Wishing all the JMU students a wonderful holiday break!

Great tips about searching for opportunities during holiday break!

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/college-job-search/a/job-search-break.htm

The Academic Services Center wishes all students a relaxing Thanksgiving break!

Duke Dog helping out students with COB 300 business plans!

Override Request Procedure

The College of Business will collect override requests (for business courses only) beginning November 6 through November 11. Please fill in the override request form located at www.jmu.edu/cob/asc. 

Override requests are considered from students who need a seat in a business course in order to continuing progressing in the major. Overrides to swap sections are not considered.

The link will only be active during the override request period (12:01am Nov 6 to 11:59pm Nov 11). Requests are considered as a group; not on a first come, first serve basis. So, the enrollment system needs to close before any request is reviewed. All requestors will be notified by December 5.

If you have additional questions please contact the ASC front desk at 540-568-2785 or e-mail your Academic Advisor.   Thank you!

JMU COB students, don't miss the November 1 deadline to apply for COB 300 for Spring 2015. Contact the front desk of the ASC by calling 540-568-2785 or dropping by ZS 205 to compare schedules. Your appointment must be scheduled by the close of business on 10/31 since the firm deadline is 11/1.

Last day to withdraw (with a "W") from a class is 10/23/14.  

View the below video about how JMU marketing students are using the Google Online Marketing Challenge to help a valley non-profit - Cat's Cradle

http://www.whsv.com/video?videoid=2931469

Finding the Meaning in Your Work

“What is your current work doing to you as a person—to your mind, character and relationships?” This quote is from one of my favorite career books, How to Find Fulfilling Work by Roman Krznaric(The School of Life/PicadorUSA, 2013).  There’s much to recommend here: I like the way he traces the history of career decision-making (including career counseling’s rather shady history and the failure of career testing) and offers insights as to why many of us struggle with career choices.
I also like his philosophy of “act-first, process-later”—too many people think about their ideal career occurring sometime in the future (if at all) without stopping to consider what they could do today to move toward it. And I especially like his emphasis on our “many selves”—a notion similar to the “Possible Lives” map and exercise I devoted a chapter to in my own book, You Majored in What?.
I highly recommend Krznaric’s book for anyone going through or considering a career transition.

 

I think a particularly compelling element is Krznaric’s discussion of the dimensions of meaning in a career (Chapter 3- pp. 55-93). After considering whether one has the luxury, in this day and age, of even considering meaning in a career (one does, he concludes), he lays out five dimensions of meaning:

1. Earning money
2. Achieving status
3. Making a difference
4. Following your passions (interests)
5. Using your talents (skills)

Let's break down these five dimensions and examine them. You might want to start by re-ordering the list based on your priorities. For example, while money might be a key driver for one individual, another might consider the use of his/her talents more important. As you consider these dimensions, consider how much of each dimension you need. How much money is enough? What percentage of time spent with interests or talents is enough?
Try considering each dimension in light of your current (or desired) work situation:

Money. Ever since the recession, money has been the primary driver of articles about “best careers.” Best career choices (not to mention college majors) are reduced to which fields will pay the most—"engineering good, social work bad" goes the common wisdom. This is not an illogical thinking process: one should consider future income when thinking about how much college debt to take on, for instance. But, at the same time, reducing career decisions simply to earning power can cause one to lose the broader perspective. How much income do you want/need? Are you setting your own monetary goals or complying with someone else's? What is a comfortable living, and what careers might fulfill that? What career fields might suit you in other ways from which you could also earn a reasonable (from your perspective) salary? (See my earlier post on should we all become engineers.)

Status. How does status or respect fit into your definition of meaningful work? I like to think of this as a form of pride: do you take pride in what you do each day? Pride is subjective—you can be proud that you simply show up every day and do your job despite obstacles. There is honor in that. There is also honor in teaching children, building a bridge, designing a building, writing a novel, or making a hamburger in a restaurant. Status as defined by others is compelling yet seductive—at what point did you select your current career to please someone else or meet someone else’s definition of status or success? How concerned are you with others’ definitions? As with money, it would be a mistake to rely solely on others’ perspectives: take some time to determine your proudest moments at work and in life. That may give you some perspective of what constitutes “status” to you. Does your current position provide you with the sense of pride and status you desire?

Making a difference is often relegated to the background in those “Top Ten Career” listings. And yet this is a common desire in job-seekers. Treated sometimes as a naïve or youthful pipe-dream, making a difference, is in fact, an extremely important component of a job. What is your definition of “making a difference”? Making a difference isn't always about saving the whales or other large humanitarian projects; you can also make a difference when you compile the payroll for your company. Teachers make a difference every day-- but the results aren't always seen immediately. What does “making a difference” mean to you? Are you perhaps underplaying the difference you make in your current job—or would a different job provide more fulfillment for you in this area? Is making a difference important to you—or do other factors trump this desire? Only you can decide.

