Top Tips for Career Success

Author	:Press Release
Published	:Oct 17, 2007

The day has finally arrived, you have prepared for this since you graduated. You have your all-important qualifications in hand, you have sweated out and made it through five job interviews and now the time has come to start your first job.

This is your first career-focused position. You may have had a few internships during varsity, a part-time or full-time holiday job but this one is different.

You are surrounded by co-workers of all ages. You're the new kid on the block coming into a situation where relationships have already been formed. You're the only one who can't find the restroom, doesn't know where the supply room and printers are located and doesn't know not to talk to the boss until she's had her first cup of coffee.

This is nothing like the long lost days of waiting tables surrounded by friends. How do you make this awkward transition easier?

First impressions are very important - especially in the first 90 days. You feel like you are on probation; that all eyes are on you. In some ways, this is true. So, why not start off your first job with strategies to help your career move forward, with momentum.

There are very simple guidelines that career experts offer such as:

• Plan your wardrobe – make sure that black suit is pressed and your favourite top is clean.
• Plan your travelling route to work – make sure you know where you are going and that you have your map book in the car in case of emergencies.
• Ask for help and ask questions – don’t be shy, rather ask if you are not sure.
• Be thirsty for knowledge – do not stop learning, ask about the company, its policies, clients etc.
• Stay away from risk situations – don’t get caught up in office politics.
• Be polite and nice to everyone – be yourself.

However in today’s “Biz World” technology, mobile technology plays a significant role. Having the right mobile technology at hand will not only aid you in making a good impression but connect you to the business world quickly and efficiently.

Speaking of mobile, the latest trend in the biz industry is that office workers are no longer a requirement. No, don’t worry – your future prospects at the new company are not being replaced by automated robots (although many bosses might wish this could be the case). Mobile workers are the trend of tomorrow, simple put this means employees are no longer required to be office bound. Thanks to the latest mobile technology you can work from anywhere, anytime with out compromising on productivity.

However, every employee who wants to become a mobile worker and have the opportunity to work from anywhere at anytime needs the essential tools.

With the dawn of 3G technology, and now high-speed download packet access (HSDPA), you can use products and services like video communication and video conferencing, the Vodafone 3G Broadband Mobile Connect Card, fax-to-email and voice-to-email services, picture messaging, graphics and voice and data communication.

3G HSDPA delivers superior performance to today's ADSL and wireless LAN services, but has the added benefit of mobility. It is 3G on steroids!

If you’re committed to being a mover and shaker, then BlackBerry is the solution for you. BlackBerry is a unique mobile phone combining easy access to email, calendar and contacts, in an innovative and stylish format. The device is easy to set up and use, with BlackBerry push technology e-mail delivered direct to the handset without the need for manual dial-up.

As well as providing effective voice services, BlackBerry opens and forwards e-mail attachments and enables fast and easy access to a wide range of additional attachment formats (including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat). And you can make calls and send SMSs too, so it’s an all-in-one getting-ahead-tool.

Make sure you are equipped with a BlackBerry and Vodafone 3G Broadband Mobile Connect Card and show your new boss that this new kid on the block is indeed upwardly mobile! Your colleagues will envy you, your productivity will increase and you will make a great first impression as you define your reputation as a mobile worker!

It is more than a job but your life…

Career development is a complex and continuous problem-solving process by which you equip yourself to make informed decisions about your work life.

Sibusiso Mbhele

Last time we highlighted the importance to “Know who you are”. Today we’ll be looking at making you understand that career development is a journey. It is not a once and for all thing but a process that needs revisiting and molding. There is a saying that says, “If you do not know where you are going any road will take you there”. Be responsible for who you become and how you become. Keep in touch with your career because it is what directs you.

It is time you start developing the career development plan. The plan outlines all the steps that you need to embark on to reach the highest peak of your career. The plan ensures that you do not find yourself at the wrong turn. There are many things that influence you to have a concrete or weaving career. Therefore, if you a have a plan about who you become, you won’t find the stress of the growing rate of unemployment and retrenchment because you will be highly equipped to stand beyond the odd odds.  If you are creating a career development plan, it is important that you understand your own values, especially in relation to organizational values.  In order to achieve a good organizational “fit,” there should be significant overlap between your values and the organization’s values.  You are most likely to thrive and be comfortable in work and an environment that is compatible with your values.

You are the driving force behind your career.  Actively engaging in the development of your career will give you an opportunity to discover and understand where you currently fit within your organization.  More importantly, it allows you to see where you can go in the future if you take the initiative to develop a realistic strategic career plan and acquire the essential competencies.

The career development process allows you to:

·    Develop a greater awareness of yourself and your work environment,

·    Gather relevant information through career exploration,

·    Set realistic career goals,

·    Develop and implement career strategies to achieve your goals, and

·    Appraise the effectiveness of your efforts.

Most of the time individuals usually focus on career development as upward movement within an agency or department.  They fail to see the opportunities available to them in their current jobs.  If you are currently in a job you enjoy and upward movement is limited or non-existent, there may be alternative ways to help you develop a satisfying career.  You will have to think creatively and look at career development from a non-traditional view. This means, you have to be interchangeable or flexible in the work place because by so doing, you are creating an enough space for you to grow.

The success of your career is dependent upon you.  Although your manager/supervisor and others in your organization will provide assistance, you are ultimately responsible for your professional growth and for managing your career.  Therefore, make it a point that you stay focus and ready for any changes that come along your career path.