Today, I spoke to Alexandra Levit. Alexandra is a nationally recognized business and workplace author, speaker, and columnist. Alexandra has published several books, including the bestselling They Don’t Teach Corporate in College (second edition published in spring 2009 from Career Press), How’d You Score That Gig? (Random House/Ballantine, 2008), Success for Hire (ASTD Press, 2008), MillennialTweet: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Managing the Millennials, and New Job, New You. Alexandra is a member of the Business Roundtable’s Springboard Project, which is advising the Obama administration on current workplace issues.

Alexandra makes frequent national media appearances and has been featured in thousands of outlets including the New York Times, USA Today, National Public Radio, ABC News, Fox News, CNBC, the Associated Press, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune, and her articles regularly appear on the home pages of CNN, MSN, and Yahoo!.

You can connect with Alexandra via Linedkin | Facebook | @Twitter

Mohammed: Do you think that having (or recognized by) one job title is dead? Many people today are known in more than one specialization and working in many jobs at the same time. How can we narrow that in one brand and at the same time having opportunity in these jobs?

Alexandra: On the one hand, it’s terrific to have a unique specialization that makes you marketable and more competitive. You should be able to communicate about that specialization using language that makes it relatable to the average person. How does your work help your company make money and get things done more quickly? I also encourage professionals to broader their base of transferable skills (project management, budgeting, client relations, sales, etc.) so that if something happens to that specialization or you decide you don’t want to do it anymore, you have a skill set that can be leveraged in other careers.

Mohammed: Which option do you prefer and why? a) Accept full time job with good salary but not in your expertise. b) Accept part time job in your expertise and spend the remaining time on personal development.

Alexandra: It depends on your life circumstances and your motivations as an individual, which I talk a lot about in New Job, New You. Some people are in a position where they must work for money, whereas others have more freedom to explore work that’s meaningful to them. And for some people, a lot of money makes a job meaningful, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Mohammed: Seth Godin said in his latest book “Linchpin”: “If you are working only for the person you report to according to the organization chart, you may be sacrificing your future.” Do you agree that employees -Linchpins- should excel in each task they are doing and even more than what the employers ask for? Is that gold plating or it’s a must in today’s recession?

Alexandra: I agree, because what happens if that person quits or gets laid off and he’s the only one who knows the value you bring to the organization? You must aim to make your contributions visible to as many people as possible. This means extending your reach to departments that are adjacent to yours through collaboration, and yes, being the “go to” person for as many work-related tasks as possible. The concept of putting your head job and doing your job in a bubble is a thing of the past.

Brand Word: “If one advances confidently in the direction… of his dreams and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with unexpected success.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Spotlight: Looking to make a career change? Featuring comments from the legendary Stephen R. Covey, the New Job, New You webinar (www.newjobnewyou.com) provides extensive advice on career transformation and advancement that complements and expands on the book of the same name. The 60 minute course includes engaging video segments, anecdotes, and exercises and is offered free with the purchase of the book New Job, New You.

It used to be that only celebrities like Madonna reinvented themselves. But this is the twenty-first century, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the average young American will have about 9 jobs between the ages of 18 and 32. The gutsiest and most innovative individuals have taken this trend a step further. They have changed not just their jobs, but their fields, and have successfully supported themselves in different careers over a period of several years.

New Job, New You gets to the heart of what makes people take the plunge into a new field. In my preliminary research, I discovered that career changers have several common motivations for theirdecisions:

Family: When true work/life balance becomes a necessity.

Independence: When you’ve been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug.

Learning: When your bookish, curious side takes over.

Money: When an increase in earning potential is on the horizon.

Passion: When you yearn to do what you love with all of your heart.

Setback: When one door closes, another one opens.

Talent: When you’re too good at something not to give it a shot.

Amman Tech Tuesday (AmmanTT) is a non-profit organization that hosts a monthly event that brings tech industry experts, local technologists, engineers, entrepreneurs, idea-generators, and just about any enthusiast together in a casual setting to meet and learn from each other. AmmanTT’s platform allows people to share their experiences, projects, and ideas with the rest of the tech community.

Although I offer speaking at events as one of my services, supporting non-profit organizations and volunteering my expertise  to some educational institutes is one of my favorite interests.

