Networking Newbie Uses Unique Approach to Pursue Dream Job

In mid-July, I received an email from Mia Salituro requesting an email interview which is posted here. After reviewing Mia’s background, I was intrigued by her Networking Newbie blog and aspiration to find a position with Ogilvy & Mather (Note: My first PR job was with O&M Taiwan as a translator!).  Part of Mia’s approach is to interview one person per day (more like a week I believe) and leverage this expanding network to make inroads into the company.

I asked Mia to share her thoughts and the reaction to her unique approach to date. Personally, I think she’ll find a position – what do you think? What have you done to pursue your dream job?

1) Why did you start Networking Newbie?
 
I began networking as an international model and since then have learned that networking is one of the most beneficial tools we have to fueling our success. I may be in the small city of Kenosha, WI in the physical, however the Internet allows me to network with business professionals and entrepreneurs worldwide. One day I am interviewing an SEO expert from India, the next I am speaking with the CEO of an advertising company in Dubai. Networking Newbie has allowed me to maximize my summer holiday and use it to connect with inspiring business professionals and entrepreneurs worldwide.
 
2 ) You’ve expressed an interest to work for Ogilvy. How is Networking Newbie helping you to achieve this?
 
I aspire to work in PR for Ogilvy. Already, those in my network have been reaching out offering to help me pursue this dream. On July 6, the day of my first interview post, I e-mailed Lori Bizzoco, a 15-year PR veteran turned writer (www.loribizz.com) who I intern for and asked her if she had any questions to ask editor Isobella Jade and directed her to my site. Lori replied back, ” I don’t have any questions for Isobella, but I have one for you. It says on your site that your dream is to work for Ogilvy? Is that true? Given my PR background, I would be happy to help you make some connections. One thing I know, is that you are on the right path to making your dreams come true.” I think that this quote speaks for itself.
 
In addition, I plan to contact the managing directors of Ogilvy Shanghai and Ogilvy Hong Kong to invite them for an interview on Networking Newbie.
 
3) Who do you contact and why?
 
I contact those who I feel will not only serve as inspiration to me, but also to my readers. I am personally interested in PR,advertising, marketing etc., however I think that anyone can admire an entrepreneur regardless of their industry. For example, I interviewed Justin Beck, CEO of PerBlue, software startup in Madison. I am not particularly interested in software however Justin’s story is truly inspirational. He was 21 when he became the CEO of PerBlue . Lately, I have been sending interview invites to young entrepreneurs such as Justin Beck. My most recent young entrepreneur interview features Ryan Meinzer, CEO of PlaySay, foreign language learning program. I’ve also interviewed Jason Pereira who at the age of 19 has already owned an offline business in Bangalore and an online business in Dubai.These are the type of people that we should model ourselves after.
　
4) What has the response been to those you’ve reached out to?
 
Initially, I wasn’t sure what the reaction would be. Perhaps those whom I looked up to were much too busy to answer my questions. I am pleased to say that those whom I have contacted have been more than happy to participate. Many have even offered me advice, beyond my interview questions. I have received loads of encouragement. Receiving advice from such inspiring individuals is worth every bit of the work I put into Networking Newbie. It is very refreshing to see such busy people take time out of their hectic schedule to answer my questions. It is greatly appreciated.

Tiananmen Remembered – 20 Years Later

By Grant Neufeld via Flickr

When Tiananmen happened, I was just a college freshman – fresh-eyed and away from home the first time in my life. I was just exploring my identity – second generation Chinese born to immigrant parents, seeking to understand how I fit into the world. The incidents in Tiananmen were eye-opening, shocking and maddening at the same time.

Fast forward 20 years. The anniversary sort of crept up on me. There is barely any mention of the anniversary on TV. Somehow, this incident has been swept away as the Chinese government has expertly positioned itself on the world stage over the past years and the success of the Beijing Olympics.

It’s interesting to hear the lengths that the Chinese government is going through in advance of the anniversary.  Social networking sites, such as Twitter, are being blocked to stem the flow of information coming out of China. In a way, they are the best in our profession – the ability to control a message and put out the one that they want.

In 1989, this wasn’t the case. The government was unsure how to manage the spontaneous marches that took place and youthful excitement of the student leaders seeking change. Rather, their knee-jerk reaction resulted in the deadly incidents on June 4. The moment of transparency and openness was quickly closed.

While the Chinese government attempts a blackout in the coming days, I hope the voices of those able to leave China will serve as a reminder to those incidents 20 years ago this Thursday. Surely, no one government can completely block out the voices?

What lessons can we learn from Tiananmen and the Chinese government’s actions?

Book Review: Me 2.0 by Dan Schawbel – Personal Branding to the Millennials

First, let me tell you, reading this book made me tired and glad that I’m part of Generation X. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with Dan Schawbel, author of Me 2.0 and personal branding guru, that personal branding is more important than ever to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

 

I’m just amazed at how much Dan has done all by the age of 25!

