University of Washington – Alpha Kappa Psi – Moving Forward!

Last night I had the pleasure of talking to a business fraternity at the University of Washington.  What a fun group!  Every time I get on a college campus to teach Networking for Life I think I get more than I give.   These folks were awesome.

The questions were sharp, the audience engaging and atmosphere of being in Seattle was terrific.  Thanks Alpha Kappa Psi!

When you look at the numbers - 45 to 50 thousand students at the University of Washington, roughly 2,000 in the business school and 50 in this business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, you can clearly see that doing more than average is the key to success.   Early today I blogged on a quote from Ben Franklin who coined the phrase “ the sleeping fox gathers no poultry.” These folks were no sleeping foxes!  We even had a little fun and raffled off a door prize using technology from a very cool marketing firm in Dallas called PocketStop.  One of the members walked away a little happier and with a little more green in the pocket. 

It was late on a Thursday evening, the holiday season and exams around the corner, and yet this group of Huskies were in a classroom learning about networking, a career in the technology industry and entrepreneurship.  They are to be commended.  (send your parents a link to this message and they’ll be proud AKP)  A while ago I talked about sometimes the magic is created by just showing up, but it is more than that.  These freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors are going through life with their heads up, looking around and learning how to be exceptional.  Learning networking skills while still in college will propel their careers to magnificent heights.  Start today!

Success is a journey that requires extra ordinary effort – nothing worth doing will come easy in life.  No matter how many tools we develop or how we think “things are changing,” the person in the fight who applies him or herself every day will be the winners of tomorrow. 

I was especially impressed by several of the questions.  The group was insightful and asked about one of our firm’s core values, Servant Leadership.  The greatest leaders throughout time have been givers not takers.  The takers may grab the headline from time to time, but the givers are behind the scenes helping, mentoring and prodding.  A servant in networking wins because he or she thinks about helping and connecting others.  What goes around does eventually come around!

I can’t always explain why, I just know it does.  So, in this challenging economic environment build your network.  As Harvey Mackay says, “dig your well.”  You never know when you might need a drink!

The Sleeping Fox Gathers no Poultry

I didn’t write that headline.

Ben Franklin did.

Get out of that bed and get cracking, he was saying.

Set your alarm for six, not seven.

If you think you do well after a two-martini lunch, see what you do after a two-orange juice breakfast.

Ben Franklin didn’t spend a lot of time snoozing.

Starting at age 13, with no formal education, he accomplished more than any other American since.

“Plow deep while sluggards sleep”, he also said.

So hop out of the sack.

Get up and go.

The fox is wide awake and he’ll grab all the chickens if you snooze.

As you think about your networking, develop a sense of urgency.  Focus on people.  Help them.  Put in the effort!

Goal Setting 101

They say that the first thing you should do when you set a goal is to tell somebody!  “We’ll if I tell them, they might hold me accountable!”

Exactly!

Networking is one of those things that is always at the bottom of the list.  It often comes at inopportune times when we have things we’d rather be doing.  Often, activities are in the evening when we’d rather be home with our families.  Nothing worth while can be achieved without some sacrifice, however, there are things we can do to keep us focused.

1. Define your targets – start small.  Assign values to various activities like proactively contacting an acquaintance or renewing a friendship.  Start with three categories like emailing, meeting and networking and build from there.  Create several categories for yourself that you can “score.”

2. Set a goal – write it down.  Now that you have a point system and some totals, figure out a good target for a week.  Don’t shoot for the moon. You are trying to develop a habit.  They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.

3. Tell somebody – anybody.  Find someone who will encourage you and give you a swift kick when needed.  When we know we will be held to an account, the effort is always greater.

This simple method will enable you begin and succeed at Networking for Life.  Every week is a restart.  If you fall down, start over next week.  You are not in a sprint, this is a marathon.  The great thing about creating target activities is that if work is particularly tough one week, you can send out emails and check LinkedIn while watching the Late Show!  Start, develop a habit and then perfect your skill.  What you receive will be far greater than what you give.

The 10 Things to Nurture Networking!

I don’t know why 10 – perhaps it is 12 or 7, but over the next several months, I’ll try to explore 10 areas where you can sharpen the sword and improve your networking ability.  It is always convicting when I review topics like this because as I’m writing, I’m failing.  The key is to wake up tomorrow and try again.

1. Be an encourager – what did you notice about somebody that you can use to send them a note of encouragement.

2. Follow-up – when you get an introduction or lead, follow-up with the person who made that introduction.

3. Interesting read – ideas rule.  When you find something that you know is relevant to others, pass it on.

4. Connections – are you connecting different individuals in your network to one another?  You never know who needs somebody you know.

5. Give thanks – never let a favor go un rewarded, even if it is just a short note.

6. Important dates – remember the important dates in people’s lives.

7. Travel tips – everyone enjoys a travel tip, a cool hotel or a great restaurant.

8. Christmas in July – why stay in touch only during the winter holidays?

9. Messages – answer them promptly! 

10. Quick notes – paper is not dead yet!  Write a short note.

This is a quick list that we will explore together.  If you are serious about networking then you need to be serious about having a plan to stay in touch and nurture your network.  Nurture marketing is a term that has been used to describe the process of staying in touch without selling.  I’d like to say this top 10 will help you in Nurture Networking.  Good luck!

Top Jobs in 2010 Survey

At the end of the day, we are all looking for work!  If we are employed, we are looking for an opportunity to sell or deliver our goods and services.  If we are unemployed, we are looking for a paycheck.  I've heard people say that money is not the most important thing in the world.  That was probably spoken by the guy with a job.  Money might not be the most important thing in the world, but when you need it, it is right up there with oxygen!

Every year Careercast.com puts out a survey that evaluates the top 200 jobs in the U.S.  If you are engaged in changing careers, looking for a job or are just entering college deciding your major, a technical proficiency is a must.  The author of the study, Andrew Strieber, summarizes the top job for 2010.

“Moving down the list, math and science-related professions continue to rule, with Software Engineer ranking as the second-best job for 2010. Involving the design and maintenance of software and hardware systems, the job rates well across all categories, finishing 5th for work environment and inside the top 30 for stress, income and physical demands.  But what truly helps Software Engineer stand out from other career choices is its hiring outlook.  With low unemployment compared to the national average and projected job growth of nearly 45% through 2016, Software Engineer currently has the best hiring outlook of any available job in 2010.”

They use a very sophisticated analytical process that looks at the following dimensions:

Environment – combination of physical and emotional factors.

Income – a derivative of mid-level salary range and long term salary potential through 2016.

Hiring Outlook – a combination of three factors to determine the outlook for future jobs – employment growth, income growth and unemployment.

Physical Demands – evaluation of how physically demanding a particular job is.

Stress – includes 23 different dimensions of tasks or conditions that evoke emotional stress.

We have been talking about the great value of a degree in MIS or Computer Science for years.  If you are looking for a great career, the best place to start is acquiring technical skills, but that’s a blog for another day.

For now, check out the survey from the links below.

Careercast.com Jobs Survey

Wall Street Journal Jobs Ranking