CHAPTER 14
GETTING AHEAD IN YOUR CAREER
CHAPTER OUTLINE AND LECTURE NOTES
A few basic ideas about conducting a job campaign are reviewed as part of the major theme of
getting ahead in one’s career. The vast information of career advancement has been divided into
three sections including approaches to managing or taking control of your own behavior to
advance or retain a good position, approaches to exerting control over your environment to
improve your chances for success, and networking – the most widely accepted career
advancement strategy.
To begin personalizing career development, students can complete Human Relations Self-
Assessment Quiz 14-1, The Career Development Inventory.
I. THE BASICS OF CONDUCTING A JOB SEARCH
Although job search knowledge is readily available, this concise information can be used
as a refresher and a reminder to be systematic in finding a new position.
A. Target Your Job Search
It pays to begin the job search with a flexible attitude toward the type of job sought.
Knowing what type of organization is suited to one’s needs and preference is another
part of the job search. You are much more likely to be successful in your new job and
your career when you find a good person-organization fit, the compatibility of the
individual and the organization (Do you fit the culture?).
Questioning people who work for different employers can provide useful
information about types of organizations. Conducting an Internet search about the
employer has become standard practice. Yet not every job candidate can afford to be
so selective about a prospective employer.
B. Launch Your Job Search with a Positive Attitude
You need to project a positive attitude in face-to-face conversations, e-mail responses
and text messages, during a video interview, and when asking people in your network
for help. A study with students showed, for example, that positive affect was
positively related to obtaining a second interview.
C. Be Aware of Qualifications Employers are Seeking
What you are looking for in an employer must be matched against what an employer
is looking for in an employee. If you are aware of what employers are seeking, you
can emphasize those aspects of yourself when applying for a position. Human
Relations Self-Assessment Quiz 14-2 summarizes these qualifications in a way that
can apply to yourself as you think about your job hunt. (It might be noted that many
employers exaggerate qualifications needed for many positions.)
D. Finding Jobs through Networking and the Internet
Two cornerstone principles of conducting a job campaign are to use several different
methods and to keep trying. Most job-finding techniques are inefficient because so
many attempts must be made, yet effective because they ultimately work. A study
conducted by TheHRSpecialist.com found that the five most effective job search
methods are as follows: Career websites, 34%; employee referrals, 31; newspaper
classifieds, 12%; and social networking, 9%
1. Networking (Contacts and Referrals. The most effective job-finding method
is through personal contacts or networking—the process of establishing a
group of contacts who can help you in your career. Networking has become a
confusing term because it refers to in-person networking as well as to
establishing contacts by use of social networking websites. Networking helps
the job seeker capitalize upon the internal job market by getting someone to
recommend you.
Online networking sites such Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have become
standard practice for conducting a job search. Members on these
sites help each other find jobs. Also, managers frequently look through these
websites to find potential candidates.
2. Websites for Job Finding. Job boards related to specific industries have grown
in popularity. Job search engines, such as SimplyHired, scan the Web and
aggregate listing from job boards, specialty websites, and employer career
websites. Company Websites are strongly recommended for job hunting. Job
seekers should remember that the Internet is but one method of conducting a
job search.
A major challenge of job hunting through the Internet is to find a way to
speak to a company representative about your application. Speaking to a
telephone operator will sometimes provide a lead to a contact person.
Although online networking is standard practice, building relationships face-to–
face is a key component of a good job search.
E. The Job Résumé and Cover letter
The major purpose of a résumé is to help you obtain a job interview, not a job. A
challenge in prepare an effective job résumé is to suit many different preferences, such
as length and amount of detail about job experience. A few highlights about résumé
construction follow.
1. Preparing an Effective Job Résumé. The major purpose of a résumé is to market
yourself to a prospective employer.
a. Length. For people of limited job experience, a one-page résumé is usually
sufficient. For candidates with more experience, two pages may suffice.
b. General construction. Information of this type is readily available. Poor
construction, including spelling errors, “text speak,” and lying will block a
candidate from further consideration.
c. Keyword importance. Employers search for keywords both electronically and
visually. Keywords are terms for skills, certifications, job activities, and other
qualifications sought for a particular job. Another use of key words is to
match them the best possible to the position applied for, such as using the word
“maintenance” several times when applying for a position as a maintenance
supervisor. Keywords must be chose carefully because so many job searchers
use the same buzzwords to describe themselves, such as “creative,” and
“dynamic.”
d. Customization and relevance. The résumé should be customized somewhat to
fit the person under consideration, rather than sending a generic version to all
prospective employers. The cover letter makes a major contribution to
customization. Customization helps you prepare a résumé that focuses more on
relevance than chronology.
e. Skills and accomplishments. Whichever style of résumé chosen, it should
include a section and job-related skills and accomplishments. A skill is
something the person can do now, and does not refer to a course taken unless
the person has learned and practiced the skill learned in the course.
f. Additional information about you. Provide a link to your personal website, or
page on a social networking site. Ensure that you’re your social media profiles
match your résumé. Personal websites can backfire if they appear to be an
overblown, narcissistic statement about who you are.
