Month: March 2016

Getting from Ideas to Concrete Projects with Potential Clients

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Being a freelancer sounds so glamorous to my full-time, gainfully employed friends.  And I agree that the flexibility and versatility is pretty sweet.  But what often gets forgotten, is that I actually have to find my work in order to have work.  So how does a freelancer truly move from concepts to actual paying work with a potential client?  There are a few things that I do that help make an initial vision turn into an actual real project.

Similar to an effective interviewing strategy when job hunting, you need to research the company that is interviewing you.  Go beyond learning the mission and the year the company was founded.  Go beyond finding out who runs the company.  Instead, figure out how this particular company ranks in the industry.  Determine the influencing factors that are shaping the industry. Learn what trends are happening that could effect the company.  So rank, influencing factors and trends are key to crafting a solution that could lead to a project.

Then determine if the particular company you want to work with is a cutting edge company or just follows standard practices. Being cutting edge or run of the mill is not right or wrong, but it does indicate how zany or normal your suggested ideas should be.  For example, if the company you are targeting likes to be a leader in their industry, do not dare suggest boring solutions that everyone else is doing, too.

Another research practice I use is to visit Glassdoor.  Often, job seekers use Glassdoor, but I contend that even as a freelancer Glassdoor can provide you with valuable insight to help aid in the solutions strategy that you must develop.  Glassdoor tells you what is working well and not-so-well at most any company you can think of.  Reading the employee comments helps you see any emerging themes and again, can guide you in your solutions.

Finally, LinkedIn is another valuable research tool.  First, see what the company is posting.  The information will give you insight on what is important to the company.  Secondly, review how you are connected to the company.  Determine if there is anyone you might know and if so, reach out to them and ask any lingering questions you might have.

So examining the industry trends, reviewing Glassdoor and researching LinkedIn are three great ways to find out more about a prospective client.  The information you glean, can help you create a solutions strategy that should be insightful, targeted and educated.  What things have you done when crafting a strategy to learn more about your client and its business?

The Power of LinkedIn

Posted on by Seniye Groff

Almost everyone in the professional world is familiar with and uses LinkedIn (at least I hope so!).  I was recently updating my profile and noticed a few new things I could do and thought I would share.

  1. There is now a headline area.  Oftentimes, it is just a person’s job title, but you can actually write an attention-grabbing line.  If done correctly, a reader can immediately figure out what you are passionate about or where you add value.  Pretty cool.
  2. A background photo can now be added.  So in addition to a profile photo (head shot) you can add a background picture.  Again using this feature, is a great way to tell the recruiter or who ever is viewing your profile, what you are all about or passionate about.
  3. In the experience section, you can add a link to the employer’s site.  This can add credibility.
  4. Make sure you add your volunteer experience (this is not a new feature) but show’s the world you are a well-rounded individual.
  5. Under Interests, there are some features including Pulse, Companies, Slide Share, Online Learning and Groups.  Some of this I am using and some I am still exploring.  It’s pretty robust!

What features of LinkedIn do you use?

The Beauty of Instructional Design

Posted on by Seniye Groff

I recently found an article titled, “Instructional Design for Unfamiliar Topics“.  It really helps explain how instructional designers (IDs) are able to do what they do.  Almost every piece of content I am asked to develop into training or documentation is information I am unfamiliar with.  The key to success is to do your due diligence by exploring any documentation, website or other materials that exist to learn what they heck “they are talking about”!  During my discovery phase, I look at websites, employee surveys, site visits, documents, tools and meetings with management.  Once I have reviewed all the above resources, I usually assemble an employee meeting of about 15-20 people that have various roles in the organization, as well as, varying levels of tenure.  Viewpoints from a veteran are certainly different from a newbie!

I then assemble and ask great questions.  Everyone I meet, either one-on-one or in group meetings are asked lots of questions.  From there, emergent themes usually evolve and then I can put together an initial instructional plan (IP). From this IP, I meet with SMEs to see if I have hit all the important points.  Finally at this point, I have a firm grasp on the content and can move forward with developing materials.

What are your tried and true tactics to writing about something you are not familiar with?