Self-Marketing Options Include Good Mentoring
An Interview with Author and Radio Host Maureen Anderson
Apr 10, 2009
Maureen Anderson, author of The Career Clinic: 8 Simple Rules for Finding Work You Love [AMACOM, American Management Association, 2009] and radio show host, shares her experience and views on self-marketing and getting good help and/or mentoring.
Self-Marketing Options
CareerAdvice: It's a well-known but rarely used tactic to generate your own job via self-marketing. However, many people lack the skills/knowledge to do this. There are some companies that will help, but what would be a reasonable payment, and what should a client expect for that payment?
MAnderson: "One career consultant says you can interview for a job you know you're not going to get – and encourages you to do that, because you might land a different job. You could get an offer to freelance for that company – which may lead to a full-time job with that employer, or referrals on other freelance work. An author I interviewed recently told me the advice he got before striking out on his own was to have two years of savings built up. There's enough stress in being self-employed without hanging on by your financial fingernails.
Depending on what field you're going into, you may need an agent. Beware of anyone who charges an upfront fee, though. Agents usually work on commission."
Don't Assume You Have to Pay to Get Good Help or Mentoring
"And don't forget resources like SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives – or SBA, the Small Business Administration. (for those outside of the US - check out your country's government as most have assistant programs for small businesses - ed.) Don't assume you'll have to pay to get help. Decide what you want to do with your life, find someone who's done something similar, and ask for advice. Some of the most successful people, at least from my experience, are eager to share their stories because they're proud of what they accomplished.
Many are reaching the stage in life where they get the most satisfaction from mentoring others. You know how good it makes you feel to help someone? Remember that when you're asking for help. Let's say you hear about someone who's about to retire from a successful business you'd love to break into. That man or woman will likely be delighted to get asked, step by step, how it happened.
Their families are probably a little tired of those stories! Plus they lived it. But then you come along and want to soak up all this experience, well, many people would find it invigorating to have an attentive listener. Of course you'll be polite – not ask for too much of their time, and thank the person profusely for anything shared. But if you keep this new friend posted on your progress, you'll likely get more advice – and solidify the friendship."
Ask For Directions When You Get Lost
"My favorite rule of career change is, "Ask for directions when you get lost." Please don't feel like it's a sign of weakness to ask for help. Whatever you want to do, whatever obstacles seem to be keeping you from it, I can almost guarantee you there's someone out there who could help – and the only thing stopping them is you, because you haven't asked.
Do as much research as you can before you make any leap, but realize there will never be a perfect time. That's why they call it a leap of faith.
Have fun, and learn a lot."
Bottom Line
"The best things in life are free – so don't rush into paying someone until you've done some research. Use the free sites for mentoring and government help; find someone who has done or is doing what you want to do – and ask them how he or she did it, but be mindful of their time. More important though, is to first decide what it is YOU want to do, where, and why. THEN you can find someone to help guide you to get where you want to be. Always keep learning, and always have fun! Your optimism will be catching – and energy flows in both directions – so make it a positive flow!"
Read more about Maureen Anderson's advice to Suite readers with How to Stay Positive in Today's Job Market, and You've Lost Your Job, Or Afraid You Will Lose It.
 |
 |
