Photo Credit: ID 92977570 © Ilkercelik | Dreamstime.com
In today’s business world it’s difficult for any employer to guarantee employment. There are just too many factors out of the control of companies – economy, legal, government, consumer preferences, competition, and mistakes by key leadership.
34% of all Americans are contract workers. Experts predict that over 40% of employees will be contract workers by 2020….at that pace…over 50% of Americans in the next five years will be contract workers.
Therefore, it will be necessary for professionals and executives to establish themselves as a “Business of One”. For many, they want freedom and independence and create an unconventional lifestyle. A sense of control of both your personal life and your career. To achieve this freedom and protect yourself from the changing employment landscape we must take specific steps to position ourselves. Those that start now will have a distinct advantage.
For others, it may mean becoming an entrepreneur or solopreneur.
Whichever you wish – to work for a company or yourself it starts with these four things.
-
Get Focus and establish your Clarity
Often a challenge for us, has been for me, is being very clear where I bring expertise and excellence. Especially as we gain experience our hard and soft (transferable skills) increase. It’s only natural we want to speak to them. Today’s employer wants Specialist, experts, to sort through all the talent that apply. While the best leaders will value a diverse skill set a hiring manager has a particular set of challenges that need to be solved. If you want to be a consultant or coach – focus on your ideal customer’s Pains. Speak to the Pains your solve and how. Once an emotional connection occurs then dive into your or your products features and benefits.
A great exercise to define your value proposition is to make a list of the Pains you solve, the benefits you bring and clear results you have delivered. Often these can be expressed as Accomplishments. Use the PAR method to define those in 2 to 3 sentences:
- P = Pain, explain the pain you solved
- A = Action you took
- R = Results you accomplished
Also, to help you define your focus go through the process that many of us have used to help our employer determine it’s mission, vision, and values. What are yours? What is your Why (see Simon Senik Book – Start with Why – it works for people also – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYeCltXpxw)
-
Building a Brand – Establishing yourself as an expert.
With that clarity in place now you can ensure that vision is carried into the documents and tools you use to communicate and share about yourself. Your Resume, your LinkedIn Profile, elevator pitch about yourself, any cover letters, pain letters or emails you use to introduce yourself. Ensure these tools are consistent and communicate a clear message about yourself.
-
Building Your Reputation
With a clear focus on your value proposition then you need to build and protect your reputation. The Internet and Social media are here to stay and in the professional career world that primarily means LinkedIn but not ignoring Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Through these sites, you can control what the media says about yourself and curate your perspective. Your professional attitude. For many, a personal website can be key to give you your voice and control of your reputation.
-
Building Your Foundation
What is often not addressed by many career coaches and may be the most important is to take care of your wellness and mindset. Wellness may seem obvious in that if our health is not good, it will be more challenging to remain professionally active. Mindset, which is gaining more attention, is a vast area of opportunity for professionals and executives to achieve a competitive advantage. The world is not getting simpler or less stressful. Our ability to build a strong growth mindset, some are coming it Grit. The ability to not let failure and unexpected events cause us to react in ways that prevent us from progressing.
For more about how you can prepare yourself for being a Business of One…contact:
David McKnight
NotionPath
608-695-8438
Career Seekers or Consultants/Coaches – Schedule an Appointment with David ► https://meetme.so/DavidJMcKnight
Copyright 2018, NotionPath, LLC