Just to let you know, I have two recent blogs on the Harvard Business Review site. The first one is: Forget Mentors: Employ a Personal Board of Directors
The second one is: Leave Your Job the Classy Way.
I hope you enjoy both of them.
Best,
Priscilla
Friday, November 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Lawyers!
Waylon Jennings was wrong about the career prospects for cowboys. (Hear him sing it.) It's lawyers who are in career trouble.
Law schools have been churning out lawyers in huge numbers long after there has been any need for them. Openings for lawyers have dropped like a stone in this recession. Lawyers have been laid off from both businesses and law firms. But law schools are still recruiting like mad, saying that having a law degree will help you in business or that it will train your mind, or that it is a great general professional degree to have. NOT!
Major law firms haven't helped their profession, either. They no longer provide close mentoring for associates or place them carefully in a specialty that is the right fit for them. They are more reluctant to make people partner than they used to be. And they are much quicker to lay people off, no matter what their level.
If you are looking for an advanced degree beyond your BA, but don't know what you want to do, DON'T GO TO LAW SCHOOL. Only go to law school if you really, really want to be a lawyer in a law firm or a public interest lawyer and plan on graduating the top quarter of your class.
Law schools have been churning out lawyers in huge numbers long after there has been any need for them. Openings for lawyers have dropped like a stone in this recession. Lawyers have been laid off from both businesses and law firms. But law schools are still recruiting like mad, saying that having a law degree will help you in business or that it will train your mind, or that it is a great general professional degree to have. NOT!
Major law firms haven't helped their profession, either. They no longer provide close mentoring for associates or place them carefully in a specialty that is the right fit for them. They are more reluctant to make people partner than they used to be. And they are much quicker to lay people off, no matter what their level.
If you are looking for an advanced degree beyond your BA, but don't know what you want to do, DON'T GO TO LAW SCHOOL. Only go to law school if you really, really want to be a lawyer in a law firm or a public interest lawyer and plan on graduating the top quarter of your class.
Monday, July 26, 2010
"Is the job market improving?"
That's a question I hear over and over. The answer is, generally, yes. Our individual clients are getting interviews, even in the depth of summer. Some corporate clients are thinking of hiring again. But, as I said in my very first blog, there isn't ONE job market; there are many job markets.
So, before the fall hiring season begins, it's important to take a look at what job market you are in now and whether or not it is doing well. You might even be able to repackage yourself in an area that is doing well. Or, get some training that would allow you to move into a better job market.
Even when the recession is over, some jobs will never come back in the same number as before. For example, there will be far fewer second and third level managers, particularly operations managers. If you are a manager, can you market yourself as an expert or specialist in something? You'd be in a bigger job market.
Another example, there will be far fewer secretaries when the recession is over. If you are a secretary, can you repackage yourself as an executive secretary? Or, as a coordinator? Coordinators are usually first level professional jobs, and require a specialty area and a batchelor's degree. If you are a secretary to a marketing executive, you might be able to market yourself as both an executive secretary and as a marketing coordinator. Right now, an executive secretary makes more money, but a marketing coordinator will probably have more of a career.
Finally, people without a BA are getting killed on the marketplace, particularly if they just reply to ads on the internet. this will continue after the recession is over. Unless you have a great personal network that will take care of you no matter what, or unless you are retiring within five years, take the time to get that degree! You have at least five more weeks of summer to research how to do it!
Priscilla
So, before the fall hiring season begins, it's important to take a look at what job market you are in now and whether or not it is doing well. You might even be able to repackage yourself in an area that is doing well. Or, get some training that would allow you to move into a better job market.
Even when the recession is over, some jobs will never come back in the same number as before. For example, there will be far fewer second and third level managers, particularly operations managers. If you are a manager, can you market yourself as an expert or specialist in something? You'd be in a bigger job market.
Another example, there will be far fewer secretaries when the recession is over. If you are a secretary, can you repackage yourself as an executive secretary? Or, as a coordinator? Coordinators are usually first level professional jobs, and require a specialty area and a batchelor's degree. If you are a secretary to a marketing executive, you might be able to market yourself as both an executive secretary and as a marketing coordinator. Right now, an executive secretary makes more money, but a marketing coordinator will probably have more of a career.
