LinkedIn Expert Tips to Pitch YOU!

Second Shift member and LinkedIn Reboot expert Katie Fogarty has tips for landing jobs and a special offer only for our member community. 

How to Land Any Job, Open Any Door and If You’re Really Lucky – Work in Italy

Still working on your 2018 career plans? Forget the tsunami of “new year, new you” job hunting tips. Focus on the only step that really matters – have an awesome answer to the question – why you?

As Second Shift members, you have the skills, the experience, the smarts to be a game changer for a who’s who of companies and organizations. But the key to bridging the chasm between your amazing self and an open job position is the ability to convey a killer personal brand.

I know. I know. “Personal brand.” Eye roll. But stick with me.

Everyone has a personal brand. It’s what you are known for – your reputation. But is your brand strong enough to get you noticed? Powerful personal brands share brand value — what you offer to others. Take Martha Stewart. Martha’s brand is clear – she’s a domestic goddess who can bake a cake, arrange flowers, decorate a home and throw a wedding better than anyone. But her brand value?  She offers a better domestic life to the rest of us as well. “Be like Martha” – and you too can have a happier, cozier, more gracious home life.

People with strong brands are memorable, persuasive and compelling because they go beyond simply communicating what they do – they clearly share the value they offer to others. We know Martha, not because she inhabits her own perfect sphere, but because she can improve our own domestic life.

So how does this translate to work?

To walk into a job interview, create a strong LinkedIn profile, effectively woo clients, develop a larger network, and grow your professional influence – you must have a clear idea of what you do AND the value you offer to others, and you need to communicate that value clearly, cogently, powerfully.

Put your audience first, connect the dots between your value and their needs, and – boom! – you catapult success at work, job hunting, and answering that horrible cocktail party question, “So, what do you do?”

I learned how important it is to own your personal brand the hard way.

My 20-year career is in communications. I wrote the morning news in New York City. I ran campaigns for big brands at global and boutique PR firms. I even have a Masters in Journalism – hello credentials! – but it wasn’t until I bombed sharing my “elevator pitch” at a work dinner that I decided to get serious about nailing down my own professional story.

And here it is: “I help clients create powerful professional identities.”

Seven simple words that have opened more doors than I can walk through. Including a work trip to Italy (more on that in a minute.)

Begin to take ownership of your personal brand messaging today with these easy steps:

Power Your LinkedIn Headline: Go beyond your job title. Think of your headline as your “elevator pitch” – a chance to hook a viewer, share what you do, the value you offer, and entice the viewer to “click” open your profile.

Practice Your Pitch: Create a pitch that leaves your audience wanting more. Hone your professional story to no more than four simple sentences. Skip the jargon. And practice saying it out loud. A lot. Record yourself with your phone until you look and feel comfortable.

Poll Your People: Suss out your brand value by asking those who know you best. Poll former colleagues, industry peers, clients, friends and family for their perspective on your professional value. Then fold their feedback into your messaging.

Your professional story is your currency. And when yours shines a light on all you offer, it can take you amazing places. Like Italy.

A former client, and now friend, Michelle DiBenedetto Capobianco, recently approached me about collaborating on a travel experience for women wanting more than a vacation. Michelle is a former corporate lawyer turned private chef in New York, and she also leads small group tours of Italy through her company Majella Home Cooking & Abruzzo Tours.  She is the epitome of The Second Shift mantra – “make work work for you.” I think I said yes before she could even finish her sentence. Hello gelato!

Together, we’ve created Reboot + Refresh in Italy: A Retreat for Creative & Professional Women – a week of inspired living and immersive personal development workshops for women looking to catalyze what’s next in their work and lives.

Interested in coming with us? We are offering Second Shift members a $300 discount off the program rate if you book by February 15th with the promo code SECOND SHIFT FRIENDS.

But whether or not you work on your professional story in Italy or New York, make 2018 the year you nail your personal brand – and see how far it takes you.

Katie Fogarty joined The Second Shift when it launched. She runs Reboot, a personal branding and career consultancy. Her client roster includes executives from: American Express, Condé Nast, FleishmanHillard, Fox News, Morgan Stanley, NBC Universal, Oath, Turner, and numerous private equity, law & fashion firms, and start-ups. Learn more at www.katiefogartyreboot.com.

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We March!

