Five Stupid Job Search Mistakes That Smart People Make

• 2-minute read •
You’ve seen job search advice articles about embarrassing resume bloopers, like misspelling the word "running" to comic effect (“Instrumental in ruining entire office"). You’ve read about cringe-inducing interview mistakes, like asking the interviewer to "hold on" while you respond to a text message. And you’ve said to yourself, “I’m too smart to make a stupid mistake like that.”

Read More

Resignation Letter? It’s Easy If You Do It Smart

So you informed your boss about the decision to quit. All that’s left is submitting your resignation letter.
Gulp!
Your resignation letter is second step to move forward to your fab new job. The first step is to tell the reason for quitting the job in a one-on-one session.
A Resignation Letter is an official document you submit to your reporting manager and higher ups in your organization. It goes to the HR department and for next few weeks, it is the HR who would be guiding in the process of completing the formalities.

Read More

How Smart Women Win at Office Politics

Do you enjoy dealing with office politics?

Becoming politically savvy is not always viewed as a wholesome, worthy goal. The mere mention of the word "politics" triggers negative connotations.

A Senior Finance Manager had said "I refuse to schmooze and manipulate to get ahead". Yet she was frustrated after she was passed over for promotion twice. The two male colleagues who were promoted ahead of her were less qualified, but excelled at politicking.

In her article titled Seven Career Killers, author Erin Burt warns "avoiding politics altogether can be deadly for your career. Every workplace has an intricate system of power, and you can -- and should -- work it ethically to your best advantage." By becoming politically adept you can learn to:

• Rise above power plays and interpersonal conflicts
• Build a reputation as a go-to person, expert, or leader
• Gain access to resources, information and opportunities
• Influence outcomes and get buy-in for ideas and initiatives.

As you acquire the ability to navigate office politics effectively, I encourage you to let go of negative assumptions about office politics, and consider these alternate perspectives:

New Perspective #1: Replace the word "Politics" with the term "Organizational Awareness". Doesn't that sound better already?

New Perspective #2: Workplace politics is all about understanding communication and relationships, which women can excel at.

New Perspective #3: Make a personal commitment to use your organizational awareness in a way that is ethical and authentic.

Now that you are armed with a positive perspective, consider taking the following steps to use office politics to your strategic advantage.

Step 1: Map the Shadow Organization
In parallel to a company's traditional hierarchical organizational chart there exists what is known as a shadow organization. The shadow organization is an unofficial, informal network of relationships and coalitions. Understand your shadow organization and you will understand how power and influence play out.

Investigate your shadow organization by playing the role of observer, as though you are a corporate anthropologist. Notice who has influence, who gets along with whom. Discover who is respected and who champions others. Who are the hubs of social interaction and corporate intelligence? Find out who really gets things done.

Create a visual map showing all key players. Classify every interrelationship, noting whether it is built on friendliness, advocacy, respect, or coercion. Note the strength of each connection, and the direction in which influence flows.

For example, when a Project Manager mapped her shadow organization, she discovered she had strong bonds with peers, but not with higher-ups.

Step 2: Build Relationships
Identify people with whom to build relationships. Take at least one month to build your network without imposing an agenda on any of the relationships.

A Manager of Human Resources went out of her way to build strong ties with her company's marketing department after she noticed they were always first to hear about new products and trends. Having access to this information allowed her to gain greater credibility in her own department, where she is now has a reputation as having a finger on the pulse of the business.

Step 3: Leverage Your Network
After relationships mature, your network can help you accomplish valuable goals and influence. For example, you can use your network to build visibility, improve difficult relationships, gain access to information, and attract opportunities.

Employing these perspectives and steps worked well for the Senior Manager of Finance who was passed over for promotion. She knew that her boss and her team did not recognize her value to the company. By mapping out relationships and spheres of influence she realized how to gain recognition and influence. Her most recent research topic was a hot-button issue for her VP, so she mentioned her findings to him in passing. At an all-hands meeting, he singled her out for praise, and recommended that their entire organization could learn from her focus on their business objectives. She continues to build her relationship with the VP by continuing to update him on her progress.

By changing your perspective on politics, and using your network, you can dramatically improve your opportunities for recognition and advancement.

Follow Your Bliss...Or, Safe, Smart Career Change?

Hello Fellow Seekers!

I don’t know about you… but I’m pretty tired of hearing about how you can “follow your dream” in three or four easy steps. I’ve seen plenty of people leap before they sufficiently looked --and end up dissatisfied or broke, or both. I’ve also had clients come to me after reading a hot, new book or attending a workshop. And they still can’t figure out what it is they want to do for a living.

Of course not! You can’t think your way to a new career – or, at least you can’t 99% of the time.

The truth is that career change is no walk in the park. It takes focus, a smart strategy and guts.

Focus

Anyone can start their career change effort with vigor. But keeping your fires burning for the duration of your journey is another story. Given the roadblocks and the absence of any hard deadlines, it’s just the kind of “priority” that can fall through the cracks of your busy life.

The key is to create an environment of accountability. Here are four ways to do this:

1. Schedule your career change activities into your weekly calendar. As Steven Covey would say, make it a “big rock” priority.
2. Register for a class or workshop that keeps you engaged and focused for an extended period of time.
3. Career change can’t be done in a vacuum. Work with a mentor or coach who has a good business head and market perspective.
4. Know exactly what you hope to gain from your career change. A clear and compelling personal benefit is your secret weapon to hanging in there for the duration of your journey.

A Smart Strategy

The old adage “look before you leap” is perfect advice for prospective career-changers. Keep your day job and let your paycheck enable you to take all the time you need to discover new work options and test them out. Once you are clear that a particular path is right for you – craft a good plan to get there. At a minimum, your plan will include new training requirements and timing, building a new network, and a communications strategy for leaving your current employer.

Guts

Successful career-changers know two things: First, how critical the courage factor is to their ultimate success; and, second, that it’s not possible to feel courageous 100% of the time. By its very nature, the career-change journey is a wiggly road. When your courage is on the wane, try these approaches:

1. Don’t confuse uncertainty with disaster. Avoid the mental “drama” that takes you to the worst possible outcome. These projections are not your present reality.
2. Focus on your gifts and talents. Acknowledge yourself – deeply, and at the feeling level -- for the experience and skills you have gained. Write them down as a reminder of your abundance.
3. Trust in Divine Presence. As long as you continue to pursue your career change smartly, and take solid, active steps (i.e., do your part!), providence will support you as well.

Finally, remember that we are indeed, a ‘free agent’ nation. Safe, smart career change is possible and thousands of people just like you have successfully re-invented their working lives. Without question, you can, too.

May you thrive in work -- and life!