Blog your way to expert status

Are you an expert but nobody knows it? Or are you working on becoming an expert?
A blog can be a great way to get started establishing your expertise!
Here are some Maven Do’s & Don’ts:
DO:

• Just get started. It seems to take about 100 posts before your blog really starts “rising to the top” so you just want to get started. There are great options such as Blogger or WordPress. Be sure to look at the features that are important to you before you pick a tool. For instance, if you want your own domain name (http://www.corpmavenmusings.com) you’ll likely choose WordPress. If you want more integration with Google, you might choose Blogger.
  
• Have a main theme/storyline and identity that keeps people interested and wanting to come back. This theme is your main “expertise” area.
  
• Really share your expertise! Be a thought leader. Give it away for free. Why do restaurants give away their “secret” recipes? Because it builds loyalty and brand recognition. If someone wants the real deal, they will always come to the source, even if they have the recipe.
  
• Don’t be afraid to do short posts and explore side topics. This breaks up the monotony and makes you more interesting to readers. Tie side topics back to main theme if possible but don’t force it.
  
• Respond faithfully to reader comments and use them for future blog topics.
  
• Get your name out there by commenting on other experts blogs.
  
• Use trackback links to let other bloggers know when you are blogging about their content.
  
• Consider asking another blogger if you can contribute a guest posting. (see About.com article below)
  
• Use social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) to update your followers when you have posted a new entry.

DON’T:

• If you have a product, do share updates but DON’T make your blog into a product announcement page (unless that is the intention and then go for it!). You are an expert in a given domain, a thought leader. If your readers connect with you then your product will benefit.
  
• Do not disrespect other bloggers or experts with comments or needlessly ridicule. This will only come back to bite you later (plus it’s bad Karma!).

Once you’ve established your expertise on your blog, leverage this body of work to expand into other areas by volunteering as a speaker at the Chamber of Commerce, local schools or other community venues. Consider writing a regular column for a local newspaper. The sky’s the limit!! You just need to START!
Happy blogging! ~ Maven
Related articles from About.com:

• What is a Trackback - Trackbacks Explained
  
• What is Google Blogger?
  
• Choosing a Blog Host: Wordpress Overview
  
• 15 Tips to Increase Your Blog's Traffic
  
• Guest Bloggers - Top 10 Tips for Guest Bloggers

How important is having a job you love?

Some time ago, someone asked me to write a blog post about "How important is having a job you love?" I dutifully posted the topic to "draft" and moved on without a second thought (at the time). Recently, however, the stress of the economic situation vs. career needs and growth opportunities seem to be plaguing many. In fact many, who have been putting up with less than fulfilling jobs (likely because they figured that they could always find another one if they ever got really fed up) seem to be feeling trapped and panicky. There aren't a lot of options at the moment making their current situation seem endless.

We've all heard the famous Confucius quote, "Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life. " So, how important is having a job you love?

Most of us corporate-types like to think that the work we do and the job we have has some sort of greater purpose or meaning. We work on our 30-second elevator pitches, we agonize over the title that gets printed on our business cards, we refresh and refine our personal brands, our colleagues become our friends, our workplace our social network. We spend most of our waking hours doing work related to our job (perhaps sneaking in a few daydreams of running a surf board rental shop on the beach, now and again). My high-school chemistry teacher used to say "Life isn't fun or fair, it's rewarding and fulfilling." So we seek reward and fulfillment... understanding that we should probably make yoga a priority (supposed to be good for fighting stress).

Many times we have a job because of what it enables in the rest of our lives (like paying the bills or piano lessons for the kids), not because it, in and of itself, satisfies or fulfills. For most, the reality of "a job you love" is simply a myth. So many people are without jobs at all and the possibility of not being able to meet the most basic needs looms large. No loving your job, especially right now, may feel strange, but it is what it is... if you don't love it, the current climate isn't going to change how you feel. How do you have a "life you love" when you have a job you don't love? Should you just be satisfied with the status quo simply out of gratitude for the job you have?

Maven advice for those who don't love their jobs:

• Commit to the job you have and do it well. I call this moving into the house you have... and I do mean "move in," unpack, the whole 9 yards. As far as any and everyone is concerned, you are in the job to stay. Bosses, colleagues and employees can sense dissatisfaction even if it's never put into words. No sense "deep-sixing" yourself unintentionally.
• Make a conscious list of how the current job is benefiting your overall life. Even the "worst" job I ever had taught be valuable lessons was grateful to have learned (although I wish I had learned in a much less painful fashion!).
  
• Leverage the positives and think strategically. Look for on the job training opportunities that hone your overall skills long-term, build a stronger network, get a mentor (someone outside of your job area), train and mentor others, volunteer to work some percentage in a different area (as long as your core responsibilities are rock solid) that exposes you to new experiences and new colleagues.
• Keep your network healthy. You never know when the next opportunity may arise. And perhaps this time you won't be so hesitant to go after it.
  
• Remember, your job does not define who you are as a person. Search for fulfillment in other places. Focus on family, helping and staying connected with friends, hobbies, volunteering and giving back to your community; these are all ways to enrich our lives.

As a corporate maven (with a strong entreprenuerial streak), I cheat. And yes, cheating is allowed. I get all the benefits of a vibrant and fast paced corporate job, I try to give back to my community and I turn my (and my daughter's) hobbies into little side businesses to satisfy my "surf shop" needs. Why? I am clearly lucky enough to have a job I enjoy, but the job isn't "all" of what I enjoy in my life in general. My overall life is bigger than my job.

So, what's the maven "love your job" bottom line? It's more important to love your life than it is to love your job.

Should I sign off with a "Namaste"?

Best,
Maven

Highs and Lows: A Maven Day In The Office

As I embark on a new phase of my career, I am filled with excitement and am anxious to prove my worth. However, days like today always balance triumphs with reality checks. Three days of hard work pays off in the morning. Riding high into the afternoon, what jumps out from behind a tree but something that fell between the cracks.

What to do? Maven tip? Try the 3 A's
ADMIT you let it fall between the cracks.
APOLOGIZE.
Take immediate ACTION to minimize any issues your miss may have caused.

I've capped off the evening by reading Dr. Suess' "If I Ran The Zoo" to my daughter. That makes me laugh.

Evening musings,
Maven

Need a job? Use volunteering to gain leadership experience

Looking for that next career opportunity? Thinking of starting your own business? Just graduating and worried about how to get started in a down economy? Out of work or thinking of returning to the workforce?

Whether your resume is impressive or non-existent, you can gain real world, resume worthy experience by volunteering and community organizing. If you are out of work, it can be a great way to limit gaps in employment and to keep you skills current or even learn new skills that you can take to that next job interview. If you are entering the work force for the first time or thinking about reentering the job market after a long absence, being able to show real work experience is invaluable to that future employer.

There are hundreds of non-profits and community organizations bowing under the weight of the current economic conditions. The need for qualified and passionate volunteers has never been greater.

Need ideas?

• Organize a local park cleanup in celebration of Earth Day
• Call your local United Way for a list of non-profits in your area that might need help organizing upcoming fundraisers or other events.
• Log on one of the many online volunteer opportunity websites such as Volunteers of America, VolunteerMatch or Volunteer.gov (which the government boasts has the most comprehensive listing of opportunities available).
  
  Volunteer.gov search for opportunities links out to Network for Good. A quick search for opportunities within 20 miles of downtown Sacramento, CA rendered over 275 different calls for volunteers. Opportunities run the gamut from administrative assistants and photographers to donation coordinators.
  

Volunteer... keep those resumes updated!!

Related articles:

Laid off? Volunteer! Here's how and why

Community organizing never looked so good