How your personal brand will help or hinder your career
Posted: September 12, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Reproduced from The Power of Personal Branding for Career Success, with permission from the publisher, The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. 2012. All rights reserved.
Walking down the street and thinking about a cup of coffee, you see Tim Hortons, Starbucks and your local independent coffee shop. Chances are good that you will make up your mind very quickly because you already have a brand preference and your preference will likely be the same a day or even a month later. This type of decision-making is not very surprising, considering the extensive marketing efforts of the two national chains (and, to a lesser degree, the local coffee shop) to attract niche customers, understand their values and build the brand. In fact, all decisions made by each business entity on pricing, product range, dcor and advertising are based on that predetermined brand.
Video: Why its up to you to manage your career
This book is about using the same brand strategy to advance your career. Your first reaction may be brand? How does my career resemble selling coffee? Of course, your career is much more complex and personal than coffee you are not just a product. However, you are a product in the sense that branding is just as critical a component in marketing yourself as it is in marketing a product. The concept of branding positioning yourself for success is a good lens through which to focus on your career strategy.
Choosing and developing your personal brand will help you get where you want to go. Wherever you are in your career starting out, in the middle or in a senior position the concepts and strategies presented throughout these chapters will help you articulate and achieve your goals. The focus is on strategies for advancing your career but applies equally to realizing other goals, such as volunteer activities or community works.
Lets return to product branding and look at some questions that come to mind when considering its effectiveness. Think about one of your favourite products that has a well-recognized brand:
How is the product differentiated from its competitors?
How well known is the product?
What adjectives come to mind if you were to describe or recommend this product?
Does the brand effectively make use of the attributes of the product?
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How your personal brand will help or hinder your career
Stand out from the pack and advance your career – New book shows you how to build your brand
Posted: at 8:16 pm
TORONTO, Sept. 12, 2012 /CNW/ - What people say about you when you are not in the room can hold the key to career success, according to a new book from the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), published in conjunction with Ernst & Young.
The Power of Personal Branding for Career Success provides a step-by-step plan to help establish a true personal brand that will resonate long after you leave a meeting. The book also outlines how to market your skills and expertise to advance your career.
The author is Karen Wensley, a recently retired partner at Ernst & Young who served as the firm's national people team leader.
"In today's marketplace, where competition for top jobs is fierce, your personal brand must be carefully honed and strategically guarded if you want to advance," explains Wensley. "Your brand says a lot about who you are, and the real value you can bring to an organization, so you must invest in it if you want to succeed."
The book proposes an eight-step process, complete with real-world anecdotes, examples and worksheets to help you start establishing a personal brand for career success.
Cairine Wilson, vice-president, member services, CICA, says CAs have been asking for this type of valuable career resource. "In a results-oriented organization, you want to be seen as making a difference," says Wilson. "CAs and others need creative and strategic ways to be recognized to advance their careers."
Stephen Shea, CA, Canadian managing partner, people, at Ernst & Young, stresses that it is important to be proactive. "We have a role to play in shaping how we are perceived by others. If we cannot define ourselves, others will do it for us," he notes.
The Power of Personal Branding for Career Success is available in both French and English. More information about the book, including how to order a copy, can be obtained online at http://www.CAstore.ca/personalbranding-wb.
About CICA Chartered Accountants (CAs) are Canada's most valued, internationally recognized profession of leaders in senior management, advisory, financial, tax and assurance roles. Through their integrity, expertise, and internationally recognized qualification standards, Canada's 82,000 CAs sustain their influence and leadership position both in Canada and globally. As trusted business advisors to Canadian organizations of all sizes, Canada's CAs foster confidence in Canadian business and contribute to the health and sustainability of Canada's capital markets and economy. The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) represents Canada's CA profession both nationally and internationally. The CICA is a founding member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA).
About Ernst & Young Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. Worldwide, our 152,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.
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Stand out from the pack and advance your career - New book shows you how to build your brand
From "Chubby Cheerleader" to Sleeve Success with Dr. Michael Feiz
Posted: at 8:16 pm
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Research will get you everywhere according to a patient named Sasha, whose own blog now spreads the word about quality bariatric surgery. Her weight loss adventure has led to blind alleys and personal disasters, but after careful Internet research she found herself in good hands.
Now the 26-year-old is making advances every day as she cruises swiftly toward her goal weight. While Sasha's grit and determination deserve much of the credit, sleeve gastrectomy from Los Angeles' go-to bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz was a major part of getting where she needed to be.
