Today’s workplace continues to evolve, becoming more mobile and individualized. Employers are looking for savvy professionals with a can-do attitude, determination and motivation to meet their needs. Tighter job markets require you to have a plan for career accomplishments.
Following is the last of three articles summarizing “101″ career books published by Course Technology. A different author highlights what it takes to achieve professional success in the 21st century for each book. Here, it’s businesswoman and educator, Carol A. Silvis. Her book is entitled 101 Ways To Make Yourself Indispensable at Work.
For over two decades, Silvis has trained adults in how to get a job, keep and enjoy it and get ahead. She has a master’s degree in Adult Education and is an associate director and department chair at a prominent business institute. She also gives talks and workshops to organizations on a variety of business topics.
Opening, Silvis lists all 101 ways to make yourself indispensable at work, for easy reference. Nine chapters categorize her tips with their succinct, important message.
Chapter 1 is entitled “Surpass the Competition.” Among its eight pointers are:
- Gain a Competitive Edge. You need a competitive edge to keep your job and earn a promotion in a tough economy. If you’re not getting the results you’d like from your job, consider your output. Do you stand out among company employees in a positive way? Do you need to make any changes in your behavior, work habits, and productivity to become an outstanding employee?
- Be Self-Reliant. Self-reliant employees free up the boss so they can tend to other matters. Once you’re trained, know your duties, and how to complete them, do the work with minimal supervision. Trust your own judgment and skills. “Having the ability to work independently sets you up for promotions by demonstrating your self-reliance and confidence,” says Silvis.
“Build Positive Work Habits” is Chapter 4. Here, sixteen tips comprise its message.
They include:
- Give a Good Day’s Work. While you are at work, do your work, and give it your full attention and effort. Complete assigned tasks with efficiency, accuracy and expediency. Observe others who do similar jobs and compare your productivity to theirs. Is there a way to measure your output against workers in similar jobs? Do you accomplish more than they do? Are you as accurate as they are? There will be days you may feel tired, irritable, or bored. The professional moves past these feelings to continue performing his job to the best of his ability.
- Do Not Complain. Enthusiasm is contagious; unfortunately, so is complaining. If you do have a legitimate problem or complaint, you should try to propose a solution when you bring it to the attention of someone who can do something about it. Avoid constant complainer mode by searching for the positive aspect of any given situation. Fear of layoffs or company closings during economic downturns can place undue stress on employees who are concerned about keeping their jobs. Negative comments and complaints only heighten the anxiety and worsen the situation. Therefore, it is critically important to maintain a positive, upbeat attitude.
Jay Miletsky, author of “101 Ways To Successfully Market Yourself,” credits Silvis’s Chapter 8; “Strategies for Success,” which he uses in its entirety as Appendix F. Key tips include:
- Learn How to Advance within the Company.
- Be a Representative for Excellence.
Chapter 9 concludes the book and is titled “Have a Plan.” Its eight tips include:
- Set Personal Goals. What do you want to accomplish in your life? What is your motivation for what you want? Without clearly defined goals, your path of success will be uncertain. Set short-term goals that start from the day you create them through the first year or two, and set long-term goals that cover from five years through your entire lifetime. Set the bar higher than where you are now and surpass what you have already achieved. When you set personal goals that work toward increasing your job satisfaction and advancement, be sure they align with your career aspirations.
- Be Aware of Office Politics. Anywhere people gather together, politics will come into play, which is especially true of the workplace. It is the way people interact. “Many people try to avoid “playing office politics,” but it is nearly impossible to do it, because they are dealing with people,” says Silvis. There is a good and bad side to office politics. To stay on the “good side” be sincere, honest, reliable, helpful and agreeable.
Exercises and self-evaluation forms throughout the book promote critical thinking, stimulate creativity and identify areas where improvement will enhance your career success.
With 101 tips, it’s inevitable that you’ll see your own work behaviors reflected, both good and bad. Read Silvis’s book, and you’ll finish with a renewed perspective on the workplace and your role in it.