Following your passions is a long-running and oft-derided theme in career decision-making. The image that comes to mind is that of a musician or artist off "following their passions" but unable to pay for dinner that evening. (See my post on Can You Really Do What You Love These Days?) Like many things, the truth often lies in the middle. How important are your passions and interests? Have you investigated the variety of careers where your interests could be used? How have other people made a reasonable income out of their passions? Must you be a starving artist or are there other, perhaps better, models to follow? Once again, there are no hard and fast answers here.

Using your talents is closely related to following passions. Presumably many passions are also talents. But here’s where you look behind the passion to find the talents/skills that lie behind it. For instance, you might be passionate about raising orchids, but careers directly related to that passion might be limited. So what talents are behind that passion? Could it be your patience? Or attention to detail? Or the researching skills needed to learn how best to care for the orchids? Or your appreciation of beauty/aesthetics? Consider your top 5 skills or talents. When you are at your all-time best, what are you doing? And how can you find a job that lets you do more of that? That’s the key to successful career transitioning: you take a job, figure out what you like best, and then look for a job that lets you do more of that. Now that you've examined these dimensions, which is most important? Which is least? How much of each is “enough” in your work?

Let’s go back to Krznaric’s original question: “What is your current work doing to you as a person—to your mind, character and relationships?” Would making changes in these five dimensions change your life for the better? Is one area neglected at the expense of another? How can you fix that?
I am reminded of a quote from the wonderful movie, The Peaceful Warrior: “A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does.” Would examining these five dimensions of career meaning help you find the love in what you do?

©2014 Katharine S. Brooks. All rights reserved

Did you know that Madison Advising Peers are on campus to help with advising questions?

JMU is using Madison Advising Peers to assist students with additional advising questions.  Check them out in Roop 201.   Lauren Crain, the MAP who works frequently with College of Business students in the ASC will be in the Zane Showker lobby on 9/24 from 10:30-12:30 to any questions with Graduation Applications (due on October 15).  Visit your Madison Advising Peers for help! 

http://www.jmu.edu/advising/acadplan/peers.shtml

Are You in the Middle of a "Major" Decision? Having a Difficult Time Selecting a Major?

Like most students entering their first year of college, I was a bright-eyed, eager-to-learn freshman with only but two questions to define my existence: where are you from and what is your major?  This academic calendar year, students at Arizona State University have 362 majors to choose from. Yes — three hundred and sixty two. With an extensive list of options and majors offered both as a bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degree, how do students know which major best suits them? As an undergraduate, I sought advice from advisors and professors hoping someone had the golden degree ticket bearing my name on it. There are a few things I learned while earning my degree and many, many things after.

Below are three pieces of advice I wish I would have known before declaring a major:

1. Don’t be quick to pick or dismiss a major

So you took a physics course in classical mechanics and were fascinated with the movement of astronomical objects. Great! Should you now abandon all future endeavors unrelated to the field? Probably not.  I’ve come to hear quantum field theory is not for the faint of heart. Have you ever felt betrayed by political theorists such as Immanuel Kant or John Rawls because no matter how many times you’ve read the paragraph, it simply makes no sense? Does this mean the mighty realm of political science is not for you? Again, probably not.  One class is not representative of the entire discipline. I would caution from picking or dismissing a major based on a brief three to four-month experience. A course you may have genuinely enjoyed can easily be credited to an outstanding lecturer or lively class discussion. A course leaving you feeling unchallenged or confused may be for reasons other than the material.  Carefully analyze your time in the course to better understand what made you feel detached or uninterested. Was it the professor? Was it the course requirements? Really make sure it isn’t the course material that is turning you away from the subject. My advice? Take at least two electives in a major before making that step closer to declaring it ‘yours.’

2. Your major is not your job title

In an economy where receiving an undergraduate degree at a public institution will cost an estimated $14,300 per academic calendar year, some wonder whether the investment is worthwhile. Students are being advised to reconsider spending thousands of dollars on a degree that does not guarantee immediate or gradual financial stability.  Although tuition currently stands at a less than ideal price, it is important to remember your major is not your job title. Students graduating with degrees in the liberal arts are not subject to careers solely in teaching. A liberal education arms a student with critical thinking skills, writing capacities and the ability to communicate ideas clearly that would be well suited for almost any kind of job. One the same note, students graduating with a degree in STEM are not forced into a life behind a research facility. Rather, students have the opportunity to enter fields in which an understanding of technology is vital.  Choose what you would like to major in, not what you’d like your job title to be. If that were so, my journey to becoming president of a university would be much, much simpler.  It is also worthy to note select professional schools, such as law, medicine, education and journalism do not require an undergraduate degree in any particular field.

