Presentation Skills Advice (Video)
In this video, Mala Subramaniam, President of MKTinsite, offers a key piece of advice for successful presentations to senior level executives.
Presentation Skills Critical Factors (Video)
In this video, Mala Subramaniam, President of MKTinsite, explains Presentation Skills Critical Factors to help you get ahead.
7 Easy Tips to Get Your Resume Noticed
Adopt the New and Drop the Old practices in Your Resume
“Work while others are wishing.” – Thomas A. Edison
Heads Up: Don’t let anyone else write your resume – it shows and it is a turn-off!
Don't Let Others Write Your Resume!
Tip #1: Start the process by preparing a Grid of your Accomplishments organized by your past and current jobs.
Drop the practice of writing your resume without defining yourself – Get to know yourself. This Accomplishment Grid is your reference – it is not only a kick-start to your resume, but also a confidence-booster and an interview guide. A sample Accomplishment Grid that I share with my clients is in the Free! Essential Special Reports titled: Get Your Resume Noticed. It is downloadable!
Tip #2: Use the “in-phrases” to describe your job.
Drop the habit of writing your resume without doing some research. Comb the internet to find jobs, industries and companies you are targeting. Understand what you need to include in your resume to prompt action in your favor. Begin your resume now….
Tip #3: Start the resume with a Positioning Statement.
Drop the phrase “Job Objective” – especially, if you are an experienced professional – this is like stating the obvious. Create this storyline for your career journey – it grabs the reader’s attention and says: Read on. It is an action-driven statement. Not a passive: I want this. More like: I am this – are you interested?
Tip #4: The next heading should read: Strengths or Significant Achievements.
Drop the old heading “Summary of Qualifications” – a very passive description of your background without alignment to job market. Your Strengths constitute your value-proposition – What’s in it for the employer? Why Me, or What do I bring to the table? Connect the Strengths to the Positioning Statement – message has to be consistent.
Tip #5: Be precise about your Professional Experience.
Drop the boring list of all your Experience – Build your story. Connect your experience to your Strengths or Achievements. Name most recent employers– don’t go beyond 10 years or 3 employers, unless you have some relevant industry experience prior to the 10 years. This is the advice I give to clients who need help in making presentations – don’t do a data dump, although very tempting, give the audience what they need to take action.
Tip #6: Logistics – Be Clever
- Drop writing your physical mailing Address. Give URL; email; Linkedin address [only if your profile does not contradict your Resume], links to Blogs and telephone.
- Drop headings “Volunteer work and Extra-curricular Activity.” Replace with Active Contributions to Community
- Drop extensive details in the Education section unless you are applying for faculty positions – Include relevant advanced degrees like MBA with your major in the Strengths section.
- Drop References even if the job asks for it. If you have strong recommendations relevant to job, give Linkedin address
Tip #7: Modify Resume to fit the job
Drop the lazy “One size fits all” strategy. I am not asking you to lie, but to use applicable phrases and content to describe what you have done and what you are capable of doing.
For more information about career or personal development, please contact Mala Subramaniam to schedule a strategy session where your individual needs and big picture goals can be discussed in detail.
Market Yourself, Get the Job
Why You?
The First Steps in Marketing Yourself to a prospective employer or a client are: Knowing your Skills and Knowing your Market. Any Marketing expert will tell you these are the critical questions:
- Define your product – i.e. who are you, what do you offer, what have you accomplished?
- Who will buy your product – what prospective employer or client needs you?
- Why do they need you – what need do you fill?
- What’s the catch – what is your value proposition?
- How will you find them?
- How will you approach them?
Finding answers for the first 4 questions is half the battle. It is like the dreaded job interview question: Tell Me about Yourself. Tell the employer or client who you are with confidence and be taken seriously. If you don’t know who you are, how can you expect others to know and hire you?
Mala Subramaniam, President, MKTinsite LLC
How I Defined Myself: I had to define myself when my last employer sent me home with a glossy exit package. I did not go looking for another corporate job. I wanted to share my knowledge with others – but who, what, where?
I considered myself a Marketing Guru – now I had to practice what I preached. Jumping into job search without the 6 Steps is like driving in a new country without a map. I am reminded of a meeting I scheduled with Kim, a former colleague, in the city.
Kim and I made an appointment for lunch on a Friday in the city. She emailed me her address and contact information. I entered it all in my cell phone. On Friday, I parked the car in the station, ran like an Olympic runner [untrained and panting, though] to catch the train and reached Penn Station at 11am. I reached into my pocket book for my cell phone. It was not there! I panicked. I remembered her street address, but not Kim’s floor or telephone number. I am ashamed to say I did not know her employer’s name or her most recent last name. The doorman of this multi-story building restrained himself from dialing Security.
So, don’t go looking without knowing what you are looking for!
Some research and introspection led me to define myself. Here’s looking at ME:
- Who am I? - I am a trainer, an instructor, and a coach.
- What can I offer? – leadership, marketing, communications expertise
- Who will benefit?– anyone who needs skills to succeed in a business environment, particularly in the IT outsourcing market, where interactions between Americans and Asian Indians need help
- Why ME? Am I different?
Why Me? YES, I definitely can claim:
- Experience in diverse industries, including IT – So can a Million others
- Expertise in highly-specialized areas as research – So can a Million
- Skills in writing, platform, research etc… So do a Ton of other MBAs
- Training certification – Market is flooded
- Passion for Teaching – Just look at Academia
BUT, where will you find an Asian Indian corporate executive, with all of the above, and the ability to establish a rapport with both Asian Indians and Americans? I GOT IT!
5 Tips for Answering Questions
Don’t think of answering questions during a presentation or meeting as a stressful time. Instead, be prepared to let your subject matter expertise and personality shine.
Try to remember these 5 tips the next time you find yourself in a Q&A setting:
- Pause and take a breath
- Answer the person and not just the question
- Respond – do not react
- Don’t start the answer with – “that’s a good question…”
- Bring the focus onto your key message
Hope this is helpful. Please share your tips with us, too!
5 Tips to Being Consultative
Being consultative is crucial to adding value to your business relationships. It has become an imperative in IT consulting business, where outsourcing professionals tend to focus on the deliverable and logistics surrounding it, rather than understanding client goals and needs, and mapping their deliverable to the needs. Most of the misunderstandings and conflicts are caused by people working in a vacuum. Most professionals in IT, Market Research and similar technical areas perceive their jobs as providing data, intelligence or service, and not as providing solutions for business problems or needs. Hence, the need for companies to retain consultants, who wear the hat of problem-solvers, diminishing the role of the technical people.
Learn Consultative Skills Training from MKTinsite
Know…
- Your client industry
- Your client goals
- Your work in the context of client goals, problems and needs
- Your past success with the client
- Your value-add
Please feel free to send your comments.
Don’t Hesitate, Let’s Connect Now!
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