Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

How to get ahead at work. Review of The High Achiever's Secret Codebook

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I am happy to share a review of a new book by Sandra Naiman, The High Achiever’s Secret Codebook. As a special treat, I’ll be offering a free copy of the book as a prize, courtesty of Jist Works Publishers, to one of my lucky readers…Be sure to read on for details about how to enter.

This book offers readers “Seven Secrets” to help careerists succeed at work. These rules, the author suggests, can make the difference between the professional who achieves his or her goals at work and the other, equally talented professional, who falters, stumbles and possibly never recovers.

I appreciate and agree with the author’s premise that how people perceive you at work is just as important as the choices you make. A successful leader must function in a nuanced, ever changing environment full of personalities, egos and varying interests. How to succeed? To start, remember Naiman’s message: “You are never finished getting off to a great start” and take action to learn how to conduct yourself in ways that help you get ahead.

The rules?

Tread lightly. Learn how to overcome your instincts to jump in and have an immediate impact. Instead, slowly integrate into an organization to lay a foundation for success.

Play nice with everyone. Understand where the influence in the organization rests. Note – it’s not always where you think!

Yield the floor. Don’t focus on “right” and “wrong.” Learn to incorporate a variety of factors before making a decision.

Listen between the lines. Be alert to feedback that may not come via your performance review.

Get over yourself. Don’t get too comfortable!

Blow your horn softly. Let others know what you have to offer without being labeled a blatant self-promoter.

Keep sight of the shore. Be mindful of the fine line between self-confidence and overconfidence.

The book is full of great advice, stories and action items to help you succeed in virtually any situation. It offers a plethora of common sense suggestions and ideas you may not have considered. For example:

  • “Be careful your email messages are not too brief. “Brief can be synonymous with “brusque.”
  • “Lower your voice and speak slowly and deliberately” to cue your body to relax in stressful situations.
  • “Talking about others is an excellent way to go about self-promotion.”

This book’s common sense and useful information will help readers understand and implement approaches that will help them be better employees, better managers and more successful in their business and personal lives.

I promised that one lucky reader will win a copy of The High Achiever’s Secret Codebook. For your chance to win, share an idea or “rule” that you live by (or know you should live by) at work. What has helped you succeed? Or, share a story about how you (or a colleague) didn’t conduct yourself so well. No ideas yet? Feel free to write why you’d like to win this book! You don’t need to use your full name, but do be sure to include a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. I’ll choose one commentator from comments on all of my blogs. Feel free to enter at each one:

Examiner.com
GreatPlaceJobs
Secrets of the Job Hunt

I’ll draw a winner on Friday!


Quoted in the Wall Street Journal!

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I wanted to share a piece in the Wall Street Journal written by Jonnelle Marte advising job seekers to consider creating an online presence to enhance their personal brands. I was delighted that Jonnelle contacted me to serve as a source for the article and even happier that she included a quote from me.

Read the complete story HERE.

How may I help you propel your job hunt forward? Don’t hesitate to be in touch!

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Dr. King's message rings true for job seekers

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President Lyndon B. Johnson and Rev. Dr. Marti...

Dr. Martin Luther King offered many inspiring messages. As we honor him today, it seems fitting to remember his message of hope. His “I Have A Dream” address was delivered in a time when most of his “dreams” really seemed to be just that.

However, having dreams isn’t enough. Dr. King and other leaders of the Civil Rights movement recognized that hard work and sacrifice was key to success. Thinking outside of the box, organizing peaceful marches…Civil disobedience. All of these at a great cost, but prepared and enacted with great hope.

It is impossible to observe this King holiday without thinking ahead to President-Elect Obama’s inauguration. Obama’s message that seemed to resonate with so many voters, “Yes we can,” was another message of hope when things are not looking very hopeful.

Every job seeker can take something away from these optimistic messages. Maybe the message is as simple as a reminder that hope is important, even when it is hard to muster. Maybe the more important take-away is that nothing worthwhile comes without hard work and effort.

No matter the message, as the nation pauses to honor Dr. King, this is a good time for job seekers to stop and think about how to harness hope with hard work to move forward with an optimistic job hunt. Or, take another lesson from King and turn this day into a day of service and volunteer. It’s a great way to spend the holiday, with added benefits for job seekers.

Need some help with your hunt? I can help! Contact me for a free resume assessment.


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How to find a community of job seekers, Part 3

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This is part 3 of a series to describe a selection of resources to help job seekers support each other for networking and information sharing. Today, the topic is college/university alumni groups. I’ll also share some additional on-line resources targeted at helping alumni and mentors connect.

Read Part I – On-line resources

Read Part II – In-person resources

Don’t forget your alma mater!

Some college and university career centers have begun to extend benefits (some for a small fee) to graduates, and alumni organizations may be great resources of information and support. LinkedIn is full of opportunities to join alumni networking groups.

