How to Gain the Professional Edge, Third Edition

Susan Morem

Description

Studies have shown that 93 percent of what is believed about people in business is based upon visual messages, not on credentials or on the content of conversation. An invaluable resource for today's job market, How to Gain the Professional Edge, Third Edition helps readers answer a multitude of questions about behavior, attitude, and image to improve professionalism and open doors to advancement and career success. This new edition has been updated to discuss evolving social media and technology, greater awareness of interpersonal issues in the workplace, and changing fashions.

Chapters include:

• Critical First Impressions


• Do You Hear What You Are Not Saying?


• The Attitude Advantage


• Social Graces in Business Places


• Maximize Your Relationships


• Details Make a Difference


• You Are What You Wear


• Tune into Technology.

Perfect for young readers preparing to enter the job market or workers who want to hone their professionalism and advance their careers, this informative eBook provides the tools, skills, and techniques to help people achieve their professional goals.

Sujets

• Careers
• Employabilité, métiers et formations
• Los ambiciosos
• Advancement
• Professional
• Career
• Economics
• Success
• Business
• Impression
• Image
• Carrière
• Carrière & Mobilité

Informations

• Publié par: Infobase Publishing
• Date de parution: 01 mars 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438193793
• Langue: English

Extrait

How to Gain the Professional Edge, Third Edition
Copyright © 2019 by Infobase
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For more information, contact:
Ferguson An imprint of Infobase 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001
ISBN 978-1-4381-9379-3
You can find Ferguson on the World Wide Web at http://www.infobase.com
Contents Chapters It's All About You Defining Your Success Critical First Impressions The Impact of Image Do You Hear What You Are Not Saying? Every Interaction Is Important You Are What You Wear Details Make a Difference Tune in to Technology Social Graces in Business Places Business, Pleasure, and Hunger-A Dangerous Mix Maximize Your Relationships The Attitude Advantage Go for the Edge! Support Materials Author Bio Index
Chapters
It's All About You
What Do You Want?
Imagine two people starting out in their careers; both are bright, talented, and likely to succeed. They share similar goals and both work hard to achieve them. However, over the years only one of them excels; the other remains stagnant.
Have you ever wondered why some people are more successful than others? What enables some people to succeed and what limits the success of others? Why will some people reach their dreams while others never come close to reaching theirs?
Does what we do determine how successful we will be, or is success a matter of chance or good fortune? If you've ever questioned your chances of success, you are not alone. Success and happiness are hot commodities but remain somewhat elusive.
Are you where you want to be in your career and in your life? Do you have a vision for your future? Do you have a plan to help you reach your goals or the hope that you will? How do you define success for you? How will you know if you are successful?
Years ago, maintaining employment with one company until retirement was the norm. Today, permanent employment with one company has become somewhat of an anomaly, and increasing numbers of seniors are postponing their retirement. Times have changed, and so have the reasons people do the work they do. Money is a driving factor, but not the only one. More and more people seek meaning from their work and look for ways to increase their efficiency.
Do you measure your success by your income or your status? If you are striving to be in a position of authority, earn more money, or acquire material possessions, are you sure you will be satisfied when you do? Success shows up in many ways; what are the indicators of your success?
Opportunity is abundant and most anything is possible, but you need to know what your "anything" is. When you know what you want and declare your vision, you have a greater chance of achieving it. As you become clear about your goals, share them with others. Don't keep your dreams and vision a secret. When you talk about your goals, they become more tangible. There are resources and people available to help you reach your dreams, but it's up to you to tap into them. Don't hesitate to ask people for advice; most will be delighted to share the things they've learned. There are mentoring programs, workshops, seminars, audio programs and books all designed to help you gain confidence and skills that lead to success.
It Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
Life can be complicated; at times we keep ourselves so busy, we're left with little time to think about the things that really matter. We're busy creating lists of things to do that never get done because we run out of time. We have good intentions, but we deliver poor results when we overcommit or put things off. We strive to be effective managers, business owners, and employees and do our best to be compassionate family members, friends, and lovers. We are expected to be decent citizens, community members, and coworkers and are responsible for our children, pets, homes, and personal belongings.
We've got deadlines to meet, appointments to make, and commitments to honor. When we want something, we want it now, and we can't imagine what life was like before there were cell phones, the Internet, computers, and overnight or same-day delivery.