3. Remember to choose a major, not settle for one

Perhaps one of the most important things to remember is that you are not settling for a major. You do not hand over your entire undergraduate career and education to the likes of a major you just happen to come across in the undergraduate catalog. You actively decide on and pursue a major. You can’t imagine a semester without a design class? Go for it. Major in architecture. I commend you.
As the semesters carry on, membership to certain clubs, organizations, residence halls, teams or local drinking establishments may provide you with another characteristic to cling tight to, but ultimately, the “major” decision is yours.  Vanessa Miller is currently a graduate student at Teachers College, Columbia University pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy and education. She received her undergraduate degree in philosophy at the University of Florida and spends too much time wondering whether Socrates actually knew nothing.

This article comes from The USA TODAY College Contributor network.

The Fall Career & Internship Fair is coming up on 9/29 & 9/30 so get your resume reviewed in advance! On-campus interviewing has already started so upload your resume onto Recruit-a-Duke and start viewing the opportunities!

Why Madison? View President Alger's Response...

 

http://vimeo.com/105411506

Top 10 Things You Can Learn in College Outside of The Classroom

While the education gained in the classroom is without a doubt beneficial, using what was learned and applying it to real world learning opportunities will lead to a more robust and well-rounded education.  Student loans have become more accessible than ever before, the amount of recent graduates with degrees in hand has increased, and the amount of available jobs has declined. A degree will always be an asset, but a degree backed by extracurricular, real-world, and hands on experience will take a recent graduate much further.  Employers can no longer gamble like before; the stakes are high and competition is always around the corner.  Employers want graduates backed by real world experience that are ready to hit the ground running.  There are many skills and abilities best learned through extracurricular involvement.  These skill-sets can be bolstered, but not replaced, by a classroom education.

We have compiled a list of the top 10 skills students learn outside of the classroom in detail below.

  

Participating in internships and having key roles in student organizations will help students gain project management skills that can only be learned through experience.

“Learning to use and apply Project Management is a valuable and essential life skill. Students need these skills because they’ll use them life-long, on the job and off. Everyone who works deals with projects, but projects extend beyond the job to include personal projects, family projects, volunteer projects and so forth….Project Management skills help you achieve better results. Mastering the art of Project Management can help you become a better parent, neighbor, and citizen as well as a stellar performer at work.”- Terry, Author of Strategic Project Management Made Simple: Practical Tools for Leaders and Teams

1) Improving Project Management Skills

How It’s Learned:

 

Project management can be learned through internships, participation in student organizations, leading new initiatives on campus, combining efforts with others on campus, and hosting events.

 

Why It’s Important:

Organizing your team, setting goals, and managing task lists are skills essential to any leader, young or old.

 

Key Project Management Skills Include:

• Budget Management
• Organizational Skills
• Team Building
• Proactive Leadership
• Conflict Resolution
• Task Management
• Strategic Planning
• Volunteer Management

2) Personal Development

Personal development does not stop after graduation, but the years spent in college are critical for individual growth. Networking and participating in community events are great opportunities for personal growth and development.

How It’s Learned:

Personal development can be learned through trying new things, trial and error, failure, reflection and awareness of oneself. Critical to personal development is the understanding that failure is essential for growth. How you bounce back from setbacks determines your commitment to growth and development.

Why It’s Important:

Personal development is important in helping to learn, reflect, and realize your own potential. Learning how to learn is a major obstacle to overcome. Everyone has a unique way of learning that works for them, and identifying methods that work best for you is a major growth opportunity.

Key Personal Development Skills Include:

• Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Communication
• Listening & Speaking
• Multitasking
• Work/Life Balance
• Social & Professional Etiquette
• Confidence Building
• Introspection
• Healthy Habit Cultivation
• Self Determination & Motivation
• Value Identification
• Accountability
• Integrity
• Self Actualization & Personal Identification
• Identifying Personal Strengths & Weaknesses

3) Working in a Team Environment

Working in a team environment is a life skill in and of itself. Learning to adapt to different personalities and accommodate diverse perspectives is a skill that requires discipline, maturity, and patience. The art of collaboration comes naturally to some, but must be honed and developed in others.

How It’s Learned:

Working in a team environment can be learned through collaborating on group projects, participation in student government, holding an executive board position for a student organization, hosting and planning larger events, participating in sports clubs/intramural’s, and implementing plans with other peers.

Why It’s Important:

Working in a team environment can foster more productivity, while allowing everyone to focus on what they’re good at. People collaborate to tackle tasks too large to be completed by individuals. In order for any goal or project of scale to be accomplished, teamwork is critical. Along with this, most careers require team collaboration.

Key Team Environment Skills:

• Team Building
• Teaching & Training Other People
• Creating Value for Others
• Collaboration
• Inclusive Leadership
• Consensus Building
• Conflict Resolution
• Inspiring & Empowering Others
• Constructive Criticism
• Being A Leader Not A Manager
• Delegating

“There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and never win titles. Most of the time, those players aren’t willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual goals more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”- Michael Jordan, in his book “I Can’t Accept Not Trying”

4) Creativity

Creativity is one of the most in demand leadership skills of todays generation. It is a valuable skill to have with how quickly times are changing.

