Climbing the Ladder

Climbing the Ladder Successfully transitioning from an individual contributor role to a management role is straight forward and very intuitive for very few people! Yes, some people have natural instincts that make them good managers. For the rest of us, we need a paradigm shift to help us be successful as a manager. As an individual contributor, you had to implement plans and tactics that had specific outcomes. You were measured on how effectively you did those things and how much success those things brought your company. As a manager, you are still responsible for getting these tasks done and making sure they have a positive impact on the business. However, instead of working on implementing tactics you are now focused on: developing processes formulating strategy structuring your organization maximizing the success of your department communicating across the organization and up the management chain This is a big shift for anyone. We work with many individuals trying to make this transition. Heres an example. Our client was quite adept at using a particular piece of sales software. She devised creative solutions and solved many issues for the sales team. She was outstanding and given the chance to lead a group of 7 people. The goal of her team was to solve even larger problems and expand their ability to help the sales team. Through our engagement with this client, we developed the following tips for individual contributors to transition into managers. Communicate With Employees One thing that hasnt changed is that you still have a boss. It is your job to understand what communication your boss expects from you and your team on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. You will no longer be heads down in the software you are familiar with. You need to spend more time educating your boss on your progress towards your goals and educating the entire organization on your approach to accomplishing those goals. You may have gotten away with under-communicating when you were an individual contributor but that wont fly anymore. Find out the expectations and over-communicate! Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Team When you are given the title of manager you often receive something else a much larger workload! You will now be expected to get a lot more done. This list of things will undoubtedly include tasks you didnt work on before. You have a team now and they are the ones to execute the tasks. Your job is to: make sure your team executes tasks well and meets the success metrics your manager expects knock down any obstacles standing in the way of your teams ability to meet goals communicate your progress and raise any concerns about missing your goals early on look for procedural or organizational opportunities to improve efficiency or effectiveness Figure Out How To Get It Done As a manager, you wont sit down, log into the software and start taking care of tasks. If you think that is the answer then you arent focused on solving the problem that is blocking delivery of your teams tasks. You need to see the problems your team is having the early you see them the sooner you can communicate them and then solve them. If your boss expects 200 sales cases to be solved each day then you need to determine if that is possible and what it will take to solve that many. Do you need better trained team members? Do you need head count? Do you need system or workflow changes to improve efficiency? These are the questions you ask and then go about solving you dont sit down and try to do the work! Say No You cant do everything. Your team cant do everything. Sometimes, you just have to say no. Theres an art to saying no that you need to figure out. Dont say no to things that will impact your goal or companys goal and dont say no to something your boss would say yes to. Keep in mind the saying no is really saying not right now. Most initiatives at your company are important and should not be rejected. Saying not right now is about knowing your priorities and knowing your teams capacity. If you get push-back from saying no then you can always direct the requester to your boss. If your boss is the one asking you for something you can push back and ask him or her which existing priority should get pushed out to accommodate the new one. Focus on Your Job Goals On a daily basis you should ask, Is what Im about to work going to get me closer to my goals? If the answer is anything but yes then you shouldnt be doing the work. Your boss wont accept the excuses below if you dont accomplish your goals by their deadline: too many other requests came up we didnt have the capacity/expertise to accomplish this other people/departments caused us to miss this Focusing on your job goals day-in and day-out will help you see and address those potential problems before they cause you to miss your goal. Knowing how to get all of these things done wont come naturally. It will take discipline to force yourself to look for potential issues and it will take leadership to figure out how to solve them. This may be confusing or overwhelming and make you wish you were an individual contributor again! Remember, you arent alone and shouldnt keep your challenges to yourself. Help comes from a mentor, your boss or your fellow managers. If you are communicating effectively throughout the organization then use that to raise concerns and get others to help with the solution. Most importantly, communicate often and proactively with your boss that is the only thing that saves you when you miss one of your goals!

Dont lose the passion! - Hallie Crawford

Dont lose the passion! People often ask me, “if I have so many hobbies and interests, or so many things I enjoy doing, how do I know which one I should pursue as a career?” This is a common issue. I tell people it’s like being on spin cycle in the dryer. You’re so confused you don’t know which way to turn, and which interest or passion to pursue. Sometimes the path we want to take seems very clear though. For example, some passions will pay more than others. You have to be careful of choosing something just for the money. It might just leave you back at square one. I had a free teleclass this week and this issue came up with Tim, one of the participants (thanks Tim for sharing). He said one of his passions is sailing, and people have told him time and again that he should pursue this as a career because he loves it so much. But…the key point is, and this is what you need to pay attention to, that Tim realizes pursuing a career in sailing would take the fun out of it for him. Sailing right now is a hobby, an escape and if he were working on a sailboat for example, he would not longer truly enjoy sailing. Tim could think creatively about ideas and find something related to sailing or boating that he might enjoy, but that’s a decision he has to really think about and make based on what works for him. Here’s what you need to do: Make a list of your passions. Then imagine yourself doing those things every day, all day! Ask yourself: would it still be enjoyable for you? Don’t lose the passion guys… If you would like more information on our career services and what we offer, please  contact us for a complimentary consultation today! Career Help Coach P.S. Be sure to sign up for my next FREE Teleclass: 3 Keys to Transition into Your Dream Job. You will learn you how to transition into a your dream job with 3 simple keys.

