Delegating effectively is a great way to accomplish more and advance your career. It makes good business sense to delegate work to others with an appropriate, solid skill set. It also frees up your time and personal resources to do what you do best.

Delegation is a request, not a demand. It can sometimes be perceived as an excuse to unload work. The difference lies in the motive. What should be delegated is not what you don’t feel like doing. It’s what’s right for someone else to be doing, what’s right for that person’s development, and what’s right for the success of your project. Here are some tips for effective delegation:

What to Delegate…

Look at the list of responsibilities on a project and identify the time and resources needed for each. The more you understand the specifics on what needs to be accomplished, the better you will be able to divvy up the work load and communicate clearly the outcomes to be met with the team.

Task = Talent…

Determine which task would be best suited to which person on the team. Take in to consideration ability, experience, reliability, and the personal interest of your co-workers to match responsibilities with strengths and enthusiasm. Take care to spread the mundane tasks evenly on the plates of everyone on the team… including you. Make sure to be clear about the expectations, priorities and deadlines. Everyone has their own unique way of working through a task, so it is wise to be more concerned about outcomes rather than the specifics of how a job gets done.

Check In…

If you have effectively matched tasks with talent you can trust that the work will be completed. Allow each person to manage their part of the project, and make appropriate decisions, but be there to provide assistance if needed. Set mutually agreeable progress check ins ahead of time so you don’t have to ask, “Are you done yet?�

Share the Credit…

After a project is successfully completed share the credit both ways, up the chain with management, and with everyone who contributed. Encouragement reflects in group confidence and competence.

What not to Delegate…

Never delegate managerial functions like; performance reviews, promotions, motivation or teambuilding, or anything personal, or to do with personnel.

Delegation has its challenges and is not always easy to do, but will result in better team dynamics and ultimately in a stronger product. As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are here to help you.

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Your professional positioning statement gives future employers a compelling reason to hire you. It clearly articulates what separates you from all of your competitors. It’s a good idea to craft your very own professional positioning statement for use in your portfolio materials. Keep it in your back pocket for networking opportunities too.

Think about who wants or needs your services, and address your positioning statement for that individual or organization. If you have compiled a job search database, and analyzed the results, then you likely know what a company or organization you want to work for needs. Give them a convincing reason to make you a part of their team. Think of it this way…

YOU ARE A (state your functional specialty here: a Business Development or Finance Specialist/Production Manager/Editor…) YOU PROVIDE (state your subject matter expertise here: macro experience in public broadcasting/animation/lifestyle series/music production…) UNLIKE (state how your skills are better tailored to your understanding of this company or project’s needs than anyone else)

Building your positioning statement helps strengthen your professional brand. The profile paragraph at the top of your CV outlines who you are, where you come from, and what you want. Your positioning statement builds on that to include the sector you are in, the core services you offer, and the market you serve.

Once you have composed a professional positioning statement then promote it. Put it on your portfolio materials, and use it as your signature introduction. Make it known when networking. Use it when cold calling. Bring it to a job interview. Have it ready when you are at conferences, or with alumni and professional groups. Keep it handy for the elevator. It doesn’t hurt to practice your positioning statement with friends to make sure you are comfortable saying it out loud.

Building a strong positioning statement that is consistent with your professional goals, and matches your carefully crafted portfolio materials will go a long way to help you secure the job you want. As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are here to help you.

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Look closely at your professional history… you likely have skills that could demonstrate an area of expertise. As a SME, or “smee� you are defining yourself as an expert to solve problems or bring very specific credentials to a team. A Subject Matter Expert is an individual who can lead a group in their understanding of a specific area, and answer questions about it in a supportive capacity. It’s what employers are looking for, and candidates should take the time to emphasize in their portfolio materials.

As stated in our first post everything starts with your goals, which help articulate who you are and what you want. The notable skill list and profile statements on your CV summarize the unique credentials you possess to meet your professional goals. When you are building your portfolio it goes like this: notable skill (becomes) / functional specialty (becomes) / subject matter expertise.

For example, say you are a producer who has worked their way up through the ranks with small series experience under your belt. You have the know-how to back up the notable skills required to work in production. Your functional specialty is production. Your role is producer. If you build on that by taking seminars in program development and create a successful series, you’re now a producer with expertise in pre-production and content development. You may bring an area of expertise through knowledge and credentials outside of your current profession. For example, you could be a producer with considerable expertise in professional sports, or the music industry, or early childhood education. You can build on that with surrounding knowledge areas that support your SME. For example, you may be an accredited bookkeeper (your Subject Matter Expertise) with professional development or experience in small business management or business affairs to support your SME.

