Dismissed, let go, downsized or laid off! It doesn’t matter what term is used to describe it, they all SUCK! Although it is rarely a personal issue, it is impossible not to take it personally! Most will feel alone, rejected and scared combined with shock, disbelief, resentment, anger, overwhelming self pity and shame. All of those negative emotions can lead to some poorly made decisions so despite the emotional roller coaster that you will be riding for at least a few days, do your best to hold on tight and ride the waves of emotion.

Don’t go to the bar! Do go to the gym. Share the news only with those who truly care about you and have the ability to be both empathetic and supportive. If you believe the company or organization is not offering a fair and acceptable severance package seek legal advice immediately.

Worrying about the future will not change anything so think of your job loss as an unexpected holiday and your traumatic experience will become much more bearable, at least for the short term.

As much as we would like to believe all employees are respected and regarded as more than a name or a number, this isn’t always the reality of the situation at the corporate level and downsizing a department may be related simply to the number of employees or length of tenure rather than the individual so don’t take it personally. If the opportunity was given to prepare a case for NOT ME prior to the company issuing the “pink slip” you might have the right to say WHY ME but that doesn’t happen either.

Join a networking organization for those in career transition as soon as possible. You’ll discover losing a job is as common as acquiring one and any sense you had of being the only one who ever lost a job will quickly vanish.

So stand tall, accept that you have been fired, canned, terminated, dismissed, let go, downsized or laid off along with millions of others! Again, you are not alone. This one closed door will result in an awareness of many open doors, one of which could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Keep an open mind and remain optimistic. You could be ready for a Human Detour.

Martin Buckland has been providing executive career management services since 1993. For further information or to obtain a free resume critique contact Elite Resumes.

It appears that much advice in establishing a visible online presence to generate opportunities for success in your career or business is not getting through. If the question needs to be asked, “where are you?”, it is very likely the effort to find you will be abandoned. It seems that even those who have established long time web sites are providing examples of how not to be found.

A recent search of a professional who sent an email with a link brought up a HTML page that contained absolutely no contact data and no name. The company name was used to do a google search and although a web site was found, again there were no links to anything. No contact data, no name, no social media links. This is how not to be found!

If you do not have a Linkedin profile, you are not among over 100 million professionals networking and sharing opportunities and you won’t be found. If you have developed a profile but failed to include any further contact details, you still may not be found if a recruiter prefers to pick up the phone or use email.

HR professionals wishing to verify the various causes you said you supported in a job interview but couldn’t find results in the news media will likely look to Facebook for verification. If you do not have a Facebook profile or Page, you won’t be found!

Submitting a resume is usually done in the hope that someone at the receiving end will respond. Despite this intent resumes are submitted every day without phone numbers, email addresses or Linkedin addresses. You can be assured that without this basic information there will be no response and you will not be found!

Networking in person is as critical to your success as networking online but attending an event without sharing a business card providing adequate contact data is just one more example of how not to be found!

Are you in charge of your career or have you left it on autopilot without a destination? Sooner or later the fuel will be spent and in today’s job market you could risk crashing in a remote area or you could make the choice to take control and ensure you land in an acceptable location.

A flight plan, not unlike your career path will present challenges at times when it may seem impossible to see beyond the horizon but that does not mean you need to let go of the controls. Staying current and knowledgeable is  powerful. Experience generates confidence and networking results in opportunities. Add to this, a positive outlook, motivation and some professional advice and you have the resources to plan a successful course for your career. Plan well, stay in charge of your career and don’t despair if faced with an unexpected detour, it just might be what you were really looking for.

Contact Martin Buckland for information on the Executive Career Management Services available at Elite Resumes.

When was the last time you were on the phone with someone you were not acquainted with and at the end of the conversation they said, “Have a nice day!” and meant it? Did you smile and reciprocate? It should not be a rare occasion to receive or send a call or message that generates a smile. It’s in everyone’s best interest to establish a positive and lasting first impression and it requires little time or effort to simply brighten someone’s day. 

Many cold calls and messages are initiated in an attempt to acquire services or advice and more often than not,  little consideration is given to the individual answering the call or the impression that will be left with them. Perhaps it is simply the narrow focus on accomplishing the task at hand that hinders the human connection. Agreed, it is difficult to smile when expectations are of a recorded message at the other end of the line and usually one that consumes a great deal more time than we wish to allocate. For many, it will require a conscious effort but it is worth the investment of a few seconds to smile prior to making or receiving a call and to add a thoughtful comment such as “Enjoy your day!” at the end of your conversation or message.

