Progress in Your Career
 Progress in just about any career requires the development of certain 'people skills'. Communication, persuasion, influence, and leadership all play a role. In most companies and business environments, there is competition for the attention of upper management, for recognition, raises, promotions and other opportunities. Sometimes that competition among peers and co-workers is very obvious and open.
Other times it is less open and a bit more subtle. Still, from time to time, you will be thrust into a situation where you have an opportunity to 'shine'. At all times, you'll have the opportunity to 'stand out'.
So, how do you gain favourable attention for yourself, your abilities and your ideas?
First - the ability to communicate effectively
You will always be judged by what comes out of your mouth... your choice of words, the level and diversity of your vocabulary, and how well organised the thoughts you express are. For starters, the kind of 'street slang' and 'verbal shorthand' we commonly use with friends is not going to gain points for you in the business world.
Beyond that, any number of surveys and studies have confirmed that people do judge your intelligence and ability based on the words you use.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do for yourself, to strengthen your ability and confidence as a communicator. There are books you can read and audio and video tapes you can listen to and watch.
Second - your personal image
Here is the best advice you can get about dress and personal appearance as it relates to a career - look and dress one 'step' better than your current job requires. If you're a mechanic, for example, and could get away with oil-stained dirty work clothes, but you should wear clean, neatly pressed work clothes.
If you can get away with a sport coat and open-collared shirt, wear a shirt and tie. Instead of doing what you can 'get away with', go just one step better, and always look your best, under whatever conditions you find yourself in. Neat groomed hair, clean nails, neat clothes, it's all important.
We had a conversation with a young woman who had applied for a job in a clothing shop and been told that she would have to dress differently and better than she had on the interview, to be able to work there.
She had gone to the interview in a sport-shirt with a soccer team's name and images on it and washed out jeans with strategically placed holes. She was outraged over this. Angry. Mad. 'What right do they have to tell me how to dress?'
Well, they don't have that right - unless you want to get money from them, as a result of taking care of their customers. Then they certainly do have that right.
They're not just imposing their personal ideas and preferences. They have a certain image they want their business to give. They believe their customers respond positively or negatively to different 'looks', and like it or not, they're right.
It may not be fair, but employers and customers do 'judge a book by its cover!' People make judgements about your status and importance, your seriousness about your job, even your ability based on how you dress.
As a child, you may have heard the phrase: 'You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.' It turns out there is plenty of scientific evidence to support this idea!
Most people form an impression of you in their subconscious minds within the first few minutes of meeting you, and they are very reluctant to change that impression later. That impression is based on what you say as well as your appearance. Try to think in terms of 'marketing' yourself.
Third - be well-informed
Whatever work 'specialty' you find yourself in as well as the one in which you want to develop your career, you should be an up-to-date, well-read, well-informed expert. This means having or getting all the related formal education you can.
It also means reading the current literature in the field, any books published by people in that field or about that field, the trade magazines and journals published for that field, plus some general business information won't hurt.
Let's say you are an electrician. There are trade magazines published just for electricians, others for electrical contractors and owners and managers of such companies. You should certainly be reading the trade magazines published expressly for people in your industry.
If, as your career path, you hope to move up to a manager position in your present company or another firm, or become a contractor, then you should be reading their trade magazines too.
Reading the newspaper is important. People judge your intelligence and ability by how well informed you are in general. You can't just ignore the news of the day.
Fourth - Personality and Attitude
There are very few occupations where personality is unimportant. When company executives are asked how they choose people to promote and what they look for in people, they invariably talk about 'attitude' and 'personality' before anything else.
How do you define 'a good attitude' or 'a good personality?' Most people answer - I can't define it, but I know it when I see it!
Here are some clues. People judged by others to have a good personality seem to be patient, active listeners... encouraging and complimentary to others... generally cheerful and optimistic... and curious, interested in learning and knowing about new things.
If a person leaves a conversation, meeting or other encounter with you feeling that you really listened to their opinions and what they had to say, they are very likely to categorise you as someone with a great personality.
People judged by others to have a good attitude seem to be generally optimistic and upbeat... calm under pressure... very solution-oriented (as opposed to blame-oriented) when faced with problems... and genuinely interested in ideas, new and better ways of doing things.
'It is your attitude more so than your aptitude that determines your altitude!'
When Should You Put Your Best Foot Forward?
One day, an elderly woman came in to a small furniture store, apparently to escape the rain outside. Several of the salesmen on the showroom floor ignored her, telling each other that she was not there to shop - just to get in out of the rain while waiting for the bus to come along.
Talking to her would be a waste of time. So she was left to the newest salesman, a kid really. He spent time with her, showed her around the store and answered her questions patiently and courteously.
When she left without purchasing, the other salesmen made fun of the kid.
It turned out that the little old woman stepping into the store to escape the storm was extremely wealthy. When it came time later that year to re-decorate and re-furnish her family home, she insisted that everything be purchased from the young salesman at the small furniture store.
The point of the story, of course, is that you just never know when you are going to bump right into opportunity. Some little job you do extremely well may bring you to the attention of a company president.
A person you talk with, on or off the job, may surprise you and be someone important in your company or community, and so on. So, when should you put your best foot forward? When should you present yourself in a way most likely to gain favourable attention? Every time, all the time.
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