Mistakes = Success

Mistakes = Success Last week I tweeted this (Im on Twitter here): Im not much of a  philosopher, and Im sure the smart folks out there can rip through my attempt at logic, but the point is, its generally better to do things, even if you make mistakes, than to sit around and wait until you know youll do them right. Or to fear making mistakes. Try, try and try again.  Learn from the journey. Its better to take the steps and move forward than to sit back and wait. This might apply to something big, or something small.  My advice: do it. Mistakes = Success Last week I tweeted this (Im on Twitter here): Im not much of a  philosopher, and Im sure the smart folks out there can rip through my attempt at logic, but the point is, its generally better to do things, even if you make mistakes, than to sit around and wait until you know youll do them right. Or to fear making mistakes. Try, try and try again.  Learn from the journey. Its better to take the steps and move forward than to sit back and wait. This might apply to something big, or something small.  My advice: do it.

5 Tips For Single Women Buying a Car

5 Tips For Single Women Buying a Car The memory is still quite vivid.  It should be.  It was that sinking feeling I had when I got home and actually read the papers.  That deal I thought  I had negotiated was not at all what was on the purchase contract.    I consider myself a savvy consumer, but Id let my guard down just long enough to let an unscrupulous car dealer make me feel like a complete idiot.  Id just been had to the tune of five thousand dollars, and there wasnt anything I could do about it.  I tell the story below. Certainly, not all car dealers or private sellers are crooks.  But there are enough out there who are lacking in morals that you have to be prepared, stay alert, and double check everything.  Or risk losing a lot of your hard-earned money.  Here are the essential things to be aware of to protect yourself. Single Women Buying a Car are Targets Lets face it, most of us are not well versed in all the aspects of buying a car.  Whats a good price?  Should I lease, buy, or pay cash if possible?  Do I need mechanical insurance?  Whats my current car worth in trade?  Theres a lot to know, and a single woman is usually seen as an easy target for manipulation.  As in any unfamiliar situation, its best to have someone with you who will watch your back, so if at all possible, take a relative or friend with you  If thats not possible, consider putting off shopping until you can arrange it.  If youre in a situation where you must get a deal done immediately, go slow, double check everything, and do your homework before you step onto the dealers lot.   If you are ambitious, you can also consider taking over car payments from someone else 1. Determine Values There are several online sources of car values.  For estimates of what you should be paying for a new car, try TrueCar or Edmunds.   Both offer insights as to what a specific model is actually selling for locally, as opposed to the list or sticker price.  With that as a starting point, be prepared to ask for an even lower price.  How low?  Whats the least youd feel comfortable offering?  Okay, offer a little less than that.  Better to have the money in your  pocket than theirs. If you have a trade, theres also the matter of how much you should reasonably be getting for it.  Warning:  its going to be less than you think. Dealers make huge margins on used cars, usually much more than on new ones.  Theyll try to get your car for peanuts and potentially make thousands on it.  According to the National Auto Dealers Association, nearly 26% of the dealers profits come from used car sales.  And surprisingly, the largest percentage isnt from new cars sales.  Thirty-seven percent comes from finance and insurance products it sells you after  youve made a deal on the car. You can go to either TrueCar or Edmunds, mentioned above, or Kelly Blue Book or NADA and get rough ideas what your car is worth.  But be forewarned:  The numbers are extremely easy to manipulate.  And the difference between trade-in versus retail value is huge.  As an example, a 2008 Toyota Corolla LE with average mileage of 102,000 has a retail value (what YOU would pay on the lot) of $8056, while it has a low trade-in value of only $3776.  Yes, do the math.  Over $4,000 difference.