Recently in Networking Category

How do people know whether or not they should frequent your business? Do you have a good website? Do you advertise?

From an HR perspective, some people need to hear you in action or see you live in order to get a better feel for whether or not they will want to work with you or for you.

Tune in to an episode of Capital District Business Profiles, which debuts this coming Monday at 7:30pm (and in February will also air Wednesday mornings at 10am) to check out some of the local businesses that may be offering opportunities for doing business or potential job opportunities in the future.

On Capital District Business Profiles, we will be interviewing local business owners to find out more about their business and how they go about doing what they do.

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.

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.

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

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.

I took this free career quiz back in college and it really laid the foundation for what I have ended up doing for the past several years since I took it. Still a great tool many years later.

Send me your results if you take this and I can give you some advice on businesses you may want to start or jobs you may want to pursue

http://www.princetonreview.com/careerquiz.aspx

robert@saratogacollege.com

In baseball, the term "clubhouse cancer" is used to describe a player, coach or member of the team who seems to destroy the team chemistry from within. For the Boston Red Sox this year, a "mole" reported to the media that players were drinking during games, that Terry Francona was facing addictions and marital troubles, and assorted other players had basically lost respect for the team.

In your social life and in your business relationships, upon reflection you may find that there is a need for social life chemotherapy or business relationship chemotherapy. In these cases, the only way to cure these ills is to address the relationship or address the person; sometimes that means removing people from your life or fixing the relationship flaws to keep the relationship strong.

Recently, I did a small bit of social life chemotherapy by eliminating some people and situations from my life that were causing me too much angst and not enough benefit. I challenge you this week to look at the changes you need to make; very often, they are subtracting situations and people from your life versus adding anything that is missing.

In a world based on "who you know", LinkedIn is a perfect place to start generating an impressive list of who you know and more importantly, who you want to know.

LinkedIn is the hub for business networking with 100 million users in over 200 countries with an additional 1 million users joining weekly. Those are impressive stats for anyone looking to interact and make business connects. Let's explore the four important "Find's" LinkedIn has to offer subscribers....FREE!!

- Find Business Contacts- Connect with people. Find business associates, current and former colleagues, customers, alumni, etc. to invite to your LinkedIn network.

- Find a Job - Linkedin provides subscribers the ability to search for jobs by using random criteria, looking through one's connects, allowing employers to seek out candidates, and by expanding your network organically.

- Find potential clients- It's important to make sure you have a fully completed profile with clear content, since potential clients will want to know about you professionally, and join or start groups based on your interests.

-Find and create Groups - a LinkedIn group is the ideal place to manage a professional community. It helps to build contacts, provides a platform for building business goals and generating interest in your business. Be sure to invite key business figures and make them contacts to further and develop professionally.

Now you have a better understanding about how LinkedIn works and what it can do for you, give it a try and transform the list of people you want to know into a list of people you do know.