17 Career-Advancement ActionsYou Need to Take Now!

By Barbara Pachter

Successful job searches are a critical part of your career development. They make things happen in your career. But don’t make the common mistake of beginning your search just when you want a new position. You always want to anticipate your next move within your organization.

Career advancement is an ongoing process. Here are 17 suggestions for creating opportunities, getting noticed, and advancing in your career:

Ongoing Activities:

1. DEVELOP YOUR CAPABILITIES. Learn new things. Read. Know your field. Stay up-to-date. Take advantage of the training that your company provides. Go back to school; get that degree or take a class. Not only will you develop yourself, but you can also meet people for your network.
   
   
2. KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Write down what you have accomplished. If you don’t, you may overlook specific achievements when you update your résumé or prepare for an interview.
   
   
3. BE VISIBLE. Write articles for your organization’s publications. Volunteer for special activities and assignments. Offer to speak. Apply for or earn awards or certificates. Join company teams or clubs.
   
   
4. FINE-TUNE YOUR PROFESSIONAL IMAGE. Do what you say you will do, meet your deadlines, speak well of yourself, accept compliments graciously, acknowledge the contributions of others.
   
   
5. GET INVOLVED IN YOUR PROFESSION. Join your professional associations, attend meetings, and volunteer for committees. You will find out what is happening in your field, and you will meet people for your network.
   
   
6. FIND A MENTOR. A mentor can help guide you as you advance in your field. Take advantage of your company’s mentoring program, if there is one, or use your own network to find someone to work with you. Offer to mentor others, also.
   
   
7. HELP OTHERS. What goes around really does come around again, so help others. When you can, be a resource to your co-workers. Let your colleagues know of openings that you’re aware of. Introduce people to others who may be able to help them.
   

During an Active Search:

1. EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS. Do you have specific career goals? What are your next steps? Understand the career paths that exist in your company. Do you need additional or new experience to move up? Will you need to change areas within your company to get the experience you need? Devote some time to thinking your options through.
   
   
2. STAY FOCUSED. It’s easy to avoid looking. Set a number of activities, contacts, or connections that you will make each week. Make it a realistic number and work to achieve it. Be persistent.
   
   
3. BE ACCOUNTABLE TO SOMEONE. Have a coach or mentor whom you check in with periodically. Let him or her know how your search is progressing. Use your coach to brainstorm additional ideas for you to explore.
   
   
4. SCHEDULE TIME FOR YOUR SEARCH. Life is hectic, but with a schedule you are more apt to have time to look. One director I know would put his son to bed at eight o’clock and then use the rest of his evening twice a week to practice interviewing.
   
   
5. FINE-TUNE YOUR RÉSUMÉ AND COVER LETTER. Use good stationery. Prepare other materials that you may need.
   
   
6. KNOW YOUR COMPANY'S PROCEDURES. Many companies post openings on their Web site or publish a list that is available from the human resources department. You may have to follow a certain protocol to interview for a different department within your company.
   
   
7. USE YOUR NETWORK. Let people know you’re looking. And don’t wait until you’re looking to develop or expand your network. Many of the ongoing activities mentioned above will help you network successfully.
   
   
8. KNOW HOW TO INTERVIEW. Be on time for the interview. Dress appropriately. Anticipate the tough questions and know how to answer them. Greet interviewers with a firm handshake and wait until you’re offered a chair before you sit down. Answer questions clearly and concisely. Avoid nervous gestures, like hand wringing or playing with pens or rings.
   

When You Get a New Position:

1. SEND THANK-YOU NOTES TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED YOU. One manager went out of her way to give a recommendation to a co-worker for a promotion. The woman got the promotion and never got back to the manager to thank her. The manager said that she would never help that individual again!
   
   
2. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOUR NEW POSITION OFFERS. Continue to develop yourself. You may be eligible for specialized training or additional educational opportunities.
   

Barbara Pachter is the author of "The Power of Positive Confrontation" ($13.95 paperback, Marlowe & Co.) and the co-author of the "Prentice Hall Complete Business Etiquette Handbook." She is a speaker, trainer and coach specializing in business communications, business etiquette, and assertiveness issues. Her client list features major corporations and organizations worldwide, including NASA, DaimlerChrysler, Pfizer, Ernst & Young and the University of Michigan.

For a review copy of "When the Little Things Count" or "The Power of Positive Confrontation," contact Blanca Olivery: 212-614-7982, or Email: publicity@avalonpub.com

Published in Networking Today, November 2003.