Why did they choose me to speak?

It’s because of my online reputation, period. Today, you don’t need to pay $$$ to get more business or job deals. Social media is for everyone and it’s free. If you build your personal brand and work to maintain it, then someone will speak on your behalf. AmmanTT team chose the premier speakers in Jordan not only based on what they hear, but also what they see.

I selected Reputation 2.0: Manage Your Online Reputation as my topic for many reasons. Today, you have to manage your reputation before someone else does. The target wasn’t just GenY; GenX, baby boomers and even kids were part of my presentation.

Event Format:

The format was interesting.

1.      Eight speakers to discuss social media challenges (5 minutes each)  2.      Interaction with the audience for speakers (15 minutes)  3.      Networking break (20 minutes)  4.      Speakers will discuss conclusions (3 minutes each)  5.      Q&A panel (20 minutes)

My 1st Toastmasters speech: Who is Mohammed Al-Taee?

Toastmasters:

I joined Amman International Toastmasters Club, and a few weeks after I joined I was elected as the vice-president of public relations . I branded the club image on the web so I created Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and FriendFeed social accounts.

In my interview with Jörgen Sundberg, he advised job seekers to do public speaking whether at work or at the pub. I agree with Jörgen; Toastmasters helped improve my communication and leadership skills a lot.

In my first bi-monthly newsletter, I mentioned what Seth Godin said in his latest book, Linchpin: “Public speaking is one of the worst things the lizard brain can imagine.”

My response to that is this: We should work on mastering our lizard brains and give them no chance to control us out of fear. I’m not saying you don’t have be a little afraid of public speaking, but be more prepared and confident. Fear, or the lack of courage, is more responsible for failure in management, and in life, than any other factor. It is always fear that causes people to hold back, to sell themselves short, to settle for far less than they are capable of.

I firmly believe that you can do, you can have, and you can be far more than you now know if only you could eliminate the fear, doubts, and misgivings that consciously and unconsciously interfere with you realizing your full potential.

The event day:

The surprise for the event was the attendance of His Excellency, Jordan’s Prime Minister, Mr. Samir Al-Rifai who joined Twitter that very day and started interacting with Jordanian people.

Demonstrating how Twitter co-founder @ev was afraid of damaging his online reputation

Presentation:

I jumped directly into my topic and started my presentation with: “Do you know how many people get rejected from employment opportunities due to a bad online reputation?”

There was a silence… I proceeded to give few statistics before moving to my challenge for the audience.

I was reading It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden at the time I was preparing for the event. Page 68 is entitled: “Don’t Give a Speech. Put ON a Show.”Arden said:

“When we attend a lecture, we generally go to see the speaker, not to hear what they have to say. We know what they have to say. That’s why we go to see them. How many speeches have you heard? How many of them can you remember?

“Words, words, words.

“Instead of giving people the benefit of your wisdom (words), try painting them a picture. The more strikingly visual your presentation is, the more people will remember it. And more importantly, they will remember you.”

So I thought: instead of creating a boring text presentation, why don’t I create visual slides that get people attention while they are listening to the stories behind that images? For anyone who is preparing for speaking events, it works

Open air discussion:

That session described my challenge and explained on a flip chart how to manage an online reputation. I got a lot of questions and many people took action after the event, like buying firstnamelastname.com, joining Linkedin, Twitter, etc. or even warning their friends or kids about the important of content sharing on the Internet.

Challenges:

Flexibility:  Each speaker got just five minutes to demonstrate his topic to the audience, I find it very difficult to give examples and explain the consequences just in five minutes, but AmmanTT team was not flexible with me in that issue! I don’t think things can move smoothly in the future if flexibility is not an option in the management process.

Other: It’s a $0 budget event, and they do a lot with the limited resources. I have to say “Bravo!” to everyone who made the event successful.

After event:

Speaking events are always a great opportunity for networking with different people.  I received invitations to speak at other events, I got business consulting offers, and one of the most important things I gained wass credibility.  Influence is power and when you have the power to be the leader in your niche, you get credibility. Credibility is a shortcut to branding yourself and differentiating your personal brand.

There is nothing to hide with my experience. I took a chance, prepared well, and did it. What about you? Do you have a successful speaking experience to share?

