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Creating an Opportunity-
Driven Career

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Corporate Subscribers

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Welcome

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* Jo Miller
CEO
Be Leaderly and Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc.
Jo Miller
• Helps emerging women leaders create a
roadmap for career advancement.
• Delivers more than 70 speaking
presentations annually to audiences of
up to 1,200 women for women’s
conferences, associations and corporate
women’s initiatives. Now is a great time
to book Jo to speak at your 2017
women’s leadership conference!
• Founding editor of BeLeaderly.com.
• Goal for 2017 is to have 12 dinners with
friends in different cities.

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@Jo_Miller @BeLeaderly
#BeLeaderly

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#BeLeaderly
Tweet your team selfie!

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You asked…
“What is an opportunity-driven career?”

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What’s your next career goal?
• What new project, role, assignment,
challenge, skill or experience would light you
up?

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You asked…
1. How to attract, recognize, or create career
opportunities. (What are the steps to take?)
2. How to know when an opportunity is the right
one.
3. How to communicate your career aspirations.
4. How to gain the support of others.
5. What to do when there are no opportunities.
6. How to maintain work-life balance while
going after opportunities.

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In This Webinar: 5 Steps For An
Opportunity-Driven Career
I. Know Your Niche
II. Communicate Your Niche to Others
III. Build a Supportive Network
IV. Identify the Right Opportunities
V. Maintain Balance

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Copyright 2017, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc.
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Poll 1: Which challenge can you relate to?

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“Opportunities are
yours to create. Not
gifts from your boss or
your company.”
— Liz Brenner

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Don’t wait for the
opportunity fairy.

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I. Know Your Niche

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You asked…
“How do you attract opportunities that are specific
to your career desires?” — Ann.
“How can I identify unique opportunities that fit my
specific personality type?” — Julie.

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“Be famous for
something!
Know what is your
claim to fame.”
— General Manager, Software Industry

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The Foundation of an Opportunity-
Driven Career

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What’s your career superpower?

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Your Ideal Career Niche
What are you
passionate
about?
What does
your
company/
industry need
and value?
What are
your skills
and talents?

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II. Communicate Your
Niche to Others

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Don’t be the best-kept secret in
your organization!

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Communicate your niche to others
• LinkedIn, Twitter and About.Me profiles
• Performance reviews: “What I’d like to contribute
more of…”
• Email signature
• Resume headline
• Presentation title slide
• Elevator pitch: “Come to me when you need…”
• Share your aspirations: “My ultimate goal is
to…” or “What I’d ideally like to do next is.”

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III. Build a
Supportive Network

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You asked…
“How can I obtain sponsors and supporters?” —
Kieara
“How can I build a network of professionals and
present myself within this network so the right
opportunities find me.” — Ann

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5 Key People You Need in Your Network
1) The Connector
2) The Informational Powerhouse
3) The Influencer
4) The Mentor
5) The Sponsor

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Ask questions
• Where is our business headed?
• What will we as a company be doing differently a
year or two from today?
• What can I do to prepare myself to add value?
• What new skills must I develop in order to be
ready?
• Who else should I speak to?
• Are there any special projects, task forces,
conferences, or volunteer assignments where I
can get involved, and learn more?
• Ask “What can I do to support you?”

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“Build a network of people
who inspire, challenge and
motivate you to make bold,
fearless moves.”

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IV. Identify the Right
Opportunities

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You asked…
“What are the most important things to consider
when assessing a potential opportunity?” – Jennifer

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Criteria for Career-Defining
Opportunities
• Align with and showcase your niche
• Demonstrate your ability to deliver results

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For example…
• Directly support your organization’s strategic plan
and goals
• Improve the “bottom line”
• Solve a big problem that’s not being addressed
• Meet an unmet goal
• Fill a leadership gap
• Execute a new idea
• Improve a process
• Fill a gap in your organization’s product line or
customer base
• At the cutting edge in your field of expertise
• Special projects sponsored by key executives.

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If you spot an opportunity,
raise your hand!

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“Identify a business problem that
needs solving and pitch your
solution to your leadership. Craft
your story and your pitch and
then give it your best shot.”
— Nina Simosko

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You asked…
“How can I differentiate between opportunities to
pursue and the ones to let pass?” – Marisa

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You asked…
“How can I create opportunities when there are
none?” — Holly

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When there are no opportunities
• If you want to capture opportunities, then where
you work matters.
• Does your current situation lend itself to career
growth opportunities?
• Is your company or industry stagnating,
shrinking, consolidating, or about to be
disrupted?
• Do you need to maneuver into a business division
or company that’s in a growth phase?
.

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V. Maintaining
Balance

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You asked…
“How can I create an opportunity-driven career
while maintaining work-life-balance?” — Anne

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No.

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In This Webinar: 5 Steps For An
Opportunity-Driven Career
I. Know Your Niche
II. Communicate Your Niche to Others
III. Build a Supportive Network
IV. Identify the Right Opportunities
V. Maintain Balance.

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Q&A
Jo Miller

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Copyright 2017, Women’s Leadership Coaching, Inc.
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Poll 2: What is your next step to take?

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Recommended
Build Your Brand as an Emerging
Leader
Free four-part video training series
www.BeLeaderly.com/video
How to uncover the career
opportunities hiding in plain sight
By Jo Miller
Know Your Niche: 5 Leadership
Quotes about Finding Your Career
Sweet Spot
By Jo Miller

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Closing Thought
Jo Miller

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“Opportunity does not
come gift-wrapped. You
must take risks.”
— Nina Bhatti

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Shveta Miglani
Leading a High-Performance Culture
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
• What’s the role of leadership in
building a strong culture?
• In this webinar, we’ll define what
culture is, and discuss ways to
measure a culture’s quality.
• Learn about actions that leaders at
all levels can take to build a
collaborative, achievement-oriented
culture that people feel happy to be a
part of.
Tim Sieck

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Need a speaker for your women’s network
or leadership conference?
Visit www.jomiller.net
or contact me directly,
jo@womensleadershipcoaching.com

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Visit our blog
Ready to lead, climb and thrive?
Sign up for our newsletter.

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Discussion Questions
1. What was the best career opportunity you’ve
had?
2. What is your ideal career niche?
3. What will be your next career-defining
opportunity?
4. What will you do to build a supportive
network?
5. How will you maintain balance while going
after opportunities?