Personal Branding Interview Alexandra Samuel - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Interview Alexandra Samuel - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke to Alexandra Samuel, who is the Director of the Social + Interactive Media Centre at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, the co-founder of Social Signal, and a blogger for Oprah.com and the Harvard Business Review. In this interview, Alexandra talks about important technologies, the impact of the internet on our lives, research shes uncovered while building online communities, and more. Which technologies do you wish we still have and which can you not live without now? There are only a couple of technologies I miss on a regular basis. One is I want Sandy, which was this awesome virtual personal assistant that could help with scheduling, task management and communications using natural language. You could send her an e-mail like remind me to ask Sarah tomorrow about whether she wants to work on our new project, and the next morning, youd have an e-mail from Sandy reminding you to talk to Sarah. The other is the busy signal: even though I now find it shocking and irritating to get one (and it only happens once or twice a year), I can see that a world without busy signals is a world of constantly accumulating e-mail and voicemail inboxes. As for which technologies I cant live without: I cant think of a single one. That said, there are so many technologies I wouldnt choose to live without that Ill just name the devices and applications Id miss the most: WordPress, my iPhone, my MacBook Pro, Evernote, Google, Twitter, delicious, Skitch, single-app browsers (i.e Prism Fluid), HootSuite, Plex (for our home media center) and of course, my label maker. I love, love, love all these tools, and am so constantly connected to and by them that I suspect Im what other people call an Internet addict. But I have absolutely no doubt that I could live without any or all of them; at the end of the day it would be far easier for me to live a life without the Internet than a life without regular, intense face-to-face contact with the people I love and the people who challenge me. Remembering that we are able to live happily offline is essential to making conscious, deliberate choices about how we live online. How has the internet changed how you interact with the important people in your life and build your professional identity? The Internet hasnt changed how I interact with most of the important people in my life, but it expanded the circle of who feels important. Most of my very closest friendships pre-date the Internet; interestingly, very few of my closest friends are enthusiastic social media users and two of my three best friends arent even on Facebook! But even without Facebook, I find a way to connect. For years I could count on the fact that on any given day, something I was wearing had been purchased in the company (and with the advice) of my BFF. Its now been a decade since we lived in the same city, so I recently started sending her collections of my should I buy this? photos online so that I can get her advice! Of course the exception to the rule is my husband: we have a very online marriage and the Internet is part of almost (I emphasize almost) every aspect of our relationship. The most obvious part is that we created a social media agency together, largely because we were coming home every night from our respective jobs and geeking out together about the then-emergent phenomena of blogs, RSS and online community; once people started asking for our professional advice it was a no-brainer to go into business together. But the Internet is also part of our parenting (not just by handing our kids an iPhone or iPad, but by doing family craft projects together like setting up our daughters Etsy store for her emoticon jewelry http://2dots1symbol.com), part of our social life (we have a handful of dual-geek couples who share our love for Battlestar Galactica and all things Mac-related) and our one-to-one relationship (ask anyone who watches us tweet through our date nights, or just visit wetweet .ca). Part of what I love about building my professional identity online is that these personal aspects of web use arent invisible I get to be on the web as a whole person. So many of the problems in the world come from us trying to put part of our identity on a shelf from 9-5, but the strongest ideas and solutions come from our ability to connect with one another, to feel empathy, and to bring our full intelligence to any problem. While Im certainly conscious of creating a professional identity through my online presences, particularly on Twitter and my blog, I think that a professional identity can also acknowledge that Im a person with a family, friends, and plenty of neuroses. Of course Im lucky because more and more of my professional identity is about helping people deal with the personal implications of life online, so being personal is part of being professional! What research have you uncovered through your involvement with online communities? I draw on a lot of different sources of research in my work in online communities, social media and most recently, social e-books. I did the initial research for the Internet chapter in Robert Putnams Bowling Alone, and that has influenced just about all of my work for the past 13 years, since (unlike Putnam) Im actually quite optimistic about the Internets capacity to support the creation of social capital namely, the community bonds and social trust that correlate with everything from personal happiness and public health to civic participation and economic performance. Barry Wellman and Caroline Haythornthwaite have really been leading the investigation into how social capital can be created online; a lot of my applied work at Social Signal, especially on projects like Tyze, has been an effort to put those aspirations for building social capital into action. But the longer Ive been online the more I see these struggles playing out at a very personal level, as people look for ways to make their time online more meaningful for themselves and for their communities. So these days Im looking at models for how to offer people those kinds of deeper experiences online; most recently Ive been drawing on something called The Reader to Leader Framework by Jennifer Preece and Ben Shneiderman; I think their work offers a very pragmatic way to think about deepening peoples engagement online. Do you feel like what search engines and social networks say about people will replace resumes? Never. But thats partly because Im a ruthless copy editor, so the first thing I do with any résumé is to look for errors. Particularly when Im hiring for a communications or public-facing role (which are the kind of hires that Im usually involved in) I feel like I learn a lot from the level of accuracy and literacy that people bring to telling their own stories. And of course thats what search engines can never replace: that first-person, heres who I am self-presentation. Any smart hire will now look at both. (You can see how we used social media in our Social Signal process by visiting http://bit.ly/socmedhire). What three predictions do you have for the future of technology as it relates to personal branding? Im going to give you three contradictory predictions: Social media becomes synonymous with social media marketing, so we think only about our online lives in terms of how they project our message or brand out into the world. In our online lives, we define ourselves as personal brands and evaluate all our interactions through the lens of how they affect our individual brands. As we spend more and more of our lives online, we become so used to interacting with one another as brands that we stop relating to one another as human beings. In ten years, you go to a party and get introduced as Meet Dan hes the great brand I told you about. The social media masses rise up in mass resistance to their corporate overloads, and hack, deface or simply ignore the increasingly pervasive ads that litter the social mediascape. In the absence of advertising revenue, a lot of social media services go belly up, while other start charging significant fees for services, and make the revolting masses nostalgic for the days of you-give-us-your-data, we-give-you-your-Facebook. Marketing becomes part of social media the way its become part of lots of other forms of media, but it frames the conversation rather than pervades it. Social media users informally patrol the divide between genuine conversations among interested users, and staged conversations created by brands: they disregard or challenge companies who pretend to be people (for example, joining an online community and gradually building relationships with members before coming out with the pitch for the great new product theyve created JUST for this niche) and people who pretend to be brands (for example, strategizing everything they say around building an image or followers rather than genuinely connected with other people based on their actual interests and beliefs). Social media services thrive on the the revenue they earn online (not just from marketing, but from delivering many different kinds of value to both businesses and consumers) while social media users thrive on conversations that cont inue to excite them, to give them opportunities for authentic expression, and that provide them safe places to connect with other actual human beings. I know which of these predictions I hope to see come true. And it is absolutely within our power to choose which one will come to pass. But to get there, we need to see each other first and foremost as human beings online and off. Alexandra Samuel is the Director of the Social + Interactive Media Centre at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, the co-founder of Social Signal, and a blogger for Oprah.com and the Harvard Business Review. She writes about how social media is transforming our politics, our work and our personal lives. Her writing on technology issues has appeared in media outlets like the Toronto Star, CBC Radio, Business 2.0, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Her writing on social media is informed by her experience as a web strategist and by her research background. As a principal with Social Signal, one of the world’s first social media agencies, she has shaped the online strategy for a wide range of online community projects, including Tyze, Change Everything and NetSquared. Visit her website at alexandrasamuel.com.