We are still riding high from the 2nd annual Women’s March this past Saturday. Last year the Second Shift team chartered a bus to bring a group to march on DC and it was an amazing moment of peaceful protest and unity. This year we stayed closer to home but it was just as energizing and cathartic to see thousands of women and their allies coming together to change the present and the future. Bringing our own children to march alongside us was especially moving as we teach the importance of raising your voices and showing up to protest injustice and demand equality. We are going to use this energy boost to make 2018 a year of strength, change, growth and empowerment.

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Amy Nelson is Riveting!

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In 2017 Amy Nelson was a successful corporate attorney when she decided to change career course and open The Riveter, a women-focused co-working space; she was also pregnant with her third child. Amy now has two locations, has given birth, and is in the middle of raising money to open her third location. When Gina and I met with Amy last month she showed up to our coffee fresh from a meeting with a venture capital firm and toting her breast pump—she is clearly a woman who is defying the image of what a start-up founder “looks like.”

In fact, instead of family and pregnancy being a hindrance, Amy says it’s been a blessing:

“I had a few advisors tell me that I should “hide” my pregnancy because it would be difficult to raise capital.  I opted for a wholly different approach.  The Riveter is built to change the landscape for women business owners and freelancers.  If we want to make real change, we have to lead the way.  I told every potential investor that I was expecting, and also explained how my experience as a mother has made me a much better CEO. “

A recent story in Harvard Business Review focused on women like Amy who are breaking the mold of traditional start-up entrepreneurship and creating businesses in their likenesses. The truth is that not all start-ups start in a garage and not all start-up founders are young men in hoodies working 30 hours a day. This concept mirrors what Gina and I built with The Second Shift–we created the business we wished existed for ourselves and we practice what we preach: flexibility, personal responsibility, empowerment through work.

In fact, women entrepreneurs are successfully building companies that incorporate principles often cited as the core reasons women leave the full-time workforce: work/life balance, paid maternity leave, wage imbalance.  The HBR story makes the connection that in some ways working for a start-up is easier for young families, “the startup life can be even more amenable to raising young children than can life at a large corporation, with its more rigid rules and long-established culture.”

As Amy says, “I wanted to build The Riveter, but at the same time my husband and I wanted to grow our family.  We decided that if we put the right village in place, we could make it happen.” Gina and I can definitely attest to that—starting our own business, fundraising, traveling while raising children is not easy and some weeks are a planning and logistical nightmare, but it is a thrilling ride and with good help, patience, late nights, and lots of coffee we’ve learned how to build in bandwidth to be good parents and good leaders.

Breaking a mold, disrupting the disrupters—that is what women who found and grow start-ups are doing.  It’s why it is so important for women to stay engaged in the workforce and support each other and why The Second Shift is the tool to do so!

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Their Time Is Up!

Take it from Oprah…she knows all. What a moment for women claiming power and calling out abuse and disparity. Oprah’s Golden Globe speech had us weeping bittersweet tears of joy, sadness, and hope. From Hoda Kotb and Christiane Amanpour in media to Tina Smith in politics, women are replacing the men ousted from their jobs because of sexual misconduct allegations. A recent story in Time magazine highlights the way this is swift justice and should not be perceived as companies trying to save face.

“But it’s a mistake to think of this as a revolution, or even as women pulling off a bloodless coup against the patriarchy–and not just because those rarely end well. These now disgraced men are not being replaced by women as an act of revenge, but because the women are the best candidates for the job. It’s promotion of the fittest. It’s evolution.”

2018 is already starting out strong for women and we are proud to be part of the conversation and a tool to empower women through work. Keep at it ladies– this is gonna be a good year! 

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Jeri Ziegler — The Secret of her Success!

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She’s worked for entertainment giants, MTV and HBO, and the digital customer experience leader, MCD, but today Jeri Ziegler is successfully calling her own shots. Read on to learn how she partnered with the Second Shift to establish a flexible and fulfilling career.

You transitioned from a full-time executive at an advertising agency to a full-time consultant. Tell me about that journey.

Jeri: I started my career as an in-house marketer at HBO and them moved on to MTV. After several years, I jumped over to the agency side where I focused on strategy and had the opportunity to work with a greater variety of clients. I loved what I was doing, but I made the decision to leave the corporate world during my first maternity leave. I wanted the ability to work in a more flexible way, and as a new mom, I was looking to have better control of my time.

