Editor-in-Chief Job Opening: An Opportunity of a Lifetime, Or Not?

I recently had what some would refer to as the opportunity of a lifetime. My blog led to an Editor-in-Chief’s job offer. Read about it here. I turned it down. You can read why here.

I struggled with the decision – something foreign to me because I can usually decide almost immediately if an opportunity is right for me.

As I wrote in my 5/8/07 post, “I've learned a few things about myself in this process [the process of passing on a major opportunity]”, which I promised to expand upon in a future post. So, here goes.

What Passing on the “Opportunity of a Lifetime” Can Teach You

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Don’t be a schizophrenic entrepreneur: As I said in the aforementioned post, I’m somewhat of a schizophrenic entrepreneur. Meaning, I like to try many different things.

But, this will get you nowhere fast. While there’s no harm in trying many different things, if you want to achieve real success, sticking with one thing and building it will get you there much faster.

Many freelancers/entrepreneurs/small business owners fail at this one simple thing. They flit from one thing to the next – hoping the next idea will be “the one,” never giving their all to any one thing – over a period of time.

Think of it this way, if trickling water – over time -- can reduce a mountain to pebbles, why would you assume it couldn’t make you successful?

Form a plan, work it consistently and watch your business grow. That's the real key to success.

Fear inhibits truth: What I mean by this is, I was so afraid of giving up “the opportunity of a lifetime,” that I failed to see (at first), that it wasn’t the right opportunity for me.

Having a life plan will go a long way towards helping you to recognize what’s right for you when opportunities are presented.

Life presents many detours along the way. To avoid getting sidetracked, ask yourself if the opportunity at hand fits in with your long-range life plans. If not, pass. UNLESS, your life goals change.

And this is fine – just make sure the change is something you want because it will lead to greater happiness, not because of the opportunity at hand. Why? Because if, for whatever reason, the opportunity doesn’t pan out, you still have your life plan to contend with.

Even if an opportunity only takes you a little farther down that road, at least you’ll be a little closer to your end goal – not off on a detour that takes you farther away from it.

Getting older is a blessing: I don’t know if this holds true for everyone, but I delight in getting older. I see my truth more clearly. Hence, I’m able to choose wiser what is right for me – not my family, my friends, or my professional associates.

Being comfortable in my own skin, which for me, has come with age, has made me treasure and value me – a lot more than I ever did before.

When you think that the earth is billions, perhaps trillions of years old, and we get 70, 80 or 90 years on it – if we’re lucky – you want to make every decision count – towards happiness.

The next time an opportunity of a lifetime – or any opportunity comes your way – as the photo indicates, "Don't let the situation confuse you." Reflect on your truth and choose the path that is right for you. For, you can’t make anyone else in your life happy until you give that gift to yourself.

TOMORROW'S POST: How to Divide Your Marketing Budget for Maximum Success

EXCERPT: I was listening to the Dave Ramsey show on the radio one day. The show’s focus that day was on small business owners. a caller asked a really interesting question that I think freelancers could learn from. He said that he had set his marketing budget for the year, and he wanted to know how to spend it for maximum effect.

His query went something like this: “I have $12,000 to spend for fiscal year 2008. I want to know if I should spend $1,000/month for 12 months, or if I should spend more on special deals during a certain period, or if I should pump up our marketing during our busy season?”
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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Why Downsizing Hurts Those Making 50K+ More than Others

I've been a recruiter since 1997. I owned an editorial staffing agency in New York City from 1997 to 2004. In addition to freelance writing, I still do some recruiting.

I relay this upfront so that you will understand where I'm coming from with the following take on this subject.

In the course of my networking, over the last few weeks I've spoke with two mid-level managers who were down-sized. One worked for 18 years with a large telecommunications firm that was recently acquired. The other worked for 15 years at a Fortune 500 publisher that was recently bought and restructured.

Both were making between 55-65K/year and were lamenting about how hard it is to find other positions. If you find yourself in the same position, following is a market reality you must face as you go about your job search - and tips for landing a new position.

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Soft Skills are Not Valued: The publishing manager was telling me about her people management, team building and project management skills.

I told her that, while valuable, they are not as valued as "hard skills" that add directly to a company's bottom line, eg, software, accounting and market analysis abilities.

Directly is italicized because these are skills that employers can quantify. They use the software that a technician installs, maintains and upgrades; their budgets are set by the numbers that accounting pumps out; they develop products and revenue goals based on a marketing analyst's trend reports.

In short, these touch their daily working lives. Contrast that with soft skills like people management.

The Director doesn't see that it took the project manager to coordinate freelancers in three different time zones, call in a temp to cover a sick employee's time off to keep a deadline and/or recognize and get employees to implement time-saving procedures.

All the Director sees is that the project got done - on time and within budget.

Because middle managers tend to be facilitators, much of their value is behind the scenes. In essence, out of sight, out of mind. So, when a company is acquired, for example, they cut out this layer of "fat," and keep those employees that add directly to the bottom line.

