ORCMS Career Blog

How do people in your profession establish credibility?  Years of experience?  Higher education?  Professionalism?  Knowledge of your industry? All of the above?

What “tickets” do professionals in your field need to “get punched” in order to be counted in the upper echelon of your field? Accountants sit for the CPA or CMA exam.  Lawyers have to pass the Bar Exam for the state(s) in which they practice law.  Project Managers can get  a PMP certification.  Human Resource managers can go for the PHR, SPHR, or GPRH.  For some professions these certifications are required.  In other fields they are a way of gaining status.  Sometimes these certifications require education and a certain number of years in practice.  Others can be achieved straight out of college or grad school.  Do you know the certification requirements and opportunities for your profession?

Many professions REQUIRE continuing education or advanced certification of their members.  Professional certification is a great way to keep up on the changes happening in your field.  It’s a way to learn more about what’s happening in your industry or profession, and a it’s also a GREAT way to distinguish yourself from others who do the same thing  you do.

You should note that there is a difference between certification and certificates.  Many universities have certificate programs for anyone who wants to enroll.  They provide a certain level of knowledge about a profession,  and they sometimes will help prepare students for taking the certification exams.  Certification, on the other hand, is usually provided by the profession itself.  Certification is often a more rigorous process and is more widely recognized among the members of the profession granting certification.

If you want to advance your career, look into obtaining a professional certification.

My mother used to caution me about the people I hung out with.  If their character was “questionable,” she would warn me that I was destined to become like them — because our friends, and those we spend time with make an impression on our own character.  I used to think she was just being a “naggy-old-mom”, but then I realized she was right!  Our friends DO influence who we become!

If that’s true for you, then the question is: “are you spending enough time with the people you want to become?”  If you are an Architect you need to spend time with others who share your passion for drafting and building buildings.  If you are a marketing professional, you should spend time around other marketing professionals.  If you are an engineer you will want to be around people who speak your same language and read the books, articles and blogs you need to read in order to grow in your professionalism.

But what if you are new to the profession and you know only a few people in your field?  Where can you go to find others?  Where do people in your field hang out and how can you meet them?

One of the best ways to meet people in your specific field is through a professional organization.  Most professions have them.  In fact, some require membership in order to maintain a license or  qualify for career advancement.  I recommend you find out which ones are most important to your field by talking to someone who has been in that profession for longer than 10 years.  Another option is to conduct a web search to find out what is available.  Most groups will allow you to sign up through their website and many have student rates if you are still in school or a recent graduate.  A lot of these professional organizations hold monthly events, and some have smaller group sessions for networking and professional development.  You will also find that most of them have a job board of some sort for people in your field who are looking to make a career change.

A great way to make a name for yourself in your profession is to volunteer in your professional organization!  In every organization their is an 80/20 rule at work — 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work.  You can take advantage of the 80/20 rule by volunteering.  Being part of the 20 percent will put you front and center of the organization where you will meet important leaders, other professionals, and potential employers.  YOU should be part of the 20!

There are many reasons to join a professional organization:  you will brand yourself as a professional in your field, you will grow in your knowledge and skill-set, and you will meet some people who could influence the direction of your career.

• Do you need to grow in your professional abilities?
• Is your industry changing? What do you need to know to allow YOU to move in that direction?
• Do you feel the need to brush up on some particular skills to stay in your industry or profession?
• What are the best practices for people who do the work you do?  Are you following them?
• What “tickets” will you need to have punched so you can take the next step in your career path?
• What don’t you know about business that could change the way you do your job?

There are many reasons to take a class, and many opportunities to do so.  You may want to learn and follow the latest movements in your industry or profession.  You may be interested in learning a new skill.  Perhaps you are wanting to re-tool for a career change.  Or, you may simply need to learn general business skills to supplement your technical skills so you can move up in the company.