Finally, people without a BA are getting killed on the marketplace, particularly if they just reply to ads on the internet. this will continue after the recession is over. Unless you have a great personal network that will take care of you no matter what, or unless you are retiring within five years, take the time to get that degree! You have at least five more weeks of summer to research how to do it!
Priscilla
Monday, June 14, 2010
Summer Expectations
Most people know that summer is a tough time to look for a job. Organizations that are usually good networking opportunities shut down for the summer. People who are intending to leave a job in the fall to go back to school or something, choose to take their vacation on their current employer. Recruiters tend not to list new jobs in the summer because they don't think as many people are looking for new jobs in the summer and because it is hard to arrange for interviews. Vacations do interrupt interviewing.
Summer is a GREAT time, however, for making a career plan. You have a little extra time and a little less pressure, so you can think critically about where you are and where you want to be. It's also a good time to get back in touch with people who might be able to help you. They have a little more time in the summer, too.
Most of the year we are so busy, we never stop and think things through. Am I happy with what I am doing? Is there another contribution I should be making? Summer is perfect for that kind of question.
And have fun!
Priscilla
Summer is a GREAT time, however, for making a career plan. You have a little extra time and a little less pressure, so you can think critically about where you are and where you want to be. It's also a good time to get back in touch with people who might be able to help you. They have a little more time in the summer, too.
Most of the year we are so busy, we never stop and think things through. Am I happy with what I am doing? Is there another contribution I should be making? Summer is perfect for that kind of question.
And have fun!
Priscilla
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Associated Press Found Me!
Chip Cutter, a reporter for the Associated Press interviewed me a little over a week ago about "how to get what you want and need at work." He'd heard about my book, ASK. He then wrote a great article for the AP wire.
Somehow, even though I am an inveterate New York Times reader I missed it when it was published in the April 26th Times. But you can find it lots of places. Here's the link to the same article in the Richmond Times. It's also on CNBC and a few other web sites.
In a week that included: huge floods, a gigantic oil spill, concerns about Greece going bankrupt, a foiled car bomb in Times Square, and the volcano aftermath, it was easy to miss.
There is a moral to this story. Somehow, in spite of all that's going on in the world, it pays to focus on your own career now and then!
Somehow, even though I am an inveterate New York Times reader I missed it when it was published in the April 26th Times. But you can find it lots of places. Here's the link to the same article in the Richmond Times. It's also on CNBC and a few other web sites.
In a week that included: huge floods, a gigantic oil spill, concerns about Greece going bankrupt, a foiled car bomb in Times Square, and the volcano aftermath, it was easy to miss.
There is a moral to this story. Somehow, in spite of all that's going on in the world, it pays to focus on your own career now and then!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
" I want to be the best at my new job. How do I get there?"
She was a graduating senior when she asked me that question. When you think about it, that's a much easier question to ask at the beginning of your career than it is later on. At the beginning, you feel free to ask people for help in learning what you need to know because you are not "supposed" to know everything. You are much more likely to ask for feedback, and act on it, than you are later on.
When you have been working for a while, or when you become a manager, it's much more difficult to "know what you don't know" because you feel that you are "supposed" to have all the answers. And, the more successful your career has been, the more likely you are to believe that you know what you need to know. After all, why would they have promoted me, if I'm not one of the best?
This attitude can destroy your career if you join a new firm at the mid or senior level. Yes, they wanted someone with your superior skills and experience, but there are hundreds and hundreds of new hires at the senior level who fail, in spite of superior skills and experience. One of my clients put it best. "It's a matter of a balance between listening and acting. If you come in and act as if you already know everything there is to know, and never listen to what we have to say, you will fail. And if you come in and just listen and listen and never take action, you'll also fail."
Just go back to that attitude you had when you first got a job. "I want to be the best at my new job. How do I get there? Then, you will naturally seek the feedback you need to be a success.
When you have been working for a while, or when you become a manager, it's much more difficult to "know what you don't know" because you feel that you are "supposed" to have all the answers. And, the more successful your career has been, the more likely you are to believe that you know what you need to know. After all, why would they have promoted me, if I'm not one of the best?
This attitude can destroy your career if you join a new firm at the mid or senior level. Yes, they wanted someone with your superior skills and experience, but there are hundreds and hundreds of new hires at the senior level who fail, in spite of superior skills and experience. One of my clients put it best. "It's a matter of a balance between listening and acting. If you come in and act as if you already know everything there is to know, and never listen to what we have to say, you will fail. And if you come in and just listen and listen and never take action, you'll also fail."