How to Make Your Resume Great Again CareerMetis.com

How to Make Your Resume Great Again Job opportunities come and go. The funny thing is that they usually come at times when you expect it the least. And when your resume isn’t… in the best shape you are told to send it ASAP!It doesn’t really matter if you are an active job seeker or currently employed professional looking for a new opportunity. When it comes to new career challenges, it often boils down to how convincing your resume story is.evalSo the question is how do you make your resume great again? Your main marketing document is what can make a difference between you and the other candidates after all.Skimmable Resume FormatevalIf you are thinking that recruiters and hiring managers will read every single word on your resume then you can’t be further from the truth.In fact, during the first evaluation they spend seconds to skim through the things on a resume to understand whether a particular candidate deserves a closer look. With such limited time, your resume has to attract employers’ attention, you c an’t afford to list your credentials in a way that you like.Resume writing isn’t about you after all. It is about what prospective employers need and how you can address those needs. It may sound weird but your resume format can make a difference between a lifetime interview opportunity and being disregarded.Make your resume easier to skim. Don’t write long paragraphs It should be focused completely on what you can offer as opposed to what you want. Showcase your value proposition. List those skills that will be relevant for the target audience There is no single rule for resume length. “How long should a resume be?“ is a question to be answered individually. It used to be that one-page resumes were highly preferable by decision makers. However, that is not so today.Therefore, depending on your experience and skill set, you should choose the perfect length for your document on your own:If you have less than 7 years of work experience, it is likely you can easily fit the mo st important information on one page.For those job seekers, who have 7+ years of experience, a two-page resume format should be just fine.C-level executives with 15+ years of experience can sometimes extend their resume to three pages.Resume KeywordsMore and more companies use applicant tracking software Add Portfolio/LinkedIn/WebsiteWhile the resume remains to be the most powerful marketing tool, it shouldn’t be the only one. We live in a digital world where people spend their lives online: they sell, buy, play, interact, and have fun there.Limiting yourself to just one resume isn’t the smartest move job seekers can make today. There are plenty of other opportunities to say you are the right fit.evalFor example, LinkedIn is becoming an essential recruiters’ tool. If you don’t have a profile there, you must set one up. Make sure your profile tells a convincing storythough before you share it with prospective employers.Additionally, it may be a good idea to create an online p ortfolio of your works. It can significantly make a difference between you and the competition.Lastly, turn your entire resume into a website. In fact, it can be both your portfolio and resume depending on how you want to organize it. Just don’t forget to include all of the links on your main resume version.KEY TAKEAWAYSIf you need to update your resume and send it to a potential employer asap, then make sure your resumeis easy to read/skimcontains your value proposition at the very beginningis not too long and is not too shorthas industry and job-specific keywordscontains links to your LinkedIn profile/portfolio/websiteThere’s always a huge temptation to update your resume by simply adding new information.evalHowever, simply adding new content won’t make it great again. Things that have worked in the past don’t work today. Because the jobs market is extremely competitive, job seekers need to be wise when presenting their career story on a document.For more insight, you chec k multiple resume critique examples (there are tons of them online) to see what kind of mistakes job seekers usually make when writing or editing their resumes.

Job Action Day - Whos Your Cheerleader

Job Action Day - Whos Your Cheerleader This post is part of an entire day of useful career advice called Job Action Day, sponsored by Quintessential Careers.This weekend I was part of an amazing event The New York City Marathon. No I didnt run. I was a cheerleader. I made it a point to bundle up and go out along the marathon route and encourage runners.Why you ask? Because everyone could benefit from a cheerleader to help them achieve a milestone.For me, I was amazed to see the runners smile and pick up the pace when fueled by the sights and sounds of the countless fans pulling for them. Thousands cheered alongside me for everyone brave enough to make the effort. It was contagious.That very energy made me think about the many different ways we can cheer each other on through the current economic challenges and how we need to encourage each other to continue to follow through on our dreams.Cheerleaders have always lifted my spirits when Im struggling. Theyve kept me going when I wasnt sure I could, and applauded me when I ve achieved. And I do the same for my clients.So with today designated Job Action Day maybe it is not about an action directly for you and your job situation. Maybe its a little reminder for you to reach out to someone you know, someone you love, or even a friend you havent met yet and encourage them to finish their marathon. Encourage them take action with their careers.Trust me it is contagious.Who needs your cheerleading today? How might you help that person follow through on their dreams and take action with their careers? Believe me, your spirits will be lifted as well.

In the Fog About Your Ideal Job Part II - Hallie Crawford

In the Fog About Your Ideal Job Part II Do feel like you’re in the dryer on spin cycle confused about your ideal job? Over the next few Career Corner posts we are looking at the strategies you can use to help you get clear. Strategy #2: Clarify what you want by identifying what you don’t want As a career coach, Ive discovered that when I ask people what they want in an ideal job or career, they cant tell me. But if I ask them what they dont want, or what they didnt like in previous jobs, they can give me a long list of complaints or things theyd want to change! Like a less demanding boss, fewer deadlines or less stress. If this is the case for you, it may feel like you are checking things off of a list and identifying what you dont want, instead of moving forward by clarifying what you do want. This can be frustrating! Homework: Download a worksheet to help you with this here. *For more help with your transition contact me for a complimentary consultation, Im here to help.* Hiring Hallie is the best investment I have made towards my new line of work Hallie has helped me become more focused and assertive in my career aspirations. Read more testimonials here. Expert