Trouble began in high school, when the "Chubby Cheerleader" label was first applied. That was when she first started to feel body image-related social pressures. "I was a bigger girl. I'm 5'8'', but high school girls suddenly feel so much pressure to fit into a certain dress size."
Research steered Sasha toward many options. "Embracing your bigger body works for some people," she said, and she applauds those who are healthy and comfortable that way. She was concerned about a family history of diabetes and other health concerns, though. "I didn't want to remember The Chubby Cheerleader. I wanted to be healthy."
The LAP Band is frequently the answer for those who similarly need the health and confidence that comes with weight loss. Sasha's LAP Band experience, however, was far from ideal. "I lost 20 pounds," she says. In other words: her weight loss was far from ideal, and it was accompanied by nausea and discomfort. Then she found out that her doctor, someone from a popular and heavily advertised weight loss surgery company, wasn't even board certified. "I just wanted it out," she says.
Dr. Feiz was different. At Sasha's free consultation, she felt her concerns were being heard. "I wasn't just being shuffled through," she said. She was also being presented with a variety of options, including vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Dr. Feiz removed her LAP Band, and offered to put another one in place so that her weight loss would continue. Another LAP Band wasn't a tempting prospect, and she turned it down. A few months later when the weight had returned, Sasha asked for a new solution, and Dr. Feiz recommended the gastric sleeve at the Huntington Beach surgery center.
"Doctor Feiz told me about the recovery, and he said he'd be happy to take my phone call when I was irritable and uncomfortable." She felt these effects, briefly. But on day 4 she was walking around. After just over two weeks, she's energetic and eager to share her experience with others.
Most importantly however, she's lost 15 pounds since the day she went for surgery two weeks ago, and even with water weight the weight from surgery included 15 pounds is impressive, and most likely a preview of things to come.
To find out about the work being done by Dr. Feiz and his partners, visit them online at http://www.drfeiz.com.
PR submitted by http://www.Cyberset.com
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From "Chubby Cheerleader" to Sleeve Success with Dr. Michael Feiz
Course Builder Intro Video – Video
Posted: at 8:15 pm
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Course Builder Intro Video - Video
Medical Education Firm Launches Online Tool to Help Docs Guide Personalized Rx Decisions in NSCLC
Posted: at 8:15 pm
Clinical Care Options, a developer of continuing education and medical decision support resources, has launched a web-based tool to help oncologists figure out which lung cancer patients may benefit from molecularly guided personalized treatments.
The online decision-support tool provides oncologists with expert recommendations on first-line and maintenance treatment options for non-small cell lung cancer patients based on their patients' medical information and tumor features, including oncogenic markers.
Clinical Care Options developed the online tool based on the treatment choices made by five US experts who were presented 96 cases with specific variables regarding patients' medical history, such as tumor histology, genomic mutations, age, and smoking history.
In order to use the tool, oncologists select their patients' medical information and desires and select their treatment of choice. The tool then displays how the five experts would treat this patient. The program then surveys users about how the expert recommendations impacted their treatment decisions.
The firm presented the results of this survey in a poster at the Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology this week. The tool has been used by approximately 1,000 physicians around the world, according to Jim Mortimer, senior director of oncology programs and partnership development at Clinical Care Options. Overall, approximately 23 percent of clinicians who used the tool have said it helped change their decisions, while 50 percent indicated the tool helped confirm their initial treatment strategy.
Specifically, with regard to genomically guided personalized NSCLC treatments, all five of the experts selected Pfizer's Xalkori (crizotinib) whenever a patient case involved the ALK fusion gene. However, out of 80 cases entered by oncologists involving this marker, only around 40 percent selected Xalkori. And although in NSCLC cases with mutated EGFR the experts selected Genentech's Tarceva (erlotinib), only 60 percent of the 100 such cases entered by clinicians into the tool chose the drug.
The data collected by Clinical Care Options suggest that its decision-support tool may be a useful resource when oncologists want to assess how their peers would prescribe a genomically targeted personalized treatment. These drugs, compared to standard treatments, are relatively new to the market and expensive. Pfizer's Xalkori was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last year while Genentech is in the process of getting approval for Tarceva in the US as a first-line treatment for NSCLC patients who have EGFR mutations. Last year, the European Commission approved the use of Tarceva as a first-line treatment for NSCLC in patients with EGFR mutations (PGx Reporter 9/7/2011).
Clinical Care Options said launched the online tool because it noticed that physicians often look for advice beyond broad treatment guidelines when it comes to making decisions for specific patients.
