Career Thought Leaders Conference

Local Career Practitioner Learns Cutting-Edge Career Management Strategies

BALTIMORE, March 15, 2012 – Lakeisha Mathews, Certified Professional Resume Writer and Certified Professional Career Coach in Baltimore, MD was one of 150 career practitioners who attended the Career Thought Leaders Conference March 10–14 to learn foremost strategies for helping professionals and job seekers take control of their career.

With unemployment rates still stubbornly high and rapid changes in how companies source candidates, it is essential for both experienced and new career professionals to be fully equipped to help job seekers manage a full-throttle job search efficiently and effectively.

While resumes are still a must-have document for job seekers, they are only the tip of the iceberg. Conference speakers recommended that experts like [your name] become career communications managers who can equip job seekers with social media profiles, personal branded bios, electronic career portfolios and other next-generation documents.

Additional conference content focused on social media and online identity, two critical areas for success in today’s job market. Job seekers who contribute powerful, relevant content about their industry or area of expertise are more likely to attract recruiters, hiring managers and other professionals to their Twitter, FaceBook and LinkedIn pages than those who don’t.

The latest in coaching strategies were also presented by leading experts in career, job search, and executive coaching.

Put Your Money Where Your Talent Is

In today's ever changing and competitive workforce having talent is not enough. Just because you are aware of your strengths doesn't mean you are able to effectively apply them to the workplace. Strengths and talents must be nurtured and pruned. Tomorrow’s leaders need role models, mentors and learning opportunities.

This is not new information you say? Professional development is an enormous industry and everywhere you turn, organizations and associations are offering certificate programs, certifications and institutes that help prepare the leaders of tomorrow. However, many of us do not take advantage of these opportunities until our employer will cover the expenses or reimburse us.  Inevitably, we are placing our professional futures in the hands of our bosses and human resources departments.

Let's stop and think about this. We work for companies that can at any moment let us go, regardless of how long or how hard we worked while employed. We work for bosses that may or may not see our talents or seek to help us meet our professional goals. And, we are aware of the new mantra that today's professionals must have multiple streams of income and be proactive managers of their own careers. And yet we still wait for others to invest in our future by sending us to conferences, paying for our association memberships and funding our professional development activities.

If today's professional has to be a judicious manager of your career it is important to understand that this includes planning and even funding your own career development when possible. Don't wait for someone else to see your worth or for the budget to increase. Be your own manager, seek out and fund your own professional development opportunities by putting your money where your mouth is.

How do you swim: Treading water or diving in

How you swim may be an indicator of how you approach your work life.  When approaching a pool do you immediately head for the diving board and jump in?  Or, do you hesitantly enter the shallow end and slowly make your way into the water before breaking into a light tread?  Neither approach is right or wrong, but only one approach gets recognition and admiration.

Okay, so my metaphor may be a little far stretched, but work with me here.  Divers are the type of swimmers who are willing to give it their all.  Instead of approaching life with hesitancy, they throw aside their fears and worries and focus on the task at hand - making a good splash.  Those who tread water have a different approach.  They tend to hang around the side of the pool and go through a song and dance on the edge of the pool of how cold the water is. And, finally they slowly enter the pool and begin a cautious tread for the duration of their swim.

Like I said, neither approach is right or wrong.  But ask yourself, which swimmers tend to get recognized and admired by their peers?  And, which swimmers tend to enjoy themselves more at the pool?  The answer is the divers - the ones who toss aside their inhibitions and focus on making a splash.  In fact those who tread water, spend most of their time with other treaders admiring the divers.

I am not by any means implying that we should be reckless risk takers in our professional lives.  Though a good belly splash can't hurt, surely, knowing how to swim and proper diving techniques are also important.  However, what I am implying, is that we have a choice in our business lives to play it safe,  never giving too little or too much.  Or, going for the big splash and diving into opportunity and success.

If anything, at the end of the day, it's the divers who appear to be having the most fun!

The Two Rs: Risk and Rejection

What is keeping you from being "great"?  Is it that you don't have the time to pursue your dreams?  Are your finances keeping you from developing your ideas? Or, is it the people around you keeping you from fully tapping into your talent?  The answer is none of the above!  We can make a lot of excuses for not moving forward in life but they all normally come down to two words: Risk and Rejection. 

Chasing your dreams, developing your ideas and tapping into your talent all require risk.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but risk doesn't travel alone.  She has a BFF and her name is rejection.  OUCH!  Does this mean we shouldn't try new things, take on new challenges and pursue the American dram? No, it doesn't.  It means that if you are going to be one of those successful professionals who goes the distance, regardless of your course, then you have to take the two Rs together: take some risks and deal with some rejection.