Opportunities for continuing education abound in our current culture!  Here are some suggestions that will help you begin your search:

1. You local community college will have classes on many subjects from basic skills to adult education.  These are usually  in-expensive for people who live within community boundaries (your tax dollars at work). They may also have adult education classes you can take for non-credit.
2. Your local State University has probably opened its doors to adult learners.  In the late 1980s the last of the Baby Boomers were graduating from college.  In order to keep their doors open, most Universities developed programs targeting the aging workforce, providing continuing education for those with and without degrees.  Your local University may have just the right program for you!
3. Professional organizations generally offer classes related to a professional certification.  Sometimes you can take the class even if you have no intention of being certified in that area. Or, perhaps it’s time for you to take the test and become a “certified _____”.If so, these classes will help you immensely!
4. Proprietary schools such as University of Phoenix and Capella University have online programs.  Note that many of these programs require you to enroll for a specific degree program, but some of them may allow stand-alone course-work.
5. Several Ivy League and major Universities have courses online — FOR FREE!  Schools such as MIT offer lecture notes, exams, and videos from some of their more popular classes for free online.  Of course, getting credit for these classes will cost you dearly.  Check them out if you don’t need the credit but simply want to learn from some of the best schools in the world.
6. Professional Conferences and Workshops.  Your industry, company, and professional organization most likely have a professional training department.  Find out what classes they have to offer.
7. Join a group such as Toastmasters.  These groups provide specific training n a specific area (such as public speaking).  Many of them will send your employer a certificate after you have completed a basic course.  The certificate will look good on your wall, and your boss will be impressed with your initiation!

Taking a class is a great way to improve your career.  You will learn new things.  You will have fun.  You will meet new people.  You will impress your boss.  All of these are GREAT for advancing your career and your life.

Imagine this scenario. . . you have been reading a book informing you of the important updates happening in your industry (or profession).  The book is sitting on your desk at work, when the owner (or CEO, or your bosses-boss) walks by.  She notices it, and asks you about it.  In a few short sentences you recap the major points of the book, giving a concise description of key features.  By doing so you help the owner learn a small piece of business-critical information.  You think nothing of it until three days later when she sends you an email asking you to “write a book report” on that book for her to use with the Executive Team at their next meeting.

You have just put yourself in line for a promotion.  The owner of your company KNOWS who you are and understands that you have some valuable information that can be used by upper level management.  That makes YOU “upper level management material.”

Think it can’t happen?  It happens all the time!

Now that you are in the habit of reading, pick up a book that will help you improve your knowledge base about your company, your competitors, your job, your profession, and your life.

We would LOVE to see what is on YOUR “must read” list.  Drop us a note in the response section!

QUICK!  Right now, before you read any further. . . make a list of the key competitors for your company?  Your service?  Your product?  Your industry?

When is the last time you looked at THEIR website?  If it has been more than a couple of weeks, chances are you are missing something.  You can bet your customers are reading your competitor’s website.  What do THEY know that you don’t know?

Here are some thing to look for as you read your competitor’s website:

• What new products or services are they providing?
• What are they giving up on?
• What is their Mission Statement?  How does it relate to your company’s Mission Statement?
• How do they differentiate themselves from you (and the rest of your competitors)?
• Is this a competitive advantage for them?  Is it something your company could or would emulate?
• Who in the competitor’s company hold the position YOU hold in your company? Do you know them personally?  (. . . .something about “keeping your friends close and your enemies. . . .”)
• Can you tell from your competitor’s website where your industry is heading? (Can they tell from yours?)
• What positions are open at their company?  (Anything interesting to YOU?  Hmmm — “window shopping?”)

We recommend that you read the website of your competitor and then let your boss know what you have found.  Offer to be on a team at your company that will address the issues and opportunities raised by this little exercise.  Even if they don’t take you up on your offer, it WILL help improve your career!

Every company these days has a website.  They are as necessary as an ad in the Yellow Pages once was.  You can learn a lot about a company from its website:

• owners
• mission, vision and values
• core competencies
• organizational structure and key players
• key products and services
• the list goes on. . .

The website is where you would send someone to learn about your company. For many businesses it is also a place clients can go to make purchase, get assistance, and learn more about the products and/or services the company offers. Websites are used for marketing, public relations, customer service, sales and technical support.When is the last time you read  your company’s website?  If it has been a while, what are you missing?  I am frequently surprised by the information that people inside the company DON’ know that can be found on the company website.

Keeping up on your company by reading the website (or the company blog) is a good way to improve your career.

