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SXSW 2010 Recap – A Newbie’s Perspective

South by Southwest (SXSW) 2010 Interactive Conference in Austin, Texas is in the books (March 12-16, 2010).  I am sharing my experience of attending SXSW as a Newbie. Not knowing exactly what to expect I jumped in feet first for it was inspiring and overwhelming all at the same time.  I ran into Kevin Rose (Digg), rode around with Tony Hsieh (Zappos CEO) and the Zappos Crew on the Happiness Bus and got an advance copy of his book to name a few of my adventures.

There were over 15,000 people who attended SXSW Interactive.  Imagine a city full of techies, interactive enthusiast with laptops, iPhones, Flip cams, video cameras, and mobile devices active all plugged up at all times.

My Reasons for Attending

  • Online/Offline Relationships – Connecting the dots.  The value in developing online relationships is solidified when the online world meets the real world face to face.
  • Productivity – It is one of the easiest ways to connect with the movers and shakers in the interactive community.  There are not too many other venues where you will have access to the majority of major players in the interactive communities all in one shot.
  • Networking – Just like in college I felt like I learned as much outside the classroom as I did inside the classroom.  Attending sessions is important but doesn’t trump connecting with people.
  • Create Touch points – My focus was not to solidify business deals there unless something fell into my lap but to create a non-forced touch point to build trust.  This creates a comfort level for future engagement when a non-threatening conversation happens with no strings attached.

Favorite Quote During the Conference

“It took me 8-years to get a 100 readers for my blog.” @ChrisBrogan

Lessons Learned

  • Favorable Introduction – I talked with @WayneSutton and others who created favorable introduction.  A favorable introduction is when someone introduces you to someone within their network as their friend or on their behalf.  The favorable introduction is the most powerful way to meet a new contact.  It removes the ouchwereness and creates a layer of trust.
  • Always Keep your Devices Charged Up – You have to capture the moment.  You have no idea who you will run into people from @GuyKawaski to @scobleizer (RobertScoble).  If your devices cams, iPhones, Laptops are not charged and ready you may miss the moment.
  • Don’t try and meet everybody – Following the #sxswi stream and foursquare it was easy to keep a pulse on what was happening.  It also created the anxiously of wanting to jump from place to place, but fight the urge.  You can’t do everything. Create valuable interactions with a few people versus lots of meaningless interactions with the masses.  What does it mean to be at the Mashable party with thousands of people if you don’t leave meaningful engagement with key people.
  • Don’t jock – The quote on quote rockstars get overwhelmed with business cards, requests, business offers and opportunities that they are not interested in. Jocking, brown nosing, or sweating the influencers is a no no.
  • Be a Sponge – There is always something new to learn, be open to new experiences.
  • Register Early – Hotel reservations are critical you want to be close to the action.
  • Don’t Fill your agenda with only Panels – This is the real world you learn as much from listening and engaging off-line.

I hope this post was helpful.  I look forward to seeing you next year at SXSW Interactive 2011.

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Brand Yourself for Promotion

Communicating your unique and differentiating value doesn’t stop once you get a job.  Personal branding is important for all professionals across industries whether they are seeking new career opportunities or seeking opportunities for advancement within their current organization.

Here are 7 effective ways you can begin positioning yourself for movement up the corporate ladder:

Communicate Your Goals: Make sure that your managers and/or career stakeholders within your organization are aware of and kept up-to-date on your career goals.  You can do this by scheduling career discussions or lunches with them every few months.  This not only allows you to share with them your career aspirations, but also provides you an opportunity to solicit more casual feedback from them to better understand where you stand in their minds with respect to potential advancement opportunities. - Chris Perry, CareerRocketeer.com

Weekly Update: Employees often work hard at their jobs, but they do little to communicate to others what they’ve accomplished. Result: the perception is that they’re not that valuable. To avoid this oversight send your boss a weekly update on what you’re doing. Also, check with them to see if it’s OK for you to send a copy to senior management “to keep them up to date.” This 15 minute “Weekly Update” may have more impact on your career than any other report you write. - Jeff Mowatt, JeffMowatt.com

Competency: I advise employees to demonstrate to the boss that they are capable and ready to be promoted. This may seem obvious, but employees should be able to show that they have mastered their current positions before they try to persuade the boss that they are ready for the next level. - Cheryl Palmer, CalltoCareer.com

Volunteer: Assume or accept leadership positions on projects. The more you show your willingness (first) and then the results (second) to take responsibility in your organization, the more visible you become. Hiding in the herd will not get you promoted. - Erik Vermeulen, ErikVermeulen.com

