Building Successful Careers

Elizabeth’s Stanford Class Registration starting on 12/2/2013 Go to Stanford continue education site: https://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/courses/course.php?cid=20132_WSP+229 Class time: Saturdays: 2/22/14 and 3/1/2014, 10am – 4 PM Class name: 10 Steps to a Successful career,   WSP 229 Textbook:   Myths of the promotion, 10 steps to asuccessful Career, available at Amazon

The world didn’t end last Dec 21.  Now we have to face another new year:) Many of us are busy writing New Year resolutions at home and business goals at work. What’s the best way to write a simple and feasible new year resolution? Pat suggested to write simple goals in several categories: 1) Health 2) Family relationship 3) Professional career 4) Personal interests (books to read and hobbies) 5) House improvement or re-decoration New Year resolution is an action plan for you, not a goal to change the world and your personal life completely. The key is to make it simple and easy.  For example, if you never exercise regularly, committing yourself to 5 times 45 minutes of intensive aerobic most likely will set you up for failure, if you only commit yourself for 5 times of 20 minutes walking, you most likely will set yourself up for success. Make it easy, follow up and take action, you will make your New Year resolution a big success.

We had a very busy, very exciting year.  We made the comittment to finish the book we started seven years ago!  After lots of time on Skype and Google Docs, we finished our book in time to use it as our text for our fall Stanford class.  It was worth all the work and we are both proud of the results.  We are exhausted from all the extra work, but hope to get our second wind in 2013 so we will be more active on the blog.   May you all have a wonderful Christmas and the best of New Years.   Elizabeth and Pat

STANFORD CLASS WSP 229             Ten Steps to a Successful Career (WSP 229) Your career development has become your own responsibility in this ever-changing talent market. Global corporations are no longer providing in-depth career development programs. Instead, they are recruiting talent from each other. In this workshop, you will learn how to build a successful career across multiple companies and industries, achieving your goals and advancing your position in this supercompetitive global talent war. This workshop will provide you with ten systematic steps extracted from great leaders in the industry. These actionable steps will assist in refining your career vision—building realistic goals, then developing feasible plans and executing them flawlessly. We will also discuss how to create an effective professional brand and network, how to collaborate and influence, as well as how to build and lead a successful team. These ten steps will help y...

Great Fall at Florence Looking at two big scars on my right elbow and left knee, I smile.  A beautiful picture of of the Arno river floats in front my eyes. I fell in love with Florence many moons ago when I was in college. This summer, I finally saw the handsome David in the Accademia Galleria (Galleria dell'Accademia) and the beautiful Cathedral, while eating delicious pizza, chocolates and Gelato, talking to artists by the side of the street. I tried to record every second and capture every beautiful scene.  I certainly fell in love with the Arno River and more so with the Ponte Vecchio bridge.  I walked with one eye closed and the other looking at the Ponte Vecchio bridge through the viewfinder of my camera.  I fell forward toward the thick river wall. To protect my face and my favorite camera, I elbowed the rough brick wall and fell left sideways. I do not remember how painful it was.  I only remember the beautiful Arno River and the Ponte Vecchio Bri...

Myths of the Promotion - 10 Steps to a Successful Career                    by Elizabeth Xu, Ph.D. and Pat Zimmerman Amazon book link Myths of the Promotion provides you with ten systematic steps extracted from great leaders in the industry and authors’ real corporate executive experiences. The virtual position concept is original and paradigm changing for professionals to advance their career from individual contributors to mid-level managers and then to executive positions. Myths of the Promotion will completely change your mindset and your understanding of career advancement.  These ten actionable steps will assist you in refining your career vision, building realistic goals, developing feasible plans and executing them flawlessly. Also discussed is how to create an effective professional brand and network, how to collaborate and influence others as well as how to build and lead a successfu...

Six Essential Leadership Skills There are 6 categories of skills that make or break a leader: Strategic Formulation Customer Orientation Business Strategy Implementation Being a Team Player Leadership Personal Traits Understanding these skills will help you to recognize your opportunities. Elizabeth Xu, sample content from the to be published book.