Leadership Greater Washington's Volunteer of the Year!!

I am humbled to be the recipient of Leadership Greater Washington’s 2013 Pepco Volunteer of the Year Award.

I have served on the board of Leadership Greater Washington (LGW) for the past five years—this year as chair-elect and co-chair of Youth Leadership Greater Washington. LGW is a terrific organization, one that connects and trains leaders from across the Washington area’s diverse cultures of business, politics, government, nonprofits, and more. LGW builds and connects Washington’s leaders so that they may continue to make positive change in the region.

LGW offers three fantastic programs: the Signature Program for leaders; the Effective Leadership Institute, a six-month leadership development program; and Youth Leadership Greater Washington, a six-month interactive youth leadership development program. All have the same purpose: to encourage, train, and connect our region’s leaders so that they may work together to continue to make our region great.

Find out more about LGW here: http://www.lgwdc.org/cs/home

LGW means a lot to me, and I am thrilled to have received this award. Thanks LGW!

Here I am, third from left, at the LGW Gala Event Wednesday night, with: Julie Rosenthal, president of Rosenthal Communications and LGW board chair; Debbie Jarvis, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship and Social Responsibility, Pepco; me; and Tim Kime, president and CEO, Leadership Greater Washington.

Spring clean your professional persona: 7 tips to get going

Spring has sprung, and we all know what that means: spring-cleaning! Time to air out the house, put away the wool sweaters, pack the down comforters, and generally tidy things up from the long winter.

Spring is a natural time for renewal and rejuvenation, so why not take inspiration from the things you do around the house and spring clean your professional persona as well?

We often wait until there is a crisis or an issue that forces us to review our professional selves, so why not get out ahead of things and give your professional life a good spring-cleaning too?

1. Update your resume. Even if you aren't in the market for a job, it’s a good idea to have a current resume handy. So get it out, dust it off, and take a look: What’s changed? What needs updating? Anything to add, remove, or change, like references, phone numbers, or e-mail addresses? How about affiliations and volunteer work? Give your resume a good once over.

2. Update your LinkedIn profile. Even if you use LinkedIn a lot, it’s a good idea to take a few minutes to actually read your profile and do the same thing with your resume: what needs updating? What needs to be added? How is your headshot?

3. Ditto for the Facebook page. Any posts or pictures that you want to add or take down? Maybe take this opportunity to adjust your settings so you get fewer notifications in your in-box. Do you really need all those close friend notifications?

4. Look at your Twitter feed. How is your profile? Your picture? How are your tweets? Check your settings. Are your tweets linked to your Facebook page and vice versa? Do you want them to be?

5. Go through your work clothes. Put away the winter things and get out your spring and summer clothes. Try everything on. What needs to go to Goodwill and what stays? If things don't fit, is it worth altering them? Look at your wardrobe. Does it say, “I am a valued professional”? Or does it say, “I need help”? Clothes are important, so take the time to look at your wardrobe with a critical eye. Are your clothes helping you or hurting you?

6. Organize your office. Take a look at your desk and office. Whether you work in an office or at home, you need a clean, well-organized workspace. Take a look at your desk. What can you do to de-clutter and streamline it? What can you file away or get rid of?

7. Clean out/organize computer files. De-clutter your computer desktop and files as well. Can you streamline your desktop and dock? What do you really need to keep there? Can you use an external storage system or put files in the cloud? Can you find what you need easily?

Spring is a great time to get organized and make a fresh start for the rest of the year. So take some time to spring-clean your professional persona, and you’ll be re-energized.

Should you change careers in this market?

What should you be doing to find a job or change careers in this market? Watch my segment from ABC's Washington Business Report for great tips and ideas:

Five rules for workplace friendships

Having friends at work is a key factor in personal and professional success. Work friends can help you be happy and healthy. But not all workplace friendships are created equally. Here are five rules to follow to make sure they are successful:

Guest blog post on Eventup.com!

I just did a guest blog post for Eventup.com, a terrific nationwide event venue site that is just breaking into the DC market. My topic? Eight Reasons to Host Your Event in DC, my beloved city! Check out my post here:

"8 Reasons to Host Your Event in DC"

2013 workplace trends: What to expect and how to succeed

Employers are heading into the New Year with cautious optimism as our economy continues its slow but steady growth. More employers are expecting to hire this year, and the key to finding opportunity in 2013 is knowing what the trends are, where to look, and then positioning yourself for success.

According to CareerBuilder's 2013 U.S. job forecast:

• More than 60% of employers say they are in a better financial position this year than last year.
• 26% plan to add full-time, permanent employees, up three percentage points from 2012.
• 40% of employers plan to hire temporary and contract workers in 2013, up from 36% last year. 
• 42% plan to transition some temporary workers into full-time, permanent employees over the next 12 months.

The positions that are trending upward for increased hiring? Sales and Information Technology lead the pack. Here are CareerBuilder’s numbers for full-time, permanent hiring:

• Sales 29%
• Information Technology 29%
• Customer Service 23%
• Engineering 22%
• Production 22%
• Business Development 18%
• Administrative 17%
• Research and Development 15%
• Accounting and Finance 14%
• Marketing 14%

CareerBuilder reports three distinct hiring trends for 2013:

1. Employers will be more aggressive about poaching; they will come looking. Nineteen percent of workers say they've been asked to work for another company in the past year without applying for the position.

2. Employers will pay more for qualified candidates. In an effort to keep and attract the best workers for skilled positions, employers expect to provide higher compensation for both current and potential employees.

3. Companies will take matters into their own hands. Instead of waiting for applicants with the right résumé to come to them, employers are taking the initiative to train workers to fill positions.

So, how can you take advantage of these trends? Here are five tips to leverage yourself for success in 2013:

1. Update your resume. An updated resume makes it easier to jump on opportunities quickly. Updating resumes is also a great way to catalog your new accomplishments and also puts them forefront in your mind so you can easily speak to them when encountering opportunity on the street.

2. Network. Expanding your connections and reconnecting with those you already know can seriously help bring new opportunities your way. Get out there.

3. Volunteer for a new project. This is a great way to learn a new skill, meet new people, get more business exposure, and prove your value beyond your immediate department.

4. Learn a new skill. Professional development is key to success. The more skills you have the better off you are; it helps keep you fresh, energized, and valuable in the workplace

5. Consider working for a small business. 24% of small businesses say that they are planning to hire additional full time or contract staff in 2013. Small could be big.

Opportunity is out there. Are you ready for it?

New Year, new economy: What to expect in the 2013 workplace

Get that resume ready! The economy is on the upswing and employers have big plans for 2013. Here are the top trends and tips for workplace success in the coming year.