Today, I spoke with John Antonios, John is a marketeer by profession and by passion. After several years of experience in brand management, he decided to finally launch his own marketing consulting company. John’s experience has taught him a great deal about people, brands, management, & trust which are clearly reflected in his professional blog. Passionate about Social Media, he decided to pursue further studies and readings within the field. Now he focuses on building brands (be it corporate or personal) via social media.

You can connect with John via @Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Mohammed: Branding for INDIVIDUAL or COMPANY? Where to start on the branding? On oneself (particularly if you have credibility from your profession, such as a Doctor) or on ones company name? Can you do both or does that detract from the little bit of social media mileage that can be created at the start?

John: I will have to favor individual/personal branding over company branding. Each of us has their own unique brand – their own set of values. Personal branding is all about communicating your brand, in other words delivering on your promise of value. Personal Branding is not only catered to those with currently established credibility; in fact, each one of us should promote their PB, their DNA – students, employees, employers, tycoons, rich, poor, young, old … After 10 years of employment, I recently decided to start my own marketing consultancy – my number one objective was not to promote my newly established company, but to build my personal brand and establish a certain level of trust and credibility. This in turn, helped me sell my services, because i had earned the right to do so – i was part of that circle of trust! Only now can i start promoting my business!

I am one with my brand! My work has to reflect my brand! My company has to reflect my brand values! credibility & synergy go hand in hand when it comes to successful branding!

Mohammed: Companies are spending fortunes every year on marketing, advertising and PR to establish and promote their brands, few of them becomes WOM, what do you think are the main reasons?

John: Establishing Word-of-Mouth (WOM) fame is not a direct result of the marketing activities – the latter are simply communication vehicles. WOM is about earned attention – be it negative or positive! So how do you earn people’s attention? In my humble opinion, this is the question companies need to be asking themselves prior to spending exuberant amounts on useless media. With so much competition out there, how does a brand stand out from the crowd? The answer lies in the perceived value!  Bombarded by millions of marketing messages on a daily basis, people don’t really have time to talk about all of them, they will only relay information that they deem as valuable.

I would also like to note that doing everything is not that same as doing the right thing – so engaging in all sorts of media vehicles to promote your product/service does not guarantee WOM status, it can actually back fire! It’s not an off-the-shelf solution that you can buy, a successful marketing strategy requires a thorough understanding of the brand and the intended participants!

Mohammed: In What Are They “Not” Teaching You?, you offered students, professors, and colleges a proposal to develop a 3-course module that gives an overall roundup of social media. How do you think adapting such as modules will change the eduction? and do you think everyone is forced to be Gen Y soon?

John: Thanks for asking this question Mohammed. I think social media is no longer an option. More and more attention is going towards online activities versus traditional media. In regions like North America, Autralia, and Europe,  where the internet penetration rate is over 76%, 60%, and 53% respectively, i think it would be unwise not to consider the Internet and more specifically Social Media as a main axes of communication. Therefore, being educated about social media is vital for the success of the new managers in the making. I would like to stress that this course suggestion is not intended for marketing students only, i am recommending it as a core module in any major and that is because each one of us, as relayed in my answer to your first question, has a personal brand, and social media is a great tool to communicate it.

I want to stress on something Mohammed, to avoid being misinterpreted, I’m not saying that social media is a magic pill that solves everything – but i am certainly saying that is an indispensable one!  I think 1.8 billion already are, that’s roughly around 27% of the world – i think it’s only a matter of time!

Brand Word: My parting words to all your readers Mohammed are in fact from a post I wrote re Personal Branding – dare to be different, don’t plagiarize your identity! Don’t succumb to the reality that was imposed on you by your society/company/family, create your own! Find your DNA – mine is Passionate, Creative, & Dedicated – what does your say!

Spotlight: If you would allow me Mohammed, I would like to use this opportunity to simply thank you for the great work you’re doing. Your Personal Brand is one to admire and I hope your readers understand the importance of your work.

I’m always reading something new, but i would highly recommend that for those of you who haven’t do so yet, pick up a copy of the following books: Linchpin by Seth Godin and Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk and let them inspire you on unleashing your personal brand!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhqZ0RU95d4

In Top 10 Quotes From Trust Agents, I explained my new way to review the books I read. I reviewed Career Distinction too.

