How to get a better job(than you've ever had before)
"The loss of 467,000 jobs in June..." writes Don Lee of the Los Angeles Times, "...made it clear that the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression was far from over."
"This is the only recession since the Great Depression to wipe out all the jobs growth from the previous business cycle," institute economist Heidi Shierholz said.
"If you do a job where someone tells you exactly what to do, they will find someone cheaper than you to do it." Seth Godin
The U.S. Department of Defense defines psychological warfare (PSYWAR) as: "The planned use of propaganda and other psychological actions having the primary purpose of influencing the opinions, emotions, attitudes, and behavior of hostile foreign groups in such a way as to support the achievement of national objectives."
Career advancement is psychological warfare, in my view. The 'hostile foreign groups' may consist of employers or corporations who might opt to hire or contract with others. They may be consumers opting for products other than the ones we are selling or services offered by others. In any event, we want to attract potential employers or clients to engage us rather than someone else.
Psychological warfare can be waged in any number of ways. It is a conceptual activity with an infinite number of possibilities. One simply must know what one wants--and from whom one wants it. Once these factors are established, the work can begin.
A well conducted media campaign creates new networks--not of peers, but of qualified motivated buyers for what you have to offer.
In the Los Angeles Times, Andrea Chang writes, "The nation’s consumer spending recovery hit a snag in May as retailers reported soft results that hinted at what could be a tough summer for spending."
One might ask if this is a consequence of massive job losses or if this will this stimulate further job lay-offs.
In any event, those who rely on keeping or finding a job should take note and act to increase the value of their personal brand.
In response to the "How to Start a Hollywood Career Without Having to Go There" entry, someone asked: "Since there are no more than 3 kinds of actors, I want to know what are the 3?"
In order to answer this precisely rather than in general terms, I had to check with Kathi who had a copy of the book handy. The three kinds of actors, therefore, are:
1) The lead, whose job is to secure funding for the producer and excite box office results owing to his/her popularity with the public;
2) The antagonist, whose job is to upstage the lead so as to make him/her seem more heroic when he/she wins at the end of the story (remember how well Anthony Hopkins did this for Jodi Foster?);
3) And everyone else, whose job is to be credible without distracting from the interaction between the lead and the antagonist.
This differentiation is meant for strategic purposes to help an actor kick-start a career (bear in mind the title of the book). One can see that, normally, it takes some exposure to be a lead though there are exceptions that become more frequent as the budget gets lower. So, it makes sense to analyze the qualities of an antagonist and incorporate them into one's signature as an actor--or brand, if you will. Making a mark as a good antagonist is also a great way to move into the lead category with the benefits that go along with that status.
Now, imagine how this applies to businessmen and women in the business world.
In speaking with a gentleman the other day, he told me that he has been with a marketing company for two or three months and felt as though his bases were covered in navigating his search for a new job. One question changed his perception. I asked if they (the marketing company he had engaged) had gotten him on television yet. I was met with silence followed by, "No".
I went on to tell him what his 'marketing' company was doing for him: After spending some considerable time consulting with him, they rewrote his resume into narrative form and spammed it out to as many email accounts as they could.
If one wants to ensure a successful result rather than follow the herd and hope for better, would spamming out the best resume that was ever written trump a personal appearance on television and related media? Would receiving spam from you provide better positioning for you in the business sector than a focused presentation of your perspective and wisdom in a national forum? Which approach gives you marquee value? In my view, one approach makes it look like you need a job. The other makes you look like a voice of authority at the national level.
I'm interested in engaging with management level executives who want to ensure the expansion of their horizons.
When growing a market for a brand--whether it is a person or a product--one needs to look for the resonance point in the marketplace. In other words, what is it about the person or the product that stirs the reaction in those who are, or would be, drawn to the brand? Understanding what the market is reacting to will determine what aspect of the personality or product needs amplification in the media communication in order to grow and extend the reach of the brand. Voyage is a good example of this. At first the film content may seem counter-intuitive in the way it presents the designer with only a brief look at the products, however, it hit the market's resonance point squarely on target.
