The Top 10 Ways to Manage Your Career


Many people in the last decade have experienced either a layoff or termination in their lives or the lives of somebody they know. While many of these people affected have experienced outplacement-consulting services, some have not and they may be in for a rude awakening - corporations no longer "take care of you". Managing your career in these times require you to have a game plan and an understanding of yourself and human behavior. That is why outplacement consulting and career coaches have become so popular and are being sought out by individuals, not just corporations. A career coach can help you manage more than just your career, they can help you communicate better and get along with others better.

1. Know Thyself
Most people don't know what they really want in their careers. They have a degree and they went out into the world. 20 years later, they don't have a clue why life sucks. There are some very good assessment to determine personality types, preferences, skill, attitudes and interest. An honest assessment of what you like to do in the style you prefer and with whom you want to do it with, goes along way in determining what you should be doing in you career and in life for that matter.

2. Establish a game plan
What is most important to you in your career? You must know how to navigate using the tools granted to you by God. When was the last time you actually wrote down what creates satisfaction in your job.

3. Think of yourself as self employed?always
Job search is not something you do daily; as your skills in a sport get rusty without practice, so do your job search skills. What are the latest techniques and best practices, how can you maximize your network, etc.

4. Develop a clear and concise message about who you are and what you most want to-do
When you know what you're good at and what you want, you go for it, and people stand out of your way. You no longer have competition. You no longer self sabotage or tolerate the behavior of other associates or bosses.

5. Tell everyone in your network what you want

6. Stay motivated
It's not about pumping you up. It is about realizing how you were wired since birth and how to use that programming to achieve happiness. We call these values and beliefs. Knowing what is important will make it easy to say no to things and people that waste your time. At the same time, you will discover opportunities that in the past have eluded you.

7. Continue to promote yourself
Most people get caught up in the politics of the office. Circumventing this will energize you and put you leaps and bounds above your peers.

8. Get out of your comfort zone
We get caught in our comfort zone; before long however, this comfort zone becomes a rut. It is at this point that we become complacent. Complacency leads to poor performance and poor performance leads to job termination. Continue to take risk. There is no failure in life ?only outcomes?if you don't like the outcome, make a course adjust or "change" and keep on truckin".

9. Stay in top physical condition
There are more people on "drugs"; today than ever in our society. Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Xanax, Valium, Viagra, while some people have medical reasons for taking these, research has shown that many of these disorders stem from "burnout. Knowing what is important in all areas of your life as well as your career allows you to have peace of mind and balance.

10. Re-evaluate your values and goals yearly
How did you do this year, what needs improvement? What areas of your life need more attention? How are you measuring and tracking that?

Submitted by Art Eyzaguirre, Career and Life coach with a PhD from the school of Hard Knocks as well as lessons from corporate downsizings, who can be reached at art_e@aceconsultinggroup.net, or visited on the web at http://www.aceconsultinggroup.net

Art is President of Ace Consulting Group, Inc. He helps Corporations and Individuals, through executive and career coaching. Art is a founding member of International Association of Coaches and 24/7 Coaching.com

This content may be forwarded in full, with copyright, contact, and creation information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit context. For other uses, permission in writing from Ace Consulting Group, Inc is required. Questions: email info@aceconsultinggroup.net







Related News



Five Things You Can do to Take Charge of Your Career During Harsh ... - PR Web (press release)

Boston Globe

Five Things You Can do to Take Charge of Your Career During Harsh ...
PR Web (press release), WA -Oct 11, 2008
Individuals with a will to succeed enjoy 100% control over their careers. The employment recruiting industry is especially booming; In general, employment...
Presidential race complicates office politicsBoston Globe
all 3 news articles


When looking for a job, think about 'green-collar' - Louisville Courier-Journal

When looking for a job, think about 'green-collar'
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY -2 hours ago
... a nonprofit based in Washington, DC For those seeking ecologically focused careers, Challenger suggests checking state and federal employment Web sites. ...

AAPD's Disability Mentoring Day Program Helps Pair Disabled ... - SYS-CON Media

AAPD's Disability Mentoring Day Program Helps Pair Disabled ...
SYS-CON Media, NJ -3 hours ago
This program is held annually on the third Wednesday in October in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month. ...

Shifting Careers In Hard Times, Lawyers Advise Cautious Steps - New York Times

Shifting Careers In Hard Times, Lawyers Advise Cautious Steps
New York Times, United States -Oct 11, 2008
By MARCI ALBOHER AS the turmoil on Wall Street continued, I sat down with two employment lawyers — Zachary Hummel, who represents employers, and Mark Risk, ...

Atlanta couple’s self-employment hurts loan chances - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Atlanta couple’s self-employment hurts loan chances
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA -19 hours ago
By PAUL DONSKY Marsha Middleton and her husband, Willie, have good credit, money in the bank and successful careers. But the couple has struggled to find a ...

Careers without college - nwitimes.com

Careers without college
nwitimes.com, IN -Oct 10, 2008
The requirements for employment in these fields include work experience and on-the-job training. Some employers may desire candidates who have had some ...

SHTA forum: Five-year labour forecast needed - Netherlands Antilles Daily Herald

SHTA forum: Five-year labour forecast needed
Netherlands Antilles Daily Herald, Netherlands Antilles -2 hours ago
COLE BAY--A mismatch between new development projects and available local labour is a cause of many employment hiccups for the public and private sectors, ...

Sonoma County job growth to be led by service sector - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Sonoma County job growth to be led by service sector
Santa Rosa Press Democrat, CA -1 hour ago
Sonoma County's aging population will have a strong influence on future careers, said Robert Eyler, a Sonoma State University economics professor who heads ...

Top Small Workplaces - Wall Street Journal Blogs

Top Small Workplaces
Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY -3 hours ago
After six months of employment and then annually thereafter, managers give their teams a "Performance Summary & Development Plan" -- a lengthy document that ...

Teachers' pay raises based on years, not performance - Columbus Dispatch

Columbus Dispatch

Teachers' pay raises based on years, not performance
Columbus Dispatch, OH -Oct 12, 2008
Ohio law requires districts to use a salary schedule that spells out annual raises through at least the 11th year of employment and sets the minimum salary ...