Twitter Family Values

Have you heard the latest in the Jackson family saga?  Well, The Insider has reported that Janet Jackson is considering legal action against the media outlet that falsely reported that she slapped her niece, Paris.  Tsk. Tsk. There have been so many communications lessons learned in this fiasco. 

Write Off The Page

Working as a freelance writer, I'm often asked by people exactly what I do. Well it's simple: I write for other people. I could give you a detailed list of services that I offer. However, I've found that it's often best to ask people what they need. Because sometimes writing doesn't appear to be the immediate need. I'll give you an example.

Confidence Is Key

The past two months have been crazy! I'm relaunching this blog, working with a new client and I've been coach to some others who are searching for a better opportunity. One thing I must say that has been impressed upon me over the past few weeks is the importance of confidence. Credentials are great, but if you can't confidently communicate your value and what you bring to the table you won't have a successful interview.

Actually confidence begins before your interview. Your resume tells people a lot about you, and if you are vague and downplay your accomplishments, chances are you won't be called for an interview. If you flood your resume with minute details of every thing you've ever done, you may give a potential recruiter the impression that you are not qualified or savvy enough for a position. The important thing is to be confident in your abilities on paper and in person.

Pearls of Wisdom

If you haven't had the chance to hear Carla Harris speak, you have missed out on a wealth of information and a rare treat. Not to worry, Carla Harris has written a book, Expect To Win--Proven Strategies for Success from a Wall Street Vet. In this book Harris calls her key survival tools for the work place "pearls". Just last year I had the opportunity to hear her elaborate on a few of her "pearls": taking risk, using your voice, authenticity, and the power of perception. I won't spill the beans here, but make sure you pick up a copy.

You can pre-order online at Amazon or Barnes&Noble.com.

I'm Still Here

So much has been going on at the office. I recently switched jobs. On boarding, training, learning the ropes and the politics is time consuming. And frankly, I'm beat. However, I do have a lot more material for new posts, so please be patient with me. I'll be back on it soon. Thanks.

The month of August was interesting. I've known for quite some time that it was time for a job change. I enjoy the work that I do, but three years in one position was long enough. I really was looking forward to spreading my wings. So I followed some advice that I received in a development workshop and decided to not only look for a new opportunity but to do so in concert with some professional goals that involved "PIE" : Performance, Image, Exposure (more on this in upcoming post), along with other goals both personal and professional, within 100 days. This has really been an interesting adventure. One of the things that has been most surprising is that in addition to me reaching out to others, expanding my networking circle, I've actually had the opportunity to coach some others and hopefully help them in their own endeavors. In turn, I've learned a lot from them.

Taking the time to help others has helped me, which in turns helps me to help them even more. So I encourage you, to reach out and help others. Sharing lessons learned, strengthens and builds upon the skills that you already have. When you see someone who is facing the same career challenges that you've faced, it further impresses upon you how to employ the tools that have been shared with you by your mentors. So don't be fearful of helping someone else. In the long run, you'll help each other.

I See You

You sit at your cube day in and day out working routine assignments as diligently as possible. While you may keep the work flow moving--which is always appreciated--you fear that your efforts go unnoticed. You're probably right. Your boss may appreciate not having to be bogged down with the nuts and bolts of your daily tasks, but your personal development and career goals are not usually the first thing on her mind.

Make sure that you are clear about your career goals. Then, share your them with your boss. Do not expect her to take you by the hand from there. Unfortunately, employee development may not be one of her strong points, so you will need to have a plan of action for increasing your visibility at work. Present your boss with the following suggestions:

Volunteer to attend, represent or lead department meetings, projects, cross-functional teams or committees. This gets you out of your cube and on the radar. Other employees and managers will now have a chance to get to know you and see your skills in action. In turn, you'll get to know others in the company and learn about different career opportunities in the process.

Use your meetings as a way to have more communication with your boss. This helps her to take notice of your leadership skills and builds confidence in your ability to take on additional assignments.

Demonstrate that you take your development seriously by asking to participate in seminars and training classes that are of value to the company and/or to your development as an employee.

Don't allow your skills to lie dormant. If you aren't using a particular skill in your current role, seek opportunities to put them to good use. Let your boss know how this particular skill can be utilized in your current job function or role that you would like to take on.

Remember, exposure is key to advancement. Being visible in your organization, meeting people and becoming familiar with various projects makes you a valuable asset to your team.