Corporateinklings

Who are you, again, and why are you wasting my time?

Yes, I’m a woman, and yes, I play MMORPGs.

And though it sometimes still feels a bit like I’m venturing into a forbidden male world, I’ve found that the gaming community as a whole overlooks gender. In fact, one of the most important lessons that I’ve learned in the virtual world holds as true in the real world: it’s an individual’s competency and personality that determines his or her acceptance into the fold.

 When I wanted to enlist in a guild on my new WAR server, I knew I had to prove myself worthy – and not just list all the spells that my character had learned, or have them inspect my items inventory. I told them I was fire spec and was great with DOT spells. I asked them about the guild’s history, their mission, policies and player events. But I had yet to show them that I could hold my own in PvE and RvR. And just the other day, after a long and brutal PvP session, I received an apropos shout out from a guild mate for my exceptional skills in decimating several enemy players. 

In the world of business, this strategy can mean winning a job, winning a new client or winning the respect of colleagues:

Why should a prospective employer choose you out of hundreds, maybe thousands, of applicants? What do you bring to the table? Showcase your skills with relevant examples that reflect that you’ve done your homework on who they are, what they do and how you can help them do it better; if you can, arrange for a demonstration! And be the best version of you. Let your personality shine through, and you’ll make a memorable impression.

Why should a prospective client choose you over several other companies – which sound like they offer the same things? What will they be able to do, that they can’t now, with your product? Perhaps your staff has unique qualities that are exactly what your client needs or wants. Pursue your prospective client aggressively, showing them why and how you are the best at what you do.

It is more important than ever to prove you’re the best as the competition for jobs and clients is nearing all-time highs. So keep your head up, play to your strengths and always deliver more than what they ask for.  You will find yourself exactly where you’ve set your sights.

 - Posted by Tatiana Rutledge

When to bite your tongue…

Being the new kid on the block, you have to pick and choose when to speak up, when to question things and when to just go with the flow.

When I heard the entire company would be spending eight hours offsite talking about goals and planning for the future, I bit my tongue and did not point out what I thought was obvious - there was no way we would need an entire day to ‘plan our goals.’ Didn’t we have more important things to attend to – like answering emails, speaking with clients and scheduling interviews? It wasn’t exactly my idea of a productive day.

What happened was truly shocking: the day wasn’t about cheesy ‘team-building’ games or being told what to believe in. We each got a say in what we thought was important and I learned a lot about my co-workers in the process. It was a real motivator to start my first year off right and put into perspective what I really want to accomplish. I also learned it’s easy to get distracted by ‘goals’ that don’t really count, even if they sound lofty. Focus on 3 that matter – to our clients, and to me, professionally – is usually best.

To follow: Honest update on how I’m faring in Q2.

- Posted by Jackie D'Andrea

Talking to Yourself

Yesterday, I spoke with a woman who said she’s just holding on till she’s 50, and then she wants out. She likes her job (kind of), she enjoys her co-workers (actually, she thinks they depend on her), and, by the way, her boss is counting on her to take over his business.

So she’s crossing off one month at a time until she can quit.  And planning to hold her breath for 7 more years.

It’s time to have The Conversation.

What am I doing? Do I still like it? What is it I really want?

This is potentially terrifying, because it implicitly calls into question all sorts of assumptions, expectations and anxieties, which are so much tidier when they’re packed away in the back of the closet: Expectations. Promises. Assumptions. Family pressures. Competition with friends, family, self. Change.

How much money do I need? Who comes first, my kids? My boss? Me? What if I’m disloyal?

Right now, half the people I talk with at large companies are just hoping to dodge the next layoff. And at least half of those folks don’t even like their jobs all that much.

To ask an honest question, you can’t be afraid of the answer.

Option a

What am I most afraid of?

Option b

Wouldn’t it be amazing to use a time like this to make real change?

  - Posted by Amy Bermar

 

Praying for Disaster?

 Not exactly.  I left the TV news business long ago – and for good reason.  But when it comes to breaking news around data breaches – opportunity knocks for security vendors.

We work with quite a few – and turning breaking news into an opportunity to get their messages heard is SOP for us.

The latest breach:  Heartland Payment Systems – perhaps the biggest data breach ever with upwards of 100 million credit and debit card accounts compromised after a piece of malicious software was planted on the company's payment processing network. 

The AP broke the story around 11 a.m.; we had a killer pitch offering two strong security experts out the door shortly after.  The result?  Coverage for two clients in USA Today, Information Week, Dark Reading and Byron Acohido’s Zero Day Threat blog – all within 24 hours.

So how exactly do we do it?  Well – if I told you, I’d have to kill you.  It’s like giving away the secret recipe to grandma’s famous cookies.  What I can tell you is that we’re successful because we know – and deliver – what reporters need:

• Fast access.  When news breaks, we jump on it immediately.

• More than vendor lip service.  Reporters trust us for smart sources that quickly give them valuable insight that puts what’s happening into meaningful terms.
• An ear-to-the-ground and feet-on-the-street.  We bring new bits of info to our key contacts as the story evolves, following every breaking news story until it’s deep in the ground.

As a result, our security experts show up strong in top-tier publications, time and time again.

  - Posted by Corinne Federici