“Knowledge is power.” ~ Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
You've started your new job, and it’s a given that you’ll learn the technical and business aspects involved. But a little understood strategy in placing yourself firmly at the first rung of the corporate ladder is also to build your knowledge base of the corporate infrastructure.
Le tout nous gardons un homme attente,
il réfléchit sur nos lacunes.
~ French Proverb
The English translation to the quote above is, “All the while we keep a man waiting, he reflects on our shortcomings.” There is truth in this! If you're late for work, a meeting, an assignment, event, or any occasion you run the risk of engendering negative thoughts about you in the minds of those who are punctual or who you've kept waiting. To some, being tardy equates to being undependable, untrustworthy, unsuitable and even unlikeable.
Hard work spotlights the character of people:
some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses,
and some don’t turn up at all.
~ Sam Ewing, American Writer and Humorist (1920-2001)
You did it! You’ve been hired and you’re starting your new job. Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of your job search and now you’re beginning another journey – one in which you must remain sharp and professional to achieve job and career success.
Your Brand Name Is Only As Good As Your Reputation
~ Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group Ltd
Companies devote precious time and resources to marketing their brands to clients, prospects, consumers, shareholders, investors, underwriters and other important audiences. They target colleges and universities and other audiences for talent acquisition. Yet employers consistently overlook another very formidable audience: job applicants and candidates. How employers treat this audience during the recruitment process is crucial to their success not only in attracting talent but in enhancing their reputations across all audiences in the present as well as in the future.
Step Up to the Salary Negotiation
Don’t Leave Money on the Table
“Don’t leave money on the table,” is the advice of negotiators, and applies whether you're investing, navigating a business deal, applying for financial aid, making an offer on a house, wrangling over the sticker price on a new or used car, haggling with a market vendor, bartering over your allowance or negotiating your starting salary, benefits, perks and other fine points of your newly-minted job offer.
By John Daly of The Key Class – Reprinted with permission of the
author and Noozhawk. View the original article on noozhawk.com
Several weeks ago, I watched a 60 Minutes segment entitled “Years Up.” It focused on an organization helping youth to get internships. It is very much on target with The Key Class. What struck me in this piece was this group’s emphasis on “hiring for skills and firing for behavior.”
A week or so later, I read with interest a guest blog for Extraordinary Events, written by my long-time friend, Bonnie Siegel, the founder and CEO of ASE Group, an event production firm based in Overland Park, Kan. In it, Siegel takes a slightly different approach to hiring the best and the brightest.
"Not that you root for failure," Vasgersian said,
"but he needs one more crash to guarantee a spot in the next round."
~ NBC 2014 Winter Olympics Announcer Matt Vasgersian
The above-captioned statement was uttered during the men’s freestyle aerial ski jumps last week in Sochi during the play-by-play commentary. The speculation was that for American Mac Bohonnon to qualify for the finals one of his competitors would have to make a mistake, thereby making Mr. Bohonnon’s point score sufficient. No sooner were these words spoken when Renato Ulrich of Switzerland took his turn at the aerials and crashed.
Deck the halls without the folly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
All the staffers must be jolly.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Thus, to get around a quarrel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.
Poll the office is the moral.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.
Could too many decorations
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Hurt coworkers' good relations?
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Please follow my etiquette advice.
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.
I shouldn’t have to tell you twice.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Show respect for ev’ry custom.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Christian, Jew, Hindu & Muslim
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Plan the décor, all together.
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.
This could be a grand bellwether.
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
~A Christmas Parody by Jeanne Nelson
Come every December, or even earlier, people across America and around the world will be decorating their workplaces for the holidays. Early in my career, the offices in which I worked displayed holiday decorations solely comprised of Christmas décor, including the now widely banned crèches. As the years passed, token menorahs appeared, but they seemed lost among the ornamental trees, boughs, wreaths, garlands, and other Christmas- related garnishments.
How To Enjoy Yourself While Keeping Your Career Intact
The holiday season is here again, and with it the usual round of festivities, including the notorious annual office party, known in many modern savvy circles as “the annual business holiday party.” Companies sponsor this annual event to demonstrate appreciation to their employees; but underneath the good intentions lurk all sorts of minefields and pitfalls for the unwary employee.
Are Employers Crossing An Ethical Line By Requesting Facebook Passwords?
To Americans, the right to privacy is a precious freedom. But, Constitutional issues aside, is your interviewer crossing an ethical line in asking you to provide your Facebook password?
This dismaying development in the job-seeking process was first reported in March by the Associated Press and has generated a flurry of media commentary in ABC News, The New York Times and Forbes, to name a few.
As if your job search wasn’t stressful enough! Now in addition to constructing the perfect resume, developing your marketing plan, networking and prepping for that hard-won interview, it’s possible that you’ll also be asked to share your Facebook password during the interview and hiring process. Alternatively, you might be asked to log on to your Facebook page right then and there so the interviewer can take a tour!
Jeanne Nelson 