Are You Just a Job Title Work and Identity Explored

Are You Just a Job Title Work and Identity Explored We spend more time at work than we do sleeping, eating, resting, playing, or with our families. Work, for most of us, is the defining aspect of life and thus of our identity. When someone asks us ‘what do you do?’ we nearly always reply with our occupation. The dictionary defines identity as: Who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group which make them different from others We derive our sense of identity from comparison with others, those we are like, those we differ from. So changing our job can change how we are seen and who we identify with. Through our work we find an identity, we can find status, intellectual stimulation as well as wealth which enables us to buy comfort. We can work out our place in the world. However we don’t have just one identity, we have several. Our identities are multiple, multifaceted and dynamic. Identity is actually a complex and changing representation of self. Because identity is created in relationships with others, we are not just our job, we have an identity as a son/daughter, as a sibling, as a spouse, as a parent, as a friend or sports team member. We may be aware of behaving differently in those relationships from the way that we behave at work; a passive son can be a firm leader, a compassionate friend may be a dispassionate adjudicator. If these differing roles create competing demands there can be real internal tension, (e.g. caring parent with conscientious worker) this is called dissonance and people have to employ coping strategies to reduce the conflict; either by segmenting their identities and creating strong boundaries or by dis-identification with one of the identities, or moving jobs. I am not suggesting that there are no constants in life. Personalities, values and underlying beliefs about what the world stay constant and will influence what career people choose. In the past, child followed father in his job or profession but today an individual’s beliefs, values and preferences guide their choice. A young adult whose belief is that resources are scarce in the world may choose an occupation with great security whilst one whose belief is in abundance may choose something riskier. Traditional career counselling (influenced by John Holland) suggests that finding those values, preferences and beliefs and choosing a career path that is congruent with them, is the key to both professional success and contentment. Our sense of who we are either in work or out of work propels us to towards certain careers. It is also clear that our working identities can change over time, our identity and behaviours as a young graduate are different from those of the professional expert and from those of the senior leader. Our ability to develop our identity is critical to our ability to be successful in a range of career roles, we need to shed our old identity and add new elements. The professional expert with their eye on the detail and expert knowledge needs to develop an identity and set of behaviours to support strategic thinking and the cultivation of external relationships. But our work identity also drives our behaviour: Jung says every call or profession has its own characteristic persona and that people can become identical with their persona: the professor with his textbook, the tenor with his voice. At an extreme level people can become subject to ‘role engulfment’ and lose all sense of themselves except as they exist through work. For those people the loss of work or being forced to change career through redundancy or retirement can provoke a severe identity crisis, with people asking : ‘Who am I? What am I if I don’t work?’. So is a new job the route to a new you? Well yes and no. Some people actually have an ability to be flexible and adaptable as a part of their personality and of their identity; they thrive on change and easily adapt. Others find that changing jobs may result in a changed work identity but not their personality. The beliefs that drive your actions, the values that determine your preferences will remain constant. If you move to work that is more in line with those values and beliefs then you will achieve more congruence, less stress and greater success. If you move into an environment which is at odds with those values and beliefs you will find it uncomfortable. We each have a picture of who we are and what we will/won’t can’t do in our heads, once formed our brains garner the evidence that it is a true picture and ignore evidence that suggests that it is not true. So people say ‘I don’t do numbers’, ‘I don’t do detail’ ‘I don’t do preparation’, they believe it and make it true. ‘I can’t do sales’ becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. But if you are in enforced job change you need to examine those beliefs and that sense of identity to see how grounded in reality they are, how helpful they are, and consider personal change. We can change our beliefs, actions and thus our identity through experimentation, practice and conscious self discipline. The public servant can take on the mantle and the role of an entrepreneur, excelling at sales, the professional expert can become the strategic leader enjoying the broader canvas, the banker can become the teacher, revelling in the sense of fulfilment and purpose of their new r ole. In an age where career progression may lead us into new environments and sectors it is ever more important to challenge our sense of self and explore whether you can create ‘a new you’ by changing the beliefs you hold about yourself and the world in order to develop and expand your career options.