"The Voyage video is lovely! It does build a connection to the designer and at the same time it's subtle. It gives a taste of who she is and the journey of her inspiration without giving away too much. It keeps the mystery of the creative process intact. (You know how some videos are too direct when they show: "And this pattern made exactly this piece of jewellery." I think that sometimes devalues the mystery of creativity.) I think that inspiration is multifaceted, a recipe with a whole range of ingredients. I can imagine that one of the designs could have been inspired by a range of memories, smells, parts of a story/book etc. So in this way your Voyage video is a nice balance. It gives enough to build a human connection to the jewellery range, but not too much." Katrin Hannusch, Senior Art Director, Doremus, Hong Kong
"The unique emotional and visual elements in "Voyage" are captivating and stimulating."
Why should a business executive be concerned with licensing? The best answer is that it increases the yield from his or her personal brand. It extends the life and reach of the brand without requiring extra hours of work on the executive's part. Finally, it can create earnings that relieve the executive from the need to engage in work-for-hire contracts by which he or she is cast in the role of an employee. In a time when jobs are disappearing faster than the polar icecap, it is worth taking note of how licensing can apply to an executive.
If one were to think of an upper-level executive as an intellect, it can be quickly understood that there are many ways to monetize--merchandise--that intellect. Showing up to put in hours each day at someone else's corporation is but one of these. It is probably the least rewarding and remunerative, as well.
In the mid-80s, Mark McCormack of IMG turned his attention to the licensing of athletes thus forever changing the financial dynamics of the sports world. Until I pushed into the business world as a function of my Business on-demand project, I don't know that anyone else was applying this protocol to executives--a curious oversight, in my view.
I think a great many executives will become interested in the subject as the imperative 'Get a job' is supplanted by 'Assure the future'.
I was recently interviewed by Stephen Mitchell, a friend and associate to whom I was introduced about four years ago. The interview was conducted in a TV studio in Sherman Oaks, California. The resulting program and DVD will be used as a promotion piece for me and my projects (one of which is a new book I am writing) and also to promote Business on-demand, a business news channel conceived by Stephen in which I will play a part.
I am convinced that the production will be a valuable product which will enhance my career--not because of what I said or how I performed. It will be due to the professional approach utilized by Stephen in guiding the proceedings.
The Process
His technique involves meeting with the interviewee a few minutes before the shooting is scheduled. He came to the meeting fully prepared with a plan, notes and questions--a virtual roadmap of where he was going. This was comforting for me and I’m thinking, “Well at least he knows what we are going to do.”
I did take note of the fact that he wasn’t very specific concerning precisely what questions would be presented. So I was comforted on the one hand but concerning the questions--well, I was a little on edge.
He quickly sent me into the studio area to sit-in while his assistant set up lights and worked out the sound in preparation for the interview. In other words he left me to “stew” over the possible questions for 15 minutes or so.
In retrospect, my reaction was interesting. During the 15 minute interlude I felt as if the chemicals in my brain were activated and my interest in what was going to occur was piqued and I actually began to focus before the interview. I was ready for the challenge of Stephen Mitchell.
Underway
The command, “Roll camera” came and he hit me with the first question--an easy opener and then another question. I responded with a rather long answer to question two opening up a myriad of pathways for Stephen to pursue. At this point I noticed that Stephen put his notes aside and he went full steam ahead--he was underway--guiding, directing and asking for amplification, explanation and more details. We talked for over an hour.
Post Interview Thoughts
I was amazed at how effortless and easy the interview turned out to be. We simply had a conversation--yet the interview was powerful. I wondered to myself, “How did he do it?” Now I know--he came prepared, he gave me time to get the adrenaline moving, he opened slowly and ultimately followed his instincts to highlight important points for me to discuss.
In my view the key to a quality interview lies with the interviewer--Stephen Mitchell is a Master at the interview game.
