Career Advice

I’ll admit, I stumbled into marketing. I had no idea or intent to spend the majority of my 30+ year career helping others market their products and services.  But fate, fortune…and success kept my phone ringing and clients knocking on the door. I give most of the credit, or the blame to a T-shirt. I was working in New York City in whatever way I could, trying to break into the entertainment industry. In the midst of my efforts to be the next great TV producer or movie director, I went to work for an equipment rental company that supplied audio gear to everything from the Met Opera, to commercial productions, to recording studio and concert tours.   Over time, the owner of the company asked me to write some promo material for him, and that grew into what essentially became my first client.  And, one of the great learning experiences of my 30+ year career. It taught me two fundamental lessons:  1) Never follow the rules that other people tell you are the rules and, 2) Find solutions … [Read more...] about The Best Promotional Item I Never Intended to Create

Office politics exist in every organization. From differences in opinion to varying agendas, many conflicts and power struggles lead to the playing out of politics in any office. While there are many ways to work through office politics when caught in the line of fire, the best option is to avoid them from the outset whenever possible. Here are four effective ways to sidestep the politics in your office. Be Real The best way to avoid being the next target of conflict in your workplace is to always be real and to also stay positive. Those with secrets to hide or who conceal information for any given reason are often soon caught in the cycles of scandal and gossip. Be transparent in the work you complete and always remain positive while on the job. This will attract positive attention to your work desk rather than negativity. Avoid Gossip Pinpointing the gossiper in any office is easy. This is usually the employee eavesdropping on the conversations of others and then running to … [Read more...] about 4 Effective Ways to Sidestep Office Politics

Is it time to leave your job? This isn't always an easy question to answer. Some of us leave jobs too easily and some of us stay too long, for a variety of reasons. So, how do we know if the expiry date is really up on our job? Here are a few pointers:What's the Real Issue? You need to find out why what the real issue is about why you want to leave your job. If you dread going to work, is it a general feeling of boredom or ambivalence towards the work you do? Maybe you don’t feel that you gel with your co-workers or boss? Pinpointing exactly what the issue or issues are means you are better equipped to deal with it. Pinpointing the issue could mean that you find a way to deal with it and stay in your current job. A change of perspective on your part or realising that you need to ask for more of a challenge can help you move forward. If you do this work, but you still feel in your heart of hearts, it is time to move, then you are another step closer to your answer; it might be … [Read more...] about Is it Time to Leave My Job?

Tired of your job? Do you feel that you deserve something better? Ever perceived yourself in a higher office? Have you ever imagined yourself as the boss? Have you lost your patience with your current designation? Well, based on experience, the common employee often asks these questions to himself. Whether its lack of confidence or knowledge, most of them fail to achieve their career goals in time or if they do, it’s way behind schedule. The thing is, the boss always has the power to give you that sweet raise or promotion you’ve been longing for a long time yet it seems that he just won’t give it to you. According to a survey conducted by an HR department in a prestigious company, 39% of their employees feel that they are not achieving success because of slow career growth. They also stated that they feel under ranked for their age and experience. Well to be honest, the secret to a fast growing career is by identifying your boss’ pet peeves. Seriously, finding out what he or she hates … [Read more...] about Get That Promotion: Identify Your Boss' Pet Peeves

Work and relationships can be a funny mixture. On the one hand, work can be a great way to meet people but on the other hand, there is the professionalism issues and possible fallout that can come if things don't work out the way one or both of you would like. Finding out if someone likes you in that way can be difficult at work; you don't want to find out that you read the signals wrong. After all, you will have to face your co-worker every day in a professional capacity. Navigating this slippery slope is even more difficult than finding out when to give the perfect push present! You also need to think about whether you like them in that way too, if they are into you. If so, how do you proceed? If not, how to let them down gently and without ruining your professional relationship? Possible signs a co-worker likes you: They go out of their way to talk or engage with you They are interested in what you do outside work and whether or not you are going to the staff party … [Read more...] about Handling Romantic Relationships in the Workplace

How does one become popular at work? How do we increase the odds  of being liked in the workplace? If you are popular in your workplace it might be something you take for granted, something that comes easily; however if you are struggling with bonding with your team or colleagues and feel that you are unpopular this can seem to be something elusive or hard to get a handle on. There are of course always different work places and cultures, but there is also usually a lot we can do ourselves to influence the odds. Here are some ideas:Learn from Others Many successful people recommend learning from others who are doing what they want already. Look at who's popular at your workplace and identify what you admire about them. You could ask someone you admire to mentor you. Traits like happiness, thoughtfulness and being a team player are common ones for popular people. I'm not talking about "copying" or being something that you are not, but about being aware of the ways of being that … [Read more...] about Increasing Your Popularity in the Workplace

Gone are the days when office real estate represented a sign of stature. According to Forbes, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg sits in a bullpen with his staff. Zappos Chief executive Tony Hsieh has a cubicle much like his colleagues in their Las Vegas headquarters. And most recently President and CEO Meg Whitman inspired egalitarian culture back into the HP office by moving out of her office and into a cubicle. Taking away walls and high cubicles can improve corporate culture, morale and productivity, while also reducing the costs and environmental impacts associated with an oversized real estate footprint. According to a survey on the Influence of Workplace Design and Practices, companies that employ open office layouts have observed increases in employee engagement and retention and decreases in employee misconduct. At Westfield, Sr. EVP of U.S. Human Resources and Global Head of Management Stan Duncan had similar success transitioning to open workspace plan in Australia and the … [Read more...] about Transitioning to an Open Workspace

There is nothing more annoying than having to spend time trying to find something online.  The Internet is huge, you know it’s there, you know Google has spent lots of time trying to get the best results to the top of your results pages, but guess what—it’s just not happening. Whether it be because you had a coffee free day that morning or just don’t feel like being on Google any longer, we’ve all been there. Unfortunately, most companies just don’t care. What many annoyed employees don’t know, however, is that there are things you can do to help make you Internet searching more successful and less tedious. By putting a focus on becoming a great Internet searcher, you can get back to social networking and chatting with your friends. I mean…doing all the other work your employer just sent your inbox. Top 5 Tips and Tricks to Help Improve Your Internet Searching Abilities There are tons of little tricks that you can use when working with Google. For example, you can use the search bar … [Read more...] about How to Search the Internet Faster and Easier

What makes someone an expert in his or her field? The criteria are amorphous at best. Some legitimate industry wonders toil away in relative obscurity while others hide flimsy resumes behind winning interpersonal skills that produce an undeserved sense of reverence. In many cases, the goal is not so much trying to become an expert as it is trying to build one's reputation in hopes of securing a coveted job. But the fast-growing word of social media has made it easier to calculate how and why people become experts in their respective field. Among the various measurements by which this is quantified is "influence," a metric that considers many different factors regarding your online following, interactions, value to your industry and quality of produced content relevant to that industry. By developing one's influence online, it is possible to become a more visible and prominent member of your field. Ideally, increased influence through social media should allow a professional to create … [Read more...] about Your Reputation Lives Online