10 Strategies for Moving from Entry-Level to Management

An excerpt from TheGradspot.com

Up until somewhere between September and October 2008, just as the financial and housing crises spread like wildfire throughout the American economy, millennial entry-level employees had it made. We could make big requests of our employers and be confidant that our companies would honor them, meet us three-fourths of the way, or we could give our two weeks and bounce to our next job. As Penelope Trunk points out in her book Brazen Careerist: The New Rules of Success, most young professionals have had 8 jobs by the age of 32, and this predilection for job hopping has allowed us to advance our salaries and job titles more efficiently than most preceding generations. But unless millennials want to indefinitely live at home with ma and pa, the days of moving out (as in to another company) when we can no longer move up have been put on hold.

Smart companies, which really are the only ones you want to be working for, recognize that young professionals bring with them a lot of energy, fresh thinking, and technological savvy, and they will consider us for leadership positions. However, as promotional opportunities are harder to come by not only externally but also internally, emerging leaders must be more strategic about proving their leadership potential. Following these 10 tips will enable you to quickly and creatively close the gap from entry-level employee to manager.

1. Show Up with a Smile. Humans, even your supervisor, enjoy sharing their days with happy people. While many young professionals kvetch about the weather or their exhaustion as a way to make small talk, this persistent drizzle of complaint can taint others’ perceptions of them. Learn how to shift limiting beliefs into possibilities and a snarky attitude into a positive, inspiring one. Plus, happiness is contagious. It’s great to be remembered as the person who started the chain reaction of positive employee energy.

2. Provide Value. One of the most important things a young professional can do is be of use. It enables you to develop the value of service, learn new things, and make a positive impact on your staff. Identify the needs of your teammates and supervisors, and figure out how you can play a supportive role in helping them get their jobs done. Sometimes this means lending a hand before you’re asked on such unsexy things as direct mail campaigns or by overseeing the company potluck food sign-up list. Other times it means sending along an industry article or recommending a colleague for an internal position s/he would be right for. Try providing value both ways to prove that you are a team player AND a rising star.

3. Ask Questions. Many young leaders believe that leading others is about telling them what to do. A good leader whether in management or executive leadership strives to develop more leaders not more followers. Hone this important skill now by being curious, empowering others to find their own solutions, and resisting coming to a premature conclusion before all facts are known and ideas are tested. A good question asks for one piece of information, enables respondents to draw on their beliefs, experiences, and knowledge, and encourages people to transfer their insight into action.

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Leveraging Your Strengths: An Interview with Personal Branding Expert Dan Schawbel

Strengths are the specific, task-based activities that we excel in and that make us feel strong. Awakening to and capitalizing on one's strengths is a lifelong process. As Jenifer Fox says in her outstanding book, Your Child's Strengths: Discover Them, Develop Them, Use Them, it necessitates "peeling back the layers of preferences until you arrive at an understanding." But of course, the results are worth it. As Marcus Buckingham, the leading strengths-based expert has revealed, those who play to their strengths at least 75% of the time do the best work and have the greatest levels of professional and personal satisfaction. Unfortunately, only 2 out of 10 people have discovered how to play to their strengths on this regular of a basis.

I recently had the opportunity to interview personal branding expert Dan Schawbel about how, at a time when many millennials are worried about their futures and having quarter-life crises, he is playing to his strengths on a daily basis, making a tremendous impact, and enjoying life.

Dan, how does your work as a personal branding expert enable you to play to your strengths?

My strengths are focused on personal branding using social media tools, which also allows me to do my day job at EMC Corporation because the same branding strategies that work for people also work for corporate and product brands. I understand what works and what doesn't work because I used to make a lot of mistakes and now I can implement branding strategies that make a business impact. Being a personal branding expert, I've become a go-to-person for these skills, so that people seek me out, instead of me having to write sales pitches.

You discovered how to live your passion at an early age. What experiences and relationships helped you to awaken to your strengths?

I've been practicing personal branding for years, not understanding that there was a concept behind it. I learned graphic design and website development in middle school and then marketed myself to get eight internships between the end of high school and college and finally, went through eight months of hell to get a product marketing job when I graduated. All of this was without understanding or using my network. I had a personal branding toolkit, which included a business card, website, custom cover letter and resume and a CD portfolio. They all helped me stand out. I had an awakening on March 14, 2007 after I read Tom Peter's "Brand Called You" article. I realized that Tom's words were nearly identical to what I had been preaching all along. In that moment, I noticed that no one my age was talking about this great concept, so I claimed the niche and still own it today.

Have you ever had or undertaken work where you learned that you were not playing to your strengths? If so, what did that feel like? How did you use that information to make choices that supported you better in the future?

I took an internship in sales, yet had no interest in sales or any skills to help me be successful at it. I think it was a good experience because it made me tougher and helped me decide that I didn't want that type of position later in life.

Can you share 3 questions you muse on when deciding if a professional or personal opportunity supports your strengths and is worth taking?

1. Am I truly passionate about that opportunity or am I doing it for the money?
2. Will this opportunity help advance my career?
3. Does this opportunity fit into my overall long-term brand strategy?
   

What are 3 strategies/tips you recommend for incorporating one's strengths into a personal brand?

1. Figure out what your strengths are.
2. Highlight them on your website, blog and on social networks.
3. In interviews, always talk about your strengths as much as you can and how they help fulfill the job you're applying for

You just finished writing Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, the comprehensive, go-to book for all things personal branding. How has writing the book, getting it published, and ensuring it gets into the hands of those who can benefit from it enabled you to play to your strengths?

