Who is In Charge of Your Career?

Workers used to be able to count on their employers to train them, provide them with substantial medical benefits, and give them a job for life. In exchange, workers were fiercely loyal to their employers and considered their personal contributions in relation to the organization as a whole.

Times have changed, and workers can’t count on having their careers planned out for them by their employers. As a result, one would expect professional environments to hum with the energy of employees taking charge of their careers. However, I have noticed and am concerned about a lack of personal responsibility in today’s workplace. Too frequently, I encounter an attitude of entitlement, an expectation that everything is owed to the individual with little regard of the consequences to the organization, and a lack of dedication to doing the job right.

It seems that many of us still think that somehow, our employers are responsible for guiding us through our careers. Here’s the bottom line: Your employer, family, church or friends can’t solve the complex, protracted career issues we all face, such as how many jobs — or even careers — you have until you retire; if you can retire. You must become the master of your fate.

How can you do that? The biggest changes you need to make are in your attitude towards work. Here is a short list of things within your control that you can act on immediately to start taking charge of your career:

• Develop and maintain an entrepreneurial spirit

• Be a lifelong learner and pursue individual education

• Look for and implement ways to add value to the organization

All too often, workers settle for the status quo and become complacent about their careers and comfortable with the day to day routine – especially when they are getting paid for it. What they fail to realize is that complacency can kill a career.

Whether you have been complacent about your work, or you have been more involved in planning your professional future, there has never been a better or more critical time to fully assume personal responsibility for your own career.

Adapted From the Dallas Business Journal Article by:

James Thompson

President

The InSource Group

Read the full article on the InSource Group web site.

Reputation - You Build It Every Day

During my youth, my father (a 20 year Air Force veteran) used to tell me; “You are born with just one last name, you need to work hard to protect its reputation”. That was good advice to remember. The same holds true with your professional reputation.

Building and maintaining your reputation can be one of the hardest tasks you will ever undertake. Why? Because your reputation is built every day, it is not just a static event. Furthermore, consistent execution on a day in and day out basis on any task is a challenge. Few are as important as your reputation. It is important to recognize that your reputation is what others believe about you, not what you believe about yourself.

Most everyone is aware of the high profile visibility surrounding the departures of Robert Moffat, ex-SVP of IBM, and Mark Hurd, ex-CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Each had reputations of being squeaky clean, fiercely loyal, and two of the most effective leaders in a Fortune 50 company. Both lost their jobs in disgrace. Hubris and poor judgment effectively ended their public careers.

Beware of letting a prideful act tarnish or even ruin a lifetime of building your good reputation, no matter how innocuous it may appear at the time. As a litmus test, if you are not willing to have your mother read about it on the cover of the Wall Street Journal, you probably are at risk of exercising poor judgment. People and companies have long memories. The advent of technology and social media can easily magnify the awareness of a poor decision.

A good reputation allows you to aim higher in life, personally and professionally. A good reputation attracts positive attention, and can inspire others to do well. A good reputation can never be bought; it can only be earned. A person with a good reputation does not need to worry about what others think about them, for their actions speak louder than words.

Go out and do something good for yourself and others today.

Wayne Rampey

Vice President

The InSource Group

www.insourcegroup.com