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From a young age, everyone has some idea of what they want to be when they grow up. As we grow older, those initial dreams start to grow into career aspirations that shape your education, internship experience, and eventual life path. Taking an entry-level position is the best way to get your foot in the door, and once you’ve solidified your place in a company, you may start wondering when you’ll move upward.
Getting promoted is one of the biggest honors a company can give an employee, and it’s that sense of value that helps people form fulfilling, lasting careers overall. But while it’s ultimately up to the employer to promote the employee, there’s plenty you can do to boost your chances of moving up. Let’s go through a few tips that’ll help you get promoted:
1.Be visible: When trying to fill an open position, chances are your superior will think of the most visible employees first. It’s always important to make yourself useful at work, and always having a project to do, an e-mail to answer, or a meeting to attend will make you seem accessible.
2.Don’t be afraid to voice your opinions: Whether you’re in a big meeting or a minor brainstorming session, it’s always key to share your ideas. Even if you’re a hard worker, you still won’t make a strong impression unless you share what’s on your mind. Knowing when to speak up is also crucial – never talk just to hear your own voice, and always make sure you have a clear and articulate idea of what you want to say before you open your mouth. You’ll not only seem more prepared, you’ll gain respect as well.
3.Know your place: In any situation, it’s important to respect those around you. But when you’re trying to get promoted, it’s especially important to know where you stand as a member of the company. Respecting your superiors, as well as knowing your boundaries with your peers, can make or break your chances of getting promoted. Always defer to those in higher positions by using their proper names, and keep the office gossip to a minimum. Additionally, it’s important to know when to step aside and let someone else take the lead on a given project. While it may seem impressive to lead every meeting or project, it’s never good to be too domineering.
Most iPhone, BlackBerry or Droid owners would be the first to tell you about the endless advantages their smart phones provide. From e-mail access and internet capabilities, to intriguing niche applications like the HTC Incredible’s “constellation tracker,” which geographically maps and names constellations when owners hold their phone up to a starry night sky. Regardless of these programs and their relative usefulness, it’s undeniable that smart phones are shifting the way our society communicates.
One of the most significant changes smart phones have encouraged can be seen in the workplace. In fields such as business, communications, law and medicine, more young professionals are using their smart phones as a workplace tool every day, and while more experienced employees are certainly picking up the trend as well, recent grads have definitely boosted smart phones to prominence in job-based environments.
While staying connected to your job through quick-fire e-mailing will certainly give you a leg up, it’s nearly impossible to ignore the drawbacks of owning a smart phone. On one hand, it’s great to know what’s going on at your office 24/7, but an added degree of pressure must also be expected. Owning a smart phone welcomes your coworkers and superiors to message you at any point during the day, expecting an immediate response. Failing to meet these expectations can result in a loss of respect at work, and keep you from being promoted or generally well regarded.
However, the setbacks of owning a smart phone generally don’t outweigh the positives. More importantly, the need to adapt in modern-day society is growing at a rapid pace, and while our parents’ generation may be quicker to join Facebook than us twenty-somethings, we definitely owe it to ourselves to get in the game, fear aside, and open our lives to constant connectivity.
With the popularity of video chatting software on the rise, many employers are turning to the convenience of Skype interviewing to achieve their hiring goals. On the flip-side of this technological transition are us, the prospective hirees. As young professionals, it’s our job to adapt to this new form of interviewing and hopefully make the best of its advantages and low-points alike.
Skype interviews have become most popular in situations that previously would’ve required the candidate to travel a lengthy distance. In most cases, this isn’t the first step in the interview process, and employers generally invite their most desired candidates to meet them via Skype. While the process may seem simple on the outside, there’s much more to acing a Skype interview than you might think. We’re going to cover the most basic tips right now, and hopefully you’ll learn a few things about this exciting process:
1. Location, location, location: When you arrive at a face-to-face interview, you probably don’t have control over your surroundings. However, when you’re interviewing over Skype, it’s important to choose a backdrop that fits the job you’re vying for. Always make sure you’re in a professional, office-like setting that’s free from any alcoholic drinks, vulgar or immature posters and anything else that runs the risk of seeming unprofessional.
2. Pay attention to the mechanics: Before your interview begins, make sure you’re on a computer that has full battery life and clear internet access. It’ll seem unprepared and un-savvy if your connection fails during the middle of an interview question, regardless of whether it’s your fault or the computer’s. If there’s any doubt about your connection or battery, simply choose a different computer or have the interview somewhere more secure.
3. Listen to your mom’s advice: It may sound cheesy, but seriously, just be yourself. With only two of the five senses active during a Skype interview, investing yourself in a genuine conversation can get difficult. If you’re feeling nervous, practice possible interview topics, questions, and answers with a friend or family member, and above all else, relax.
What are your thoughts about Skype interviewing?
As technology continues to advance at a wildly rapid speed, it seems only natural for commonplace events to adapt to the changes as well. Over the past year, an increasing number of face-to-face interviews have been replaced with video-conferencing programs like Skype. While this new form of interviewing is certainly convenient, it presents an entirely new set of rules for the hiring process.
This week, we’ll be breaking down the do’s and dont’s of Skype interviewing with a few key tips on how to dress, speak, and communicate your career interests using this unfamiliar interface. Aside from etiquette, we’ll also be describing Skype’s benefits and drawbacks as an interviewing medium.
So, if you’re feeling nervous about an upcoming interview via Skype, just relax. Sure, you won’t be sitting in the same room as your potential employer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still make a great first impression!
Now that we’ve introduced the concept of Skype interviewing, it’s time to find out your opinion. Do you think video conferencing is an effective way to hold an interview?
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If you’re still curious about summer jobs, check out these interesting news stories:
Summer jobs lower unemployment rate
Now that we’ve covered the essentials of moving to a new city, it’s time to discuss another current issue – finding a summer job. This week, we’re going to explore the ways young professionals can gain valuable work experience while still enjoying the long-awaited freedom we all cherish during the summer months.
With summer quickly approaching, it can be easy to forgo your job search in favor of sleeping late and spending time outside. But in reality, you’ll feel much better down the road knowing you sacrificed some of your initial free time to build your resume.
If you’re a college student staying on campus this summer, your university probably offers
internships and administrative positions, not to mention opportunities in your local downtown area. Check out your college’s job board (there’s one for nearly every school) and ask around – you’re bound to find something!
Seeing as most schools have already ended their spring semesters, those of you without summer work might be freaking out a little. But not to worry! Wednesday’s post will focus more on the seemingly daunting summer job hunt, and with any hope, we’ll shed a little light on the situation.
If you’re interested in learning more about socializing in a new city or keeping your options open, check out these links:
Job market looking for new graduates
As the job market continues to improve, more college graduates are shifting their career paths in the hope of gaining ground-level experience. While you should always keep searching for a job that falls within your desired industry, during tough times like these, it’s important to keep your options open to multiple fields.
In last Thursday’s PBS news feature, “College grads are adjusting their way into the workforce,” correspondent Ana Olson reports about the changes young professionals are making to jump-start their careers. Olson interviews Rachael Dickson, a George Mason University student who’s dream of becoming a foreign correspondent recently transformed into a job editing Washington DC-area news websites.
According to the article, this newfound open-mindedness may be working in recent grads’ favor. With national hiring rates on the rise, twenty-somethings like Dickson are being placed in careers that will act as stepping stones to their original ambitions.
So, if you’re in the process of finding your dream career, just remember to keep your options open. Consider jobs you never thought about, places you may not have seen yourself living, and skills you never imaged you’d acquire. You may just surprise yourself!