Rejection is not all bad.  The difficulty is not in being turned down, but in how you respond to being turned down.  Just because you didn't get the job you wanted, were denied a pay raise or passed over for a promotion doesn't mean you don't have what it takes.  Instead of giving up, use rejection to propel you forward.  First, when you are rejected, remember that when one door closes, another one will open.  Second, when you are rejected, consider that the heavens are watching out for you and there is a good reason your path has been averted.  Finally, when you are rejected, never, ever give up.  Sometime it pays to try again, and again, and again....do you get my drift? 

The moral of the story...to move forward, to get better and grow bigger we must learn to overcome the fear and pain of Risk and Rejection. 

Work Relationships Need Nurturing

Have you ever experienced love for your job but not for your co-workers?  It's funny because sometimes it's your co-workers who make you love your job.  And, other times you may love your work but your feelings may not be as strong for the people you work with. Surely we all experience conflict, tension and frustration with our co-workers from time-to-time.  But what about the times when you know there are real personality conflicts.  Even worse, what do you do when you are constantly bumping heads with a  co-worker or one person rubs your the wrong way all of the time.

I wish I had a magical answer for you that could make all of your co-worker blues go away.  However, co-worker conflict, regardless of how small, is a reality of all work places.  I think it's more important to learn how to manage these situations than run from them or cut off relationships.  Foremost, co-worker relationships must be handled with gentleness because your actions and what people say about you catch up to you and speak volumes for your people skills and professionalism.

I have worked at several companies since high school and I haven't always been able to avoid conflict or tension with my co-workers.  Sometimes conflict is unavoidable.  Instead of trying to avoid conflict or pretending it doesn't exist I acknowledge my feelings about co-workers and follow four key strategies.  First, I keep lines of communication open.  If you can not communicate with someone, you can not work with them either.  If work doesn't get done, someone is going to be held responsible.  Second, I remain personable and open to small-talk.  Everyone is not going to be your best friend, but looking at everyone as your enemy is not helpful either.  If people can't say they like you, at least they can say you are a decent and personable human being who says hello in the morning and bless you when someone sneezes.  Third, I look for opportunities to mend broken relationships and clear up misunderstandings.  Life is all about relationships and that includes the workplace.  Extending forgiveness and trying to establish functional relationships will add to the quality of your work experience and others.  Last but not least, I don't return and eye for an eye.  Sometimes in order to stop a vicious cycle of tension you have to break it by extending grace and not returning rudeness or backstabbing.  Just because someone else chooses to be immature, petty or is driven by their insecurities doesn't mean you have to respond in the same manner.

Giving it your all

Effort.  A little word with huge meaning.  Work requires effort.  And, most of the time effort brings about results and rewards.  But what do you do when you feel that your effort is getting you no where?  Despite your best efforts, you find that your performance is waning or you are not content with your current situation. 

My only answer to this question is: push harder.  You have to be very careful how you handle yourself when you feel discontent, disillusioned and lost in the workplace.  This is not the time to withdraw and stop putting your best foot forward.  This is really the time to press forward and try harder.

I know this is easier said than done.  In essence, maintaining a consistent level of effort in your work and daily life takes personal management skills.  You must train yourself how to respond emotionally to negative situations.  Just think, how did you respond the last time a co-worker rubbed you the wrong way?  When you practice effective personal management, you become tuned in to to your pressure points and take a mind over matter approach to rough times.

Progress will never be made if tough situations force you to stop trying - effort.  Learn how to relieve your stress, be patient with your co-workers, and ride out the dry seasons.  Sometimes time heals all things effortlessly.  Keep your efforts strong at work, the rewards and results will come in due time. 

Manage your career by managing your time

Do you make good use of your time at work and personally?  In todays market being intelligent and having strong interpersonal skills are not enough to get ahead.  Today's professional must know how to accomplish a lot of things with little time.  This means that the new "soft skill" you need to succeed is time management.

In fact, time management and career advancement go hand-in-hand.  Why?  Because, in order to advance your career you must set goals.  In order to accomplish your goals you must set deadlines.  And, in order to meet your deadlines you have to manage your time well.

Time management doesn't mean living a rigid life full of schedules and check lists.  In my opinion, time management is very personal.  You have to decide for yourself what tools and techniques work to keep you focused and on schedule.  More important, managing time well means being aware of time stealers.

Time stealers are those little activities in your day that distract your from the important tasks.  For a few it's surfing the net, for some it's too much TV and for others it's texting.  Do you notice the trend?  Time stealers are fun!  Chances are if they were boring we wouldn't allow them to steal our time.

With four months left in the year, it's time to re-evaluate how you manage your TIME.  Eliminate the time stealers from your day.  If they can't be eliminated, place boundaries on them so that you are in control.  Your career advancement depends on your time management.