How to Get Your Resume Writing Business Online With a Resume Writing PDF

How to Get Your Resume Writing Business Online With a Resume Writing PDFOne of the most important skills that you can develop as a professional recruiter is how to get your resume writing business online with a resume writing pdf. This form of the document makes it possible for a recruiter to build a business by offering their services.These forms of files are incredibly powerful when it comes to making amazing results. That's because you don't have to spend money hiring human workers to do your job for you. By outsourcing this type of work, you will be able to eliminate costs that are associated with the labor and make it possible for you to earn more income by employing software programs.We've seen many top recruiters use this method to take their career to the next level. You may also be surprised at some of the businesses that you can build online. Many of these companies are able to produce results so fast that you won't even know that they are doing it. This is one of the reaso ns why it's important to have a resume writing pdf if you want to achieve success online.There are lots of ways to get started in this type of work. Using a resume writing off will allow you to work from home and it will allow you to focus on the tasks that you feel passionate about.Even though we've said all of this, we'll still say that your first step to getting started in this industry is to gather as much information as you can about how it works. This will help you understand how you will start earning money and make it possible for you to create a successful online career.Resume writing is a skill that you should develop if you really want to generate more income. This is why it's so important to get a resume writing off so that you will be able to save time and money.Not only will you be able to generate more income, but you will also be able to maximize your time as well. When you can turn to this type of work without having to burn a hole in your pocket, it really allows y ou to get more done and achieve more in less time.