“101 Ways To Make Yourself Indispensable at Work”" is an invaluable read for both novice and veteran workers. Conjoined with Course Technology’s “101 Secrets To Career Success,” by Rashika Fernando, and “101 Ways To Successfully Market Yourself,” by Jay Miletsky, they make an influential triad of career-based reading. One or all three books would make great gifts during the approaching holidays, birthdays or graduations.
Employers could benefit by bulk purchasing Silvis’s text for employee distribution. Or, consider starting a business book library/book talk at work, and include Silvis’s text in the collection. Open discussion among workers could spark a rejuvenated awareness and approach to the workplace.
Challenging times or not, “101 Ways To Make Yourself Indispensable at Work,” emphasizes the workplace agreement to be compensated for an honest day’s work.
By Timothy Zaun
Using the internet to find a job may not be as easy as one would imagine. The variety of sites, the huge number of resources and unlimited sites can easily derail even the most focused job seeker. The book, Job-Hunting Online by Mark Emery Bolles and Richard N. Bolles offers information on various job hunting approaches and walks the reader through the internet maze.
To the untrained eye, the internet is utter chaos. To the reader of Job-Hunting Online, the internet becomes a source of helpful information.
This book is a collection of information and links to online resources. Instead of wasting time on the internet trying to locate newsgroups, counseling and career tests, directories, companies, social networks and other job related sites – the writers have collected them for you. The books explains the sites and why they can be beneficial in your job search.
One section in the book is about the ‘Underweb”. The Underweb or Deep Web is beyond the reach of search engines. The sites exist and are loaded with useful information but they are under the radar of the search engines. Some links to Underweb sites include:
LibDex is an index to over 18,000 libraries with online resources and data we can access.
Technical Communications Library is a must see. Filled with categories and subsections you could get lost in here if you don’t have an agenda and a clear focus.
At Academic InfoNet be sure to check out the Subject-Guides and start clicking. You’ll never need to go to a library again!
If you’re looking for information about a company, go to Yellow.com.
Get nagging calls but not sure who they are from? Go to Yellow.com and select Reverse calling and enter the phone number (this probably won’t work for cell phones).
As you job hunt, you want to be up to speed in the literature in your field so check out BizJournals. If you’re a small business, be to click on the Small Business tab and look around at the treasure chest of information.
Another excellent resource for small businesses is Startupbusiness.com. This site offers free templates and forms and tons of articles to answer some of your start up questions.
This book is filled to the brim with resources for job hunters, current employees and employers, academics, students, teachers and you. Get the book and then be sure to send the authors a note to tell them how great it is (they love that!)
By Marge Mercurio
Britt Santowski is the voice of the new Unstoppable Woman. Bridging the gap between women of the past and present, from women who were victims to women who are successful and empowered, Santowski uses her personal story and that of many other successful women, along with practical examples, inspirational stories, and a good dose of shrewd common sense to enlighten women about the requirements for success. “The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman” is that book women have long awaited-a surefire guide to finding the required balance in life that leads both to goal-achievement and happiness.
Having experienced violence and abuse, and having seen it in the lives of the women around her, Santowski makes a strong point early in the book that while violence exists in our world, women cannot accept the role of “victim.” Santowski has no problem taking on what does not work for women. While education is fine, she points out the educational system’s limits, and she provides practical ways for women to determine what is the right goal, field of study, or career for them by exploring their passions and natural inclinations rather than doing what other people or society at large expects is best for them.
At the heart of “The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman” is the invaluable point that women need to support one another. Santowski encourages women, once they know where they want to go in life, to collaborate with each other rather than simply envy one another. She teaches women to transform their envy into the fuel to ignite their dreams. “Envy is not a bad-news indicator that reflects something awful about you. Rather, it is a great-news indicator, telling you that you too can achieve this particular aspiration. All you have to do is to step out of your comfort zone and start moving toward it.”
One of my favorite sections of “The Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman” was the discussion of forming mastermind groups with like-minded women. While I have heard of mastermind groups before, I appreciated Santowski’s simple guidelines for creating such circles, based on her own experiences participating and forming mastermind groups. As a male reader, I felt this information and so much more in the book was directly relevant to my own desires and goals, so I did not let the book’s title stop me from absorbing all the priceless information included.
