Executive Career Insights

Is The Entreprenuer Bug Calling Your Name?

A good friend of mine recently announced to me that she is going to take the plunge - she is finally moving from corporate employee to entrepreneur.

Sounds exciting right? No-one standing over your shoulder, the ability to call your own shots, and being able to take on great projects that you will enjoy....well, becoming an independent consultant or soloprenuer requires a lot more thought, work and preparation than you would imagine.

If you are frustrated with the corporate world and have a strong desire to start your own business that is in line with your vision and values, here are few things you need to know:

1) Do you know your business?

Consider if you have sufficient knowledge, experience or business understanding in the area of your choice. Clients purchase "you" long before they purchase your product or service - if you are thinking of branching into a new area, be sure to get the support and training you need to gain the confidence of potential clients.

2) Do you have the required investment funds?

As an entrepreneur, you cannot easily predict your revenue stream from week to week or even day to day for that matter. So unless your have a healthy pipeline of clients ready to go, you may have to tap into your savings, maintain a part-time job or establish a line of credit.

3) Do you like selling?

Think for a second about your best sales experience, what did that person do that effectively convinced you to make the purchase? Now, switch gears and remember your worst salesperson encounter - focus on everything that person did that turned you off. Get the picture?

When you are running the show, you are also the primary spokesperson, cheerleader and salesperson for your company. Take advantage of sales training or even sales coaching services, your bottom-line will thank you for it.

4) Can you handle a high level of risk?

Being an entreprenuer is not for the faint of heart - trust me, I know:) You have to be willing to put all of yourself to make the business a profitable one - that could mean long work hours, sacrificing personal interests, living on limited resources and truly making decisions when the immediate outcome is unclear.

5) Can you ride the waves?

Flexibility is one of the greatest skills you will need to master as an entreprenuer. Market and industry conditions are always changing and technology continues to push the bar even higher on how you will need to compete. If you like structure or find it hard to make rapid changes, then entreprenuership may not be the right decision for you.

Overall

As challenging as it can be at times, I encourage anyone who has the bug to do your research, do your homework, learn from others, invest in training and resources and give it a try. If it is really eating at you, you will never know unless you give it a try.

-- Check out weekly and monthly networking events for consultants and entreprenuers.

-- Join and get involved with your local Chamber of Commerce.

-- Identify an association that supports entreprenuers in your field - for example, I am belong to the National Resume Writers Association and the Career Management Alliance, and the International Association of Women in Business Coaching.

-- Take advantage of teleseminars and webinars that will guide you in building your practice.

-- Develop and maintain a strong online presence - as you know, I have a blog, Facebook page, website, VisualCV and Twitter account.

-- Read current books on topics related to your expertise and subscribe to at least one of the major business news publications like Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Time and Washington Post.

Maximizing Social Media to Turbocharge Your Executive Job Search

Don't you find it frustrating when friends or family who have known you for years, suddenly say, so kind of work do you do again? Well, imagine trying to launch a job search in today's competitive, crowded marketplace without any online presence or brand reputation.

Whether you like it or not, in order to "make noise" and be found by active hiring managers, eager employers and scouring recruiters, you need to engage a wide variety of social media tools and online networking resources. Here are five, free, easy-to-use social media tools that will take you from invisible to digitally distinct.

 A) Beef Up Your Signature

As you will be conducting a fair amount of your job search through the Internet and email communications, make sure that your email signature serves as your digital business card.

-- Include key information like your title, personal brand statement, phone number, Linked and VisualCV url links.

-- You can even include your professional headshot to make a connection with your email recipients.

B) Maintain An Optimized LinkedIn profile

With more than 40 million members from around the world that includes top Fortune 500 executives and recruiters, you need a robust, active LinkedIn profile to help you nurture and support your professional network.

-- Use a branded headline (title header) to attract visitors and catch the eye of proactive recruiters and headhunters. Make it specific in terms of profession, industry, expertise and geographic location.

-- Take advantage of the update status feature to keep your connections apprised of your career activities and use it as a tool to share information and inform them of mutually beneficial networking events.

-- Request and add recommendations from former colleagues, bosses, mentors and respected professionals in your field. A third-party testimonial can go a long way.

-- Transform you elevator pitch into a compelling summary on your LinkedIn profile. Be sure to use relevant , acronyms and industry jargon as they relate to your areas of expertise.

-- Join groups and get active in the discussion - be willing to share your opinion, expertise and advice. Discussion forums are a very popular place for recruiters when it comes to seeking passive candidates.

C) Be Active On Twitter

Don't just get a twitter account and go silent - even I am guilty of this one at times:) Identify and follow the trend setters and thought leaders in your target industry, but be a giver and receiver of information. If you come across an interesting news article or blog post, don't be afraid to retweet as long as you give the original author full credit.

D) Build An Multimedia Portfolio

Whether you choose to host a website with you own customized url (with your name), design an interactive portfolio or build your VisualCV, you have to provide interested employers and recruiters a variety of opportunities to learn more about you.

-- Depending on your field, upload video to highlight your speaking experience and presentation skills.

-- Include visual charts, Word/PDF documents, and links to showcase published works, articles, white papers, writing samples; you should also have downloadable versions of your resume in standard presentation and text formats.

E) Create A Facebook Profile

Now I will admit that I have two Facebook profiles - one for personal and professional purposes. Why a Facebook account in a job search? It is another venue to promote your personal brand, join company pages, participate in industry and profession-specific networking groups, and re-connect with former colleagues and classmates.

--Keep your profile updated and link your other social media activity to your Facebook to keep the content fresh and current.

-- Take advantage of the "What are you doing" feature and routinely engage others in conversation and discussions.

-- Use advanced social media tools to link your Twitter posts to your Facebook. 

Now all these steps look like a tall order to follow, but keep in mind that if you are unemployed, you will be realistically spending between 35 to 40 hours a week in job search activities. Now, before you make a pact to glue yourself to your computer and Blackberry, remember that your online activities should only be a PART of your job search strategy plan - not 100% of it.

Related posts:

Build and promote your online presence

Are you tweeting?

Going public with your executive job search