Sital Ruparelia

FREE TELESEMINAR

“Rethink, Reposition and Thrive In 2010″

Saturday 6th February 2010

3pm UK Time

4pm Central Europe, 10am Eastern Standard Time

Learn more and book your spot now

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During this 75 minute call, you’ll discover:

• 3 big shifts we’re beginning to see within the workplace during 2010 which will accelerate by the end of this year and into 2011

• Key predictions I’m making for the employment market in 2010

• 3 biggest challenges every employee and freelancer will have to adapt to this year

• One big mindset shift you must make in order to thrive in the coming year

• The 5 key steps you will need to take to reposition yourself and ensure you’re one of the winners who thrive in 2010. Which means you’ll learn:

• How to reinvent yourself without having to change job or careers

• The 2 keys to standing out in what is still a very challenging job market

• 3 ways to increase your income this year (even if salary budgets are capped)

• The key to finding meaningful work (without taking a pay cut and making a huge change)

• The 2 time-tested principles you must follow in order to achieve that elusive work-life balance you’re searching for

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Whether you’re working in a permanent role, consulting, freelancing or looking for a new job or career – this is a must-attend free teleseminar. I’ll demystify all the changes going on this year and ensure you thrive in 2010.

Don’t miss it!

Click here to learn more and reserve your space on the complimentary call.

If you’re struggling to finalise the web copy for your new or updated website, here are 5 tips which may help:

1. Realise that your website will go through several reincarnations so…

2. Focus on completion, not perfection

3. Give visitors a reason to come back (great content on a blog, an articles page, a newsletter sign up etc)

4. Personalise more, corporatise less

5. Go look at Robert Middelton’s excellent material on writing copy for websites and all sorts of other marketing materials for independent professionals:  http://www.actionplan.com

Whilst there may be fewer job vacancies in the market compared to, say two years ago, there are actually more problems for organisations and businesses to contend with.

Organisations are stretched – they’re operating with fewer people whilst trying to maintain market share, grow revenues and deal with increased regulatory controls.

So with the continued pressure on costs and a shaky path to economic recovery, the safe bet is to hire contractors/interim managers and consultants who can help take the pressure off – yet not be a cost burden if there is another dip in the market. Individuals who can provide solutions to specific problems in an efficient and flexible manner. Which in turn creates opportunities for consultants and interim managers.

But how do you find such opportunities?

Click here to read the rest…

Earlier this week, it was the birthday of Leonardo Da Vinci.
 
That’s right, 15th April 2009 was the 557th birthday of one of the smartest people that ever lived.
A genius, some would say.
 
A Genius – Why? 
 
Well, apart from being one of the greatest painters of all time (who painted The Mona Lisa portrait), he also had many other talents and careers. He was also an architect, inventor, mathematician, engineer, sculpter, anatomist, musician and writer.
 
He was truly multi-talented and achieved success in so many different areas despite having no formal education.
 
You’re a genius too
 
But being multi-talented is not just the preserve of the likes of Da Vinci – you too have many different talents. Your whole team is multi-talented. Your whole organisation has multiple talents – despite having people who are pigeon-holed into different jobs.
 
Why does this matter? Click here to read the rest…

As the rate and speed of lay offs continues, I’m meeting more and more people who are looking to leave the corporate world to become freelance consultants or start up their own businesses in another area completely.  

Whilst there are fewer jobs within the banking sector – and indeed the wider economy, there are far more problems to be solved. Problems which create opportunities for new businesses.

How do you get started? 

Suppose you have a desire to become a freelance consultant or have a great business idea, how do you actually get started – and what are the key steps you need to take? 

Here’s a simple 20 step slide show published by BusinessWeek on how to move from the corporate world into self employment.  

What’s missing?

Having made the leap into self employment after the last financial services downturn in 2003, I can see some of these points are very relevant. But I do think there are some key steps missing from this list. For one, there’s the importance of finding a new peer group. 

Step 21. Find a new peer group

Finding a new peer group and community of self employed people (ideally within the same industry) is, in my experience, one of the biggest success factors for a start up. Being self employed can be a very lonely place to be. You need a peer group to share your highs and lows with, people to exchange ideas, resources and best practices with. Without it, you’ll struggle.

There are plenty of self employed people following this blog, so tell me – what do you think is missing from this slide show?

Thanks to Scot Herrick from CubeRules for the inspiration behind this post. He’s recent article Every Job Is A Consulting Job got me thinking about how just ‘thinking’ like a freelance consultant (even if you’re in a permanent job) can protect your career during an economic downturn.

You see, there is no such thing as a ‘permanent’ employee in the modern work place – we’re all consultants. Technology, globalisation and increased competition have conspired to create a world where change and restructuring are part and parcel of all our lives – even in a good economy. So even if you have a ‘permanent contract of employment’, in today’s work place the organisation can no longer promise job security. With increased prosperity and lifestyle changes, individuals cannot promise loyalty to a particular employer. Consequently we’re all consultants or free agents – the CEO of Me Plc / Inc.

It is a mindset shift. But once you ‘get it’ and start thinking like a freelance consultant, it pays huge dividends because it completely changes the way you behave. When you think like a consultant, a few things happen:

1. You take much more responsibility for your own career instead of relying on an organisation to manage your career

2. You’re forced to have plenty of other ‘irons in the fire’ in the form of other roles just in case required

3. You become more proactive in developing a wide network.

4. You become very results driven. Results lead to testimonials, repeat business and referals (the lifeblood of an independent consultant). So being focussed on results and the value you create for employers / clients makes of much more valuable in the market place

5. You’re more focussed on managing your personal brand in order to differentiate yourself from competitors

More valuable + Better networked + More career options + More proactive in managing career + strong personal brand = Less vulnerable to downturns

As this little ‘career formula’ illustrates, during a downturn, the typical behaviours of a consultant can protect you and your career. Every market has it’s winners and losers. Thinking and behaving like a consultant can help you become one of the winners.

By the way if you’re looking for further help in protecting your career in the current downturn, you may want to take a look at our FREE teleseminar “How To Find Job During Recession.” In this complimentary call you will discover what it takes to find opportunities in the current market. Further details and information on signing up click here now.