Carrer Success Tips

1. Use resources like Facebook and LinkedIn to connect with people in your field. Just be sure to keep the unprofessional aspects of your personal life out of your profile. And remember that social networking is like a cocktail party: If you talk only about yourself and your accomplishments, youll bore people. Start a dialogue. .....

Networking in Person

2. Shy, Dont be defeated by networking. Set goals for yourself at networking events, and your skills will improve with time. Fortunately for you, being a good listener is an asset in networking, so make your introverted personality your advantage. .....

Stand out

3. An important question to keep in mind as you write your resume is What did I accomplish in this job that someone else wouldnt have, Thinking about the answer to that will give you some great talking points for your interview, as well. .....

Be Discreet

4. If youre looking for a job while youre already working, let recruiters know that discretion is key. You can use an offer to negotiate within your own company, but be prepared: Some employers do not take kindly to your interviewing with another company, and you could lose your current job. .....

Beware of Blunders

5. The most common pitfalls in resume writing: not being specific about accomplishments, being too wordy, including a generic objective statement, and keeping college accomplishments on your resume for too long. And watch the small stuff, like typos in your correspondence with the hiring manager. Tiny mistakes can mean the difference between an interview and a rejection. .....

Phone Prep

6. If your interview will be conducted over the phone, keep your resume and a list of talking points in front of you and a pen and paper handy to take notes. To make your voice clear and strong, stand up and smile while you speak. Some people find it helps to look at themselves in the mirror while they speak, but practice with a friend first to see what is best for you. .....

Interview Info

7. Do your research on the company beforehand, and come prepped with a few questions. Ask for the name of your interviewer, and research his or her background online. Then, when the interview is over, send a thank you note immediately. .....

Straight Talk

8. When asked about your weaknesses, dont pretend you have none or that your biggest weakness is perfectionism. Its a good way to get an eye roll from your interviewer. Think about your weaknesses before the interview, and how you are able to overcome them, so youre prepared for this common interview question. .....

Keep Anxiety at Bay

9. The wait to find out if you got the job can be interminable, and its tempting to call and E mail the hiring manager to check in. But a single thank you note, and patience, are recommended instead. .....

Accept the Job with Class

10. If you get the job, its tempting to celebrate your new move, but now is not the time to burn your bridges. Leave your current job with grace, and youll be able to keep your old coworkers in your network. Give notice according to your company policy, and volunteer to help find and train your replacement. Finish your projects, and organize all of your loose ends so your coworkers can take over with ease. Work up until your last day. .....

Negotiate Your Benefits and Pay

11. Not sure what youre worth? Check websites like Glassdoor, PayScale, and Salary Scout to find out the salaries of comparable jobs, and use that information to negotiate your starting salary. .....

Get Off To a Good Start

12. For your first week of work, be sure to ask questions and pay careful attention to the company culture. Get an outline of your bosss expectations for your first month in the job. And remember these four tips to make you an invaluable asset to your company: Be .....

Post Prudently

13. If you have a personal blog, tread carefully. First rule: Never write about work. You also shouldnt use work time to blog. Consider password protecting your blog so that only your selected audience can see it. .....

Play Nice

14. When you get frustrated with your boss or coworkers, look inward. Changing your own behavior can stop a boss from micromanaging, and showing more appreciation can soften a difficult coworker. Share credit when a project goes well, but dont avoid the blame when a project ends poorly. .....

Climb the Ladder

15. Before you ask for a raise, ask for more workeven the work no one else wants to do. It shows your employer that you can handle greater responsibility. Then, overperform. .....

Choose Your Occupation Wisely

16. Before you decide to pursue any career, ask yourself this question Can I see myself doing this all day, everyday, for many years? Life is too short to spend it wishing you were doing something other than what you are. .....

Measure Your Own Success

17. How do you define success, Is it the size of your paycheck or having the corner office, Is it the feeling you get when you know you did a great job on a project (praise from the boss doesnt hurt) or the one you get when you know you helped someone, Perhaps you feel successful after putting in a day at work and coming home at a reasonable hour to spend time with your family. Since everyone measures success differently, only you can determine what .....

Dont Be Afraid to Ask for Help

18. As much as you think you know, you dont know it all. There are people who have more experience than you do and with that experience comes knowledge. In order to have access to that knowledge, make sure your network is filled with contacts other than your peers. More experienced contacts can help you with things like learning more about an occupation you are considering, getting the lowdown on an employer before a job interview or solving a proble .....

Always Acknowledge People Who Help You

19. It may sound simple, but its truly a significant gesture always thank those who offer you assistance. Whether someone gives you five minutes of his time or an introduction to a potential employer, its important you let him know that what he did meant something to you. And when that person or another needs help, you can return the favor. Consider it good karma. .....

Own Your Mistakes

20. You know what they say about mistakes. Everybody makes them and you are no exception. Of course you will do what you can to avoid making a serious error, but sometimes they happen anyway. While your instinct may be to run away and hide, that is actually the worse thing you can do. Admitting your error, finding a way to fix it or at least taking an action that lessens its effects, will help restore your reputation. .....

