Employee Intrapreneur

We have all heard of the entrepreneur, but what is an employee intrapreneur? According to research found at http://www.entrepreneurship-sme.eu/pdf-ez/H200802.pdf,

“Intrapreneurship refers to employee initiatives in organizations to undertake something new, without being asked to do so… Key behavioural aspects of intrapreneurship are personal initiative, active information search, out of the box thinking, voicing, championing, taking charge, finding a way, and some degree of risk taking.”

In a sense, intrapreneurs are entrepreneurs from within the company. This adds some sustainability to the company because the mindset of these individuals are geared toward trying things until they are successful, learning from mistakes, and being frugal with resources at hand. There is less risk involved being an intrapreneur within a business versus the true nature of an entrepreneur on their own, and new ideas can contribute to an organization that is stagnant.

Through a Career Development Professionals conference, I gained some insight to ideas that relate to this topic. Something to think about is teaching leadership to others early on, so they don’t become invisible-the idea of being your own public relations agent and self-advocating for your own valuable ideas. This also relates to the idea of managing your own career; it is not your boss’s job to do this, but only yours to take charge of your career path’s direction. Lastly, play to your strengths. Know what you are great at doing, refine that skill, and implement it within the workplace. This can lead to personal initiative, voicing your concerns and needs, and finding a way to utilize your strengths so you can be a more efficient, happy employee.

Consider reading some books by Marcus Buckingham, as they are written on this topic.

http://www.tmbc.com/about-marcus/books

MBTI Series: ENFJ & Helpfulness

Is there someone you know, whether it's personally or in your office, who is almost always chipper, willing to help, and has leadership qualities?  Sometimes I'm envious of their energy levels and how they can connect with almost everyone.  I'm an introvert, so natural extroverts always intrigue me and when you add in the helpfulness and leadership qualities... well, let's just say I'm infatuated.  Most often than not I just described an ENFJ in his/her prime.  Don't get me wrong, every MBTI type has both positives and negatives and we'll explore ENFJs' today.

EXTROVERSION-INTUITIVE-FEELING-JUDGING (ENFJ)
The "heart" of any MBTI type is the middle two letters, and in this case NF.  An intuitive-feeler is someone who can have high emotional intelligence and can easily show warmth, support, and is very inclusive of friends, co-workers, etc.  Because of this they are seen as natural leaders, but when taken too far can be to helpful.  Everyone enjoys a little help now and then, but no one likes to be seen as incompetent.  Some people take offense to helpfulness because as helpfulness turns into taking away people's job duties their purpose in the job is also taken away.

Leadership and support are great in the appropriate amounts and as long as your Emotional Intelligence is developed well enough then you can achieve just the right balance.  When we consider ENFJ as a whole we see that they like to make decisions, check things off their list, and tend to move to these conclusions rather quickly.  They can also have a tendency to internally draw connections between the problems that exist and possible solutions, which can leave others in the dark on their decision making.  Combine this with an overly "helpful" personality and they can easily been seen by others as a manager who doesn't trust anyone, but is very nice on the surface which can quickly lead to distrust among a team.  So while they can be natural leaders, as a healthy personality, every type has the potential for a negative perspective.

Some suggestions for ENFJ personalities:

1. Create methods to review and verify your details, and then share your internal process with your team while seeking honest feedback and possibly altering your decision based upon the team's suggestions
2. Continue to engage and link others into the group to encourage cohesiveness
3. Start setting clearer boundaries and asking for specific actions of people instead of "helping" too often
4. Stop putting of important tasks in favor of meeting people needs.  Sometimes you have to make a hard decision even if not everyone in the group is satisfied with the end decision.

For more information about MBTI there are great resources at your local library, or CLICK HERE to review the other MBTI entries from our blog.  Some information in this blog was inspired by and drawn from Introduction to Type and Emotional Intelligence by Roger R. Pearman.

Job Searching in a Tight Economy

Not only are job applications more structured and selective through online databases, they are also being posted during a tight economy. Therefore, a job search is like a job! In order to have a step up in the game, be a part of the hidden job market. So…what is the hidden job market? It is part of the beginning of the interview process, where employers ask their first network of connections for leads on applicants. In order to connect, you need to expand your network and be on the inside of this process. This can be accomplished many ways. You can set up a profile on LinkedIn, attend networking events such as a Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) Hot Spot (ylni.org), increase your marketability with experience (get an internship, co-op, externship, part-time related job, volunteer, job shadow), inform your network you are job searching (they can keep their ears open for you too!), send letters of inquiry to employers you are interested in (they are always looking for a good employee when the time is right), attend the IPFW Fall Job Fair September 20, check www.ipfw.edu/JOBZONE on a daily basis, meet with a Career Counselor to practice interviewing, refine your resume, and write a cover letter to set you apart! 

Here are a few strategies to help you be successful:

1.       Set goals and plan who you will target (Who can help me reach them? How can I get to know those   people who can? How can I help make them successful?) 
2.       Know what you want, employers want confident applicants that know what their values, skills,   and interests are!
3.       Research companies (what are their goals, mission, strategic plan?)
4.       Keep track of your activities & progress
5.       Stay positive and be polite to receptionists/clerical staff-they have a hand in your application
6.       Always follow up!

Keep in mind: you can go through several job transitions before you are settled.

MBTI Series: ISTP & detachment

If I asked you to picture a beatnik how would you describe that person?  Wearing all black, a beret, and if it's a male a small goatee. Their personality is more of the example I want to focus on today as I think they can be a good general example for ISTP personalities.  ISTPs can be categorized as "Artisans" or a "Craftsman" and someone who's very willing to be a critic, observer, and analyzer of things and situations.  This can be a great skill in the right profession, but there are some things to be cautious of as an "Artisan" or a "Craftsman."