We sometimes find ourselves overloaded with information, frustrated with technology or wishing for more hours in a day. It’s too easy to get caught up in the fast pace of the day and with so much interaction occurring online, it is more important now than ever before to make a conscious effort to interact with others in a solicitous and pleasant manner. Before you pick up the phone, smile! There is little that will influence a positive response more than a smile whether it is seen or felt. Your call or message will be welcomed and you will generate a positive first impression; one that will be remembered.    

Professional letters such as resume cover letters require a more formal salutation such as sincerely or sincerely yours, but for other letters, emails, text messages and social media correspondence an informal salutation is acceptable and appreciated. Break free from old habits and add some thought and consideration to your next message. “Kind regards”, ”Take care” or “All the best”, may more aptly relay your sentiments. 

It is with complete sincerity when I say to you, “Have a nice day!”  
Smiley Face      

Success in your life, your business or your career will be influenced by enthusiasm, confidence, connections, focus, knowledge and motivation. These ingredients for success are not always easily acquired or maintained and a conscious effort is required to stay on track. The following 3 recommendations are sure to have a positive influence, Reignite, Rejuvenate, Relate.

“ReIgnite at the McLaren” Including The Passion Test, presented by Ignite Consulting Group and facilitated by Edye St. Hill, Chief Ignite Officer is accepting registrations for March 22nd at the McLaren Art Centre, Barrie, Ontario.

Individuals or Businesses looking to ReIgnite your life, work or relationships – this is for you! Your Passions and Strengths are the clues to your ideal life. Gaining clarity on them is the first step toward…A Life and Business on Fire!  

Rejuvenate your resume! Maintaining an impressive and current resume is always in your best interest. You never know when the next opportunity will arise. Be prepared with a resume that will entice the most discriminating decision maker to call you in for a job interview. Contact a Certified Professional Resume Writer, Martin Buckland at Elite Resumes for a free critique today. Discussing your many accomplishments is sure to inspire confidence!

Relate to your peers through networking events to share ideas, different perspectives, new leads and resources. Your connections are your support system and you are theirs, in the successful pursuit of all future endeavours! Toronto ExecuNet and Senior ExecuNet is facilitated by Martin Buckland on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wednesday each month. Register online for one of the GTA locations convenient for you.

If you are actively managing your career you are in need of a continuously updated, wealth of information. Wikipedia is OUR online encyclopedia, the ultimate collaborative online resource and it’s free! Discover pertinent history, acquisitions, key people, current revenue, headquarters, products and more for your list of targeted companies.  

Wikipedia was acknowledged in 2006 by Time Magazine for online collaboration and interaction by millions of users around the world, naming You as Person of the Year, noting on the front cover, ”You control the Information Age. Welcome to your world”.

Wikipedia is now the 5th most visited site in the world with 400 million visitors a month according to Canadian Business magazine. Their fundraising goal of $16 million is expected to raise twice as much as the previous year’s campaign which consisted mostly of banner ads, “A small price to pay for the value received”. The influence of personal branding was evident when donations increased by 400% with a change in the banner ads to a personal request from Jimmy Wales, who started the  organization in 2001.

Globe and Mail recently reported the average Canadian web surfer reads 16 Wikipedia pages a month, which is the most in the world — one more than German users, two more than Polish users and four more than Americans. Canadian users generate about 217,000 edits a month, which ranks 8th among the most productive countries. 

Are you utilizing this online resource to assist you in your job search? If you need to clarify industry related terminology, corporate titles, planning policies, procedures, executive profiles, corporate profiles or obtain a contact name, Wikipedia is a great place to start! Follow up with a Google search for any additional information. Search Twitter for real-time results and Facebook for a Page.   

If you are a senior professional in 2010, you likely have a web page, a blog post, Linkedin profile, Facebook Page, Twitter profile and a significant Google presence. Maintaining a professional profile is important in managing your career but did you know that the information you post could be used by an employer to predict your future within their organization? 

Predictive analytics is the use of algorithms to detect patterns and connections in life to predict future events. A new company in this field, Recorded Future is featured in an article in Macleans, “Corporate Mind Games”, as “the world’s first temporal analytics engine”. By scanning information from websites, news stories, blogs and Twitter pages for links between individuals, groups and incidents in the past and applying ”Temporal Reasoning” they are citing the ability to predict events that haven’t yet happened.

