Job Search Secrets: Give Without Expecting & Watch the Magic!

🤩This week’s “Girl, thanks for telling me!” Topic: Be a Giver, Not a Taker

Does your nose scrunch up when you think about “networking”?  Well then, this tip is for you! Many people assume networking is transactional, i.e., I ask you for something, you give me something. The End. And of course we are all deathly afraid to admit we need help (we are weak), and so we get uncomfortable and don’t act - and nothing ever changes...  So let’s flip the script!  What if instead of asking for something, we freely GIVE something without expecting anything in return? When we freely give to others, people are surprised, grateful, remember us, and will enjoy turning our giving into something more like a relationship rather than a transaction. Give, give, give -  and you shall receive. Now you’re thinking “ok, I’ll give it a go, but HOW?”  I got you girl!  Here are 5 ideas: 

1. Send relevant articles or podcast recommendations

2. Recommend tools or apps that you find helpful in your work

3. Share your thought leadership on industry topics by posting original content

4. Write a positive review or endorsement for their skills or services

5. If you know someone who could benefit from meeting someone in your network, make the introduction

Let me know what you learn by doing this!

🔥This Week’s Sizzling Job Search Strategy: Do you Volunteer?

Build genuine relationships with fellow volunteers and organizers

Volunteering can be more than just a way to give back to your community; it can also be a powerful tool in your job search strategy. By leveraging the connections you make through volunteering, you can uncover hidden job opportunities and strengthen your professional network.

How To: When volunteering, be yourself! Engage and build genuine relationships with fellow volunteers and organizers by demonstrating your skills, work ethic, and passion. This could be as a member of a board or committee, or at an event. Let your peers know about your career goals - they might have insider knowledge about job openings or valuable connections. Leverage LinkedIn to connect with your new volunteer-contacts, sending personalized messages to maintain professional ties. Highlight your volunteer work on your LinkedIn profile and resume to find additional like-minded connections.

🔢This Week’s Data-Diva Tip: Give Yourself Your Own Dang 5-Star Review!

20-Minute Challenge: Calculate your Level of “I’m a Big Freakin’ Deal”

I was talking with a Learning & Development professional last week.  She shared that she had no idea how to quantify her work. Her company does not set goals, or have KPIs. They need a training program, she creates it. IMHO, everything is quantifiable, we just have to ask the right questions. So I asked her: 

• Why did you create the training program?

• Did you have learning objectives? What were they?  Why those objectives?

• What is this area of work like before the training?

• What was different about this area of work AFTER the training was implemented?

• How many people were involved in creating and implementing this training?

• How much did it cost to produce?

• How long did it take and what tools and resources did you use?

Queens - ALWAYS quantify your own work, at least for yourself, even when your organization “doesn’t care”. Write your own performance reviews, even if never asked. Your future job opportunity thanks you!

🍳This Week’s Killer Skill: Financial Acumen

Alright, let’s get real about financial acumen. These skills involve understanding and applying financial principles to make smart business decisions, guiding everything from daily operations to long-term strategies. Why does financial acumen matter? It’s simple: strong financial skills make you a rockstar decision-maker. When you can analyze, plan, and act with confidence, you become a valuable asset. Employers are always on the lookout for people who get the numbers, making you highly marketable and opening doors to career advancement. Personally, I built this skill by reading financial statements and then attempting to explain them to my boss. This took a patient boss! He listened and shared with me additional insights and ways to interpret information. I learned a lot by doing this! 

If you want to learn this skill, we’ve got a few ideas for you:

Financial Acumen for Non-Financial Managers (8 hours) Join for Free miniMBA: Financial Acumen (Self-Paced) $175 Financial Intelligence For Non-Finance Managers (3 hours) $9.99 Understanding Business (43 min) Free for LinkedIn Premium Subscribers Corporate Financial Statement Analysis (1 hour, 28 min) Free for LinkedIn Premium Subscribers

Pro Tip: Update your LinkedIn and Resume with this new skill!

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 This Week’s Featured Partner

Coach of the Week: Stacy Mayer. Stacy is a brilliant coach for executive women. Check out The Leadership Table: a comprehensive 6-month executive coaching program that helps corporate women go from under-appreciated, under-recognized and underpaid to being seen as a valued member of the leadership team — with the title and pay increase to match. Listen to her Podcast, Women Changing Leadership or grab her book Promotions Made Easy. I highly recommend Stacy!