8 Ways To Use Speaking to Further Your Career Goals

Professional speaking is one of the easiest ways to enhance your career. Opportunities abound; no matter how experienced or inexperienced. The more you speak the better you will become. You will establish a reputation as someone knowledgeable in your field and people will contact you for speaking opportunities as a result.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Here are 10 ways learning to be a speaker can enhance your career.

1. When you speak you automatically assume the role of an expert. People are coming to hear what you say, right? That routinely positions you in the role of an expert. The more credentials you add to your "expert" status the more valuable you become.

2. Speakers get high profile visibility. Look to get your name included in programs, brochures, email announcements, agendas and other handouts, press announcements and online posting of conference materials. This is especially important when you are starting out and are not being paid. Ask up front what type of PR they will be doing for the event. NOTE: Pay attention to important submission deadlines.

3. As a speaker, you get to meet other colleagues and associates. It?s a place where you can chat up your competition without any repercussions. Look to see who's on the agenda and make sure to meet as many other speakers as you can. Ask them to keep you in mind at other events where they might be speaking.

4. Speaking can open doors to people you want to meet. It?s easy to pick up the phone and ask someone to come to your event or send them an email invitation. Even if they can't attend it will position you as someone of note. It?s also a great way to follow up with a copy of your name in print as an expert on the program.

5. The media looks for speakers at conferences and events as potential interviews. Make a point of introducing yourself to the media. It gives you an excellent way to follow up for future conversations. Add the media to your master press list and send them announcement any time you are speaking. Note: Don't just blast a boring announcement. Spice it up with some clever opening subject line.

6. Speaking enables you to come back with report on other events and activities. Make sure you listen to the other speakers not only as a benchmark to your expertise but to learn something new. If you are an employee, be sure and follow up your presentation with a report to your boss. Send a note to associates on anything you found of interest.

7. Often you can attend other sessions free of charge. Take advantage of this opportunity. Some times conferences are running concurrent tracts. Maximize your time there.

8. As a speaker you get face time with executives that you may not any other way. The higher the level of conference, the higher the level of attendee. You may use this as a vehicle to meet someone you have been trying to track down. Note: After is better than before. Also use the networking sessions which are commonplace to work the attendees and speakers

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I'll File a Grievance!

I recently went to a retirement party with my husband for one of his co-workers. I worked at this same place six years ago (that's where I met my husband, but that's another story), so I knew most of the people at the party. 

One person I didn't know (I'll call her Jill but that's not her real name) was talking about how bored she is in her current job. She's been with the agency for about three months and is doing administrative work.

"I'm way overqualified for this position," she said. "I used to be an Office Manager. I only took this job because I heard this agency was a good place to work. I know I can get something better."

Jill told me she planned to apply for a new opening at the same agency -- a slightly better-paying administrative position. That position became vacant recently when that secretary retired. It's been filled by a temp for about three weeks.

"I know I'm way more qualified than that temp!" Jill said. "If she gets hired instead of me, I'm going to file a grievance!"

If she hadn't quickly disappeared, I would've given her some advice. If you've ever had the same attitude as Jill, maybe you can use this advice.

First, an employer is not under any obligation to hire the most qualified candidate. They can hire the least qualified candidate, as long as that candidate meets the minimum qualifications stated in the position announcement.

Second, employers are people, and people hire those they like and want to work with. As long as there is no discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, marital status, age, gender, sexual orientation or physical/mental disability, employers can legally hire whomever they want.

The fact of the matter is, a candidate is never hired based solely on her qualifications. A candidate is hired because she convinces the hiring manager that she can do the job and be a positive, enthusiastic, pleasant-to-work-with member of the team.

Someone who is blabbing to co-workers (and strangers!) that she'll file a grievance if she doesn't get hired is unlikely to fit that bill.

If you're thinking of applying for a promotion within your current company, please realize that more than your experience, skills and qualifications will be judged.

What's your reputation? If you're a dedicated team player, great!

But if you're a complainer whom your current boss and co-workers would not miss, you've got some reputation repair work to do first!

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How to be an A-List Employee or Candidate

Hopefully, we all understand the importance of "marketing" ourselves in our careers - selling our skills, our rxperience, our education, our accreditation, and our professional value to our current and future employers.

