Managing Your Career

To reach your career goals, it's crucial to actively manage your career.  No matter what your job is, it's important to be constantly improving your skills and working towards the next project, job, or promotion.  Incorporate the following tips in your daily life and watch your career blossom:


Educate yourself.
Learning should not stop after your formal schooling does. Focus on improving your skills by taking classes, participating in seminars, and reading the most up-to-date publications in your field. 


Think like the CEO, president, or owner of your company would. 

• Concentrate on ways to improve efficiency, increase customer satisfaction and sales.
• Find ways to save money.
• Present your creative ideas to the "powers that be." 

Network, network, network. 

• Expand the circle of who and what you know and improve your community at the same time.
• Participate in professional organizations, community groups and conferences to meet people with whom you can exchange ideas, advice and career guidance.

Remember your audience. 

• When presenting your ideas, consider whom you'll be speaking to and what's important to them:  is it numbers, details, or the "big picture?"  Plan accordingly and your audience should be receptive to your thoughts.

Capitalize upon your strengths.

•   Pursue projects and positions which utilize them.

"You only have one chance to make a first impression." 

• This is true, but it is also true that with every professional encounter, you have an opportunity to create a positive or negative "buzz" about yourself.  This is true for interactions with everyone from the receptionist to the CEO!

Don't forget the basics.

• Show up on time (or be early).
• Be prepared and organized.
• Follow-up and finish things on time and on-budget.

Help those above and below you advance and achieve success, and watch as other do the same for you.