How to Write a Business Analyst Resume

How to Write a Business Analyst ResumeBusiness Analyst resumes are prepared with great care and attention to detail. These resumes are created for specific purposes and need to be tailored specifically to the requirements of a business analyst. If you think you may be working in a company where a resume is required, it is important to find out what your requirements are as far as the format is concerned. There are certain aspects which will help you create a resume suitable for your potential employer, and these steps can be learnt by all aspiring career professionals.The first thing to do is to write your entire CV as a single document, and have a summary section at the end. This section should be short and concise. It is the summary section that acts as your summary of your achievements, and helps potential employers get a better insight of your personality. You may want to emphasize the highlights of your work experience in the summary section, along with your skills and talents.T he next step in writing a resume is to have a summary section, that is to say, where you may highlight specific accomplishments. Also, it should serve as a feedback or recommendation for employers about your skills and capabilities. You may want to highlight the parts of your career which you feel were most successful, and for which you are most proud. Give examples of your works and showcase the things that you have done which are considered to be outstanding and at par with the expectations of your career objectives. Also highlight how you overcame obstacles which might be present in the job you have now.It is always important to make yourself look different from the other people, and this is very much so in the case of business analysts. So you may highlight the different facets of your personality. You may highlight the different aspects which distinguish you from the other candidates with whom you are about to be competing for a job.The lastthing to remember while writing your resume is that you need to keep your personal details very relevant. For example, if you are applying for a job in marketing, you should make sure that you include your name, employment history, and employment position in your resume. You should also add a cover letter in your resume, and this should include information about your ideal work place and any additional educational qualifications you may have which will be of use in the job interview.It is important to make sure that you are writing a resume for a position that you are eligible for, as you will be applying for a job that is a long time away from you. In the first few weeks of application, you may be starting from the bottom and gradually rising. You need to build up your profile and reputation over a period of time, and therefore use your resume to speak about how well you have developed yourself.Now is a good time to start applying for jobs as the recruiting process is fast gaining momentum. So make sure that you get i nvolved early on and get yourself in to the process. A good resume will show employers and recruiters that you are an excellent employee, and therefore you will surely stand out from the rest of the candidates.

6 Ways to Bounce Back at Work After Upsetting Your Coworkers

6 Ways to Bounce Back at Work After Upsetting Your Coworkers According to a recent survey by Deloitte, the top cause of stress for workers was realizing that they had made a mistake. Of the 23,000 people surveyed, 82% said this caused them stress at work. (A challenging workload and “moments of conflict” like getting reprimanded or delivering a difficult message tied for second place, at 52%.) This isn’t a healthy or productive situation. Mistakes are inevitable, especially if your job has grown in scope or responsibility or the pace of business has changed. Telling yourself to avoid mistakes at all costs will just lead to even more anxiety. It can also stifle your creativity (and possibly raise the anxiety levels of everyone around you). While you can’t avoid mistakes entirely, you can increase your ability to bounce back quickly and productively after you make one. Here are six strategies to help you recover after making a mistake at the office. 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This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Acknowledge the mistake promptly If you hand in sales projections and your boss points out you missed the most recent quarterly data, don’t get defensive: I didn’t know you meant year-to-date! Own up to the gaffe as one professional to another: You’re right, I only included figures up to the 1st quarter. I’ll have a new table on your desk in an hour (or as soon as it can reasonably be done). Apologize directly and personally to people who were inconvenienced If your faulty sales projections meant that your group presentation fell flat, apologize to each member of your team after the meeting: I dropped the ball on the sales analysis. I’ll redo it and hand it in separately. I’m sorry for the mistake. Don’t denigrate yourself too much, or you risk looking like you’re trolling for sympathyâ€"then you’d be inconveniencing your colleagues twice. Read: Why You Need to Start Meditating On Vacations Set a time limit for your feelings Even after you’ve acknowledged the mistake and done all you can to fix it, you probably still feel badly about it. Your mind may even replay the painful moments leading up to the mistake. If you find yourself replaying or overanalyzing the mistake, allow yourself to work through those feelingsâ€"but set a time limit of, say, 15 minutes. Set a timer and vent with abandon. But once the timer rings, switch to another task. Focus on facts over feelings Sometimes your feelings just run rampant and you stress over possible consequences: Will I get fired? Did I blow my performance bonus? Does everyone think I’m stupid? When your imagination is running this wild (and negative), it helps to orient yourself towards information, instead of feelings. Peak performance coach Renita Kalhorn of Step Up Your Game Now calls this the “Just the facts” strategy. You can’t know for certain if people think you’re stupid, so what can you know for certain? Let’s say you saw that your colleague Bob smirked at you when you presented your faulty sales table. You know for certain he smirked. It could be because he believes you’re an idiot and will hold onto that judgment forever. Or he could have been reacting to something completely unrelated to you. If you force yourself to focus on the facts and not your feelings, you’ll realize it’s likely just your imagination getting the best of you. Read: What to Say at Work If You’re Dealing with a Serious Illness Develop helpful habits that preempt future mistakes Double-checking your work is a helpful habit that is also a productive response to the fear of making a mistake. Budgeting extra time when you plan projects so you don’t rush is another good practice. Learning strategies to increase your resilience and mental toughness is a good ongoing habit to develop (reading Kalhorn’s blog is one good resource). Running a dress rehearsal of your big presentation or client pitch is yet another way to identify mistakes early, in a lower stakes environment.

