By Karen Delk
Published Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Do you want influence and recognition at work? Do you want to be successful and advance your career? Do you want money in the bank and not live paycheck to paycheck? Do you want to live the life you desire?
If you answered yes to any of these questions but do not know how to get what you want, this article provides valuable tips.
Creating a vision of what you want is the first step because it sets direction. Keep it simple and straightforward. If you are a student, the goal may be - I want a job post graduation or attend graduate school. If you are working, it may be to advance your career or pursue your passion. To start, set your GPS to begin your journey. As panelists, each of us shared our journey from law school, business marketing, and human resources, and what we needed was to gain experience and strong foundational skills.
Students and alums may not realize it, but we gain excellent marketable skills when taking leadership roles, completing projects, collaborating with others in community work, or creating an event. Leverage those transferable skills and describe them, so others know what you do and how you see yourself. Theda describes herself as the Reconstruction expert. She is an attorney, and she helps people reconstruct their lives after divorce, bankruptcy, or some other personal concern.
Social media is a great tool to personalize your image. Students have grown up utilizing social media casually, and you can begin to shift to create a professional image and a brand. Choose carefully what you post in pictures and text, club photos with friends may not be appropriate as you begin interviewing for summer internships or full-time positions. Remove those pictures from public view.
Our first lady is recognized internationally for her healthy, playful, and stylish look. It is not too early to know what colors and styles make you look best. It is not about size or body shape. There are so many choices available to women now. Conduct a color analysis with different color fabric swatches next to your skin to find those shades that make you look amazing. I did not know about this website, but it shares photos of our fashion-forward first lady. Dress for Success when you are formally introducing yourself. First impressions matter. http://mrs-o.com/newdata/author/mrso In networking, what do you say? How do you describe your interest? What do people want to know about you? Begin by creating what we call an elevator speech. It is 30 second summary of describing your interests and what you offer potential employers or organizations you want to connect to. Life offers many twists and turns, and learning to embrace unplanned life events is also essential. If you face layoff, need to make a change, then seize the moment by getting the help you need and be resourceful with books, tapes, and like-minded friends. Plan what you want for 2013, then work on your plan. You can do it!
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