How It’s Learned:

Creativity can be learned by implementing the Creative Problem Solving Process (CPS). Learning creativity is supported by genuine curiosity, brainstorming activities, asking questions, and solving real world problems.

Why It’s Important:

Many traditional ways of doing things are outdated. Creativity allows fresh insight and perspective on old methods and traditional approaches.

Key Creativity Skills:

• Creative Problem Solving
• Creative Facilitation
• Effective Ideation & Brainstorming
• Concerns as Questions
• Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
• Critical Thinking Skills

“For CEOs, creativity is now the most important leadership quality for success in business, outweighing even integrity and global thinking, according to a new study by IBM. The study is the largest known sample of one-on-one CEO interviews, with over 1,500 corporate heads and public sector leaders across 60 nations and 33 industries polled on what drives them in managing their companies in today’s world.”- Austin Carr, Fast Company

5) Productivity

When technology brought convenience, it also brought distraction. Staying productive in a connected world is a challenge and an asset. When you take on a position where you are held accountable, productivity is key to making sure projects and tasks are done timely and efficiently.

How It’s Learned:

Productivity can be learned through practice, trial and error, self-managing projects/initiatives/goals, experimenting with productivity tools, implementing skills learned, applying goal setting techniques and achieving those goals.

Why It’s Important:

We have computers, tablets, smart phones and other devices that are becoming more intertwined and necessary in everyday life. Learning how to use this technology as a tool and not a distraction is an acquired skill. As you get more involved, meet more people, and commit to more things, making sure you stay productive is key to being successful.

Key Productivity Skills:

• Time Management
• Focus & Minimizing Distractions
• Healthy Habits
• Multitasking
• Prioritization
• Goal Setting
• Productivity Tool Utilization
• Focus on Purpose Not Procedure

6) Civic Involvement

Involvement in the community is one of the best ways to give back and become engaged with people in your area. Civic involvement helps build character, establishes a professional reputation, and cultivates a sense of citizenship.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”- Margaret Mead

How It’s Learned:

The first step to being engaged in your community is simple. Show up. You can start by showing up to a community meeting, organizing with a local campaign, or taking the lead on a neighborhood clean up. Identify a cause or issue that you are passionate about and search for relevant service opportunities in that area.

Why It’s Important:

Every community depends on a group of concerned and committed citizens who recognize the value and importance of taking collective action toward a common goal. Not only can civic involvement build stronger, more resilient communities, the process of getting involved will help you develop vital skill sets like networking, communication, and project management.

Key Civic Involvement Skills:

• Taking Action in Your Community
• Valuing Others
• Fulfilling Civic Duty
• Building Relationships
• Service Learning Praxis
• Putting Theory Into Action
• Having an Impact
• Helping Others & Improving Others Lives
• Empowering Others
• Exposing Yourself To Diversity & Adversity
• Experiencing Real World

7) Learning From Mistakes

Tested through time and still holding true, learning through experience and mistakes remains the best way to learn.


How It’s Learned:

Learning from mistakes can simply be learning by failure. Failing forward is one of the most effective means of learning.

Why It’s Important:

Lessons you learn from failing are lessons you will never forget.

Key Learning From Mistakes Skills:

• Failing Forward
• Importance of Adaptability
• Mistakes are Part of The Learning Process
• Every Mistake Gets You a Step Closer To Success
• Success Comes From The Work Done Not The Result

8) Communication Skills

If there is anything that comes close to being as important as education, it is communication. A strong communicator knows how to adapt to audiences, portray an idea, inspire action, and lead others successfully.
How It’s Learned:

Communication skills can be learned through leadership roles, group collaboration, heading a new project, and immersing yourself into community events.

Why It’s Important:

Communication is the most, if not, one of the most important life skills you can acquire. It is communication that not only helps you effectively portray your ideas, but empowers you to influence and lead others.

Key Communication Skills:

• Trust
• Listening
• Present
• Undertaking Others
• Effective Public Speaking
• Effective Writing Skills
• Inspiring Others
• Simplifying

9) Networking

Networking can take you places you never thought you could go. It only takes one person to change your life forever. Networking is essentially relationship building, and should happen every day.

“Relationships are all there is. Everything in the universe only exists because it is in relationship to everything else. Nothing exists in isolation. We have to stop pretending we are individuals that can go it alone.”- Margaret Wheatley

How It’s Learned:

Networking can be learned by lobbying for new additions to your campus, joining clubs that take you to professional conferences, attending events with community leaders, and even study abroad or work programs that allow you to meet people in other countries.

Why It’s Important:

Networking is a priceless skill that not only opens windows of opportunity, but could give you access to that one person that could change your life forever. Having a strong network of friends and supporters provides for a more stable foundation for you and your future.

