Video game developers from large companies to small startup indie developers all gathered to attend this event. There’s a shared excitement amongst this group of professionals when it comes to the topics of gaming. In a time where industries tend to rely on sales tactics to broaden the appeal of a product, this industry challenges the developers to generate different content to appeal to everyone. In the panel discussions, the speakers attempt to educate the developers on optimization or psychological techniques to help make “fun” games for everyone.

There were 64 topics over 48 hours with 2 Keynote speakers. Each session was organized by a “track” with an included focus on video game design, art, mobile apps, writing, business, programming, education, and career.

Listed below are a few of topics available for the attendees:

“Path to Production”- Attendees can learn how to prepare themselves for a career in the industry.

“A Call to Action” – Attendees learned how to address cultural barriers when selling their products in other countries.

“Is the metaphor Right” – Attendees were given optimization advice on how to design game play settings with the goal of improving the gamer’s experience.

“Intro into Game Production” – Attendees discuss successful methods to implement project management in the video game industry.

“Turning your game into your company”- Attendees discuss the legal aspects of game development for either large organizations or small businesses.

“You’re Hired!” – Attendees learn how to sell their skills as an artist or graphic game designer to their prospective employers.

‘I was excited to see that I could learn from industry leaders without hopping on a plan and flying 3 hours behind,” said Sophia who is from Kernersville, North Carolina and a Digital Effects and Animation expert. “However, at ECGC I’ve got the opportunity to meet very different people right brain (like programmers) AND left brain (like animators).  At other conferences, that’s not always the case.”

The North Carolina area specifically has the capacity to succeed and thrive for a long time. It’s surrounded by universities that continually research and try to break new ground.  That’s the exact mentality that the game industry needs to create novel ideas — to keep their audience captivated.

The game industry here, from what I have seen, has been driven by passion, community involvement, and continual growth within the companies and growth outside.  As long as current game companies and prospective companies share what they know, keep learning, and teach each other NC’s game industry will be a force to be reckoned with.

The video game industry has a large presence not only on the East Coast but here locally in the triangle. Local studios were present here at the conference like Epic Games, Insomniac, and Ubisoft Red Storm just to name a few companies. The conference had industry professionals sharing their experience with attendees in an engaging forum format. If you’re looking for a career in the gaming industry the triangle is a great place to be.

Chris Devens from Epic Games led the talk on how to break into the field or thrive in this emerging world of games in his talk Breaking into the Gaming Industry:  From QA to Art.

Mr. Devens started in QA in the gaming field but came from graphic design, advertising and a six year plus stint in real estate. He provided this insight on gaming as a career:

“The route is difficult and long, but it provides a great foot in the door for gaming companies.”

“Epic Games doesn’t do much shadowing; the business is too fast and busy for that.”

“There is not average day but much of the day is making art on the computer.”

“I cannot stress networking enough in and with this industry. Meet everyone you can.”

“You have to be willing to put the hours in on the job.  It shows you’re dedicated and passionate about the projects.”

“Artist should use use Polycount Forum; post work there for others to see.”

“Be sure to respond well to feedback.  Positive criticism is only meant to help.”

“Companies want to see that you can work independently and not rely on texture artists.”

“Learn everything you can. Watch tutorial videos. E3D has the best tutorials. Digital Tutors is tediously informative about process.”

“Learn to not sleep (joking). There are limited require hours so everything can meet together. There is no flexibility in QA. You can learn to do QA if you can play games and translate bugs, glitches, and other problems to paper.”

“Lots of companies prefer no previous experience so you can learn their method.”

“Get to know the artists. Walk a fine line between seeking help and becoming a nuisance. Learn from what they say.Take advantage of opportunities. Be willing to do grunt work.”

“Portfolio showing work in game assets is a must. Learn how to do production modeling. Have a website, an online presence. Meet more people and learn what you can from them. Treat everyone respectfully.”

“If you’re in an in-house interview, they already like your work. Interviews can go for eight hour blocks, meeting with different departments to see if you’re a good fit for the company culture. Passion goes a long way in interviews. Humor helps, but don’t be a smartass. Don’t come in sloppily dressed, but casual is okay.”

What is it like to work today in an increasingly monitored employment world? Privacy has decreased and monitoring of our every move has increased and will continue to increase. What’s on the horizon? Pressure for all of us to perform to our absolute best just to keep our contracts, positions and roles in this stressful, new world of work. That’s a given. Employers want to track you, help you perform better and, frankly, get the most for their investment in you. Employers want you protected from others, from danger, from mistakes and from your unproductive self but the cost of monitoring has a price. That price may be taking more of your freedom and privacy.

To “be our best” and for “our own protection” we are being watched and monitored just about everywhere we go. At work it is no different. If we look at the world of work it may look more like a casino in the coming years minus the clanging, clicks, clacks and alcohol (at least for most companies). The stress may move from looking for and keeping a job to looking for and keeping your employer from monitoring your every waking breath.

Psychology Today states that workers feel that until a transition is made to a new position stress is a chronic condition. Add to that stress the new level of security each company wants in its workplace. What does this mean? Once you have a job what is it like to work in the new world of work today where privacy and freedom are on the run? A glimpse of what is and what is to come could be viewed from an Orwellian porch, looking over the casino you are about to enter. In the name of security and productivity companies more and more want to watch your every move. So if you like working in a casino get ready to rumble. Welcome to the world of workplace monitoring.

Before you enter into your new job it may be worth investigating your companies stance on workplace monitoring. If you have been so busy looking at the possibilities of work and joyfully moving into your new interviews and landing a new role you may miss out.

Here is a glimpse of your company now and your future into the casino inspired world of work:

Cuddle Up with GPS. For most executives and professionals GPS location monitoring seems foreign. That’s for the service people but the truth is it’s coming to your workplace and more and more people will need to be aware that this technology, the technology to monitor your every location move may make it to you. Even though recent court decisions like U.S. v. Jones may call into question employer monitoring of employees, just know that employers have a clear desire to monitor their equipment and to provide training. In her article “I Know Where You Were Last Night – Employers Using GPS To Monitor Employees” Jennifer L. Parent suggests employers consider identifying “the legitimate business interests and benefits of such monitoring.” She also warns employees that employers may be in strong compliance when they have policies in place because “employers should identify the legitimate business interests and benefits of such monitoring.”

Don’t Cozy Up to Your Employer Provided Smartphone. Lulled into a false sense of security many new and established employees need to be aware their employer could have every right to monitor all their calls on this mobile device along with your employer provided computer. According to Parent “Federal law, which regulates phone calls with persons outside the state, does allow unannounced monitoring for business-related calls.” Even if Federal law states that employers must stop monitoring “personal calls” from specified business phones, the employee still takes the risks those phones may be monitored.

Video Surveillance Rumblings. Regarding security and safety, look for an increase in video monitoring at work. According to Cameras and Video Surveillance in the Workplace by Lisa Gueron, J.D., “many employers are using video surveillance at the workplace, often to prevent theft or to monitor employees are actually doing while on the clock.” FindLaw.com published an article “Can Employers Use Video Cameras to Monitor Workers?” in which they provide insight to employers and employees. What can you do as the employer or employee? You should check with your state labor agency and understand what “reasonable expectations of privacy” are but you must also know that video surveillance can be legitimate and lawful. Despite the fact employers are increasingly burdened with legal implications of video monitoring the ever growing desire to monitor employee productivity, prevent violence and monitor work pushes the privacy envelope wide open.

In the casino world companies like Biometrica and Griffin Technology databases share pictures of you from other casinos all in the name of preventing cheating, theft and increase security. Look for more traditional employers wanting to find not just people but patterns of behavior from this kind of database and software. The world of work now may monitor email, voicemail, phone, select social media, and computer communication. Employers know you have, as an employee, a reasonable right to privacy in the bathroom, in your union meetings and more based on most current Federal and state law. But the push from employees and not just employers is they need more security, more safety and perhaps, unwittingly, more monitoring of our every move and thus less privacy. Perhaps we want to be monitored if it can help us and protect us, right? But do we need to be monitored every second now after landing our next gig?

Wasn’t the job search and isn’t carer progression hard enough?

Image Credit: instantshift.com

A self-confident person walks into a job interview knowing that they have the skills and knowledge to handle the position being offered.  A self-confident person asks to be promoted based on an assurance that the promotion is deserved because of past work and can site clear examples. Their path to success involved others in most cases but their clear value proposition to ask for the promotion is there.  Self-confidence comes from feeling that you deserve to have and be what you want.

