work, they don’t beat themselves up. Instead, they learn to enjoy the time.

A hot commodity has studied and researched both the companies they are interested in working for, the industry, and the profession they are looking to work in. They have a solid understanding of the culture differences between an international company and a domestic one. They determine which place best suits their goals, interests, and personality.

A hot commodity knows how to conduct themselves in an interview. They also have a good idea of what not to do. They’ve studied both sides. They have practiced and practiced and practiced. And….they are also ready for strange questions, and for unexpected questions. They’ve taken time to get good at answering questions on the spot, impromptu, off the cuff.

A hot commodity is someone who realizes the importance of self-esteem and confidence. They do what they need to do to improve theirs.

A hot commodity knows how to listen. And they know how to say thank you.

So, thanks for reading.

What Everyone Needs To Know About Writing

The future of professional work belongs to those who write well.

Email, Twitter, presentations, advertising, formal reports, technical reports, and memos are just a few of the various places you can expect to need to use your written communication skills.

That begs the questions: how well do you write? Do you practice regularly? Or do you think you do it “well enough”?

In today’s day and age, gurus like Tom Peters yell loudly at us, the workers of today and tomorrow, to get our butts in gear and write, write, write, and write even more! The reason? Poor communication in all forms, most especially the written form, is and will continue to be a SERIOUS strike against professional job candidates applying for jobs.

According to a Report of The National Committee of Writing For America’s Families, Schools and Colleges, 85 % of those professional jobs in finance, real estate, as well as, 80% of the professional jobs in the service sector will require high quality writing skills.

The report claims that America’s biggest area of job growth will be in the service sector (20.5 million jobs expected over the next few years).

That’s a lot of jobs. 80% of those jobs will require you to write well. The National Committees report states that company’s will begin requiring writing samples for consideration. Many of today’s companies require on the spot writing tests.

Again, how strong are your writing skills?

Do you know how to consider the purpose of your writing?

Do you know how to construct an argument? To support your main point?

Do you know how to organize material in an essay, a paragraph?

Do you know how to form a proper sentence?

This is not to make you feel stupid. It is a very true fact that many people graduate university without proper knowledge of how to write a sentence, a paragraph, and especially an essay. Yet these people think they are often entitled to a job.

Strong writing skills almost guarantee long term employment.

Why?

Good writers generally equal good thinkers. Good writers are logical, and are usually capable of the kind of rhetorical skills often necessary in professional communication.

Good writers are clear. They make meaning. They make concepts and ideas easy to understand.

Good writers know how to learn. To be able to communicate anything effectively, you must first understand. To write effectively, a greater depth of understanding is often required.

Good writers know how to give. They know how to teach with their essays. They know how to convey the information in a way that answers the readers question: “what’s this got to do with me?”

Good writers know how to grab attention and sell!

Do any or all of these descriptions coincide with your belief about your own ability? Do your beliefs match reality? If not, it’s time to get busy. Procrastinating on improving this skill is not going to help. Only action will.

I recommend all of you think of a general topic you find interesting. Choose something you are passionate about. Choose something you want to know more about. Choose something!

Now make a blog and begin writing different articles about it. Teach yourself different and various ways of writing, while keeping on the same topic. Learn how to write from various angles about your topic. Practice, practice, practice. Being an expert is not required. Being a student who is willing to learn and practice and make an ass out of themselves over the internet is. Do it do it do it.

Practice giving something new to your readers each and every day. Or at least once a week.

Research, write. Research, write. Practice, practice, practice.

Denying the necessity of a high aptitude for writing is unacceptable. Blocking yourself from becoming a hot commodity through the improvement of your writing is unacceptable. Begin today to hold yourself to the goal of steady improvement of your writing skills. The result….only the future knows.

The Secret Of Overcoming A Failed Interview

The topic for today’s show comes from cell phone number 7430. The person wrote:
I prepared very much for interview at company. I very wanted the job, but did not win. Now I am sad. What can I do?
The issue 7430 is describing is the issue of failure to get the job they wanted. The issue is rejection. Not just any kind of rejection, but rejection that comes after having worked very hard to get the job. This is tragic! Terrible. I’m sorry to hear that.

So today, you are going to learn how they you rise from the ashes of defeat: how you can overcome the rejection and failure that sometimes happens when searching for a job.
Let me ask you all a question. It’s a personal question. A serious question. Have you ever had a broken heart?

