Building Successful Careers

The long weekend is coming, another perfect time to network and find new opportunities. One of my friends complained to me:” I having been seeing the same friends in the same professions for 20 years, they are my competitors in the job market, I am not motivated to network with them!” I sort of agree with her. I suggested her try something different, something I called “Orthogonal Network”, instead of networking with the group of people who have the same professions, network with people who are in the same field, but in different roles. For example: If you are an engineer, try to network with an accountant, a sales person or marketing person, and vice versa. If you are a controller, you might want to network with a VC, CEO or another executive. These friends in orthogonal roles know what’s going on in their companies and will recommend you to the openings in their company without feeling been threatened.

Rocking climbing was my son’s top choice to celebrate his 11th birthday; he was going to challenge himself as well as his friends. His younger brother was not sure whether he should join the group. One hour before the party my friend called and asked if her 7 year old could join the rock climbing party. My younger son heard our conversation; he decided to join the troop. Climbing the 20 foot wall was an easy task for my older son. He conquered every single wall the instructor suggested. But it was a hard task for other 11 year old boys. One of them quit after he reached 5 feet, two of them quit after 10 feet. “It was too hard, it is too high, I am afraid of heights” the boys told others when they finally touched the floor. My younger son followed in his older brother’s footsteps, his legs were trembling, he struggled, rested and struggled again. With his family cheering him on, he finally reached the top. Then he struggled even harder to get down. He would not let go and slid

"If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." Jerks hardly bring any solution but problems and complains one after another. If you run into notorious jerks in your life, both personal and professional, you are not alone. Dealing with jerks needs maturity and stronger mental strength. Practicing the following tips is helpful: 1) Never lower yourself to the jerk’s level. Try to elevate the conversation to your level, be professional, productive and solution driven. 2) Hear their complaints and acknowledge that you heard them. 3) Ask them for the solution (what needs to be done logically, not emotionally) and go over the consequences of their proposed solution or let them know you are going to evaluate their solution if you are not ready to go over their solutions. 4) Stop the conversation if the jerk starts to bring you down to his/her level. 5) Remind the jerk that you both are on the same team, you are not fighting a battle with him and you are here t

Two Great books to help you understand people and help you build your network. Easy books to read. 1. Vital Friends: The People You Can't Afford to Live Without by Tom Rath 2. How Full Is Your Bucket? Educator's Edition: Positive Strategies for Work and Life by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton Enjoy