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by Petite Gaces
Network
It's often said that in business, it's not what you know but who you know that matters. Of course you need to do a good job. But finding the right resources is also important.
According to Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and Careers Changers (Ten Speed Press, 1996), employers first try to fill job vacancies by hiring people they know. Then, they ask for recommendations from friends and colleagues. Posting job ads in print or online is only the third option. Michelle, 27, works for an Internet company. She found most of her jobs through the recommendations of people she knew. She does the same thing for her friends, having already built her own extensive network of contacts. "I owe part of my success to the friends who pointed me in the right direction and to colleagues who came through for me during tough times. It's my turn to do the same for others."
Susan RoAnne, author of How to Make the Best Connections for Business and Personal Success (Warner Books, 1993) emphasizes that "reciprocity is the cornerstone of networking." Networking doesn't mean getting to know people just because you plan to use them as resources in the future. It's easy for most people to spot a "user" and they'll usually avoid you if you're that kind of person. Once you have new contacts or acquaintances, make sure you treat each one with respect and courtesy. Not everyone may give you sales leads or have a major impact on your career or business, but just meeting them and talking to them will surely enrich your life.
Adjust your Attitude
Attitude plays a very big part in success. Hawe says you need to be irresistibly attractive in order to survive in the fiercely competitive job market these days. By that, she not only means you need to dress up appropriately and present a good image (which you should do, too), but that you must be a person that coworkers love to work with.
"Always give more than what people expect or ask of you," Hawe says. "If you always try to do your job better than what was asked of you, you will be a star, an overachiever, and a cut above the rest. If you give less, you cannot be a success, and if you simply give what people have asked for, you will be nothing but ordinary."
Part of having a great attitude is learning to work with a team. Although being a "lone ranger" means you'll get all the credit for your work, these days the pace is so fast and the demands so great that failing to work with a team can cost you the project-and your job.
Hawe says one of the most important things a woman should take with her to a new job is the willingness to be part of a team. Learning to be a team player is, like all good things, easier said than done. Team members not only need to do specific roles to achieve a goal, they also need to respect and trust each other. Take out one of these two basic ingredients, and the team starts to fall apart and work quality suffers.
Do What You Love
Bolles says the three secrets of successful job-hunting are: Decide what you have to offer, know exactly where you want to work, and go after the company that most interests you-regardless of whether they have a vacancy or not.
Doing what you love and deciding to go after it may ultimately spell the difference between simply plodding along in life or being successful. Some people get stuck in what they consider dead-end jobs, but still they keep at it for years! For others, it is not always easy to figure out what they love best. Hawe suggests a simple exercise that can help you see this more clearly.
First, make a list of all your skills and talents. Then, make a list of all the things you enjoy doing at work. Also, list any criteria you consider important in a job. Is it autonomy? Great benefits? Flexible working hours? Visualize an ideal day in your ideal job or work environment. Set it on paper, and develop a strategy for making it happen.
The changes might not happen in a day or a week or even in a month. But once you have a goal and you start taking steps to get there, pretty soon you'll notice that you're already making progress.
Reprinted as authorized by Cosmopolitan Philippines April 2001