The reason I ask, is that failing to get a job after preparing really much is a lot like failing in love.I’ve heard it said many places that searching for a job, is a lot like dating. You court the company, the company checks you out, you get a feel for each other and decide whether or not to go in the same direction together.

Sometimes one person starts to like the other a lot more than the other likes them. The person buts a lot of effort, but the love is rejected. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it does not. When it does not happen, especially when we REALLY HOPE that it does, it can be just as crushing as rejected love.
So how do we get over it?

We need to do the DART!
The what???
The DART!

DART is an acronym I created that helps me remember how to overcome failure.
D stands for Do No Harm! AR stands for Accept Reality. And T stands for Take Positive Action.

D--Do No Harm

Don't hurt the company. Don't say bad things about them. You never know, the person they intended to hire might not take the job. The company may remember you. If you say bad things and they learn of it, they'll think you're pathetic and hire another person.
So, protect your reputation. Say good things. Write them a thank you note thanking them for the opportunity. Tell them that you hope maybe one day in the future you two can work together. ...don't send a note like this to your lover though. Bad idea! ...for many reasons.

Don't Harm Yourself.

This is obvious. Don't take it all so personally. You are still awesome. You are not a permanent failure. Your effort was great! You failed. This is just one small smudge on the giant canvas that is your life. You don't know the future. This could be a good thing.

Remember the proverb about the man with the son that didn't have to go to war. The father of the son didn't know if it was good or bad. (Do a Google search for more info.)

Don't Harm others.

Don't go home and tell your mom her food is terrible just because you're angry. Don't tell your girlfriend her hair looks terrible. Don't throw your cat out the window. Be nice to people.

Don't make your feelings worse by hurting the company, yourself or others!

Next, AR--Accept Reality!

Reality is that the job chance is over. Finished. Gone. Dead. Have a funeral!
Let it go. Delete. Move on! Feel the pain, feel the sadness. Have a sit-down, take a 30 minute pity party, but then get up and get going. Don't dwell. Accept what has happened, and then move on!

Because the reality is YOU ARE AWESOME! You learned so much from this experience. You have now new stories to tell. This job is not the only job in the world. There are better ones probably out there! You can get them.

You never know, this job might have been perfect. It just might have been that the person interviewing you thought you reminded them of their high school bully. People sometimes make illogical choices. HR managers are no different. Who knows the real reason you didn't get the job.

So.....accept reality that it's gone, and that you are great and doing a good job. You can't control everything.

T--Take positive action.

Positive action is so important!!! You can't think your way into right feeling or action. You must act your way into good feelings. You must act act act.
So. Grab a pen. Grab a pad of paper. Go to a coffee shop. Buy a coffee. Have a seat. Write! Analyze what happened!

There are 5 questions that can help you focus and analyze. Answer these questions as best as you can.

1. What happened?

Think about everything you experienced. Write about what happened. Write about the facts. Don't speculate. Don't sit there writing about how fat you are, or how they thought you were stupid. Don't do that. Write the facts. What did you talk about? What questions did they ask?

Give details. This helps you get perspective.

2. What did you do wrong?

Now! Very important! Do not write more than 10 things. I mean it. It's easy for people who feel bad to write a million and four things about how bad they are. Don't do it! Again, don't opinionate.

Give yourself a break, but be honest. Facts. What did you honestly do wrong.

You are not the worst person in the world, so don't go to that mind frame. You are not the second worst, third worst or even fourth worst. ...if you really want to feel bad, then you can call yourself the fifth worst, but that's it!!! You are not the worst. PERIOD!

10 things! Write.

3. What can you do to improve?

This is to balance the paper between what you did wrong and what can be improved. This helps create better perspective. It changes our minds toward better analyzing the situation.

For example, if you wrote that your posture went wrong, then you can improve this. If you wrote you answered some questions poorly, then you can improve this. Write!

4. What did you do well?

This is a great question. And it takes hard work to write. I want you to write as many things as possible. MAKE THIS LIST HUGE!!! Because the truth is you did a lot of things right. You may not think so, but you did. A) you showed up. B) you prepared. C) You tried. A lot of people don't even do that, so you are already better than 90% of the world!

Make the list silly if need be. Talk about your hair, your fingernails, your shoes.

Talk about whatever that is good that you did. Be ridiculous.

Trust me. Try this and see....writing it will put you in a better mood. Action is the key to changing your feelings and mind. Writing about things you did well during the job preparation and interview will help big!