Another favorite piece of advice I found was Santowski’s statement that we need to change “if” to “when” in terms of what we desire. We need to assume something we want will happen and then imagine and plan for it. I especially appreciated her example in this case because she helped one of her male clients believe he would receive custody of his child, a situation that did become a “when” not an “if” and it illustrates that Santowski is understanding of men, rather than seeing them as the enemy. She makes a point of saying that she did truly believe in this particular situation that the child would be better off with the father. There is no man-bashing (or woman-bashing) in this book, but rather a sense that people can work together, regardless of sex or background, to make what they want into reality.
Throughout the book, Santowski provides “Call to Action” sections to challenge the reader toward becoming unstoppable. The end of the book is filled with several excellent appendices, not just the usual list of references, but also inspirational quotes from such women as Eleanor Roosevelt and Helen Keller. My favorite appendix is the “Famous Failures” section that illustrates how people (men included) like Walt Disney, Betty Grable, Joan of Arc, and Benjamin Franklin, might have experienced perceived failure but still succeeded. As Santowski points out, failure only really happens when you give up. Everything else is merely a setback.
So, what are the Three Strategies of the Unstoppable Woman? I’m not giving anything away by stating that they are Accountability, Collaboration, and Initiative. It’s learning how to apply those strategies that makes this book worth reading. Let Britt Santowski teach you, male or female, how to become unstoppable.
By Tyler Tichelaar
High unemployment and a tough job market are causing stress across the nation. Are you a job seeker wondering how you will land your next job, and whether it will be something that you will enjoy doing long-term?
A job transition doesn’t have to be stressful, when you take the time to understand your dreams and goals, develop a plan, and stick with it for ultimate success. Not long ago, I had the opportunity of an exclusive interview with Jay Block, and his genuine concern for helping others was as evident in the interview as he writes about in this book:
“101 Best Ways to Land a Job in Troubled Time,” by Jay Block, McGraw-Hill Publications, New York, New York, (2010), pp. 194, ISBN: 978-0-07166328-1.
The material in this book, written by best-selling author, Jay Block, is groundbreaking during this time of high unemployment during a tough job market. Jay interviewed and researched with experts across the nation when writing this book; and he discovered that most of what we know in the area of resumes and job search methods is ineffective and damages the future aspirations of job seekers!
He dedicates the book to all job seekers who have not given up on their dreams or settled for less than they can be; and inside the book he explains how to dream and achieve those dreams in their entire life, not just their career.
Jay’s passion for really wanting to help people comes out clearly in this book, where he gives personal examples of the processes he completed in similar situations. The content is written to be informational as well as motivational, which is not something usually found in a career-transition book.
These strategic processes are outlined in five chapters of the book, in addition to his Introduction, which focuses on How Beliefs Affect Outcome.
The first chapter, Learning How to Ride the Emotional Roller-Coaster, helps job candidates recognize and manage their fears and emotions when adversity affects their world. Jay outlines ten principles for successfully obtaining a new job in troubled economies and four emotional channeling techniques to conquer the fearful, negative thoughts that job seekers typically have.
Other chapters address goal definition, writing and using the correct self-marketing tools, creating a meticulous action plan, and actually taking action.
Jay takes time to show examples of the correct marketing tools needed for today’s job transition, which in and of itself makes the book valuable for a job seeker at any level. He also explains why a “chronological obituary” resume is detrimental during a job transition, and gives examples of resumes that are successful in today’s economy.
By Naomi Lolley
We’ve heard the modern day business Titans tell college students who are graduating to get involved in an industry or profession that you love, one that you have passion for, and then work very hard and you will be successful. Indeed, no one could ever argue with that advice, because if you can find your passion and add perseverance to it, you will be successful, even if you don’t make a lot of money. You will be one of the 20%, as goes the 80/20 rule in that area of human endeavor.