Just go back to that attitude you had when you first got a job. "I want to be the best at my new job. How do I get there? Then, you will naturally seek the feedback you need to be a success.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
"Angry and Scared"
"That's how our people feel," a high tech executive told me this week. After almost two years of reorganizations, layoffs, and changes in corporate direction, that's pretty typical of a lot of places people work today.
An angry and scared workforce won't make your company competitive in the recovering economy. And if you yourself are angry and scared, your career will stagnate.
Both individuals and organizations need to be more proactiive and look for the oportunities. Focusing on careers is the most effective way companies have to reconnect with their employees. On-site career coaching for individuals can go a long way toward retaining and remotivating them. So can career development processes or career ladders.
If you are an individual who is angry and scared, it's time to take charge of your career. That doesn't automatically mean putting yourself on the job market. How about looking for opportunities where you are now - opportunities to take on more responsibility, gain new skills, or work in a new department? If you make those changes now, you will be more valuable if later you decide to look for a new employer.
A client this week hadn't gotten a raise in five years. How did he decide to make sure he got a raise? He came up with a profitable new business idea, wrote a business plan, and took it to his employer. If his employer doesn't go for it, he has a line on a competitor who will.
That's looking for the opportunities. That's taking charge of your career.
An angry and scared workforce won't make your company competitive in the recovering economy. And if you yourself are angry and scared, your career will stagnate.
Both individuals and organizations need to be more proactiive and look for the oportunities. Focusing on careers is the most effective way companies have to reconnect with their employees. On-site career coaching for individuals can go a long way toward retaining and remotivating them. So can career development processes or career ladders.
If you are an individual who is angry and scared, it's time to take charge of your career. That doesn't automatically mean putting yourself on the job market. How about looking for opportunities where you are now - opportunities to take on more responsibility, gain new skills, or work in a new department? If you make those changes now, you will be more valuable if later you decide to look for a new employer.
A client this week hadn't gotten a raise in five years. How did he decide to make sure he got a raise? He came up with a profitable new business idea, wrote a business plan, and took it to his employer. If his employer doesn't go for it, he has a line on a competitor who will.
That's looking for the opportunities. That's taking charge of your career.
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Cure for Interview Frustration
Yes, people looking for work are beginning to get more interviews, but the interview process is long and frustrating. It seems random. You think you had a great interview; then, you never hear from them again. You are told you are a finalist and will be asked back for a second interview; then, nothing happens.
It's frustrating for the hiring manager, too. Sometimes, the requisition is pulled at the last minute, or the level of the job opening changes. Or a senior person wants someone different. The hiring managers aren't the bad guys, and thinking about them that way is a sure way to kill your interviewing confidence.
Take a tip from the sales professionals, and use your interviews for prospects. Here's how.
When you have been a real candidate and have been interviewed by more than one person, there is bound to be someone you clicked with more than the others. Once you have been turned down for the job, contact the person you clicked with, and say something like, "I know you found someone more appropriate for the job, and I understand. I really enjoyed meeting you and believe you really know who I am and what I can do. Is there any other place you would recommend I look?" If the person responds with a company name, ask, "Do you know someone there I could contact?" If the answer is yes, ask, "May I use your name?" While this only works some of the time, when it does work, it's major.
Everyone you meet when you are interviewing should be put on your contact list. The more people you interview with, the more people you meet, the more people you have as networking contacts. If they don't help you this time you are looking for a job, maybe they will next time. When you get that job, email everyone on the list a brief thank-you note and include your new contact information. The more you interview, the more networking contacts you will have. Even when they don't result in jobs, interviews are great opportunities to build your network.
Priscilla
It's frustrating for the hiring manager, too. Sometimes, the requisition is pulled at the last minute, or the level of the job opening changes. Or a senior person wants someone different. The hiring managers aren't the bad guys, and thinking about them that way is a sure way to kill your interviewing confidence.
Take a tip from the sales professionals, and use your interviews for prospects. Here's how.
When you have been a real candidate and have been interviewed by more than one person, there is bound to be someone you clicked with more than the others. Once you have been turned down for the job, contact the person you clicked with, and say something like, "I know you found someone more appropriate for the job, and I understand. I really enjoyed meeting you and believe you really know who I am and what I can do. Is there any other place you would recommend I look?" If the person responds with a company name, ask, "Do you know someone there I could contact?" If the answer is yes, ask, "May I use your name?" While this only works some of the time, when it does work, it's major.