Key Networking Skills:

• Interaction with Others
• Interpersonal Skills
• Creating Relationships
• Creating Value For Others Not Just Yourself
• Making Friends
• Building Rapport
• Establishing Professional Identity
• Building Reputation
• Helping Others First
• Quality Over Quantity
• Being Personable

10) Leadership

The world is always in need of strong leaders. Leadership roles on campus and in the community help you build character and gain experience that cannot be developed in the classroom.

How It’s Learned:

Leadership is an inside-out process. The best leaders focus on personal and character development before they begin leading others. Leadership qualities are best learned through action. You can begin by taking key roles in student organizations, student government, or in your community.

Why It’s Important:

Effective leadership is essential to progress. Without it, organizations flounder, individuals lose interest, projects go unfinished, and goals remain unfulfilled. Whether it be leadership on an international level or on a college campus, the process of engaging people to connect with each other
and work toward a common purpose is critical to human development.

Key Leadership Skills:

• Empowerment of Others
• Selflessness
• Utilizing Opportunity To Make a Difference
• Taking Action
• Cultivation of Genuine Relationships
• Inspiring Action
• Purpose Driven
• Value Oriented Principal Decision Making
• Positive Attitude
• Solution Driven
• Confidence
• Sense of Direction
• Adapting To Change
• Integrity
• Vision

In many situations it takes more than just a college education to have an edge in todays job market.
It takes real world experience combined with classroom education. There are major learning opportunities that are becoming available by participating in extracurricular activities and internships. This is something that every student should be taking advantage of and the classroom should be encouraging.  Extracurricular activities offer students the chance to apply academic learning to real world opportunities. They allow students to implement and put theory into action while solidifying concepts they’ve learned in the process.

Written by Dustin Pankow, Check I'm Here blog

 

 

 

 

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Meet the Firms Night will be 9/10 from 6-8 in the Festival for Accounting, Finance & CIS majors!

Employers attending Meet the Firms include the following: 

Aronson LLC, BAE Systems, Inc., Baker Tilly, BDO USA LLP, Brown Edwards, Calibre CPA Group, Capital One, CGI, Cherry Bakaert LLP, Clifton Larson Allen, Cohn Reznick, Cotton & Company, Deloitte, Dixon Hughes Goodman, Elliott Davis, EY, GAO, Hantsmon Wiebel, Keiter, KPMG, Mathews, Carter & Boyce, McGladrey, LLP, Mitchell Wiggins & Company, PB Mares, Protiviti, PwC, SC&H Group, Tate &Tryon, Thompson Greenspon & Company, Veris Consulting, VSCPA, Young, Nicholas, Branner & Phillips and Young, Hyde & Barbour, PC.

Please dress professionally and bring your resume.   See Career & Academic Planning website for opportunities to get your resume critiqued prior to the event!

JMU COB students, BAP will be offering FREE tutoring to all COB 241 & 242 students starting 9/9/14 on Tuesdays @ 3:30-4:30 and Wednesdays @ 1:30-2:30 in Zane Shower, Room 321.

Need your resume critiqued by an employer prior to Meet the Firms or the Career Fair?

Attend ResumePrep on September 8, 12:00-3:00 in the Festival Ballroom

This program provides a relaxed environment for students to meet with employers for a personal 10 minute resume review.  Refreshments will be provided along with the opportunity to learn more about resume development.  Students will gain valuable insight and perspective on their resume by attending this event! 

Employers include the following: 

CAPITAL ONE
CEB (formerly Corporate Executive Board)
City Year Washington, DC
Daly Seven, Inc.
DELOITTE CONSULTING
ERNST & YOUNG
Excelacom
GEICO
KOHL'S DEPARTMENT STORES
MCGLADREY
NORTHWESTERNMUTUAL FINANCIAL NETWORK
Peace Corps
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Resource Energy
SWIFT
TARGET CORPORATION
TEKsystems
Wintergreen Resort

Students can log into Recruit-A-Duke for more information about the participating employers here:

https://jmu-csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php?mode=form&id=b231cce0ed763c536a4f4ae23c06e9e3&s=event&ss=cf

Questions?  Please contact:

Emma Maynard at maynaref@jmu.edu or Laura Hickerson at hickerly@jmu.edu 

 

JMU CoB students, 9/2/14 is the last day to add/drop a class without a "W". Questions? Contact us in the ASC in Zane Showker, Room 205!

Football season is here...Go JMU Duuukes!   http://www.samscornholebags.com/what-are-your-states-true-colors.html

COB students, Deloitte campus recruiters will be hosting a “Donut Day” event on campus from 8:30 AM-12:00 PM in the Zane Showker Lobby on 8/28!  Don't miss this opportunity to interact with these recruiters while they are on campus!

Duke Dog takes on the Ice Bucket Challenge! Go Duuuukes!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152334724658527

We are glad you are back!  IF you need an override for a class please visit the department head directly!  Additional questions?  Come visit us in the Academic Services Center, Zane Showker, Room 205!  Have a great semester!