Zebit Challenge Day 6 My New Budgeting Mantra - Work It Daily

Zebit Challenge Day 6 My New Budgeting Mantra - Work It Daily I won’t lie, something about being on the other side of this challenge has me feeling good. I’ve been lucky though, REALLY lucky. There have been no major curve balls (aside from getting sick), thrown my way. I know it could have been different. But, I also know that this challenge has me thinking differently. Here’s how… Related: Zebit Challenge Day 5: My Budgeting Hacks I’m Playing A Game. (And, I Love Winning!) I realize that once you start treating budgeting like a game, you can start to have fun. Every little save is a small victory. That’s when it hit me: I needed a mantra I could use each time I pull out my wallet. A simple reminder to keep my head in the game. I came up with, “When I save, I win.” It makes me smile just to say it. Suddenly, each time I pass on buying something or when I do the work to find a better deal, I feel a little voice in my head saying, “You go girl!” I almost want to do a fist pump too - but that would look weird in the store. What’s Your Budgeting Mantra? My challenge for you today is to come up with your own mantra. What can you silently repeat to yourself before every purchase to make you think twice - and act accordingly. Feel free to steal mine - I’m pretty proud of it! But, perhaps you need a different motivator? Something like, “With every smart purchase, I become better with my finances.” Or, “For every penny I save, I get closer to financial freedom.” Just choose something that speaks to you positively and addresses your goals. Then, join me tomorrow for my final day of the challenge! Don't miss: Zebit Challenge Day 1: My Financial Stress Reality Check Zebit Challenge Day 2: Budgeting 101 Zebit Challenge Day 3: Budgeting Curveballs (Ouch, I’ve Been Hit!) Zebit Challenge Day 4: Enough Already, Time To Prioritize Zebit Challenge Day 5: My Budgeting Hacks Related Posts 5 Tips To Uncover Company Culture 3 Sneaky Ways To Research A Company Company Culture Is Important To Hiring Managers 18+ years of experience in the development of professional HR tools and resources. Has delivered 200+ presentations to more than 10,000 professionals on a wide variety of career topics. Managed teams of 50+ with budgets of $35M+. Launched www.CAREEREALISM.com, which is now a top 3 career blog with 2,300,000+ monthly pageviews, 1,000,000+ visitors/month, 1,500,000+ social media followers, and 100,000+ daily email subscribers. Founded the first Career Improvement Platform, www.CareerHMO.com, an online resource that helps users solve their career problems faster and better than they could on their own. Currently has 5,000+ active members..   Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