What we often forget, however, is the importance of the "qualities" or "attributes" that signal a Top Performer.

In fact, in survey after survey asking managers and leaders what they look for in model employees, ATTRIBUTES are frequently the first mentioned - not skills, not education, not certification, but rather personal attributes and qualities that separate Top Performers from the pack.

Throughout all of these surveys, while many unique features appear, common themes keep coming to the surface. Below, you will find the Top 5 qualities that appear again and again. If you can demonstrate these qualities on the job, highlight them come promotion time, and communicate them in an interview, then you will definitely identify yourself as a Top Performer, separate yourself from the competition, and advance your career.

1. Self-Motivated/Lifelong Learner

Being self motivated refers not only to getting the job done without being told, but more importantly it means taking responsibility for doing whatever is necessary to get the job done, and making certain that you have the tools to get the job done.

In other words, employers are looking for people with a "passion" for self-improvement; people who will manage their own personal and professional development, learn aggressively, and take the initiative to get the expertise required to add more value to the company. Hiring managers very often look to the Education section of a résumé to see if candidates have continued learning and growing as part of their career.

So, take control of your professional development and growth.

2. Interpersonal Skills

Most people will agree that good interpersonal skills are important, but what do we really mean by it? Ultimately, it boils down to this: "getting along." Getting along with others, whether customers or colleagues, is at the heart of fitting in with the culture of a company, being a valuable part of your team, and being successful.

Only in rare cases will a company reward the unpopular, unfriendly "lone wolf" who nevertheless delivers results - it may pay off short term, but in the long term, people just get tired of putting up with it, especially if it infects team performance.

So, get along with those you work with, those you work for, and those you want to work for. "Fitting in" and "getting along" may not be in your performance targets, but it will pay off big time!

3. Think Strategically

Employers want people who not only focus on their areas of expertise, but who also see where and how it fits in with the big picture.

Strategic thinkers are always looking to find out where the organization needs or wants to go next, and then they position themselves to help the organization get there.

In other words, in addition to doing your assigned job, try to see your organization (or your division or department) as your customer, and then seek to meet that customer's needs.

The better you understand your company's strategy, and the more you can contribute to its value, the better job you can do in communicating YOUR value.

Communicating your value is ideally a matter of positioning your skills, experience, and knowledge in the context of what's important to the company - if you continue to think strategically and contribute strategically, you will start to stand out as someone who can really make a difference.

4. Inquisitive/Champion Innovation

Top performers are always looking for a better way to do things, and top employers are always looking for these people.

You don't necessarily have to be the person to build the better mousetrap, but if you keep an open mind, question the status quo, and encourage innovation and out-of-the-box thinking from those around you, you may be the one who recognizes the NEED for the better mousetrap.

So, be inquisitive and ask questions both of yourself and what you see around you. Whether you have the power to influence your organization or just your own desktop, if you can help it stay on the cutting edge, you'll stand out as a Top P erformer.

5. Flexible/Adaptable/Open to Change

This is not a new concept, but it often remains the difference between those that move ahead and those that stay behind. Business is about change - those who embrace it will thrive, and those who resist it will not. It's that simple.

However, embracing or rejecting change really only differentiates the good performers from the poor performers.

If you want to take it to the next level, if you want to be the Top Performer among the good performers, you also need to be able to ANTICIPATE change.

This is especially true for managers and leaders, but still applies to everyone else. Just as I spoke of above with "encouraging innovation," the ability to anticipate change - seeing it coming and sometimes even going out after it - keeps companies on the leading edge, and separates the leaders from the followers.

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Your Most Important Asset

When you're looking to get hired or get promoted, what do you think is your most important asset? Your experience? Knowledge? Skill? Talent?  While all of those are advantages that will help you achieve your goals, there's one thing that's more important than all of them combined.  Your attitude!  I attended a board meeting recently. It should've been spelled "bored." Just about everyone's eyes were glazed over or nearly closed with fatigue as one dull presentation after another was foisted upon the board members, staff and audience.

Then something changed.

Someone who had never spoken at a board meeting before got up, went to the lectern, fired up her PowerPoint presentation, and totally blew everyone away!