How To Get Ahead In Your Career

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In the old days there was a corporate ladder. You started out in a company as an entry-level employee and they taught you the business. Over time you got promoted for your hard work and abilities. Where is that world now?  My dad started his career at McGraw-Hill Publishing. He took early retirement from the same company thirty-five years later. It is almost unheard of for a person to stay that long in one company today, moving up through the ranks. The corporate ladder has turned to sawdust. The average tenure of an executive hovers around three years. How can you build a career on such shaky ground?

We are in the middle of tumultuous change in the workplace. The tectonic plates started shifting in the nineteen-eighties, and the pace of change has only accelerated since then.
These days it is hard to say what 'employment' even means. You can be hired on as a contractor and sit alongside full-time, long-term employees or even supervise them.  It's a new day in the talent marketplace. Longevity on one job was a virtue for decades, and now it's somewhere between neutral and negative. The muscles that serve us best now are flexibility, an ear to the ground and the ability to talk not about your Skills but about your experience solving meaty, expensive problems.
People who can roll with constant changes are more suited to this new ecosystem than "Tell me what to do and I'll do it!" folks who thrived in the old world of work.

What does it mean to get ahead in your career, when there's no corporate ladder to climb? How do we define career advancement in the new millennium?
I met a fellow at a conference, a good-natured guy with an easy laugh.
"I was a divisional IT Director and then they promoted me to run internal software development for the entire company," he said.  "I had a great time but I thought it was a fragile position. It's too easy to outsource IT these days. When I saw an opening to head up a software implementation in the Middle East, I grabbed it."  "Wow," I said.  "That's out of the box. Who did you report to in that role?"  "On paper, the regional CIO," said my conference-mate, "but I met that guy once. I really reported to a consultant who was working for the country manager. On the organizational chart I stepped down two levels, but I got the international experience I'd never had and the project was a lot of fun.

In the meantime I lost touch with the corporate IT group, and the learning for me was how out of touch I'd been in my old HQ role.
After two years I went back to headquarters, and a consultant I had hired was the new CIO. He and I went to lunch.  He said 'Find something important to do here, and I'll stay out of your way.' I'm still working for him now, but I think of myself as a consultant anyway. That's the way we all need to think."  "What did you get, abroad?" I asked him. "What do you get on the job now?"
"Oh," he said, "It's incredible how my mojo grew in Dubai. I know how to talk to salespeople now. I know how to juggle priorities in real time. I learned how to think like a line manager, and I made dozens of contacts. I don't regret a minute of it. I learned how to operate in a very different culture.
Now that I'm back at HQ, I'm handling my job very differently. I take nothing for granted. I look ahead six to nine months to see where the company is likely to go and where it should go, and I speak up. I have no one to please and nothing to hide, and I run my job like a business, because it is a business."  Getting ahead these days has little to do with approval from higher-ups. Back when, you could pick an executive to follow and that person could mentor and guide you for years. That's a rare phenomenon these days. We all need mentoring, but where can we find it?
The best jobs today are not the ones with a defined career path. The more staid and slow-moving an organization is, the less your time in it will grow the critical new-millennium career muscles you need.  We become more marketable as we gain experience with more and more meaty, high-stakes projects that vary from one another.  The more powerful our stories, the more confident and self-sufficient we become no matter what strategic decisions our employers' leadership teams make.  At Human Workplace we teach these eight essentials to getting ahead in your career:
Get Ahead Portfolio
Your career is a big story made up of thousands of smaller stories. Your resume is one tiny piece of it. The names, dates and titles you've held can't possibly convey your power. You've got to create a portfolio for yourself, both a physical record of the projects you've completed and a set of stories you can tell to anyone who asks -- stories about times when you made important things happen on the job.
Your stories tell a hiring manager or client (and remind you!) of the important problems you've already solved. You won't collect new stories by doing the same things over and over.
Variety and greater challenge all the time are the keys. To get ahead in your career, you have to seek out and insert yourself into bigger and bigger problems. That requires speaking up and asking questions at work, every day!

Mentors, Contacts and References
It isn't paranoid anymore to maintain the attitude "This job could disappear tomorrow." Contacts and references are like money in the bank. A strong and well-connected network of people who can vouch for you is worth its weight in gold, and so is a small set of wise mentors to guide you over rough patches.   You can't wait until you need these important people in your life to start meeting them -- you've got to cultivate that network now! Are you doing that every day?

Repertoire
Your career is a unique tapestry woven over the years. No one else has the repertoire you have. Your accomplishments, bumps in the road and battle scars are all part of your unique repertoire. It's your secret sauce! The last thing you want to do is to think about yourself as an anonymous member of an undifferentiated set ("I'm a Network Engineer.") You might be a Network Engineer, but there isn't another one in the world like you. Claim your uniqueness!