Today I will review Linhcpin by Seth Godin. This is my 1st read for Seth. I feel shy for not reading at least 5 books for him. It’s an excellent book & must read for EVERYONE. This book inspired people around the world to meet and discuss the book. June 14, 2010, Linchpins in Jordan met & have very informative discussion. I’m not planning for explaining what is Linchpin as you can find on your favorite search engine.

I tweeted many quotes  during my reading and for those who miss them, here are my top 40 quotes from the book:

1 – This new dream isn’t about obedience. It’s about vision and engagement.

2 – Now, like or not, the world wants something different from you. We need to think hard about what reality looks like now.

3 – STOP asking what’s in it for you and start giving gifts that change people. Then, and only then, will you have achieved your potential.

4 - You have brilliance in you, your contribution is valuable, and the art you create is precious. Only you can do, and you must.

5 – Instead of focusing on complying with management as a long-term strategy for getting more stuff and being more secure, we have a chance to describe a powerful vision for our future and to actually make it happen.

6 – The indispensable employee brings humanity and connection and art to her organization. She is the key player, the one who’s difficult to live without, the person you can build something around. The indispensable employee-I call her/him a linchpin-is a person who’s worth finding and keeping.

7 – Being a tall helps you become a star in basketball, but how many of us have a shot at playing in the NBA? It’s not about what you’re born with; it’s about what you do.

8 – It’s easy to fool yourself into believing that genius works for them, but it won’t work for you.

9 – The linchpin feels the fear, acknowledges it, then proceeds.

10 – Organizations that can bring humanity to their interactions with other human beings will thrive.

11 – If the game is designed for you to lose, don’t play that game. Play different one.

12 – It doesn’t matter where you live on the long tail, as long as the tribes of people you connect with are eager to seek you out and help you succeed.

13 – If you are remarkable, amazing, or just plain spectacular, you probably shouldn’t have a resume at all.

14 – Great jobs, world-class jobs, jobs people kill for–those jobs don’t get filled by people e-mailing in resumes.

15 – If your Google search isn’t what you want (need) it to be, then change it.

16 – The resistance is working overtime to be sure that you wont actually do anything remarkable. As a result, the list of excuses in reverse is longer that you might expect.

17 – The challenge is in being alert enough to write them down, to prioritize them, to build them, and to ship them out the door. It’s a habit, it’s easy to learn, and it’s frightening.

18 – By separating the hard work of preparation from the scary work of insight, you can build an environment in which you’re more likely to ship.

19 – I don’t want to be around people who are in frequent cycles of pain and fear.

20 – It’s impossible to be a linchpin if you agree to feed your anxiety.

21 - The goal is to quit the tasks you’re doing because you’re hiding on behalf of the lizard brain and to push through the very tasks the lizard fears.

22 – The resistance will help find the thing you most need to do because it is the thing the resistance most wants to stop.

23 – The art of challenging the resistance is doing something when you’re not certain it’s going to work.

24 – All the creativity books in the world aren’t going to help you if you’re unwilling to have lousy, lame, and even dangerously bad ideas.

25 – The lizard brain is the reason you’re afraid, the reason you don’t do all the art you can, the reason you don’t ship when you can. The lizard brain is the source of the resistance.

26 – The reason that art (writing, engaging, leading, all of it) is valuable is preciously why I can’t tell you how to do it. If there were a map, there’d be no art, because art is the act of navigating without a map.

27 – If you accept that human beings are difficult to change, and embrace (rather than curse) the uniqueness that everyone brings to the table, you’ll navigate the world with more bliss and effectiveness. And make better decisions, too.

28 - You can’t make a map unless you can see the world as it is. You have to know where you are and know where you’re going before you can figure out how to go about getting there.

29 – The most successful givers aren’t doing it because they’re being told to. They do it because doing it is fun. It gives them joy.

30 – Great bosses and world-class organizations hire motivated people, set high expectations, and give people room to become remarkable.

31 – Connections are valuable in and of themselves, because they lead to productivity, decreased communication costs, and yes, gifts.

32 – Giving a gift makes you indispensable. Inventing a gift, creating art-that is what the market seeks out, and the givers are the ones who earn our respect and attention.

33 - Don’t let your circumstances or habits rule your choices today. Become a master of yourself and use your will power to choose.

