Articles
How do you decide what direction to head next in your career? Would you like to be more visible inside your company? How do you increase your chances of getting a job offer inside of a company that interests you?
Over the course of my speaking and client engagements I find myself frequently recommending informational interviews as a tactic to learn, as well as gain exposure for your career. Informational interviews are a great way to explore opportunities, discover mentors, and get information about a field of work from someone who has firsthand knowledge.
In the spring of 2017 I was invited to be a guest blogger on the AICPA website. The AICPA — the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants — was gearing up for its annual convention later that spring. I offered six great tips on networking, especially at large events. The ideas were as timely then as they are today. .
I used to be afraid of networking. As an avowed introvert with a moderate case of shyness, too often I would pass up opportunities to meet and connect with people. Much later in life I would discover that networking was an acquired skill and was well within my reach…
Read the entire article at the AICPA Insights Blog
While LinkedIn has become the database of record for our careers, it is so much more than that. It is the one place on the Internet where we make our professional declaration of who we are and what we do. As such, it is extremely useful in building and maintaining a rich network of professional relationships. A current and complete profile makes it easy for friends and network connections to remember where you’ve been and what you’re working on.
In Helpful: A Guide to Life, Careers, and the Art of Networking, I write about eight reasons to keep your profile up to date. Here are three of them.
There is always an element of serendipity to success. You have to be in the right place at the right time when the right opportunity comes along. However, to be successful in the modern corporate world you need more than just luck. You have to get three things right:
- You have to do good work.
- You have to be doing the right work.
- You have to be visible.
Inside networking is critical in all three areas.
As you grow as a leader you find yourself spending more time developing people and less time knee-deep in the weeds. Here are four questions to ask your direct reports on a regular basis. If you do so, they will evolve in their ability to deliver results and you will develop as a leader.
Want a better relationship with your boss? It’s easier than you think to create a great working relationship. The secret is effective communications and a mutual understanding of what you expect from each other.
Ask these questions on a regular basis, ensuring that you and your boss are on the same page. Try inserting one or two of them into your one-on-one meetings with your boss — in the most open-ended way you can. Let your boss surprise you!
People often ask me what books I recommend for introverts. These are my current top three.
- The Introvert’s Way: Living a Quiet Life In a Noisy World by Sophia Dembling
- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Won’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
- Quiet Influence: The Introvert’s Guide to Making a Difference by Jennifer Kahnweiler
How visible are you at work? Chances are good that you’re making one of most common career mistakes there is — pouring a disproportionate about of effort into doing good work and not taking enough time to get to know other people.
This is like wearing a cloak of invisibility.
Networking inside your company is some of the most important work that you can do — and not just for yourself. Building a web of strong relationships up, down, and across your organization is invaluable for any projects and tasks that you could hope to accomplish, especially inside large organizations.
Treat yourself to a 10 minute self-improvement splurge today and go watch Casey Brown’s insightful TED Talk on getting paid what you are worth. Casey’s tagline is worth having embossed on a poster:
No one will ever pay you what you’re worth. They’ll only ever pay you what they think you’re worth. And you control their thinking.
I work with people who see coaching not as a cost, nor as a sign of weakness, but as an avenue to breakthroughs and greatness. The value of that coaching depends on how hard you are willing to work and how successful you want be.
About Heather
Heather Hollick has been helping others become better leaders and craft more meaningful careers for more than 25 years. Her experience spans both business and technology, operations and organizational development. Oh, and she was born in Canada, so she can't help but be helpful. 😉