Teaching old tropes new tricks Community-building with a 21st-century twist

Teaching old tropes new tricks Community-building with a 21st-century twist During the middle of the 20th century, the social fabric of community unraveled. Families fled to the suburbs, where they lived isolated lives. Baby boomers became hyper competitive almost a necessity of being part of such a huge generation and then baby boomers raised latchkey kids, and Generation X felt so isolated from community that it actually defined the generation. So its no surprise the pendulum is swinging the other way right now. Generation X is consumed with their families and integrating them into the community. Fund-raisers know that if you want to get money from Gen Xers, talk with them about local, grassroots action they can be a part of. (via Giving Back) Generation Y is the teamwork generation. The majority of these young people did community service as a high school graduation requirement, or, for the overachievers, which is most of them, a way to spruce up their college application. But they discovered that community service is rewarding in itself. This is a group that is so team oriented that they are not comfortable doing things on their own. The teamwork in school means soccer, but in adult life it often means community. Its a great time for new ways of thinking about community and how to make life better for yourself and those around you. Here are five new ways to think about community: 1. Schedule community time because frequency matters. This comes naturally to people in college. Daniell Ouellette, a junior at Northeastern University, and her friends live together, eat together, and even watch the World Series together. When college is over, people tend to separate from their friends and making new, close friends is very difficult. But its worth it. When you belong to a group that meets each week, you are likely to live longer than people who dont. And a Gallup poll, published in the book Vital Friends, found that if you have a few good friends at work its nearly impossible to not like your job, because a group of friends can absorb so many bad feelings about the office. Its a tall order to find these people, but remember the key is not picking the perfect friends, the key is getting together with them regularly. 2. Find your community first, then find a job. Today, people place so much importance on community that Rebecca Ryan, a frequent consultant for city governments, finds that the best way to stem brain drain from midsize and smaller towns is to focus on the fabric of community. In her new book, Live First, Work Second, Ryan finds that people today want diversity, culture, and gathering places the core community aspects we lost during the flight to the suburbs. 3. Become an influencer by growing a community. Paul Gillin, author of the book, The New Influencers, describes how blogging has allowed leaders to emerge in communities that used to be closed to new leaders. Gillin marvels at the amount of influence a blogger can have by growing a large community of readers. What is remarkable, though, is that the premise is community. The influence brokers today trade on grassroots community building rather than power coming down from the top. 4. Get flexible work by leveraging your community. Michelle Goodman, in her book The Anti 9 to 5 Guide, describes the steps people take to get out of cubicle life. She has handy chapters about negotiating and temping, but the biggest value of her book might be the underlying theme of community. The best way to get control of your life is to figure out how to integrate yourself into a community and get work and ideas from the people around you. The book is full of ways to learn from other people, help other people, and weave your own community fabric to meet your career goals. 5. Use community roots as a way to make a smooth transition. One of the most stifling parts of college is that everyone you hang around is at the same place in life you are. And one of the hardest parts of making a life transition is trading one community for another. Northeastern addresses both these problems with the cooperative education program. Students take longer to finish school but they work intermittently during their stint at college. Ouellette is part of this program and she sees it as a way to get a foothold in the local marketing community before she goes out into the work world. And this, perhaps, is the newest aspect of community: Community used to be a way to hold you back and enforce rules. But today its a way to create new roots, find freedom, and follow a dream. No wonder community is such a popular buzzword with young people.