Self-Confidence – Vital to Career Progression

Self-confidence is a prerequisite to success and happiness since performance is often based on attitude as much as aptitude.  Success or failure can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.  This is particularly true in the area of self-marketing.  If you want a promotion or a raise but aren’t confident that you deserve it, you’re likely to let your doubts get in your way. Doubts affect outlook and can negatively impact decisions as well as the relationships you need to succeed in almost any company or organization.  You may be reluctant to directly approach those in charge of promotions.  Or, you might couch your request in a vague manner, using such terms as “maybe,” “if,” and “sometime.” Managing your job and career with wobbly “maybe” language won’t help advance your career causes.

A confident person applying for a new job writes a cover letter that at least thematically if not literally states, “I will do x, y, and z for your company,” and its tone and expectation is “I look forward to hearing from you.”  Such statements immediately imply that the applicant expects to be interviewed and hired.  The less confident applicant couches the correspondence in terms of, “I could do x, y, and z for your company” and “I hope to hear from you.”  These statements imply doubt.  In the mind of whoever reads the letter, that doubt easily extends to the applicant’s appropriateness for the job.  Confidence means taking a positive approach –  an approach that has a way of influencing and persuading other people to your cause and your commitment. They know if they hire you then their cause may become yours. That’s career power.

If you expect to do well at any particular endeavor – from performing a task on the job to gaining social acceptance outside the job –  you’re likely to do far better than you would if you expect mediocrity or failure.  Self-confident career advancers want to know maximums and not minimums. They become interested in the price it takes to differentiate themselves from average. They send a message that average performers will be caught up in their pursuit of goals. Teachers have known for years that students who are told they are progressing well in spelling, math, or whatever tend to achieve more than students who are told they are having problems.  Doubts compromise your effectiveness, and self-doubt makes it unlikely that you can effectively market yourself.  It’s like trying to sell a product you don’t believe in.  You can’t commit yourself to it wholeheartedly.

Look Better in a Hurry

Self-confidence increases your attractiveness to other people, and that, in turn, also can increase your effectiveness.  So much of what we do – at work and outside work – is done with or through other people.  When they sense that you’re confident and involve them positively and not as pawns, they want to be around you, support you, and even be like you.  They “go to bat” for you and generally assist you in being as effective as you can be.  It makes them feel good to be around someone who has a positive, enthusiastic, “can do” attitude.  On the other hand, people tend to avoid someone who’s continually worried, self-doubting, and skeptical.

Peace of mind and contentment with life follow on the heels of acceptance of yourself, which then leads to acceptance of others.  Conversely, many forms of destructive behavior are due to low self-confidence.  For instance, a mid-level manager at a high technology firm constantly befriended new employees, only to spread rumors about them later.  This man, unsure about his own place in the company, felt it necessary to sabotage the reputation of new employees.  Such behavior only destroyed his own position in the long run.

Are you immune from failure or setbacks as a self-confident person? No. However, confidence seems to create a resiliency response, allowing you to bounce back from failures.  Positive self-esteem provides a reservoir of inner strength – a constant that is not dependent upon others and the situations in which you find yourself.  Conversely, lack of self-esteem saps your energy with worries about acceptance and accomplishments, creating a downward spiral when those worries do begin to hamper your effectiveness.

Increasing Self-Confidence

Here’s more good news. You’re not stuck with your present degree of confidence.  If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “I’m not a confident person,” you’re wrong.  Confidence doesn’t come with a genetic code. It’s not inscribed on your birth certificate; it can be developed.  Of course, developing it is hard work, even lonely work and especially when you haven’t necessarily exuded it in years.  When you begin to work on becoming more self-confident, you may not get a lot of support from others. They expect you to be Charlie Brown, to expect failure and rejection.  Pursue self-confident new habits anyway. Once others see your serious they’ll criticize you but if you do not relent they will follow you. For those who don’t, were they ever really your friends?

Take a good look at the root of your lack of self-confidence.  Where does it come from? What do you say and what do you do during pressure situations or in a setback?  What situations are most problematic?  In what situations do things seem a little better?  Finding the answers to such questions can help you dispel personal myths, point out positive occurrences, and begin a realistic program to build your confidence.

In many cases, we spent parts of early years in high school thinking we weren’t as smart as a lot of other people.  Even though many of our records in high school academics or athletics could be viewed as way above average, we felt that we could never compete with our “brilliant” friends.

John: As I entered college and encountered groups of people I never met before and did not grow up with in my town in Ohio I didn’t really start defining myself in objective ways. It certainly took some time in the military and at early career positions to start to see qualities I possessed positively impact others. Making leadership decisions that succeeded and failed in my many jobs in construction, teaching and in sales roles led me to seek ways to serve others and to influence others I didn’t really know were valuable. They were.

Jeff: Until I was about 30 years old, I was certain that truly brilliant people, like some of those I had known in high school, were not at all uncommon, and, of course, I would never quite achieve that lofty status.  I finally realized that my brightest school friends were not actually representative of the entire population as a whole.  Simply understanding the roots of my lack of confidence – and dispelling some myths about it – bolstered my own confidence enormously.

It helps to determine the exact situations in which you feel more or less confident.  Don’t worry about them, write them down; and continue by writing a plan of action for improving the situation and even avoiding situations or reactions on your part that bring you down, that are counter-productive.  For example, your action plan might look like this:

    * I feel most confident when…
    * I feel least confident when…
    * Some things I can do to improve a situation of least confidence are…
    * When I respond to pressure…(this way)…I feel confident.

Here’s how one person completed the above:  “I feel most confident when I know I am wearing clothes appropriate to the situation, when I am physically fit, and when I am among people I know well.  I feel least confident when I am among strangers and when I feel I have taken on more than I can achieve in a given time frame.  To improve a situation that instills low confidence, I need to look and feel my best, to be highly organized in my work, and to operate under the assumption that everybody suffers a certain amount of discomfort in a room full of strangers.”

You also learn about your personal level of confidence by examining how you act and react at home, at work, alone, and in the company of others.  The questions below, used by author Sam Horn, are designed to help you pinpoint situations that may be precursors to feelings of low self-confidence.  Indicate true or false after each statement.  (Add a little explanation if you like.)

   * I tend to complete tasks successfully that I wholeheartedly attack.
    * I check and recheck to make sure I have done things even though I know they were done.
    * I feel uncomfortable about the amount of formal education I’ve had.
    * I have frequently wished that I could act more spontaneously more of the time.
    * I have no qualms about meeting new males or females.
    * Sometimes it seems that everyone is seeking my opinion on something.
    * The word that best describes me in my childhood and to somewhat today is inadequate.
    * I have always regretted that I could not live up to my parents’ expectations for me.
    * I get enough feedback at work to know that I am performing satisfactorily.
    * I have often found myself thinking self-condemning thoughts.
    * I don’t feel that I have the right to criticize anyone because I have my own failings.
    * I feel a sense of accomplishment from my work.
    * Basically, I accept and respect myself for the person I am.
    * I often find myself worrying about what others are thinking about me.    

It isn’t difficult to review your answers and see where some problems might lie.  For example, if you answered false to “I get enough feedback at work…”, you may sense a lack of confidence at work that stems from ambiguity about your performance.  In this case, the remedy may be in taking the initiative to ask for feedback.  This is particularly likely to boost your confidence, because people performing badly generally get plenty of feedback.

Another example:  If you answered true to “I feel uncomfortable about the amount of formal education…”, your lack of confidence in this area may mean that you expect to achieve less than your educated colleagues, and, therefore, do achieve less.  But remember — many great achievers throughout history had little education.

The Art of Confidence-Building

Beyond analyzing the sources and situations concerning your level of confidence, there are some specific strategies you can adopt and steps you can take to learn and practice confidence-building:

Stay Focused On Good Habits.  Practicing self-confidence won’t change you into wonder-woman or superman overnight — or ever.  Self-confidence will allow you to make the best of what you can do. Also many non-self confident people quit new, positive habits way too early. Often follow through on good habits is all it takes to succeed and increase self-esteem.

Know Your Goods.  Your confidence may be so low that it seems you do nothing  well.  But stop and think about even the small things that you do each day–from organizing your mail to meeting self-imposed deadlines for routine chores.  You may be surprised to find some abilities and positive features that you haven’t given ample credit to in the past.  Making a list works well.  You’ll find that by emphasizing the positive, you’ll gain confidence to work on the less positive.

