Thursday, May 24, 2007
Managers put up walls for you to break through by Dan Schawbel
Managers put up walls for you to break through
One tactic I find commonly used in the workplace by the most experienced managers is to set up scenarios where their subordinates are tested. Managers who have high confidence in certain individuals, or are who are wondering what workload they can handle will use this tactic, especially if pressure has been applied to them from above. I call this concept “the wall”, just like any other wall that is a challenge to pick through or get around, in management the wall is a test to see if individuals have what it takes to break through it.
These walls are obstacles and opportunities for you in the workplace and are the only way you can truly learn and “break on through to the otherside” or be promoted. People are promoted because the scope of their jobs and responsibilities have expanded and they have been able to handle it. In order to do this, you must not only work harder, work smarter, but be strategic in how you handle your new responsibilities.
What this means for your Personal Brand:
- A promotion is an increase in your total perceived value
- When you are pushed down and pressure is applied, you learn more and knowledge is power
- Your boss will have more confidence in you, causing your credibility to increase
- You will be given more important projects, which will boost your resume
- Opportunities may be created for you to network cross-functionally
Either way, you must seize this opportunity by displaying professionalism, competency and having a positive attitude. You should want your manager to keep putting up walls, so you get stronger and stronger and your brand thrives in the process!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Career Hub - Free eBooks
Free Job Search Help - Download Our eBooks
We're thrilled to announce the release of our third free eBook - "The Insider's Guide to Interviewing" features articles from 14 of the country's top careers experts. I asked our writers to give readers their best advice for interview success and the answers are varied, interesting and sometimes surprising.
If you don't have our earlier eBooks, you're missing out on similarly great advice about resume writing and job search strategies. Now, for the first time, we're making all our eBooks available without email sign-up. Simply download the PDFs and start reading! And to stay regularly updated with all the best in career advice, bookmark this site, sign up for our RSS feed, or have the articles sent directly to your email box.
Insider's Guide to Interviewing
Expert advice on how to succeed in interviews - topics covered include effective interview planning, tips on taking control of the interview situation, advice on closing, and best approaches to salary negotiation.
Click to open in browser or right-click to save to hard drive
Insider's Guide to Resume Writing
In this book, our experts tackle all aspects of effective resume writing, including defining your branded value proposition, the value of story-telling, the secret ingredient of context, common resume mistakes, and how you can go beyond the resume in your career marketing.
Click to open in browser or right-click to save to hard drive
Insider's Guide to Job Search
This is the first book in our Insider's Guide series. From determining career direction, through resume writing to networking and interview skills, each of our experts provides real-world strategies for job search success.
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Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Tip 75 - Finding Your Next Job by Keith Ferrazzi
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You're out of a job. Congratulations!
Look, it's normal to feel lost. I did when I left Starwood Hotels.
But that's what led to my CEO position and I suspect I'd never have
written Never Eat Alone if I was a part of a big company.
Something better is out there for you too. So why don't we just
skip the worrying part. Be confident, but it's not enough to sit at
home and visualize. You need an action plan to bring the right job
to fruition.
1. Make lists. Lists of likes and dislikes, strengths and
weaknesses. Lists of people who can help you. Lists of possible new
directions. Don't limit yourself here. I even thought about
becoming a minister.
2. Have an advisory board. You have to check in with these trusted,
positive-thinking friends and mentors to report your weekly
progress - how many lunch meetings you had, how many phone calls
you made, how many people you e-mailed off your college alumni
network and how many resumes you sent out. It's called
accountability.
3. You never know who you know, so find out. I had no idea my
cousin Danny was golfing buddies with people I wanted to know until
it came up at Christmas dinner. In another example, this guy was
moving to Cairo, so he e-mailed everyone he knew to ask if they
knew anyone who lived there. A few days later, he had 78 possible
new friends in a foreign city when before he had none.
That's the power of networking. Apply it to your job search and you
will get results - in spades. I'm excited for your next adventure.
Warmly,
Keith
Ferrazzi Greenlight, 8581 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 482, Los Angeles, CA 90069, USA