"The tool recommendations align very well with the treatment guidelines but the advantage of the tool is the granularity of the case specifics. Users of the tool can quickly enter in details of a case and see the results for what five experts would recommend," Mortimer told PGx Reporter. "This contrasts with guidelines that apply to broad groups and provide lists of suitable treatments."
Mortimer noted that some of the experts' recommendations included in the tool are outside of the exact indication of a particular drug. However, because the experts' treatment decisions were evidence based, they "did not indicate any issues with reimbursement."
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Medical Education Firm Launches Online Tool to Help Docs Guide Personalized Rx Decisions in NSCLC
Google Unveils Open Source Online Education Software
Posted: at 8:15 pm
Online education startups such as the Khan Academy, as well as new efforts by MIT, Stanford, and Harvard have helped spur interest and add legitimacy to the notion of remote learning. Now Google is lending its brainpower to the rapidly growing space by releasing a tool called Course Builder, open source software that is designed to let anyone create online education courses.
The Course Builder project came by way of another program Google ran earlier this year called Power Searching With Google. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), which attracted about 155,000 students from 196 countries, allowed Google to marry some of the practices now common to online instruction with the company's robust array of collaboration and communication tools. A new Power Searching session begins in two weeks.
According to the introductory video (below) presented by Peter Norvig, director of Google Research, usage of the software won't require high-level programming skill, and should be accessible to anyone with the ability to build and maintain their own website.
"The Course Builder open source project is an experimental early step for us in the world of online education," Norvig said. "It is a snapshot of an approach we found useful and an indication of our future direction. We hope to continue development along these lines, but we wanted to make this limited code base available now, to see what early adopters will do with it, and to explore the future of learning technology."
In addition to offering a new platform for empowering educators, the effort is also a unique opportunity to connect with Google's research team. Over the course of the next two weeks Google plans to directly interact with Course Builder users via Google Hangouts. The Course Builder support site is already live and the free software download has already received its first update. For those unsure about their level of skill as it relates to the possible use of the software, Google's Course Builder Checklist offers a reassuring primer on exactly what to expect and how to get started.
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Google Unveils Open Source Online Education Software
Get a life: What is holding you back?
Posted: at 1:13 pm
So apart from wanting to avoid the routine involved, and the indecision of wondering whether the rewards are worth the trouble, many tell me that fear is the other thing that stops them from doing what they need, to achieve what they want.
We could say that inertia (indecision/procrastination) and fear is directly proportional to our greatness. And dont we devote more time to our fears and excuses than to our greatness? You dont need to be a rocket scientist to know that these must be dealt with if you intend to raise your game.
What are our greatest fears? Fear of loss, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, fear of being found out for who we truly are some fears are really quite irrational, like fear of tight spaces, or crowds. Some fears are deeply haunting, like our fear of not being good enough.
Whatever our excuses are, they are personal; were attached to them because they hold meaning for us. To gain perspective and to overcome it is necessary to detach from them, and to make the effort to observe our situations objectively. In order to step outside of an event and observe it, we need to increase our self-awareness so that we can catch ourselves before we get swept up and obsessed by the drama of whats going on.
For example, if fear of rejection is your thing, what youre really afraid of is being alone. If people want to push your buttons they could leave you out on purpose or threaten you by making you feel different. See how vulnerable youd be? See how easily gettable youd be, your wellbeing in the hands of other people?
When we realise that people are not doing things to us but rather its our own insecurities holding us back, then we can get over ourselves and get a move on.
Our fears prevent us from living our essence. Let me explain. In my natural state, I am relaxed, playful, passionate, elegant, present and engaged. When I feel fear, when I am nervous, anxious, worried, frustrated or angry, suddenly I dont come across as masterful anymore. If at all, my competence could appear contrived, arrogant or forced.
Think of what you want. Whats holding you back from having all that? Is someone tying you down? Dont have the right skills? Not good enough? Cant get along with the right people? Something happened in your past thats keeping you small?
You know you can do anything you want, dont you? As soon as you change your interpretations! As soon as you change the way you think, the way you speak, the way you draw conclusions, and the way you see yourself. As soon as you remove whatever is blocking you from your greatness.
Want to feel reconnected to your strengths to know that all your resources are within reach? Want to feel what its like to know that you cant fail? Well, technically you can ... fail if you give up.
Weekly Health and Fitness Tips! Eat Clean Train Dirty! – Video
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Weekly Health and Fitness Tips! Eat Clean Train Dirty! - Video
Health and Fitness File, Sept. 12
Posted: at 1:12 pm
Kenosha Visiting Nurse Association
For more information, call (262) 656-8400.