2. The cover letter. A résumé should be accompanied by a cover letter explaining who
you are and why you are applying for a particular position. The cover letter
customizes your approach to a particular employer. Sometimes it is helpful to
prepare an attention-getting cover letter in which you make an assertive statement
about how you intent to help the employer deal with an important problem. The
cover letter should contain a few short paragraphs and should focus on the skills
and background you will bring to the job,
F. The Successful Job Interview
Screening interviews are often conducted by phone, particularly for customer service
positions requiring telephone skills. Being interviewed by one person at a time is still
standard practice; however, group interviews are commonplace to supplement
individual interviews as well. A general guide for performing well in a job interview is
to present a positive but accurate self-picture.
1. Practice the job interview as well as prepare. (Practice answering the questions
posed in Figure 14-3, and prepare a video of your practice sessions. Know
relevant facts about your potential employer.)
2. Explain how you can help the prospective employer. (An effective job-getting
tactics is to explain to a prospective employer what you think you can do to
help the company.)
3. Respond well to a behavioral interview. (More emphasis is placed today on the
behavioral interview in which a candidate is asked how he or she handled a
particular problem in the past. Such an interview is essentially a job sample.)
4. Be prepared to discuss your strengths and weaknesses (developmental
opportunities). (When describing your weaknesses, it is helpful to also describe
how you overcome a problem or your action plan for dealing with the
problem.)
5. Ask a few good questions. (For example, “What would I have to accomplish in
this position that make me an outstanding performer?)
6. Smooth out the rough spots in your background. (About 95 percent of
employers routinely conduct background investigations of prospective
employees.)
7. Be ready for a video interview. (If you are interviewed from home take
precautions to create a professional setting.)
8. Send a thank-you note. (Could be e-mail or handwritten.)
G. Your Online Reputation and the Job Search
A person’s online reputation, or online presence, can have a significant impact on the
job search. A person’s social media postings can have a powerful impact on an
employment decision. Negative information about oneself on the Internet can
sometimes be removed by asking or hiring as service for such purposes. Watch out
for other people with the same name. Place your name into a couple of search
engines to learn what information is being posted about you.
Visit the Monster Track Career Guide website for information on various topics ranging
from Conducting a Job Search to Surviving Your First Year at
http://static.monstertrak.com/careerguide/inside_search.html
II. CAREER ADVANCEMENT STRATEGIES AND TACTICS
This section divides career advancement strategies and tactics into developing your personal
qualities and developing qualities that focus more on your interaction with the environment.
A. Taking Control of Yourself
The tactics and strategies in this section center on the idea of individuals taking control of
their own behavior and attitudes in order to advance in their career. Some companies
have career development programs, but the individual is still responsible for achieving
his or her own goals.
1. Develop Expertise, Passion, and Pride. A starting point in getting ahead is to develop
a useful job skill. Although expertise is highly recommended, the workplace also
demands that a person perform a variety of tasks as is required in working on a team.
Developing expertise and being passionate about your work leads naturally to being
proud of what you produce.
Two major conclusions of studies about expertise is that it takes a long time to
develop, and that hard work combined with coaching is more important than raw
talent in attaining expertise. According to the 10,000 Hour Rule developed by
Gladwell, the key to success in any field is not talent but to simply practice 10,000
hours. (This is a quite naïve observation, in my opinion.) Although expertise is highly
recommended, the workplace also demands that a person perform a variety of tasks as
a team member.
Passion goes hand in hand with expertise, and contributes to problem solving,
and is a major requirement for being an effective leader.
2. Develop a Code of Professional Ethics Including Helping Others. An ethical code
determines what behavior is right or wrong, good or bad, based on values. According
to the research of Adam Grant, prosocial behavior (helping others) results in a wide
set of relationships and meaningful connections.
3. Perform Well and Become a Star Performer. Good job performance is the bedrock
for any career, a principle supported by common sense and research. The extreme of
good performance is to become a star performer—one of a small number of
employees who contribute a disproportionate amount of output.
4. Continue to Hone Your Interpersonal Skills. Among the many ways in which
interpersonal skills help advance your career is to gain the cooperation of coworkers.