People perked up in their seats and listened attentively to her every word.

When she was done, people clapped! (If you've ever attended a public agency board meeting before, you'll know how remarkable that is!) The board president said, "I've seen hundreds of presentations. This is the first time I've ever seen one that elicited applause!"

Was this presenter more experienced, more knowledgeable, more skilled or more talented than all the others? Absolutely not. As a fairly new employee, she was actually inferior in all of those areas.

What made the difference? Her attitude.

She was enthusiastic, positive, upbeat, energetic and truly excited about what she was talking about!

It wasn't the quality of her presentation that impressed people, it was how she made them feel. Her enthusiasm was contagious, so the audience greatly enjoyed listening to facts and figures that, presented by someone without her energetic attitude, would've bored them to tears.

Everyone in that room will remember and think very highly of her--not the more experienced, knowledgeable, skilled or talented presenters--because of her attitude.

You know why companies conduct time-consuming, labor-intensive job interviews instead of simply hiring people based on the qualifications presented in their resumes? One of the reasons is to find someone they'll enjoy working with.

This can only be conveyed in person, by your attitude.

Think of your own co-workers. Who do you enjoy working with? The smart guy who has all the answers but acts superior? The woman who has the most experience but whines or complains whenever she's asked to do something in a new way?

Or the person who always smiles, listens to you, stays positive, friendly and supportive no matter what? 

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Five Powerful Tips for Interns

Interning is about more than earning money during summer break. It's a wonderful way to gain work experience and lay the foundation for your future career.

But to get the most out of it, you have to do more than just land the job, show up for work and collect your paycheck. Here are some tips that will help you get the full benefits of interning:

1. Pay Attention. This is more than a job, it's a valuable learning experience. And unlike school, this is the real world -- where you'll be spending the rest of your life after graduation! Your coworkers know you are new to this and will want to help you, but they can't spend all day explaining things to you. So when they answer your questions or show you how to do something, pay attention. Also pay attention to what's going on around you. How do your coworkers talk to each other? How do they treat the boss? What are their goals and concerns? Learn the culture and customs of the work world.

2. Find a Mentor. Whether it's your supervisor or someone else you work with, find a person who is willing to answer your questions and help you learn. Ask about the job, the company, the career field. Find out what they did to advance in their career, and what advice they have for you. Establish a strong relationship. This person may be able to help you with your career long after you leave this intern job. But be fair and make this a two-way partnership that benefits you both. Don't just take, give. Offer to help your mentor with special projects or other activities that may not be specifically part of your duties. Make yourself as valuable to him/her as your mentor is to you.

3. Accept Reality. You may get stuck with some work that you feel is beneath you, boring, or just plain pointless. You will probably not be included in the important decisions going on around you. But you are, after all, just an intern. The trick is to make the best of it by doing an outstanding job with every task you're assigned. Then ask for more. Take on anything you can and show that you can be counted upon to get it done quickly and accurately. Even if it's something dull like filing paperwork, your efforts will be recognized, appreciated and remembered.

4. Be Professional. Remember, you are in a work setting now and need to act professionally. Don't show up late, chat on your cell phone, take extra-long breaks or bring your personal life to work with you.

5. Evaluate Your Career Goals. One of the best things you can learn from your internship is whether you're pursuing the career path that's right for you. Are you enjoying the work? Is it what you expected? Can you picture yourself doing the same kind of work and being happy with it for the rest of your career? If not, you should re-evaluate your career goals. Discuss your options with your career counseler when you return to school.

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What To Do When Your Boss Is a Jerk

I've never worked for a boss I didn't like or respect. Sure, some were better than others, but I never considered quitting my job because of a bad boss. Unfortunately, many employees aren't so lucky.

If your boss is a total jerk, someone you'll never get along with, admire or respect no matter how hard you try, there are a few things you can do.

Wait. Is your boss close to retirement or promotion--or even better--termination? If so, try to bide your time and wait until that happy event happens. 

