Work, success, and meaning at every stage of your career
Building skills on the job
Networking is about deep connections, but it’s also about wide ones. Gladwell estimates that most of the benefit you get from your network does not come from strong connections (former bosses, personal friends, etc.) but from what he terms “weak ties.”
Brad Raney spoke to the WorkSource Professional Network on September 23. He is the author of “Improve Your VOWELS, Improve Your Career! The A,E,I,O,U’s of Finding Your Perfect Job!”
Even if you’re an extrovert, the term “networking” can make you anxious. It may be hard for you to meet new people or reconnect with those you haven’t seen for a while. If you’re unemployed, your confidence may be low; you may hate the idea of being in the position of asking for help instead of being able to offer it.
When people connect with you online, what do they see? If you’re just keeping up the basics, they see where you’ve worked and what pages you link to and keep up with. Joiner says that people will also want to see who you are connected with, and more importantly, what they have to say about you.
When we talk about “good” communication skills, we often mean a single competency: persuasion. The art of persuasion, if you have it, means that you can articulate your thoughts clearly and win over opponents. You can write better copy or make a better sales pitch. You can become the top candidate for a job.
There’s little doubt that when a person stands quietly, with relaxed posture, she seems more confident. Humans rely on hundreds of non-verbal signals when we’re communicating: smiles, involuntary grimaces and your eyes tell much more than what you say with words. We associate fidgeting with nervousness, and nervousness with unfavorable traits like dishonesty, guilt, or lack of self control.
Even in this recession, it’s possible to pursue and find your dream job; it just may take a little longer. So here is another step to finding your dream job eventually.
Even in this recession, it’s possible to pursue and find your dream job; it just may take a little longer. So here is another step to finding your dream job eventually.
Step Four: Create long and short-term plans for getting to where you want to be. For this discussion, we’ll define short term as “this year,” and long term as “within five years.”
Here is the second step you might take to find your dream job eventually: research the possibilities. There are usually several variations in any career path. Here are some of the variables that might make a difference in your choice of careers.
I think the idea of pursuing a dream job is something every worker should aspire to. You should enjoy your work, use your strongest skills, and be paid well. Even in this recession, it’s possible to pursue and find your dream job; it just may take a little longer.
So here is the first step you might take to find your dream job eventually.
Your Work, Your Way 