Networking Luncheon

I attended a BYU Management Society luncheon this week where David Bradford was presenting. The subject that he presented on happened to be - wait for it - NETWORKING! So I attended a networking event where we talked about how to effectively network. Double-whammy. It was great because I feel like networking is an area that I am weak in. I understand the importance of networking, but I have never really put very much effort into it. I typically tend to put my money on my own ability to excel in the work environment. However, this event was a good wake-up call to remind me that I need to be putting forth the effort to network now because in the future it may make all the difference.

The meeting started off with a buffet style lunch. I had the opportunity to meet several successful business men in various fields. I enjoyed talking with them about their experiences in school and their early careers and comparing their experiences to my own. Before David Bradford was introduced, the audience was asked to participate in a networking activity where we were to talk about an impressionable interview experience we have had with the other people at the table. There were some fantastic stories of blunders and successes while interviewing. It was a great opportunity to get to know the other people at the table. 

When David Bradford finally took the stage, I began to critique his presentation as we have done in class. I noted several pros and several cons. 

Pros

• He was an energetic speaker and he came across as very friendly. 
• He effortlessly connected with the audience as if he were speaking to each person individually. 
• He established credibility for the subject matter by using effective story telling to convey his experiences in an interesting way.
• He involved the audience and used those interactions to emphasize his points.

Cons

• He frequently stood in front of the overhead, which blocked the slide he was talking about. 
• He frequently looked at his laptop during the presentation.
• He had a definite home-base (clasped hands) that he returned to consistently. 

Overall, I thought the presentation was very well done, and the advice that David gave was fantastic. The luncheon was a great experience and I may even go to more of these types of things in the future!

The Dread Pirate Home-Base

GoREACT is pretty cool. You might even say its the bees knees of the presenting world. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I've never watched myself present before (come to think of it, I'm not sure I want to ever again!). It was definitely enlightening to watch my mannerisms and see what I am doing right, and what I still need to work on. The biggest thing that I noticed is that I have a very noticeable home-base. Watching myself on GoREACT, I noticed that as I presented I repeatedly returned with my hands clasped in front of me. It was distracting to me as I watched, so I can't imagine how distracting it was to the audience! Anyway, I do think that it is awesome to find out these sorts of negative habits so that we can work on eliminating them. How do you stop yourself from doing something involuntary? I haven't a clue. Tying my arms to my sides seems like a good idea. I will keep you posted with results.

People Don't Buy What You Do, They Buy Why You Do It

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in hosting a job fair for the company I work for (vivint.solar if you are interested). We had a great turnout, and conducted many rounds of group interviews. Previously, I had only ever conducted interviews with one applicant at a time, so this was an enriching experience for me. I was able to merge my knowledge of the company, my passion for what we do, and the communication skills that I have learned in class in order to capture the attention of the applicants and sell the position for which they had applied. The same skills are essential while being interviewed. I think that a universally applicable rule to live by is voiced in the video posted below. In the video, Simon Sinek says, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." This is a powerful statement. When being interviewed, it is important that you present yourself with confidence, that you show that you are knowledgeable in your field, and that you speak eloquently and professionally. However, no matter how competent you are at what you do, if you are unable to sufficiently sell the interviewer on why you do it, you will not be considered a strong candidate. You need to be passionate about what you do (or want to do). There needs to be a correlation between what you do and how it interacts with something you truly care about. I love my job not because I think that solar panels are awesome (which they are), but because by providing our services to our customers we are saving ordinary people money and are increasing the quality of life for those we serve. I am passionate about helping people live the best life they can possibly live. That is my why. What's yours?