Everyone you meet when you are interviewing should be put on your contact list. The more people you interview with, the more people you meet, the more people you have as networking contacts. If they don't help you this time you are looking for a job, maybe they will next time. When you get that job, email everyone on the list a brief thank-you note and include your new contact information. The more you interview, the more networking contacts you will have. Even when they don't result in jobs, interviews are great opportunities to build your network.
Priscilla
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Coming Talent Drain
Experts say that the job market will turn the corner in the Second Quarter of 2010. CareerBuilder agrees, stating that the time to look for a job is right now. At the same time, job satisfaction is at an all-time low, according to the Conference Board. Most organizations don't have the resources to reward even their best performers in terms of raises or promotions. Most organizations don't have managers that can actually talk candidly to their employees.
Our guess at Career Strategies is that these trends mean trouble for many employers between now and July, a brain drain of their "best people," their talent.
The best performers always have an easier time finding jobs, even in the worst of times. They will be on the move first. Then, they will pull their friends and co-workers into the job market with them.
Our guess is that the executives will be taken care of somehow. But the key salespeople, the key relationship management people, the IT genius who keeps things together, the controller that truly understands the business, the product development person who leads the field, all of them will be up for grabs.
If your company or organization doesn't pay attention to these people, now, before they complete their resumes, they will be history. The only retention tool that really works is talking to people directly and honestly about their careers. We have proven that over and over again with our on-site coaching. We can help both the organization and the talent come together on an appropriate career direction for 2010.
Priscilla
Our guess at Career Strategies is that these trends mean trouble for many employers between now and July, a brain drain of their "best people," their talent.
The best performers always have an easier time finding jobs, even in the worst of times. They will be on the move first. Then, they will pull their friends and co-workers into the job market with them.
Our guess is that the executives will be taken care of somehow. But the key salespeople, the key relationship management people, the IT genius who keeps things together, the controller that truly understands the business, the product development person who leads the field, all of them will be up for grabs.
If your company or organization doesn't pay attention to these people, now, before they complete their resumes, they will be history. The only retention tool that really works is talking to people directly and honestly about their careers. We have proven that over and over again with our on-site coaching. We can help both the organization and the talent come together on an appropriate career direction for 2010.
Priscilla
Thursday, December 31, 2009
NEW YEAR, NEW JOB!
It's traditional to think about a new job at this time of year. Sometime toward the end of the first quarter the job outlook is really going to improve, so my headhunter friends tell me. Then, I expect that a lot of people will make a lot of new moves. That's going to free up more jobs and encourage more movement in the job market. More job opportunities!
But a career is based on more than just a succession of jobs. So make a point of adding to your skills and your professional network in 2010. Here's an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal on jobs of the future; it might give you some ideas on what skills you may want to learn: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703278604574624392641425278.html
HAPPPY NEW YEAR! 2010 is going to be great.
Priscilla
But a career is based on more than just a succession of jobs. So make a point of adding to your skills and your professional network in 2010. Here's an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal on jobs of the future; it might give you some ideas on what skills you may want to learn: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703278604574624392641425278.html
HAPPPY NEW YEAR! 2010 is going to be great.
Priscilla
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Take the Time to Volunteer...
...not just this time of year, but all year round. There is a reason why more and more companies are sponsoring volunteering programs for their employees. Choosing to volunteer not only helps the people and organizations you are serving, but can help you a lot, too, in very practical ways.
If you are working and you volunteer for a company-sponsored activity, you can meet and work with people from other parts or levels of your own organization, a real exposure bonus. One of our clients made a very successful proposal to a senior manager a month after she had painted a day care center with him. He knew her, and she knew him, which made the presentation much easier to do and much easier to receive.
If you are working and you volunteer on your own, you will get to know a whole new organization with a new cast of characters. That can broaden your own skills and abilities and even show you a new career direction. One of our clients ended up a leader in every organization she volunteered for. She used that experience to move into a very successful management career.