When revising your CV, careful thought needs to be put into identifying your Subject Matter Expertise. What are the common skills, areas of production or business that pop up throughout your work history? What unique credentials or experience do you bring to the table? What are you good at? Look for very specific areas of Subject Matter Expertise in order to better identify the exceptional qualifications you bring to each job opportunity.

Even if you’re just coming out of school, and you have limited media experience, you have spent time and money training for your profession. Don’t think of it as a lack of credentials. Own your experiences, and build on them for a solid body of work around the Subject Matter Expertise that matches your career goals.

Once you have established your Subject Matter Expertise, then continue to take part in professional development and industry events to maintain your qualifications, and build surrounding knowledge areas to support your SME.

Have fun determining your Subject Matter Expertise! As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are here to help you.

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Managing your career through professional development opportunities will help you stay on the right track. Cultivating your knowledge increases your confidence, maintains your marketability, and can support job security. With our industry in a constant state of change, it’s critical to develop professional skills to build the bench strength needed to sustain your career goals… even in the stormiest economic times.

Be proactive about your own professional development. Don’t rely on your current employer to provide on-going training. There are many industry specific opportunities to keep your career moving forward.

If you have completed the goals exercise (see our WELCOME post) then you have a vision of where you see yourself in the next five or ten years. This is an important step because determining your career goals helps avoid becoming so enveloped in your day-to-day activities you lose sight of the big career picture. Utilize that vision to choose opportunities that build your accreditation and education, both formally and informally, to achieve your own goals.

Formal accreditation can be obtained through certificate and degree courses, seminars and workshops. This often requires a substantial amount of time and resources. Once you have researched a course you are interested in pursuing, consider drafting a timeline to best prepare and plan for that critical development opportunity. You may need to plan monthly, yearly, or even longer time frames to accomplish your chosen formal accreditation, but a broad outline on the steps needed to achieve this will ensure success.

Informal accreditation comes from participation in industry boards, public service, committees, as well as internet research/training. You may also find opportunities within your current work situation that can help build your experience and broaden your skill base. Look around you… is there an opportunity for you to support an area or department in need? Can you offer your services on special projects?

The best strategy for professional development is to commit to life long learning. Make a concerted effort to stay abreast of new industry developments. Look in to what the professional and trade associations are doing and keep up-to-date by reading industry specific publications.

Media professionals are increasingly taking ownership of their careers by proactively driving their own professional development. With a little bit of planning and investment in yourself, you will be able to achieve your career goals and objectives. As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are here to help you.

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Lawren Harris to Emily Carr
Isaac Asimov to Gene Roddenberry
Irving Layton to Leonard Cohen
Aaron Spelling to Darren Star

All of the above relationships were based on encouragement, openness, mutual trust, respect, and a willingness to learn and share… mentorship. A mentor is a motivator and an advocate. It makes good career sense to participate in mentorship programs to strengthen our industry by supporting emerging talent.

What a mentor does…

A mentor can support long-term career objectives by helping new talent understand the culture of this business, and provide advice about strategies for the best way to accomplish their goals. In the short-term, mentors can recommend learning opportunities through networking or professional development. More importantly a mentor who shares their knowledge in effective communication, responsibility, and teamwork is giving valuable information on the soft skills necessary to succeed.

Benefits to the mentor….

This is an opportunity for you to contribute meaningfully to your industry by developing relationships with up-and-coming talent. As a result you will likely cultivate your own leadership skills. Sharing your knowledge and experiences will encourage you to reflect on your own career so far, and working with promising talent may help you discover new ways of thinking.

Benefits to the mentored…

This is an opportunity to increase your knowledge and awareness of your chosen industry. Take the wisdom, advice, encouragement, and constructive feedback from mentors as a learning tool to help you critically think about your career options. Working with your mentor will help you establish your own career markers or goals, and nurture new networking opportunities.

Benefits to the industry…

As a whole we benefit from a better informed and more skilled talent pool to meet the changing needs of the Canadian cultural industry. We also benefit from increased communication and shared values among all levels of expertise. Consider supporting the success and advancement of your career through mentorship opportunities.

Stay tuned for our next post on professional development strategies. As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are available to help you.

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Cold calling is an effective way to dig for job opportunities in the hidden market. A job posting can receive hundreds of applicants, but a cold call at the right time can tap into an opening before a position is advertised. This exponentially increases your chances of securing an interview.

