Think about it. Are you more likely to want to hire Debbie Downer or Sally Sunshine?

Clearly, it is easy to feel discouraged and hopeless if you are in the midst of an unsuccessful job hunt.

Eve Tahmincioglu recently wrote about the issue of hopelessness in her MSNBC column:

The nation’s jobless rate has been hovering near 10 percent for many months now, but one of the most disturbing statistics is that as of October, 6.2 million, or four in 10 unemployed Americans, had been out of work for 27 weeks or more. That’s the highest number on record, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

However, keep in mind, as Eve notes in her post: “Feeling hopeless — and appearing hopeless to others — can actually keep you from landing a job, according to Savitri Dixon-Saxon, associate dean of the School of Counseling and Social Service at Walden University.”

A study led by Ron Kaniel of Duke and reported in MIT Sloan Management Review found that “Optimists fared better than their less-optimistic peers in some important ways…For one thing, the optimistically inclined MBA students found comparable jobs to their peers — but found them more easily, with less-intensive job searches.  Even better, two years after graduation the optimists were more likely than their less-optimistic peers to have been promoted.” (Hat tip: Maggie Mistal.)

The post Keep upbeat to improve your chances of landing a job: here’s how appeared first on Keppie Careers.

Sandra Naiman, author of The High Achiever’s Secret Codebook: The Unwritten Rules for Success at Work (JIST, 2009) [read my review HERE] echos the sentiment that the “holiday season is a great time to enlarge and reactivate your network.  That is not to say that you ask people if they have or know of a job; however social networking sites, letters and cards are a great way to get back on people’s radar screen.”

She suggests that you create inexpensive ways to bring people together at your house – such as a cookie baking party where everyone cooks and shares cookies and candies with everyone else. “Again, your objective is to connect with as many people as possible and create opportunities for follow up, where appropriate, after the holidays.”

A fun idea – host your own party!

Another author, Richard S. Deems, who wrote, Make Job Loss Work For You (Jist 2010) with his daughter, Terri Deems, suggests job seekers move their focus to direct (in-person) networking during the holidays to take advantage of the generally good mood. Richard reminds us how important it is to follow up, which is key!

The post Holiday networking tips and advice appeared first on Keppie Careers.

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!

The post How to get ahead at work. Review of The High Achiever's Secret Codebook appeared first on Keppie Careers.