Make Yourself Happy.  Extending yourself to impress others runs counter to the idea of confidence.  You may need to spend more time doing things simply because you want to do them and they make you feel good.  These are the activities in which you’re most likely to succeed and that are most likely to bolster your confidence when they go well.

Small Wins Matter.  Maybe you didn’t get that promotion, but pat yourself on the back for getting asked your opinion in a meeting or for completing that report ahead of schedule.  Don’t figure all is lost if the big accomplishments elude you for now.  If everything seems to be falling apart in one area of your life, look for achievements in another.

Reward Yourself Often.  Enjoy your successes.  Celebrating success helps you take the focus off your mistakes.  When you finish a budget or report on deadline, take yourself–and others–out to a movie.  When you get some overdue positive feedback, treat yourself to a lunch hour at a museum or buy yourself a book you’ve been wanting.  Let other people know you are celebrating and that they’re important enough to you that you want them to share.

Learn From Failure.  Guess what mistakes are a part of a confident person’s DNA. Don’t let mistakes drag you down by dwelling on them.  Instead regard them as lessons — stepping stones that give you a higher vantage point for better knowledge and wisdom.  Be glad that you’ve learned that lesson and won’t make that mistake again.  But, give yourself permission to make some mistakes and to be a little less than perfect.

Words Matter.  Sounding confident can be heard. Practice using positive terms in conversation.  For example, despite some concerns you may have, simply say, “Yes, we will get that done,” or, “I can get it finished on time.”  Your confidence will likely lead to a better chance of accomplishing what you’ve set out to do.  Practice speaking without saying, “but,” “maybe,” “if,” “I’m not sure,” and other qualifiers.

Look the Part.  Don’t overlook this part. It may seem superficial but it is not. No matter how you feel today, dress and groom yourself as you would on a day when you were feeling on top of the world.  Remind yourself to stand as if you want to be an inch taller and walk with a firm, purposeful stride.  When you keep your head up and maintain good eye contact, those around you act more interested and confident in you.  And that, in turn, will build your confidence.

Initiate Positive Conversations.  Communication and positive communication matters and it’s a choice. It’s not easy to start talking to people you don’t know, but force yourself to do it.  We all start as strangers.  What’s the worst that can happen?  They are unlikely to turn and run away or to act insulted or angry.  Starting a conversation with a stranger at a conference or a party will build your confidence, because they will generally respond with interest and gratitude.  People will view you and treat you as a self-confident person.

Prepare Discussions in Advance.  Play through any upcoming scheduled meetings, interviews, or conversations ahead of time.  This prepares you to handle most obstacles that could arise.  Make some notes to yourself about topics, questions, and responses.  If you’re at a loss for words in social situations, make some mental notes about all the topics of “small talk” about which you could ask questions or initiate discussions.  These could range from the weather to the front page news.  What you say may not be as important as the fact that you are able to say something with confidence.

Imitate Self-Confident People.  Identify the people around you who have a good degree of self-confidence and observe them.  I find this technique to be effective.  Is it how they work, what they say, how they carry themselves?  Select one small behavior at a time and try to emulate it.  Dr. Judy Kuriansky, a radio talk show host and author, says imitation is essential to learning.  She notes that if you are attracted to self-confidence in others, it’s likely that you have the capacity for greater personal self-confidence.  The qualities we admire and envy in others usually reflect our own undeveloped capacities.

Experiment with Roles.  In the privacy of your home, preferably in front of a mirror, act out the self-confident attitudes and manners that a  confident person would show the world.  A friend of mine once related that he has eight different hats, ranging from a baseball cap to a Texas ten-gallon hat.  Every morning, he puts on a different hat depending on what challenges he will face that day.  Then he pictures meeting those challenges while he looks at himself in the mirror.  Hey, use whatever works for you!

Increasing your self-confidence is primarily a matter of finding out what makes you feel good about yourself and then practicing these behavior patterns.  It means assuring yourself and others that you have made and will continue to make some highly worthwhile accomplishments — without shrugging off any accomplishments as too insignificant to count.  As you display this attitude more and more, others will soon increase their confidence in you. Involving others in your positive progress helps too. All of this will lead to even greater self-confidence for you. It’s funny how the world of work and life become better places when your confidence increases.

Image Credit: instantshift.com

In an executive roundtable discussion at Triangle Executive Careers Group, I led a discussion with Mike DeCocco and other executives on issues related to developing and refining your value proposition in the marketplace to advance your career or to energize a stalled job search.

Many of the participants provided critical insight, observations and advice from their own real-world experiences about what works and what doesn’t as you try to distinguish yourself and your value to employers. According to Wiki, a value proposition can be defined as a promise of value to be delivered and a belief from the customer that value will be experienced.

Here are six networking related ideas and insights from our groups discussion and conversation:

Prepare! Networking Can Be An Interview. Among my clients I have asked them to network but prepare for any “unofficial” networking interview to potentially be a “real interview.” It doesn’t mean you need to show up in a suit to every coffee shop conversation or pay for someone’ expensive lunch but it does mean that if you set up a networking meeting try to be prepared. At minimum, look the person up on LinkedIn, find out some bio on them and try to get a sense about what is important to them personally and professionally. Know about the company or organization they work for and if they ask be able to answer some critical interview type questions. DeCocco suggests “doing a little preparation” can make all the difference. Dana Gower pointed out that bringing in an article and having something of value to “share” with them based upon what you learned about them before the meeting “is just fundamentally sound.”

Energize Your Existing Network. If you have an existing network how can we persuade them to create a strategic alliance and a close conversation that could reveal value for both parties? In my career coaching practice I have seen people work away from those that they know and now energize people who do know them to help. Develop and send a new resume with an encouraging note to existing contacts about what you are looking for and target companies. Ask people who know you how you can help them help you. Don’t take for granted anyone you think you know. Energize existing relationships so that your close friends, family and network doesn’t just say they will endorse you they enthusiastically endorse you.  In DeCocco’s case the contact that ultimately hired him came from a relationships renewed after 15 years.

Relationships + Experience = Value. Even if your background does not add up, tit for tat, to every element of every job description you may be applying for Mike Stevens suggests that “your background is your journey” in this work life. In the course of Stevens diverse, successful career journey through entrepreneurship, government assignments and account management roles a potential employer or networking contact may not be able to “add up” your value so you need to clearly state how the transferable skills matter. Business equals relationships. Stevens adds: “My journey has given me a host of experiences, the greatest being the ability to form relationships.” Relationships create value.

Look for Partnerships Not A Transaction. To become the recruited, you can mourn the losses or close calls in getting hired but ask people who interview you why the other person was a better fit. This gives you feedback you can use and improve your brand and your networking. A tireless networker who has reinvented and reinvigorated his career is Tom Rossetti. As a multi-faceted human resources leader, Rossetti understands benefits, employee relations, training and working with all levels of staff. “Without excellent communication skills and a customer focused attitude,” Rossetti states, “you just cannot succeed long-term in corporate America.” I used those skills in every opportunity I have ever had. Today I look at networking as I do human resources. If we can get together let’s find a way to partner on ways we can move each other forward in my value proposition.”

Let Passion Power Your Value. As an executive, Jim Chambers leads with passion. As the leader of the North Carolina Executive Roundtable, an executive networking and consulting entity Jim has always been passionate about turning around processes, people and organizations. With a background working in small and medium enterprises his value has been as he says it “in the ability to quickly recognize the gap between corporate vision and actual performance goals.” To take on difficult turnaround operations, change them and improve them takes a lot of energy. How does he do it and how does he lead others in the same? Chambers recommends networking with a passionate plan to create value. “Developing a plan with measurable steps so you can set goals and begin closing the path to your new opportunities. People need to hear your passion for doing this and they will passionately help you as you network.”

Bring Your Gifts. Advanced degrees matter. Top level certifications can make a difference to people. Titles can impress many people. How you help organizations make money and reduce costs can be impressive? But at the end of the day many people will care more that you remembered their name, that you took the time to follow up and that you listened. Take John Rabon for example. He possess advanced degrees in law and public administration as well as clear gifts in research, communications, legal and government relations that could be a clear boon for any non-profit and government organization. But he wants people to remember more that he can put his smarts to work in a caring way. Rabon states: “I want to make the community a better place by crafting and implementing public policy that has a positive impact on customers and stakeholders.” So in networking don’t trade status for a caring, considerate and sincere communication of your bigger purpose.

So let people hear about your work life mission and let them know what matters to you. It seems like a risk in networking but handled right, it will matter to those you may need in your life and career. Don’t turn down a simple cup of coffee meeting. Don’t think small meetings and interactions, with proper follow up, cannot become big, career and positive life impacting moves. They matter, You matter.

