Crystal Wright has transformed herself from an accountant at Xerox who was looking for something more than copiers to agent, author, teacher and motivational speaker. Her foray into fashion and beauty came from a love that was fostered by her family.

“My grandmother was a seamstress,” Wright said. “There were always European fashion magazines all over our house. I love clothes which i went and interviewed with Nordstrom, but it didn’t feel like a fit. I then went to a party one day, met a photographer and quit my job [because] he started talking to me about all of the fabulous things he was doing. It was the most interesting life I knew.”

In making these transitions, she has always tried to pass her experience and knowledge onto others.

“Anything is possible if you put your mind to it,” she said. “I think young people should not be discouraged from doing anything. They’re young; they’re resilient, and if something doesn’t wok the first time, they have plenty of time to do it over and get it right.”

She recently finished a workshop in New York City which focused on packaging a makeup artist, hair stylist or fashion stylists portfolio and carving out a career path for oneself in a frame of five years.

“People have the tendency to flounder around, and one of the things I want to teach them is to figure out where they want to be so that I can create a road map of getting there,” she explained. “That decision determines every single move they make along the way.”

While she discussed how freelancers have to be business-minded and understand how they are to budget their earnings to sustain themselves and set working conditions, she also noted the importance of having both a digital and print portfolio.

“How to choose the right images that once you do start working with photographers. It’s important for [the students] to choose the images that are going to go in their book, not the photographers picking out the images. The first image [in the portfolio] sets the tone for everything they’re going to see, and the last image is going to be the lasting impression. If you don’t have an online portfolio, you’re gonna miss a lot of work. Sometimes an art director is going to ask you for a book so they can take it to a meeting, and then what are you going to do?”

All of this stemmed from her time as an agent to hair stylists and makeup artists and lead to her writing Crystal Wright’s Hair, Makeup & Styling Career Guide  which is used as a textbook in many beauty and fashion schools and is updated every two years. In her time working as an agent and teaching others, she wrote a motivational book called 30 Days at 100%, which focuses on narrowing down the amount of changes people try to make all at once to one thing to change a month.

“We make lists all the time, we make lists, we make post-it notes; at the beginning of the year, we make resolutions,” Wright said. “We write down all of this stuff we need to fix and then try to fix it in one month. If you can just work on one thing every thirty days, how would your life be? When you try to do it all at once and you fail, which is inevitable, then you get frustrated and don’t want to do anything.”

With her experiences and success in her writing and her teaching, she feels no need to go back to managing talent but gave some advice for those looking to get into the field.

“I did it for twenty-four years; I want to play golf,” she said. “Get the best talent you can find and then find a great booker. Get talent that are willing to invest in the tools they need to provide you with so you can do your job because you cannot drag somebody kicking and screaming to success; you don’t have time as an agent.”

For those readers who are upset they missed the workshop, fear not! She plans to return June 18 and 19, 2011. For more information, please visit http://www.crystalwrightlive.com

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If you would like to become a guest speaker in your area of expertise on the university level, you must bring your “A” game (pun intended!).

You might want to consider five steps as your work on and accomplish your goal:

THINK ABOUT YOUR INTENTION AND MESSAGE

Prepare carefully. You must prepare with a sense of purpose and responsibility. Before you do anything – just sit down and THINK. Think about the message you want to share with the students, staff and professors. When you come into an academic environment, this is not an opportunity to grandstand or offer empty rhetoric. The college/university audience needs compelling, intelligent and engaging speakers to provide their insights on serious contemporary issues.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Visit your local colleges and universities. It is not enough to visit the websites. Take a tour of various campuses. Call the admissions office and let them show you around the space. Then, as you walk, ask yourself, “Do I see myself here?”, “Is this community a fit for me and am I a fit for this community?”

Make sure that you learn more about current higher education issues and trends, read The Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com) every week. 

POLISH YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS

No one will listen to someone who cannot present their ideas in a clear and concise way. If you have not taken a public speaking course, take a course at your local university as soon as possible. You need to be familiar with different public speaking styles (persuasive, commemorative, informative and entertainment) in order to reach your audience. You also need to learn how to use your vocal power properly and how to organize and write your message.