Bite your tongue. Keeping anger and frustration bottled up inside is not healthy, but neither is complaining about your boss at work. So if your family can tolerate it, vent at home instead. It'll make you feel better even if it does nothing to help your situation. It may be tempting to complain about your boss at work, especially if coworkers are talking about the same problems. But resist that temptation! If your boss finds out that you are complaining about him, he'll have a legitimate reason to take appropriate action against you and make your life under him worse than it already is.

Continue to work hard. Regardless of how your boss treats you, it's in your best self-interest to continue doing your job to the best of your ability. Stay focused and think about how your efforts are helping the company as a whole. If you do a good job, you may get noticed by your boss's colleagues or even his superiors. Maybe a better opportunity will arise.

Try to improve your relationship. If your boss is a complete jerk, this may be impossible no matter what you do. But if he's only a partial jerk, perhaps it would be worth your time to try to make the situation better. After all, this person may have control over your advancement up the career ladder. And while quitting may seem to be the easiest thing to do, searching for another job, having to explain why you left your last one, and struggling to get a decent reference from an ex-jerk-boss may make leaving a difficult option for you. Instead, swallow your pride and try to understand your boss's management style and personality and adapt yourself to that. For instance, if he's a micromanager, give him constant updates and details on what you're doing (even if you think it's a waste of your time and he should just trust you to do your job).

Effective communication is very important, and it works both ways. If your boss is unclear in telling you what he wants, ask questions until you know exactly what's expected. During performance evaluations or one-on-one discussions, ask him what you can do to meet his expectations.

Go over your boss's head. This is rarely a good idea. But if you've tried everything else, and you feel that your boss is making serious mistakes that affect the company (and not just you), consider talking to his superior. If you take this route, be prepared with specific examples and proof, not just accusations. And realize that this tactic may backfire on you (especially if your boss's boss is also a jerk).

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20 Powerful Tips For Advancing Your Career

You don't want to stay in your current position forever... you want to move up! Here are 20 ways to boost your chances of getting that nice promotion:

1. Do more than is expected of you. Prove that you're capable of handing more responsibility. Volunteer for special assignments.

2. Take initiative and do what needs to be done, before being asked. 

3. Learn the skills you'll need to advance. Take advantage of on-the-job training, but don't rely exclusively on that. Consider taking (and paying for) skill-enhancing courses on your own.

4. Be loyal to your boss, your team, and your company. (Yes, you can be loyal without being a "brown-noser.")

5. Be patient and don't expect to be promoted without demonstrating your abilities over time.

6. View the big picture and understand your company's mission. Find ways to help them accomplish it.

7. Save money for your company by identifying ways to boost revenues, reduce expenses, or streamline processes.

8. Offer solutions to the problems you must take to your boss.

9. Show respect to everyone -- superiors, peers, subordinates, and especially customers.

10. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know." If you don't know something, say so; don't try to fake it. Find the answers you need.

11. Take responsibility for your actions. If you're at fault, admit it and take the blame. If you're wrong, apologize.

12. Never gossip. Gossip can hurt the careers of two people: the person being talked about, and the person doing the talking.

13. Never say "That's not my job." Don't think you are above anything. Pitch in and set a good example, especially if the job is one that nobody else wants to do. Your willingness to do so will be noticed and appreciated!

14. Share the credit. People who share credit with others make a much better impression than those who take all the credit themselves.

15. Ask for help when you need it. Don't let a difficult task get out of hand. When you need help, ask for it -- before things get worse.

16. Keep your dislike to yourself. If you don't like someone, don't let it show. Never burn bridges or offend others as you move ahead in your career. 

17. Don't hold grudges. Life isn't always fair. If you were passed over for promotion, didn't get the project you wanted, etc., let it go. Be gracious and diplomatic, focus on the future and move on. Harboring grudges won't advance your career.

18. Be humble. When you're right, don't gloat about it. Never say "I told you so!"

19. Make others feel important. Compliment others, emphasize their strengths and contributions, and help them whenever you can. They will enthusiastically help you in return.

20. Join associations and professional organizations related to your career. In addition to helping you learn more about your industry, this can provide invaluable networking opportunities. (Which might come in handy if your employer isn't promoting!)

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When and How to Say "I Just Can't Do It!"

