7/2/09: Top Career Posts this Week
Every week I check dozens of “career” blogs and other online publications, looking for things that will help you find a job, get promoted, develop your skills, and keep everything in perspective and balance. Here’s the pick of the lot for this week. I’m pointing you to items about helping your boss de-stress, keeping promises, your appearance, being coachable, and career lessons.
From Anita Bruzzese guest blogging at Cube Rules: How to support your stressed-out manager
“While many employees are losing sleep these days worrying about their jobs, it’s a bit doubtful that they also are losing z’s fretting over how the boss is faring in these tough times. Still, it may be time workers started giving some consideration to what a manager is going through. Because as everyone knows, when a manager is stressed, that stress can often roll downhill and land directly on employees.”
Wally’s Comment: A friend of mine used to say, “When it rains on the boss, we all get wet.” When the boss is stressed it’s not good for anyone. Here are some things you can do to help.
From the Wall Street Journal: Appearances Matter
“When you’re reinventing yourself in a new career, first impressions are even more important because everyone secretly doubts that you have what it takes to be successful. Without waiting for you to explain why you’re qualified, people will make a snap judgment based on your appearance and demeanor. Do you look and sound like someone who does this job?”
Wally’s Comment: Perhaps, in theory, only your qualifications should matter. But in reality, “fit” matters. That’s why you should pay attention to how you look.
From Andy Robinson: The Magic of Keeping Your Promises and Commitments
“How effective are you at keeping the promises and commitments you make – those commitments you make to others and those commitments you make to yourself? The cost you pay for not keeping your promises may not seem like much at the time, but the true cost is a cumulative cost, a cost that, over time, will significantly erode (1) the trust others place in you, (2) your personal integrity, (3) your self-esteem, (4) your self-confidence and (5) your self-respect. A high cost indeed.”
Wally’s Comment: There is almost nothing more important than keeping your promises.
From Dharma Consulting: Why Should You Be Coachable?
“When I was learning to ride a bike, my father would run along side of me holding the back of the seat to stabilize my balance. At a certain point, he would let go – and I’d be riding on my own. For a few seconds. Then my balance would wobble and he’d take hold to stabilize me again. All learning is like that.”
Wally’s Comment: Careers lead you from one learning experience to the next. At each step, you’ll have to learn new skills that weren’t important before. Coaching is often the best way. But you have to be coachable.
From Pick the Brain: 8 Powerful Career Lessons They should’ve Handed out on Graduation Day
“It has been 7 years since my graduation day and I still remember the excitement; I was relieved that the ”exam phase” of my life was over; I looked with enthusiasm towards my first job. Little did I know that the “working world” would require an extraordinary effort and loads of other skills! My journey on the career ladder would have been smoother, had I known a few important lessons. While there are many “on the job” lessons, some things in life must be experienced, to be truly understood. What follows are 8 such career lessons, I wish they’d handed out to me along with my diploma.”
Wally’s Comment: Don’t you wish you could tell the world what you wish you’d learned before you hit the workforce? If you had a blog you could. But then you’d find it hard to top this post. It’s worth reading despite the typos and spelling errors. One additional lesson for the author might be to get an editor or at least a spell checker.