How to Prove Your Worth to Potential Employers

So, what can middle managers do to combat this "layer of fat" mentality. Following are two tips.

1. Get concise: As in, lay out specifics of what you did in your last position - and how it contributed to the bottom line.

For example, the publishing manager told me that she implemented use of a new software on a newsletter her company published. This saved time and money.

Instead of saying it "saved time and money," quantify it, eg, how much time and how much money. Her resume might read, "With the use of this new software, production time was cut by 40%, equaling savings of $10,000 on each print run."

2. Draw a Picture: Human nature is to be lazy. How does this affect your new job search? If you run across advertised jobs that you know you could do, but your skill set is not an exact match, spell out for potential employers how what you did in your last position is transferable to the job at hand.

Use language from their job description. This is a modeling technique taught by the self-help guru Tony Robbins. In essence, you are subliminally seducing the potential employer by feeding their words back to them.

When you've reached a certain level in your career, it's hard to replace that level of job with another. A fast food worker can just move on to the next fast food establishment - and make a comparable wage.

But, for mid-level execs, $50,000/year+ jobs don't just come along. It usually takes some time to land them. Knowing why the market is that way goes a long way towards preparing yourself for the hunt.

Good luck.
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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Update: Editor-in-Chief's Job Offer

I'm sorry this post is a day late, but here it is.

In my March 29th post, I wrote about an Editor-in-Chief's job offer I received. I was a bit hesitant and took a few weeks to make up my mind. Like the little guy in picture, I was left scratching my head -- what to do? What to do?

Well, I finally decided and I'm not going to accept the offer. Why not?
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As flattered as I was, I thought about all I'd have to give up to take this position and I decided that, although it was a fabulous opportunity, it wasn't a fabulous opportunity for me. Why?

1. My Career: I've worked pretty hard to get to this point as a freelancer. I would have had to cut back on a lot of that -- possibly losing long-time clients in the process. It's not the clients I feared losing so much as the rebuilding I would have to go through if the position didn't pan out.

As many of you know, publishing is a very demanding industry and start-up magazines have a high failure rate. While I believed in the project, it was not something I was willing to pour my heart and soul into. It wasn't a passion. I was excited about the opportunity more than the project itself.

A venture like this needs -- at a minimum -- goo-gobs of passion, along with a heck of a lot of hard work. I'm a hard worker -- that was never the problem. BUT, the sustaining passion was not there.

2. Life Choices: A few years ago, I wrote down what I wanted out of life -- what was important to me. I did this so that I could structure my life in that direction.

I'm an entrepreneur at heart and tend to be a bit schizophrenic in the things I want to try. One day I want to start an online company selling ethnic art (did that), the next I want to start a virtual recruiting firm (did that to a limited degree) and the day after that I want to be a magazine publisher (even wrote a business plan for that).

After reading a book about writing down life goals to make them happen, I did this to keep myself structured and focused on what I really wanted out of life.

Regarding work, a few of the things I wrote was stability, working less hours and the option of retirement at 50. I'm not saying I will retire then, but I want that option if I so choose.

This opportunity ran contrary to all of these life goals. As previously mentioned, start-up magazines have a high failure rate (there went stability); require long hours; and you must put those in over a period of years.

Once I realized all of this and compared it to my life goals, it sealed the deal for me.

I've learned a few things about myself in this process, which I'll expand upon in another post. BUT, perhaps the thing that stood out most to me is how important it is to have a life plan. Write down what you want and continually remind yourself of it.

Life pulls you in so many directions that it's easy to get off track. Knowing what you ultimately want -- having a picture of what your ideal life would be -- will keep you focused on the end goal.
Tomorrow's Post: Even though I'd promised to address The Thinking Blogger's Award post along with this missive today, I'll do it tomorrow. Deadlines, deadlines!

Best,
Yuwanda Black, Publisher
InkwellEditorial.com
InkwellEditorial.blogspot.com
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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How to Brand Yourself for Career Advancement

Getting from one level to the next in your career can be a tough climb. In all my years as a recruiter, I found that the number one reason professionals fail to advance is that they don't realize their worth -- or how to capitalize on it.

Most professionals undersell, understate and/or outright don't take stock of their skills and accomplishments. So, how do you brand yourself for career advancement? Following the steps below will put you well on your way.

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4 Steps to Branding Yourself for Career Advancement

NOTE: The following applies whether you are a full-time employee, or a freelancer.

1. Assess Your Skills & Abilities: I mean, really take stock. Don't look at your existing resume. Start with your current position and list every project you've worked on, every dollar you saved, every new skill you mastered, every client who's bottom line you increased.

Just make a list - no matter how minute the project, dollar amount or skill. Dollars to doughnuts, you have quite an impressive list in front of you. Many professionals don't ever take the time to do this type of in-depth skill analysis.

Okay, you have your list. Now what?

2. Organize Your List: How? I'd separate them into categories. Depending on your profession, they may look something like:

Sales Increased: List all cases where sales increased because of your input (eg, project you headed, direct mail campaign you wrote copy for, reorganization you structured, etc.

