According to Barbara Kovach in Survival on the Fast Track, there comes a time in the career of every ambitious person when it is necessary to slow down a bit. The Reason is this: At some point in your race up the ladder, some insecure-yet-powerful senior managers will begin to see you as competition. They will begin to focus on your flaws and look for reasons to push you off the track. Though your opinion once counted, you may begin to be ignored.
1. Give up a competitive orientation for cooperative one.
2. Develop interpersonal rather than achievement-oriented skills.
3. Replace an emphasis on substance with one style.
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What would you do to influence Gen Y to work for you? Gen Y is the only generation known for more frequent job hopping than previous generations due to economic conditions. Employers who are interested in great talent need more than high paying salaries to keep the attention of Gen Y. Recent college grads are worried about employment as well as employment perks offered by employers. As asked in the beginning of our article, what would you do to influence students to work for you? We suggest you ask recruits about their expectations, create a career track, and offer advancement opportunities in the beginning.
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If you keep your eyes open, you’ll never stop being amazed. Jason Alba of JibberJobber.com quoted stats generated by JobBait (a resume mass mailing company) claiming (tongue-in-cheek) that “Networking Doesn’t Work”. But Mark Hovind’s (JobBait’s president) numbers also claimed that mass mailing 3,500 pieces of junk mail works 85% of the time for executive and managerial jobs. Maybe these stats were from the good-old 1970’s.
It made me laugh, because the statement is just so blatantly wrong. Networking is a very effective way for subject matter experts to find the best jobs – that goes for face-to-face and online networking.
Of course networking doesn’t work if a job seeker under utilizes networking opportunities.
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“He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution, which rejects progress, is the cemetery. “~Harold Wilson
My consulting takes me sometimes to organizations that seem to love the status quo. They will cling to it, fight for it, and drown anyone who tries to rock their boat. It is not easy. My role is made even more difficult by the fact that I am usually being hired in order to look into this status quo and initiate changes.
Organizational Change
I normally ask; why these things are being done this way? Alternatively, why does the system go that way and not the other way? The typical answers I get: Well, you have to admit that things are as they are. Followed by a frowned forehead and shrug of a shoulder. Why do people react that way? For the last 5 years, that continues to puzzle me. No matter how prepared you are to preclude objections and have clarified your objectives, people will naturally resist change.
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The Demand
In part, it may or can contribute to a successful career, but never a guarantee. However, if you want to grab the opportunities below, you might want to consider getting an MBA degree.
“The demand for marketing, advertising, promotions and public relations managers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2012.” -U.S. Department of Labor’s 2004-05 Occupational Outlook Handbook
The MBA Advantage
For those of us who are pursuing careers in these fields, this is a good time to consider an MBA degree. While, as I asserted, MBA degree is no guarantee, it can however give you an edge over other employees or candidates for managerial positions. In fact, some companies would require managerial candidates to get a graduate degree to qualify for a management office.
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Richard Rorty wrote that witty line which serves a good title on this post. Alas, how true! Satirically true. Ironically, if there is something that we always do well, and enjoy doing consistently, are those activities we do on weekends. On the job, or in our career pursuits, it is a different story. Don’t you know that half the enjoyment of life comes from doing things well. How frustrating it is just to settle for a half-done or mediocre job!
Most of us recognize there are some things we will never learn to do well, and it probably doesn’t make any difference whether we do or not. But our primary goals –those which- we set to accomplish in our careers or business –can be achieved with excellence.
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According to Barbara Kovach in Survival on the Fast Track, there comes a time in the career of every ambitious person when it is necessary to slow down a bit. The Reason is this: At some point in your race up the ladder, some insecure-yet-powerful senior managers will begin to see you as competition. They will begin to focus on your flaws and look for reasons to push you off the track. Though your opinion once counted, you may begin to be ignored.