Unfortunately the over 40 crowd can self destruct their career options by thinking, acting and doing things that hurt themselves as they ambitiously pursue their next career opportunity. Many of these items should be classified in the correctable, unforced error column. Remember people in their 20′s probably think just about anyone over 40 suffers from Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, looks old, acts old, isn’t cool and they probably don’t want to hang out with you. It’s true. So there is a built in animosity whether we want to admit it or not. But do not let the young guns of the workplace add to your potential, career damaging discontent. I cannot begin to explore the extent of career damaging decisions and thought processes for the over 40 crowd but I have at least three.

1. Unkept or Dated Physical Appearance. I know just about every commercial on television shows people with short beards, rugged featured male models who are usually eating and drinking whatever they want. I know even the over 40 actor who portray the leering eye Viagra or Cialis men certain have the cool but rugged, unkept look. The sad truth is many over 40 executive jobseekers don’t look good in shaggy, rugged looks. Without investing in high dollar business casual or business formal suits many executives wear baggy fitting clothes. They have dandruff on the shoulders. They don’t worry about their breath post breakfast or lunch. This is a problem. Here is why. Post 40 you just do not look as cool as you did in your 20s. You don’t get away with anything. Just dine out and have a big meal. Doesn’t it seem like you used to be able to eat anything and now it goes to your gut (guys) or your waist/hips (ladies). We get away with nothing post 40 so get used to it.

Possible Solution: Take nothing for granted. Wear fitted clothing no matter your budget. Don’t be afraid to ask questions on latest styles / trends that are appropriate for your age. Be extra diligent about your oral care routines, your appearance and your scent (or smell). Ask people in their 20s what message you send by your appearance and be ready for brutal honesty. Ask others what your look, smell and attitude says about you. Become actionable.

2. Be Averse to Technology and Change. One of the most noticeable ways you can “act old” is to almost always object to new technology. It’s a way to show you are resistant to change, to new learning and to the new world of work. At all stages of the career game your ability to adapt to change will dictate parts of your progress in the market. I applaud any over 40 sets who hunger for new certifications, education and change. When I taught in college my favorite, most focused students were people coming back to school as adults. They focused on a purpose and their drive was unmatched by their younger counterparts who were into all the other things often that college provides. Unfortunately I hear older workers complain about a myriad of technology, software, social media and change in general.

Possible Solution: Embrace change. Hire someone part-time to tutor you on new software. Take extra classes that will allow you to get comfortable with the latest technology, presentation software or hardware that you may need to know. Find out from 20 somethings what they are doing on social media as it relates to careers, research and more. Don’t carry your anti-technology bent on your sleeve because it makes you sound old! Carry a “first adopter” mentality and talk about change by saying things like:

“That interests me and I want to learn more about how this technology works. Can you teach me?”

vs.

“Why are people wasting so much time on social media?” And having an adverse to technology attitude.

3. The “I Deserve” Syndrome. In working with executive men and women in career transition part of my job is to calculate their perceived potential value to future employers and to future career opportunities. I can do this even though the companies or the market make the final decision. Even if it is not spoken what happens to many executives and really anyone pursuing career opportunities post 40 is that they want to talk about and rightly so market their past. It’s technically an advantage over a younger competitor for a job. What can happen is that older workers don’t think they need to prove anything to a younger recruiter or have a thin skin when a recruiter starts asking them questions. In the last month clients and connects of mine who are over 40 have said this to me:

“I don’t need to prove myself to someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about when it comes to finance”

“Why don’t recruiters call me back? It’s rude.”

On the surface this anxiety and these regular complaints look pretty understandable to me. But as I looked deeper the client was essentially saying they didn’t want to have to prove their value to someone who has not done what they have done.

Well, yes you do.

Just because you held a position, a title or status does not mean the world of work or younger recruiters or just about anyone holds respect for that past position. Organizational Behaviorist Tayla Bauer and Berrin Erdogan suggest the following trends and changes for 2014 labor force age progression:

Possible Solution: Realize respect, professionalism and mature etiquette may not be the monikers of the job market. No one can or should give you a job because you deserve it; they need to perceive you are qualified, fit their culture and can immediately bring results. Realize you must prove yourself again and again even to younger, less competent recruiters and possibly younger, less competent hiring managers and bosses.

How can you remedy most problems when your are over 40 and looking for a job? It’s not easy. A lot of issues exist that were not touched here. But the things you can control are your attitude, your actions and to some degree your personal appearance. Start here then consider adding powerful documents, communication strategy, branding, new ideas, interview skills and more to your portfolio that will show others how contemporary your ideas are and how relevant you really will be when you work with them and potentially lead them.

Image Credit: instantshift.com

How do you know a potential client is on drugs and how much of it may impact my working with them? In the last 20 years potential employers have seen an onrush of new employees who take prescription medications. How has the advent and expansion of prescription drugs influenced hiring and the workplace? This should be a hotly debated and litigated issue for years to come. But let’s bring it down to its more practical application – you. How will the use or non-use of prescription drugs influence your career? I don’t know the answer but it I do believe it’s another factor to consider as you move forward in your career.

So let me ask some questions that I ask myself as I work with new clients. Is it important to know that an employee or a client is on certain prescription drugs? Should anybody working with a client or an employee be aware of treated conditions? To what degree do drug screening tests impact hiring as it relates to prescription drugs? What are the issues related to “legal” or prescription drugs in any workplace? From a number of sources these and other questions are being asked throughout the corporate world. Statistics out there cannot be very conclusive on the non substance abusers and the recreational related drug choosers but they are more clear on substance abuse.

Workers Compensation: past reports say that up to 50 percent of all Workers Compensation claims are related to substance abuse in the workplace, as substance abusers file three to five times as many Workers Compensation claims. Medical Costs: Substance abusers incur 300 percent higher medical costs than non-abusers. Absenteeism: Substance abusers are 2.5 times more likely to be absent eight or more days a year. Lost Productivity: Substance abusers are 1/3 less productive. Employee Turnover: It costs a business an average of $7,000 to replace a salaried worker.

According to various studies over the past two decades, workplace drug abuse is estimated to drain somewhere between $60 billion to well over $200 billion from American businesses but how does drug usage or the added use of more and more prescriptions hurt or help performance? What are the studies in finding this out? I would like to know.

Here are just a few client quotes, scenarios or themes around both their career setbacks, challenges and opportunities:

- The Boss on Drugs -

“Sometimes when he doesn’t get his meds he’s just not able to speak with us sanely”

“He creates a lot of stress; I know a lot of our people pass around xxxxx at work”

“My boss thinks your weird if you aren’t on something to deal with stuff”

“Everybody takes something so he thinks if you don’t have some ‘aid’ to help you you aren’t as good as the next person”

“My boss said you are weird or religious if you don’t have some meds going on”

 - Client on Drugs -

“Until I was diagnosed with ADD I just did not handle my work responsibilities right”

“Before we work together I wanted to tell you some things I am being treated for”

“I think I will be fine. I just got off my meds but I got on others”

“I have been on everything to try to get my stress down and now I think I am getting some bad drug interactions”

 - Drug Conversations -

“What meds are you on?”

“You must need some anti-anxiety drugs to deal with everyone’s career problems”

“I wouldn’t be able to listen to people like you do without some coping mechanisms for sure”

“Shouldn’t you be on what I am on?”

The list and anecdotal stories go on and on. Many of them center around, well, legal drugs. I’m not counting in my little unscientific survey the stories about alcohol or marijuana in the workplace. Yes, I do and have had clients in Colorado, Washington and California, states that legalized or de-criminalized aspects of marijuana usage. The general consensus and joke in California is Everyone has a prescription for medical marijuana or could get one so no big deal there. Like I said just add those drugs to the mix and the topic today. Watch the drug interactions though because your workplace will be influenced by prescription drugs more than ever in years to come.

Image Credit: instantshift.com

Before I continue to roll, don’t view my take as a total indictment of Facebook. But your behavior on Facebook should be under constant scrutiny by you first before you lull yourself to sleep and get into trouble that can negatively affect your career and life.

What do I hear people say about Facebook when I ask them about their accounts as it relates to their career:

“I keep mine locked down. Really no one can see it but my friends or the friends I want to see stuff.”

“Facebook is just their for me to keep an eye on my kids and share some family things with people. I know others see this stuff but it’s mostly for my close circle.”

“I’m on it but I don’t really put anything out there like comments. I play some games and try to connect with past friends.”

