For the young and wild in business

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear from Peter Roberts, CEO of the Chicago based Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, about his rise to the top in one of the nation’s leading real estate investment and management companies. Though I pondered not attending the early breakfast presentation to continue enjoying the comforts of my new sheets, I’m glad I went. He had some wise words for his audience of young professionals and his closing four suggestions on how to succeed at your organization were incredibly valuable.

One point struck me, as it’s something that can make or break you in a job and is also incredibly difficult because requires a skill that many of us have yet to develop: managing your attitude under stress.

Mr. Robert’s called on listeners to breed confidence in superiors at work in order to remain top of mind when it’s time to draw straws for special projects or promotions, his reason being that if you become your manager’s go-to person, you’ll likely be the lucky duck.

Sound advice. Why is it so difficult? Because it requires you to be “always on”.

What’s “always on”? It’s being on point and ready to go every time you’re called on despite the negatives that may be going on in your life or the stressors that can sometimes make it hard to roll out of bed in the morning. Unfortunately, major career moves are often based on a single decision, and that decision is usually someone else’s to make. Maintaining the can-do attitude expected of a top performer will increase the likelihood that you’re on the business end of those decisions.

Luckily, attitude is a choice. Sure, it’s easy to be snarky when life gives you lemons, but that’s because focusing on the lemons is so much easier than thinking about what you’re going to do with those lemons (sorry, that saying is far too overused for me to actually finish it.)

Are you going to grumble all the way to work in the morning or be thankful for your job?

Will you focus on the last time you dropped the ball at work or move on and do it right next time?

If you’re unemployed, is a string of rejections going to make you quit or are you going to be self confident and persevere?

Focus on the right attitude and I guarantee it will manifest itself, even on your worst days. With a little practice, “always on” is easily attainable, and with it: easy progress.

Tip: When you need to regroup, focus on your desired mindset by writing it down. The pages of my To-Do book are littered with words like “gratitude” and “proactive”. It works.

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Awesome video!

To visit the site, go to lemonademovie.com

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Creating a to-do list before attacking the day is a popular time management tip, as is the concept of an ignore list. The article An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day by Peter Bregman does a good job of summarizing the benefits of planning your next 24 hours, and, takes them a step further  by pointing out two important aspects that are often overlooked when creating these lists.

First, Bregman comments of the value of noting where and when the day’s tasks are going to be accomplished. This is a view I’ve come across repeatedly in numerous business books; it’s incredibly effective. The mind works to achieve the goals it is presented with. A vivid picture of what is to be accomplished provides a clearer path to the realization of a goal and increases the likelihood that it will be reached.

Second, the article mentioned focusing on the day “before turning on your computer.” Working in front of a computer can be incredibly distracting. By planning the day before inviting disorder into your life  you can create a clearer path that is free of outside influence.

Link to the article below:

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/bregman/2009/07/an-18minute-plan-for-managing.html

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As one who aspires to eventually earn an advanced degree, I’m excited to see that B-school programs are starting to accept GRE scores in lieu of GMAT results. Getting an MBA is a great decision for the business minded, but other degrees may offer more in terms of career advancement for some fields. This trend will allow future students to change plans without having to take another test.

Read on:

GRE v. GMAT: Battle of the B-School Gatekeepers

And a list of B-Schools currently accepting GRE scores (which I hope will grow significantly):

MBA Programs that Accept the GRE® General Test

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“OMG! You lost your job? What are you going to do?”

If a phrase strikingly similar to the one above recently graced the pixels of your Facebook/Twitter/Myspace/AIM account, it’s likely you’re a Millennial, and, also likely that you lost your job.

Don’t fret my friend. Though it may seem that your career progress has stopped dead in its tracks, I assure you, it’s merely a speed bump. While any career advancement you may have achieved in your previous position is lost forever, forward momentum can certainly continue.

Assuming you’ve secured a temporary job, moved back in with your parents, or found some other, legal, way to support yourself, there are still a number of activities through which the unemployed twenty-something can advance their professional credentials.

Here, I’ll describe five.

Study for the GRE/GMAT/LSAT/MCAT/GCHAT (jk)

Maybe it isn’t the right time for grad school. You don’t have enough work experience and want to pay off more of those undergrad loans before taking on a new load of debt. No problem. But, what if grad schools is something you’re planning on eventually?

With the extra time your unemployment freedom presents, this is a fantastic opportunity to study hard and earn an amazing score on a test of your choosing. Do you know how long these test scores are good for? No? Here:

GRE – 5 years
GMAT – 5 years
LSAT – 5 years
MCAT – 5 years (but most schools ask for scores no older than three)

So, I bet your grad school plans take place sometime in the next five years, right? Thought so. Take the test now, get a great score and sit on it
until you’re ready. Your future self will thank you (mine did the other day..time travel is weird).

Freelance

Your former employer paid you to do what you’re good at and losing your job doesn’t mean you have to stop. A quick search online will reveal that businesses and individuals are looking for professionals to provide a garden scramble of different services as independent contractors. Set up an LLC (it’s easy), print some business cards, put on your biggest insurance salesman smile and start networking. A little persistence will land you some freelance work and, over time, a great second income.

An added benefit: you’re your own boss, no handholding. This is real real-world experience and it looks good on a resume.

Network

Remember those lunchtime events you could never go to because you had to finish the TPS reports before 1:00 p.m.? You’re free!
They say networking is twelve times more effective than applying cold for open positions. Start going to the events for the trade organizations of your choice. Better yet, get involved with the young professionals’ organization in your area.
What if you hate networking? News flash…you don’t have a job anymore…DO IT.