It was a little scary, but just knowing that the Second Shift existed gave me the confidence to take the leap. Having access to a resource that could help me find work that was interesting and challenging took the hard work out of getting started and made me believe that it was possible to work this way.

What’s the benefit of working the way you currently work?

Jeri: First and foremost is the flexibility. I work full time and I still work as many hours in a week as I did before, but I do it more on my own schedule now. I enjoy getting to spend a little extra time with my kids in the morning and then putting in a few extra hours after I put them to sleep.

I also love the range of work I’m doing. I really like being exposed to different industries and challenges, as it helps me grow. With each project I take on, 95 percent of the work is stuff I know really well, and 5 percent of it is something new. It’s great to be continually learning.

In your opinion, what makes a good client?

Jeri: I’ve found that the best clients know what they want and need, but are open to working collaboratively to adjust that and develop solutions together.

What type of interesting projects have you landed via the Second Shift?

Jeri: I’ve been a member of the Second Shift for close to three years, and I’ve taken on a variety of projects during that time. I’ve served as a temporary in-house marketing resource, I’ve developed case studies and other content for clients, and I’m currently engaged in a large-scale marketing and branding initiative. The range of work has been really awesome.

What excites you most about being a member of this community?

Jeri: The Second Shift really curates opportunities. I’m excited when I get an email with a potential match from them, because I know that the work will be interesting and challenging. The Second Shift does a lot of the heavy lifting by bringing only really good opportunities forward, and I appreciate that.

What advice do you have for members just starting out?

Jeri: Be a bit patient! One month, I may not get many matches and the next I will get 20. The opportunities are there and they will come. When they do and it it’s time to pitch, which can feel intimidating at first, my advice is to just be really honest about who you are and why you are interested in the role. From there, take the time to figure out if the fit is right. And remember, it’s okay to be picky about where you will spend your time.

You have two small children and you work full time. What tips can you share on maximizing time?

Jeri: Time management isn’t something that necessarily comes easy for me, as I’m naturally a very spontaneous person. But, I have found that logging my time down to the half hour is a game changer! I come from a digital world, but I recently switched over to an analog planner where I record what I am doing or what I need to do by the half hour. I log everything in there – including the time I plan to spend with my family and the time I need to dedicate to my work. Without sounding too dramatic, this approach has been life changing! It’s allowed me to fit in a lot more and feel good about how I am spending my time—for example: I’m also writing a science fiction novel – it’s a total departure from my day-to-day reality! 

Whether you are new to the Second Shift or a seasoned member of the community, Jeri shares a few key takeaways we can all benefit from:

1) Track your time: Whether you choose a digital or analog approach, plan your time down to the half hour. “It’s a game changer!”

2) Be yourself: When it comes to pitching, “be honest about who you are and why you are interested in the role” and let things evolve from there.

3) Don’t be afraid to be picky: You only have so much time to devote to your business, so choose your engagements wisely. “It’s the luxury of working this way!”

Do you know any all-star professional women like Jeri who should join The Second Shift expert network? Send them our way! 

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Office Hours Are Open!

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Calling all NY based women with a business idea!! A group of female VC investors are offering to help women entrepreneurs with advice, guidance, and support. Check it out! https://www.femalefounder.org/

On Jan 9th you can sign up for a 1:1 with an investor from a top VC firm to talk shop. Why? Because New York is home to more companies with a female founder than any other city, and our funding numbers look better, too. 17% of NYC Series A rounds in 2016 had a female founder.

Read more here:
https://medium.com/…/nyc-female-founder-office-hours-eb5b73…

#makeworkworkforyou #ondemandtalent

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Walk the Walk!

