Sital Ruparelia

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

From January 2010 I’m reinventing myself and what I do.

The website branding will change, the newsletter will change. I’ll be widening the range of services I provide and the range of clients I work with.

Why?  What?  How?

Below are 9 peices of advice I gave during 2009 and I explain how I’m listening to my own advice to reinvent myself next year – and how you can use the same advice to reinvent yourself and your career in 2010.

1. “If you stand still – you’re in trouble”

Due to the pace of change in modern business, we all need to reinvent ourselves every 2-3 years just to keep up. Given that it’s almost 2 years since I started the 6 Figure Career Management site / newsletter, it’s time for a change to coincide with the significant developments in the market-places I operate in.

How about you?

How’s your market changed over the last 2 years?

What are the likely trends, problems and opportunities in the next 12 months?

How can you adapt to meet this changing landscape?

2. “Don’t define yourself by your job title”

Don’t define yourself rigidly by your job title – but instead look at the results of your talent.

I’m rebranding things under one brand: ‘Sital’ – and one website: SitalRuparelia.com, so that all the work I do will come under there – speaking, coaching, consultancy, career management, resourcing, employee engagement and retention.

When you’re reinventing yourself, start identifying the range of problems you’re adept at fixing and the results you’ve helped deliver, rather than a job title.  Get known for your talents. Then build your brand around ‘you’ – your unique style, values and approach.

That’s how you minimize your exposure to market downturns whilst standing out from the crowd.

3. “Widen your service offering”

We’re all effectively freelancers nowadays – even if we have a permanent contract. And as a freelancer you must constantly widen your service offering to survive and thrive in ever-changing markets.

That’s why this newsletter and my blog will from January provide not only career resources for individuals but ALSO advice for employers and business leaders on how to manage talent within their organisations.

So, as you look to reinvent yourself, look at who else you can help.

What skills do you have that other teams, firms or indeed industries can benefit from?

Better still, ask them and listen…

4.  ”Listen to your audience / clients / the market place”

You’ve been telling me that you want a shorter, punchier newsletter and blog posts. You’ve been asking for advice on dealing with people issues in your teams and businesses – particularly around employee engagement and retention.

You’ve been telling me you wanted something you could read on your Blackberry or iPhone. You’ve been telling me you like the newsletter’s upbeat tone blended with humour.

So the ezine will be much shorter and will focus on both:

A. Career management advice for individuals on how to build exceptional careers in less time and with less stress

B. Talent Management advice for organisations and business – advice on finding, engaging and retaining the right people

We’ll maintain the humour and rebrand the newsletter:  “Straight Talk With A Smile.”

But I’ll still share links to longer articles on my blog so you don’t miss out.

5. “Be agile and flexible”

Between 2003-2007 about 80% of my time was focused on helping firms to find and keep the right people and 20% on helping individuals with their careers. During 2008-2009, 80 percent of my time was spent helping individuals manage their careers and 20 percent helping firms.

I suspect 2010 will be 50:50 between the two areas, reflecting the recovery and improvements in the employment market.

So Iike any other small business I’ve had to adapt to the changing market by being agile and adjusting my branding and marketing activities to meet the changing needs of the market.

The very same applies to you – take a close look at trends and the changing needs of your employers and your market to see where you need to position yourself in 2010.

Then ask yourself how you need to change the way you market yourself in this new landscape.

6. “Keep moving forward – even when it’s uncomfortable”

After much resistance, from January, I’ll be  video blogging. That’s right, me on camera giving advice on career and talent management. I’ll also be doing audio pod casts.

My IT guru Sandra De Freitas, who looks after my website, blog etc has been telling me for months

“Sital, you really need to start a video blog. “Your natural style is to speak rather than write and people will get so much more value.  Plus we’re all watching much more video online than we used to and reading far less – and that trend will continue.”

My response has been…..“yes, I know. But not yet, I’m busy. We’ll start soon….’

I knew it was the right thing to do, but like with anything new, I have found myself procrastinating and putting it off. But am now pushing ahead, despite it feeling awkward and uncomfortable, because I know that the more I do it, the more natural it will become.