INTROVERSION-SENSING-THINKING-PERCEIVING (ISTP)
ISTP people have some amazing strengths with the ability to think critically, analyze each element separately, and hone a craft.  They are very confident individuals and can acknowledge personal strengths as an adaptation.  Many are high achievers as long as the goals have been clearly defined, and are able to initiate creativity to accomplish the goals.  They can be flexible, but the request to be flexible still needs to fall within their understanding of the situation, meaning they won't do something illogical.

Just like all types there are also potential for weakness.  If these strengths are taken too far, they run the risk of detachment from others and the feedback that different perspectives can provide.  Some may rely to heavily on what's been experienced instead of giving way to opportunities that may not have been tried yet and thus detaching themselves from other people's ideas.  Their communication style can often be seen as detached, aloof, or cool as they tend to be fast-paced and action oriented instead of slowing down to engage in conversation with all those involved.

Some suggestions for ISTP personalities:

1. Continue to explore the analytical elements of situation
2. Continue getting to the core practical issues
3. Start encouraging others' analysis, not just your own
4. Start demonstrating interest in new ways of seeing things
5. Stop taking a detached view as the initial response in interpersonal situations
6. Stop ignoring context and big picture issues

FAMOUS ISTPs - gathered from mypersonality.info
Below is a list of real and fictional characters who have been theorized to be ISTP personalities.  Note each one and the common theme which can be drawn among them.  All are seen as experts in their field, intense individuals (which could also be seen as quirky), and very passionate about their "craft."

Real ISTP People                                                                Fictional ISTPs (Characters)

Alan Shepherd - astronaut                                       Blondie - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 

Bruce Lee - martial artist, actor                                                             Boba Fett - Star Wars 

Burt Reynolds - actor                                                                                           Brett - Alien 

Charles Bronson - actor                                                              Butch Coolidge - Pulp Fiction 

Clint Eastwood - actor and director                                                 Elvira Hancock - Scarface 

Frank Zappa - guitarist                                                                           Han Solo - Star Wars 

James Dean - actor                                                                  John Milner - American Graffiti 

John Malkovich - actor                                               Maggie Fitzgerald - Million Dollar Baby 

Katharine Hepburn - actress                                                              Verna - Miller's Crossing 

Keith Richards - English guitarist/singer 

Michael Jordan - athlete (basketball, baseball) 

Tom Cruise - actor 

Zachary Taylor - American President 

For more information about MBTI there are great resources at your local library, or CLICK HERE to review the other MBTI entries from our blog.  Some information in this blog was inspired by and drawn from Introduction to Type and Emotional Intelligence by Roger R. Pearman.

Quick Tips for the Long Term Unemployed

The economy is slowly improving, but there are still a lot of folks out there that have long-term unemployment issues. Here are 3 quick tips to help you out:

1) Volunteer:   I understand that your goal is a paid position, but if you haven’t worked in a while, you may have two problems working against you in the eyes of future employers, first off, a significant gap in your employment history and second, a lack of references.  Volunteering can help with both of these issues.  Your volunteer supervisor can serve as a reference and volunteering can show you’ve made a productive contribution to society even though you’ve not been employed. Volunteering can also give you additional experience in areas where you may lack and help banish the job seeker blues by helping you to feel useful.

2) Diversify Your Strategy: One of the biggest mistakes I see job seekers make is to stick to one job search strategy, most often just applying online via big job boards.  While I wouldn’t recommend abandoning this strategy entirely, it’s important not to forget the power of things like face-to-face networking events or approaching  organizations that you are interested in whether they currently have open positions or not. 

3) Expand or Narrow Your Target: Have you been searching for teaching jobs in your county, but haven’t found anything? Maybe it’s time to expand your focus outside of your immediate geographic area or look for another similar job that serves children and families, such as at a nonprofit organization to give yourself more opportunities.

Been applying for anything and everything under the sun? Maybe you’re inadvertently putting in applications for jobs you are over or under-qualified for. A little more focus in your job search could help you make more effective use of your (and your future employers) time.

Job Fair Follow Up

Attend  the NICE Career Fair yesterday? Don’t forget to follow-up with your favorite employers! Our website has a list of sample letters you can use to give you ideas on what to say to follow up. You can also check out our CareerSpots video on following up.

Job Fair Success

Our job fairs are the largest events we organize at the office of Career Services. We already have 80 employers signed up for the NICE Career Fair. From our experience running these massive events, we've come up with a few suggestions for improving job fair success for students.

Dress Appropriately: One of the most common complaints we get from recruiters is that students don't dress appropriately for our events. Don't let an overly casual appearance detract from your qualifications!

Do Your Research: We post the list of attending employers weeks in advance of our career fairs. Doing prior research on employers of interest will provide you with two benefits. First, you'll come off as more prepared and professional when you speak with employers and second, you'll be less overwhelmed by the number of recruiters available to talk to if you know ahead of time who your target contacts are.

Prepare a Resume, But Don't Be Disappointed if a Recruiter Asks You to Apply Online: There are some anti-discrimination related federal guidelines that prevent larger companies from taking paper resumes from students. If a recruiter asks you to apply online do so and be sure to remind them that you met at the job fair.

Follow-Up: Ask employers 'What's the best way to follow-up with you?' THEN DO IT. Send thank-you notes to employers with whom you met.

Attend the Job Fair Prep Sessions: Take advantage of the drop-in assistance Career Services offers the Monday and Tuesday (April 9^th and 10^th) before the job fair. You can bring in a copy of your resume and get advice on what to wear and how to introduce yourself to employers.
The NICE Career Fair is Wednesday, April 11^th, 1pm-5pm, in the new International Ballroom in Walb.