8 Signs the Company Youre Interviewing at Doesnt Treat Women Well

8 Signs the Company Youre Interviewing at Doesnt Treat Women Well So you got a call back for a job interview congratulations After sending what feels like millions of applications out into the abyss of the internet, networking on LinkedIn for weeks or even months on end and rewriting your cover letter a thousand times, getting a call back is exciting.The next move is to prepare by practicing interview questions, researching the company and your interviewers, and getting all of your materials together. But remember A job interview is a two-way street. As much as they need to decide on you, you need to decide on them, too.When you get to the interview, there are koranvers to be some subtleties thatll key you in on whether or not the company is a good fit for you. One determining factor should be how well the company seems to treat women. So here are some red flags that the company does not treat women well and that you might need to get back to those applications.1. The Interviewer C alls Women in the Office GirlsIf the interview is calling women in the office girls, this is a major red flag. Calling women girls is condescending and negates the professionalism of women in the office its a form of benevolent sexism, which are comments that seem innocent but are rooted in paternalistic prejudice (treating a lower status group as a father might treat a child). Youll seldom hear anyone referring to men in the office as boys, after all.2. Theres a Noticeable Lack of Women in the OfficeIf there are few women in the office, it may be because the company doesnt hire them or because a company does hire them, but few women stick around. A company that treats women well is one thats committed to diversity, and that will be obvious by the looks of the place before all else.3. Theres a Noticeable Lack of Women in Leadership PositionsLikewise, if you dont notice many women in leadership positions, it might be a red flag that the company doesnt promote women. Studies show tha t there are far more men in leadership than women, but the companies that do promote women find success. According to Catalyst, women currently hold 26 (or 5.2 percent) CEO positions at SP 500 companies. Theres a ton of room for improvement here, and any company with a commitment to diversity and an understanding of how to attract and retain female talent will give women equal opportunities to move up and theyll also understand that more women in management is even profitable.4. The Company Is Poorly Rated on FairygodbossYou can check out real reviews on companies from women whove worked there right here on Fairygodboss. Check out what women have to say about the companys maternity leave policies, flexibility, room for growth, etc. If a company has consistently poor comments, thats a major cause for concern. Check out company reviews here.5. The Interviewer Asks You About Your Family PlansIts considered discriminatory behavior for an interviewer to ask women about their family plan s during the interview process. Asking questions on this topic lead to charges of discrimination, an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and, if necessary, a lawsuit.6. The Office Floorplan Makes You UncomfortableStudies show that office floorplans can have a major impact on how women feel in their workspaces. Open floorplans, for example, give some women an uneasy feeling that theyre always being watched. Theyve also been criticized for making hierarchal structures less obvious, so women who do hold leadership positions arent met with as much respect. Open floorplans cause someone to dress differently to make their status know.7. The Interviewer Touts Your Personality Over Your ExperiencesIf an interviewer has done research on you and comments on your personality they got a feel for through your social media channels or just from speaking with you off the bat, it might seem like a compliment. But if they neglect to comment on your experiences an d why youd be a great fit for the role for which youre applying, thats a red flag. This puts you in a box of prescribed gender roles studies show that women are deemed more likable when they subscribe to passivity because its stereotypical and expected. You dont want to work for someone who puts you in a box instead of applauding your hard work.8. There Is No Clear Room for GrowthIf theres no room for growth, you might want to reconsider the company altogether. Women have a hard enough time moving up in companies, so if you ask them where theyd see you in five years if you perform well, and they dont have answers for you, that might mean youll be in the same spot.More on Being a Woman in the WorkplaceHerReport.org, and follow her journeys on Instagram Facebook.

A Guide to Hen Youre Writing an Application Letter to Accompany Your Rsum,

A Guide to Hen Youre Writing an Application Letter to Accompany Your Rsum, Therefore, you need to have an official approach to writing your email job application. In a nutshell, its a sort of writing by an author trying to find something. As a consequence, its an extremely persuasive manner of writing. There are lots of reasons to show people your resume. The Awful Secret of Hen Youre Writing an Application Letter to Accompany Your Rsum, Cover letters ought to be included when submitting a resume to a prospective employer. If you know the name of the individual who might be contacting your references, in addition, it is beneficial to share that information also. You may also use a vorlage to make your personalized resumes and letters. Saying Submit the form in place of the form needs to be submitted is more direct and simpler to translate. At Google, translation as with the majority of things happens on a huge scale. All your references kindly agreed to help with your wo rk search and must be thanked, whether or not they were utilized or not, or if your work search was successful. Be formal The work application procedure is a formal approach. For instance, if an example resume lacks a skills section, but you wish to include one, you ought to do so. Finding Hen Youre Writing an Application Letter to Accompany Your Rsum, Many people consider titelblatt letters as a means for those writers true voice to come through. Obtaining such letters speak to your job history and how youve got a lot of positive references shows youre a terrific candidate for virtually any job. The secret is to show in your cover letter that youre acquainted with the firms background and where its headed in the future. Understanding how to compose a waiver letter that will to persuade a person to select the action you desire is therefore an important skill to learn. Waiver letters dont need to be tricky to write if you dont rush and think of what youre hoping to achieve b efore you begin. You should nonetheless be polite, obviously, but your aim is now to have a payment date agreed whenever possible. Again, its your responsibility to choose how formal to be. Do ask when youll receive your final check. Its important to understand what to say to prospective employers. If youre currently employed and arent including your present boss for a reference, make sure you explain why to your employer. Before you even start your cover letter, gather information regarding the employer and the business that youre applying to. A cover letter should demonstrate the employer you have the qualifications to do the job youre applying for.