If you are NOT working, volunteering can make a huge difference to you. It will get you out of the house. It will give you some recent accomplishments to put on your resume. It will give you something new to talk about in an interview. It will broaden your personal network. The important thing to remember is to volunteer your professional skills when you can. Several of our clients who are looking for work in this recession have added impressive volunteer activity to their resumes. If you can't find such an opportunity, ask your professional association. Many sponsor volunteer activities for their members.
You may seem to be doing something for someone else when you are volunteering, but you are also doing something important for yourself! Add volunteering to your New Year's resolutions!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays,
Priscilla
If you are working and you volunteer for a company-sponsored activity, you can meet and work with people from other parts or levels of your own organization, a real exposure bonus. One of our clients made a very successful proposal to a senior manager a month after she had painted a day care center with him. He knew her, and she knew him, which made the presentation much easier to do and much easier to receive.
If you are working and you volunteer on your own, you will get to know a whole new organization with a new cast of characters. That can broaden your own skills and abilities and even show you a new career direction. One of our clients ended up a leader in every organization she volunteered for. She used that experience to move into a very successful management career.
If you are NOT working, volunteering can make a huge difference to you. It will get you out of the house. It will give you some recent accomplishments to put on your resume. It will give you something new to talk about in an interview. It will broaden your personal network. The important thing to remember is to volunteer your professional skills when you can. Several of our clients who are looking for work in this recession have added impressive volunteer activity to their resumes. If you can't find such an opportunity, ask your professional association. Many sponsor volunteer activities for their members.
You may seem to be doing something for someone else when you are volunteering, but you are also doing something important for yourself! Add volunteering to your New Year's resolutions!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays,
Priscilla
Monday, December 14, 2009
New Jobs Now
Usually, this time of year is very quiet. New jobs rarely come on the market between now and January. Not only have our job-seeking clients at Career Strategies remained active in the job market, but they are finding new jobs to interview for.
Two traditional post-recession trends have reappeared. First, there is an increase in temporary jobs. This is a great opportunity in Massachusetts where we have health care available. Here, people can afford to take a temporary job and hope it will become permanent. The second is that the hiring process is very slow. Organizations don't want to make a mistake, so they are very careful, requiring multiple references, many interviews, and a lot of time to pass between first meeting and final offer. That can now take as much as six weeks.
But the big news is that the Federal Government has decided to make some of its contract jobs into permanent jobs. At Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts, there will be 800 people hired between now and June. Here is their website: www.afesccareers.com
And there will be more investigative accountants hired by the IRS next year. Don't overlook Federal Government jobs in 2010. They have great benefits and good training.
Two traditional post-recession trends have reappeared. First, there is an increase in temporary jobs. This is a great opportunity in Massachusetts where we have health care available. Here, people can afford to take a temporary job and hope it will become permanent. The second is that the hiring process is very slow. Organizations don't want to make a mistake, so they are very careful, requiring multiple references, many interviews, and a lot of time to pass between first meeting and final offer. That can now take as much as six weeks.
But the big news is that the Federal Government has decided to make some of its contract jobs into permanent jobs. At Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts, there will be 800 people hired between now and June. Here is their website: www.afesccareers.com
And there will be more investigative accountants hired by the IRS next year. Don't overlook Federal Government jobs in 2010. They have great benefits and good training.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Post-Recession Reputations: Winners and Losers
Many reputations have been battered by this recession. Wall Street, AIG, Bank of America, General Motors - all those companies that received a bailout are losers. They will have to work hard - and it will take a while - before they are trusted again.
Small companies, universities, hospitals have become winners. Now, it looks as if it is safer to work for yourself than to work for a big company.
Even my own profession of Human Resources has taken a hit, both for laying people off and for being insensitive to those looking for work. The latest George Clooney movie is about someone whose job is to fire people - and he's not a hero.
Why does reputation matter? Reputations create career decisions. People working for bailed-out companies tell me they are ashamed to say where they work. Those people will move on when the economic outlook changes and won't speak well of their company or its products. Hot-shot MBA graduates aren't going to look at investment banking or even financial services the way they did two years ago. The brightest and the best are going to look to start their own organizations or join their friends in much smaller enterprises or purpose-driven companies.
All these changes are a good thing. They will create energy and opportunity in the job market. 2010 is going to be a great year!
Small companies, universities, hospitals have become winners. Now, it looks as if it is safer to work for yourself than to work for a big company.
Even my own profession of Human Resources has taken a hit, both for laying people off and for being insensitive to those looking for work. The latest George Clooney movie is about someone whose job is to fire people - and he's not a hero.