Be Your Own Cheerleader

21. Root for yourself because if you arent your own biggest fan, who will be? Take note of and pride in all your successes and positive attributes. Dont wait for someone else to tell you job well done! Reflecting on your own achievements will spur you on to accomplish even greater ones. .....

Dont Beat Yourself Up

22. From time to time a little voice inside your head might whisper (hopefully not shout) that you arent good enough or smart enough. Tell it to shut up! Unfortunately there will be plenty of people quite willing to bring you down. Dont do it to yourself. When you make a mistake, admit it, fix it and move on. If you are missing a skill or have some other shortcoming, take whatever measures necessary to improve. .....

Make Career Planning an Annual Event

23. Many of us have physicals, visit the eye doctor and dentist, and do a myriad of other things on an annual basis, so why not career planning Find a day or weekend once a year more often if you feel the need or if youre planning a major career change and schedule a retreat for yourself. Try to block out all distractions so that you have the time to truly focus on your career what you really want out of your career, out of your life.By making .....

Map Your Path Since Last Career Planning

24. One of your first activities whenever you take on career planning is spending time mapping out your job and career path since the last time you did any sort of career planning. While you should not dwell on your past, taking the time to review and reflect on the path whether straight and narrow or one filled with any curves and dead ends will help you plan for the future.Once youve mapped your past, take the time to reflect on your course a .....

Reflect on Your Likes and Dislikes Needs and Wants

25. Change is a factor of life, everybody changes, as do our likes and dislikes. Something we loved doing two years ago may now give us displeasure. So always take time to reflect on the things in your life not just in your job that you feel most strongly about.Make a two column list of your major likes and dislikes. Then use this list to examine your current job and career path. If your job and career still fall mostly in the like column, then y .....

Examine Your Pastimes and Hobbies

26. Career planning provides a great time to also examine the activities you like doing when youre not working. It may sound a bit odd, to examine non work activities when doing career planning, but its not. Many times your hobbies and leisurely pursuits can give you great insight into future career paths.Think you cant make a hobby into a career? People do it all the time. The great painter Paul Gauguin was a successful business person who painted o .....

Make Note of Your Past Accomplishments

27. Most people dont keep a very good record of work accomplishments and then struggle with creating a powerful resume when its time to search for a new job. Making note of your past accomplishments keeping a record of them is not only useful for building your resume, its also useful for career planning.Sometimes reviewing your past accomplishments will reveal forgotten successes, one or more which may trigger researching and planning a career sh .....

Look Beyond Your Current Job for Transferable Skills

28. Some workers get so wrapped up in their job titles that they dont see any other career possibilities for themselves. Every job requires a certain set of skills, and its much better to categorize yourself in terms of these skill sets than be so myopic as to focus just on job titles.For example, one job seeker who was trying to accomplish career planning found herself stuck because she identified herself as a reporter. But once she looked beyond he .....

Review Career and Job Trends

29. Everyone makes his or her own job and career opportunities, so that even if your career is shrinking, if you have excellent skills and know how to market yourself, you should be able to find a new job. However, having information about career trends is vital to long term career planning success.A career path that is expanding today could easily shrink tomorrow or next year. Its important to see where job growth is expected, especially in the ca .....

Set Career and Job Goals

30. Develop a roadmap for your job and career success. Can you be successful in your career without setting goals? Of course. Can you be even more successful through goal setting? Most research says yes.A major component of career planning is setting short term (in the coming year) and long term (beyond a year) career and job goals. Once you initiate this process, another component of career planning becomes reviewing and adjusting those goals as you .....

Research Further Career Job Advancement Opportunities

31. One of the really fun outcomes of career planning is picturing yourself in the future. Where will you be in a year? In five years? A key component to developing multiple scenarios of that future is researching career paths.Of course, if youre in what you consider a dead end job, this activity becomes even more essential to you, but all job seekers should take the time to research various career paths and then develop scenarios for seeing one or .....

Be on time

32. Showing up late for work meetings is unprofessional and disrespectful to your colleagues. It is easy to take control of your schedule and be on time, and this is a simple thing you can do to create a positive lasting impression. One of my favorite college professors said, To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late is to be left. .....

Dont be afraid to ask questions

33. You are new and your manager was once in your shoes. You arent expected to know everything. Your managers tell us that some of you are timid about asking for help, and they wish you would ask them when you are stuck so that you can maximize your time. It helps to make a list of what you want to discuss and to email that list to your supervisor before you meet to go over it. .....

Come prepared

34. Make sure you plan things in advance. Do you have the right equipment with you? Have you booked the right facility for training? Do you know the purpose of the meeting you are attending? Do you know what you want to get out of it? If you are traveling for an assignment, have you confirmed all of the logistics? .....

Leave prepared

35. Take notes at every meeting you go to, and record any key discussion topics, outcomes, and action items. Get in the habit of writing a summary of meetings and recap the action items so that you have a record. This will help you hold others and yourself accountable. .....

Communicate with your supervisor

36. It is super important to be in sync with your supervisor. You should know what your priorities are and have a clear idea of your role and responsibilities. Be sure to ask for feedback on how you are doing. This can be hard to do the first time, but asking, Can you let me know a few things I am doing well and a few areas where I could improve? should be a welcome question for both your supervisor and your career development. .....