5. What can you learn and USE from this?

This is so important. What can you take away from the experience? What do you know now that you didn't know before? Probably, you know a huge amount.

If you think about it, you at least now have a failure story you can talk about.

A lot of interviewers ask you to describe a time when you faced failure and how you were able to overcome it. Well, now you have a failure story, and by writing this stuff down, and working through my tips, you have a great recovery story.

The truth is there is so much you learned from the process. You can feel good about yourself for having done so much and experienced so much. This process will change you and make you stronger. If you let it.

There is a great quote from Barak Obama. He said it will giving a speech to a high school. He was telling them how they will all be faced with failure at least sometimes in their lives. He said:

"The real test is not whether you avoid...failure...it's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you [choose to] learn from it; whether you choose to persevere."

So that sums up the DART, my acronym for helping me overcome failure. I hope it works for you. Remember that D stands for Do no harm, AR stands for Accept Reality, and T stands for Take positive action.

I hope this helps! Keep up the fight, Job warriors! Good luck to you all, and to you 7430! Until next week! All for now!

Two Questions You Need To Consider Before Beginning Your Job Search

Author and journalist Sydney J. Harris once wrote, “Ninety percent of the world's woe comes from people not knowing themselves, their abilities, their frailties, and even their real virtues. Most of us go almost all the way through life as complete strangers to ourselves.”

Are you a stranger to yourself? Before answering that question, I think it’s wise to answer the question, are you happy in your chosen profession? If you can answer that with either a yes or a no, then you’re off to a good start. At least you know that much. And that much is the beginning of today’s topic.

Many of you are in jobs you hate. Fear, the culprit of culprits, has probably sculpted your path, and directed you into a career that “made sense”, seemed “practical”. Unfortunately, some of you—if you get real and truthful with yourself—know that “sensible & practical” are code words for boring and not our real joy.

Work should not be boring and a disappointing experience. Life is too short. Instead, you need to have the courage to begin searching for the work that will make you honestly happy. Such work is most likely that which you can say provides a real and valuable gift to society. Of course, such can be only tiny in its offering, but generally, if you are doing what you love, the benefits to society will absolutely ripple through.

Even if it’s only your personality that becomes the gift. An unhappy person in work, usually spreads misery in all the places they visit.

So stop spreading the sad! Instead, as you prepare for your job search, consider these two questions:

1. What do you want?
2. Who are you?

Sound simple, yes? Sound difficult, yes? You’re right in both regards. These question are both the most simple and most difficult questions to answer. But, unless you’re willing to struggle through and answer them, you’re going to keep making the same choices in your career life.

Of course, making the same choices is okay if you are a) currently happy, or b) love misery. As you’ve most likely heard before, doing the same thing over and over again expecting something different is an idiots tomfoolery. Stop doing that! Answering these question can help.

When you look for a job, most usually consider only jobs they know, then write a resume, and apply. Then wait. Like fishers without a clue of what you are fishing for, or even if there are fish to be caught, you wait. You hope, pray, and wait some more until a compassionate company comes along and grants you a good enough job you need so you can pay bills, etc.

Stop that! Instead, before updating your resume, before digging around for job leads, grab yourself a pad of paper, a few sharp pencils, make your way down to a coffee shop, find a quiet table, sit down and begin to write.

Write a story about your ideal life. Write a story about your past. Write a story about where you thought you’d be going when you were a child. Writing stories like this—don’t worry about grammar or interest to others—will jog your memory. It will provide you a real picture of both who you are and where you really want to be going.

Doing these exercises will put before you pieces of yourself you might have never given time to think about.

I remember a story about a girl who worked for a hospital. She worked there during college to find out if that was what she wanted to do. While working there, she had an assignment similar to the one I describe. After writing it, it became very apparent to her that she was a very willing person, that she was filled with compassion, and that she was eager to learn and develop herself.

That knowledge led her out of her sensible plan to become a nurse, and into a new path of becoming a family psychologist.

The girl in this story often wonders what would have happened had she remained on her original path—which was to become a nurse. She believes she would have liked it, but that it would have been less than her best. Working as a family psychologist is something she’s passionate about.

The point is that from writing her story, she was able to work out parts of herself that helped her guide her on her way.