No time to take a public speaking course? You can hire a public speaking coach for a designated amount of time. Ask a trusted colleague or friend to recommend an experienced instructor.

YOU ARE THE EXPERT!

People want to listen to someone who is a master of their subject matter.  Don’t even contemplate speaking to a collective of impressionable college students until you uphold a confidence in your knowledge base. It is not always the speaker with the most amount of letter behind their name that has the most impact. The speaker that has the most impact is the one who can balance personal testimony, logic and integrity.

BUILD AND MAINTAIN YOUR CONNECTIONS

Find a respected mentor (s) who has been around the university public speaking circuit. Listen to their advice and let them guide you.  Let them teach you about contracts, speaker agencies, agreements and speaking fees.

If you want to be a part of the higher education community, you must have cyberspace presence.   Facebook (www.facebook.com) and LinkedIn (www.LinkedIn.com) might be your best venues. You can send your resume and biography directly to a department chair or a student activities director, but Facebook and LinkedIn is a must if you want to reach the millennial generation. Also, you can state your speaking engagement availability on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Final advice, if you truly want to be an outstanding speaker on the university level, maintain your direct relationships with higher education colleagues. Let colleagues know your area of expertise and ask them to invite you to be a keynote speaker or motivational presenter for a student event on campus. The network of peers can sometimes work better than any public relations consultant or speaker agency representative.

Good luck!

~Monique Fortune

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Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. The future of recruiting is social.

Social media has revolutionized how corporations find the talent needed to build their brand and continue the success of their company. Social networking has totally changed the face of recruiting. Never before has talent deep in an organization been so accessible. The wide range of social media tools are becoming more critical to success than the traditional methods of recruitment advertising and sourcing.

HR is using social media outlets and avoiding agencies. This allows candidates to have direct contact and cuts out the middleman. You can receive direct feedback and build strong networking relationships. The avoidance of agencies also allows more money to be placed towards paying salaries.

Use the advanced search tools found on Linkedin, Facebook, and other sites to post your résumé and website or portfolio links. Human Resource recruiters search for “passive” candidates in these arenas. The larger your network and extended network the easier you will be accessed. You will be able to foster relationships for present opportunities and future opportunities.

These outlets allow recruiters to do advanced research on all publicly posted information prior to conducting interviews. It is important that you present yourself in an accurate and forthright manner, although face-to-face interviews and background checks are still part of the hiring process. Make sure that the information you state online and on your résumé is truthful because you never know who is in a potential employee’s circle. Recruiters are notorious for sharing information and searching for information from other HR professionals. Reputation means everything when looking for the right fit. In this way social media sites can work against you.

Social media outlets have helped companies position their brands in a way that’s more powerful than a job board. You can use this opportunity to find out more information about the company. Sites like Glassdoor.com and Vault.com allow candidates to find out the information that is presented directly to candidates during the hiring process. Please be mindful to take this information and weigh it out. Many comments and information left on these sites could come from disgruntled workers or former employees that may not have been good fits for the company.

Social recruiting is where companies are placing their focus. Make sure you remain relevant, focused, engaged, and polished on paper and on the worldwide web!

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Picture this. A new graduate from a top-notch school who has had fabulous internships at all the right big-name companies and is in the process of accepting a low-paying entry level position while having a major chip on his shoulder. This can be a Human Resource manager’s biggest nightmare and a potentially torturous experience for the department head!

With the high number of recent graduates in the job market, in addition to the impact of the recession, companies have had their pick of high-flying potential employees to fulfill the heavy administrative and process-driven positions. These positions are essential not only to the company, but also to the recent graduate.

Some students think their education has finished since they were smart enough to graduate college and get a job. Many graduates, however, started their job search months before graduation and when they finally get an offer, the false reality of a corner office, six-figure salary, and jet-setting overseas to meetings are diminished. Candidates must realize they will get what they deserve and not what they want. You may be flying high because you finally finished college after four long years of hard work, but a reality check must be put into place. You must crawl before you walk!

Never ask in an interview or when you first get into the position when you will receive a promotion or how quickly it will take to be promoted. This is a total turnoff and red flag for employers. They are looking for individuals who will not try and “buck the system” because they feel they are above doing the grunt work. You have to pay your dues!