Which Shonda Rhimes Cast Is Richer

Which Shonda Rhimes Cast Is Richer Shonda Rhimes is one of the most respected names in television, with some of her shows, like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder,” dominating ABC’s Thursday night lineup. Since creating “Grey’s Anatomy” in 2005, her Shondaland production company has become a prominent entity in Hollywood. The success she’s realized has boosted her net worth to $60 million, according to estimates from CelebrityNetWorth.com, which tracks celebrity earnings and wealth. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ When “Grey’s Anatomy” premieres Sept. 22, the show will begin its 13th season, making it one of the longest-running scripted television series of all time. Since its 2005 debut, the cast, crew and show as a whole has garnered dozens of awards, including Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, People’s Choice Awards and more. Even after spending years on air, the show manages to nearly top the chart in ratings. James Pickens Jr. Net Worth: $3 Million James Pickens Jr. is Dr. Richard Webber, former chief of surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and current attending general surgeon and residency program director. Pickens has played the part of Dr. Webber since 2005, and has even made brief appearances in Rhimes’ “Private Practice” as Dr. Webber. But the actor has ventured into other TV series and films over the years, and is even slated to appear in the forthcoming TV series “Kick.” Chandra Wilson Net Worth: $10 Million Chandra Wilson, aka Dr. Miranda Bailey on “Grey’s Anatomy,” is a mainstay of the cast. Her character serves as the chief of surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Wilson will reprise her role in season 13, continuing her 11-year career on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Justin Chambers Net Worth: $12 Million Otherwise known as Dr. Alex Karev, Justin Chambers has played the pediatric surgeon since “Grey’s Anatomy” started in 2005. His character was previously married to Dr. Izzie Stevens. In 2009, Chambers’ character guest starred in “Private Practice.” Read More: Co-Star Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Net Worth on ‘Batman v Superman’ Ellen Pompeo Net Worth: $35 Million Ellen Pompeo has played Dr. Meredith Grey since the show’s inception in 2005, taking her character from an intern just starting out to the current head of general surgery at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. The role has made Pompeo millions over the years. In 2015, Forbes reported she earned $11.5 million, landing her the No. 4 position on that year’s Highest-Paid TV Actresses list. Patrick Dempsey Net Worth: $60 Million Better known as “McDreamy,” Patrick Dempsey played Dr. Derek Shepherd on “Grey’s Anatomy” from the show’s start in 2005 until 2015. Prior to his exit from the show, Dempsey earned $12 million in 2015 â€" landing him the No. 9 spot on Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid TV Actors list of 2015. Dempsey has moved on to new projects since his departure, including a starring role in the film “Bridget Jones’s Baby.” He’s also slated to star in the upcoming TV series “Micronesian Blues.” ‘Private Practice’ A “Grey’s Anatomy” spinoff, Rhimes’ “Private Practice” became a hit of its own accord, lasting for six seasons and more than 100 episodes. The show followed the life of Dr. Addison Montgomery as she rebuilt her life following her divorce from Dr. Shepherd. Paul Adelstein Net Worth: $2 Million Paul Adelstein played Dr. Cooper Freedman on “Private Practice,” a pediatrician at Seaside Health and Wellness. After serving as Dr. Cooper for the duration of the show’s tenure, Adelstein moved on to “Scandal” â€" another Rhimes show â€" where he played the role of Leo Bergen. Adelstein has a jam-packed schedule. He stars as Jake on the series “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” in addition to working on a number of other projects, including the upcoming film “Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk.” Read More: ‘The Voice’ Coaches Showdown: Who Earns More? Tim Daly Net Worth: $10 Million Tim Daly played Dr. Pete Wilder, an alternative medicine specialist at Seaside Health and Wellness and a critical care specialist at St. Ambrose Hospital. The seasoned actor has stayed busy since “Private Practice,” starring as Henry McCord on the series “Madam Secretary” since 2014. In all, Daly has over 70 acting credits to his name. Amy Brenneman Net Worth: $15 Million Amy Brenneman was Dr. Violet Turner on “Private Practice,” a discontent psychiatrist who struggled to find purpose and happiness in her life. Shortly after the show ended in 2013, Brenneman landed a starring role on the HBO series “The Leftovers,” where she currently plays Laurie Garvey. Brenneman’s career dates back more than two decades and includes a number of other high profile roles, including the title character in the TV series “Judging Amy.” Taye Diggs Net Worth: $16 Million On the show “Private Practice,” Taye Diggs was Dr. Sam Bennett â€" nicknamed Dr. Feelgood â€" one