© m. reber 10/21/2015 succeeding in your career tips for today’s business world
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© M. Reber04/21/23
Succeeding in Your Career
Tips for Today’s Business World
Keep a Log
Update regularly, weekly is a good idea List assignments, work activities, completed
jobs, responsibilities, critical conversations, and problems as well as successes
Print copies or email to yourself regularly at non-work email (if allowed)
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Track Project Progression
Create and track timelines, minutes, roles and responsibilities, status reports
Demonstrate impact to overall timeline when a deadline is missed to discuss rational next steps
Keep track even if you haven’t been told to do so
3
Create a Paper Trail
Save critical outgoing and incoming email on company mail server
Bcc or forward critical emails to a personal non-company email account (if possible and allowed)
Send emails to confirm critical decisions, relay critical conversations, and get approval on documents (often with deadline for corrections)
Be prepared to objectively show where the ball was dropped
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Document, Print, and Store Everything in Writing Memory can be faulty, paper is tangible: keep a
PRINTED paper trail! If you get oral agreement from a colleague or
supervisor, always send a confirmation email of the details.
Team decisions should also be outlined in a follow up email Important dates or deadlines for the work or
agreement Changes in scope of project or responsibilities
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Organize Your Documentation Well
Print hard copies File all work documents effectively Make files easy to find Printed documentation does you no good if you
can’t find a document when you need it! Remember that in the worst-case scenario you
may be escorted out of the workplace without access to your computer files
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Keep a List of Contributions and Accomplishments Keep track of your own achievements: it is not
high on a supervisor’s priority list, so present yourself well and be prepared
Update regularly as you will likely forget some of your contributions by the next review cycle
Make list concise and verifiable Present list at evaluation whether asked to or
not
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Market Yourself
It is easy to lose track of a quiet employee who always does a good job – so beat your own drum strategically
Help your colleagues appreciate your contributions – you want to be someone they want to work with
Be subtle—no one likes someone who is constantly tooting their own horn
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Always Try to Get Buy-In From Other Team Members Engage co-workers to encourage them to take
ownership and responsibility Solve problems more easily if all parties involved
in the project feel their opinions have been heard
Have a kick-off meeting that involves all and encourages collaboration and sharing of ideas
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Ask for Advice and Help from People You Trust People love it when you stroke their egos and
seek them out politely as mentors—you can learn a lot!
Be cautious with who you trust!!!
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Evaluate and Establish Trust
Be very careful about who you trust Use your best judgment, but be prepared for
errors Recognize the risk before you take it Evaluate how people you admire behave with
others and mimic their behavior
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Watch What You Say at Work
Walls have ears!! People who gossip with you are likely to gossip
about you Rumors spread fast and viciously No heart-to-heart discussions at work — take a
walk, go in the parking lot Personal opinions are best discussed off-site or
with people who are NOT coworkers
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Understand Another’s Point Before Making Your Own Understand and repeat another person’s
opinion/statement before you assert your own Understand other’s words as they were intended
to avoid misunderstandings Give them the benefit of the doubt Try to build on common feelings and thoughts Make them feel understood, then you have a
better chance of making your point
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Resolve Conflicts
Always deal with problem at lowest level. Deal with other party directly and politely
Go to a higher level only if there is no other way of resolving the conflict directly
Try to resolve tension when possible rather than letting it fester
Sometimes you may have to agree to disagree and then be pleasant
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Set Expectations Appropriately
It is better to under promise and over deliver Do the best work you can and try to exceed
expectations Don’t say yes before thinking—it is okay to get
back to someone with an answer after you’ve had a few minutes to think
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Set Appropriate Boundaries
Your work is not your life - know how much you are willing to do
Pick your battles and save your silver bullets Be a team player and give a little extra when you
can, but say no politely when enough is enough Find objective ways to set boundaries with little
emotion You don’t leave your personality and ethics
behind just because you have a job!
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Set Appropriate Boundaries (con’t.)
Remember that rarely does a company truly care about your health, family relationships, work/life balance, or sense of fulfillment and happiness
If you are salaried, why wouldn’t they want more work for the same amount of money?
Companies care first and foremost about their own survival and the bottom line—don’t mistake their natural self-interestedness for undying loyalty
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Keep Your Resume Up-to-Date
Update regularly Keep adding new accomplishments/skills to
resume as they come up The worst time to update a resume is when you
desperately need to!
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Keep Your Eyes and Options Open for New Opportunities Job searching while you have a job allows you
to evaluate what’s out there Don’t be an ostrich with your head in the sand—
know what your options are and why you are where you are
There’s always the possibility of sudden and unexpected layoffs at your company
Remember a job is not quite the same as a romantic relationship
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Keep Your Contacts Warm and Stay in Touch Meet for lunch, leave a voicemail, send an email
occasionally to useful people to keep in touch Help them with requests, referrals, and
information whenever possible Don’t ask for help at the last minute after a long
silence! Cold contacts are hard to resurrect naturally
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Save Some Money if You Need to Quit Offers you incredible freedom if you can ideally
save 6 months of expenses Gives you some peace of mind – you have some
fallback if you lose your job Allows you to take a stand – you don’t HAVE to
stay at your job if it becomes unbearable
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