7 Tips For Successfully Raising Capital On Shark Tank - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

7 Tips For Successfully Raising Capital On Shark Tank - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career ABCs Shark Tank provides free weekly tips showing what to do, and what not to do when it comes to raising investment capital to fund your business and your personal brand. Although theres nothing quite like the autonomy that comes from self-funding your business, in many cases, there may come a time when you need to raise outside capital to take your book, brand, or business to the next level. Each episode of Shark Tank provides valuable ideas of the right and wrong ways, to pitch outside investors. Watching Shark Tank will also help you prepare proposals for alternative funding options, like Kickstart. Tips for surviving your appearance on Shark Tank Here are 7 tips for preparing for your appearance on Shark Tank, or when approaching other investors: Research. Start by watching the program Friday evenings and catch up with earlier episodes available on the Internet. Look for similarities in offers that were funded, and note how they differed from offers that were not funded. Familiarize yourself with the metrics of your industry and the relative strengths weaknesses of your competition. Master a new vocabulary. Learn to speak using Shark Tank terms like scalability and barriers to entry, rather than empty language like passion and potential. Prepare. Train yourself to think on your feet. Dont script your presentation; its too easy to be caught off guard. Plus, the initial presentation is just the starting point. Keep your initial presentation as short as possible, so youll have time to prepare your responses to the questions to follow. The QA is where investment battles are won or lost. Prove. Focus on the metrics of your business, not its potential. Offer concrete proof of successful execution to date. Nobody cares about how creative you are, how many patents youve earned, or how much you believe in your project. Instead, provide proof of execution in terms of cash flow, signed contracts, patents, and your true costs of doing business. Be ready to describe exactly how you funded your business so far, plus where and how youll spend the funds youre requesting. Dream. Think big; make sure you ask for enough money to do what needs to be done. Not asking for enough money is just as bad as asking for too much money without a chance of being repaid. Not asking for enough money indicates that you dont have a well thought-out and sustainable business plan. No investor wants you to come back in 6 months or a year, and ask for additional funding. Anticipate. Anticipate the awkward questions you may be asked. Make a list of the most potentially damaging, or embarrassing questions that might be askedand know how to limit the damage when you respond. On the Shark Tank, youll be dealing with pros who know business and, possibly, know a lot about the business youre in. Detach. Learn to separate your emotions from your business. Dont take it seriously when investors dont share your enthusiasm for your idea or youre asked uncomfortable questions about your ability to manage a growing business. To you, your business is your dream; but, to the investors, its only business. Continue to be gracious, poised, and in-control. Remember that other investors are watching and evaluating your performance.  Act. Be prepared to act when you receive an offer. Too many entrepreneurs get a deer in the headlights look when a potential investor makes an offer. When an offer appears, they freezeand, often, concentrate more on what theyre giving up than the benefits of accepting the offer. Dont appear on Shark Tank unless youre completely convinced youre willing to share ownership of your business with an investor. Know how far youre willing to go, and dont let fear of change cheat you out of a dream opportunity. Is Shark Tank for you? I cant think of too many authors, entrepreneurs, and personally aware, brand-building self-employed professionals who couldnt benefit from watching Shark Tank. Its not always easy to watch, but it has raised my awareness of fundamentals and issues that I had never paid much attention to. Its a gateway to a different view of personal branding success. What are your impressions of Shark Tank? Is Shark Tank drama or Business 101? Author: Roger C. Parker is an author, book coach, designer, consultant who works with authors, marketers, business professionals to achieve success with brand-building books practical marketing strategy. He helps create successful marketing materials that look great get results, and can turn any complex marketing or writing task into baby steps. Visit his blog to learn more or ask a question.