A study showed that popular workers drew more coworker support regardless of their
place in the organization chart.
5. Develop a Proactive Personality. An active agent in taking control of forces around
him or her stands a better chance of capitalizing on opportunities. A proactive
personality is a person relatively unconstrained by forces in the situation and who
brings about environmental change. Managers prefer proactive employees because
they take the initiative to take care of problems. A person can get started developing
a proactive personality by taking more initiative to fix problems and attempt to be
more self-starting.
6. Create Good First Impressions and a Favorable Appearance. Favorable first
impressions lead to continued contacts with internal and external customers, and can
create a halo about the quality of future work.
a. Looking successful. Looking successful contributes to a positive first impression.
Your clothing, desk, cubicle or office, and speech should project the image of a
successful, but not necessarily flamboyant, person.
b. Appearing to be in control and intelligent. Projecting a sense of control is another
key factor contributing to a positive first impression. Part of being in control is to
appear as if you are ready to solve difficult problems.
c. Tattoos and body piercing. Tattoos and body piercing often figure into physical
appearance, and they typically generate mixed attitudes. Yet tolerance for tattoos
and body piercing continues to increase.
7. Document Your Accomplishments and Be Visible. Keeping an accurate record of
job accomplishments can be valuable when being considered for promotion. New
learning should also be documented. Let key people know, in a tasteful way, of your
accomplishments. Many professional level workers maintain a portfolio of their
accomplishments. After documenting your accomplishments, it pays to
advertise, therefore being visible to key people.
8. Keep Growing through Continuous Learning and Self-Development. Given that
continuous learning is part of the new model of career advancement,
include any type of learning including formal schooling, attending training programs
and seminars, and self-study.
9. Observe Proper Etiquette. Proper etiquette is important for career advancement
because such behavior is considered part of acting professionally. Business etiquette
is a special code of behavior required in work settings. Figure 14-3 presents examples
of good business etiquette and manners. Deciphering what constitutes proper
etiquette requires investigation. Students might be asked their perception of common
problems in etiquette.
10. Develop Your Personal Brand. Another important component of career development
is to develop your personal brand, or your distinctive set of strengths including
skills and values. Your personal brand makes you unique, thereby distinguishing you
from the competition. You begin developing brand-you by identifying the qualities
or characteristics that distinguish you from coworkers.
B. Exerting Control over the Outside World
The approaches in this section require the person to exert some control over the outside
environment. If the environment is not totally controlled, at least it is juggled to one’s
advantage.
1. Establish Career Goals. Because organization change so frequently, along with
positions, it may be better to establish general goals that focus on the type of
work you want to do in the future. Before establishing career goals, it is helpful
to clarify your values. Personal goals should mesh with your work plans to help
avoid major conflicts in your life. Most career goals should include an
approximate time element, which is crucial to sound career management.
2. Achieve Broad Experience. Many people who land high-ranking positions have
broad experience obtained at one or more employers. Breadth can also be attained
through self-nomination. A major benefit of broad experience is that you achieve
more career portability, therefore being able to move to another employer should
the need exist.
3. Find a Mentor. Most successful people have had one or more mentors during
their career. A mentor is a more experienced person who guides, teaches, and
coaches another individual. Mentors are usually superiors, but can also be peers
and even lower-ranking individuals. The mentor serves as a positive model and
a trusted friend.
E-mentoring will sometimes increase the pool of potential mentors, and allow
relationships to develop without social bias, such as being suspicious about the
nature of a mentoring relationship. Having a group of mentors for different
purpose can be useful. A recent development in e-mentoring is to provide
frequent, brief feedback to workers being mentored in twitter-like format.
A variation of traditional one-on-one mentoring is to establish a group of mentors
who might help you with different types of problems. Having multiple mentors is
similar to having a personal board of directors, or a small group of people who
serve as your advisors.
4. Deal Constructively with Having a Subordinate Older than You or a Younger
Boss. Chronological age no longer governs who is likely to be the subordinate or
the boss.
a. Older Subordinate. Show respect for the subordinate’s experience and
wisdom. Ask for his or her input based on experience. Point out that you
did not create the situation, and focus on teamwork.
b. Younger Boss. Many workers face an ego problem when reporting to a
younger person. Recognize that having a younger boss is part of the
modern world. Look for the learning opportunities working for a
younger boss might bring. Express enthusiasm for being part of the team.
5. Balance Your Life. Having balance gives you additional energy and vitality which
will help you in your career. Without balance, a career person runs the risk of
burnout and feeling that work is not worthwhile.
III. DEVELOPING YOUR NETWORKING SKILLS
Developing a network of contacts is the most favored approach to career advancement.
