The secret to your future growth is to invest right now in building your contact bank. That's your network of key people in your business and industry. These are relationships that extend beyond your current position. For example, maintaining an ongoing communication with customers and vendors.
When you take this career advancement tune-up recommendation and make this investment starting right now, you'll find, when it comes time to make your move that these contacts will become you greatest source of leads and opportunities.
One committed job hunter said that in his next job he plans to create a spreadsheet that tracks his monthly efforts to stay in touch with key people in his network. He found himself getting buried in his current job and losing the sense of the bigger picture which included in personal career advancement.
So, now's the time to give yourself a career advancement tune-up. And here are six questions to ask yourself to make sure you're properly investing in your future growth.
1. What did you do to enhance your visibility or worth last year?
2. How many new people did you meet?
3. How many of them did you make part of your contact bank or network?
4. Did you join a new association or professional group?
5. Did you talk to any headhunters?
6. Did you do any research on other businesses in your industry?
If you're like most dedicated employees with your nose to grindstone, it's unlikely you did much, if any, of this kind of investment in your future. But, now's the time to recommit yourself to your career with this career advancement tune-up recommendation: Get out of survival mode and lift up our head and think, ?What can I do for my career??
The good news is that you don't have to do it alone or without a sense of direction. Those of us who are committed to breaking through the old-fashioned, traditional ways of thinking about career and job search are excited by the innovative 21st Century alternate job search and non-traditional career advancement strategies.
When you incorporate these amazing techniques in you career investment plans, you'll find that you're remarkably prepared for making an intelligent decision about how and when to get into the job marketplace. It's a different marketplace from the last time you were there . . . filled with different expectations and needs And one where the old-fashioned methods just don't work anymore. Don't implement your career advancement tune-up without these tools!
But it doesn't have to be that way . . . especially if you're making a career advancement and are committed to search for a new job.
And here's the most powerful secret to your career advancement: learning to speak assertively to your next employer. This simple change in your approach can position you for career growth that can challenge the glass ceiling.
Just take a look at the career advancement statistics for women. They'll help motivate you to master assertiveness.
1. Women make up about half the American work force.
2. Women hold about half the managerial positions.
3. Women earn just 73 percent of what men earn in the same jobs.
4. Women hold only 5 percent of the country's top-paying jobs.
5. Just eight of the Fortune 500 companies have women CEOs.
OK. The secret to changing this situation is learning to communicate more effectively. And that means more assertiveness.
Molly Dickinson Shepard recently wrote a book called "Stop Whining and Start Winning." She contends that women, who are said to come from Venus, need to learn the language of their Mars-based male counterparts.
"They must get in the game," she advises. "Otherwise they won't rise any further--and the statistics won't change. If women communicate more effectively, they will be heard.
"If a woman is not heard, she's going to be seen as passive and be marginalized," Shepard explains. It's critical that women feel recognized and valued." Shepard goes on to point out that men really believe it when they say, "It's just business, it's not personal." They rip into each other during meetings and then go out for beers together. It's to women's advantage to be just as thick-skinned," Shepard concludes.
Now, regarding assertiveness . . . many people confuse it with aggressiveness. Assertiveness is a mindset that allows you stand up for what's right for you. But in a way that isn't offensive. Rather, it's a way of communicating that's persuasive based on your own firm convictions.
To put it another way, it's a certain boldness that puts your ideas and opinions forward in a way that the people you're addressing n grow from the exposure to your ideas. This is especially true if you are in the interview situation where your career advancement hangs in the balance.
If you remember that an employer is looking for someone he/she feels would make a good member of their team. Frankly, they could care less about what you used to do for someone as expressed in your work history. Here's a unique opportunity to come forward with inventive ways you can make a contribution to the organization going forward. Now, that's true assertiveness!
Both Paul Megan & Paul Bowley are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Paul Megan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Employment, Careers and Job Hunting and Employment. Paul Megan writes for EEI, the world-class pioneer in alternative job search techniques and non-traditional career advancement strategies . . . since 1985. Grab our stunning FREE REPORT: ?How To Find A Job In As Little As 14 Days!? Click on RSS for insta. Paul Megan's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.
Paul Bowley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing and Communications, Interview Questions and Debts Loans. Paul Bowley manages EEI, the world-class pioneer in alternative job search techniques and innovative e-business strategies . . . since 1985. Check out THE WORLD'S FASTEST JOB SEARCH PLAN! And grab our stunning FREE REPORT!. Paul Bowley's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.