This Week’s Top Career Content That Will Make You a Corporate Rockstar
I have one of the best jobs on the planet. Over the last year I’ve been scouring the interwebs for the most interesting, thought provoking, and engaging videos, images, and articles on career and self development. I’ve been amazed by brilliant videos from places like Ted, I’ve read fascinating articles from the best of the blogosphere, and find treasures of valuable information on Stumbleupon, Twitter, Digg, and more.
Once I’ve found something that makes me say “Wow, I learned something”, I share it with our followers on Facebook and Twitter. However, I know you are all too busy to check every tweet, post, and comment online, so I thought I’d take some of my favorite finds from the last week and share them with you here.
The Great Education Hoax
“Some people think going to college will prepare them for life. Or at the very least, teach them how to succeed at work. Nothing could be further from the truth,” starts Jennifer Gresham. This article shows what college education is designed to do and what is left for you to do for yourself.
It reminded me of a conversation I had with my brother a few weeks ago. He is graduating this May but already works with his post grad employer. He told me, “I’m starting to learn what it’s like in the real world. By that I mean, having a project handed to me that no one else knows how to do, and just being told to figure it out. School didn’t teach me how to do the actual work and projects in my profession”
It’s very true, one message it shares that not enough people realize is, “Don’t enroll in a credentialing program [college or grad school] if you’re still figuring out what you want to do with your life.“ This single piece of advice would prevent many regretful feelings about graduating with a degree you can’t use or doesn’t open opportunities for fulfilling careers.
Management Lessons From “The World’s Greatest Boss”
Unless you live in a bubble, you probably heard that last week’s episode of The Office was the farewell of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott.
The show does not claim to represent a realistic depiction of a work office, but it does throw in several references and similarities to our thoughts and how we view co workers, managers, and work family.
HR Executive Online shares some of the nuggets the show can teach include knowing your team. “It’s vital that you know your team,” Dustin said, something that at least one television critic cited as an important trait for a boss to have if they wish to truly connect with their direct reports.
Despite having a very different set of characters, at the end of the day they come together as a loyal team, and that’s something we all can learn.
Put Some Punch Into Your Career
CNN Money shared a helpful article on how to get your next promotion. What I liked about this article in particular was how they set up several tips on what to do and then follow it up with how.
Some of the points they hit on were.
- How to Solve Your Boss’s Problems
- When to Make a Lateral Move
- How to Shift from Technical Skills to Soft Skills
- How to Capitalize on Change
How to Make Your Compliments Meaningful
I know I’m bad at this. Everytime I compliment my wife she gives me a look like, “Whatever.” Sometimes the line between sincere compliments and bad lying is in the eye of the beholder, and you are just at their disposal on how it will be taken.
Having the ability to give meaningful compliments can really help your career. The following were my favorite tips from The Happiness Project‘s article.
o Never offer praise and ask for a favor in the same conversation. It makes the praise seem like a set-up.
o Praise people behind their backs. The praised person usually hears about the praise, and behind-the-back praise seems more sincere than face-to-face praise.
o Beware when a person asks for your honest opinion. This is often a clue that they’re seeking reassurance, not candor.
QR Code Resume Makes Your Embossed Paper Look Lame
This idea is amazing and adding a qr code on your resume to your site or blog may be a way to stand out. It got this guy his competitive internship, why not you?
Have Any Awesome Career Content to Share?
I don’t claim to catch every bit of stellar content that comes out each week. If you have something I missed that is truly note worthy, please share in the comments below.
image courtesy of ahans