You know which companies you want to work for. If you have built a job search database through research, like reading the trades, (see How To Build Your Job Search Database post) you will have a list of the names of those who may require someone with your skills and attributes or who may be able to give you valuable information. If you have been networking you may even have a referral, which is a great way to start a conversation and gives you an immediate connection to the organization.

Before you call, review what you know about the company and the person you will be speaking with. Know why you will be making the call… you may be seeking a specific position, or requesting an information meeting, or you may be looking for a mentor.

When you make the call keep your conversation short and to the point and take the lead of the person you are speaking with. Make sure to take notes during your conversation in order to follow up appropriately, and always send a thank you note or email.

If you have to leave a message be short but detailed and leave not only your number but suggest times when you can be reached.

If you have left a message and don’t get a call back, then try again and suggest scheduling a phone appointment at their convenience. Many industry professionals will take the time to speak with you, even if they have to tell you they can’t help you. However, if you don’t get a reply after repeated calls then the person you have been contacting is either not interested, or they don’t have time to return calls. Keep in mind that in the calling process you are getting information and cues about the company as well.

Cold calling is not easy, and it doesn’t really get easier after you have done it a few times, but it can produce amazing results. As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are available to help you.

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You have a professional portfolio. You know what the next step in your career is, and you have identified the skills and attributes you posses to succeed in that new role. Ok… let’s get the word out. Let’s brand and market your portfolio.

Understand that you are a product, and you are taking your skills and experience to a given market. Personal branding is essential because it helps define who you are, and what sets you apart from others. It’s your reputation with supporting results. Look at the profile statement at the top of your CV (see How To Write a Great CV post) and consider that statement your professional brand. Don’t just let your actions speak for themselves, be pro-active and build a name for yourself by marketing your brand and letting others know what value you bring to a position. You have likely already established a consistent look or design layout for your portfolio materials – CV, bio, cover letters and even business cards. Perhaps you have even researched appropriate networking opportunities – professional associations and public service opportunities - related to your chosen career path. Don’t stop there. Consider harnessing the power of online social networks to market your skills and experience.

Social networks have revolutionized the way we communicate, and millions of people use them regularly. They are a more sophisticated networking tool than e-mail listserves. Do your homework and find social networks that are relevant to your needs because each networking site targets a slightly different set of users.

LinkedIn.com and Ryze.com focus on work-related networking to exchange information, ideas, and opportunities. You can connect with past and present colleagues, and seek advice from industry specific experts. If you already participate in social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, Twitter or Tribe, you can use them to the same effect. Consider updating your profile to match your professional brand and portfolio. Ask yourself, “What can an employer find out about me on my profile and online posts�? Make sure your online profile stays active and is consistant with your professional brand because colleagues and employers may google to find information about you.

Viral marketing uses online social networks to get the word out. Viral marketing happens when one person tells a friend a message online, and they tell two friends online, and they tell two friends online, and so on, and so on…(remember the old shampoo commercial?). The results are often rapid and can be staggering in numbers. Rememeber dancing Matt, whose popular Youtube videos enticed a gum company to sponsor two fully paid trips around the world? (wherethehellismatt.com) This is an example of very successful career minded viral marketing.

You don’t have to make goofy videos to get the word out about your skills and attributes, but you can ask your social network what you can do for them. Find out how you can help pass on their message - and then do it. Once you pro-actively participate in their network, they will likely start being part of yours.

Anything you do to cultivate your career brand and market your portfolio will result in a more successful job search. As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are available to help you.

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A professional biography is the “wow� factor in your portfolio. When you have a bio you have a professional story to tell, and you will use it for a variety of networking and marketing purposes. A professional bio is not a CV or resume, it’s an overview of your background, experience and expertise.

A bio should be professionally written. A benefit to having someone else construct this for you is that it may help you see yourself in a new light.

Bios are written in third person, and should be branded with the same layout and look as the other materials in your job search portfolio. Keep your bio to one page and let your personality come through. You may choose to include a photo in your bio. If you have been attending industry events, and networking well at those events, a photo will help people remember you better when your bio crosses their desk. It’s good personal branding.

Bios should open with your current title and a description of the principal services, or skills you offer. Follow this with the special experiences, niches, or other factors that make you stand out in your area of expertise. Make sure to include an account of your work history, along with your professional memberships, associations, and public service experiences. If your bio is a compelling account of the story of your career to date, and positively reflects your personality, it will secure the readers interest.