“I kind of like having the outlet to say things I believe in. I don’t bash my employer and I am not out there trying to be too loud but I like the outlet for sports, games and keeping my friends up to date about stuff.”

So if you look at the above statements recently heard in the last month, I can’t look at them and say the behavior represents the worst I have heard about or seen. But in reality well-meaning people who don’t necessarily habitually post negative things on Facebook seem to get in trouble a lot. Ask just about any divorce attorney or other prosecutor where they go to find out about your silly or bad habits. They go to Facebook. Where might identity thieves shop when they want to find out more about you? Facebook and other places where you leave your wallet and keys on the table. Facebook loves it that you share about everything about yourself. They share that demographic data with businesses and people that pay for that data so they can market to you. Sadly as you probably know good, solid data about you exists for the negative influences in this world as well whether they pay for it or not. Who wants to be friended and followed by creeps and criminals? Not I.

So what should you do live in fear daily about sharing data online? No, I wouldn’t but it would be a great idea for you to be more professional on Facebook and treat it a little bit more like Linked In. That means you could be on Facebook but imagine your peers, competitors and bosses check your accounts daily if they do or if they don’t. Just pretend and act like your mom and employer check your actions online and follow your posts. Boy that cuts the fun out it, doesn’t it? In other words just be more mindful of what you say and do. Facebook comments, messages, likes, and posts may seem innocuous to you but they may not be to others. Think long and hard about any picture or video you post. Does it enhance your professional and personal brand or does it detract? Asking someone to think before they impulsively do something asks a lot.

I feel strongly that Facebook will constantly try to blur the lines between business and personal, commerce and impulsive actions. Part of the Facebook brand and brilliance remains clear – the forum allows this blurring of the personal and professional lines. Linked In seems to become more like Facebook all the time. Facebook may be becoming more like Linked In. If you want to advance your professional brand networking with Facebook friends can indeed turn out ideas and leads. You may be able to one click apply for jobs on Facebook like you can on Linked In. In fact recent talk has come up no why Facebook should buy Linked In by CNBC’s Jim Cramer. He makes an excellent argument.

I simply suggest you look at all the forums and opportunities to act professional on this so-called social media site.

So what can you do more of on Facebook if you don’t delete your account?

1. Share professional, brand building updates

2. Follow professional people, sites and organizations that are apart of your professional brand.

3. Participate in causes linked to your professional brand.

4. Say only positive things about anyone and ignore negative discussions.

5. Share more pictures about your volunteer work that builds others and your career.

Image Credit: instantshift.com

“The good salesman or saleswoman matches the customer’s posture, body language, and mood,” explains Moine.  “If the customer is slightly depressed, the salesperson shares that feeling and acknowledges that he or she has been feeling a little down lately.  In essence, the top sales producer becomes a sophisticated biofeedback mechanism, sharing and reflecting the customer’s reality – even to the point of breathing with the customer.”

The technique works because “hypnotic pacing” helps establish trust and rapport.  It does not work as a gesture, however.  Anything other than an honest attempt to understand the other person and his or her frame of reference in a particular situation will be seen as mimicking, which will decrease trust.

Whether writing a letter, speaking with a coworker, or calling a client, consider that person’s likely mood and reaction.  What effect is your message likely to have?  How can you phrase that message for maximum benefit? High-achievers of any discipline must heed this warning – mistakes in your communication style may be very small but small mistakes can hurt you in your advancing career path. Some sales people come across powerfully when representing their own products or a company but their communication style, their ‘greatest strength’, comes across as arrogant when marketing themselves for a new promotion or new job. In other words, a certain sense of humility must be deployed by high achievers when marketing yourself.

Higher Levels of Communication
According to Lyman Steil, Ph.D., an authority on communication, we all communicate with each other on four levels.

* The first level is small talk, or informal conversation.
* The second level is catharsis – venting feelings and sharing problems and frustrations.
* The third level is the exchange of information, the level most of us use during the typical business day – talking over strategies or passing on facts.
* Persuasion is the fourth level.  People generally warm up to this level, beginning with small talk and going on to level two or three, finally trying to convince you to change your mind or sell you on an idea.

The primary concern is honing your skills at levels two and three.  However, focus on level four is  important because adeptness in persuading others will be the most helpful level to you in your career marketing efforts.

Enhancing Your Communication Skills
Establishing eye contact is vital to opening up a line of dialogue with another person.  Think back to uncomfortable situations you’ve been in during your career.  Were you looking down or away from the person speaking?  Was the other person constantly focusing at a point somewhere over your shoulder?  Staring at someone is often taken as a threat or an insult, but a direct, clear gaze is important.

Notice people who try to get your attention, such as political workers at the entrances to polls or volunteers for charity during Christmas or other holidays.  Before they say one word, they seek to establish eye contact.  Looking down, hunching your shoulders, and hurrying away will usually dissuade them from attempting a conversation.  If they catch your eye, however it’s nearly certain you’ll listen to what they say.

Not surprisingly, Salvation Army “Santas” claim that they almost always get a donation if they make eye contact with pedestrians.  Salespeople who use eye contact with customers generate more and larger sales.  The same goes for working in the business world.  Managers and executives who use their eyes when talking with their staff open up communications, get more work done, and rise faster in their careers.

If you’re leading a meeting, get there in time either to talk to or establish eye contact with and nod to all the people attending.  They will feel more like participating and you will have the opportunity to gauge their moods.

Maximizing Use of the Telephone
You wouldn’t think of walking into someone’s office and starting a conversation without knocking first.  Yet people do that every day on the telephone.  Always give the person the option to call you back later if it’s not a good time. Short, professionals messages should be left and clearly give them a phone number and repeat your phone number.

Since you can’t see the other person, which generally accounts for a great deal of  information during a conversation, ask extra questions about how the person feels concerning what you’re saying.  When you call an office and the person isn’t in, leave a complete message.  Give your name, title, organization, and a brief explanation of why you are calling. We do mean brief. Remember to rehearse your message to make sure the caller does not hang up in the middle. People have no patience for meandering message leavers.

Joe Stumpf, an automated sales training specialist, offers many techniques for professional use of the telephone, among them, these:
1.  Answer the phone on the second or third ring, if possible.  Your goal when answering the phone is making the caller feel important and comfortable, and you have about 15 seconds to make a lasting first impression.
2.  Never start your phone presentation with an apology.  You lose all control and positioning.
3.  Answer your phone with enthusiasm.  It’s positive and contagious.  Place a mirror next to your phone.  Before you answer, look in the mirror and say, “I answer my phone with enthusiasm.”
4.  Smile when you talk.  You sound happier.
5.  Develop a sincere and positive attitude.  People know when you’re faking it.
6.  Speak slowly.  The norm is 150 wpm. Slow down to 100 words per minute.
7.  Have empathy.  Listen.  Let them know you understand.
8.  Don’t interrupt.
9.  Take notes.  This will help you remember important points.
10. Listen for the overtones.
11. Use the caller’s name.  It is, for him or her, the sweetest sound in language.
12. Be proud of yourself.  How you feel about yourself is heard in your voice.
13. Pause!
14. Show you’re grateful and appreciative.  Say, “Thank you.”

This is a long list and you’re not likely to master it soon, but if you follow only a handful of the tips, your phone skills will improve immediately.

The Nonverbal Clues of Conversation
When speaking in person rather than on the phone, you can of course read a person’s nonverbal clues.  Any time that interpersonal communication takes place, there are nonverbal clues in the conversation.  The effective career marketer becomes aware of and constantly monitors various body language signals, such as personal space, posture, and gestures.

1. Personal space.  How far away does the other party stand?  A normal space zone between two people in business is 4 to 12 feet.  Still, everyone’s space zone may differ.  Monitor any changes during a conversation or over the course of many conversations that may indicate an attitude change in the person.

2. Posture.  Is the other person standing tall (exhibiting confidence) or slouching (possibly indicating defeat, depression, or lack of confidence)?  Notice your own posture when speaking to different people in your office.  Do you stand differently when talking to your supervisor versus a coworker?  Your goal is to present impeccable posture every time!

3. Gestures.  Are the person’s gestures consistent with the spoken message?  If your boss praises your work while turning away from you to look elsewhere, the messages are inconsistent.  You’ll be safe to take the nonverbal gesture – looking away – as the more accurate one, since we’re in more conscious control of our verbal, rather than nonverbal, statements.