Using past information to predict future events is nothing new as financial data has been used for many years to analyze an individuals credit worthiness. A history of outstanding payments and late payment fees is a good indication of how future payments will be made. In addition to financial information we now have access to a tremendous amount of personal and professional information available online. HR departments have the potential to accumulate and analyze this information to predict the future of their employees. Is it possible that your history will indicate the next time you will call in sick or when you will change jobs? 

As a matter of fact, don’t lie about anything to get a job, including your age! Time after time a conscious decision is made to submit a resume that does not contain the dates for educational accreditation’s. Think about this very carefully. If someone is hiding something it is natural to believe there is a significant reason for it. In reality it backfires every time because the decision to hide the dates on your resume gives the impression you are even older and rather than knowing you were born in the 60′s, will assume you were born in the 50′s! Omitting any pertinent information is not recommended but even worse is to lie about your age to get a job.

Over 80% of recruiters and HR professionals are utilizing social media and checking you out online. If you made a decision to lie about your graduating year on your resume, did you also lie about it on your Facebook profile? What did you put in your Linkedin profile? If the lack of a consistent brand can tarnish a reputation it is obvious the damage that could be done by creating online profiles with contrasting information. Being caught in a lie is a sure fire way to eliminate you as a potential candidate.

Transparency is the sign of the times! A professional resume, an established brand, a visible online presence, testimonials and recommendations from employers and colleagues are all necessary if you want to excel in an executive career. Don’t lie and do not omit dates or employment history. If it was necessary to spend a year caring for a loved one on a full time basis, add it to your resume and list your accomplishments during that time frame.

Contact Elite Resumes for further information on managing your executive career or to obtain a  free resume critique from Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Resume Writer.  

“There are plenty of career opportunities for today’s executives and professionals, if they know the rules of the new job search game. Hear executive expert MARTIN BUCKLAND share the new ground rules. How has the face of resumes changed? Is it enough? What are the key ways we can leverage social media? What else do we really need to know if we are to succeed in landing our career aspirations?”

Elizabeth M. Lengyel, People Coach, interviews Martin on her radio show: BIZ Juice, “Straight-Talk With The Masters”. 

The following comment was posted on a professional networking site by a “professional” who chose to respond to an individual email and replied to all for the entire organization to read.

“This is not appropriate subject material for a job network group. Use your brain a little and quit thinking through your pants.”

Do you think this is an appropriate comment? If you are thinking that it depends on the content in the original message that it referred to, you are making a mistake. Why? Because the original message was spam email. In other words the person who was sent the nasty message for all to see did not send the original email!  Many of us realized the first time we read it that it was spam and I’m not sure why site administrators didn’t catch it sooner but for those of us who did, there is only one inappropriate comment here and that is the one noted above.

Unfortunately, too many of us are familiar with the prevalence of online viruses out there today. I recently received a link from a friend prefaced by his website address making it seem all too authentic except that I knew him well enough to suspect receiving a link without a personalized message. Upon advising him, he confirmed he had not sent out anything to anyone and it was spam.

Don’t assume that an inappropriate message was sent by the sender as it could easily be spam. If you feel the need to ask or respond, keep it one on one and give consideration that your comments could still be distributed at some point for all to see. Secondly, always think before posting any comment giving consideration to how others will receive your message. Is it positive, inspiring, intelligent, productive, or informative? Does it provide an answer to the question asked? Does it clearly relay your message? Is it grammatically correct and free of typos? Finally, when posting any comments online  or distributing an email for all to see, remember the following:

“Two wrongs do not make a right.”

“If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.”

“Do/say unto others as you would have them do/say unto you.”

“It only takes one comment to ruin a good reputation.”

“You don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.”

Are you exuding  A Professional Image?

Word of mouth in the form of endorsements, testimonials, validations or references is by far the most influential promotional tool available. It is more powerful than any other available marketing initiative and the fact that it is free adds to credibility. Managing a career or promoting a business requires a conscious effort to obtain positive feedback in order to establish a reputation that will attract opportunities for advancement or increase sales of  a service or product. 

More often than not, we are faced with the task of asking for an endorsement or testimonial and find it to be an unpleasant task, especially when it becomes necessary to follow up with further requests. This is not a time to be humble so if it seems a difficult endeavour it may require some additional preparation to increase your self esteem. Your resume is your personalized marketing tool and will help boost your confidence by reviewing your many accomplishments. It has also become acceptable to offer to write your own testimonial and provide it as a draft to lessen the inconvenience for the referrer. Writing about your expertise, valuable skills and abilities will also help to inspire and add the encouragement that might be necessary to overcome any reservations.   