How to Use Instagram as a Recruiting Tool

How to Use Instagram as a Recruiting Tool Ever thought of using Instagram for recruitment? It  may sound like an unlikely use of the platform, but it can actually be a really good tool for networking and reaching out to candidates. I spoke to Angela Bortolussi, who is a Recruiting Manager at Recruiting Social  and a featured author for Undercover Recruiter and she revealed some of her secrets behind using  Instagram for sourcing candidates, building her professional network and developing her personal and company brand. Listen to the interview  below, keep reading for a summary and be sure to subscribe to The Employer Branding Podcast. About Recruiting Social and  Angelas role: Recruiting Social was founded by a fellow named Chad MacRae. He started the company back in 2012, and since then hes brought on numerous employees, myself being one and weve also grown out from our Vancouver location into Los Angeles as well, so thats been very exciting. So in a nutshell, Recruiting Social, were a Social Recruitment company and I think people always question well what does that even mean? I think the premise of that is really that we focus on attracting the right candidates, and then by telling the company story, so essentially that would be our client. Were big into culture fit, because we know especially in the tech space it can be a lot based on skill, but culture is a huge fit for a lot of our clients and its a focus for them, as well. And then, of course, being that social component we use various different platforms to reach out to candidates in very specialised ways as well. One being Instagram. And so my role with Recruiting Social is Im a Recruiting Manager, and I focus on technical recruitment and product recruitment as well. Finding technical and product people on Instagram: Networking events  What would happen is, is  I could check into that location and then I could search that location to find out who has been at that location as well. Hashtags And then any type of popular hashtag that the event is putting on, I could search that as well, find out who used that hashtag, when they were there and then reach out to them. Just to even build that connection, because even though that connection just in terms of reaching out to potential hire might not happen right then and there for a potential job, it could happen six months down the road. View this post on Instagram Tomorrow Im flying out of #LA BUT excited to be back in #vancity Speaking at @lighthouselabs on how to find a job in #tech! Follow my #recruiting #adventure on #snapchat! #recruitinglife #urbanplanet A post shared by Angela (Bortolussi) Rees (@abortolussirees) on Jan 25, 2016 at 5:27pm PST The 3 keys to success on Instagram: Good content  It really does come down to the quality of pictures. And it doesnt mean that you have to go and buy a professional camera to take these pictures. I use my iPhone. So that is key and I think to a moment that can capture who you are, and what youre doing. So usually saying good content comes with quality pictures but also a theme.  If you look at my Instagram account, you can see that the theme is coffee, computers, networking, branding, and Recruiting Social. Hashtags And the next thing too, is about using hashtags, owning that hashtag. At Recruiting Social we use #RecruitingLife as  our main go to hashtag, so thats always key as well. Think before posting  If you ever doubt yourself and the picture that youre posting, its probably best that you dont post it. How to  get more engagement on your content: It depends on the community that youre in    For example, mine would be like the tech community and the HR community, so usually what I say is the engagement component can liking photos, it could be commenting on photos. Have a small conversation  I always say Instagram has been, I would say, a more productive networking tool than LinkedIn, because essentially you are capturing a moment with someone, because we always say Instagram is within the moment, its very authentic. You get to see someones life essentially, so that is one thats your comments back and forth. Cross promote    Youve got followers on, for example, Twitter, or on Facebook, encourage them to follow you back on Instagram as well and create that sense of community within your Instagram plot. How to  get more followers: Ive seen a lot of companies taking part in is IG  takeovers So you have someone thats an influencer in your industry take over the account for the day, it could be for the week, usually if the say a day is successful enough to build those followers. Tagging other people and your photos. Put thought into the subject lines in caption lines. I think if you are more authentic when youre writing your captions, and telling people how you feel in somewhere from, again keeping it professional if you do have it public is key, and then, of course, leveraging trending hashtags is always a big one. Use hashtags I usually say cram in a bunch of hashtags, it doesnt hurt. After an hour usually they do often expire, meaning your pictures are no longer at the top of the explore page youre usually at the bottom, and so you can delete them after as well. How to find people to recruit: Build up your bio  Before you can even go out on your search, you definitely have to build up your bio. So if we are going to be potentially reaching out to people or engaging with people, they know who we are essentially and maybe why we would be reaching out to them. Hashtags  Then you can simply do searching hashtags. So if I was searching a hashtag on UX designer, or if I was searching a hashtag in regards to places, #YVRTech would be one, so thats the Vancouver tech scene  thats a common hashtag that they use.  I would start there because then you can see who is using that particular hashtag, where theyve checked in. Again going back to if I went to an event like Tech Fest here in Vancouver. They create their own hashtags for that event. So when I do a quick search, I can see all the attendees and those could be potential job seekers as well. Send a message The nice thing and I guess new item that Instagram has implemented, is the direct messenger.  So before youd have to send a message through a picture to get someones attention through a message, but now you can actually just send them a direct message without having to do that on Instagram. So that changes the way we communicate with people as well. Does this tie into using Instagram as a networking tool? Reach out In regards to the direct messenger, it does make it easier to reach out to people for opportunities. Transparency I always make it very transparent as to why Im reaching out to them. So for example, if it was a UX designer or someone in the tech industry, usually I give a quick intro to who I am, why Im reaching out to them, and why I think maybe they might be a good fit for a role, or why maybe we want to network with them in the future as well. View this post on Instagram I ?? the connections you can make over #socialmedia evening chats about all things #code/#tech/#life/#career @codegirlcode ?????? #recruitinglife #urbanplanet #MyUPDenim A post shared by Angela (Bortolussi) Rees (@abortolussirees) on Feb 3, 2016 at 11:21pm PST The Instagram pitfalls to avoid: Bad lighting  If youre in a dark space, its probably best to avoid that. Not knowing your audience   I think one of the major pitfalls when it comes to Instagram, because really again you can use it any way that you feel fit for your brand, or for your personal brand, is I think just in terms of its users so if youre a company that is trying to build some brand awareness within Instagram.  We know that usually the users of Instagram are usually between 18 to 29, in comparison to maybe the 30 to 49 age bracket. The users are a little bit more less engaged. So I would say its very youthful, Instagram, but I know that there are more later adopters that are using Instagram. Its just I think Instagram is still known as a younger social media channel. Tools and apps  you should use: FaceTune    If you dont have it, you should definitely download it. FaceTunes a great tool to use just to fix any imperfections on pictures or even enhance them. For example, if you have a table with maybe a white coffee mug on it, and you just want to make it more a crisp white, you can do that within FaceTune. Boomerang    You can attach that with Instagram as well. And again, its just that visual content, I guess, on Instagram, which I think is getting more popularity since Snapchat has come out. And its been gaining a lot of popularity as well. View this post on Instagram This off-the-grid home, nestled into the canopy of local flora, invites you to come in and be one with nature. Host @kristiemaewolfe and her mom built the detailed bamboo structure by hand. Kristies been interested in the tiny home movement for awhile, trying out the lifestyle in Idaho, where she built her first little home from the ground up. She says, “The forced simplicity of living small made me realize I wanted to live like this permanently.” That experience lead her to build a tiny vacation home on Hawaii’s Big Island, where she hosts guests looking for an eco-friendly experience. The up-in-the-air home features a wrap-around lanai, huge windows where sunlight streams in, and a partially open air shower that sustainably uses Hawaiian rainwater collected from the tin roof. If all that isn’t enough of a fantasy, there’s a hanging bed below the treehouse â€" the perfect spot for daydreaming. Which is exactly what Kristie continues to do as she plots her next project: Lo rd of the Rings style Hobbit Holes in the Northwest. See more of Kristies handiwork by clicking the link in our bio. A post shared by Airbnb (@airbnb) on Feb 10, 2016 at 9:06pm PST The next big thing for Instagram: Its tough now to say because things change so often, but one being that now that you can buy ads on Instagram. That seems like one that is going to get pushed a little heavier this coming year. We know that Hootsuite now offers compatibility with Instagram and posting, so thats a big one. I think theres probably pros and cons with using Hootsuite.  I know some people were opposed to it because its not that authentic moment that youre capturing, that Instagram is known for. But when it comes to branding and marketing, it can be a successful platform to use, in the sense that you dont have to worry about posting images throughout the day and it interrupting your day-to-day work. Follow Angela on Instagram:  @abortolusssi.