People in your network can help you get promoted, solve problems, and can serve as
customers and suppliers. A recommended approach to networking is to keep a list of at
least 25 people whom you contact at least once a month, even by e-mail. A substantial
amount of social networking also takes place on the Internet through social networking
sites such as Facebook. However, some of your “friends” or “followers” are weak
associations. Figure 14-5 presents suggestions for networking.
A study conducted in Germany over a three-year period with over 200 workers in
several fields demonstrates that networking really does enhance career success, in terms of
current salary, salary growth, and higher job satisfaction.
Visit the following website for a good article on How to Build a Powerful Business
Network: Secrets of the Masters at http://pammurray.tripod.com/networkingarticle.html
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AND REVIEW
14.1. During times where there is a shortage of skilled workers, why is it still important to
study how to conduct a job campaign?
14.2 With so much of all business-related activities being conducted online or through texting,
why leave your home or café to conduct a job search?
14.3 What can you do today to help you develop a contact that could someday lead to a job?
14.4 Make up a behavioral interview question that you might be asked, and develop a good
answer.
The question should focus on a skill or behavior, and the answer should be a specific
recapitulation of the event, such as the following:
14.5 Which expertise would you like to develop that would probably take ten years to
develop?
14.6 What is the most important fact about you that is already in, or should be in, your
personal brand?
The student will have to think carefully here, particularly if he or she is a career beginner.
presentations for an employer.
14.7 If you were a reverse mentor, what kind of help do you think you could offer a mentor
much chronologically older than you?
14.8 Assume that you wanted to use your human relations course as a way of building your
network, how would you decide which other students to invite into your network?
How about one of the oldest adages in cultivating people who might be able to help you
being serious and ambitious, and attaining good grades.
14.9 Explain which social media site you think is, or would be, the best for you in terms of
professional networking.
For most students, LinkedIn would be the best for professional networking because it is a
jobs. For example, a given student might have solid contacts on Tumblr or Pinterest.
14.10 Which criteria are you using, or will you use, to know if your career is successful?
Establishing criteria for career success is sometimes helpful in choosing a career that
affords the opportunity to meet those criteria. Typical criteria of career success include
opportunity to lead a balanced life yet still earn a good living.
COMMENTS ON EXERCISES AND CASES
Human Relations Self-Assessment Quiz 14-1: The Career Development Inventory
The Career Development Inventory is yet another opportunity for self-examination and self-
insight, and is geared toward career insights. An accurate answer to question Number 12, “What
do you see as your career niche (spot where you best fit) in the modern world?” This would be
particularly helpful to the career planner. Most successful careers are built on a foundation of
finding a niche. The relevance of question 6, “Write a two-paragraph synopsis of your career,
pretending that you have just retired.” This works well as a class discussion. Most students
correctly perceive the question as a way of preparing a summary of what they hope to achieve in
their careers.
The input of a second person can be helpful in answering many of the questions, yet a second
person would most likely not have good input for some of the questions. Two such questions are
question Number 6 about the career synopsis, and question Number 10 about the five most
important values.
Human Relations Self-Assessment Quiz 14-2: Qualifications Sought By Employers
Although many employers might be unrealistic about the qualifications they seek, it is helpful for
students to think through how they stack up against these generic (applying to many different
types of jobs) qualifications. The qualifications mentioned include both human relations factors,
as well factors that apply to many fields such as problem solving, judgment and common sense,
and up-to-date information technology skills.
Human Relations Self-Assessment Quiz 14-3: Tendencies toward Being a Proactive Personality
We hope students take this quiz quite seriously because proactivity is a major success factor in
almost any position, and any field. One component of the proactive personality—taking the
initiative—usually contributes to high performance. The statements in the quiz help emphasize
the fact that everyday behaviors reflect proactivity, such as No. 3, “If I see something that is
broken, I fix it.”
Applying Human Relations Exercise 14-1: Building Your Network
The serious networker might be willing to invest the time and effort to go through all these steps.
Students who are committed to building their networks should benefit handsomely from this
exercise. The casual networker can nevertheless take away one or two useful ideas. We like to
emphasize Step 6 for anybody who networks: “For each person in your network, think of a favor,
however small, you can return to him or her. Without reciprocity, a network fails rapidly.”
Linking network members to goals is a high-impact idea. The networking suggestions in Figure
14-5 should be an effective supplement to this exercise about building a network.
Applying Human Relations Exercise 14-2: Strategies and Actions Plan for Career Success
Here is an opportunity for students to make a planned effort and implementing a handful of
tactics and strategies for career success. Building an action plan for the strategies and tactics
chosen will increase the probability of them being implemented. Some of the strategies and
tactics listed will take a long time to implement, such as No, 8, “Keep growing through
continuous learning and self-development.”