Perhaps the best reference is one that is not requested and is received quite unexpectedly. Recently, it was my pleasure to read a blog posted by Susan Crossman of Crossman Communications which referred to a “terrific presentation” that I gave on resume writing. Not only is this positive feedback appreciated but it is also highly valued as it comes from an expert in communication! The details Susan provides are also a validation that my message was clearly relayed. Thanks Susan!

Think before you post! Rationalize, be considerate, polite and professional. Don’t damage your reputation by letting your emotions get the best of you and posting online comments in haste for all the world to see that you can NEVER take back! If necessary, take the time to walk away and respond at a later time or date. There is nothing wrong with sharing your opinion but don’t ever lose site of the negative impact a damaged reputation can have on your career. The advice we received as children is as applicable today as it was then; If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!   

Not only will your negative comments damage your reputation in the eyes of those on the site you posted it but social media provides a fast and easy forum to share the news of your online blunder even further than you could imagine, just read, The Anti-Social Media, “..you don’t call people names online. Ever.” ~Jay Dolan.  

Scott Stratten, expert on Twitter and author of UnMarketing, Stop Marketing. Start Engaging, includes a chapter titled, Seven Deadly Social Media Sins, specifically noting, Wrath and writes the worst thing about social media is the reactionary nature of it and goes on to say many don’t think before they tweet, adding, ”It takes a thousand tweets to build a reputation and one to change it all.”    

Unfortunately, the dramatic increase of those contributing content online has had no influence on our educational system. In a Toronto Star article by Barbara Turnbull, Scott Stratten says, “There’s rarely, (a current) curriculum being taught in the Canadian school system – and you’re talking to someone who just finished teaching at Sheridan for eight years. There’s no social media. We’re not even teaching the students and kids who use Facebook every day how to best use that in business. People don’t like to change.”

Although there is clearly a lack of formal education, there is an abundance of educational information available online and John Antonios gives us, 100 Social Media Tips You Must Know Before 2011. Here are just 4 of his extremely valuable tips: 

3.  Social media has made you immortal, but your legacy is your responsibility

47. Do unto others, as you would want others to do unto you

48. Every word counts – the spotlight is always on!

50. Offline, bad can become worse – Online, Bad can become ugly – beware of the viral effect of social media.

Heed this advice and think before you post to avoid damaging your reputation with online comments!

There will always be those who will post online comments containing opinionated, biased or prejudiced points of view giving little or no consideration to what could be perceived by many as offensive content. Some will openly admit they could care less about how anyone else feels or what anyone else thinks. Whether an attempt to mask insecurity or simply a display of arrogance, the negative impact on your personal and professional reputation will severely limit opportunities for advancment in your career. 

Diplomacy, intelligence, confidence, articulation, consideration and validity should be clearly evident in every online comment you choose to share with the world! Your reputation and your brand are key to managing a successful career. One online comment sent in haste or in the heat of the moment has the potential to seriously damage your reputation and result in lost opportunities. Inappropriate or negative comments tend to leave lasting impressions and only recently I found myself in a situation to refer an individual but couldn’t clearly recall why I wasn’t comfortable in doing so. After some deliberation I recalled an offensive and insulting online rant that they had become embroiled in. If this individual could not maintain professional behaviour when all the world was watching, how would they perform on the job? Needless to say, I was unable to offer a personal recommendation and unknown to the potential candidate, an opportunity was lost. Is it possible that your online comments have limited your career advancement? 

Those who are successfully achieving regular advancements in their career are not apt to offend others with online comments but rather to show consistent, mutual respect and consideration. This earned respect generates a larger audience enabling you to share thoughts and ideas with those interested in listening, inspiring support and increasing opportunities for success.  

One of the most renowned Canadians of our time is Chris Hadfield. You need only listen to him speak for a few minutes to understand the magnitude of his achievements and his genuineness as a human being. He is one of the top astronauts in the world and will be the first Canadian astronaut to command the International Space Station. What does this have to do with online comments? Despite this commendable achievement announced in a CBC News article about a truly amazing individual it has produced many negative online comments. I’m not suggesting you waste your time reading them, but what should be noted is the overwhelming support for the positive comments indicated by a thumbs up versus the negative comments with a thumbs down.