As busy as we are, we aren't always productive, and we waste a tremendous amount of time. We spend endless hours waiting; we wait for people, we wait in lines, and we wait for answers. We get caught up in traffic, held up on the computer, and slowed down when we're put on hold or waiting for a response. We put up with constant interruptions—the phone, the computer, the meetings, the customers, the coworkers, the questions, the requests, the children, the dog, the cat, the deliveries, and the unexpected problems.
It is easy to become overwhelmed with all we have to manage, but most of us have more control over our time and our lives than we think. Instead of taking control, too often we say yes when we should say no, and we agree to do more than we should. It's easier to blame someone else than it is to be held responsible, or to give up instead of hanging on. Too often we accept failure instead of pursuing success.
Take control of what you can; don't leave the odds of your success to chance. Take the time to think about what you want, and never allow yourself to become so busy that you fail to create your vision for your future. If you want to reach your goals, you need to know what you want and effectively communicate your needs to others.
Take an honest look at yourself no matter where you are in your life or career. Evaluate yourself and identify areas you need to work on. Gain new skills and knowledge that will help you become the person you want to be. Take the time to read, think, and really work through the suggested exercises. Then take what you've learned and put it into practice. Knowledge alone isn't enough; what you do with the knowledge you've gained makes all the difference.
Evaluate Yourself
It's important to begin by thinking about what brought you to where you are today. Once you do, it will become easier to lead yourself to your tomorrow. Do you know how others see you? Do you know how you want others to see you? How do you see yourself, and what do you reveal about yourself to others? It's not always easy to conduct an honest assessment, but it is important. Complete the following personal evaluation. In three words, describe how you see yourself. What are your three greatest strengths? Capitalize these to remind yourself to capitalize on them. Know what you're good at. List three of your greatest or proudest accomplishments. What three things do you like best about your image? What three aspects of your current job do you like best? Think of the best job you've ever had. What were the three main reasons you liked that job? What makes you great at what you do?
Before you move on, if you didn't fill in all of the spaces, take the time to go over each question again. This can be a challenging exercise if you were taught not to brag about your accomplishments or speak too highly of yourself. While some people have no problem singing their praises, others have a difficult time. They find it easier to focus on what they lack, rather than what they have. It's vital to know your individual strengths and what makes you unique.
Once you've finished responding to the first set of questions, move on to the following questions: Describe how you would like to see yourself in three words. What are three areas you could improve on? List three reasons you are dissatisfied with your image. Identify three mistakes you've made. Identify the three things you complain about most often in your life. Identify the three things you complain about most often in your job. If you could change three things about your current job, what would they be?
If it was easier for you to answer this set of questions, evaluate the reasons why. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and both should be acknowledged. However, if you are used to focusing on what you aren't, you're missing out on all that you are. When you focus on your weaknesses, you aren't able to focus on developing your strengths. When you portray yourself positively to others, others tend to see you positively. When you belittle yourself in front of others, you are drawing attention to your perceived inadequacies. When you portray yourself negatively, people tend to see you more negatively.
As you review your answers, you'll begin to see that the way you see yourself and the way you describe yourself are an integral part of your sense of self-confidence and self-esteem. Do you find agreement between the way you see yourself and the way you would like to see yourself? If not, what changes do you need to make so that the two sets of descriptions match, or in other words, so you become who you want to be?
The key to professional success is something you've probably heard before: Accentuate the positive. To be successful and to project a positive image, you must know what your strengths are and be proud to name and develop them. If you have trouble coming up with answers to these questions, work on them—know what makes you great!
Write each of the strengths you've listed in bold letters on a 3" × 5" card and tape the card someplace you look frequently; tape it to your mirror, to the sun visor of your car, or in your daily planner. Do whatever it takes to remind yourself of what you have going for you and what you—and only you—have to offer.
Before you can gain the professional edge, you need to believe you can be successful. Don't compare yourself to others; focus on the kind of person you want to become. When you believe in yourself and feel deserving of the success you're after, you've taken the most important step toward having it. Success can be achieved by anyone; you can achieve the succes