Of course this is just an example. Still, each of you, if you take time to write your stories, can gain valuable insight into yourself. The insight you gain can help you stop making the same choices in your career. Life is too short, and you deserve to be happy. So before you start considering your next job search, ask and answer for yourself these questions. It might mean a whole new life, and a whole new smile.

Until next time…

A Thought You Can’t Afford To Miss

I’m a Tom Peters junkie. I think his writings, his ideas, his wisdom are some of the most important gifts. We the X & Y & Cyber generations would do well to read and re-read the stuff he has to say.

Most of what he writes these days centers on the delivery of excellence in everything we do. I am only guessing at his primary assumption, but it seems he feels that quality and excellence in business, service and life have generally declined over the past years.

His generation, I’d like to say, may have started it. BUT SO WHAT??? His generation, and those of the generation above him have a work ethic that we, the XYC’s, really need to look at and begin mimicking. At least, the good parts. Namely, we need to mimic their commitment to excellence.

My grandfathers generation kicked ass when it came to work. Yes people sucked at work back then too, but for the most part, I believe that the work ethic of those folks, the commitment to delivering value, creating value far exceeds our own.

Some may say with whiny pouty faces, but they didn’t teach us. It’s their fault. Bullshiznitz! It’s nobody’s fault. Life happens. And we are the ones who need to adjust. We need to drop the whiny pouty faces, and learn the art of joyful giving. We need to drop the greed, drop the hyper-super-me-ism and get to work putting the world back together. We need to stop the griping, and start creating something that a machine can’t guarantee…high quality, high value, high excellence in everything we do!

Why? Because if we keep grubbing for money, keep doing only for me me me….things are going to fall down. America is going to fall down. …further.

We need to start looking at what truly makes us a hot commodity. It’s our hearts! Our hearts and the choices we make. It’s the commitment to character. Choices for the betterment of our character. Choices that help everyone! Not just help the bottom line! Trust the natural laws of life, people. Make choices in line with them.

I’m getting off track.

For the next few weeks, I’ll be focusing on some of the thoughts of Tom Peters from his newest book LITTLE BIG THINGS! Buy it! It’s awesome.

Q & A

For the past six months, I’ve had the honor of speaking to over two million Korean listeners each and every Wednesday morning on EBS FM. The opportunity has started in me a passion for career advice, personal branding, and persuasive storytelling. Though the show will be cut from it’s roster this next term, I will continue to write tips and advice for job hunters and for those interested in how to make for themselves a great career. Please continue to view my weekly posts.

For this weeks show, I decided to answer a few of the various questions I received over the past six months at my email address jobwarriors@gmail.com

A change of pace is good, so instead of focusing on just one area for today’s article, I’ll try and answer a few questions.

The first question was one I received a short while ago. Jong-Sub wrote me the question:

"I'm a university student. What advice do you recommend I take to become a good leader?"

Thanks for the question, Jong-sub. It’s a great question! It’s awesome that you are interested in this aspect of your future.

The first thing I’d recommend is that you take a look around yourself. I assume you’re in university, which means that you are involved in a club, involved in your classroom activities. These are great places to develop leadership. What are you doing to take on more responsibility in these areas? To me the best kinds of leaders are those that know how to serve the needs of the group they are a part of.

To me there are many kinds of leadership. So, take a look at your leadership style. As well, read tonnes of books on leadership. If you are not finding what you need at school, reach out and get involved in various clubs around town. I am a big fan of Toastmasters. It’s a communication & leadership club that teaches people leadership skills. It is an amazing opportunity!

As well, I’m sure there are youth leadership groups around Seoul, and in other cities. Check the internet, find out what’s available, and put yourself out there. Learn to serve, and from that learn to lead.

Keep searching, Jong-Sub. With questions like that, you are off to a great start!

The next question comes from a person with the cell number 6771. 6771 said,

“I'd like to start my career at an international NGO to do voluntary work. Do you think my priority is to improve my English?”

Again, another awesome question.

I’d have to say a big gigantic YES! I’m certainly not an expert in how NGO’s work in various countries, but I’d say that English would be vital in your ability to work with other volunteers, or to work with people in the country you’re going to work in. A quick Google search for NGO volunteering opportunities shows roughly 700,000 different links. I kept clicking on different links for about 10 minutes. All of them were in English. Now, I’m not sure how to look in Korean, so I cannot compare…but it seems fairly apparent that a large amount of opportunities are available for people if they speak English. In all, it really depends on where you want to go. Do you want to stay in Korea, and then probably you don’t need English as much. If you want to go work in Africa, or India or the Philippines, then English most certainly seems helpful.