Another way to lose respect and damage your reputation is to post online comments that are based on a unique sense of humour. You know who you are if your sense of humour tends to be misunderstood by the majority of people so posting what you believe to be a humorous online comment is a risk you may want to consider very carefully. It won’t get a laugh if it is misunderstood or perceived as offensive. 

Finally, don’t count on anonymity to post slanderous, blastphemous or threatening online comments. Online rants carry big legal risks, an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune by David G. Savage states, “Although bloggers may have a free-speech right to say what they want online, courts have found that they are not protected from being sued for their comments, even if they are posted anonymously.”

What are you saying online?

“You’ve just won $1,000,000! Email your detailed account information now and we’ll send you the money.” We’ve all received some form of Email spam and recognize it for what it is, SPAM! Although it would be nice, there is no doubt that anyone is going to send you a million dollars from some other country unless it’s in your dreams! There are all types of email spam which is directed at a variety of targets including those who are seeking employment. Are you aware of emails referencing resumes that contain an attachment with a virus? Are you aware of the email campaigns by companies that prey on the vulnerability of job seekers making promises in exchange for thousands of dollars that will never be realized? Job seekers beware!

It’s not always easy to recognize that the personalized email regarding your resume is actually a generic, spam email that has been sent to thousands of individuals. Unfortunately, your resume has probably not been discovered nor does the sender have an opportunity for you. We have all been warned not to open attachments from unknown senders but when someone makes reference to your resume, which you have just updated online in the hopes it will be noticed by someone, the anticipation of a potential opportunity overrides the caution normally exercised when unknown attachments are received. If the message is:        

“Could I get an update on your resume? Your cooperation will be
appreciated in this matter.
The resume we have on file for you is
http://wxw.careerbu ilder.com/ ShareInfo/ Resume.aspx? xxxxxxx DON’T OPEN IT!

Another popular email received by job seekers is also a mass mailing which references your resume and how it caught someone’s attention. Read it carefully and you will notice that the same content could apply to anyone and your resume did not stand out any more than anyone else’s did and no, you did not win the lottery. However, you have been given the opportunity to contact the undersigned for an interview upon which you will be asked to return with your spouse and pay thousands of dollars to obtain the job of your dreams. Search www.ripoff.com for further details. And remember, recruiters will never ask a job seeker for money as they are working for the employer to fill a position.  

Word of mouth is still the best assurance you have to secure the services of a reputable company. Online resources and social media provide a wealth of information including references, company information and contact details. If there is not a real person behind the company name, look elsewhere. The opportunity to easily connect with millions will most often provide a contact who knows someone who you know that will be happy to provide you with a valid recommendation.

Seek out professionals that are accredited in their fields and are highly recommended. Invest in a professional resume, visible online profile, job search strategies, personal branding, career coaching and networking. There could be many along your career path that you will wish to thank for their expertise and support but ultimately the success of your job search will be accredited to one person, YOU!    

The number of factors that will have an influence on your career advancement are infinite! Some will have a moderate impact and others will significantly affect the successful management of your career. The following are the top 12 factors:

1. professional resume
2. online visibility
3. presentable appearance
4. networking
5. confidence
6. education
7. positive thinking
8. leadership abilities
9. communication skills
10. career accomplishments
11. resilience
12. motivation

Although all of these factors will influence the success of your career, it is more important to recognize that all are completely within your control! It may be necessary to acquire the services of a Professional Resume Writer, Personal Branding Strategist or Executive Coach, but it is clearly within your power to achieve results that will positively impact your potential career advancement.

There is one influencing factor however, that is beyond your control and that is career trends. Without careful consideration of current and future career trends in the management of your career, your career advancement could easily be derailed. The volatility of the automotive industry and affiliated manufacturers in Ontario resulted in hundreds of thousands losing their jobs and as such, it would not have been an ideal industry to focus on career advancement. Certainly economic turbulence has impacted many industries, some more than others but there are those that have waned simply as a sign of the times. Keeping abreast of changing trends will assist you in making the right decisions to optimize the probability to further your career. Although changes in industries and career trends are beyond your control, the decisions made surrounding those trends are yours to make. As such, the decision to transition from one industry to another is becoming more prevalent with employers more aware of changing trends and recognizing the significance of transferable skills.    