* And even if you come in prepared with printouts of the values, theyll have excuses as to why theyre not valid.  Theyll try to get your car for even less.  What to do?  Negotiate for all you can get.  Be prepared to walk away.  Or consider selling your old car yourself if possible. 2. Dont Fall For the Difference Trick If youre trading in your old car, youre actually doing two separate transactions.  Youre selling the dealer yours.  The dealer is selling you his.  Very often, the dealer will try to focus you on how much difference you have to give.  Thats the price of their car less the amount they are offering for yours.  Dont negotiate this way.  Work out a price on the car you want first.  When thats settled, then work out an agreeable trade-in value for yours. 3. Dont Discuss Down Payment or Payment Determine ahead of time what you can afford.   Use a financial calculator such as Bankrate  and determine what you can afford.  If your budget will buy a Honda Accord, theres no point in looking at that fancy Lexus.  If the salesman asks you what payment you can afford, be evasive and just say I know what my budget is, and Im looking for a (name of car) because it fits. Stay focused on the price of the new car and the amount being offered for yours.  Theyll usually do their best to get you to view the transaction from what monthly payment or down payment you can afford.  If you fall into that trap, youre very unlikely to get a good deal.  Leave those discussions for the F and I (finance and insurance) man, who will be your last hurdle. 4.  Finance and Insurance Pitfalls Remember the number I quoted on this?  The dealer makes 37% of their profit in the little office you will be herded into after  you breathe a sigh of relief thinking the worst is over.  Turns out, buying a car isnt just buying a car.  The F and I man is usually a very seasoned salesman.  Hell print up the actual purchase and finance agreements.  And he intends to make money on you.  Hes paid on commission, just like the salesperson. Hell also try to sell you, among other items, upholstery protection, undercoating, serial number etching, paint protection, extended warranty protection, rust proofing and various other items of dubious value.   Sometimes, theyll automatically include them on the contract without even asking.  If you dont object, youre making the deal much less favorable to you. This was the area where I got had.  Having followed my own rules, Id negotiated separately on purchase and trade.  I didnt buy a payment or a down payment.  I was happy with the deal I thought  I had.  But because I let my guard down and stopped paying attention, the actual contract was written up on a deal sheet that was in the first round of negotiations.   Once the contract was signed, it was too late.  Dealers virtually NEVER undo deals. 5.  Be Mechanically Aware If youre buying new, theres little to worry about.  Youll get, at minimum, the new car warranty.  But if youre buying a re-sale vehicle from either a dealer or private party, some mechanical knowledge is essential.  If you dont have it, as most of us dont,  ask for an independent inspection   before you make a deal.  Alternatively, bring someone with you who has a decent understanding of auto mechanics.   And its always wise to get a background check on the target vehicle, such as those offered CarFax in the U.S. or at https://www.carveto.co.uk/mot-check/checklist/  in the U.K. A second facet to this is your trade-in.  Some dealers may try to claim your car needs repairs and use that as justification for a very low value.  If you know your car is a POS, thats fine.  But if its just time for a new ride, be able to challenge dealer claims of needed repairs. Buying a Car Can Be a Good Experience, IF . . . You prepare ahead of shopping time You stay focused on each part of the transaction separately You avoid F and I add-ons of little or no value You negotiate each part of the deal and are prepared to walk away if it doesnt feel or sound right. Buying a car, especially a brand new car, can be a fun experience.   Not all dealers are unscrupulous, but most use aggressive sales tactics.  Remember that despite what they may try to tell you, theyre not on your side.  Its up to you to be able to wake up the next morning feeling happy about that shiny new payment parked in the garage. *Values calculated April, 2016, at www.KBB.com Images Main EveryCarListedP  Shady Salesman Abe Novy   Deal Making Kris Krug