Whether or not you seek to be, you are communicating all day long, especially when you’re at work.  By becoming more aware of this dynamic process and the verbal and nonverbal clues that you send to bosses, coworkers, and the office staff, you can better position yourself to relay the type of message you choose. Career advancers of all ages think through their image, look, touch and smell. Do not ignore what seems obvious. How do you smell? What cologne do you wear? For women, what perfume or scent, if any, should you wear? As a guy, should you wear cologne? At your age what’s your most appropriate look? Has you hair style changed and should it for your target audience? How does your physical appearance market you? Do you need to start a fitness program? Is your weight and physical appearance helping you or holding you back? Little things in the four senses make a difference and you need a check up on these constantly.

Level Four – Persuasion
More than 100 years ago author Robert Louis Stevenson said “everyone lives by selling something.”  Could that apply to everyone?  Surely not to a newborn baby, for instance, or to a nun.  Or could it?  A newborn baby sells love, affection, and hope for the future to parents, relatives, and siblings.  A nun sells the love of God, love of humanity, and the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood for all.  If you are married, you have already made the ultimate sale – convincing your spouse that it would be in his or her best interests to share a life with you.

What about selling at the workplace?  One partner with a Big Six accounting firm observed that between any two people, at any given time, one is selling something to the other.  This is a profound realization and one that can easily be misunderstood.

Whether you’re with your boss, a coworker, production staff, a member of your family, or a friend, hundreds if not thousands of “sales” are occurring continuously.  Shall we meet at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.?  Does the report need to include the extra exhibit?  Do we choose this restaurant or that?  To resolve such questions, one person undoubtedly influences or obtains agreements from the other.

Even if the actual position you presently hold doesn’t remotely involve formal or designated responsibility for selling, you will nevertheless advance in your career by improving your salesmanship. “In my experience working with people in difference careers over 20+ years,” O’Connor states, “I’ve noticed and coached many people who ignored sales skills at their own peril. Software developers, managers not in sales and many other supposed ‘non sales types’ gradually have learned that improving their ‘sales skills’ or should we say communication has directly and positively helped them land new jobs and better opportunities to advance in their profession. Yes, it is true, we are all in sales.”

Brimming with Enthusiasm
Dale Carnegie probably said it best about 70 years ago when he remarked, “Enthusiasm is contagious.”  The enthusiasm you have for your current task, projects on which you work, your job, your organization, and your community, is contagious.  When you become excited and enthusiastic about what you’re doing, you’ll more readily gain the interest and participation of others.  Approach the same task with a “who-gives-a-darn” attitude and absolutely no one will want to help you.

Have you ever noticed that some of the most successful people that you know are motivated by powerful slogans and phrases?  My late father, who was the vice principal of a junior high school, used to win people over the second they entered his office.  His walls were filled with pictures of great Americans such as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. and slogans and phrases that he would sometimes refer to and draw upon when working with a troubled adolescent.  Simply entering his office was an uplifting experience.

I suggest that you glance through Bartlett’s familiar quotations, similar books, or CDs.  Slogans and phrases can empower and help to energize us.  I keep several such books by my desk, and whenever I find enthusiasm or energy waning, or I need to get charged up to close a deal, I spend a minute or two with these powerful passages.

Review a phrase or slogan before you have to make a presentation, or when you’ve made an unpopular decision that you know to be right, or simply because you want to.  Even the most enthusiastic among us often suffer some down time.  Words have power. Words can build or destroy. Successful career advancers can change their self-talk and changing the words into powerfully positive statements can have a direct and lasting impact to their career. Successful people tend to talk differently to themselves and it tends to be optimistic talk which is powerful. Powerful statements tend to recharge our batteries and can create a setting for other positive ideas and thoughts.

It All Starts in Your Mind
Irrespective of your position in your present organization, or whom you have to report, and whom you need to influence to get ahead, selling, as we have discussed, is an essential part of your career success.  All top earners in professional selling agree that the sale, any sale, starts in the seller’s mind.  When you are firmly convinced regarding what path to take, what strategy to follow, then you are ready to effectively convince others. Many people interested in improving their career or making a successful career change have to work on but become very good at persuasion. The most successful find ways to believe in a worthy cause. They work for a higher purpose, a concept, a belief. They work to help others and change their own circumstances for the better. They often find companies whose causes align with their own and that creates such a positive symmetry that they go on to lead divisions and build something so much bigger than a paycheck.”

Abraham Lincoln was once asked by a student what it would take to become a lawyer.  “Young man,” said Lincoln, “if you are firmly convinced that you are going to become a lawyer, then you are already halfway there.”  So it is with your sales effort.

One young entrepreneur experienced eight years of continued failure, as one bank after another continued to reject his loan application for an innovative recreational project that he had conceived.  At one point, this “dreamer” had to declare bankruptcy, but in the end his selling effort prevailed.  His name was Walt Disney.  Today, more people have visited Disneyland and Disney World than the population of the United States.

Hype is Hollow
The biggest!  The greatest!  The newest!  The fastest!  The best!  As a consumer you probably stay away from products that make too many claims like those.  And they don’t work so well in the office either.  The late David H. Sandler, a sales seminar trainer, believed that contrary to popular conceptions, the most influential and effective salespeople sold softly.  The marks of a “super” salesperson, according to Sandler, included:

* Bringing up objections before the other party thinks of them.
* Concentrating on what will sell the idea while not trying to over impress.
* Spending the first part of the meeting finding out about the other party’s problems.
* Spending much of the meeting time getting the other party to suggest how the problem might be solved.
* Making a presentation tailored to the other party’s needs.

Whether or not you’ve ever considered yourself a salesman or saleswoman, consider yourself one now.  Over the years, selling has taken on a rather negative connotation.  Yet, it’s selling that turns a depressed economy around, and it’s selling that enables your organization to continue to exist.

Image Credit: instantshift.com

Employees often find themselves working for managers whose actions, procedures, and styles may reduce productivity, create resentment, or demotivate subordinates. Look for and certainly cherish the loyal, focused, positive and best in supervisors and leaders but know when you need a change. You must identify the ways your supervisor may hinder your career advancement, and take steps to minimize the effects of this behavior. Steps to minimize bad boss behavior must be taken then career advancers need to create a plan that may involve looking to move inside or outside the organization for the best career health. Even your personal health may take a hit with a toxic boss. So take heed.

Worker Exploitation
An employee of a computer software firm in New England noticed that he was always being assigned to clients located at least three hours of driving time from the office.  Although he recognized that the work was necessary, other employees in the firm with the same seniority were assigned clients who were within one hour of driving time.  For a month, the employee kept a detailed log of the hours he spent driving to visit his clients.  He also asked two of his friends in the same division to keep similar logs of their visits.  At the end of the month, he requested a meeting with his supervisor and illustrated the differences in assignments.

In this case, the supervisor honestly had not realized that he was making assignments in such a manner, and he thanked the employee for bringing it to his attention. Good bosses recognize and change when change means the best for the team or for you.

Your supervisor, however, may not be so kind.  If you approach your boss about feeling exploited, have a good paper trail to support your claims. You’re not building a case in all situations but you are checking for patterns because, often, good employees get too close to the situation to notice bad boss behavior and sometimes abuse.  If you choose to speak not confront your boss. choose your words so as to allow the supervisor the option of admitting to an oversight.  Critique his or her actions, not the supervisor’s personality.  “It seems I’ve been assigned a disproportionate share of the overtime work lately; in fact, 20 percent more than any of the other employees in this division. I know how busy we have been so I wondered if you had noticed this?”  That approach will undoubtedly work better than if you said, “You’re sticking me with all the overtime and I’m tired of it.”

Read the Fine Print
A frequent trap that supervisors fall into is offering a manipulative promise to employees – the hint or outright declaration that a more favorable future is in store if someone accomplishes a desired goal.  There’s nothing wrong with creating incentives or making promises dependent on behavior or actions, but some managers don’t hold up their end once you’ve done your part. Again, notice the trajectory of their behavior.

If you find yourself on the receiving end of promises that are re-evaluated every time a goal is reached, you might want to write a memo after you’ve received a promise.  It could read, “My understanding of our discussion this morning is that I’ll be given a promotion when my sales increase 20 percent over their current rate.”  This spells out the promise and the action you need to take.  Give the memo to your supervisor – and keep a copy for use as a gentle reminder if needed.  Yes, a hard copy is preferable to an e-mail in most cases because email is a clear paper trail and bad bosses may not like that too much. Tone, too, in email, can be problematic. On the other had if you decide to email, have solid email etiquette and watch your tone. Remember, too many occasions of ‘visionary’ bosses creating a lot of verbal promises with no follow happen a lot in the workplace. Well-meaning and hard working employees will quickly be demotivated if the vision is cast away for new goals with rewards quickly forgotten.