The prediction of future trends even by the experts can be somewhat of a precarious endeavour but information on career trends, industry trends and top franchise opportunities is abundant and with careful scrutinizing will reveal some consistent and reliable forecasts. “The Best and Worst Industries of the Next Decade” or “The Top 10 Jobs of 2015 Don’t Exist Today!” are worth the read and monitoring statistics on the increase and decline of specific industries available from the U.S. and Canadian Labour Departments will also assist to keeping you informed.

A professional introduction is a significant factor in establishing a positive first impression, critical for those seeking to advance in their careers. Although it is completely under our control, we often find ourselves on auto pilot; unconscious behaviour based on old habits, which may work for some but most individuals should be concentrating on the extra effort necessary to initiate a practiced and polished, professional introduction. Old habits are hard to break and without many years of experience introducing yourself in a professional environment, you may regret relying on your instincts.

Looking good is also critical to a professional introduction. If you’re not sure about your attire, ask for advice. If they’re not sure, buy a new suit! Practice at home in front of a mirror or even better, a video camera, concentrating on eye contact until you have a well rehearsed, clearly articulated, introductory message. Don’t wing it! You may not have realized that up until now, 50% of your vocabulary consisted of “eh?” Give careful consideration to your handshake and practice it. That may sound as ridiculous as advising those submitting a resume to include contact details but more often than not, it is the most basic of protocols and information that are given little attention or consideration leading to easily avoidable mistakes and lost opportunities. Many people do not provide a professional handshake with the majority offering a less than firm handshake, which is usually perceived as a lack of confidence. And then there are those whose handshake is far too firm, especially when the recipient is donning a ring! OUCH!!!

Your investment in a professional introduction will contribute to establishing a memorable and confident first  impression. Follow these five tips to look good, feel good and sound good:

• Attractive, clean and pressed attire
• Eye contact
• Confident but considerate handshake
• Practiced and polished verbal introduction
• Ask how you can help

How do you create a professional introduction when submitting your resume? Accompany your resume with a professional and personalized cover letter!

Professional Independent Communicators Present:

Location: Metro Hall View Map

Are you happy and successful in your career? Do you know how to uncover jobs, contracts and freelance opportunities? This presentation, designed for both freelancers and employees, will provide you with answers to take charge of your career.    

By attending this presentation, you will learn:

• To develop an outstanding performance-based resume
• What search strategy will provide the best results on your time investment
• How to use social media to find key influencers

Speaker: Martin Buckland, founder of Elite Resumes

Martin Buckland is one of North America’s top career management professionals. Martin is a resume and career management expert for several associations and leading MBA schools. His peers recently voted Martin as one of the “Top 22 Career Management Professionals” in the world.

Register HERE

“Protect my tweets” is the only option in Tweet Privacy, one of the few Account Settings required to create a Twitter profile. Additional ”Account Settings” consist simply of your Name, Username, Email, Language, Time Zone and Tweet Location. Although simple and self explanatory, instructions are included with each criteria.

There should be little confusion in choosing a name or email address but it seems that there are still many who may not understand the premise of Twitter because if they did they would never check the box in Tweet Privacy to “Protect my tweets”. Privacy issues continue to remain top news with Facebook taking the brunt of criticism for some time now to set the precedent. No other social media site is going to establish a site offering online accounts visible to millions without including some form of “privacy options”. The question is whether the options available are based on any rationale regarding the use of the social media site or simply to protect against privacy advocates.

Regardless of the reason behind the privacy option offered by Twitter, the question is, why would any user on Twitter choose to select the “Protect my Tweets” option? Could it simply be an unconscious error? Or maybe a considerate user with the urge to share inappropriate information that could be considered offensive? The 140 characters you choose to tweet could consist of anything including a personal message or a link to an article blog post or website. The people you share your tweets with are your followers and you have the option to follow anyone you are interested in as long as they haven’t protected their tweets in which case you will see “pending” and my reaction to that is to cancel my decision to follow them and I am left with the question, who or what are they protecting their tweets from and why?   

The more people you follow, “Following”, the more feedback you will receive and the more people that follow you, “Followers”, will result in more people receiving your message, known as a “tweet”. Should you find yourself offended by anyone, you have the option to select an “Action” associated with anyone you are following or anyone who is a follower to unfollow, block or report for spam. There is no reason to choose to protect all of your tweets, simply allow everyone who is interested in you to follow your tweets and if you don’t want a particular individual to see what you tweet, block them!