5 Career Change Tips You Ought to Know

5 Career Change Tips You Ought to Know For many of us who are looking to make a major change in our lives, a career change can make a major impact on our overall well-being and happiness. After all, we spend the majority of our waking hours at work, so its crucial to find something that challenges and inspires you on a daily basis. If youre doing something right now that you wouldnt necessarily classify as your dream job, dont worry. With a little bit of hard work and planning, you can position yourself to transition into a new career that makes you excited to get up and go to work. Career-changers need to take a different approach to job search as changing careers has a unique set of challenges and obstacles that must be overcome. As a job seeker, you need to understand how you can most successfully position yourself to reflect your new career goals. Its important to determine whether or not your old skills apply to your new career target and if youll be able to convince people that you are the person for the job even when youre competing against candidates that may have more relevant experience. The key to a successful career change is all in the approach. Knowing where you want to go is half the battle. The other 50% is about putting together a strategy that mitigates the fact that youve never officially done the job before, but instills confidence in people that you have the background, capabilities, and passion to take on the new role. Here is a list of five things to do get started: 1) Ask why would an employer take a risk on you If you dont have a traditional track record in the industry youre looking to break into, you should put yourself in the shoes of a prospective employer and try to figure out what theyre looking in a candidate. What specific skills, achievements, formal education, or professional development do you have that applies to this job. Can you convince the employer that you have what it takes? 2) Be bold If you’re looking to change careers, you need to radically remake your resume to reflect your new ambitions. You can start by developing a persuasive narrative in which you show how your skills match up with those most in demand in targeted industry. For example, if you want to transition out of your role as an office manager and become a human resources generalist, open your resume with a strong Summary of Qualifications that tells the reader how your time as an office manager has enhanced your skills in communicating with employees across the company, understanding critical policies and procedures, and creating administrative efficiencies all things that a company would look for in a human resources generalist. 3) Prove your knowledge You dont necessarily need to have formal, on-the-job training to prove to a potential employer that you are capable of contributing to their organization. Read books and newsletters, join professional associations, go to education events and trade shows. Scour the Internet for industry-relevant web sites and forums. Learn the jargon of the industry you want to enter. Stay up to date with the newest trends and technologies. In other words, become an expert. 4) Build a network The single most effective way to uncover new opportunities within your chosen field is to start connecting with people who are already doing what you want to do. Be creative in your approach to contacting with people who may be influential within your targeted industry or who may be able to point you in the right direction. Do your homework before you reach out to people so that you can speak intelligently about the job and inspire confidence that you are worth investing their time in. 5) Look beyond the traditional job search documents While your resume and cover letter will certainly play a role in your job search, dont stop there. Because employers will be looking at your resume to find how your past experience matches their current needs, you need to find other avenues to convince hiring managers that youre the right fit. Write an article. Start a blog. Build a dynamic LinkedIn profile. Social media and Web 2.0 sites give job seekers an incredible opportunity to cultivate a personal brand that didnt exist just a few years ago. Those who take advantage of those opportunities will be rewarded while those who dont will have a much more difficult time. Making a career change can be both challenging and exciting. The largest obstacle you will face is the resistance of others who doubt your qualifications in your new field. The key is to stop looking for your dream job and start doing it. Thomas Wolff is a copy editor turned professional resume writer and has been the Managing Editor at Resume Mastermind since 2006. He works with professionals from all walks of life to help them communicate their value in the workplace and build their personal brands. Related: 10 LinkedIn Tips to Get You the Job. Image: Shutterstock

5 Tips for the Right Personal Brand Domain Name - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

5 Tips for the Right Personal Brand Domain Name - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career The biggest mistake I ever made in buying a domain name 16 years ago was listening to a guy who thought our company name was too long for people to remember. He thought we should shorten and abbreviate it. For more than 12 years, the company was saddled with one of the stupidest domain names I could have ever gotten, and I spent those 12 years explaining what it meant and how I had missed getting the actual company name a year later. When youre looking to buy your domain name to build your personal brand, there are several things it needs to be: Easy to remember. When people think of you, they should think of your domain, and vice versa. Self-explanatory. They should know what your domain is all about before they ever get to your website Evergreen. Your need for the domain shouldnt change, and the keywords you use shouldnt go out of date. Given all that, the best domain name you could get is your own name. The worst one you could get is one that has nothing to do with what you do, either because its based on a current event, its based on an interest you have now, or the job you want. For me, ErikDeckers.com was the ideal name I could get, but agricultural-marketing-director.com would have been an bad one to get, since Im no longer in agriculture and havent been a marketing director for a couple years. But having your own name as the domain name makes it easy to remember, its self-explanatory, and unless you enter the witness protection program, youre always going to have it. Here are five tips for buying your name as your domain name. Get a domain thats easy to say and spell. Youre going to spend a lot of time telling people what your domain name is, so make sure you its just your name, and not a word that may be difficult to spell. However, if your name is frequently misspelled, consider getting the most common misspelling and forwarding it to your website. Avoid punctuation if at all possible. ErikDeckers.com is so much easier to say than Erik-Deckers.com â€" ErikDashDeckers â€" because someone will invariably ask do you mean hyphen? Also, people are less likely to remember the dashes and will enter the name without it. Use your middle name. Unless youve got such an unusual name that only a couple other people share it, youll need to use your middle name to set yourself apart from other people. The odds of someone having all three names are significantly less than sharing just two of the names. Use the name you want to use professionally. Pick the name you would put on your resume, rather than your nickname or shortened name. Use William instead of Billy, Suzanne instead of Suzi. You can always use your nickname at work. Dont use the job you want or your industry, because you wont always be in it. For a short term strategy, its not a bad idea. Things like HireErikDeckers.com can help me get hired, but its not the domain I want to use once Im hired. If Im trying to grow my professional brand, get speaking engagements, or gain readers, its not the domain I want to use, because then it always looks like Im looking for a job (something that wont give a new employer a good feeling about me). The most important thing to remember when choosing a domain is to make sure you pick one that is going to be reflective of you for the next several years. Youre not going to change your name, but you will change interests, jobs, and even your industry. Get a domain that will transcend all of those things and can last you for years to come. Author: Erik Deckers is the co-owner and VP of Creative Services for Professional Blog Service in Indianapolis. He has been blogging since 1997, has been a published writer for more than 24 years, and a newspaper humor columnist for 17 years. Erik co-authored Branding Yourself: Using Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself (Pearson, 2010) and also helped write Twitter Marketing for Dummies.