A professional bio is an often-overlooked marketing tool and should be revised, or kept up-to-date annually. You may use your bio for a range of purposes: as a part of your job search portfolio; for your website; summarizing your expertise for speaking introductions; or attaching to articles you have written. It can make the difference in how others perceive you, which may result in securing a great job. As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are available to help you.

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With any job posting a company will likely get hundreds of applicants of which maybe 25 end up in the yes pile, while possibly 8-10 have all the required hard skills to secure an interview. After that, it’s about finding the candidate with the right “fit�. This is where soft skills can become a big part of your job search.

Soft skills usually come from experience, are transferable from many aspects of our lives, and we continue to refine them throughout our career.

Career Management Soft Skills…

These are the hallmark soft skills, which may include: communication, initiative, flexibility, teamwork, leadership, problem solving, time management and enthusiasm. You have probably been asked behavioral questions in an interview that address some or all of these skills, “Tell me about an experience when you had to work under pressure to meet a tight deadline?� The most important part of the answer to that question is not in the details of your experience, but in how you managed the situation. Which of the above-mentioned soft skills did you draw upon to effectively deal with your experience? You might be asked to speculate on how you would handle future work place problems. For example, “What would you do if in the middle of a project you had to change direction or focus?� We use our soft skills to demonstrate our employability when answering those questions. These skills overlap, and as a result developing one helps us learn more about others. For instance, if there is a communication problem in your work environment and you find a way to both address it and make the situation better you will build you problem solving, team work, initiative and leadership skills.

Life Soft Skills…

These highly individual skills are reflected in our personality: stress management, self-esteem, resilience, etiquette, critical thinking, empathy, and cooperation. Every time we plan or organize something, make good use of our personal resources, set personal goals, volunteer in the community, or nurture and care for each other, we employ our life soft skills and develop our personality. To build a solid working team involves attracting candidates with complimentary life soft skills. Have you ever participated in an office colour-personality workshop? Whether you believe in the theory or not, the goal is to harness a team’s life soft skills to help understand each other and work together more effectively.

Corporate Soft Skills…

At an executive level these soft skills are a part of the language as much as the landscape. For example: strategic awareness, information management, political sensitivity, public relations, leading change, team building, and understanding funding streams. Even if you are not working at the executive level, familiarity with these skills will put you in a good position to work with upper management towards a common goal.

The soft skills you bring to work or a job interview help you stand out, and increase your employability at every stage of your career. As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are available to help you.

Watch for our next post: Why you need a BIO!

One way to take control of your job search is to collect meaningful information to support your pursuit. The more you know about the role you want, the better you will be able to find a job opportunity and make a strong case for your candidacy.

The Research…

Think about joining professional associations that fit in with the culture of the job you want, and look for networking opportunities. (See “Networking� post) After an industry event, go through your collected business cards and set up an information interview with one or two of your new contacts. If you are clear about the information you are looking for, most industry professionals will agree to answer your questions over coffee or a phone call, or they will re-direct you to someone who can better address your request. Another way to collect valuable information is to job shadow someone. Spending an afternoon or a day in the work environment you want to be a part of will give you the opportunity to soak up macro knowledge that may help give you confidence and experience to support your candidacy. Try to read postings of similar jobs and catalogue the required skills for that position. Upon review you may identify a skill you need to upgrade.

Another approach can be found through volunteering. Public service shows your humanity, your commitment to the industry, and provides additional opportunities to gain meaningful knowledge in your area of interest. Participate professionally in your industry through volunteer opportunities at festivals, conferences, and associated social responsibility events. Always keep up to date by watching market trends. There have been dramatic recent changes in media ownership that are changing the way content gets made and distributed. Read industry trades (Playback, CAB website, Broadcast Dialogue, cartt.ca, natpe.org, nab.org, etc.), track the companies that interest you, and create a database of those companies for future use. In your database, list the company, its full coordinates, and the names and titles of its decision makers. Include your networking contacts, the results of your information interviews, and notes from your job shadowing experience. Make sure to maintain your database with trend and mandate updates collected from reading the trades.

Collecting and tracking this industry information prepares you for success by helping you anticipate where and when job opportunities will come up, and by building the authenticity of your position as a candidate. Staying connected with your industry ensures you will bring something new to the table for each interaction whether that’s a networking opportunity that may lead to a job, or if you have taken the next step and are sitting in a job interview. As always, the friendly experts at mediaintelligence are available to help you.

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