Closely related to the continuing promise is the dangling carrot.  Does your employer ask more of you before you’re due for a raise or a vacation?  This form of coercion can, understandably, create resentment.  We know of a boss in Chicago who used to increase his workers assignments for weeks on end prior to them being due for a raise.

Recognize such behavior, but don’t fall into the trap of giving more than you’ve got.  A good manager will seek to maintain an even keel and a balanced workload for you throughout the year. They adjust. They challenge. They don’t abuse. Resist the opportunity to let the supervisor back you into a corner before annual review time.  Continue your work at a reasonable level.

Playing Favorites
If deferential treatment is the problem, this is one case where you may not be able to work with your supervisor, and may be forced to go above his or her head.  If you’re the individual being treated unfairly, first attempt to point it out to your boss in a constructive manner.  An employee of a small advertising agency felt that she was always given the problem tasks, assigned to finishing projects that senior associates had fouled up.  She openly explained her feelings about it to her boss.  He replied that he considered her extremely useful to the firm.  Her comments, however, made him realize that he hadn’t given her adequate feedback, and he understood her feelings of resentment.

Putting your comments in the light of how the supervisor’s behavior makes you feel will often take the heat off the manger, allowing him or her to focus on the behavior itself rather than taking the complaints personally.

If you notice that one or more fellow employees are being treated unfairly, point this out to your supervisor.  You can bring this up by saying, “I notice that Sam and Ellen seem to feel that you treat them differently from the rest of us.  I know you don’t mean to do this, but I wonder if you’d noticed? Don’t challenge the bosses ego either. Try to find a one on one setting and share instead of tell them what’s going on.

Although there’s a fine line between intrusive and helpful behavior, closing your eyes to the unfair treatment of fellow employees can backfire on you.  You may one day fall out of your supervisor’s favor and end up on the receiving end of the same type of treatment.  It will be better for you, and your organization, if all employees are treated consistently.

Empowered for Failure?
This practice is particularly damaging, not only to employees, but also to the overall company productivity and reputation.  Supervisors “program for failure” when they give assignments that can’t be completed successfully, or when they don’t provide enough guidance or resources to finish the task.

To avoid programming for failure, know your own work schedule.  How much can you accomplish in a given amount of time?  What resources do you need to complete a certain job?

If you’re given an assignment with a built-in time bomb, indicate this immediately.  Don’t wait until a day before the project is due before letting your supervisor know that it was impossible from the start.  Also, once you realize a current project is in trouble, write down all the facts and make as close as estimate as possible of the resources and time necessary to save the project.

An associate of mine who was frequently caught in this trap designed her own weekly progress report with the aid of project management software.  This allowed her to chart the time and resources used for each task, letting her supervisor know the problems in advance as well as providing a good baseline for estimating future projects. It is “often counterintuitive” for highly productive people to ask a boss to slow down a bit but high producers often end up looking for a new job because they are so overloaded by bosses who realize how much they can get done through this person. If you want to stay with the boss and the company you must project manage and set expectations.

Breaking And Word Bending
Does your supervisor sometimes change the meaning of something that was said previously?  Poor supervisors can get in the habit of “bending” what was assigned or said to suit their own current needs.  It’s a good idea to ask for a further explanation of assignment or statements.  Request a repeat of the assignment a day or two after you first received it.  Your supervisor may have altered the assignment in his or her mind without telling you.

The flip side of the inconsistent manager is the one who’s overly rigid when issuing assignments or maintaining work schedules.  In a changing workplace, many employees have needs for flexibility in both the hours that they work and when assignments are due.

If you have a good reason for wanting to change a supervisor’s order, first consider the benefits to you and the company (or client) before asking for such a change.  Showing that increased productivity will usually get your supervisor’s admiration for your logical thoughts, rather than resentment for  trying to change orders without a reason. “If you have ever been in a leadership position,” O’Connor adds, “you absolutely know and want others to make you look good. It’s not different for your current boss. To ‘sell’ the benefits of change using how it will make ‘us’ look good and how ‘we’ll’ accomplish the bigger goal will go a long way with most reasonable bosses.”

No Feedback
Unfortunately, it seems that some supervisors have trouble giving feedback on positive developments, and no trouble offering feedback on problems!  A lawyer friend once told me that his firm had not given him a raise in two years because of financial problems.  He was unhappy about not getting the raise, but he was even unhappier about not getting any feedback about his performance.  “I would’ve gladly stayed with the firm if they had given me regular performance reviews and explained how I was contributing to the firm.  I could live without the extra money if I knew how I fit into the company’s future,” he said.

Feedback, both positive and negative, is vital to your performance and fosters an atmosphere of trust and cooperation.  Most supervisors who don’t give feedback aren’t intentionally creating problems.  Some people aren’t in the habit of commenting on performance and don’t understand its importance.

In that case, ask for it!  As you hand your supervisor a report, say, “I’d like to hear your thoughts on this.”  If none are forthcoming, in time ask again.  It may take awhile to “retrain” your employer to give you feedback.

A frustrating trait some managers have is answering questions for feedback with one word, such as fine.  Tactfully convey that you value your supervisor’s experience and would appreciate specific positive or negative comments that could improve your performance.

Giving your supervisor appropriate feedback is another way to condition your supervisor to give you feedback.  How many of us compliment our bosses on work well done?  It’s easy to forget that managers need feedback, too!

Making the Problem Work For You

Your boss might be a terrible taskmaster, a tyrant of the office, insensitive to individual needs, or merely callous.  He or she may be routinely morose, unsupportive, or exploitative. The list of potential management sins goes on and on.  However, most of the people who complain daily about their bosses don’t realize that there are actually some benefits to working for a boss that they don’t respect.  And there are ways to turn a bleak situation to your advantage. “We’ve seen career coaching clients who were feeling and who really were being persecuted by terrible bosses,” O’Connor says. “On many occasions it means that it’s time to look for a new job inside or outside the company. But it is also a time to improve your own leadership style and commit to learning from bad examples. Let a bad boss push you to be the best leader possible.”

Work on Your People Skills.  Working for a boss whom you don’t respect may strengthen your ability to deal with people – including good and bad future bosses – and it may help you hone your diplomatic skills as well.  If you can peacefully coexist with people whom you don’t respect, your chances of successfully dealing with all others will improve.  This is an important side benefit for career marketers.  In fact, one of the single most important traits for making it to the top is the ability to get along with others.

Assume a More Active Role.  When your supervisor is an incompetent boss who lacks creativity and has trouble making decisions, turn the situation to your advantage by taking on more responsibility.  Do some of your supervisor’s work by thinking up solutions to problems and new programs or products.  Be careful, however.  If you do this, be sure to share your ideas with your boss first instead of taking them to colleagues or to your boss’s boss!

The Big Picture.  Perhaps you’re working for an insensitive boss who, intentionally or otherwise, bawls you out for minor mistakes or takes credit for your achievements while neglecting to praise your efforts.  It might seem like nothing positive can come from this experience, but don’t despair.  You’re learning one of the most valuable of business lessons – “don’t take it personally.”  Nothing stops a career dead in its tracks more than the tendency to take every callous remark or each instance of a lack of recognition as a personal affront.  Successful career marketers don’t dwell on these things, they move on. They stay productive minded and don’t take everything personally.

Stay Cool and Calm.  Having a pressure cooker for a boss can be a nightmare and is certainly the cause of many an ulcer.  However, rest assured that you’re not the only one who notices your manager’s volatile behavior.  One strategy, then, in the face of his or her explosions, is striving to be a model of calm level-headedness.  Your ability to stay cool and perform well, contrasted with your boss’s temper tantrums, may eventually win you kudos from colleagues and from top management.

The Advantage of a Bad Example.  You can learn as much from a negative example as from a positive one.  A friend of mine in the publishing business is constantly praised by his subordinates for his management style.  When asked to what he credits these glowing reports, he told me that he kept meticulous mental notes of what his previous boss had done wrong, and he vowed to do the opposite when he was in a position of authority.  So instead of wasting mental energy grousing about the things your boss is doing wrong, contemplate how they could be done right in the future.

If You Have to Move On…

Sometimes a bad boss can make your life so unpleasant and unrewarding that you simply have to escape the situation.  Once you’ve determined that you can simply no longer stay in your present position (beyond the short run), you may find some comfort in knowing that you’re leaving.  If, for any reason, you’ve ever debated for months about leaving a position and you now find yourself confronted with a boss for whom you know you can’t work, you’ll probably regard this situation as beneficial.