Why does reputation matter? Reputations create career decisions. People working for bailed-out companies tell me they are ashamed to say where they work. Those people will move on when the economic outlook changes and won't speak well of their company or its products. Hot-shot MBA graduates aren't going to look at investment banking or even financial services the way they did two years ago. The brightest and the best are going to look to start their own organizations or join their friends in much smaller enterprises or purpose-driven companies.
All these changes are a good thing. They will create energy and opportunity in the job market. 2010 is going to be a great year!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Career Success Tip #4: Don't Stop Learning!
There is an unfortunate temptation if you have been in the same company and the same job for a while to stop pushing yourself to learn something new. Your job may not require it. Your boss may not want to pay for it. All your colleagues think you are great. Your reviews are great. So why spend your own money on professional development?
Because no job is secure, and no company is secure, as this recession has shown us, again. Because learning something new will energize you and boost your confidence. If you are in marketing and you don't know how to use the social media, your career is limited. If you are in human resources and you don't know the latest about FMLA, you are behind the times. If you are in finance and you don't know the latest in FASBs, you may actually seem out of date. Just the way you seem out of date if you are still wearing what you wore in your college days.
If you don't update your wardrobe and your technical skills in your chosen field, you will be left behind. So, join that professional organization you think is so great, whether or not your company pays for it. Take that course or class you think will really help you. Spend your own money, if you must. Invest in your career. It is always worth it.
Because no job is secure, and no company is secure, as this recession has shown us, again. Because learning something new will energize you and boost your confidence. If you are in marketing and you don't know how to use the social media, your career is limited. If you are in human resources and you don't know the latest about FMLA, you are behind the times. If you are in finance and you don't know the latest in FASBs, you may actually seem out of date. Just the way you seem out of date if you are still wearing what you wore in your college days.
If you don't update your wardrobe and your technical skills in your chosen field, you will be left behind. So, join that professional organization you think is so great, whether or not your company pays for it. Take that course or class you think will really help you. Spend your own money, if you must. Invest in your career. It is always worth it.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Career Success Tip #3: Earn Colleagues
Since your managers change a lot, as I said last week, who really knows if you do good work or not? Two kinds of people: your customers and your colleagues. One of our clients was asked in an interview last week, "What would your colleagues say are your greatest strengths? Your greatest weaknesses?" While that's a nasty question to ask in an interview, the emphasis on colleagues is a good one.
Good work colleagues are invaluable. They can help you learn a new job or new skill. They can help you solve problems or manage your manager. They can help out when you are stuck or cheer you up when you have lost your motivation. Now that mentoring rarely occurs any more, a group of colleagues can be a wonderful substitute. Even Kathy Kram of Boston University, the guru of mentoring, agrees.
In school and in college, rewards come to the most competitive academically. It may look like that in corporate America, especially in a career like sales, but over the long term, it's your colleagues that help you advance or find a new job or deal with a difficult manager. Earn their respect. Share what you know. Help out when someone is overwhelmed. Volunteer to lend a hand - and don't ask for credit.
If you develop a reputation for being a great colleague, you will never have to worry about not having a network to use when you are out of work!
Good work colleagues are invaluable. They can help you learn a new job or new skill. They can help you solve problems or manage your manager. They can help out when you are stuck or cheer you up when you have lost your motivation. Now that mentoring rarely occurs any more, a group of colleagues can be a wonderful substitute. Even Kathy Kram of Boston University, the guru of mentoring, agrees.
In school and in college, rewards come to the most competitive academically. It may look like that in corporate America, especially in a career like sales, but over the long term, it's your colleagues that help you advance or find a new job or deal with a difficult manager. Earn their respect. Share what you know. Help out when someone is overwhelmed. Volunteer to lend a hand - and don't ask for credit.
If you develop a reputation for being a great colleague, you will never have to worry about not having a network to use when you are out of work!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Career Success Tip #2 - Manage Your Manager
Your manager can have a huge influence on your career. But everybody's ideal of a mentoring manager who develops you and gives you great opportunities to grow is pretty hard to find in a recession. One reason is that manager jobs are now more vulnerable to layoffs than the jobs of the people working for them. Clients of ours have had two or three managers in the last year, as their companies have reorganized and reorganized. People who haven't the time to get to know you and are afraid for their own jobs don't make good mentors. But managers who don't know you can still have a huge negative impact on your career, just by giving you a mediocre reference.