FLU SHOTS: The fee is $32 and payable by cash, check or charge. Medicare Part B, WEA and Select Humana Plans accepted. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Kenosha Visiting Nurse Association third floor, 600 52nd St., Kenosha.
IN-HOME FOOT CARE: Provided by a trained CNA, care includes a foot soak, nail trim and lotion application for adults who have difficulty properly caring for their feet. $35 per visit. For an appointment, call (262) 656-8400.
Fountain Hills Apartments
SENIOR EMPOWERMENT INFORMATION FAIR: Featuring more than 30 exhibitors, food, live music and complimentary coffee and kringle. Lunch will be sold. The door prize is a 32-inch flat-screen television. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 19, Fountain Hills Apartments, 1100 Fountain Hills Drive, Mount Pleasant. Free.
Aurora Health Care
GROWING UP IN THE 2000S: This breakfast program is designed for mothers and their daughters who are in grades four to six. A registered nurse will talk about puberty and menstruation. 9 a.m.-noon Sept. 22, Aurora Wellness Center, 300 McCanna Parkway, Burlington. $20.
To register, call (800)499-5736 or go towww.AuroraHealthCare.org.
BloodCenter of Wisconsin
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Health and Fitness File, Sept. 12
Campus Apartments Launches Beachbody® Campus Challenge Nationwide; Makes Healthy Lifestyle Accessible for Employees …
Posted: at 1:12 pm
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Campus Apartments, one of the nations largest privately held providers of student housing, launches Phase II of its inaugural Health and Wellness Challenge and announces a partnership with Beachbody, a market leader in fitness and nutrition with brands including P90X, INSANITY, Brazil Butt Lift, LES MILLS PUMP and Shakeology. The partnership will expand Campus Apartments Health and Wellness Challenge beyond the companys 1,000 employees to include its 32,000 college student residents nationwide.
Phase I started last February, uniting Campus Apartments employees in their weight-loss goals with more than 150 participants shedding a collective total of 511 pounds in 12 weeks. Campus Apartments focus on the health and well-being of its employees was rewarded this year when it achieved a zero percent increase in medical insurance for its 2012-2013 renewal a significant achievement for the company, which had experienced renewal rates of 63 percent two years ago.
Following significant health improvements among its employees in Phase I, Campus Apartments recognized the opportunity to make healthy lifestyles accessible for its residents nationwide. Phase II, launched on September 1, brings the Beachbody Campus Challenge to employees and all Campus Apartments residents nationwide. As a first-time student housing partner, Beachbody provides fitness and nutritional products that work for all types of people; both employees and residents can find fitness regimens that work for their schedule and skill level.
Many of our residents are living away from home for the first time and, as the provider of their home-away-from-home, we felt a responsibility to help them establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle, said David Adelman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Campus Apartments. Practicing healthy eating habits and participating in effective exercise programs is not always accessible and convenient when youre a college student, but by extending Phase II of the wellness challenge to include our residents, Im confident we can help form healthy habits today and set them on a path for wellness beyond their college years.
According to a recent survey cited by USA Today, college students who gained weight say they gained an average of 7.5 to 9 pounds their freshman year and an average 10 to 14 pounds total during their college careers. Furthermore, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that approximately 33 percent of Americans aged 20 to 39 are 30 pounds heavier than their recommended weight.
My freshman 15 was more like the freshman 20, said Carl Daikeler, Chief Executive Officer of Beachbody, LLC. I might have avoided that weight gain if I had these kinds of resources available to me and a peer support structure like Campus Apartments is putting together. This campus challenge format is very effective.
The Beachbody Campus Challenge, running until November 17, aims to encourage college student residents to form groups and achieve results through Beachbodys various fitness programs and nutritional supplements. Based on the national Beachbody Challenge platform, students will have access to critical peer support within their group and 94,000 Beachbody Coaches nationwide. The program provides consumers with an all-inclusive, effective, fitness and nutrition solution that rewards and recognizes goal achievement through cash and prizes.
Campus Apartments will host wellness initiatives at its properties in College Station, Texas; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Tucson, Ariz., throughout September and October to highlight Beachbody fitness events and facilitate seasonal vaccinations for employees, residents and members of the local community.
About Campus Apartments
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Campus Apartments Launches Beachbody® Campus Challenge Nationwide; Makes Healthy Lifestyle Accessible for Employees ...