Call with No News: Answering questions/solving problems is a daily activity. Sometimes, however, it takes us longer than we expect to find the answer/solution. Calling to say, “I don’t have that answer for you yet, but I’m working on it,” goes a long way toward inspiring trust and confidence in others. - Frances Cole Jones, TheWowFactor-TheBook.com

Network Internally: Get to know people and make sure people know who you are through socializing. Brazen self-promotion would likely have the opposite effect, but sharing your insights and experience in a non-threatening and informational way will allow others to see your benefits.  - David Kimmelman, GetTheJob.com

Stay clear of office politics: During the recession most companies have become breeding grounds for consistent complaint. Leaders are looking to retain and promote talent that will facilitate a positive workplace culture. -  Alexia Vernon, GenerationWeCoach.com

Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this wealth of personal branding insight!

Chris Perry, MBA is a Gen Y brand and marketing “generator,” a career search and personal branding expert and the founder of Career Rocketeer and Launchpad.

Photo Credit: some_maya_sketches_by_hahatem, originally uploaded by _hatem_.

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Age of Conversation 3 – Social Thinkers, Marketers, and Creatives Announced

Age of Conversation #AoC3

The “Age of Conversation 3: It’s time to get busy” authors were announced today. It is a collaborative book that brought together over 200 of the world’s leading social thinkers, marketers, and creatives in its third edition. It is an honor to be one of the featured authors to add a chapter and be a part of history.
The brain children behind this project are bloggers Drew McLellan (Iowa) and Gavin Heaton (Australia) who put in countless hours coordinating and managing this project.

Very soon you will be able to purchase it directly from Amazon or a number of other online book stores.

Book Cover Design: Chris Wilson (@freshpeel)
Follow the conversation in Twitter by following the hashtag: #aoc3

List of Authors

Adam Joseph Priyanka Sachar Mark Earls
Cory Coley-Christakos Stefan Erschwendner Paul Hebert
Jeff De Cagna Thomas Clifford Phil Gerbyshak
Jon Burg Toby Bloomberg Shambhu Neil Vineberg
Joseph Jaffe Uwe Hook Steve Roesler
Michael E. Rubin anibal casso Steve Woodruff
Steve Sponder Becky Carroll Tim Tyler
Chris Wilson Beth Harte Tinu Abayomi-Paul
Dan Schawbel Carol Bodensteiner Trey Pennington
David Weinfeld Dan Sitter Vanessa DiMauro
Ed Brenegar David Zinger Brett T. T. Macfarlane
Efrain Mendicuti Deb Brown Brian Reich
Gaurav Mishra Dennis Deery C.B. Whittemore
Gordon Whitehead Heather Rast Cam Beck
Hajj E. Flemings Joan Endicott Cathryn Hrudicka
Jeroen Verkroost Karen D. Swim Christopher Morris
Joe Pulizzi Leah Otto Corentin Monot
Karalee Evans Leigh Durst David Berkowitz
Kevin Jessop Lesley Lambert Duane Brown
Peter Korchnak Mark Price Dustin Jacobsen
Piet Wulleman Mike Maddaloni Ernie Mosteller
Scott Townsend Nick Burcher Frank Stiefler
Steve Olenski Rich Nadworny John Rosen
Tim Jackson Suzanne Hull Len Kendall
Amber Naslund Wayne Buckhanan Mark McGuinness
Caroline Melberg Andy Drish Oleksandr Skorokhod
Claire Grinton Angela Maiers Paul Williams
Gary Cohen Armando Alves Sam Ismail
Gautam Ramdurai B.J. Smith Tamera Kremer
Eaon Pritchard Brendan Tripp Adelino de Almeida
Jacob Morgan Casey Hibbard Andy Hunter
Julian Cole Debra Helwig Anjali Ramachandran
Jye Smith Drew McLellan Craig Wilson
Karin Hermans Emily Reed David Petherick
Katie Harris Gavin Heaton Dennis Price
Mark Levy George Jenkins Doug Mitchell
Mark W. Schaefer Helge Tenno Douglas Hanna
Marshall Sponder James Stevens Ian Lurie
Ryan Hanser Jenny Meade Jeff Larche
Sacha Tueni and Katherine Maher David Svet Jessica Hagy
Simon Payn Joanne Austin-Olsen Mark Avnet
Stanley Johnson Marilyn Pratt Mark Hancock
Steve Kellogg Michelle Beckham-Corbin Michelle Chmielewski
Amy Mengel Veronique Rabuteau Peter Komendowski
Andrea Vascellari Timothy L Johnson Phil Osborne
Beth Wampler Amy Jussel Rick Liebling
Eric Brody Arun Rajagopal Dr Letitia Wright
Hugh de Winton David Koopmans Aki Spicer
Jeff Wallace Don Frederiksen Charles Sipe
Katie McIntyre James G Lindberg & Sandra Renshaw David Reich
Lynae Johnson Jasmin Tragas Deborah Chaddock Brown
Mike O’Toole Jeanne Dininni Iqbal Mohammed
Morriss M. Partee Katie Chatfield Jeff Cutler
Pete Jones Riku Vassinen Jeff Garrison
Kevin Dugan Tiphereth Gloria Mike Sansone
Lori Magno Valerie Simon Nettie Hartsock
Mark Goren Peter Salvitti

