The Platinum Rule: How to Build Rapport with Anyone

What if you could read other people quickly, determine their behavioral style, and connect authentically? According to Dr. Tony Alessandra, you can learn how to build rapport with just about everyone, and then use your new skills to create a network of people who support you and your goals. Dr. Alessandra has been studying these and related topics for many years and has written best-selling business books, including The Platinum Rule, Collaborative Selling, and Charisma. Join us for a webinar on October 15 and put his pragmatic relationship-building strategies to work for you.

The Platinum Rule: How to Build Rapport with Virtually Anyone

October 15, 2016, 8 pm EST   

After the live webinar, Alessandra’s talk will be archived in the webinars library.

For more on reading, or “speedreading” others, check out The Art of SpeedReading People: How to Size People Up and Speak Their Language by best-selling authors Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger, which promotes a slightly different personality style-based approach.

Want a very different take on building connections with others? Check out Brene Brown’s TED talk, the Power of Vulnerability. No, you probably won’t want to start a business meeting by sharing your deepest fears, but Brown’s books and talks are a great reminder that true connection can only happen when we share our true selves.

Sometimes, the thought of getting out there to meet new people just feels overwhelming–or perhaps you aren’t sure who to talk to, or why. We all have times when we feel stuck in a rut, and unsure how to move into new ground.  

This article from The Muse offers tips you can put into practice right away. The key is action and then reflection. But sometimes, you may not be sure which course to take, or what sort of person you’d like to speak to. If that is your situation, start with something you can do, or do more of–that you enjoy, even if it seems like it would never relate to a work goal. (Playing kickball? Learning basic glassblowing? Picking up a childhood hobby?)  Doing something you really enjoy will increase your energy and can even give your in-a-rut-brain new ideas. 

    

Navigating Office Politics with Integrity

The workplace is a highly political environment where key decisions about who gets ahead, who gets the plum assignments, and who gets access are not decided solely on merit. Join author and coach Bonnie Marcus for our October 12 webinar, The Politics of Promotion, to learn how best to navigate the complexities of the workplace.  You’ll get practical tips for positioning yourself to play the game without losing your integrity. 

The Politics of Promotion Webinar 

October 12, 8 pm EST 

Want more of Bonnie’s expertise? Check out her website, which is chock-full of free articles and resources to help you build your political savvy. Even if you already have a lot of political know-how,  Bonnie’s survey will give you an honest and quick assessment.

For another perspective on navigating office politics, see this article on MindTools, a terrific website full of helpful resources. And for irreverent, quick tips that you can put into action today, Joe Hodas’ Ad Age article has some of my favorites, including “always be the ray of light in your boss/coworker’s day.”

Thinking of Changing Careers? Follow These 10 Steps to Get Started

1.  Take time to assess your career assets. Look carefully at all areas of your experience (not just paid work) to clarify your skills, interest areas, values, needs, and goals. 

2.  Research new career ideas thoroughly. First read the relevant sources and then talk to people in the new career field.  Don’t rush into action on a new idea AND don’t reject that career dream as impossible or impractical too quickly.

3.  Expect change to take time. Career transitions generally take much more time than you would expect. In general, the further away your new career is from your old in job function and industry, the longer the change will take.

4.  Move toward a goal that fits you. Don’t change careers just to get away from a difficult job situation.

5.  Understand how your transferable skills fit and add value in the new career field. Be certain that you can explain to prospective employers how the skills you have acquired in your current work can make you effective in your new field.

6.  Don’t make assumptions about qualifications needed to jumpstart your new career. Research the field and the training options thoroughly before committing your time and money. 

7.  Look for opportunities to gain experience and exposure in your new career field. Consider all the possibilities for building skills and experience through volunteering, internships, and professional associations.

8.  Go back to the basics. Make sure your networking, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, and negotiating skills are up-to-date. Networking will be especially key in helping you to identify industry trends, test your “value proposition” in the new field, and get job leads. Use LinkedIn and other social media resources to connect with alumni in a wide variety of fields. Join the Tufts Career Networking Group on LinkedIn. 

9. Be flexible. There may be more than one way to satisfy many of your career criteria, and you’ll need to be open to unexpected possibilities.

10.  Seek out strategic and emotional support. Career change can be a challenging process, and will certainly take you out of your comfort zone. Identify people who can support you in your career change process by helping you find new solutions to problems you encounter in your search, offering encouragement, or just helping you laugh on a tough day. Try to find mentors who can offer practical help in entering a new field. 

Looking for some inspiration to help you fuel that big career change? Check out Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED Talk on creativity.  She says it’s not about being a genius, but about the genius we all have within.   

 Tufts Alumni Career Services offers lots of resources for career changers. Check out our website for more info!   

The Best Research Tool You’re Not Taking Advantage Of

Do you know how to do the best company and industry research? (Hint: It’s not Google-ing…)

When researching an industry or company, some of the best resources are found through an online tool called Career Beam. With Career Beam, you can search a database of six million firms to develop a customized target list of companies. The search allows you to focus your list by keyword, location, industry, size, and more.