All your mental anguish can subside because as soon as the right position develops, you’re going and you know it.  There’s light at the end of the tunnel.  The daily drudgery and personal contact that you have eagerly sought to minimize are now, at least, palatable.  The strains and pressures that may have followed you home can now diminish. There are many signs it’s time to make a move. If you’re attitude at home, at work and with friends and families starts a consistent decline you need to consider making a move. If you decide to go then plan accordingly and don’t just look for a new job, look for the right environment where you can grow. Titles and income matter but your mental, physical, emotionally and spiritual health matter more.

About the Authors:

 Jeff Davidson is the internationally recognized expert on work-life balance and holds the registered trademark from the USPTO as the “Work-Life Balance Expert”®. He is the author of several popular books including Breathing Space, Simpler Living, and the 60 Second Organizer.  Jeff has offered his cutting edge, hands-on strategies for a balanced career and a balanced life to audiences from Singapore to San Diego, with clients as diverse as Novo Nordisk, Worthington Steel, Lufthansa, National Office Furniture, the IRS, and Swissotel. You can reach Jeff at Jeff@breathingspace.com or via www.breathingspace.com

John O’Connor, who has been noted for outplacement excellence, professional transition, resume writing and career coaching for nearly 20 years.  As the first private practice Reach Branding Certified Specialist in North Carolina, and the first Certified Federal Job Search Trainer (CFJST), O’Connor set the standard for excellence.  John’s has a unique combination of experience and continues to utilize his considerable job market expertise to provide career transitioners with the insight necessary to compete nationally and locally for competitive positions.

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Change and adaption to change continues to be the order of the day in the career universe. Do you feel you need to be looking hard for a new job because the current position you have is not ideal or that something has changed that’s now motivating you to look? Are you ready for a change? In 2013 you must adapt to move forward and it has more to do with proactive management of your career than ever before. Luck will help but don’t depend on luck or even your own company to help you manage your career. Luck should not drive an ambitious person’s career path. Focused planning, goal setting and a keen awareness of the challenges facing your career must come into play whether you are in search or just actively wanting to progress in your career.

Whether you are an executive or just a very serious career focused person you need to keep in mind some of the new trends and ideas that will shape your career in 2013. I’ve asked two career experts, authors and fellow career coaches to supply five top strategies to consider as you look at progressing your career in 2013.

Vision the Future (of Your Targeted Area)

Most people in career transition or trying to advance in their career don’t think of themselves as influencers. That needs to change. If you have not you must listen to your career industries top influencers and think through the issues they raise regardless of the field. Get to know the people, organizations and thoughts that push through the conventional wisdom. In the macro picture of jobs and career here are some key influence areas. There will be increasing demand for people with knowledge of the cloud and big data…analytics of social media. There will be growth in jobs supporting alternative education options such as online courseware and more customized education tools for those who choose to homeschool or select an alternative to a traditional four-year college education. Growth in computer animation/simulation used in entertainment industry as well as companies looking for virtual simulations of their products/inventory like realtors will continue. Jobs focused on wallet-less solutions for the large sector of people who don’t use traditional banking will thrive. Jobs to support the aging population will grow. For example, home health care workers, nurses with specialty in geriatrics and more. But these are just a few macro trends. Most importantly, what are the trends in your business, your field and your area of expertise? Start big and ask the tough questions. What are the trends in Accounting, Medical, Healthcare, Sales, or Marketing? Now drill down. What are the trends in your specific niche in these areas?

Ignore Social Media at Your Peril

Whether you’re actively looking for a new job and work social media will continue to be a prominent force in job search, career propulsion, hiring and recruiting. Ignore it at your peril.

If you already are active on social media but unsure about your strategy, consider these tips. Rein in negativity and focus on optimistic, value-focused posts.

This does not mean being consistently Pollyanna-ish; it’s okay to offer firm assertions on vital topics, but keep the overall angle positive, encouraging and hopeful, ultimately. You need to not just show what you know but focus on meaningful ideas and cross-promote others. Careerists, centered on exemplifying and extending a value-add ‘brand’ must also knit into their messages their ability to offer solutions to problems vs. just adding to the clutter of complaints. The art of adding positive contributions to your field, your colleagues, your industry and to those you want to influence will be your challenge in 2013.

Use Social Media to Contribute and to Listen

Forums for this kind of behavior can be on any of the social media exchange centers most principally Linked In, Twitter, Facebook and others. Also a missing link for many who are in career search or wanting to become a more active social media brand builder is to focus on adding content to industry blogs, newsletters and many of your industry publications. But hear this – even if you don’t want to participate in social media use it as a listening device. Log in, watch, aggregate information, accumulate career-advancing ideas and facts, connect with key decision-makers in your field. Follow companies, people and information. Study, interact and above all build relationships with people who can help you and who you can help. An often overlooked and not talked about career strategy at all phases of your career is to remember social media can be utilized as a listening and interaction tool.

Rank Your Targeted Career Environments (Locally, Regionally, Nationally, Globally)

Many executive clients and people in transition want to get the next best job. But to shape your future stop looking for a job, a career step and start studying the kinds of environments that are most productive. Are you location specific? Then you need to study and focus on the 50 Best Places to Work locally. But don’t just stop there. Always create a list of the best places tow work for you regionally, nationally and internationally. Why? Find out about the companies that treat their people the best and are highly interested in creating positive work environments. If you are looking regionally, nationally or globally Poindexter points out that Careerists can shape the reputation of the companies for which they work moreso than ever before. Glassdoor, a jobs and career community, creates an annual list of 50 Best Places to Work based on employee feedback. Candidates can anonymously post reactions to interviews at, and employees can post reviews of, their experiences working at particular companies.

As well, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ are platforms where individuals often articulate their pleasure, or displeasure with specific companies. Moreover, thousands of companies are represented on LinkedIn either through company pages or individuals’ profiles. What companies enjoy the best work environments, reputations and atmospheres that best fit you?

A savvy careerist will keep apprised of organizations and company reputations by tracking these sites for insights and trends. Talk to people who work at the best places.  Take the reins of what company you align yourself with in your next job. Consider culture, work-life balance, opportunities to advance, whether the company rewards its employees for performance, whether they offer opportunities for individual growth or their focus is solely on teams, and so on.

Embrace Career Volatility and Competitiveness

The jobs climate still is highly competitive and the economy volatile. Combine that with the current political uncertainty, many companies are battling back on shrinking markets and a more skeptical client base. Now, more than ever, is the time for careerists to not only prove their value, but to also articulate how and why they do what they do so well to solve companies’ pain points. You can’t stand still or rest on your past accomplishments if you have a job. You must articulate how your most current work and metrics can drive a new company or organization forward if you are looking for a job. Today’s ambitious careerist or jobseeker must create a consistent pattern of Linked In content and a combination of documents that prove his or her worth to any party.

Are you in a career search for a new company? You must prove you can drive revenue and reduce costs or improve operations. Are you trying to rise at your current organization? You must prove through metrics your value and continue to take on new challenges or you face replacement. Don’t ever think this: “I have a secure job.” You may have a secure job at the moment but you only have today. You should think this way: “I must continue to prove my worth through specifics every day, week and month I am employed.” Yes, the job market for ambitious professionals demands this type of attitude. It also demands that you back up what you say with artifacts, evidence and metrics that prove your value proposition.

Capture and Build Metrics That Separate You

Remember it does not matter if you are in sales, marketing or other metric-measured types of roles. Are you a Vice President of anything? Do you want to play a significant role in any organization? Then you need to begin fastening your experience to proven results and metrics. Even if you are a person returning to work you need to prove that you can perform and articulate your skills into experiences that a company values.

You simply cannot overlook these results-driven self-marketing ideas. How do you accumulate this evidence based brand-building work? With the help of a career coach you should capture this information in a number of forums. Some examples of where content can be captured are: Linked In, PDFs, non-confidential files, recommendations, Excel, PowerPoint presentations, articles, blog content, video capture, and more.

What title do you hold now? What job do you want to have? What career ambitions are you pursuing in 2013? Do you play a significant person in a non-profit, are you a nurse, a medical director, an operations executive? It matters not. Prove your worth will be the refrain of the day in 2013. So every move you make must be to build, capture and promote how you can help others or accomplish goals. Push yourself. Opportunities abound for careerists to not only survive, but to thrive. You must think like a marketer and sell yourself and the advantages of hiring YOU.

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