Delivering Service to Keep your Job From Being OutsourcedWritten by Scott Brown
One of top concerns people in job market have today has to do with outsourcing and globalization. Sometimes we look around and it seems like every company is looking to cut costs by moving jobs overseas. We would like to address this issue through a series of articles on subject. The first issue we'd like to address is that of using a service orientation to stand out from competition and keep your job from being outsourced. To illustrate, I'd like to share an example from world of retail banking. * In New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey, an interesting phenomenon can be observed in retail banking. The fastest growing bank in these areas is Commerce Bank, a bank whose founder, Vernon Hill, realized value or customer service. Traditional banks were competing on price: who could offer highest interest rates or give away most things for free. He understood that this was less important to most people than doing their banking business at a convenient time. This is why his bank stands out from competition. * Mr. Hill and his management team have created a corporate culture where account holders are seen as customers who need to be taken care of. Rather than considering each location a bank, employees refer to them as stores. Each one has a "greeter" who welcomes customers as they walk in, a feature reminiscent of top clothing retailers. Commerce has become successful by delivering outstanding service and at a time when all their competitors have been competing on interest rates.
| | Establishing Yourself as a Known Authority to Get a JobWritten by Scott Brown
When it comes to finding a job, fewer people you're competing against to get a position, better. Responding to job ads posted on major job sites is a highly competitive situation because for most positions, at least a couple hundred people will respond. It's far better for employer to find you in a less competitive situation. This week's job searching tip discusses establishing yourself as a known authority so potential employers can find you.WRITING ARTICLES Writing an article is a great way to raise your profile in your industry and/or profession. Published authors are perceived as experts and more knowledgeable than others in profession. If you've discovered an interesting way of doing something at work that you think others would like to know about, that could be a great topic for an article. Of course if it's something unique to your company, you need to make sure your employer wouldn't consider it a proprietary trade secret. Another potential topic is discussing what you foresee happening in your industry or profession in future. Once you have a topic, your article can simply discuss your experiences with it. Or, you may want to interview other professionals who have experience with topic to get their input. Being able to quote other people in article can make it even more interesting. You also should have at least one trade journal/magazine in mind for your article. If you're not sure what magazines there are for your profession or industry, check with your professional or trade association. You can find a directory of associations on Association Executives site at www.asaenet.org. You can even e-mail editor of magazine you're targeting about article you're thinking of writing and ask if topic you have in mind is something they would be interested in.
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