Be nice to people

37. Treat them as you would like to be treated. This is the last item on the list but perhaps the most important of all. Your favorite colleagues will be the ones who are genuine and sincere in their work and their relationships with you. Remember if and when you make the decision to leave an employer that you handle it with courtesy and professionalism. Deciding to not show up one day or not give proper notice is extremely rude. Not only does this .....

Be passionate about your work

38. Find what you love and do it. Identify ways you can stay involved and learn more about your areas of interest. Even if you are not happy with what you are currently doing, find a way to identify all of the things you are learning and be grateful for that opportunity. If you talk to most people, especially those working in the tech sector who are a few years into their career, they will tell you how what they are doing now is nothing like what the .....

Volunteer

39. Offer to help people even when it isnt your job to do so. Speak up first, assist your colleagues when they need an extra hand, proactively insert yourself in situations where you want to learn more and or can see your skills will be put to good use. .....

Stand tall and take up space

40. Power, status, and confidence are nonverbally displayed through the use of height and space. Keeping your posture erect, your shoulders back, and your head held high makes you look sure of yourself.If you stand you will look more powerful and assured to those who are seated. If you move around, the additional space you take up adds to that impression. If you are sitting, you can look more confident by putting both feet flat on the floor, widening .....

Widen your stance

41. When you stand with your feet close together, you can seem hesitant or unsure of what you are saying. But when you widen your stance, relax your knees and center your weight in your lower body, you look more solid and confident. .....

Lower your vocal pitch

42. In the workplace, the quality of your voice can be a deciding factor in how you are perceived. Speakers with higher pitched voices are judged to be less empathic, less powerful and more nervous than speakers with lower pitched voices. One easy technique I learned from a speech therapist was to put your lips together and say Um hum, um hum, um hum. Doing so relaxes your voice into its optimal pitch. This is especially helpful before you get on an .....

Try Power Priming

43. To display confidence and be perceived as upbeat and positive, think of a past success that fills you with pride and confidence. (This doesnt have to be taken from your professional life although I do encourage clients to keep a success log so that they can easily find an event.) Then recall the feeling of power and certainty and remember or imagine how you looked and sounded. Recalling that genuine emotion will help you embody it as you ente .....

Strike a Power Pose

44. Research into the effects of body posture on confidence, conducted at Harvard and Columbia Business Schools, has shown that simply holding your body in expansive, high power poses (leaning back with hands behind the head and feet up on a desk, or standing with legs and arms stretched wide open) for as little as two minutes stimulates higher levels of testosterone the hormone linked to power and dominance and lower levels of cortisol, a stress h .....

Maintain positive eye contact

45. You may be an introvert, you may be shy, or your cultural background may have taught you that extended eye contact with a superior is not appropriate, but businesspeople from the U.S., Europe, Australia (and many other parts of the world), will expect you to maintain eye contact 50 60% of the time. Heres a simple technique to improve eye contact Whenever you greet a business colleague, look into his or her eyes long enough to notice what color t .....

Talk with your hands

46. Brain imaging has shown that a region called Brocas area, which is important for speech production, is active not only when were talking, but also when we wave our hands. Since gesture is integrally linked to speech, gesturing as you talk can actually power up your thinking. Whenever I encourage clients to incorporate gestures into their deliveries, I find that their verbal content improves, their speech is less hesitant, and their use of fillers .....

Use open gestures

47. Keeping your movements relaxed, using open arm gestures, and showing the palms of your hands the ultimate see, I have nothing to hide gesture are silent signals of credibility and candor. Individuals with open gestures are perceived more positively and are more persuasive than those with closed gestures (arms crossed, hands hidden or held close to the body, etc.) Also, if you hold your arms at waist level, and gesture within that plane, most au .....

Try a steeple

48. You see lecturers, politicians and executives use this hand gesture when they are quite certain about a point they are making. This power signal is where your hands make a steeple where the tips of your fingers touch, but the palms are separated. When you want to project conviction and sincerity about a point youre making, try steepling. .....

Smile

49. Smiles have a powerful effect on us. The human brain prefers happy faces, and we can spot a smile at 300 feet the length of a football field. Smiling not only stimulates your own sense of well being it also tells those around you that you are approachable and trustworthy.Research from Duke University proves that we like and remember those who smile at us and shows why we find them more memorable. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (f .....

Perfect your handshake

50. Since touch is the most powerful and primitive nonverbal cue, its worth devoting time to cultivating a great handshake. The right handshake can give you instant credibility and the wrong one can cost you the job or the contract. So, no dead fish or bone crusher grips, please. The first makes you appear to be a wimp and the second signals that you are a bully. .....

Reduce nervous gestures

51. When were nervous or stressed, we all pacify with some form of self touching, nonverbal behavior We rub our hands together, bounce our feet, drum our fingers on the desk, play with our jewelry, twirl our hair, fidget and when we do any of these things, we immediately rob our statements of credibility. If you catch yourself indulging in any of these behaviors, take a deep breath and steady yourself by placing your feet firmly on the floor and yo .....