Jobs @ Career Consulting Limited
Return to career-consulting-limited.com
People |
|
|
 |
Creating Your Own Luck
Losing my job in the last recession of the last century, I discovered first hand the power of creating your own luck. A week later, I decided to locate an interim position while I looked for a "real" one. Accepting a temporary position at minimum wage in an industry I knew little about, I decided the way to enjoy the position was to learn everything I could and contribution all that I could. I poured over manuals in my down time, developed processes to expedite the work, trained new employees, volunteered for additional assignments, and did anything that needed to be done. Four weeks into a ten week job, I was unexpectedly offered my first management position.
If I had listened to my friends cautioning me that taking a minimum wage position was career suicide, if I had been concerned about accepting a job "beneath" my education or experience level, or if I had only done what was expected, I would have missed an opportunity that led to five promotions in the next seven years.
It has been my experience over the years, while climbing the corporate ladder to Vice President of a multi-billion dollar company, that opportunity is everywhere and anywhere. Often, it's in unexpected places for those who differentiate themselves in the workplace. People who do what is expected of them, do it very well, "and then some" have opportunities arise that others never do. And people who set their ego aside, contributing everything they can to the task at hand, often create their own luck. That's because initiative is a powerful commodity in the workplace.
People offering to do extra work only if they get paid for it, or take on extra responsibility only if their salary is increased first, have it backwards in my book. My advice: do the work, do it well, and then do it even better. Higher pay, greater responsibilities and increased opportunities follow individuals who are contributors. Anytime I looked to hire people, offer permanent positions to temporary employees or interns, start up new departments or businesses, or promote individuals, I looked for people doing their job well ..."and then some."
(c) 2004 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.
Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor. Contact Nan at info@nanrussell.com.
MORE RESOURCES: 7 signs the job market is on the verge of a serious meltdown Business Insider 36 Academy seniors sign into new careers lewistownsentinel.com Careers University of Northern Colorado Launch into a high-flying career in drone technology VA News (.gov) Trump Sends Mixed Signals on Apprenticeship and Job Training Inside Higher Ed Lee nonprofit finds success in finding jobs for young people with autism Business Observer Careers City of Phoenix (.gov) New law in Washington protects workers from sudden job loss Nonstop Local News How Part-Time Jobs Became a Trap The Atlantic Careers City of Ontario, California (.gov) For Silicon Valley, AI isn’t just about replacing some jobs. It’s about replacing all of them | Ed Newton-Rex The Guardian Careers at FEMA FEMA.gov Careers at Prairie View A&M University PVAMU Home Tens of thousands of federal public service jobs should be eliminated, think tank says National Post More Oregonians are holding down multiple jobs The Seattle Times Careers | Home USDA (.gov) Careers – Human Resources & Federal Programs stjohns.k12.fl.us Careers and Jobs at CRS Catholic Relief Services Careers UC Santa Cruz You're in for a reality check if you want to job-hop right now Business Insider Is AI closing the door on entry-level job opportunities? The World Economic Forum Careers Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Working for ICE ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (.gov) Something Alarming Is Happening to the Job Market The Atlantic CrowdStrike to cut 500 jobs in plan to scale business Cybersecurity Dive Where federal workers searching for new jobs should look in Maryland The Baltimore Banner Careers at USCIS USCIS (.gov) Job Listings Fayette County Public Schools Employment Opportunities | Game Commission Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (.gov) Explore Store Careers Target Corporation Store Hourly Job Areas Target Corporation Corporate Career Job Areas Target Corporation Work for Us National Park Service (.gov) Work With Us National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (.gov) Careers at TWU Texas Woman's University Jobs and Training at FDA fda.gov Faculty and Providers Rush University Medical Center Work at the U.S. Department of Energy Department of Energy (.gov) Recruitment & Classification Sonoma County (.gov) IOM career gateways International Organization for Migration Career Opportunities UMHB Career Opportunities Gilead Sciences 18 high-paying healthcare jobs that don't need a bachelor's degree Business Insider Careers BASF About UDC Career Services University of the District of Columbia Jobs City of Rochester (.gov) Careers at the IOC Olympics.com Jobs at Liberty University Liberty University Future of Jobs Report 2025: The jobs of the future – and the skills you need to get them The World Economic Forum NASA Careers: Pathways NASA (.gov) Human Resources University of Redlands UK wage growth eases as jobs market weakens Financial Times What Jobs Can You Get with a Business Degree? Southern New Hampshire University Careers Calgary Board of Education Career Services Cornerstone University Interview Guide and Tips Target Corporation Careers at WPP WPP 20 Companies That Offer Unlimited Vacation Days | Careers U.S. News & World Report Donald Trump Wants His Backers to Have Lousy Jobs Center for Economic and Policy Research Recorded Video Interviews Target Corporation What the data says about federal workers Pew Research Center Current opportunities Turner & Townsend K9 Recruitment Bonuses United States Secret Service (.gov) Careers West Virginia Department of Education Careers at Union Union College WORK AT LVMH LVMH Programs and Internships Goldman Sachs Employment Opportunities Unity Health Toronto Work with us JPMorganChase Careers City of Norfolk (.gov) Careers Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services Work for the City of St. Louis City of St. Louis, MO (.gov) Students and graduates JPMorganChase Careers and skills JPMorganChase KCMO Career Center | CITY OF KANSAS CITY | OFFICIAL WEBSITE City of Kansas City (.gov) Careers The University of Texas at San Antonio | UTSA Careers at Jacobs Jacobs Career Opportunities University of Houston Current Job Openings Pinellas County (.gov) Careers at King County King County (.gov) ADM Job Openings Archer Daniels Midland Careers City of Somerville (.gov) |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Job Interviews -- How to Follow Up Effectively Getting a job is not just about your performance in an interview. The post-interview follow up you do has a critical role in a successful job hunt. Employment Under A Microscope A certain amount of oversight is involved in almost any job. The more important, the more highly skilled, the more successful the position, the lower the degree of oversight. Your First Summer Work in the UK - Picking Strawberries The Right Way Most jobs on farms in the UK involve picking strawberries or berries in general, raspberries and possibly other berries with which I have not have the lucky chance to pick.Picking strawberries is very demanding and hard work and if this being your first summer job, then it will take lots of patience and clear mind. Making Yourself More Relevant To The New Workplace Being a current job seeker can be quite a challenging prospect as there are many changes in the workplace. Life-long employment is no longer the norm and workers must also learn to adapt with the complementary expertise of foreign talents. Should You Lie On Your Resume? Warning: Lying on your resume could cost you your job and your freedom.Picture this. Have Some PASTA with Your Interview When cyclists prepare for a big race, they always make sure they load up on the carbs. It is not uncommon to have a pasta feed the night before an important event so that the athletes can store up some of the carbohydrates they will be burning up the next day. 7 Tips to Deal With a Bad Performance Review Q. "I wasn't happy with my last performance review. Gray Hair, Black Prospects If you're reading this article, I'm sure I don't have to tell you that discrimination has become much more sneaky than in the past. No one comes out and say, "We're not hiring you because you're too old. Job Interviews: What to Wear It takes between seven and seventeen seconds for a person to make an impression of us and much of that impression is based on how we look. It stand to reason, then, that what we wear to job interviews will make a far greater impact on our success than anything we're likely to say once those first crucial seconds have passed. Career Change - Emotional Intelligence for Knowledge Workers? Nowadays we can expect to survive the second half of our lives and as our work is knowledge-based - we knowledge workers are not finished after 30 years on the job - Are we merely bored?There are three ways to develop another career: The first way is to really start a career. Our original career decision (at school or college) may have been simply around 'getting a job to make some money' or just to 'get into the job market' in some way. Get A New Job - Career Choices Career change is tough but rewardingThere are a number of reasons why people might be due for a career change:? They don't like their current career. Maybe they took the job because they needed money at the time and it was the only work they could find to pay the bills. Get a Raise: How To Ask Your Boss For More Money How many people do you know who think they deserve a pay rise, but are too scared to ask? You might even be one of those people! Why is it we are afraid to ask for what we believe we are worth? It's time to stop worrying and start asking, but before you charge into your boss's office give yourself the best chance of success with these helpful tips?then book that meeting with the boss.Do an audit. Finding Employees For Insurance Industry Jobs Finding the right employee for any job opening can be a challenge to say the least, and this is no truer than in the insurance industry. With considerations ranging from experience and education to their personal skills, the decisions faced by recruiters and employers can be of critical importance. 12 Steps to Targeting Success in Your Career or Job Search Is your job search sagging? Are you still looking for that ideal next job? Or are you about to begin looking for new work and are not sure of the best way to go about it? What you need is a way to evaluate your job search strategies to see whether or not they are working effectively for you. Ready to get started? Here are 12 building blocks to a successful job search and the goals that will help you get to where you really want to be in the world of work: 1. War Time Hiring: 5 Steps to Attract Top Talent A recent report, titled "The War for Talent" stated that over the next 20 years, employee talent will be what differentiates successful companies from those going bust. The late 90's gave us a glimpse of the talent war, but was nothing compared to what's ahead. Job Search Tips - How to Increase Your Success Finding a job can be a painful and difficult experience. Here are three things that you can do to minimize the pain and increase your chances of success. Are Online Degrees Valid to Prospective Employers? Online distance learning has gained rapid popularity with the advent of the internet, which has proven to offer great supporting facilities and convenience for online education. However, just like everything else with pros and cons, the internet has also opened doors for the widespread sale of bogus online degrees. Tips for Handling On the Job Setbacks If you've chosen a business career, you will inevitably experience some type of setback. And whether your pet project is canceled, your performance review is a bust, you get turned down for a promotion, or you're asked to leave the company, setbacks hurt big time. Interview Questions: How To Stump The Interviewer In the limited time an interviewer has with you, their mission is to know you and assess your worth, especially in relationship to the other candidates interviewed. Asking you questions is the way they accomplish that mission. Taking a Survival Type Job Is Good For You. Ugh! Arg! How can a survivor type job be good for me?I'm barely hanging on to what I found and at minimumwage. (I have been promised a ten cent an hour increasein one month).
|
|
|
| © Career Consulting Limited.com 2011
|