Human Relations Class Activity: Capitalizing on Strengths for Career Success
Even if this class activity is conducted individually, it can be helpful in advancing a person’s
career. Many people may not have thought through which skills in their field of expertise will
give them their biggest career boost. The presentations should help students understand some
personal strengths that might be associated with career success. A possible take away from this
assignment is that most people (including the individual student) need to work more on their
action plans for capitalizing on their strengths for career success.
Human Relations Case Study 14-1: Pamela Develops a Brand Called Pam Peters
This case illustrates the challenge of attempting to prepare a personal brand statement that is
likely to be perceived as positive yet not seem like an exercise in self-adoration and puffery.
14.11 What is your evaluation of the effectiveness of Pamela’s personal brand statement?
Copyright © 2017, Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
14–11
As in evaluating a job résumé, evaluating a personal brand statement has a strong element
of subjectivity. The positive and self-confident tone of the brand statement is refreshing
but perhaps Pamela appears to be a too self-adoring.
14.12 What suggestions might you offer Pamela to improve her brand statement?
If you accept the criticism made in response to question 1, Pamela could be advised to
total package” and “Who else are you going to call.”
14.13 To what extent do you think Pamela should even bother having a personal brand?
Personal branding appears to have gone past fad status, and has become integrated into
career planning. From this perspective, we encourage Pamela to bother having a personal
brand.
Human Relations Role-Playing Exercise: The HR Manager Reviews “The Brand Called Pam
Peters”
Although this role play is billed as presenting a personal brand statement, it is also about
persuasive communication. Pamela should be convincing but perhaps not as overbearing as
implied in her brand. Perhaps students who play the role of lukewarm Luke should be
questioning about the brand statement, but not totally rejecting.
Human Relations Case Study 14-2: Jay Tries to Climb the Ladder
This case illustrates the complexities that plans to advance one’s career can take, including
unforeseen negative developments.
14.14 Should Jay take the position? If so, should he inform management beforehand?
14.15 What could Jay have done differently to improve his situation and chances for a
promotion at Sun Food?
14.16 What advice would you give Jay that he could apply to his new position should he decide
to accept it? What advice would you give him if he turns it won and decides to stay at
Sun Foods?
Copyright © 2017, Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
14–12
If Jay accepts the new position, he should exhibit more positive attitudes and behavior
with his new employer with respect to accepting their career planning for him. If Jay
decides to stay with Sun Food, the same advice applies. He must slowly develop a
reputation as a more cooperative employee in order to win a slot in the management
training program.
SUPPLEMENTARY CLASS ASSIGNMENT
Interview Questions
1. Access the following website focusing on 2000 Interview Questions (organized by the topics
on the lower section of the web page) http://www.hr-guide.com/selection.htm .
2. Choose three interview questions (add a fourth question if you desire a Challenge Point) for
this assignment.
a. Choose questions from any of the following categories:
1. Pertain to your career field
2. That you never prepared for
3. You find more difficult to answer
b. Within your paper, list your question and then your response to the three (or four)
questions – as you would give in an interview setting
3. Submit this assignment in the required typed format with a Title page and self – scored
corresponding Rubric.
Interview Questions Rubric
Student
Points
Instructor
Points
Possible
Points
0 – 3
0 – 3
0 – 3
0 – 1
0 – 1
0 – 1
0 – 1
5 pts.
0 pts.
Total
Pts.
D. The Job Résumé
The major purpose of a résumé is to help you obtain a job interview, not a job. A
challenge in prepare an effective job résumé is to suit many different preferences, such
as length and amount of detail about job experience. A few highlights about résumé
construction follow.
1. Length. For people of limited job experience, a one-page résumé is usually
sufficient. For candidates with more experience, two pages may suffice.
2. General construction. Information of this type is readily available, including
suggestions found in Microsoft Word. Poor construction, including spelling
errors, “text speak,” and lying will block a candidate from further
consideration.
3 . Keyword importance. Employers search for keywords both electronically and
visually. Keywords are terms for skills, certifications, job activities, and other
qualifications sought for a particular job. Another use of key words is to match them
the best possible to the position applied for, such as using the word “maintenance”
several times when applying for a position as a maintenance supervisor. Keywords
must be chose carefully because so many job searchers use the same buzzwords to
describe themselves, such as “creative,” and “dynamic.”
4. Customization. The résumé should be customized somewhat to fit the person under
consideration, rather than sending a generic version to all prospective employers. The
cover letter makes a major contribution to customization.