Adjust with the Landscape
It is sadly common for a person starting a new job to think "Here's the approach I bring when I'm hired. I start by doing X, and then I do Y." Every situation and every employer is different. Real life doesn't lend itself to cookie-cutter solutions.  The ability to read each new client or employer situation and design a customized solution for it is a precious gift and a must-have ability in the new-millennium workplace.

Personal career plan
Most of us don't have career plans. That's a holdover from the days when our employers did the career planning for us. If you ask yourself "What specific plan does my boss have for me?" the honest answer is most likely "My career plan is the last thing on my manager's mind."  That's okay. You can create your own plan!  What do you want for yourself this year, next year and the year after? How will you get what you want -- more experience in one area or another, or more access to people or situations that appeal to you -- on the job or after hours? It's your career and no one else's. How are you going to run the business for which you are CEO?

Political savvy
You can say "I hate corporate politics" and get no disagreement. Yet political currents and waves are part of any workplace. How do you deal with the energy at work -- avoid it, ignore it, or step in and try to soften it? Political savvy is not a matter of one-upping people or making anyone look bad. That's a waste of your precious mojo.
Reading the energy waves at work is a critical new-millennium ability. Can you begin by talking about something important that hasn't been broached yet because everyone is afraid to bring up the topic? You can lead the change you want to bring about, not wait for someone else to do it.

Perspective-Taking
Perspective-taking is the ability to see things from the other person's point of view. It's the core of Pain-Spotting and of any sales activity. The working world is full of selling opportunities, and that makes you a salesperson whether you've thought of yourself that way or not!  Taking another person's point of view is essential for your relationships at work and at home, but most of us don't have much practice. You can start with your boss. What are his or her biggest worries? What makes him or her happy, sad and angry? Put your boss's glasses on and see the world through his or her eyes. Watch your worldview expand!

Your own end game
Any discussion of getting ahead has to include the question "What do you want for the rest of your career?" Do you want your own business someday, or to retire from the job you're in? Do you want to teach others, start a foundation or write a book? You get to decide, and you also have to decide.
The first step is to say "I deserve to have the career I want." Isn't that an exciting thought? You have everything you need to reach your goals. Ignore doubters and haters and people who tell you why you couldn't possibly succeed. They're stuck in fear, and you are not.  Take the first step and make a list of your career goals now. Make a vision for yourself and refine it. Look how much you've accomplished in your life already -- and you're just getting started! No one can stop you once you take the first step.



Human Workplace is a publishing, coaching and consulting firm whose mission is to reinvent work for people.  Our 12-week virtual coaching group Get Ahead! launches on Saturday, August 23rd. In the course you'll learn how to create your Get Ahead Portfolio, how to cultivate mentors and a network, how to build a career plan and how to grow the muscles you need for the new-millennium workplace!

The Only 7 Things We Truly Can Control in Life and How to Rock Them All

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In my experience, life can be pretty complicated. Although most of us have plenty to manage in our day-to-day lives—jobs, relationships, family, exercise, sleep, you name it—there are really only a few things we truly have control over. I changed my life by identifying these variables and learning how to master them. And I think you can too.

Happiness and success (however you define either one) have a lot to do with each other. In fact, greater happiness has been found to lead to greater success. I think both can be achieved with some simple and straightforward habit hacking, or making small tweaks to your routine which, little by little, add up to major changes in how you’re living your life.
We make millions of little decisions all the time, and the result of each one is either net positive, net negative, or neutral. The more net positive decisions we can make (and the fewer net negative ones), the better. Net positive decisions may require some effort: Brushing your teeth before bed, eating healthy meals, and regularly going to the gym are a few examples of actions that help you feel good and bring you one step closer to your goals despite the effort they entail. Net negative decisions—filling up on food that doesn’t make you feel good, skipping the nightly teeth-brushing, letting that downer friend cramp your style, or forgoing the gym—make it difficult to reach your goals because your decisions don't make you feel good, empowered, or confident. They take more out of you than they give, interfering with your energy levels, sapping your motivation, and clouding your focus.

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“ Let go of all the stuff you can't control and start using your time to master what you can control.”

While the healthier choice may seem harder, it pays off bigger. And you’ll be surprised by just how easy these choices can be once you make the effort. By learning how to master the seven things that are within our control, you will start to make more net positive decisions, fewer net negative ones, and find that empowering, positive behaviors become second nature. So let go of all the stuff you can't control and start using your time to master what you can control. Before you know it, you'll be living your best life ever!

How to Master Life in 7 Easy Steps

1. Inhale, exhale, repeat.
Most people don't even think about their breathing (I myself used to talk for many seconds at a time and forget to breathe!). Breathing is obviously important, but so is the ability to focus on it. Can you feel your chest expand when you inhale, and get softer when you exhale? Where do you feel the rise and fall most? Breathing is the ultimate hack to relax and slow racing thoughts. As soon as you experience something unpleasant, just take a few deep breaths and focus not on how horrible the situation was, but on your breathing. When you focus on your breath, you can count “one” as you inhale, “two” as you exhale. When you get to 10, start over. I bet you'll start to feel better and more grounded immediately.

