Career Advice

Location: On the Internet, so the location is wherever you can comfortably log on and learn.

Prerequisites: The motivation to learn and the commitment to grow professionally.

Required Text: No books to buy. Required reading is included right here.

Objectives: To advance your career by developing your professional persona, to gain credibility in the workplace, and to position yourself for advancement. 

Ever wish you could sit down with a manager or director and ask why certain employees get promoted while others -- seemingly talented and dependable -- stay locked in their current jobs? That's the purpose of this module, to give you that insider's view on what it takes to advance your career. The material will help you identify and utilize skills that will help you position yourself for advancement, promotions, and increased income. While some of information is common sense, you might be surprised at how much there is to learn about getting ahead in the work world. 

As your career adviser, our first step is to help you honestly assess how your work performance is matching up to the demands of your job and the expectations of your boss. Write down what you believe are the core requirements of the job, based on performance reviews and input you have received in the form of comments and correspondence from your boss. Of those, which do you need to improve? Will the reward of career growth be enough to motivate you to improve and update your skill set? If you like your job but know you have room to improve your performance, it will be important to "stage" the process. By that we mean that you will start by prioritizing the skills you want to improve, then you will map out strategies for improvement, such as changing work habits, like reorganizing your work flow or improving your communications skills; taking classes; or participating in training. If you develop a schedule for implementing or completing the goals you have identified, you are much more likely to follow through with your plans. While some people may make a whole game plan to execute the process, others may simply take a single class to increase their proficiency with a given skill. It is a highly individual process by which we increase our competence and expand our skill set. Yet, it is a universal truth that those who establish a goal, define how they will reach it, and set a deadline for doing so are far more successful at fulfilling their aspirations.

Other factors that contribute to career growth include enhancing your professional persona and, when necessary, motivating yourself to strike out in search of a new job if you determine that your present job will not foster career growth. In Career Advice 101, you will learn:

• How to rise above politics, which can damage your relationships at work. Whether we're talking about the next presidential election or office politics and water-cooler gossip, there are times when it is important to withhold your personal opinions and politely discourage others from engaging in polarizing discussions.

• How to improve your relationship with your boss and how to manage his or her perceptions of your contributions to the workplace.

• How to manage workplace demands, especially if you are a working mother, without neglecting your family.

• How to know when you deserve a raise and how to ask for it.

• How to launch a job search with effective resumes and cover letters, and how to strengthen your interviewing techniques.

So let's get started! Simply start by reviewing, and when indicated completing the assignments, in the material presented in the menu on the left hand of this screen.