An entry level position is just that: an entry level position. You are there to learn the culture of the company, how to work in a business or corporate setting, how to interact with high-level business leaders, and how to execute projects and assignments on time.

There are people with more experience than you who are more than willing to take your position and will be able to crank out the work ten times as fast with great, if not flawless, accuracy.

You are continuing to lay down the foundation of your career, so why not learn the business and dissect the function of the position to the company as a whole? You will be able to assess your strengths and weaknesses and determine whether you see yourself growing in that industry or role.

Be open to doing the mundane and non-glamorous tasks. What may seem tedious can help connect the dots as to why things are done and how decisions are made. You can ultimately become the gatekeeper and first line of defense. With the right attitude you can become the “go-to” person, which will get you the recognition needed to get to the next level.

Knock the chip off your shoulder and transform the entry level duties into stepping stones towards the corner office on the 50th floor.

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You have spent the last four years staying up late studying for finals and completing reports and presentations. You recently walked across that stage and received the sacred diploma, as your parents beamed from their seats below with pride. Your dorm room is packed, and you are back in your room at home surrounded by old posters you taped to your walls while in high school. Reality has sunk in. You are officially a grownup with student loans to be paid back. You need a job!

Hopefully, you were actively applying to jobs while you were still in school, but if not, don’t lose faith in yourself. You should think of a job-searching strategy. Here are a few steps to help you along the way.

Determine the job you want. The very first thing you need to do is determine the exact type of job you desire. Make a list of your skills and talents, and determine which activities or tasks you feel you are particularly strong in.

Determine the best companies for you. Research companies that fit your needs, style, and personality. Examine issues, like the size of the company, corporate culture, management style, employee empowerment, and other concerns of importance to you.

Determine your search strategy. Take advantage of the following tools and resources.

1. On-campus recruiting and career center registry. Many companies recruit on-campus. You need to investigate what companies are coming and plan on interviewing with some of them, even if it is only for the experience. Make sure you register with your college career service center for alums.

2. Career fairs. Attend college, university, local, or regional fairs, as well as industry events.

3. Networking. One of the hidden gems of job-hunting and one of the keys to a successful job search. The vast majority of jobs are filled through referrals and through networking. Make sure you sign up for an account on LinkedIn.

4. Direct mail campaign. Identify companies and specific hiring managers and send them your cover letter and résumé.

5. Internet job sites and company websites. Visit these on a regular basis, and apply whenever you see a position that catches your eye. Remember to follow all the application instructions carefully.

Get your résumé and cover letter critiqued. Once you have an air-tight résumé and cover letter, post them online and on different job sites. Make sure you cater your résumé and cover letter to the company and position you are applying for.

Do interview preparation. Go to free workshops and refine your interviewing skills. Review lists of frequently asked interview questions and develop a set of questions to ask employers.

Expand your knowledge. Get an internship in an area you want to work in. Do some volunteer work. You can also take certification classes that will give you an edge (i.e. master Photoshop, Illustrator, Excel).

The key to conducting a successful job search is to be proactive and consistent. Don’t give up. Good luck with your search!

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Searching for the ideal job can be frustrating, especially when you are going to the same websites and seeing the exact same jobs over and over and are getting absolutely nowhere. You have to take it a step further and think outside of the basic job posting sites. There are various places to find your dream job.

Google Blog Search

The Google search has taken over in more ways than one. Many online classified job sites are also using blogs as a way to post new job leads without the hassle. The Google Blog Search allows you to search the latest blog posts for “Help Wanted” ads. To use it, go to Google.com and enter a search phrase. You will be taken to the search results page, click on “Blogs” from the left sidebar, and search away!

LinkedIn

This networking website allows you to connect with your former colleagues as well as build a strong network of people within your industry, join industry-focused organizations, and apply to jobs that are posted directly by people in the companies. LinkedIn also allows you to view people that work in the companies that you are interested in working for. You can connect to them directly and begin to formulate a networking relationship.