Not long ago, I picked up a very interesting book, it was written by someone who I very much respect Sir Ken Robinson, and also written with a co-author. I’d like to recommend this book to you in case you doubt what I’ve said above, you see, rather than trying to convince you of this reality, I’d just as soon point you towards this excellent book to read;
“The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything,” by Ken Robinson and Lou Arinoca, Penguin publishing company, New York, New York, (2009), pp. 288, ISBN: 978-014311-673-8.
The book speaks to issues of perseverance, talent, passion, success, and achievement. It is written by a couple of very well-respected authors specializing in education. You see, we all have natural abilities and talents, and it is important we find what we are good at, where we excel, and concentrate our efforts there.
Although not all the examples in this book are people I would consider my idols, the explanation in the examples of each person mentioned as a case study, well, all together, it makes it easy to understand, and really hard to debate the points that the authors are trying to bring forth.
They also suggests that we can transform our societies, civilization, towns, communities, nations, businesses, government, and education along with these principles, and we will achieve more, with happier people, more productivity, and more success overall. Indeed, I hope you will please consider this.
By Lance Winslow
Let’s face it. In the business and corporate world, the customary practice of ethical distance has always been part of the internal code of conduct. As a matter of integrity, you have to behave in a manner that is above suspicion and beyond reproach. Too much familiarity is discouraged. You don’t mix business with pleasure, and the personal has no effect on the professional.
However, with technology racing at top speed and communication zooming alongside it, the concept of distance has changed. Business has turned to e-commerce. Through the worldwide web, bosses and employees alike now connect in real time and we even interact on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Instead of going the distance to your boss’s office, you can now exchange instant messages and tweets with just a few clicks on your computer in the privacy of your office or in the comfort of your home.
- Does this really mean that you are only a few clicks away from getting your job promotion or your salary increase?
- Can you work on it in your pyjamas at home?
- Can you do the shortcuts and fast-track your way into these goals by inviting your boss to be your Facebook friend?
When you’re looking forward to moving ahead in your career or finding a new job, then personal connections via Facebook can become one of your major assets.
The more successful you are in connecting, interacting, and socializing with all kinds of people, the more your boss will perceive you as someone who can manage employees at all levels. The more your boss knows that you haven’t been corrupted by all the tempting offers and unscrupulous practices on the web, the more your boss will understand how credible you are and how well you fit into the job.
In the end, just make sure of two things. If you have been made the exception as a Facebook friend, see to it that you are just as exceptional in your work such that no one can be snide about it. Another is to make sure that when it comes to business, you share something more in common with your boss than being Facebook friends.
By Daffodil Kelly
Multiple Career Choices
Author: Devjit Bhuiyan
ISBN: 8122307795
An activity undertaken with a missionary spirit, backed by thorough research, by a person who is eminently qualified for the task, and executed with professional competence, cannot fail to achieve its objectives.
Devajit Bhuyan has authored a book, which is better described as a digest, in which he has meticulously explored and mapped the cavernous paths of the world of careers, which exist today.
The book is outstanding in that though the title is an innocuous – “Multiple Career Choices,” and like many others of its kind, could be a matter-of-fact statement of uninspiring facts and figures, the author has offered a fascinating guided tour of the complex world which every young person must undertake, if he or she wishes to enter a profession or career, best suited to the aptitude, circumstances, aspirations, and capabilities which are unique to every individual.
“While choosing a career one must give due importance to personal values and opt for a profession that is more in sync with these. An overemphasis on money can only lead to short-term gains but long-term unhappiness with the extra money being spent on visiting doctors and psychiatrists. Therefore think wisely before opting for a career.”
Devajit Bhuyan is imbued with the sense of concern exhibited by a parent, whose offspring is about to embark on the most important aspect of life – the choice of a career, which will enable the youngster to live a happy, healthy, profitable, and rewarding life, usefully employing the talents nature has gifted, and the education that has been provided.
He stresses the importance of having a mission, an aim, and a goal. A career should be by choice, not by chance, with awareness of one’s SWOT Analysis – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
The author details nine career drivers – Material Rewards, Power and Influence, Search for Meaning, Expertise, Creativity, Affiliation, Autonomy, Security, and Status.