of the founding partners of Oceanside Health and Wellness. After playing the part of Dr. Bennett from the series’ start to end, Diggs has moved on to other famous TV series, like “The Good Wife” and “Rosewood.” More recently, Diggs appeared on the hit TV show “Empire.” He also lends his voice for “My Little Pony: The Movie,” due out 2017. Kate Walsh Net Worth: $20 Million After introducing her character, Dr. Addison Montgomery, to “Grey’s Anatomy” viewers, Kate Walsh landed a starring role in the spinoff “Private Practice.” The show followed her move to Los Angeles after her divorce from Dr. Shepherd. Walsh starred on “Private Practice” for the show’s entire run, from 2007 to 2013. She earned $175,000 per episode for her work, according to estimates from CelebrityNetWorth.com. Since then, the actress has held a starring role on the short-lived television series “Bad Judge,” among other projects, and will appear in the upcoming series “Thirteen Reasons Why” and the 2017 film “Felt.” ‘Scandal’ “Scandal” premiered in 2012 and finished its fifth season in May. Despite a ratings drop, the show was picked up for a sixth season but won’t debut until midseason, due to star Kerry Washington’s pregnancy. The show and its cast have won a number of individual and group awards, including multiple NAACP awards and a Peabody. Darby Stanchfield Net Worth: $2 Million Formerly a member of Oliva Pope’s crisis management team, Darby Stanchfield’s “Scandal” character Abby Whelan is a White House press secretary. In addition to her “Scandal” duties, Stanchfield recently appeared in the film “Carnage Park.” You can also catch her in the upcoming movies “The Rendezvous,” “Slumber” and “Medicine Men.” Tony Goldwyn Net Worth: $4 Million On “Scandal,” Tony Goldwyn is President Fitzgerald Grant, current president of the U.S. The actor has also appeared in a number of other high profile projects, including the films “Insurgent” and “Divergent,” which BoxOfficeMojo.com estimates earned $130 million and $151 million worldwide, respectively. Joe Morton Net Worth: $4 Million Joe Morton plays the part of Rowan Pope on “Scandal.” When Morton is not on the “Scandal” set, he stays busy with a host of other projects, including “Grace and Frankie,” for which he had a one-year stint, and the TV movie “All the Way.” Scott Foley Net Worth: $5 Million Scott Foley is Jake Ballard on “Scandal,” but the actor is famous for roles in other prominent projects, like “Felicity,” “True Blood” and “Scream 3.” He even appeared in “Grey’s Anatomy.” Kerry Washington Net Worth: $12 Million Kerry Washington is “Scandal” lead Olivia Pope, founder and crisis manager of Olivia Pope Associates. Washington’s “Scandal” gig has proven quite lucrative â€" she earns a reported $80,000 per episode, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com. ‘How to Get Away With Murder’ “How to Get Away With Murder” falls under the Shondaland umbrella, but the show was actually created by Peter Nowalk, with Rhimes serving as an executive producer. The show hit the TV airwaves in 2014 and will return for season three on Sept. 22. During its first two seasons, the show garnered several high profile awards, including an Emmy and a People’s Choice Award, plus two Screen Actors Guild awards won by star Viola Davis. Billy Brown Net Worth: $2 Million On “How to Get Away With Murder,” Billy Brown is Nate Lahey, a Philadelphia detective. Even if you haven’t seen him on the hit Rhimes show, there’s a good chance you’ll recognize him from one of his many roles on series like “Sons of Anarchy,” “Dexter” and “Hostages.” Jack Falahee Net Worth: $2 Million If you’re a “How to Get Away With Murder” fan, you’ll recognize Jack Falahee as Connor Walsh, a sly student of Annalise’s who will do anything to gain her approval. In addition to starring on the series, Falahee also recently appeared on the show “Mercy Street.” Viola Davis Net Worth: $3 Million Viola Davis stars in “How to Get Away With Murder” as Annalise Keating, a glamorous but dangerous defense attorney and criminal law professor hiding some seriously dark secrets about her past. Off the set of “How to Get Away With Murder,” Davis has appeared in other high profile projects, most recently DC Comics’ “Suicide Squad.” Alfred Enoch Net Worth: $3 Million Alfred Enoch is Wes Gibbons, a law student under Annalise Keating who becomes privy to some of her dark, personal secrets. In 2016, the actor also starred in the stage-to-screen adaptation of “King Lear.” He also previously played Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter film franchise. Liza Weil Net Worth: $3 Million Liza Weil is Bonnie Winterbottom on “How to Get Away With Murder,” Annalise’s hardworking associate. Seemingly a favorite of Rhimes, Weil previously appeared on both “Scandal” and “Grey’s Anatomy. Prior to joining Shondaland, the seasoned actress was most famous for her work as Paris Geller on “Gilmore Girls.” Net worth figures are indicative of assets versus liabilities. All net worth figures are according to CelebrityNetWorth.com unless otherwise noted. This article originally appeared on GoBankingRates.