 

Personal Branding – Not Just for Millennials

Me 2.0 is book that highlights Dan’s success in personal branding, providing a blueprint for identifying, creating, and harnessing the key elements of a personal brand. Though Dan is a millennial, many of the points in his book are relevant to individuals of any generation.

 

• College students – how to differentiate yourself from the crowd, create the opportunity for your job future and secure the job of your dreams

• Recently laid off – how to leverage social media to create your digital persona and brand while judiciously networking to find the opportunities right for you

• Everyone else – how to take your passion and become a rock star

 

 

Three Questions for Dan

1) Your book gives a lot of advice on personal branding. How do you maintain the balance of networking without seeming too aggressive?

Successful networking comes from viewing it as a long term relationship, instead of a one night stand. I used to force relationships to try and get press and that failed miserably. Now, I’m older, wiser and more experienced, so I know that the people you give value you to help first, will support you right back.

  

2) Over the past few months, the unemployment rate has increased dramatically in the US. If you could add another chapter in Me 2.0 to address the number of unemployed workers out there, what would you add and why?

I wouldn’t really add anything. The same advice is going to apply regardless. The key is the build up your online assets as much as you can before you need to leverage them for a job or another opportunity. This means getting thousands of Twitter followers, Facebook friends, contacts on LinkedIn, etc. It’s another way of saying “you should network before you need to.”

 

3) With technology changing so quickly, what do envision as the next area for personal branding?

Personal branding is all about the individual. While technology rapidly changes, personal brands stay consistent. I see us having new technologies in the future that let us interact at even faster rates than Twitter. In turn, they will make us even more productive and force us to be more cautious about what we put online.

 

Conclusion

While I don’t believe that social media will get you the job, I believe reading Dan’s book will ensure that you’re noticed in the right way for your dream job.

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Book review of Me 2.0 by @csalomonlee. Great book for personal branding written by @danschawbel: http://twurl.nl/2efaou

 

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What am I doing now and a video thank you

Earlier this month, I wrote about how I got a new job and the role social media played. After a quick and busy start, I am happy to announce that I have joined InXpo as the company’s director of marketing. InXpo is a virtual events provider (e.g. virtual trade show, virtual corporate events, virtual job fairs and more).

 
Though the company is based in Chicago, I will be working virtually from the Bay Area. This is a good group of people and I’m looking forward to doing some great things for the company. I may not be able to discuss everything I’m doing, but I will try to share what I can. And since I’m also writing for InXpo Insights blog, I will try to post at least once a week here.

 
In the video message, I tried to thank everyone who has helped us and supported us, including Cam Beck, Jeremiah Owyang, Drew McClellan, CK, Lewis Green, Kenny Lauer, Dennis Shiao, Tom Pick, Steve McDonald, Mack Collier, John Welsh, Jason Falls, Julius Solaris, and my family and friends. Please forgive me if I forgot you – I am getting older and my memory is fading =)

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All content copyright Cece Salomon-Lee, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, with the attribution: By Cece Salomon-Lee, PR Meets Marketing, and a link to the post.

The F*cking Worst Week of My Life

"Pink Slipped"

Forgive me as I go off-topic today, but it’s been single-handedly, the worst f*cking week of my life! If you haven’t figured out from the photo, that’s me wearing pink slippers in honor of the pink slip I got last week. This is the first time I’ve ever, ever been laid off, so I was in shock on Thursday.  

I just went home, curled up into a fetal position for two days trying to figure out – mind my language – what the f*ck are we doing to do! I felt like a worthless piece of crap.

 

Now, if only the sick joke stopped there. Unfortunately, my husband was laid off from his company on Monday. It’s as if we’re getting a double whammy of fate here.

 

Believe me – we’ve gone through all the emotions. Shock, anger, fear, and now resignation. We’re so numb from the various emotions washing over us that we just blankly stare at each other. We make sarcastic jokes about what we’re going to do. Even the prospect of losing our home, health or sanity seems funny to us right now. I mean, when you’re in survival mode – everything seems funny. What else can be worse, right?

 

I take comfort in the positive response I’ve received from former colleagues, friends, and others in the industry. It reassures me that I’m not a worthless piece of crap. People valued my work. They’re willing to vouch for it.

 

I am genuinely moved by the outpouring of response to help forward my resume around, to provide a reference, or just to listen to me air out out my fears.

 

No matter how uncertain the future is, I do know that with my husband – the love of my life – family and friends, we will get past the current rough patch.

 

As a way to stay sane, I will be writing a blog titled Survival Mode. It’s one of the ways to stay sane during this insane time.

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All content copyright Cece Salomon-Lee, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, with the attribution: By Cece Salomon-Lee, PR Meets Marketing, and a link to the post.