If your audience consists of only a few followers, how much influence will you have? If you are only following a few people how much value are you missing out on from some of the most inspiring, intellectual and thought provoking people in the world? If you don’t “believe” in Twitter right now, you may want to consider what the following companies and individuals may know that you don’t.

“Of the Fortune Global 100 companies, 65% have active Twitter accounts”, data collected between November 2009 and January 2010 among the top 100 companies of Fortune’s Global 500 companies by Burson-Marsteller. There were less than 75 million users on Twitter in November 2009 and today there are over 100 million! If the most successful companies in the world are not impressive enough, how about some of the most successful individuals in the world: @RichardBranson, @BillGates, @Oprah, @BarackObama, and the list goes on and on. Visit www.celebritytweet.com and although you will find @MileyCyrus and @JustinBeiber, you are mistaken if you think it is just for kids. Feel free to follow @JaneFonda, @Joan_Rivers, @AshtonKucher or @KevinSpacey. You will not receive the “pending” message if you choose to follow any of these people becasue none of them have checked the “Protect my Tweets” box.

Your future success will be influenced by the  reputation and recommendations you establish throughout your career and how you choose to quit your job may or may not have an impact. It is very likely that the following individuals would have benefited if they had opted for a professional conversation with a senior company official followed by a formal letter of resignation, however this was not the case. A recent post on The Chive, “Girl quits job on dry erase board, emails entire office“, has generated interest in a young woman who went public to quit her job and expose her boss. She said her boss, Spencer was called, ”a garbage di Spencer” when referring to the trash and she displayed a totally inappropriate comment that he is alleged to have made during a phone call. This has caught the interest of a huge, supportive following of cheer leaders and well wishers. I won’t disagree that her boss probably got what he deserved but I can’t help thinking, as an employer would I really want to hire this girl? As a business owner or HR professional, would I feel assured that she would react in the best interest of the company at all times utilizing diplomacy, discretion and good judgement?

Another highly publicized incident this week was a flight attendant’s departure from his job upon arrival at Kennedy Airport. Reports allege Slater, a 28 year veteran argued with a passenger, used the public address system to swear at passengers and then pulled the emergency shoot to exit the plane with a beer in his hand! Don Sutton, CB Online provides an account and some good advice in, When to use the emergency chute: a flight attendant’s last flight , saying, “…take a deep breath and remember flight attendant Slater — once you really slide down that emergency chute, you can never crawl back up.”

Obviously a formal letter of resignation was not contemplated by either of these employees and despite their radical and unprofessional behaviour, both are attracting a huge following of supporters. Is it possible that so many people are that unhappy in their careers that they are actually envious of these two individuals quitting their jobs?  Or is it just the fact that many are empathetic to those who have reached the ”the final straw” and “lost it” at work?

Quitting your job with a vengeance, whether it is swearing at disrespectful customers or the public humiliation of your boss is not in your best interest if you have any desire to advance in your career. Your reputation is damaged and the opportunity to acquire glowing recommendations from your boss or the company is forever lost. Remember, it is “just a job” and you do have the choice to leave it and maintain a professional reputation and gain recommendations that will support your career advancement long into your future. Remember that teacher in grade eight that you detested? He isn’t there anymore and no one even remembers his name but what does remain is the name of the school you attended and the grade you received.

What is the one word that describes you? This is likely a question you have heard alot lately especially if you are in career transition. More than ever before the key to advancing your career is to promote your value. Give careful consideration to the one word that will describe your most impressive attribute but at the same time distinguish you from the competition. Although passion and drive are highly influential to employers, too many individuals refer to themselves as passionate when in fact few people really are truly passionate about what they do. It is so widely used that it risks credibility and will not help you to stand out from the competition. Consider words such as inquisitive, audacious, competitive, ambitious, intuitive, savvy and indomitable. Steer clear of out of date, overused or boring words such as results-oriented, methodical, detail oriented and communicative. 

Do you have a tag line? A clear, concise tag line should compliment the one word that describes your strongest attribute and be consistently displayed to establish your brand and promote your value. Is your tag line contained in your resume, Resume Writing Tag Lines? Be sure to include it in social media profiles and on your website. A business card is a must and an effective tag line will ensure a lasting impression.   

Consumers and HR professionals are looking for and willing to pay for value. Managing a successful career involves promoting your value. Why should your next employer invest in you? What value will you bring to their organization?

Contact Martin Buckland, Certified Professional Branding Strategist to unearth your unique promise of value!