The Broadsheet is an amazing newsletter that highlights the most topical issues related to women in a daily email. It’s a must-read for the most up-to-date issues about women in the workplace, politics, and entertainment. Today the lead story is about the nature of sexual harassment in the workforce as it relates to power dynamics and focuses two opinion pieces from Sheryl Sandberg and Sallie Krawcheck. Here’s the gist: 

“Both women are advocating for the same solution to the on-going sexual harassment epidemic: get more women in power.That, of course, is much easier said than done. The gender gap at the top of corporate America—just 5% of Fortune 500 CEOs are female—is the result of a confluence of sociocultural factors (women as primary caretakers, implicit biases against women leaders, lack of paid family leave, absence of role models, etc.) And yet, while it’s unlikely that we’ll solve all of those in the next decade, it is heartening to know that the few women who are at the top are pushing to get more of us up there with them.“

The Second Shift agrees–that’s why we created the company! We are an actionable solution to keep more women in the workplace. Creating the opportunity is our main focus– getting our members job to keep them going during times that they need to step away from the climb. We are happy to work with companies like Microsoft to make the goal of cracking that 5% a reality. Talk is talk– providing jobs for women is an incredibly important way to walk the walk. 

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The Future of Work

thesecondshiftblog:

The Majority of the Workforce will be Freelancers in Just Ten Years

A New Study by Upwork and the Freelancers Union Provides a Lens into the Future of Work

Last month, a new study on the future of work by Upwork and the Freelancers Union looked at the growing number of freelancers to see how the gig-economy is growing. The study revealed some interesting statistics about the freelance workforce; we took a deep dive into the results:

·       57.3M people freelance.

·       Only 10% of freelance workers like the name gig-economy – they prefer freelance economy—(we agree!)

·       63% of freelancers think having several sources of income and multiple clients more secure than one – the average freelancer has 4.5 clients a month.

Here’s the who, what, where, when, why and how of the freelance economy:

Who is the driving force behind this rapid change?

“Almost half of working millennials (47%) freelance.” As a result, the common negative perception of freelance as a primary earnings method shifted, with 67% of people agreeing that it’s a stable form of work.

What is likely to keep the freelance economy going?

“Freelancers are more realistic about artificial intelligence’s (AI) impact than non-freelancers.” As a result, they are more likely to seek the training they need to continue to compete in a technologically changing workplace – “65% of full-time freelancers are updating their skills to ensure that they are marketable as the job market evolves.”

Where are freelancers earning their living?

The majority of the freelance economy isn’t moonlighting; 29% work full-time, 53% work part-time, and only 16% work occasionally for extra income in addition to another traditional job. “Most freelancers started within the last three years,” and freelancers are increasingly choosing to join the freelance economy by choice, which is indicative of a move to towards more creative outlets to earn a living, often not requiring formal education. Freelancers are finding their work through friends and family, professional contacts and social media – personal connections are more powerful then technological ones—(something we hope we are solving!)

When are freelancers working?

“Most freelance weekly: freelancers indicate, on average, having 27 different clients within their last six months of work,” and 52% of freelancers will work for the same clients repeatedly on different projects with most full-time freelancers working 36 hours per week. Among workers who find their projects online, 77% start their projects within a week – 21% start the same day.

Why is freelancing the wave of the future?

“54% of the entire U.S. workforce is not very confident that the work they do today is likely to exist in 20 years,” and both traditional and freelance workers agree. The study goes on to differentiate that freelancers are more aware of how their work is changing due to increased AI and robotics used in the workplace. Ultimately, the data reveals that the changing nature of the freelance workforce makes them more adaptable and is why they are likely to outnumber traditional workers in ten years time. Perhaps more importantly, 77% of workers believe that these same technological improvements are making it easier for them to find freelance work.

How will this impact our economy?

The numbers don’t lie, the freelance economy is good for the U.S.; “freelancers contribute approximately $1.4 trillion to the U.S. economy annually – an increase of almost 30% since last year.” Part of the economic boost comes from freelancer’s preference to purchase their own benefits in the marketplace; 67% agree that “a healthy freelance economy boosts America’s middle class.” A current practice they’re likely to be able to continue because 72% of freelancers are willing to vote across party lines for candidates that support the freelance economy. They’ll be able to have a tangible financial impact on elections as well because 36% earn $75,000 or more – double the percentage that did from 2014. Further to, 66% say they earn more in the freelance economy then they did in a traditional workplace; 75% of them earned more in just their first year, with 37% earning more immediately.

One last interesting fact: “Freelancers skew more male than U.S. workers overall.” Ladies, given all the benefits the freelance economy brings, let’s get out there!

The data proves The Second Shift model and our members know that the findings of the study are true. We are the vanguard of the future of work– so let’s get more women to join us! Refer 5 new members and you will get a surprise thank you from us! 

By Second Shift member Chelsea Connor

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