December 2011 Archives

I've been on committees over the years and I must say that the value of them is suspect. A good committee commits to creating a solution to a problem, where most committees I've encountered should be called Committ-ees because they are leery of committing to anything at all.

Committees require strong leadership and commitment, as well as the willingness for others to collaborate rather than compete.

Thankfully, of late, I've been a part of some great committees who actually work well together when necessary and get results!

Share your stories of committees or committ-ees via email to robert@saratogacollege.com. I'll share (anonymously) some of the best stories after the new years.

Earlier this year, I wrote about Attitude, Attendance, and GPA and why most employers and schools that matter don't care.

Today, I expand on this thought by coming up with a new meaning for the GPA acronym.

Genuine
Professional
Attitude

With a Genuine Professional Attitude, you can walk into any door and find work wherever you go. Without it, you will end up endlessly searching for work and the right opportunity.

People who are genuine show it not necessarily with their words, but always with their actions.

People who are professional walk their talk, apologize when necessary and carry themselves with a high level of credibility.

People with the right attitude look for the opportunity in every failure and success.

What is your GPA? Have you paid attention to it lately? Think of this new GPA acronym -Genuine Professional Attitude instead of your Grade Point Average.

It doesn't matter if you have a 3.0 or 4.0 if your attitude sucks, you aren't professional or are insincere!

PS - If grade point average meant anything, it would be a field you'd need to fill in on your LinkedIn profile! (Guess what, it's not!)

I've spoken for years with friends about wanting to invent a concept called You're Welcome Notes. My friends have said although it sounds like a great idea, they wonder where the endless cycle of Thank You and You're Welcome will end.

"Do you have to send a Thank You card for receiving a You're Welcome note?" is one of their questions. My response is always no, that is a little tacky, but writing to your friends and customers is always a good idea if you want to keep a continuing conversation going.

I did a Google search on You're Welcome Notes this morning and all that came up was a Facebook page that someone came up with stating that "You're Welcome Notes are the greatest demonstration of the welcomeness of the other person's previous thankfulness"

I look at You're Welcome Notes as a great opportunity to keep in touch with people after the holidays have ended, or after you've received a Thank You Note.

Here's a situation where you can see how valuable a You're Welcome Note could be in a business situation...

You sell a product or service to someone and offer them a great experience. They send you a Thank You note thanking you for the great service rendered, and expressing gratitude for all that you did for them. A few days or a short time after, follow up that note with a short letter (or You're Welcome note) checking in with them on their experience, and thanking them for their appreciation of your work.

I have spent the last 4 months participating in an internship with Braathe Enterprises and Saratogacollege.com. I happened upon it while searching internship opportunities online. I don't think I could have found a better company to learn and develop my professional skills and all by accident. On a whim, I contacted Robert Braathe and so began my journey from student to intern began.

During my very first conversation with Robert, I knew that I would gain so much from his expertise and professional experience. His knowledge from running his own company and working for large corporations is invaluable and span from social media to traditional marketing techniques and far beyond. As a mentor Robert is support and pushing you to pursue and find as much information as you can. He frequently forward information, stories or websites of interest. I felt like my development was always top of mind.

The benefits of an internship with Braathe Enterprises include unlimited knowledge, weekly conference calls, real professional assignments, and access to a free online course through saratogacollege.com. Besides all the benefits listed above, I was impressed with my first assignment. I was asked to compile a list of 6 or 7 objectives I would like to explore during my internship. It's unusual to be able to almost dictate the content and direction. I was almost curious in a way to see what and how my list would play into my 4-months. And sure enough we went through each and every item on my list and I had the chance to explore, ask questions, and complete an assign with real-world application. I wasn't forced to fit into a mold and go through the motions....I learned about things I was interested in knowing. That for me made all the difference.

Saratogacollege.com added a unique element to my internship. I was able to have access to an online course at no charge to me. I also had access to a free online textbook. I was able to locate in formation at anytime and to challenge myself with the course work. We all know how expensive college course can be, what a fantastic benefit to have provided to me. I am grateful for the opportunity to take an additional class.

This on my very last day as an intern find myself elated to have completed an internship in a professional arena and be successful, and even more grateful for the opportunity. I very much look forward to taking the skills and knowledge I attained while interning with Braathe Enterprises and Saratogacollege.com and applying it to my next journey.

As children, those who celebrate Christmas are told to be nice and good and to write to Santa with what they want for Christmas. As adults, I think we could all take our parents' advice and do the same thing when it comes to asking for what we want from our boss, co-workers, friends, or colleagues.

Here is a "letter to Santa" I put out last week on my Facebook page as kind of a joke but half-serious as I want to meet someone this holidays season:

Love, Robert

To the point, direct, and a little silly, this email netted many responses and people coming out of the woodwork to assist me in my quest. Perhaps by Christmas "Santa" will bring me what I want!