Too many people working now are angry at and disappointed in their managers. If you are one of them, think again. In the course of your career, you will have many managers, good ones and bad ones. Screamers and micromanagers. Visionary leaders and collaborative entrepreneurs. If you want to be successful in your career, you have to learn how to manage all kinds of managers.
Before you growl that you don't know how, think of your manager as a very important customer for your work. You've probably already had to deal with upset customers, customers who didn't understand what you were doing, customers who were frightened or demanding, and many others. If you are so young that you haven't had a lot of customer experience, you've certainly had to manage a wide variety of teachers or professors. You've got the skills, really you do. Just think customer (or teacher.)
Instead of hiding when she is angry, wait for her to calm down and try again. Instead of going nuts when he micromanages you, think about what you could do to establish his trust. You might even try saying something like, "You can be sure that I will complete this on time." Experiment. Get good at managing different kinds of bosses, and your career will be golden.
Too many people working now are angry at and disappointed in their managers. If you are one of them, think again. In the course of your career, you will have many managers, good ones and bad ones. Screamers and micromanagers. Visionary leaders and collaborative entrepreneurs. If you want to be successful in your career, you have to learn how to manage all kinds of managers.
Before you growl that you don't know how, think of your manager as a very important customer for your work. You've probably already had to deal with upset customers, customers who didn't understand what you were doing, customers who were frightened or demanding, and many others. If you are so young that you haven't had a lot of customer experience, you've certainly had to manage a wide variety of teachers or professors. You've got the skills, really you do. Just think customer (or teacher.)
Instead of hiding when she is angry, wait for her to calm down and try again. Instead of going nuts when he micromanages you, think about what you could do to establish his trust. You might even try saying something like, "You can be sure that I will complete this on time." Experiment. Get good at managing different kinds of bosses, and your career will be golden.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Career Success Tip #1: Exploit Your Current Job!
Most people look ahead to their next job, not at their current job. Don't do it! You'll miss some great opportunities. During a recession like this one, if you have a job, it may be easier to look for opportunities in your current job than it would be to look for a new job. Recessions don't last forever! What will you be prepared to do when this on is over?
If you consider a series of jobs the same thing as a career, you are making a big mistake. Your career actually depends upon the growth of your skills and abilities. Some people think that only happens when you change jobs. Not so. One of my long-term friends in Organizational Development had the same job title for fifteen years. But it wasn't really the same job, because her company grew and changed, and the programs she developed grew and changed with it. What she was able to do - not her job title - is what mattered. From that "job", she did was to exploit every opportunity to expand her skills.
You can do that, too. OK, if you can't move up in terms of a job, how can you move up in terms of your skills? What can you learn? What can you volunteer to lead? What course can you take, either using tuition reimbursement or your own money? Who can you learn from? Take charge of your career. Exploit the opportunities of your current job, until there are more job opportunities out there.
If you consider a series of jobs the same thing as a career, you are making a big mistake. Your career actually depends upon the growth of your skills and abilities. Some people think that only happens when you change jobs. Not so. One of my long-term friends in Organizational Development had the same job title for fifteen years. But it wasn't really the same job, because her company grew and changed, and the programs she developed grew and changed with it. What she was able to do - not her job title - is what mattered. From that "job", she did was to exploit every opportunity to expand her skills.
You can do that, too. OK, if you can't move up in terms of a job, how can you move up in terms of your skills? What can you learn? What can you volunteer to lead? What course can you take, either using tuition reimbursement or your own money? Who can you learn from? Take charge of your career. Exploit the opportunities of your current job, until there are more job opportunities out there.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Money and Real Life
Surprising as it may seem to those who are carrying on about the compensation programs for senior executives on Wall Street, money isn't the key motivator for most people. Career Strategies has used the same assessment instrument to determine the motivators for our clients for over fifteen years. How people answer has been pretty consistent through good times and bad.
For most people, money is not a big motivator. Even for people out of work. Even for people who work in financial services. What does motivate people is: doing a good job and being recognized for it, making a difference by their work, and learning and growing.
In our experience, people start focusing on pay issues when there is something else going on, like a micromanaging boss, an abusive culture at work, or obvious unfairness. Then people feel they "deserve" more money to make up for what they put up with.
