Capability

Weekly Exercise: The Core Of Networking

by

Good at networking?  Bad at networking?  Either way, you're gonna have to network in your career, and frankly, it's lot of fun.

This Weekly Challenge is to start taking a look at how people connect with you.

How they connect with you?  Yep, forget you connecting with them.  We're going to look at why people connect with you.  We're going to look at why people WANT to connect with you.

Good networking is fun, friendly, and win-win.  If you realize that you have something to offer then you can find it easier to connect with others – because you're thinking about them.  No one wants to connect with someone who's selfish.

So here's your challenge:
Write down all the reasons that people would want to connect with you and get to know you.  There may be:

  • Skills you can help with.
  • People you know.
  • A cheery demeanor that perks people up.
  • Etc.

Go on and don't be modest.  After all this is about other people isn't it?

Now look over this list.  Remember in the future when networking, you have something to offer other people.

– Steven Savage

Your Career Is A Bunch Of Investments

by

I manage my own investments (which I'm kind of glad of considering the market).  Now you may not be up for managing your investments, but there is one you should manage – your career.

Think about what an investment is – you put money into something (stocks, land, a business), from which you expect to get benefits that are greater than the money and effort you put into it.  The benefits may not be the same (an investment of time may make money, and investment of money may yield fame, etc.), but the principle is the same – put something in that yields more.

Your entire career is a series of investments.  Indeed your life is.

Read more

Weeky Challenge: When it’s time to wait?

by

Everything comes and goes in the cycles of life.  We, careerists and professionals, are used to trying to figure these cycles out to ride them – or run from them.

Now and then, we end up at a difficult period in our lives when the various forces in our lives are at a crossroads, things end, and we're trying to get a handle on what's next.

So today's challenge?  Ask yourself what is on hold in your life – and that should stay on hold.

Take a look at your career goals – what is on hold now and why?  Of these events on hold, what are ones where you need to apply timing – to wait for an economic change, someone to return from a trip, etc.  What parts of your great life plan just happen to be caught up in the cycles of change.

Now for a second part – what of these "on hold" goals should you NOT try and tackle?  Are there things that, if you try and ram them ahead, you'll only end up in trouble?

What in short, are you just going to be bet off waiting on?  As much as people that try and encourage others on their career (like me) push you, sometimes you gotta wait.

– Steven Savage