He emphasizes the value of * Benchmarking – finding and implementing the best practices, instead of reinventing the wheel and setting one’s own standards.
The book details the best jobs of the 21st century, the changes in career preferences over the decades, the top 20 challenging jobs, and the factors to be kept in mind while choosing a career, e.g., Intelligence, Personality, Interest, Aptitudes, Physique, Gender, and Age.
It lists hundreds of career options available, the courses of education needed for them, the Colleges, Universities, Deemed Universities, and other institutions with details including the websites, Specialised Courses, Diploma Courses, Degree and Post Degree courses, and various branches of Engineering, Examinations and Tests.
It clarifies through a Question and Answer section, many needed facts about professions.
Professions gaining in importance, Optical Physics, Robotics, Micro Technology, Ocean Engineering, Nanotechnology, Safety Engineering, Financial Engineering, etc. are among those described.
Educational Consultants and Recruiting Agents, the criteria on how to choose a Computer Institute, and Registering for Admission Tests, are among the wealth of chapters in the book.
If your children or wards are entering the upper stage of secondary education, it is time for you to acquire the knowledge offered in this book. If they are already at the stage of having to choose a career, it is still not too late to “look before they leap.”
It is better to spend time and efforts studying the vocational landscape, admirably portrayed in “Multiple Career Choices,” than having our youngsters undergo a lifetime of regret and frustration.
By Binay Srivastava
Looking to get a job and eventually move up in the world? Do you need to get experience or perhaps, just get a job even if it is a step down for you; under-employment? If so, wow, there is a great book I read mostly for fun, but as I read I felt I was there, and got a much better understanding of what the front-line employees in the US go through. The book I’d like to recommend to you is:
“Punching In – The Unauthorized Adventures of a Front Line Employee,” by Alex Frankel, Collins Publishers, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY (2007), pp 223, ISBN: 978-0-06-084966-5.
An interesting article to read which immediately made my memory recall upon reading this book was one I read in Quality Progress, an industry trade journal in November of 2007, beginning on page 55 titled; “Turning the Tables: Six Questions to Ask Your Interviewer,” writer by Joe Conklin. In that article he suggests how to turn difficult questions during the hiring procedure into conversations which uplift your intellectual status, thus your value, while allowing you gain pre-employment intelligence.
The author of this book writes in a similar genre as the author of “Nickled and Dimed” but at a higher level of employment, namely rather than working at places like a 24hr. Waffle House, Walmart, or Gas Station mini-mart – the author of “Punching In” worked for UPS, Starbucks, Whole Foods, and sold iPods at the Apple Store, and also entered the well-known manager program for Enterprise Rent-a-Car.
Have you ever wondered the secret of how corporations turn their workforces into brand loyalists, and absolutely an army of productivity? Well, read this book, and learn about how to win in your career for both the company, the team, and yourself. This book is written extremely well, and the writer is pretty funny, and shows off his writing style with great stories. He also writes for Wired Magazine, so perhaps you’ve seen his pieces there.
Seriously, you have to read this book, it will totally enlighten you, and give you a better understanding of what it’s like to work in a big corporation on the front-lines, companies with 1,000s of outlets and a specific way of doing things. As you read you will laugh, frown, and be disturbed, but you will definitely learns something, many things you probably didn’t know and it will give you a much better understanding of the reality of jobs in America, especially at the retail level, you will be amazed.
By Lance Winslow
One challenge that most employees face in the workplace is how to boost their chances of getting promotion. Most of them adduce different (wrong) reasons for their inability to get promotion. I think such people need to read this book entitled “Promoting Yourself”, with the subtitle “52 Lessons for Getting to the Top… and Staying There”. It is written by Hal Lancaster who spent more than 30 years at “The Wall Street Journal” as a reporter, bureau chief, editor and columnist.
I am reviewing this book because I know how people feel when they are not promoted, although, I did not experience career stagnation throughout my period as an employee. In short, my first promotion at “Financial Standard” newspaper, Lagos, Nigeria was quadruple. I was promoted to the post of a desk head/line editor and given “Study Right”, one of the inserts of the paper to edit. The promotion came within one year and three months that I joined the newspaper. In spite of my “luck”, I still know that career stagnation is not a palatable experience. That is why in the last ten years, I have been running a column on career management in the Nigerian mass media.