When you have completed the search for yourself on the Internet you may need to clean up anything that doesn’t fit your “personal brand identity.” If there are pictures on your MySpace or Facebook account that you would not want an employer to see, take them down. If your pictures on Google Images isn’t what you want, get them removed. If you have any articles written by or about you that don’t serve to promote you AS YOU INTEND TO BE PRESENTED, it’s time to take some serious action!

There are two potentially negative options for what you may find on your personal Google search:  a) nothing (this is bad!), or b) negative (this is damaging!).  I once worked with a supervisor who was demoted because of her pictures on MySpace.  We worked for a rather conservative company, and the pictures of her drinking with friends (obviously drunk) did not fit the corporate image they wanted to portray.  Can they do that?  I’m not sure of the legalities (I’m no Lawyer), but my recommendation is that it is better to be safe than sorry.  It’s not just the “rich and famous” who need to be aware of their public presence.  It’s ALL of us!

Here are some questions that will help you make your Internet presence match your desired target:

• What is your Unique Selling Proposition?  (Your USP)
• Can you state it in 10 words? (If not, it’s probably not focused enough)
• Does your Internet presence clearly portray your USP?
• What (specifically) do you need to add?
• What (specifically) do you need to delete?
• Who will help you do these things?

When is the last time you conducted an Internet search for yourself?  My kids tell me it’s kind of a tacky thing to do, but I HIGHLY recommend it! In fact, take a minute right now and pull up Google or Yahoo (or whichever search engine you prefer) and type in your name.  Look for publications, pictures, videos, webpages, and anything else that will inform someone about YOU.

What did you find? Does it describe the person you want your current and future employer to know?  At this point there are three possible answers:  1) “yes”, 2) “I can’t be found”, or 3) “NO, this is not good!  I KNEW I shouldn’t have allowed those pictures to be taken in Cancun!”

If your Internet presence is exactly as you wish it to be, go ahead and move on to the next tip.  For those of you who, like me, need to make some improvements . . . read on.

In 1997 TomPeters wrote an article for Fast Company titled “A Brand Called You.”  In that article he argued, “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

The article was written a decade ago, but is more important now than ever!  The Internet has made it possible for us to become our own “brand”.  Remember, a brand is a “promise” of what can be expected from the product or service offered by a specific company.

What is YOUR brand?  What is YOUR promise?  When you conduct an Internet search on yourself, does what you find enhance and promote your brand?  Does it accurately portray YOUR promise?  If not, you had better take the time to improve your internet presence in order to make it do so.

Some may consider it to be “brown-nosing.”  However, when done correctly, taking the boss to coffee can be a form of networking.

The difference is in the way you approach it.  Let your boss know that you would like to spend 15 minutes of quality time with him (or her).  Be upfront.  Tell him that you have an agenda.  Now here’s the rub — tell him that your agenda is to learn more about how you can help HIM do his job better!  Just as with traditional networking, this discussion is ALL about the other person. DO NOT HAVE AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE! This session is NOT about you.

You want to let the boss know that you are “on her side.”  Ask questions that will allow her to let you know what issues and concerns she is having in the department.  Find out what her strengths are, and where she may need some assistance to compensate for her weaknesses. Suggest team members (NOT YOURSELF) who have the knowledge, skills and abilities assist her.

If (or shall we say “when”) your boss says, “o.k.  Now tell me what you REALLY want?”  You should respond by assuring him of the agenda you agreed to.  Remember,  this time is about your boss — NOT YOU.

When you make the boss look good, you make the team look good.   Being part of a winning team is good for your career!

When did we lose the idea that we are supposed to “dress for success?” We still should pay attention to the way we dress, regardless of our company dress code! Here’s why. . .

We counsel our clients to dress at least one step above the conventional dress code when interviewing for a job. If our clients are planning on working in a software company, we STRONGLY encourage them to wear shoes and a collared shirt . . . even though most of the people in the building will be wearing flip-flops and a t-shirt! It’s MUCH easier to remove a coat and tie if you find yourself overdressed than it is to sit through an interview with hiring managers if you are under dressed!

Tip #12 is simple.  Cut your hair. Wash your clothes. Pay attention to your personal grooming. Dress for success! When YOU take yourself more seriously, so will the people you are trying to impress.