Tips to Write a Resume for Australian Jobs

Tips to Write a Resume for Australian JobsWriting a resume can be tricky. The individual needs to get the right presentation, use of keywords and different formatting that will be noticed. Writing a resume is not difficult but it takes some time and diligence to do it right. Here are some tips that you can use when creating a resume for Australian jobs.The first tip is that you need to start your writing with your desired employer first. Make sure you put it in the first paragraph, as this will give you an immediate impact. Be careful to write your experience without citing references. Remember that references will be required to be included on your resume.Then you can go to information about yourself and how you were able to gain experience. Be cautious when using your experiences since these will be used as evidence in a future interview. If possible mention the details that will lead to an increase in your chances of getting hired.On your experience you can go into details about y our previous work experience. This can also be used as evidence in a future interview. In order to make your resume stand out you can use the paragraphs at the end of your resume to mention other job opportunities that you have since that time. These will make your resume unique from the rest.Make sure you put your specific skills on your resume. To make sure that you can utilize your skills when needed, you need to highlight your skills. This will help you to qualify for jobs that you are actually applying for. People will see that you have skills that are suitable for those specific jobs.Finally you can address mistakes or grammatical errors. When working on a resume, mistakes are inevitable, but you can correct it so that it will be flawless. You can follow some practices and checklists to ensure that your resume will look perfect.Remember that when you are working on a resume it takes a lot of effort and time. This is the reason why you should always be positive and relaxed whil e working on it. People tend to get stressed when they are working on a resume, so make sure that you stay calm and composed.Once you have finished your resume you need to make sure that it gets distributed so that it can be seen by potential employers. You can use distribution services such as EzineArticles.com, PublicationsIcahn.com and uNetbooks.com. This will allow you to get the most exposure possible for your resume.

Happiness at work is good for employees AND the bottom line - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Happiness at work is good for employees AND the bottom line - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog There is a tremendous amount of research that shows that happiness is great for employees AND for the companys bottom line. In this speech from our conference in 2017, I go through all the research and show why the future belongs to the happy. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Starting a New Job On the Right Foot

Starting a New Job On the Right Foot Youve landed a new job.   Congratulations!   Now what? Starting off on the right foot can make all the difference in the world.   What can you do to increase your odds of being successful?   What can you do to begin to develop the right relationship with your manager?   How can you get up to speed as quickly as possible? It can often feel like you have big shoes to fill. Heres a simple list of things to do when starting a new job: Have a One on One with your new manager. Before you do this, read Scot Herricks post:   The Ultimate Introduction to Your New Manager from Cube Rules Learn the rules from your new co-workers (and make friends from the ICT Job Hunter) Create and share your 30-60-90 day plan Chisel time into your schedule to continue to attend professional meetings Look for opportunities to continue to develop your brand Be open to new ways of doing things (Dont be a know-it-all) Inform recruiters of your new status, but stay active with them Keep a running list of Accomplishments from your new job (youll need them) Maintain contact with job search friends (LinkedIn can make this less time consuming) Sharing your success story is also important.   People want to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.   Give back by telling your story.   Here are 25 lessons learned from a job seeker graduate! Is there anything you would like to share?