Belma McCaffrey is the founder of the Work Bigger program and the author of the book, How to negotiate without losing friends, fans or job offers.
At Work Bigger, Belma helps her clients redefine what they call work so they can find their mission and lead with purpose.
1 - Identify your mission
Blema is big on mission, so it’s no surprise this is where the Work Bigger program starts. Your mission starts with your understanding your values. From there Belma encourages her clients to identify their interests and activities they are naturally drawn to.
To determine your interests, Belma suggests considering the books you read or the podcasts you listen to. Both are easy starting points.
Belma also helps her clients identify their skills and the work environment or tasks where they feel energized. It’s the intersection of your values, your interests and your skills where your mission lies.
2 - Tell your authentic personal story
Once you know your mission, you now need to tie your mission to your personal story. This is where you need to connect your past to your future.
As you develop this story, Blema recommends you develop an ask as well. The ask is essentially being so clear on your mission that people know exactly how to help you.
This is very similar to what Olivia Gamber and I discussed during our interview.
3 - Develop a powerful personal brand
Belma considers your personal brand to be how others perceive you and your mission. When you walk away from a conversation do people know what your mission is?
Belma helps her clients be as specific as possible about their mission. She coaches them to be laser focused and if necessary leave out groups of people who can’t help you achieve your mission.
4 - Develop a Connections Strategy
Belma is not a fan of the word networking. It sounds too much like work and can be very awkward. Blema prefers to help her clients build a connection strategy.
Your connection strategy is aligned to your mission and dependent on your personal preferences. If networking events are not your thing so to speak, don’t attend them. Instead, invite individuals to coffee for example.
5 - How to properly sell yourself
Belma tells us one reason we feel so awkward about “selling ourselves” is because we are usually doing it without understanding our mission.
Tying your mission to your job search is an easy way for you to sell yourself without feeling bad about it.
The final step in the work bigger career coaching program is negotiation. Fortunately, Belma has written a book on the topic.
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