Experts say that your best bet for finding a job is to target companies rather than just jobs. On Career Beam, you will have access to job listings, but it is also a great resource for broader industry research; you can find lists of professional associations, journals, newsletters, trade shows, and more–using keywords to identify the industry or career area. Find Career Beam, and other terrific career resources, by logging in to the Tufts Online Community.

In addition to Career Beam, Tufts offers many other free online career resources (easily accessible in the Resources section of the site).

Going Global:  This is the go-to place for job search, career, and business information overseas. The country reports and links are updated annually, and cover everything from visas, to local job boards, to business etiquette.  (Note to self:  don’t talk business over lunch in Italy until the coffee/dessert.)

Candid Career:  Thousands of informational interview videos in a wide array of career fields ... great for researching new areas!

Opportunities in Public Affairs: This is your go-to for opportunities in government, non-profits, and related organizations. Many of these jobs are not widely advertised, including Capitol Hill and policy-related roles.

Spotlight on Careers: Terrific information on a wide variety of career fields, these articles and links are updated regularly and are useful for learning more about career paths and roles in various industries.

Library Databases: These full-text article databases are searchable, and cover many trade, business, and academic journals.  These articles are a great help in going beyond the company website to prepare for that interview or research a new industry.

Building Authentic Relationships

Authenticity is the key to building effective relationships. Leslie Warner, associate director of Alumni Career Services, will lead a one-hour interactive tele-seminar entitled "Networking for Success" on July 28 to share strategies used by top executives and networking masters. Whether your goals include a career move, increasing your visibility and effectiveness in your current organization, or growing your business, this workshop will provide tactical networking skills critical to your success.

Networking for Success
Thursday, July 28, 2016
12 pm EDT

For more perspectives on networking, check out these archived webinars:

5 Steps to Building a Powerful and Profitable Network
In this webinar, Beth Bridges, master networker and author of Networking on Purpose, shares practical tools learned as leader of one of the largest chambers of commerce in the country.

Business Relationship That Last: Five Steps to Transform Contacts
Perhaps you have existing relationships with customers, colleagues or clients, and you’re wondering how to strengthen those relationships. Ed Wallace, author of Business Relationships That Last shows you how to be truly helpful to your contacts—and to help them learn how to be most helpful to you, too. While his background is sales, this thoughtful approach will help you transform your relationships in any career field.

Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking
Noted organizational consultant and author Ed Schein outlines how to begin that relationship with thoughtful curiosity about the other person and their concerns. As you build an authentic relationship, Ed’s approach will help you understand what to ask for—and when.        

Managing Your Brand

What can Jerry Wilson, former chief customer experience officer of Coca-Cola, teach you about branding? Quite a lot! Whether we realize it or not, we are all brands. We all have qualities that shape and influence how the people in our lives see us and how we see ourselves. Jerry, a nationally respected brand expert, has helped some of the most exceptional companies and individuals in the world perfect their images. 

In his webinar, Jerry will reveal to you a proven seven-step process for personal brand building. Using examples from successful corporations like Coca-Cola and Starbucks as well as high-profile celebrities like Bono and Oprah, Jerry provides a methodology you can easily follow to conduct a self-analysis, create a unique identity, define objectives, and create a plan. Join Jerry to learn how you can identify what makes you unique and then communicate it in a way that guarantees that you will get interviews and advance your career.

Managing Brand You 

June 1, 2016

8 PM EDT

Listen in our archives

For another take on personal branding, check out Tim Lebrecht’sTED Talk on losing control of your brand. He describes how online buzz—regardless of tone—can be a good thing!

Yet another way of looking at branding is to think about how you are telling your story. Simon Sinek, in one of the most popular TED Talks of all time, recommends that you start with the question "why" instead of "what." By this he means: why do you do what you do? What does it mean to you?  These are key things to know about yourself and communicate to others.

Today, you have a lot of tools at your disposal to tell your story. In this article, William Arruda, an early leader in writing about personal branding, offers tips on how you can use video to build your brand.

LinkedIn: How to Become Known For What You Are Good At

How can you use your LinkedIn profile to market your expertise and set yourself apart from everyone else? First, you need to know your “product” well, and learn how to communicate your skills, expertise, and values to stand out in a crowded and busy world.  Join Leslie Warner, associate director of Alumni Career Services, for LinkedIn webinars that will help you get started, get connected, and reach your target audience.

AdvancedLinkedIn Webinar: Not Just for Job Seekers
April 21, 12 pm EDT

Intro to LinkedIn Webinar:Get Started, Get Connected 

May 12, 12 pm EDT

For more on maximizing your LinkedIn presence, check out these resources:
3 Simple Tips to Build Your Brand on LinkedIn.

William Arruda is one of the early and wise promoters of personal branding. Here are his quick tips for differentiating yourself on LinkedIn. I also highly recommend his article on writing your LinkedIn summary….warning: this one may be a bit overwhelming for branding and LinkedIn “newbies.”