What is Not a Recommended Online Resource For Resume Writing?

What is Not a Recommended Online Resource For Resume Writing?There are many tools on the internet that promise to help you find out which of these is not a recommended online resource for resume writing. While there is no one tool that will tell you what is not a recommended online resource for resume writing, there are several resources that are helpful in answering the question of what is not a recommended online resource for resume writing. Read this article to learn how to decide which online resource for resume writing is right for you.The best option for what is not a recommended online resource for resume writing is going to be a blog or forum. This is because these types of sites are better known for the type of content that they have. They have many different writers posting comments and stories from real life people that share what they know about what is not a recommended online resource for resume writing.When internet users want to post stories or comment about certain t opics, this type of content is what they choose to do. Some even choose to write posts and blogs for a website and some also choose to post to a forum. While both can be very helpful in the world of resume writing, it is going to be important for you to choose the right type of online resource for resume writing.The difference between a blog and a forum is going to be based on the experience of the person that is posting. Forums are generally not going to be updated as often as blogs are. However, the amount of content that you can find on a forum will not be any less than what you can find on a blog. For this reason, it is a great option for what is not a recommended online resource for resume writing.Another option for what is not a recommended online resource for resume writing is going to be your personal experience. If you have had any type of experience working in any field, then you can post this information. If you don't know where to start with what is not a recommended onl ine resource for resume writing, then you can always check your own experiences.The last option that you have for what is not a recommended online resource for resume writing is going to be searching online. The most obvious method of searching is going to be by using Google, but there are other options available. If you have an idea of what type of resume you are looking for, then you should start looking for the specific resume writing services that you need.You can find many different types of resumes on the internet, but when it comes to what is not a recommended online resource for resume writing, it can be harder than it first appears. Your goal is to find the resume writing service that offers the best combination of content and experience. Remember, one of the things that you are going to find with most services is that they will offer a free resume editing service, so be sure to use this to your advantage.If you are not finding the answers to what is not a recommended onlin e resource for resume writing, then you should consider trying a paid service. This is because most of the services that you find on the internet that provide a free resume editing service also offer a free resume writing service. This means that you will not have to pay anything extra if you decide to look elsewhere for what is not a recommended online resource for resume writing.

How to Take Control of Your Career Path

How to Take Control of Your Career Path How to Take Control of Your Career Path I talk to job-seeking clients every day, and I always hear the same refrain: “My career is stuck.” It comes in many different forms: “I like my company, but I’m not moving up as fast as I want to. “I’ve been in my role too long. “Other people are moving forward but I keep getting passed up.” News flash: You need to invest more in your career progress than you are today. For most of you, that’s easy, since you are not doing much. And I get that. You don’t have time because you are working so hard, or you expect more from your company, or you don’t know how â€" should I continue with more excuses… I mean, reasons? The good news is there are resources ready to help you if you’re committed to stepping up. The only way to take control of your career is to step out of your comfort zone and try new techniques. Try grabbing the reins in these four major areas. 1. Be accountable Are you just talking about your career “stuck-ness,” or are you committed to doing something about it? What are you willing to change about your mind-set, time management, and actions going forward? It’s important to have a very clear goal in mind â€" not a three-year or five-year plan, but the exact position that you want to pursue as your next role. If you don’t know, then study job descriptions and define one core goal. Then build a plan to get from your current position to the end goal. If you have gaps in your plan, then those are the topics for you to learn more about. Remember: nobody cares about your career progress more than you do. 2. Get feedback and be self-aware During my 30-year career climbing Fortune 500 corporate ladders, I learned just how critical self-awareness is â€" including a deep understanding of how co-workers on multiple levels perceive you, good and bad. Good feedback is tough to get, but there are proven techniques that you can implement that will provide fantastic insights and help your career at the same time. 3. Build career champions now Building a reliable network of career champions or strategic supporters takes a good amount of thought, time and maintenance. It is much more than having a mentor or two, although mentors can be extremely valuable. It’s important to network within your company for career change and success, and that networking can happen in many ways based on your preferred communication style. If well done, then it’s not “playing politics,” “boot-licking,” or “phony. It’s basic and you’re missing opportunities if you don’t execute this career strategy. 4. Implement techniques to get promoted Promotions are harder to come by than ever before. But why are others rocketing up the ladder while you twiddle your thumbs on the launch pad? In order to land your next promotion, you need to be thoughtful, deliberate, and professional with your goals. For example, do research on the promotion philosophy of your company, the requirements of the next level up, and the key competencies or attributes your managers look for. Often you can learn this info from your company’s website or HR team. Also find out how your manager is justifying your position or promotion to his or her boss â€" prove that you’re the perfect fit! Summary Invest in YOU for a change. You’re giving and giving to your company, friends and family, but it’s time to take accountability for changing your career now. Buy a book, get an executive job coach, do some research. Do something!