Now back to this book. From 1994 to 1999, Lancaster wrote the journal’s weekly “Managing Your Career” column as well as “Career Corner”, a bi-weekly column for CareerJournal.com, the journal’s acclaimed website for executives, managers and professionals.
He reveals that today’s workplace requires you to pit your competitive fire against a horde of ambitious bosses, peers and subordinates, all seeking the brass ring of success. Lancaster shows you how, with tough and savvy answers to the fundamental questions, such as How can I find the right job?, How can I improve my job?, When should I leave?, How do I survive my boss’s foibles?, etc. He assures that this text offers readers the street smarts and insight needed to tackle the highly political and often unjust reality of corporate life.
Structurally, the text is divided into seven parts of 52 chapters. Part one is generically christened “selling yourself”, and contains the first eight chapters. Chapter one is interrogatively entitled “whither goest resumes?” Here, Lancaster says when he first started writing on career management he vowed that he would not waste much time on the intricacies of curriculum vitae (called “resume” in American English).
“After all, there was already a surplus of weighty tomes on the subject. These books professed to reveal the secrets to penning resumes that would ‘knock’ ‘em dead’, ‘knock your socks off’, be ‘trashproof’, or just be ‘damn good’. Besides, I grumped one morning at the breakfast table, what’s the magic in writing a good resume? Be clear, truthful, and brief, and sprinkle liberally with evidence of your accomplishments,” explains Lancaster.
The author says in truth, even the greatest curriculum vitae is not likely to get you a job, and the best it can do is to get you in the door and even in that task it is frequently supplanted by a good company contact. He expatiates that in the ultimate hiring decision, your interview and references carry far more weight. Lancaster adds that though a really- bad curriculum vitae can indeed cost you a job, by eliminating you from contention before you get a chance to dazzle.
He educates that job-hunting may not even be the best reason for maintaining an updated curriculum vitae, adding that at its best, a curriculum vitae is a flexible marketing tool that will not only aid your job search, but will help you to manage your career between searches. According to Lancaster, writing one forces you to define your career goals.
Chapter two is based on the subject matter of highlighting hidden skills. Here, this author says you can sift through the thousands of volumes written about career management. He adds that you can pay small fortune for psychological testing and career counselling. The author educates that you can schmooze and work your contacts until your tongue falls out. Lancaster says even then you may not be able to fathom that wondrous and miraculous little thing that finally nudges a hiring manager into hiring you. He explains that this is because sometimes, what finally wins the day is something so well hidden, the power of which you are not even yet aware of. The truth of the matter is, when you’re putting together a resume, you can’t always tell what will seal the deal,” illuminates Lancaster.
He says it is necessary to keep an inventory of all your experiences and skills, adding that one of them may someday land you the career of your dreams. The author asserts that it is equally important to keep updating that inventory with new experiences such as projects taken on, conferences attended, training and education received. Lancaster says this is because over time, those memories will surely fade. “Quick, can you remember every project, seminar, or class you took even ten years ago?” submits this author rather rhetorically.
In chapters three to eight, Lancaster examines subject matters such as promoting yourself online; how to tell good schmoozing from bad; being wary in job-hunting; who is likely to get a job; acting the interview and getting what you are worth.
Part two is based on the eclectic concept of getting ahead, and has seven chapters, covering chapters nine to 15. Here, the author discusses concepts such as taking the road less travelled; hunting the elusive mentor; leading when you are not the leader; promotion; breaking out of your pigeonhole; chasing the MBA and dunning your boss for a raise.
Part three is generally summarised as “into the management maelstrom” and contains five chapters, covering chapters 16 to 20. Chapter 16 is entitled “Avoiding those first-time manager blues”. Here, Lancaster says, “There you are, footloose and fancy-free, a successful role player in your organisational hierarchy. You’re making pretty good money, and you actually know what you’re doing! After all, it’s what you trained and studied for all those years. Then suddenly there’s a phone call, and in the time it takes you to get to your boss’s office, it’s all over. You’re now a manager, and may the good Lord protect you.”