Twitter

Twitter has expanded and leaped to a success that was never imagined by many skeptics. Many businesses are now seeing the power of Twitter as a marketing tool, so it’s no surprise that many businesses have their own Twitter accounts and use it to promote business and will often announce jobs that are being recruited for.

Industry Organization Websites

In order to advance your career, you should belong to an industry-related organization. By being a member, you can be in the loop for upcoming conferences, new skills needed, industry changes, and jobs that are specific to your field. Just a few include SHRM (Human Resources), NSBE (Black Engineers), NEA (Teachers), CEW (Cosmetics/Beauty), NAHJ (Latino Journalists), and AABA (Asian American Bar Association).

Industry Focused Websites

There are various websites dedicated to specialized areas. Media Bistro is a website that caters to those in the creative world of publishing, graphic design, and e-commerce, just to name a few. The website also offers great industry-focused classes to better your craft.

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Your career can sometimes get off course or even have no direction at all. It is during these moments that you need someone or even something to lead you in the right direction and offer you answers that you may have never thought of. This much needed advice and encouragement comes in the form of a career coach. A career coach’s mission is to provide a sounding board and advisory board to help you identify your strengths and potential to excel to the next level. LaShandra “Shan” Oglesby, Executive Director of Inner Drive, provides that career compass and set of tools to make sure you maximize your career. “Our mission is to work with individuals and organizations to help identify their talents and understand their abilities in career changes and transitions,” she says.

GGG: Who would benefit from a career coach?

LO: Anybody can benefit from having a career coach. A career coach isn’t necessarily for a person looking for a new job. The service can be for someone that is looking to excel in his present career or is working on a project and needs some direction.

GGG: What are the biggest mistakes people make when making career decisions and changes?

LO: Oftentimes people will settle for a position based upon short-term gains. This isn’t necessarily wrong, especially when you have financial obligations. However, the money will come if you are acting within your space.

You should understand your strengths and have them work for you. Focus on areas of excellence and seek brilliance. We are often told in college to specialize in an area (to major in) for a job or career. We should identify our strengths and allow that to be centralized, which will lead to a greater amount of power and excellence.

GGG: What are some important things to think about when looking for a new position and accepting a new position?

LO: Ask your peers what they feel your strengths are. They will be identifying what you are good at, and this will help you identify your career focus. Plan some kind of outline to help you reach your best. Look into expanding your education, find a mentor, either internally or externally from your job, and build a power team to surround you. You must be flexible. You must know where you want to go and how to get there and know that there are no limitations to your current situation and your future.

For more information, visit www.innerdrive.net.

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QUESTION: How can I build a better relationship with my clients and customers?

ANSWER: It doesn’t matter what your product or service is. It doesn’t matter whether you are a novice or seasoned entrepreneur. It doesn’t matter whether you are extroverted or a solid introvert. You must develop ways to relate to clients and customers with sincere, intentional, and consistent care.

Be sincere and intentional. No matter how cynical or friendly a client may be, all customers want to feel important and special. Be mindful of how you do your outreach. A client or customer can pick up on artificial energy in an instant. This may sound simplistic, but always remember the names of your clients. Spell their names properly on all forms of communication. Make sure that you send them an article via email that assists them.

Don’t just communicate with your client or customer when you want a payment or need a favor. Send holiday greetings thanking clients and customers for their business. Every once in awhile, pick up the phone, start up a conversation, and do a general check-in with your clients. As you talk, be a good listener and don’t offer stock answers. Truly connect to a client by addressing his or her unique and individual needs. In a fast-paced world, you will remain memorable, if you pay attention to these small communication details.

Be consistent. Make sure you cultivate your customer and client relationship by being consistent, not just with communication but with superior service. As businesspeople, we tend to want to give more attention to newer customers while forgetting our old ones in the process. The most successful business owners understand that they must apologize for and correct errors with speed and accuracy.

Be known as the business that “delivers above and beyond the call of duty.” Work with your staff on special ways you can serve your clients and customers in a more effective way. For instance, if you are a public relations agency and you need to send your client a first draft of a press release, surprise the client and send your draft a few hours early.

Don’t just be attentive with a client when you are in the process of forging a relationship. Pay attention to the needs of your clients whether they have been with you for ten minutes or ten years.