Andrew Rosenthal, President of the University of Pennsylvania Alumni Club of Philadelphia, acknowledges that his club is encountering increased discussion of how the alumni group can help connect people to job opportunities. While focusing on what services alumni should provide and what services the University should offer,  the club does partner with Penn’s career services for job seeking events.

Will Robinson, owner of Virtual Career Coach, has contact with college career offices as a business owner, and he suggests that both alumni and career offices have experienced an uptick in addressing their alumni relations. He notes that Yale, his alma mater, has had an evolving program that offers job-listings for alumni and the beginning of some ‘career transition’ seminars to local alumni groups.

Old-fashioned networking with a modern twist is alive at Wake Forest University. Business school professor Aneil Mishra, co-author of the book (with Karen Mishra), Trust is Everything, maintains a network of well over 1000 current and former MBA students whom he helps find opportunities for free via his “Trust Network.” He receives “scores of job opportunities” via his network and then passes them along to students and other alumni.

Mishra is connected to members in a variety of business school networks, including Princeton and U-Michigan alumni. He notes, “There is not much of a chance that Princeton, Wake Forest, and Michigan alums would have naturally had the opportunity to learn about and share such opportunities with each other, so we thrilled about how [the network has] taken off.”

Ben Holcomb, Mishra’s former student, learned about his current job via this network. He says, “The Trust Network was an invaluable tool to further my career upon completion of my MBA at Wake Forest University…I was connected with Green Resource LLC, a rapidly growing business (in the top 5 of The Business Journal’s FAST 50 Awards Program) who sought a Controller to manage the company’s finances. Without being a part of the Trust Network I would not have been presented with such a great opportunity.”

It is worth investigating if YOUR alma mater offers a network or resources. Otherwise, you may be missing some great opportunities.

Interesting online resources.

As with in-person networking, there are new businesses aiming to help connect alumni for networking.  One such site is www.onedegree.com, which is University specific (only 5 schools are online now), and offers social and professional networking for students, fans and alumni.

Another interesting service to investigate is GottaMentor. This site aims to connect those who have advice to offer (mentors) with those who seek it. CEO Ron Mitchell notes, “We felt that, particularly in this tough economy, people needed a resource they could use to get more personalized career advice and feedback from people they know and trust.”

Potentially useful tools in GottaMentor’s library include a public database of searchable career advice from trusted sources related to finance, consulting, education, media, marketing, healthcare, entrepreneurship, technology and more. The site offers certain services free to anyone who joins and has a list of paid services.

Summary

The last topic in this series is corporate “alumni” groups. I am still collecting information about these groups and welcome you to email me at [email protected] if you are involved in a corporate alumni group or have benefited from an affiliation with one.

Do you host or sponsor a group or site that supports job seekers? Feel free to add it in the comments!

You have no idea how to network and could use a little help?I can teach you how to take the steps you need to be successful. Contact me to learn more.

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How to find a community of job seekers: Part 2

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In an effort to share a selection of resources to help job seekers support each other for networking and information sharing, this week, I am writing about resources to help job seekers connect. Read Part I (On-line resources) HERE.

Today, my post focuses on in-person resources you may not have considered…
In-person resources
  • Meetup.com is an organization that helps connect people locally who have similar interests. Review their site and see if there is a group that might interest you, either a job hunting group or a more general networking group of interest. My friend and colleague, Chandlee Bryan, hosts a job search Meetup group in New York City. You should definitely join if you are in the Manhattan area. If there isn’t a group in your area, you can consider starting a job search support networking group!
  • Many communities host career ministries at churches that might be able to assist and support you in your search. Work Ministry is a resource for these groups, but you may be able to find a group locally by checking your newspapers or doing a search for “career ministry, (your city).” These groups often have speakers and offer other resources for job seekers to help them connect.
  • Networking in of itself has become a business. Many people host get togethers for the purpose of connecting people. For example, ExecuNet is one such group for executives. You can see if there are meetings in your area. Do a search for “business networking, your city.” See what comes up. If you live in a fairly large area, I would be willing to bet there are a variety of opportunities to meet people in person. The quality of the groups and interactions will vary. Try to do some homework, especially if there is a fee associated with attending.
  • Don’t forget your professional associations and organizations. Many have local chapters. Hopefully, you are already connected, but if not, now is a good time to start. These groups are also terrific if you are transitioning to a new field. People in leadership roles should be able to welcome you and offer information about the new field of interest.
  • Another resource is Pink Slip Mixers. They host free group meetings for job seekers and have a discussion board and online activity to join.
  • If you are in the Round Rock, TX area, my colleague Michael Kranes is co-hosting a Job Search Boot Camp. There are probably similar events in your city. (Contact me if you are interested in something in the Atlanta area!)
Keep your ears and mind open to the possibilities that exist when you actually engage with people in person instead of focusing all of your networking online. Do you host or sponsor a group or site that supports job seekers? Feel free to add it in the comments! I would love to add it to the next post in this series.
Stay tuned for alumni resources!

You have no idea how to network and could use a little help? I can teach you how to take the steps you need to be successful. Contact me to learn more.

photo by donkey cart