How To Know When To Say Yes To An Assignment

How To Know When To Say Yes To An Assignment As you progress in your career, you will get asked to take on more and more assignments. Especially if you’re good at what you do and show the potential to do even more. So how do you decide? How do you know when to say yes? Be strategic Whether someone else is asking you to take on an assignment, or it’s one that you’ve come across or generated for yourself, at some point, we all run out of bandwidth to take on more. It’s usually when we’re at our physical and mental limits that people get more particular about their standards for what they agree to take on. In reality, the best time to get strategic about the assignments you take on and the direction of your career is well before you get to that point. After all, the last thing you want is to be stuck with that assignment or portfolio of assignments that leaves you feeling bored, frustrated, dissatisfied, or worse. There’s an opportunity cost The thing is, everything you say “yes” to carries an opportunity cost. That is, you could be doing something else instead. Take it from me â€" I have a tendency to get swept up by the excitement of something new and my default is to say “yes” to everything and get on with it. However, the school of life has proven time and again that I often end up saying to myself, “what was I thinking?!”. And worse yet, my “yesses” kept me too busy to complete priority tasks. So, before you accept any assignment and get on with it, make sure it’s worth your time. Get strategic and make sure that it supports your bigger mission and purpose in life. Eight questions to ask To save yourself from taking on the wrong tasks, and to set yourself up for success on the ones you do take on, here are eight questions to ask about your assignment â€" whether big or small â€" before saying yes. Importance. How does this fit into the bigger picture for the group, and how does it move the needle? Who is affected if this is done well vs. poorly? Who is the sponsor for this â€" and for me? Desired outcome. What does success look like, and how will it be measured? What is the expected outcome? To what standard must it be done (e.g., “quick and dirty” vs. good enough vs. perfect)? Timeframe. What is the deadline for delivering the result? What are the intermediate checkpoints? Support. What resources are available to help? To what extent will I have control over these resources or will they be shared? Who will I be working with (and do I respect them)? Priority. Where does this stack up relative to the other assignments or obligations I have? Fit. What makes me the right person to do this? How can I use my strengths to make a difference? If I were unable to do the assignment, who else would they consider? Opportunity. What can I learn from taking on this assignment? Who can I teach? Who will I learn from? What is my upside and what is my downside â€" from saying yes, and from saying no? What will this position me for in the future? Alignment. How does this align with my own goals and vision for my bigger future? To what extent does it bring me closer to achieving my definition of professional success, or help me explore future directions I may want to take? Make sure you’re all on the same page Once you’ve asked yourself these questions and made a go of answering honestly, talk to the person who is making the assignment to get their views. You’ll want to be a little artful on how you phrase the questions to make it part of the natural conversation. After all, you don’t want to appear difficult, you’re just doing some “due diligence”. For example, in asking about alignment with your goals, you might say, “I’d like to be in a position to run a unit one day â€" how would this help prepare me for that?” or “what have people who’ve done this role in the past gone on to do in their careers?”. But the bottom line is to make sure you’re all on the same page. And the best time to make sure everyone has the same understanding is right up front. That’s when you need to have accurate information on which to base your decision. Negotiate for what you need to succeed That’s also when you have the most negotiating power, and can turn a suboptimal assignment into one that is truly fabulous and a win-win for all involved. And it doesn’t need to become confrontational. Sometimes, the powers that be just haven’t thought through all the nuances of what it will take for someone to be successful. If it’s a smaller assignment, it could simply be about making sure you have access to some junior support or help negotiating competing deadlines with another manager. If it involves a transfer to a new city, then maybe it’s about having the organization agree to help your partner find a new job too. You get the picture. It’s up to you to figure out what you need to succeed, and ask for it in terms that make it easy for others to say yes. It’s up to you So now, it’s time to get strategic about the work you do. Recognize there’s an opportunity cost to your time and effort. And if it’s something you have no choice but to take on, then ask yourself how you can make it a positive learning experience. In the end, it’s up to you to make sure it’s worth it before you say yes. No one will do that for you. In fact, they can’t. Only you know what’s right for you. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.