Senior financial services people have certainly been kicked around in the media for the last year. They might be feeling that they really deserve the money as a payback or as a sign that the crisis is over. My guess is that even for these financial services executives, money is really a measure of how well they are doing in relation to their peers. It's not the money itself; it's competing and winning.
It this is true, it's a good thing. If executives are motivated by winning not money, maybe we could dial back executive compensation so it looks a little more like executive compensation in Europe. In Europe, they don't seem to have any trouble filling executive positions with good people, in spite of their different pay structure. And there would be far less wrath directed against executives and regulation of their pay in the United States.
For most people, money is not a big motivator. Even for people out of work. Even for people who work in financial services. What does motivate people is: doing a good job and being recognized for it, making a difference by their work, and learning and growing.
In our experience, people start focusing on pay issues when there is something else going on, like a micromanaging boss, an abusive culture at work, or obvious unfairness. Then people feel they "deserve" more money to make up for what they put up with.
Senior financial services people have certainly been kicked around in the media for the last year. They might be feeling that they really deserve the money as a payback or as a sign that the crisis is over. My guess is that even for these financial services executives, money is really a measure of how well they are doing in relation to their peers. It's not the money itself; it's competing and winning.
It this is true, it's a good thing. If executives are motivated by winning not money, maybe we could dial back executive compensation so it looks a little more like executive compensation in Europe. In Europe, they don't seem to have any trouble filling executive positions with good people, in spite of their different pay structure. And there would be far less wrath directed against executives and regulation of their pay in the United States.
Friday, October 16, 2009
The Boy in the Balloon and Job Loss
But the boy wasn't in the balloon; he was hiding in the garage! That's the point. By six, most kids aren't that stupid. And it was reasonable for the police to pull out all the stops. But the news media, anxious for another white SUV to chase, took the most hyper approach to the story. It hasn't even taken a couple of news cycles for the story to expand. Maybe the family will be suspected of perpetrating a hoax. Maybe they will sell the film rights for millions. After all, this family is used to living in front of the camera.
The point is that the story wasn't true, but the media made a big deal of it without checking its veracity or reasonableness.
This is one of those times when what is happening in the media and what is happening in real life are two different things. So, even if you are out of work, don't crawl under the bed covers and cower in fear because the media is going on and on about job losses. Your real situation may be entirely different. Your job specialty or grographic location may actually be doing well.
Forget the media. Talk to your friends. Learn what is actually going on at local organizations. Just as I predicted in September, temporary and contract jobs are starting to show up. The "job market"(see my very first blog) isn't as awful as it is portrayed and will be even better in January. As one of our clients said only two weeks after he was laid off, " The job market isn't that bad for me. I'm going to do OK. I never should have worried so much."
Don't let worrying get in the way of your job search, no matter what the media say!
The point is that the story wasn't true, but the media made a big deal of it without checking its veracity or reasonableness.
This is one of those times when what is happening in the media and what is happening in real life are two different things. So, even if you are out of work, don't crawl under the bed covers and cower in fear because the media is going on and on about job losses. Your real situation may be entirely different. Your job specialty or grographic location may actually be doing well.
Forget the media. Talk to your friends. Learn what is actually going on at local organizations. Just as I predicted in September, temporary and contract jobs are starting to show up. The "job market"(see my very first blog) isn't as awful as it is portrayed and will be even better in January. As one of our clients said only two weeks after he was laid off, " The job market isn't that bad for me. I'm going to do OK. I never should have worried so much."
Don't let worrying get in the way of your job search, no matter what the media say!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Quick Tip: Job Applicants Needed!
Headhunter friends of mine tell me they are starting to have new jobs to fill in greater numbers, but the people they call about the openings are unwilling to change jobs. Time to drop a resume on your favorite head hunter!
Also, what I predicted in September in the Metro (see link on the right) is starting to happen. Contract- to-permanent and temporary-to-permanent jobs are starting to appear. This is great news for people who are not employed! Find out which are the temporary/contract placement firms in your specialty, and call them!
Go for it!
-Priscilla
Also, what I predicted in September in the Metro (see link on the right) is starting to happen. Contract- to-permanent and temporary-to-permanent jobs are starting to appear. This is great news for people who are not employed! Find out which are the temporary/contract placement firms in your specialty, and call them!
Go for it!
-Priscilla
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