34 – You can either fit in or stand out. Not both.

35 – Either you are the drama of your everyday life or you are seeing the world as it is. These are all choices; you can’t have it both ways.

36 – To stand out, not to fit in. To make connections, not to be an invisible cog. To do otherwise is a loss.

37 – Every successful organization is built around people. Men and women who don’t merely shuffle money, but interest, give gifts, and connect.

38 – You have a genius inside of you, a daemon with something to share with the world. Everyone does. Are you going to continue hiding it, holding it back, and settling for less than you deserve just because your lizard brain is a afraid?

39 – Don’t ask your boss to run interference, cover for you, or take the blame. Instead, create moments where your boss can happily take credits. Once that cycle begins, you can be sure it will.

40 – If you want to be a linchpin, the power you bring to the table has to be very difficult to replace. Be bolder and think bigger. Nothing stopping you.

Share your review for the book or let me know your favorite part or advice in the comments box. Let’s have discussion.

Today, I spoke to Keith McIlvaine, Keith is a coach, mentor and speaker. He is HR/Recruiting/Social Media professional with over 10 years of experience.

He began his career with an IT consulting company working as a recruiter in multiple offices supporting the PA, DE, NJ and NY markets.  Currently he is a global social media recruitment role challenged with enhancing the recruiting activities and supplementing existing recruiting methodologies.

You can connect with Keith via @Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Mohammed: How deep within an organization should social media be allowed to penetrate?

Keith: Social media is going to be used by employees regardless of their level and access rights.  If you do not provide an employee with access, they will just log in through their mobile device anytime they choose.  Companies should think beyond the question of “who do we provide access to” and instead help to educate employees on how to use social media in terms of what to say online/what not to say online, be aware of privacy updates, and any additional information they feel is needed.

To answer your question directly, I believe it depends.  Social media will be a slippery-slope for any organization because of what may or may not be said online.  It may not make sense for your “customer support” division to have access as it may distract, however, it may also make sense for “customer support” to have access in order to respond to social media feedback quickly and effectively.  Also, depending on your industry you may not be able to discuss anything online due to regulations.

The challenge for companies is that there is no right or wrong answer to this question.  Employees are going to be on social media whether you provide workplace access or not.  Ultimately, it is in a company’s best interest to help employees make smart decisions as to when and what they say in these outlets.

Mohammed: What are the most common mistakes businesses and organizations make when it comes to social media and branding?

Keith: Two really jump out for me on this topic.

First, companies feel the need to continually push information out rather than make engagement their practice.  Yes, it is important to share information about your company or industry but when you have zero engagement you become another marketing channel rather than a trusted partner.  When this happens, you begin to lose followers/fans/friends/etc. and become just another part of the social media noise.

Second, people want to see who is behind the social media logo for organizations to truly gain that personal aspect that is so important in social media.  If a company chooses a logo as their main picture, that is great but ensure the public know who is behind the scenes to contact if needed.  People, not logos, build the real trust and engagement which in turn provides a positive impression for that company with public opinion.

Mohammed: What changes do you envisage to the way we communicate with each other in future?

Keith: I continue to see mobile and other portable devises (iPads and netbooks alike) driving change.  Mobile phones have already made it tremendously easy to keep in touch with friends and colleagues, to exchange information in real-time and to keep large masses updated on whatever you choose to share through social media.  As technology advances, mobile devises will hold everything and anything you could imagine right in your hip pocket.  There will be an increase in video integration into our daily communications.  Every year I am impressed with the next generation of technology, I am also excited to see other technology that I haven’t even imagined yet!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8

Brand Word: You need to pursue something that you enjoy in life.  Yes, we all have responsibilities but enjoying what you do is critical to success.  Even if it is something that you work on with your extra time, this will expand and enhance your character and who knows where it might take you.  In this course, be true to yourself as your character is extraordinarily important!

Spotlight: I manage the social media recruiting strategy for Unisys Corp, a Fortune 500 global IT services, software and technology company.  In my personal time, I also manage my own personal blog, the HR farmer, as well as enjoy reading marketing and social media related books such as Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith – one of the most well thought out books on how to effectively use social media.  Let’s all keep pushing each other to continue these incredible conversations!  (The statements above are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer).