10 Professional Goals to Boost Your Career!
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It is no secret that the economy is stagnant. Not only is getting a job tough - but keeping one is more difficult due to enormous competition. The business world going into 2012 is cut throat. There are more people with higher education saturating the market than ever and they are also being forced to take jobs that pay less or have less benefits to offer.
2012 isn't the year to mess up! I researched all the top news stories and found the best tips from CBS, MSN, Harvard, and Forbes to name a few - to bring you the top 10 professional goals to boost your job!
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- Wear more lipstick! According to Forbes, the ladies appear more "likable, trustworthy and competent."
- According to Jobsite Insider, "talk about your achievements!"
- "Increase your responsibility," is another key goal to getting a promotion.
I was really tired of the experts. With 20 years of work experience behind me I think I can give you advice much better than this! So here are a list of my top 10 Professional Goals to Boost Your Career.
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- Go to work early or at least on time every single day. If you are late frequently set a goal to leave earlier every day. If you set a goal to arrive 15 minutes early you are sure to always arrive on time. No one wants to hear about your dramatic excuses everyday that get wilder and more elaborate.
- Resolve to not participate in office gossip. This can be very difficult so some of us have to make it a goal not to get sucked into all that exciting drama! Don't! The managers know who is doing this and they don't like it one bit! Loose lips sink ships - you won't get promoted if you are disruptive with the drama. It's very annoying to people that do have work to do.
- Dress appropriately in a professional environment. According to many of the experts the key to being noticed is to dress for success. If you work in a professional environment look like a professional. Ladies - no matter how hot you look on the dance floor - don't be tempted to wear those mini skirts to work. Body language experts say you won't get that promotion. Apparently the professional men would like the ladies to leave something to be desired. If you work in a casual environment and everyone wears jeans - wear nice, clean clothes but don't wear anything with holes or stains - anyone can look neat and clean.
- Add a new skill to your resume. Learn how to do something new related to your job. If you work in one specific department ask to cross train for another department. If downsizing occurs you are much less likely to lose your position than the person who only has one skill.
- Take a class at a local community college to learn a second language. Learning a second language can be fun and will not only help you in your profession but in your personal life as well. Many times you can attend an evening class one night each week and the price is very affordable. Which ever language you choose will expose you to a new culture.
- Learn sign language! I have always wanted to take a class to learn sign language. Not only would it allow me to communicate with another group of people but it could be very helpful especially if your job is dealing with the public. Medical professionals could be life savers if they were knowledgeable about this and they had a patient that only knew sign language. This would definitely make your value go up.
- Apply for a better job! If you are happy with your current status then this doesn't apply. If you have been at the same job and it is stagnant or there are no more rooms for advancement - apply for another job that appeals to you. Don't quit your current job until you have secured another job but take your time and read the help wanted ad's in your local paper every day and apply for any jobs that sound exciting and meet your needs. The perfect job will come along and there isn't any sense in working at a job you do not enjoy. Life is to short - love what you do or keep looking.
- No matter how much it hurts - kiss your bosses butt every now and then. No one likes to do this but if you want to achieve success at your work place getting along with your boss is necessary no matter how wrong you think they are. You don't have to like them - just get along with them as best you can. Lets face it - if the boss hates you - you probably aren't going to be getting any promotions, now are you? So if you do want a power boost - leave the lipstick at home and pucker up!
- Get another degree! There are many large corporations, health care facilities and companies that offer tuition reimbursement in the benefit package. Education is not just a great professional goal but can serve as another personal goal that will open more doors for you. If you are tired of your current field of work or there is little opportunity in your current field - go back to school! This will not only allow you to meet new people with common interests but will also broaden your mind and open you up for more opportunities. If you don't have this benefit, student loans are also an avenue you could pursue. Call your local college and ask how easy it is to get back to class!
- Cooperate with your coworkers. Make it a goal to try to help your coworkers if you see that they need assistance. When the work place runs smoother it increases productivity, moral and makes everyone happy. Be pleasant to work with and offer to help if you can. Don't be afraid to take one for the team every now and then. Everyone loves a person who they know they can count on in their moment of need and they will be more than happy to help you out when you need it too!
There are many ways that you could add a little power booster to your career. If you go to work and learn to enjoy the job as much as you can you will be sure to be recognized and rewarded! You don't have to wear more lipstick or date the boss to get a promotion...just work hard, be pleasant and enjoy your job and if you don't - maybe it is time to move on!
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Great tips...not sure about sucking up though that worked at my brothers DJ job with a female coworker in Japan and he trained her!...up and useful.
Excellent advice. Thank you.
Girl, I get so sick of "expert" advice. Truth is, when you have as much work experience as some of us have, maybe we DO actually know what works. This hub is EXCELLENT and full of common sense. Love it!
Hi Menatalist Acer - thank you very much....I've had lots of job in my life and I've never gotten fired once! LOL.
I much prefer your goals to boost your career tips over what the experts say.
Learning sign language really stood out to me. I was working for a company once and we hired a woman that was deaf. In our department once a day we would all gather as a group and learn sign language. It helped us all immensely being able to communicate far better with this woman and made her life a lot easier as well.
EXCELLENT tips Kelly! Great job! You always know how to bring light humor to your hubs and I LOVE it. These goals are perfect, useful and very real. Many should heed your advice and I hope they do. If I had to pick a fav it would be #4.
You are right - it is a cut throat world out there!
Thank you for sharing! Voted up and across!
Hi Natures47friend - I told you it was going to be the hard part! Lol. I'm not very good at it either but I'm pretty sure my last boss would have flipped the switch on me if I was sitting in the electric chair....but she didn't know I felt like that! I got lots of promotions! Lol. Good luck! Thanks so much!
Hi SW - your welcome! Happy new Year!! Thank you!
Hi MO! You are so right...I've read a few of your work related hubs and we are on the same page:) lol. Some days are terrible but you just make the best of it and collect your paycheck. I just think it's such a waste not to love the job you go to each day...I could never do that yet I constantly hear "I hate my job"! Ew! I'd hate that! Lol
Hi Susan - that is really cool! I love languages - including sign! I know the alphabet and a few things from working in a hospital setting but I always wanted to take a class...thought I should have my daughters take it too! They have a whole lifetime to benefit!
Thanks so much -too funny - I wonder which of us has had more jobs Susan:) lol.
Hi Missolive! Thank you so much and you were totally on my mind when I wrote this one! I was thinking - look how much I have taught myself personally in the last 10 months just from following you! It was free - I have used my time wisely and taken advantage of your help. I have learned a ton of new computer tricks from you! Lol. So no matter what - I'm better off today than I was several months ago. I don't work for any boss except my husband - but we profit from what we know:)
Thank you so much too! Without the help of all commenters above...I would never have been able to make this hub!!
RealHousewife / Kelly
Don't underestimate yourself - you are nothing short of amazing, fun, sweet and talented!!!
We know who the boss is in your house ;)
And your family is certainly profiting by having YOU in their lives - Luv ya!
Thank you so much Miss Olive:). You know I love you right back!! And I have learned SO much for your hub articles....That was time well spent for me! Lol.
I am the boss in my house for sure! At least they let me think I am! Haha!
I have always looked to people who have better skills than myself to learn from...you are a perfect example....your article on Blinging my hub? I sat there with two computers so I could monkey see, monkey do...it wasn't easy at first but I learned some pretty cool stuff!!
You are my hero!
Kelly, these are great! Those suggestions by the experts suck! Wear more lipstick? lol lol lol Coming to work early and dressing appropriately are tow of the major problems Jamaicans face....except for me of course.
This was a very interesting hub. It is a lot of common sense and even though I am young I try to do all of these in every job I work. The hardest one is talking about my achievements. I'm not very good at bragging myself up... without being annoying! lol. Still it shocks me how many people arrive late to work everyday, have a bad attitude, and expect to stay at these places or get promoted. Once person I was talking to just a week or two ago was saying how they better get hired on after season because they work so hard. I laughed to myself and said (to myself) you don't even know the store why would they hire you after season? But I instead said good luck. See she had the habit of every 5 minutes asking where something was. Instead of looking, using common sense, or attempting to learn the store, she relied on the walkie and her co-workers to tell her where stuff was whenever a customer had a question. It was annoying, time consuming, and bad work ethic. She didn't make it past the first cut. Anyways... great advice! Thank you for making it well known and clear! I wish I could show this to every co-worker I ever had. It would make the world a better place I think!!
Hi Cardisa! I know - can you believe that? Wear more lipstick????????????? Huh? Maybe if you are in the modeling world that might help...but the quality of my work has never been improved by smearing on the lipstick unless I was protecting my self just before I gave my boss a "kiss" lol!!
Thank you so much!
Hi Myth! Thank you so much for adding that..I don't know if I totally agree with "talking" yourself up a whole bunch either...I have worked with people like that and I find myself always thinking that they might think they are more fabulous than everyone else does! lol I say walk the walk...you will be noticed for sure!
I have worked in offices with hundreds of employees in a building and there were certain people that were late - chronically...and they would use up the regular excuses - "the alarm didn't go off" then "the kid was sick" or "my tire was flat!" and soon they have used up all the regular ones and we start hearing more bizarre and strange reasons for lateness...one girl even said she had a home invasion and called the police and reported it and everything!!! I am so not kidding! The police busted her though. I am not joking a bit...it was insane but made for lots of entertainment in the work place! I wouldn't advise this excuse at all either - the police were smarter than her and figured it out. She got in BIG trouble for filing a false complaint! Then she got fired too. You never know do you???
I bet you are an awesome employee and you love school too so you will for sure be successful in your life!
I think the best advice ever is to love your work or find a job that you do love. When work becomes a chore, it's time to move on.
Austin - you know I totally agree with that. Life is way too short...I have worked with so many people that would be in the same job for YEARS and everyday - multiple times I would hear them talk about how much they hated their job. I could not stand to work like that every day. I have to love what I do or there is always another option! How can a person enjoy their life when they spend so much of it in a place they hate? I say apply the skills to what you love to do and then the money will always follow!
This article was very well written. In today's job market everyone who has a job should be thankful of the fact for sure! Thank you for the useful hints! I do look forward to reading more of your articles!
Hi hazelwood4 - thank you very much! I really appreciate that! Good luck and I hope you have a very prosperous 2012!
Dear Real, I agree and abided by everyone of these rules for exemplary employees. It didn't save me from experiencing my layoff. I still bristle at "it's not personal, it's business" tripe. Ultimately, they did make a choice. O.K., you got me, I don't know sign language and I do find that an intriguing idea that I've never considered before now.
The truth I have come to know is age does matter. Close to retirement age, I'm not being considered. The interviews I've gone to have lasted in excess of an hour, looked promising and ended in nothing. And, yes, my confidence took a big hit when I lost my job, no matter it was the economy. Yet, I put on my "lipstick" and a happy face, exuded a positive attitude, talked about my successes and even took copies of all the "gold stars" I received from customers who talked to me at my former workplace. But, I can't change my age. I did everything but turn myself inside out, but my graduation year, with all the youthful competition, took me off the list. Potential employers saw the salary I'd earned and that was another notable "check" that went against me, no matter I told them the offered salary was fine. I feel if I looked gorgeous like you, RealHousewife, was young like you and obviously had the work ethic you have listed here, I'd be working again. It is very disheartening to have put my courage into practice, achieved my independence from a stifling marriage, only to have experienced the very fear that kept me in that relationship for too long. I feel like I've been bitch slapped! I've not given up, but I am no longer "Pollyanna". Great article, Real, in your typical extraordinary style that infuses humor, practicality and tremendously helpful information. Thank you.
Hi Amy - I would not want to be out there looking for a job right now...even at my age. Don't be fooled - I am not that gorgeous- the camera is super generous:) lol This is one of the reasons why we opened our own company. I noticed that the harder I worked - the more someone else profited..usually not me. I figured out a way to sort of free lance what I did. I have always spread myself out...I have credentials in Sleep Med. and I have a license to sell Real Estate and am proficient in the title industry. One good thing about that industry is age is a positive. The longer you have been around in this business - the more you know and you can't get it out of books or college. The people in this business are quite sought after because it is such a tedious field. Most of the people I know have been in the circuit for a hundred years! Maybe you should think about getting a real estate license? You can do it online and age does not matter. If you work hard - you will succeed in that business. You have a great personality and you are gorgeous! You could totally excell in anything like that! The market is picking up right now...has been for the last few months...the trend is everyone refi's before Christmas to pay the bill in advance or after to pay off the CC's! lol
Good luck Amy - I know 2012 has got to be better!! Thank you as always for your excellent commentary!
Amy - I just had to tell you - thank you again..so much. You have just given me the inspiration to write an article about how to become a sleep technologist!!
Oh, RealHousewife, I WANT TO READ THAT ONE, TOO!!! I would actually be interested in doing what I needed to do to hold a job like that.
Thanks to you again! I am excited about writing that one - it is super easy..and I will tell you all the secrets!! lol That is also a job that age does not matter - experience counts more! I worked with a lady who took the exam at like 55 or 60 years of age...she had very little experience and did quite well! The salary is excellent too! Thanks for the inspiration!
I will anxiously await your article with great excitement, Kelly. It sounds like a very interesting career...the difference being a career as opposed to a job. Thank you so much!
These are very useful tips, Kelly, and there is one suggestion in particular that I am concentrating on - #4 "Add a new skill to your resume." What a great idea!
I have already added the following: 1) Tap dancing when pinned down by superior for completion date of project, and 2) Waffling when asked to assist team member.
Thanks for reminding me, my dear.
I am working on it now Amy:) This will be a fun one too! lol
Hi Drbj - You are one of the smartest hubbers I know! I think #4 is a pretty good one...easy to do and helps you and the employer - what I call a win/win - and it would be sure to be included on the next job review!
I knew you were a tapper and a waffler! lol Thank you so much as ever!
RHW - I reckon I need to get jiggy with this too whilst I'm jigging!
You're the best!
The Frog
Hi Frog - I think you are the best! Thanks so much for hopping over! I hope you are having a terrific start to the new year!
You should be a job counselor or work for an employment agency! Your tips are always spot on. Another well done hub. Voted up.
Hi there tillsontitan - thank you so much! Lol. That might even be a fun job. I am self employed though and am extremely happy with my business:).
Thanks so much for the votes too!!
Awesome advice! There are many areas here in which I can improve... though I don't think I'll ever get around to dressing appropriately in the office. Thanks for sharing the goals! :D
Hey Simone if it works for you - no sense in changing clothes! LOL I never followed that rule either but that is par for the course with me. Give me a rule and I will find a way to break it! Now there's a goal!
Thank you so much...I really enjoyed the challenge - it was the first time someone else picked a great topic for me!
Hi RHW, I will admit I was a little flabbergasted with the "wear more lipstick" thing. I'm so glad you changed direction and added GOOD practical advice. I'm having trouble finding a new job because I have the education but zero experience...most of the other candidates have the education AND the experience so I'm the loser :P I am going to take a few points of your advice and beef up my resume by brushing up on my Spanish speaking and writing skills and by adding new skills to my weak skill set :) Thanks and voted up useful and awesome!
Hey Ardie! lol yep...I wondered if I would throw you guys with the lipstick opening:) haha! Right...that is all ya need in life...some good pucker stick:)
Well now you have tons of experience...you just have to fashion it to match up with the field you want to be in! Don't forget...lots of times companies would rather hire inexperienced people to start because they want to train them in themselves...look at the plus sign! You don't have any bad habits from previous training!
I do really want to take Spanish...took French and it has not done me very much good at all! lol I do know what is being said in that "Lady Marmalade" song now though....I guess that is worth 16 credits of French! LOL
Thanks so much for da votes!
Excellent advice Kel! For me, I have always wanted to learn sign language. Now why haven't I done that yet. And I love how your ending flows into the recommended reading :) Thanks so much!
Sharyn
Hi Sharyn! That was a play on words:). You're pretty funny you noticed that!! LOL. I planted a little smile there for ya Sharyn:)
I've always done a couple of those things. Getting to work early every day, being a team player, as a man I've never participated in gossip, and I always wear makeup. Particularly lipstick. I get so many compliments on that alone. LOL.
Hey Daffy! You turned into a dog! Did you know? LOL
See - that is why you must be so successful! The lipstick advice must be right! LOL Actually, I thought about that - guys just probably wouldn't look at that good in a kick ass red:)
You are a team player - really obvious to me! Thank you SO much:)
I had a feeling I turned when I found myself sitting in the middle of the floor licking myself. lol!
Daffy - LOL Just making sure because you never know? I even wondered if you could be turning into a werewolf!
As far as I know no cats or other pets have come up missing in the neighborhood. :)
Daffy - now that's a good thing:) LOL. You're not waking up all covered in grasses with your pajamas all burst apart at the seams? Haha!
Not yet, but I have been favoring my dogs shampoo over my regular kind. :)
LOL - Well to be honest dog shampoo smells pretty good! haha! I use pomegranite on my dogs! LOL
I use a sedative on my dog. LOL!
I enjoyed your post; great info that I will be able to utilize in the near future....and beyond...thank you!
Hi billyvuc - thank you very much! I hope it does give you some ideas to keep you above the cut:).
Mentalist acer Level 6 Commenter 4 months ago
RealHouseWife:
These Are Awesome Tips For Making One Indispensable in the work place...Thanks For Sharing.;-))