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Hajj Flemings joins Michigan Tech MBA Online Team

Hajj E. Flemings - Michigan Tech MBA Online Business Card

Michigan Technological University recently launched their AACSB accredited two-year Tech MBA Online program for the 2010-2011 academic school year.

I am joining the Tech MBA Online team as the Program Ambassador. As an active practitioner and content contributor in the personal branding world I have always had a passion for personal development and helping people grow their human capital. In this position I will be focused on building brand awareness of the program, coordinating the social media strategy with the marketing department and assisting in recruiting.

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Are You Connecting with Your Interviewer?

From personal experience, I can confidently say that communicating a strong personal brand in your interviews can be the difference between getting the position and going home empty-handed.

However, just verbally telling an interviewer what your personal brand is may not be enough.  Part of communicating a strong brand is making a strong connection with your target audience (i.e. your interviewer).

The following are some top tips on how to make stronger and lasting connections in your interviews and in turn, more effectively communicate your personal brand:

  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You need to make sure the job and company are a good fit for you just as they need to determine if you are a good fit for them. Think of it as a two-way interview. This will allow your character and personality to shine through, as well as give you insight into the position.  - Lisa Quast, CareerWomanInc.com

  • Help them relate to you. When doing informational interviews or interviews with managers beyond HR who are actually in your chosen functional area or industry, you can create a stronger connection with them by asking them to share their own career search journey.  Ask questions like, “How did you break into [insert industry, functional area or company name]?” and “Do you have any advice for someone trying to get his foot in the door in [insert industry, functional area or company name]?” These questions not only engage them in conversation which often creates a more personal connection, but often remind them of what it’s like to be in the job seeker’s shoes which may help them relate to the challenges you are facing and which may motivate them to assist you in other ways to overcome them.  - Chris Perry, CareerRocketeer.com
  • Identify their interests or passions. One way to make a personal connection with interviewers while still remaining professional is to comment on something in their office. Don’t pick anything too personal, such as family photos, but perhaps a piece of artwork on their desk or an item that appears to be a souvenir from traveling. If you’re able to make a genuine comment or pose a sincere question, it can be a great way to get interviewers to open up and talk about themselves.  Pick the right item, and the interviewers will remember a warm conversation and that you showed an interest in them. - Laurie Berenson, SterlingCareerConcepts.com
  • Try the path less travelled. When I was a consultant and had to regularly job hunt to keep the paychecks coming, I made a habit of requesting a walkthrough of the area and an introduction to a couple of people that I would be working with, so they could also look me over.  I wanted to make a personal connection with as many people as possible, so they would be sure to remember me. Plus, I knew that most interviewees are too terrified to make such a request. While my interviewer was introducing me to someone, I would smile at the person and offer a warm handshake. I would then ask how the role for which I was interviewing would assist them with their daily duties. When possible, I would look for something around their desk that I might have in common with them and could comment on.  This not only worked like a charm with respect to building a rapport, but once I started the assignment, I already felt like a part of the group. - Monique LaCour-Henry, CenterStageGroup.com
  • Tell a story. Tell a brief story that illustrates one of your core values or skills. With the job market so tight, the employee’s character matters even more than ever before, and besides, telling the right story can highlight your communication skills.  So how do you pick the right story? You can go one of two ways: tell about an event that helped make you the person you are today (i.e., someone they want to hire); or tell a tale that highlights your problem-solving ability. After all, that’s why you’re being considered — to solve a problem or fill a need that the company has. Keep your tale short and sweet. Make sure your anecdote follows the basic form of situation-problem-resolution. And if you pick a story with genuine emotion in it, your interviewer will feel a connection with you. - Bruce Hale, BruceTalks.com

Thank you to all of the experts who contributed to this wealth of interview insight!

Chris Perry, MBA is a Gen Y brand and marketing “generator,” a career search and personal branding expert and the founder of Career Rocketeer and Launchpad.

Photo Credit: untitled, originally uploaded by .faramarz.

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