And the same applies to you. If you’re planning on reinventing yourself in 2010, remember it will be uncomfortable as you make changes, but that’s not an excuse not to do it. If it’s NOT uncomfortable then you’re not testing yourself much at all.

7. “Forget perfection – just get started”

The new newsletter, the updated website, the colour scheme, the logo, will NOT be what I had in mind or what I really want.  But a lack of time and resources mean that I can’t be a perfectionist – I need to listen to my own advice: just get started and make corrections as we go.

Same with you – you don’t have to get all your ducks in a row and have everything perfectly planned out before starting.

Just take the first step on the way – you’ll find that opportunities, resources and ideas ’show up’ once you’ve taken that first step.

8. “Be yourself. Be authentic”

‘Re-branding’ and “re-invention” sound like such fancy words – and for some people they sound like ’spin’ and a little false.

But what I’m talking about is the complete opposite. When you re-invent yourself, you need to be getting closer to your authentic self – the real you.

Anyone who’s worked with me in the last 15 years will tell you that humour and fun play a big part in my work. That’s just me.

All my friends will tell you that if we’re going out to a bar or party, my first question will usually be: “have they got sofas?!” becauase I love hanging out on sofas. Call me an old man, but all my video blogs will (you guessed it) involve me sharing ideas from comfy sofas!

All my clients will tell you I’m passionate, creative and draw lots of pictures to make my points. So the video blog will involve me talking to you from a sofa and drawing pictures so that you get tons more value – and some entertainment too.

Are all these a little quirky and different? Sure they are. But they’re also very authentic. It’s just me being myself rather than trying to be like everyone else.

Being the ’same as everyone else’ is the worst career strategy you can use. To stand out you need to reinvent yourself – not with spin – but with authenticity.

9. ‘Do some good’

Doing good is no longer deemed ‘fluffy’ but is in fact good for business.

And I firmly believe that our success is measured not by what we acquire – wealth, promotions, job titles etc – but by what we contribute.

It’s your contribution – not your bonus cheque – that you’ll look back on when you retire. It’s your contribution that will give your career and life a sense of meaning and purpose. Your contribution and the value you offer that will determine your legacy.

And so, as part of my contribution, the ezine will include an occasional idea or resource you can use to help you do meaningful work right now instead of ’some day’ when you’ve got all your ducks in a row.

And that’s the biggest tip on reinvention. Changing yourself and what you do is one of the toughest things you’ll ever do. So make sure the goal involves you becoming a better person and creating a legacy rather than simply making more money or getting a fancy title. There’s nothing wrong with money or titles, but it’s long been proven that money, titles and status don’t give job satisfaction and won’t make you fundamentally happy. Whereas doing something meaningful and making a difference will.

The new shorter, punchier newsletter will be out from early January. As will the www.SitalRuparelia.com website

(the current www.6figurecareermanagement site will redirect to the new site automatically)

The video blogs will be up and running from early January – or even earlier if I push myself through my procrastinating, ignore those uncomfortable feelings and just get them done!

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? Based on personal experience, here are what I consider to be the 3 most effective strategies to secure consultancy work or interim management / freelance opportunities in a tight job market.

1. Networking

Having strong relationships with decision-makers who have problems which you can fix is the fastest way to find consultancy work.  That’s how I found my first interim project after leaving my job in 2003 – and in fact how I’ve found pretty much every consultancy/freelance/contract role in the last 6 years – through a contact or referral.
 
I’m a guest author for several online publications - which are helpful for marketing purposes and establishing credibility in the eyes of potential clients. Again, all these opportunities came via introductions from contacts.  I have a regular slot on national radio as a career expert. Surprise surprise – this again came via a referral.
 
Am I lucky?  Not really.  I’ve just focused on building and maintaining genuine long-term relationships, tried to be clear about what I want and ensured the people around me have been aware of that.
 
How about you? How much time are you investing in cultivating a strong network?  Are you networking effectively in the new world of social media and face to face interactions or is your networking one dimensional? How clearly can you articulate the problems you can solve, the value you can offer and the types of people and opportunities you want to attract?
 
