[DARE #8] Get Unstuck - Network WITH Purpose - Melissa Llarena

[DARE #8] Get Unstuck - Network WITH Purpose Why does this matter to you?If you are focused on a niche skill then make sure you are consistently communicating that niche skill. For example, if you are all about working with the public sector then say that on a consistent basis.As for me, you dont have to be a middle manager or Gen X-er to partner with me as your coach. You DO  have to be a knowledge professional with a proven track record who wants to excel  in today’s competitive, global, and propane-charged job market i.e. you have to be a gunner.2. You are evaluated on both your professional digital presence (ex. LinkedIn) and your personal ones (ex. Pinterest)Why does this matter to you?Do not ignore your personal digital activities. If I stumble upon a photo of you showing your baby bump (good, bad, or indifferent) then chances are your interviewers have seen it (unless you are a Facebook privacy ninja).I have an old and unused Pinterest account. I deleted it because Im not sure how by you knowing that I love exotic trav el spots is going to influence you to work with me.3. The element of surprise when googling yourself is not always a good thing.Why does this matter to you?Sift through the google pages. Dont just stop on page 1. Trust me. You need to know whats out there. Dont let others have a more informed google impression of your brand.On my end, I learned that a conference (that I never agreed to work with) is using my name and bio to market their events. What did you find on your end?Last related tip: Create a google alert related to your name so that this exercise is no longer necessary and you have a better handle on your name and your online presence.Now, off to DARE #8: Buy folks coffeeIf you are spending more than 8 hours a day feeling anxious, unenthusiastic, nervous, mad, or anything other than purpose-driven then set up 1-2 coffee meetings this week.-Before setting up these meetings identify people with whom you work (or just know i.e. folks who already trust you) who are working on a nything that excites you-Write out briefly why you are excited about their efforts-Think about how you can help them with their efforts (on the side, yes during off-hours)-Volunteer to support these folks in some purpose-driven wayFor example, lets imagine that you loss that loving feeling for working in relationship management. If you find the thought of working in corporate development appealing then consider finding someone who works in corp. dev. and proposing to work on a short-term assignment for that person. Im suggesting more than simply shadowing someone.Another idea can be that you are inspired by someone who volunteers for a not-for-profit. Ask them what they are working through with their mentee or group of students or end-beneficiary. Take the initiative to help them improve whatever it is that they are focused on.I want to hear how it went this week.Email me: Melissa [at] MelissaLlarena [dot] com  and let me know. Im very curious  where your interests lie. [DARE #8] Get Unstuck Network WITH Purpose It takes guts to google yourself for fear of whats out there. Last Sunday, I asked you to do just that for a few reasons:As I mentioned in last weeks challenge, prospective employers are googling you and truthfully so are prospective partners (including romantic and platonic).As a result, it behooves you to continuously check whats out there and imagine whether or not these search results are working for you.On my end, I went further than just googling myself. I looked for any biography (i.e. bio) of me thats out there to see if my message is consistent. And here are a few nuggets that  I realized and most importantly what each means for YOU:1. Too many bio iterations can confuse readers or prospective clients (ex: am I Gen X expert or focused on helping middle managers get unstuck?)Why does this matter to you?If you are focused on a niche skill then make sure you are consistently communicating that niche skill. For example, if you are all about working with the public sector then say that on a consistent basis.As for me, you dont have to be a middle manager or Gen X-er to partner with me as your coach. You DO  have to be a knowledge professional with a proven track record who wants to excel  in today’s competitive, global, and propane-charged job market i.e. you have to be a gunner.2. You are evaluated on both your professional digital presence (ex. LinkedIn) and your personal ones (ex. Pinterest)Why does this matter to you?Do not ignore your personal digital activities. If I stumble upon a photo of you showing your baby bump (good, bad, or indifferent) then chances are your interviewers have seen it (unless you are a Facebook privacy ninja).I have an old and unused Pinterest account. I deleted it because Im not sure how by you knowing that I love exotic travel spots is going to influence you to work with me.3. The element of surprise when googling yourself is not always a good thing.Why does this matter to you?Si ft through the google pages. Dont just stop on page 1. Trust me. You need to know whats out there. Dont let others have a more informed google impression of your brand.On my end, I learned that a conference (that I never agreed to work with) is using my name and bio to market their events. What did you find on your end?Last related tip: Create a google alert related to your name so that this exercise is no longer necessary and you have a better handle on your name and your online presence.Now, off to DARE #8: Buy folks coffeeIf you are spending more than 8 hours a day feeling anxious, unenthusiastic, nervous, mad, or anything other than purpose-driven then set up 1-2 coffee meetings this week.-Before setting up these meetings identify people with whom you work (or just know i.e. folks who already trust you) who are working on anything that excites you-Write out briefly why you are excited about their efforts-Think about how you can help them with their efforts (on the side, yes duri ng off-hours)-Volunteer to support these folks in some purpose-driven wayFor example, lets imagine that you loss that loving feeling for working in relationship management. If you find the thought of working in corporate development appealing then consider finding someone who works in corp. dev. and proposing to work on a short-term assignment for that person. Im suggesting more than simply shadowing someone.Another idea can be that you are inspired by someone who volunteers for a not-for-profit. Ask them what they are working through with their mentee or group of students or end-beneficiary. Take the initiative to help them improve whatever it is that they are focused on.I want to hear how it went this week.Email me: Melissa [at] MelissaLlarena [dot] com  and let me know. Im very curious  where your interests lie.Happy Sunday,Melissa