A person named Min wrote me and said,

“An international company I’m applying to wants personal references. Who do I ask, and what should they say?”

This was quite surprising to me. I assumed that references were a part of the Korean job search process. Apparently they are not.

The reference finding process can be quite elaborate. Briefly, I’ll say that the first thing you want to know about finding good references, is that you do not use family members or friends. You’re going to want to select people who have actual knowledge of your ability to deliver the duties of a job. You want people who can provide actual proof of your work and your ability and your accomplishments, and your attitude.

You should ask your former bosses from part time work, or your former professors, or former people who’ve you’ve volunteered with, done an internship with, church leaders, etc.

Of course, I’m not sure if your references need to be written in English or not, but if they do, then hopefully you’ve got someone who can write a good letter.

Since it may not be a big practice here in Korea, I really recommend you go online and look at some samples of reference letters. Maybe take that into the people who you have asked to write your letters, and guide them to do something similar.

An important point to remember about these, is that if your getting someone to write a letter for you, I really don’t think it should be completely perfect. It shouldn’t say only your strong points. If there are not weaknesses, I think that sends a suspicious message. Keep that in mind. After all, no one is perfect….so we shouldn’t pretend to be.

Of course, be sure to select someone who’ll say good things about you?

What should they talk about? Well, as I said…accomplishments. Primarily, they should talk about things that pertain to the job your applying for. If you are applying for a sales position, maybe they can talk about your persuasive skills, your interpersonal skills, your communication skills. Maybe they can talk about your ability to learn quickly, work hard, etc.

Great question. Good luck.

The next question comes from Kim. He writes:

“I am a guy 32years old. i am running my own business but I hope to work at a company but I guess because of my age, I almost give up applying for any company. Pls give me any advice.”

Wow! Great question! From my perspective, Kim. You’re not too old at all! I really wish I knew more about your situation. What kind of business, how long you’ve been in it. I think entrepreneurship is a powerful training ground for success. I think about all the skills and knowledge a person gains from running their own business. You’ve got sales skills, management skills, logistic knowledge, marketing knowledge, leadership, self-motivation, and a whole lot of other skills.

Presumably, your company is still running. That means you have the ability to keep a company solvent. That means you are a smart business person. You also understand the value of customer service.

To me, you’re a great person for a job. I’d hire you. I am a big fan of the entrepreneurial spirit. I think more people should do it.

The question I think you should ask yourself is “do you really want to work for someone else?” I think once you get a taste for self-employment, that degree of freedom is hard to give up. But, working for someone can be a great benefit too. There is much less personal stress, I’m sure!

If you are interested in trying to work for a company, I’d look at selling my skills in terms of helping a company grow. Some people might be concerned you’re just getting into a company so you can relax and not work so hard. Assuming that is not your motive, you should absolutely maintain that entrepreneurial attitude, and go into a company interview with a sincere desire to make that company grow and get rich.

You may need to start at a lower position than you think is fair, but…that’s okay. With your skill and age and ability, I think you’ll advance rather quickly. But that’s just me assuming.

No matter what…don’t let fear hold you back. Go get your dream, Kim. That goes for all today’s listeners.

All for today.

How To Make Yourself Into Someone Who's Both Highly Valued & Extremely Employable

Today I’m going to tell you how you can make yourself into hot commodity that is both highly valued and extremely employable.

Today’s tips will both help you build your reputation--your personal brand & they will help you become a globally savvy employee or job seeker.

Now, before I begin, of course much of my tips come from a Western perspective. That means there are probably some tips that are missing which apply specifically to Korea. So feel free to write in and share your hot tips on how listeners can make themselves highly valued and extremely employable. Share the love everyone!

So how do we do it?

Well, we all know that in today’s’ day and age we live in a world of Globalization. Gawd I’m tired of that word. Despite my dislike for that word, the reality is upon us. So what kind of skills are needed to make you into a super cool employee or job prospect?

Keep these ideas in mind.

A hot commodity of today and tomorrow will be a person who:

Of course has an awesome attitude. Since it really is the first thing people notice about you, you should spend a huge amount of time making sure yours is in tip top shape. How is your attitude? Are you a complainer? A whiner? Or are you a can do kind of person? How do you feel about yourself? Self-love is so cool!!!!