2. Writing

I’m constantly amazed at how people from all corners of the world read my articles on blogs such as this one. Yet the vast majority of readers have never met me or had even heard of me prior to reading the articles. Some are kind enough to link back or forward on articles to others and so effectively become my unpaid marketing team.
 
That’s the power of writing and openly sharing your ideas and intellectual property in the modern economy.  When you do it consistently and in a way that adds value to readers, you position yourself as an expert and thought leader. It helps you stand out from the crowd, build trust with your target audience and increase your earnings potential. All of which ensures that consultancy opportunities come to you rather require you to go looking for them.
 
So tell me, what’s your expertise? What are the problems that you are adept at fixing? What’s the value you deliver?

Now what’s stopping you writing/sharing your ideas and opinions in a white paper, on a blog or even in a one-off article? Which publications or events can you submit your articles to in order to generate some free publicity for you?
 
Don’t tell me “I can’t write”. You don’t need an English degree to write. If you can talk – you can write. If you have ideas and opinions that are of value to others then start sharing them.

3. Speaking
 
Like writing, speaking allows you to position yourself as an expert and thought leader and so attract opportunities. But it also allows you to create a personal connection with people and so enhance relationships and trust.
 
So if you’re out of work, offer yourself as a guest speaker to people in your network.  It doesn’t have to be a key-note speech at a major conference – a simple talk at a team meeting, an off-site event or a professional association meeting is fine.
 
It’s an opportunity to share your ideas and insights, offer incredible value whilst putting yourself in the spotlight with a bunch of people who could use your services.  And all in an environment with zero competition.  You don’t have to be a world class public speaker -  just competent and engaging. The polish, stories and humour can come later as you do more speaking.
 
Also,think beyond geographical barriers by creating a pod cast and publishing it on your site/blog or that of others. Run a teleclass or webinar on a topic you consider yourself an expert on from the comfort of your home.

So if I were to ask you to give a talk on a topic, what subjects are you confident speaking about?  Who are the key people in your network that would benefit from such a talk?  What’s the next step to setting up that talk…?
 
When you focus on networking, writing and speaking consistently, all 3 activities feed off each other. Your networking generates more readers of your content. The writing creates speaking opportunities. Your audience become avid readers of your articles and start sharing them with others and so on.  In time you start building a critical mass.  A following which creates more and more opportunities for you.
 
Is all this easy? No, but it’s effective in getting you results if you want to find consulting or interim freelance work.

And here’s the bonus: In addition to helping you find your next consultancy project or  interim opportunity, these 3 strategies will strengthen your personal brand and significantly enhance your long term career prospects. All of which make you immune to future downturns.

“Hi, what is it you do?”

It’s the dreaded question.

One of the biggest challenges faced by people in the middle of a career transition is knowing how to introduce themselves whilst socialising or networking.

It’s even more challenging for people who are in the process of starting a business or becoming independent consultants. They don’t quite know what it is they plan to do and so they frequently withdraw from conversations, go shy and often avoid going to social events until they’ve figured out exactly what it is they are doing. Completely irrational, but it’s amazing how many people do it.

I speak from experience as I played this avoidance and perfection game a lot in the past. It’s all one big mistake because avoiding these interactions until things are ‘just right’, means you:

- Miss out on potential work and business opportunities
- Miss out on a helping hand in clarifying what it is you do
- Miss out on the opportunity to screw up and become better at introducing yourself

Yes, getting your ‘message’ right is a key part of any change process – finding work, changing careers or becoming self employed. People cannot connect you with future employers and prospects if they don’t know what you do and what it is you’re looking for. And there are many resources and help for people on how to get their message right (articles, books, videos, coaches etc)

But fundamentally the work should be done in the field, not in your lounge or your home office.

The best way to learn to cook, is to just cook. Classes and recipe books are good, but ultimately, you learn to cook by burning a few things and getting it wrong before you get it right

The best way to learn to interview, is to go out and be interviewed. Screw up the occasional interview, make a few mistakes – and then you become proficient at interviews

The best way to articulate what you do to others, is to put yourself out and introduce yourself to people. 