Create Brand “You” (HAHAHAHAHAHA!)
Despite this ultra corny heading, a personal brand does have value, especially for a job hunter. Use some of your free time to think about what you want for yourself over the next five years, then, decide what you need to do to achieve it.

With a goal in mind, establish yourself as an expert in a chosen area and build an online reputation through various forms of content creation. Build a body of work that says, “This girl/guy knows what s/he’s talking about.”

There’s plenty of information online about personal brands, so, to put it simply: get your name out there – in print, online and in person. If you’re freelancing and networking, you have a great start already.

Do the Work

No, I’m not talking about the four previously mentioned activities. This is personal. You may have lost your job, but you’ve also won an opportunity to do a little reflecting.

Take this time to figure yourself out. What didn’t you like about your last job that could be improved upon the second time around? Were you going in the right direction? You will find a job; ascertain what needs to happen in order to start the next phase of your life on the right foot.

…and there you have it.

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I know! Alright?

It’s been forever since a new post graced the double sidebar column of this blog. Alltop even removed me! After a discouraging job loss and a somewhat unpleasant/eye opening experience at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, my ambitions floundered and the blog was neglected.

Applying for jobs all day, facing rejection, it’s tough. Ya know? Thankfully I’ve had odd freelance writing jobs to keep me busy, and I can’t deny that the extra free time isn’t enjoyable.

So, what to write about? There’s plenty.

Here goes…

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Recently, I had the rare opportunity to meet with the CEO of a large ad agency. Not knowing what to expect, I went in with an open mind and came out with some valuable tips, one of which I want to share here due to the fact that it directly applies to the millennial “entitlement” attitude that may or may not exist among young professionals. I’ve always thought of myself as fairly down to earth, but today’s conversation blew that notion out of the water.

I arrived without a hitch, waited a few minutes for my host, then, with stars in my eyes and a brief tremble in my otherwise confident demeanor, I greeted Mr. Ad Exec and was escorted to a large corner office, complete with indoor putting green and pics with the President.

Water in hand, I sat down with my new acquaintance on a gray couch near the window.

First question: “So, why do you want to work in advertising?”

I know why, so answering the question wasn’t a problem, but, had this been a job interview, the style of my answer may have been.

What did I talk about? Myself.

What should I have talked about? Myself, but also what I can bring to an agency.

Fail.

The lesson this wise executive proceeded to teach me can be summed up in one quote I’ll always remember:

“Employers aren’t here to fulfill your life.”

He had met with others my age in this sort of setting; he said we all do the same thing. I spoke at length about the things I’m working toward and what I intend to achieve in life without touching on what I plan to give.

Bear that quote in mind next time you’re preparing for an interview and don’t forget that sky-high ambitions are meaningless. It’s what you can bring to the table that counts.

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I love reading business books. So many of the ideas that have shaped who I am today came from non-fiction books, many of which were business related. They’re an incredibly valuable tool.

My entry into the world of business reading began close to two years ago when I was faced with a long (for me) commute to my new job. Having recently resolved to be unceasingly productive, I wanted to make my time spent driving worthwhile. Audiobooks were the answer. I went to the local library, found the business section of their audiobook selection and had soon listened to almost every program. Eventually, I was reading one business book while listening to another in the car – the rest is history.

The five books below are my favorites.  Why five? Because it’s easier to digest than ten. They’re not all bestsellers and might seem like strange choices, but these books provided the most useful information for my particular station in life, maybe they can for you too.

Click on each book’s picture for more information.

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Keith Ferrazzi is a networking master. His ideas might seem a little over-the-top, but there’s still much to be gained from his insight. Reading this book opened my eyes to a new level of networking prowess that I hadn’t previously considered.

Do you know the feeling you get when you come to realize you’ve been performing way below the bar after comparing your efforts to someone else’s? That’s how I felt after reading Never Eat Alone. It’s an amazing overview of what networking can be.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

This is another book about relationships that you’ve probably heard of. Read it and reread it!

Published in 1936, this book is a business classic. It has even been expanded into full courses on creating and maintaining relationships. In essence, the behaviors outlined in this book are exactly how we’d all act if society hadn’t conditioned us to be self-centered jerks.

Be kind, love your fellow man. If you can’t figure out how then read Carnegie’s book.

Automatic Wealth for Grads/Automatic Wealth by Michael Masterson

Ok, I cheated – two books here. The subject matter overlaps quite a bit but I couldn’t pick just one. Read either book, or both, you’ll get the same information either way.

Masterson’s books give a great general overview of entrepreneurship and money management. They’re a fantastic starting point from which to dive into other business topics and guided my curiosity to a number of investing and real estate related ideas. The success principals outlined here are more realistic than some other business books (*cough* Four Hour Work Week *cough*) and can help one create some genuinely achievable goals.

Although these gems were never bestsellers, they stand out in my mind as two of the best book choices I’ve made in a long time.

Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

If you’re a marketer, read this book. The studies on human behavior outlined here provide some amazing insight into the way people think about money and purchases. This is one I plan to reread because the concepts are useful in a number of business situations; they’re worth committing to memory.

Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School by Philip Delves Broughton

I may appreciate this book more than some because I can relate to the author’s situation. Still, it’s an amazing first-hand look at one person’s experience as a student in one of the country’s top business schools. If you aspire to one day walk among the future leaders of Big Business, this is a great book that may reveal some eye-opening truths.

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In creating my next post I came across the video below. It’s from Keith Ferazzi, author of one of my favorite business books, Never Eat Alone.

One of his comments caught my attention – the one about coming to networking events with something to say. If you weren’t blessed with the gift of the gab, a little preparation can go a long way. It’s something I’ve done personally, and have found that it makes a big difference.

With that, the video:

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