Is quick to adapt to changing technology. Duh! Of course. But, often times we get comfortable with certain technologies as we get older. We stop challenging ourselves to understand the up and coming technologies. Complexity gets the better of us, and we begin to slow down. DON’T! Of course a technologically cool person is and always well be a HOT Commodity!

Loves Diversity! Embrace it. Snuggle it. Become curious about other cultures. Don’t grudgingly accept other cultures and other people just because it’s cool. Develop an honest curiosity to understand other people. I think Korean people do this really quite well. Especially since people have become travel addicts. Focus on the similarities between people of other places. Someone who is open is someone who can have many contacts in many places. Chances are, you’ll be working with people from India, Africa, China, and Brazil. Get used to them. Read books about these places. (ESPECIALLY CHINA!)

Is committed to life-long learning. Another thing I see Koreans doing a fantastic job at. But, again, sometimes we get tired. We make the excuse…schools over. I want to rest. Ok…rest, but keep learning. Learn something that is fun, that doesn’t feel like learning. But commit to opening the pathways in your brain. If you are working for a company, become a sponge. Learn all and everything you can. Don’t limit yourself. A sponge is a really valuable tool to have. Keep that in mind. Everyone loves a sponge. Remember too to give! Be quick to give and teach. Wow! Teachers in all organizations are loved and wanted!

Practices integrity! Cannot stress this enough. What is integrity? It’s wholeness. Honor. Honesty. What does it really mean? Do some research. Begin to practice. Take risks will telling the truth. Do despite the fear. Trust and credibility are so vital in today’s workplace, and they will become more so in tomorrow’s workplace. We live in an age of PR. PR can spin lies and create images in our minds about other people and cultures. If we practice integrity, we can break down the walls of prejudice, and create serious value for our company. A person of integrity is a hot commodity!

Is a self-starter. Don’t wait for people to tell you to do something. Get going. Be the first. Optimism. It’s a beautiful thing. Eagerness. If you are not this way yet, what are some ways you can develop it? How can you become better at this? I really recommend you begin looking into answering it. Top experts agree that the day of waiting to be told what to do are long behind. We have to learn how to be proactive. What are your thoughts?

Practices personal discipline. This basically means work on your reliability. Take care and attention to your work. Do all jobs well. Be disciplined in your thinking and in your approach. How do you do this? I like to practice one step at a time. One thing at a time. Be persistence. All of these tips will require slow practice. But…keep at it. No matter what, no matter how difficult they are, no matter how many times we slip up, we should keep going. After all, they’re good for making us HOT!

Again, remember, if there are certain other tips that really apply to make someone super hot in the Korean market, write in.

Next…a hot commodity of tomorrow is someone who can adapt well. Change is not going to slow down. We all know the reality of it. If anything, it’s going to get faster. Koreans are certain good at this, I feel. But, we all have a sticking point. And humans are just naturally slow to change in certain areas. The best way we can become adaptable, is to focus on being a part of the solution. When change comes, we tend to complain and talk about how bad things are. Instead, focus on what you can do to fix, to help, to add to the solution. A constructive attitude in times of change is a powerfully valuable skill. Practice offering solutions and viewpoints. Don’t be a waiter. Don’t wait for others to offer solutions. Be a conduit of awesome ideas.

Get's busy Upping their creativity. It is never too late to develop and work on this skill. According to so much of what I read, our ability to think creatively is SO VITAL in the future workplace. And I don’t just mean for those who work for Google. In our own workplace. Remember, becoming a valuable commodity means that we are value adders. Our job is to add value to the companies we work for. Creative people think up better ways to manage work-flow. Think up better ways to increase sales. Think up better ways to communicate with customers. Thinkers and creative problem solvers are highly valuable. Find ways to increase your creativity. We are all creative. Even if we think we are not, that’s NOT TRUE! Many of us have just forgotten…that is all. So work hard at this.

Back to attitude. To be hot: Think Can-do, can-do, can do! You know this. Attitude is everything! The future may change things…but the importance of attitude is not something that will.

As you begin to improve these skills, you’ll notice your confidence will increase. You’ll notice that you’ll begin creating an environment that will be seriously more valuable than it was before you got there. We want to be the kind of people who have changed the places we’ve worked at and been a part of. Working on these skills will help you do that.

With that, you are certain to be both more highly valued and extremely employable.

All for now! Ciao!

A special thanks to Karla Brandau at Buzzle. Her words are the inspiration for today's message.