He adds that it no longer matters how good you are at your job or how much you know because your future hinges on your ability to organise and put a charge into a “group of malcontents, slackers and Machivellian schemers”. You have now got a bunch of higher-ups perched on your shoulder, just waiting for you to screw up, reveals Lancaster.
He says making the leap to a managerial position is not quite that traumatic, but it is close to that. According to him, “Most get thrown into the arena under-trained and under-armed, uncertain how much authority they really have and just how to wield it without alienating this gaggle of needy humans they’ve been asked to lead.”
In chapters 17 to 20, the author analytically X-rays concepts such as who said techies cannot manage?; managing techies when you are not one; managing a hostile crew; and the art and craft of being a good number two.
Part four has the eclectic subject of making midcourse corrections, and covers nine chapters, that is, chapters 21 to 29. Chapter 21 is entitled “Turnarounds and careers: Even a lemon has juice”. Here, Lancaster says if you want to make a name for yourself as a can-do manager, find something broken that needs to be fixed. He stresses that turnaround managers must always stay calm and think clearly in the midst of turmoil and be able to envision both short- and long-term goals.
Lancaster adds that they must be able to pull together, an emergency business plan and get it into operation at the flank speed. Turnaround managers also need to know more about finance than the average managers, since that is a critical part of any decision in a turnaround, educates the author. He stresses that turnaround managers must be extremely persuasive and be able to inspire confidence in order to cope with the almost-constant conflict and tension.
In chapters 22 to 29, the author discusses concepts such as avoidance of crisis; learning from failure; adapting to continual turmoil; return of the living dead; and job-hopping. The remaining concepts are how to survive your middle crisis; going home again and using a job hiatus to build a new career.
Part five is based on the metaphorically generic subject matter of swimming in a sea of change and contains seven chapters, that is, chapters 30 to 36. Here, Lancaster analytically X-rays concepts such as high-anxiety, low-esteem blues; reinventing your job; creating your own new job; taking a buyout and going bye-bye; wielding the broom; post-merger trauma; and chasing the start-up pot of gold.
Part six is summarily woven together as “Office politics: Playing well with others”, and contains seven chapters, covering chapters 37 to 43. Here, the author examines concepts such as mastering office politics without becoming a jerk; getting noticed without being pushy; learning to negotiate in your career; and living with bad bosses. Others are: surviving a new boss; going over the boss’s head; and teaching an old boss new tricks.
Part seven, the last part has general thematic focus of alternate paths to glory, and covers chapters 44 to 52. Here, he beams his analytical searchlight on concepts such as the perils and promise of turning your hobby into a career; alternative work arrangements; living life as a pilot fish; women that break the mold; and living La Vida free agency. Others are: getting branded for life; life as a corporate Samurai; building a parallel career for fun and profit; and importance of where you end your career.
Stylistically, this text is an embodiment of success. The language is standard and simple while the presentation is superb. By segmenting the text into 52 chapters, Lancaster is able to make it easy for readers to read. He lends credibility to the text by illustrating with stories of real-life professionals. Through this strategy, he is able to inspire readers to take action. What’s more, the outer front cover design is visually suggestive of the overall subject matter of the text. This author also uses archaism, e.g., “Whither goest resumes?” (page three) to create linguistic attraction. Note that the book is written in American English, which is why “resume” is used instead of the British English version “curriculum vitae”.
However, the layout of the inside pages needs to be improved upon to make them more eye-friendly, especially that graphics are not used. There is an error of punctuation on page four where the -ing compound noun “job hunting” is used without the normal hyphen so that it can be something like “job-hunting”. Also chapter one that is based on curriculum vitae needs to be made clearer and more definite. I am a curriculum vitae consultant and know that chapter one needs to be beefed up.
Finally, this text is fantastic and is thus highly recommended to those who want to bid career stagnation farewell.
By Goke Ilesanmi
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