When it comes to our professional lives, the difference between advancing in our careers or feeling stuck often comes down to one thing: our COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
Whether your goal is to land a new role at a new company, be considered for a promotion, or to flourish in your current role, communicating effectively is key.
Image by abluecup from Getty Images/Canva
Last week, I shared the content of my first live Q&A session on the FishBowl app, hosted by my friend – and FishBowl Leader – Maye Samoiel.
In the latest episode of Talk About Talk, you’ll hear the full audio from my FishBowl Q&A session.
This experience was SO. MUCH. FUN. The audience was incredibly supportive and engaged, and asked really interesting questions.
Some of the topics we covered were:
➡️ How to optimize your JOB SEARCH
➡️ NETWORKING like a pro
➡️ Tips for INTROVERTS
➡️ Maintaining professional RELATIONSHIPS
➡️ How to ask for FEEDBACK
The common thread tying them all together? You guessed it: COMMUNICATION.
Let’s dig a little deeper!
Optimize your JOB SEARCH in 2 steps
Are you about to embark on a JOB SEARCH? Before you start contacting potential employers and submitting applications, the first thing you’ll want to do is to head over to your LinkedIn profile.
Ensure that everything on your profile is up-to-date and accurate, ESPECIALLY these 3 ELEMENTS:
1️⃣ Your HEADSHOT
2️⃣ Your BANNER IMAGE
3️⃣ Your HEADLINE
This is free real estate!
Your headline is a great place to incorporate key words about your qualifications, interests, and the type of role you are seeking.But remember, these 3 elements are the first things that potential employers see when they visit your profile, so make sure that you are using them to communicate AUTHENTICALLY.
Finished setting up your LinkedIn profile? Great!
Now you’re ready for Step 2!
Once you have everything filled in on LinkedIn, I recommend that you begin some STRATEGIC NETWORKING. Very often it’s the friend of a friend that introduces us to our next great job opportunity, so make use of your LinkedIn and FishBowl networks and build meaningful connections.
I’d also encourage you to attend networking events, and try reaching out to executive recruiters.
But my number one piece of networking advice is this: BE GENEROUS.
No matter what your networking approach is, your goal should be to ADD VALUE.
Sometimes it takes some creativity, but when you figure out how to add value to the situation, things will turn out better for you.
One last thing!
I know that networking can be difficult for INTROVERTS.
So my advice to the introverts out there is to MANAGE your energy.
If you know you’ll be attending a networking event where you’ll be interacting with a lot of people, schedule some alone time before and after.
Communication Tips for Maintaining Professional RELATIONSHIPS
Communication is the key to any successful relationship, whether it’s with a colleague, a supervisor, a client, or someone else in your professional network.
And where does that relationship start?
With the first impression!
People respond to body language, eye contact, and enthusiasm. So put a smile on your dial, and share your enthusiasm for the work you are going to do together!
But what about AFTER the first impression?
One of the most important professional relationships you’ll have is with your immediate supervisor.
A great way to maintain a consistent, healthy relationship with your manager or supervisor is to ASK QUESTIONS, and in particular, to ask for FEEDBACK.
(Hat tip to Sharon Mah-Gin for this one.
Thank you Sharon!)
Asking for feedback can be scary, but by asking, you’re demonstrating to your supervisor that you have a GROWTH MINDSET and that you’re committed to IMPROVING your work.
Not sure HOW to ask for feedback?
I’ve got a framework for that!
Just remember these three words: Start, Continue, Stop.Rather than asking an open-ended question like, “Do you have any feedback?”, ask these three specific questions:
1️⃣ What should I START doing?
2️⃣ What should I CONTINUE doing?
3️⃣ What should I STOP doing?
The framework helps to communicate your expectations, and allows your supervisor to provide honest feedback.
Image by MissTuni from GettyImages/Canva
That’s it for this week! I hope you’ll enjoy listening to the full FishBowl Q&A session! Thanks again to Maye and the FishBowl team, and to everyone who attended the event.
Do you have COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS questions that weren’t covered in this episode? Feel free to get in touch. I’d love to hear from you!
Please forward to your friends who might like help with their communication skills. Thank you.
Have a great week.
Talk soon,
Dr. Andrea Wojnicki
Chief Talker & Communication Coach
Most Recent 🎧Podcast Episodes:
#101 – Communicating Your Personal Brand on SOCIAL MEDIA
#100 – Andrea’s Top 3 Communication Insights
Subscribe to the Communication Skills NEWSLETTER
Learn about 1-on-1 COACHING with Andrea,
or schedule a free 20-minute consult.
Check out ONLINE CORPORATE WORKSHOPS with Andrea!