A simple equation has helped me maintain and sustain positive client and customer relationships for years: PREPARATION + OPPORTUNITIES = SUCCESS. Bring your absolute best to each client and customer, and you are certain to reap the rewards.

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QUESTION:

Can we talk about netiquette also known as network and email etiquette?

ANSWER:

During my adventures in cyberspace, I have seen some email messages that make me smile with glee, yet there are other messages that make me shake my head with worry and concern. Let me offer some reminders.

Be friendly, not careless. Please do not use texting emblems and elements in your email. You can be yourself and be less formal, but remember, you still must connect to proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation rules. Be mindful of tone and manner. Your email messages are a reflection of you, your company, and your profession.

Think before you send. Walk away from your laptop or your desktop when you are angry or discontented. You don’t want to send a message that you will live to regret at a later time. Work hard to keep your messages succinct. Focus on one message per email.

Keep the personal touch. There are times when we all need human contact. Please don’t let email replace “live and in person” or phone communication.

Email is very public and is not a private affair. At your place of employment, your email is considered company property. You don’t want one message to cause you and your employer strife. You never know who will read your business or personal emails. Also, create separate emails for your professional use and personal use.

Use your subject line wisely. People are busy. You must write a subject line that can catch the eye and get straight to the point. State your purpose. For example, “The Weekly Report for Your Review and Immediate Response” would be a strong subject line.

No chain letters and other unnecessary messages. You might want to send your colleagues and friends a warning about the next big online virus, but think before you send. Let the Golden Rule lead: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Do you want your inbox filled with well-intended but burdensome messages?

Create a grateful exit. Utilize a signature that includes contact information. Remind people how to get in contact with you. Provide your signature, contact information with your mailing address, website, fax, and phone numbers.

If you want to learn more about netiquette, go to:

1. www.emailreplies.com

2. www.netmanners.com

3. www.library.yale.edu/training/netiquette

Trust your gut. Sustain your glam. Maintain your grace.

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Your job is like your second home, and your coworkers are your surrogate family. You can easily become very comfortable with the people you work with and end up sliding into a zone that encourages you to let loose and reveal things to people that shouldn’t be shared. Remember they are your coworkers, not your college friends. Divulging certain information can damage your reputation, your relationship with coworkers, and even your career. Here are ten things to remember not to speak about when you are grinding out your work hours.

Medical Information: Coworkers may treat you differently if they find out you have or have had a medical condition.

Confidential Work Information: If you are responsible or privy to information that affects the company, such as downsizing or mergers, you should make sure never to slip up and reveal this confidential information. Revealing this information could cause panic among employees.

Political Views: Politics is such a sticky subject that can cause an innocent discussion to blow up into a full-scale argument. This subject manner can bring out very passionate viewpoints. Avoid this topic at all costs.

Religious Views: Like politics, the topic of religion can bring out a lot of opinions. You should avoid this subject in order to prevent another person from feeling discriminated against.

Your Personal Relationships: Your job is not the place to receive counseling or to reveal the private soap opera you’ve got going on at home. Keep your personal life issues and your job separate.

Salary Information: The amount of money you earn is your business and should not be shared. It can cause unnecessary drama and hard feelings between you, coworkers who may be in the same position as you are or who have been with the company longer than you have.

Your Plans on Leaving the Company: By revealing this information prematurely, you can change the dynamic of the team. You may not be included on certain projects or be given certain information. Of course, you should always give two-weeks notice, but do not reveal your departure too early in the process.

Gossip: Spreading rumors can cause issues to arise among team members. You will be looked at in a negative manner. You shouldn’t even participate in such conversations, so that your name isn’t affiliated with the rumors.

Inappropriate Jokes: Whether it is spoken out loud or emailed, avoid inappropriate jokes. It makes you look insensitive, immature, and irresponsible. How can you demand respect from others, if you participate in such distasteful actions? Remember not everyone shares your sense of humor.

Who You Know: It is great that you have a large circle of movers and shakers as friends. However, you should not name drop. This will tarnish your image and will make it seem like you are egotistical and arrogant. Remember to humble yourself.

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