Page 84 - Book5E

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Plan and Protect Your Career—Keep Learning
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Cultivate effective working relationships. More and more often these days work is accomplished in teams. If you are in middle management, prepare to collaborate more with direct reports as equals in teams. Your ideas will increasingly be judged for their merit, rather than in status and deference to your position.
Connect with other people who do work related to yours.
Attend conferences and trade shows, join professional associations and volunteer to help with the group’s local chapter. Conduct information interviews with people in other units, organizations, or fields to find out what they do. Electronic relationships are excellent ways to network.
Develop expertise in your field. Define your career in terms of your chosen field, not only in terms of your specific employer. Read about your area of expertise, talk to others in your field— stretch yourself to anticipate the future. When possible, write and speak about your work and publish in appropriate trade and professional journals. Look for opportunities to be a spokesper- son for your employer, in your professional associations, and in your community work.
Tap the power of a mentor. While ability and credentials will always serve you well, do not underestimate the power of having the support of a senior person who knows you well. This person may or may not currently work in your organization, but frequently he is someone with whom you have worked before. People who have been mentored often secure more key assignments, promotions, and better salaries during the course of their career. As they acquire experience, they also tend to become mentors themselves.
Be on the lookout for what’s next. Those who excel in their current jobs think ahead about how things will be changing. Keep your resume up-to-date and ready to go. Collect materi- als about yourself—letters and e-mails from managers or peers about a job well done, examples of your work, ideas for projects, and keep them organized so that you are ready to let others
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