Why Keeping A Job Is Similar To Keeping A Marriage - Work It Daily

Why Keeping A Job Is Similar To Keeping A Marriage - Work It Daily If you’ve ever been in any type of serious relationship, you know it takes a lot of work to keep a happy relationship - and even more so in marriage. If both parties aren’t content in the relationship, the chances for success are likely to be dismal. The same can be said when it comes to employment. Keeping A Job Is Like Keeping A Marriage Keeping a job also requires a lot of work and effort from the employee, and if you start to cut corners and produce mediocre work, it might result with your employer asking for a divorce, so to speak. Taking your job seriously, as you would a marriage, is a good mindset to have when you’re employed. Here’s why: Commitment Leads To Good Results Like a marriage, keeping a job requires a certain level of commitment. According to a recent study by UCLA psychologists, 172 married couples were asked about their level of commitment. They found that “the couples in which both people were willing to make sacrifices... were significantly more likely to have lasting and happy marriages.” So, what does it mean for us career-wise? It means we have make the effort to show up on time, live up to your employers expectations (and then some), find solutions to problems in the workplace, and so on. Do we all necessarily want to do these things? Probably not. But they are necessary to keeping a job, and chances are, if your employer is happy and you’re doing everything you can to live up to your professional potential, your job will be a long-lasting one. Communication Is Important According to an article published on the PsychCentral website, “communication either makes or breaks most relationships.” The writer goes on to say good communication is more than just asking about how your spouse’s day went or what their plans are for the rest of the day. There are other ways of communicating such as: paying attention to body language, forcing yourself to listen instead of talking, and minimizing your emotions during heavy, important topics. Listening and paying attention to your boss’s body language could also be beneficial to your communication with him/her. It can be easier to gauge how he/she feels about certain projects or even the work you do for the company. Minimizing your emotions during important conversations with your employer could also help prevent you from handling the situation unprofessionally. Needless to say, building good communication with your employer could help your professional relationship blossom. Learning From Your Mistakes Is Crucial We all make mistakes, even if they’re small ones. However, whether or not we decide to learn from them is what determines if our relationships - romantic or professional - continue to have a future. Not learning from your mistakes not only shows that you’re not paying attention, but it also shows a lack of care for the job/relationship. Blaming others to take the spotlight off of you only makes matters worse. When you accept you made a mistake and make a mental note to not repeat it, it shows you are not afraid to take responsibility, according to this article. This is a great quality to have in both a marriage and the workplace. As professionals, we want to make sure we improve, and we can’t improve if we don’t learn from our mistakes. Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!