So don’t wait around too long trying to figure out what you’d say before getting out there. Don’t play the ‘when-then’ game and wait until you feel good about yourself. Please just get out and start introducing yourself.

The clarity, proficiency, opportunities and ‘feeling good’ come once you step out there and introduce yourself. So what is it you do again..?

Marketing guru Seth Godin is making a rare speaking appearance in London on February 17th 2009. Seth is a best selling author, speaker and thought leader on marketing and entrepeneurship. He writes one of the most popular business related blogs in the world and has demi-god status amongst the blogging community. 

So if you’re based close to London and looking for some leading edge ideas on how to better market yourself, stand out from the crowd and rub shoulders with some like minded people, I suggest you book your ticket to this event right now. You won’t regret it. 

To visit Seth’s brilliant and thought provoking blog, click here

To see a You Tube video clip of Seth speaking, click here 

To book tickets to the event, click here

As we wrap up 2008, I thought I’d share some of the best posts of the year below. I got the idea from Penelope Trunk, who recently shared her best 18 posts of the year on the excellent blog, Brazen Careerist.

As this is the last post of the year, can I also quickly say ‘thank you’ for reading and commenting on the blog. I understand that everyone is busy and so appreciate you taking the time to read. I hope you’ve found the articles of benefit during a turbulent 2008 and hope to bring you more valuable advice and information in 2009.

So wherever you are in the world, I wish you an enjoyable and relaxing time over the remaining days of the holiday season and look forward to ’seeing’ you in January.

15 Best Posts of 2008

Focus On Reinvention, Not Recession

10 Ways YOU Stop Yourself Getting The Right Job

How To Thrive During Uncertain Times

9 Career Lessons From Richard Branson

13 Ways To Stay Positive In An Economic Downturn

How To Recession Proof Your Career By Developing Your Network

5 Tips For Managing Your Career In A Crazy Market

Why Thinking Like A Consultant Protects You In A Downturn

5 Steps To More Money AND More Satisfaction

The 7½ Tips For Being Remarkable

The Secret To Success In A Downturn: Choosing Your Reaction

5 Tips For Job Searching In A Crazy Market

How To Make Your CV / Resume Stand Out In A Downturn

Lehman Employees: Here’s What To Do Next

Career Changers: 6 Steps To Becoming Unstuck

If you like the post, I’d really appreciate it if you helped spread the word by sharing it on Delicious, StumbleUpon or Digg!

Your CV or resume is the vehicle through which you market yourself – it is your sales brochure that enables you to get an interview.

The interview is where you really sell yourself – the role of the CV is to secure an interview, not to get you a job.

It goes without say, that you require a good CV / resume to get an interview. But in a tight job market you need more than a good CV. You need a great CV.

So if you have recently been made redundant or are simply looking to change jobs, take a look below and ask yoursef if you have a “Good CV  / resume” or a “Great CV / resume”

A Good CV / Resume

There are some fundamental guidelines you need to follow to make sure your CV does its job:

Click here to read the rest…

Whilst watching the Football European Championships this weekend, I got into a conversation with some friends about football (soccer) coaches.

One name which kept popping up was Jose Mourinho – the ex-coach of London-based Chelsea Football Club (and recently appointed manager of Italian club, Inter Milan.)

Interestingly, 5 years ago, Mourinho was unheard of outside his native Portugal. Today, the self styled “Special One” is one of best known coaches in world football. He is a sought after coach and commands one of the biggest pay packages around.

Of course, part of his success comes down to the trophies and success he has delivered for his employers. But a large part of his reputation and celebrity status comes down to the fact that Mourinho is controversial and so of interest. Love him or hate him, people talk about him. As Seth Godin the marketing author and speaker would say, Jose Mourinho is “remarkable”.

Seth defines remarkable as “worth making a remark about.” Being remarkable and worth talking about is a fundamental part of how you stand out in a crowded market.

Click here to read the rest…