Think about something you've wanted for work, yourself, or your business. Find a funny way to get it out there, or be direct and ask for what you want. It may work wonders!

Stop by the Small Business Expo in Latham at Michael's Banquet House on Saturday December 17th from 12-3pm to see a business trade show in action. The event is free and will feature around 40 independent and small businesses from the Capital Region.

If you stop in today to the Braathe Enterprises booth, we will be doing a Importance of a Good LinkedIn Profile presentation from 1-130.

We also will have available gift certificates for consultations on HR, business strategy, marketing and more

For more information, call 518-290-0812 or email us at info@saratogacollege.com

This event presents a great opportunity to see what opportunities are out there for starting your own business, as well as an opportunity to share with the community. Admission is free, but food donations (non-perishable) will be accepted at the door to go to the Regional Food Bank.

Hope to see you there!

What defines a professional loser? Someone who

Lets
Others'
Success
Engender
Resentment

You've seen people like this; they see someone get promoted, hit a sales target, win an award, and all they seem to get out of it is rage and resentment towards the achievement. Rather than look at their own shortcomings, need to improve, or appreciate the achievement of another, they take the short road and belittle the achievement or the person.

If you don't win an award, get the promotion, or get a job and someone else you know does, look at it as an opportunity to reset your clock, your goals, and your desires. Make it an opportunity to look inside and see what you need to do next, and why in fact you didn't get what you felt you deserved.

This free hour-long interactive presentation and Q+A session will show you how to create your profile, optimize it, and use LinkedIn as a networking tool in order to improve your job or internship search. Presented by Robert Braathe, founder of Braathe Enterprises, and Kelsey Weiss, Skidmore College '12 and intern for Braathe Enterprises

Skidmore College - Palamountain 202 - Wednesday December 14th

To RSVP, visit the link below or email robertjbraathe@gmail.com
LinkedIn Presentation by Braathe Enterprises - December 10th in Saratoga Springs

After a recent shopping experience where I felt like I was treated like a criminal for going in for a price adjustment, I have almost completely abandoned traditional shopping entirely. I've grown tired of the lack of care of the management, the ambivalence and/or ignorance of the staff, and the general lack of care for the customer by many traditional retailers.

Why am I so jaded? It could be because I worked in retail management and my standards are higher than those I encounter today. Maybe it is also an HR issue that can possibly save retail in its traditional form.

The next time a customer walks in your door and no one greets them from your team, someone needs to pay on your staff. I don't care how busy you are, but when a customer or potential customer walks in and no one meets them within the first 30-60 seconds (sometimes less), you've lost that customer.

The next time a customer walks in for a price adjustment on an item that went on sale, don't treat them like a criminal because you are having a bad day at the office.

For now, until someone convinces me otherwise, I'm taking my business online and to the retail businesses that are friendly consistently.

We have already awarded two 12 week online interactive business classes to two Capital Region residents seeking to take the next step in their career, whether it be start a business, find a new job or career, or learn something new to help them in their existing situation.

We are delighted to be offering these free courses for 12 lucky recipients this holiday season in the spirit of workforce development, business startup incubation, and career training for those who have been let go or downsized.

To enter for a spot in the 12 Classes of Christmas contest, send an email to info@saratogacollege.com with your request for a free course, why you want to take the course, and what you hope to learn as a result of it. The courses included Modern Marketing Methods, Exceptional Human Resources and Entrepreneurship, among others.

The first 12 submissions will very likely also be the 12 recipients (the first two were inspiring people so we selected them right away), so get in your email request today!

Q: Dear Professor Braathe,

I have worked in a variety of roles over the years and am concerned future employers are going to label me as a job hopper. What do you suggest I do to show some more stability on my resume?

A: After looking over your resume, you have some clear patterns here of work in the hospitality sector as well as the medical profession. Rather than line these up chronologically, line them up categorically. If you are looking for a role in an admin position, put the medical stuff first, but if you are seeking a hospitality position, list those first

Q: Dear Professor Braathe,

I've done a lot in my career, and looking at your LinkedIn profile I see that we have followed similar career paths (corporate, family business, starting your own business and consulting). How do I improve my LinkedIn profile to better focus what it is I want to do next?

A: Thank you for checking out my profile on LinkedIn. As you noticed, I have two distinct businesses, I teach at two different colleges, and also recently announced the launch of an internet radio sports talk show. While these positions all are very different, a focused headline and summary make it clear the type of people and business I am looking for. The profile itself is designed to add depth and experience to what people hope to find. Challenge yourself to come up with a catchy headline and summary to focus your experience as well.

Being succinct sometimes can be difficult, but as we have seen with Twitter, a lot can be said in 140 characters or less.

Our newest contest at Saratoga College is a 140 Character contest.

Tweet to us @SaratogaCollege in 140 characters or less by December 9th why you deserve to take a free class from Saratoga College. We will judge the entries and pick a winner on December 9th.