2. Chat yourself up.
We all have a voice in our heads. That voice can often be critical and get in the way of our happiness and success. Try to count the times you engage in negative self-talk each day. It may surprise you how often you criticize yourself. If you can learn to recognize this Debbie Downer of an inner voice and replace it with engouraging statements, your attitude will start to change. Try talking to yourself with compassion. For example, instead of telling yourself you’re not good enough, remind yourself that you are worthy of love and attention, or that it’s okay to make mistakes—we all do!

3. Say thanks.
If you can practice being grateful on a daily basis, your happiness and productivity will increase [1]. Cultivating gratitude trains us to focus on hope, to remain inspired, and to be optimistic, lending us the courage and resilience to persevere in the face of setbacks (on top of giving us a mood boost that keeps us coasting).

4. Become fluent in body language.
According to neuroscientist Amy Cuddy, you can demonstrate power and confidence simply by changing the way you hold your body. For example, adopting a powerful stance—arms on your hips and feet planted wide, causing you to take up more space—increases testosterone and decreases the stress hormone cortisol. The result? This "power posing" will make you feel more confident. Think about this before you meet with a potential client, go to a job interview, or even just before you leave the house.

5. Pursue (physical and mental) fitness.
I don’t know about you, but I come up with my best ideas while I'm on the elliptical. Exercising is a chance to just listen to my music and think about nothing. It's glorious. You don't have to go to the gym, but we all ought to take 20 minutes out of our days to get up and move. Motion helps free your mind and body to better tap into your creative potential. Walking has literally been found to increase creativity [2]. Getting some movement in will help creativity and also focus.

Giving your brain a workout is as easy as it is important for you to do. Whether you play Sudoku or do crossword puzzles, or subscribe to the app Lumosity, your brain will feel the difference. Folks who don’t want to shell out the cash can get a similar benefit from meditation. Just 20 to 30 minutes has been shown to increase focus, reduce stress and anxiety, and even dial down physical pain [3] [4].

6. Eat smart.
Even though it might taste great, junk food is a net negative. It makes your brain and body slow and sad. Consuming too much sugar has been linked to all kinds of medical conditions (including metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease), not to mention mood swings and crashes that kill productivity. Plus, processed foods have been proven to exacerbate, if not cause, chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and even breast cancer [5] [6]. Simple fixes like keeping a bag of carrots or a bowl of fruit handy help us pick up the healthier choice when we're depleted and hungry and reaching for the closest snack. Easy-to-whip-up, convenient-to-carry portable snacks can be delicious and nutritious.

7. Get adequate shuteye.
Sleep is critical for focus, concentration, job and academic performance, keeping your appetite under control, and a host of other positive health outcomes. In order to hack sleep, you have to set a routine. I'm asleep by 9 pm and I wake up to watch the sun rise. Watching the sun rise is beautiful and it's a net positive that I’m grateful for. If your brain can't calm down while you're trying to fall asleep, you can tell yourself, “I'm proud of the work I accomplished today, I'm going to let my brain and body rest now." Or try other trusted get-to-sleep-ASAP methods, including cutting back on alcohol (since people who booze more sleep less) [7].

Habit Hacking: The Warm-Up

Use the three quick tips below to get your mind and spirit ready to hack your habits and live your best life ever!

1. Visualize it.
Whatever it is you most want to be doing, you must be able to see yourself doing it. For most of us, the work we do while procrastinating is probably the work we should be doing for the rest of our lives. Practice visualizing this concept with your eyes closed for a few seconds. Where are you working? What's the room like? What's the temperature like? How's the lighting? How do you feel? Are you drinking a cup of coffee or a glass of water? What time of the day is it? The more senses you involve the better. Keep imagining this for yourself in order to increase the likelihood of these visions becoming reality.

2. Believe in it.
You have to believe that you already have everything you need to be successful. Reember: You don't need money to try out an idea. There are plenty of free and low-cost ways to get started with all kinds of projects—from using social media to smartphone apps to making use of fundraising sites. And when it comes to having the courage and can-do spirit to get going, well, that's something you already have in spades.

3. Talk it up.
Talk about what you do everywhere you go. You won't believe the people you stumble upon who are willing to help. Whatever pain you're healing or problem you're solving or project you’re launching, share your knowledge and experiences with everyone who can benefit from them. When you help as many people as you can, those people will connect you to all kinds of resources—everything you need to get started. Just let it happen, and smile as often as possible.

This post was written by Cat Goldberg, a Sarah Lawrence alum, San Francisco-based neuromarketer, and social media guru.  To learn more about Cat, visit BrainBuzz or find her on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.