Dollars Saved: Similar to the above, list all instances where you saved a client/company money either directly or indirectly.

Skills Mastered: Did you take an HTML class? Did you go on a leadership retreat to master new management policies? Again, whatever skill it is you've mastered - whether it be a hard skill like coding, or a soft skill like employee management - put it in this category.

Projects Headed: If you spearheaded a project, list it. Eg, did you convert client files from QuickBooks to Peachtree, a new software you learned? Did you create a filing system to track client images? Did you create a new layout and design for a client brochure?

3. Create a Professional Profile: If you're a freelancer, I advise that you submit professional profiles to potential clients, not a resume (this subliminally says I'm an employee/I want a job).

A professional profile says that you're an independent consultant who can help a potential client increase their (insert client objective). Eg, sales, customer subscriber list, client retention rate, etc.

If you're a full-time employee, I would create this category on my resume. You can name it any number of ways, eg, Professional Profile, Professional Summary, Career Highlights, etc. It's up to you. The point is to create a place where, at a glance, potential employers can grasp what you can offer.

4. Market Yourself: This is where many professionals - freelancers and full-time job seekers alike - fall down. YOU are the product. Market yourself.

Create a professional website and/or create a blog. When you apply for positions/gigs, direct potential clients/employers to this.

Even if you are currently employed, it can be helpful to create some type of online professional preference, if only to keep track of your accomplishments as they happen. Then, when you are ready to move on and/or branch out on your own, all you have to do is make it "Live."

In today's ever-competitive professional environment, it's those who are able to effectively sell themselves who get the plum jobs/assignments. Don't be left behind.

Brand the thing you know the best - you!
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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How to Develop a Lucrative "Portfolio Career"

I first heard the term Portfolio Career a few years ago when I was talking to a girlfriend about a mutual friend. This particular friend had resigned from a high-paid sales job that required her to travel a lot.

Tired of the grindstone, she quit and launched a portfolio career. So, what exactly is a portfolio career?

What is a Portfolio Career?

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A portfolio career is one in which you do several things. You don’t work for any particular employer, you work for several doing very different jobs.

As defined in the article Portfolio Careers: Creating a Career of Multiple Part-Time Jobs by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., “Portfolio careers are usually built around a collection of skills and interests, though the only consistent theme is one of career self-management.” Source: http://www.quintcareers.com/.

For example, the friend who quit her sales job started doing promotions for a record company. In addition to that, she worked part-time in her previous career – leveraging contacts she’d made during her career in the field.

What makes a portfolio career different from being a freelancer? Technically, there’s no difference as they are both self-employed. However, a portfolio career is one in which the professional holds down several different jobs -- in extremely different fields.

In the past, professionals might have hidden this type of “split career.” As more and more job seekers seek more time in their personal lives, however, many are coming out of the closet, if you will, about their career choices.

So, how do you go about developing a lucrative portfolio career?

A) Assess your interests and abilities: Are you, for example, good at marketing and at crafts? There’s no reason not to do both.

Make a list of all that you’re good at or have an interest in. Select two or three that you might want to turn into part-time ventures and go for it.

B) Leverage existing contacts: Like the executive mentioned above, this is the easiest way to get your portfolio career off the ground. If you want to do marketing for small businesses, for example, get your company off the ground by telling everyone who knows you the new career path you’re about to embark upon.

C) Marketing and networking: Marketing can be as simple as getting a website. For networking purposes, join a chamber of commerce.

NOTE: In my 2/27/07 post, Networking No No’s: What NOT to Do When You Network, I discuss some things you should not do when networking that may seem to run contrary to portfolio. Specifically, I’m referring to representing the right business.

So, how do you network effectively if you have a portfolio career? I would select one of the things that I do and promote that at networking events. If you have a website, for example that explains your portfolio career, then potential clients will eventually discover all that you do anyway.

BUT, the reason I would only promote one thing at networking events is that, in marketing, too many messages confuse people. So if you say I write marketing proposals for small business and I design jewelry as well, what are they likely to remember you for?In my opinion, this sends a confusing, unprofessional message.

FYI, joining two or more networking groups will allow you to promote one business at one group, and the other business at another group.

Just because you work for yourself does not mean you don’t need to be professional about it. Treat it like a real, full-fledged business; because, that’s what it is. It’s just a business with several arms.

Wondering if a portfolio career is for you? Take a FREE test at http://www.creativekeys.net/portfoliocareer3.htm.

NOTE: Graphic courtesy of CreativeKeys.net: Learn more about portfolio careers at this site.
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Copyright Notice: May be reprinted with the following, in full: Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com: THE business portal for and about the editorial and creative industries. First-hand freelance success stories, e-courses, job postings, resume tips, advice on the business of freelancing, and more! Launch a Profitable Freelance Writing Career in 30 Days or Less -- Guaranteed! Log on to InkwellEditorial.com.
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