We naturally hesitate to tell our boss when we can't do something or are feeling overwhelmed in our job. Bosses don't want to hear that, right? Well, it depends. 

In many situations, your boss is so busy that he/she doesn't keep track of how much work you're doing. When your boss gives you a new project, he's not thinking about all the other projects you're already working on.

And here's the kicker -- unless you speak up and tell your boss that you can't handle the workload he's giving you, he'll assume everything is fine. 

This can have bad consequences for you AND your boss. You know what will happen. Eventually things will start falling through the cracks or you'll rush through tasks and start making mistakes.

You can only do so much in a day, and deadlines will be missed. While you're stressing out, work that your boss needs you to do is NOT being done.

When this happens, your boss will not appreciate your excuse: "But I had too much to do, I was overloaded with work!" Saying that AFTER the fact will be much worse than telling your boss up front -- before mistakes occur or deadlines are missed -- that you're having trouble with your workload.

It is your responsibility to tell your boss when you are overwhelmed, and there's nothing wrong with doing this.

Of course, you don't want to tell your boss, "I can't do that; I'm too busy." But you can say, "I'll be happy to take that on, but I need your help with prioritizing the other projects you've already given me. Which jobs can I put on hold or delegate to someone else while I work on this new one?"

That's way better than keeping your mouth shut, trying to do too much, and failing miserably.

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Do More than Expected to Get Ahead

One of the best things you can do to increase your career advancement opportunities where you work is to do more than expected. 

It's often not enough to just do a fine job and expect promotions now and then based on longevity. So find opportunities to show you can handle more responsibility or different duties than those in your job description.

Here's one example from my own personal experience. I had a great job as the executive assistant to the general manager. But I often didn't have enough to do to keep me busy. I hate being bored, and I enjoy writing. So I began writing articles and submitting them for the employee newsletter, even though none were solicited.

The editor liked what I wrote, and every article I submitted was accepted and published. Readers even began looking forward to my articles.

One day the editor left for a position with another company. Having already demonstrated my writing talent, I was asked to apply for the job. I had to go through the standard hiring process and compete with other applicants, but because I had volunteered to write articles, the hiring manager had first-hand knowledge of my capabilities and I was hired. Not only was this a promotion, it was a move into a position that I found much more challenging and rewarding.

So look around and take advantage of opportunities to do more than expected. You'll enjoy more job satisfaction, help others, and -- just maybe -- get rewarded for your efforts! 

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Settling Successfully Into Your New Job

The euphoria of getting a new job can sometimes be overcome by apprehension about what comes next. After all, you're "the new kid on the block," and there's much to learn--about your new job duties and much more. But here are some things you can do to make the process go smoother. 

1. Dress for success. You'll want to look professional. Dress on the conservative side for the first week. Once you've got a good idea of what's appropriate and what isn't, you can adjust your style.

2. Be on time. You never want to start your new job by being late, so make sure you allow plenty of time for your commute. Plan the most direct route, but be aware of alternates in case of an accident or other traffic snarls. 

3. Get to know people. Be polite and friendly to everyone you meet, whether it's the receptionist or the general manager. Introduce yourself, smile and make eye contact. Make a positive first impression. Ask about your coworkers' interests.

4. Ask questions. From "Where's the bathroom?" to "Which tool do I use for this task?" It's OK to ask for help! Your coworkers will feel good about doing whatever they can to assist you. Let them. It's always better to have to ask the right way to do something than to try to figure it out on your own, mess up, and have to do it all over again.

5. Remember your place. You may feel "qualified" to tell your new coworkers that there's a better way to do something, but be patient. Every workplace has its own way of doing things. Never say "That's not how we did it at my old company!" (You're coworkers may invite you to return to your old company!) Be patient and become an accepted member of the team before you make suggestions for improvements.

6. Be careful about office politics. Pay attention to the grapevine, but don't contribute to it. Do not accept at face value what one employee says about another; form your own opinions based on your own interactions and judgment. Never complain about anyone at your old job or your new one. Figure out who has the real authority to give you work to do, and who is trying to take advantage of your newness.

Above all, keep a positive attitude, do your work to the best of your ability, and keep an open mind. Before you know it, you'll be climbing the career ladder and giving advice to newcomers!

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