Most authors don't sell books they write because they rely on the publisher to market the book for them, which isn't reality. Since I've been building my blog readership, my mailing lists and my social networks for over two years, marketing the book wasn't that difficult. Branding is about having a long-term strategy. I built relationships, because marketing exists through people, with journalists and bloggers for a few years and then asked them to write about the book when it was released. Also, I ensured that I owned the Google results for Me 2.0, because I knew people would be googling it when the book came out to find out more information.

What are your top 3 recommendations for emerging leaders looking to figure out their strengths and harness them in their careers?

1. Write down a list of what you enjoy doing and what you don't enjoy doing.
2. Get feedback from your network as to what your strengths are.
3. Do some research online.

Want to know more about Dan and how to adapt his personal branding advice for your career or company? Pick up a copy of Me 2.0. I just finished it this weekend and it's a spectacular read, cram packed with action-oriented strategies that, when implemented, will enable you to capitalize on your expertise and share it with those who need it most.

About Dan
Dan Schawbel is the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He is the author of the bestselling career book, “Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, April 2009).” With over 150,000 results for his name in Google, Fast Company calls Dan a “personal branding force of nature.” He is the founder of the Personal Branding Blog®,which was the #1 job blog by Careerbuilder in 2008, is an AdAge top 100 marketing blog and is syndicated by Reuters, Forbes, Fox Business and other major networks. Dan is also the publisher of Personal Branding Magazine®, head judge for the Personal Brand Awards® and director of Personal Branding TV®.

Top 10 Company Benefits to Take Advantage Of at Your First Job

Today's guest post is from Chris Schonberger, editor-in-chief of Gradspot.com.

Here’s today’s pop quiz: Would you rather have a job that pays $45K a year with no benefits, or one that pays $40K a year with full benefits?

Maybe if you really need extra money in your pocket right now to pay off your student debt—and you are also a character from Heroes who doesn’t need health insurance—then maybe you could make an argument for the $45K offer. But for the most part, benefits offer a huge amount of added perks that more than make up for a slightly lower salary.

And the best part is, there are often a lot more benefits than newcomers to the workplace realize. To make sure you don’t miss out on a cent, here are the Top 10 Company Benefits to Take Advantage Of at Your First Job.

1) Healthcare. This is the biggie—landing a job that covers health insurance significantly helps out your bottom line each month. The key is to pick the right plan and doctor. Remember that when HR plops a book of 1,000 doctors on your desk on the first day, you don’t need to choose right away. Take your time to do some research, and be sure to check out these articles on understanding healthcare and choosing a doctor.

2) 401Ks. If health insurance is the most valuable company benefit, 401(k)s are the most undervalued. A401(k) enables you to take money you’ve earned and deposit it into an investment account before you get taxed on it. Many companies will also match your contribution up to a certain level, thus doubling your savings. You may be freaked out by the news that tons of people have seen their 401(k)s wiped out in economic downturn, but unless you think America is going to crumble like Rome, you should still takes saving seriously. The stock market has always grown significantly over any 40-year period in history.

3) Free Cell Phones. Many companies provide their employees with Blackberries and cell phone plans. A lot of people get kind of uncomfortable at the thought of the company having access to all their call logs, messages, and minute usage. And trust me, a Blackberry from a company is not that cool—it just means you’ll be expected to respond to emails from your boss at midnight. Still, it can save you money to use it as your main phone. Ask others in the office to get a sense of how strict your company about using the phone for personal use. If you need more privacy, consider accepting the company plan then getting your own phone on the side with a scaled-down plan. In fact, almost everyone can probably scale down their daytime minutes once they start working. And an extra $20 to $70 a month is no joke.

4) Workers Compensation. Not just for construction workers, though hopefully you won’t get hurt sitting at your computer making Excel spreadsheets. If you do get injured on the job, though, the insurance company will pay you a comparable salary until you get back on your feet (with some fine print to watch out for, of course).

5) Transit coupons. Sometimes, you can use your salary pre-tax to purchase tokens/cards for the local transit system. Often, even interns are eligible for free subway and train passes. It never hurts to ask. Another tip: your company may have special discounts on ZipCars that you can use for weekend trips.

6) Medical freebies. Get a flu shot in the fall, and look into other benefits like free shrinks and massages.

7) Meals. Getting surf and turf on the Man is pretty sweet, though it usually means you’re at the office working late instead of out having dinner with your friends. Still, the fact is you’re saving money and you should take advantage of all the free meals you can get at work. Drinking free coffee at work each day can also save you about $600 a year at Starbucks.

8) Memberships and Discounts. If your company will pay for your gym memberships (or at least part of it), why not let them? Also look out for deals with local services and stores, particularly places where you can buy work clothes.

9) Reimbursements. Never spend money on things that you have to buy in order to do your job. Make sure you file all reimbursements with the expenses department.

10) Schwag. Companies will probably send promotional materials, free foods, and other little freebies that most people in the office ignore at this point cause they are jaded. But you are young and poor, so take it home if you can! Who knows—holiday shopping may become a thing of the past.

Remember: all these benefits are yours for the taking, so don’t feel bashful. After all, you are (hypothetically) working hard for your company, so make sure you get back what you deserve.

Gradspot.com is the premier online destination for life after college, featuring in-depth how-to guides on finding a job, getting an apartment, understanding healthcare, and much more. The Gradspot.com Guide to Life After College, a humorous manual for navigating the real world, is available for $14.95 on Amazon or as a downloadable e-book at Gradspot.com/book.

Catalyst for Action is Seeking a Self-Motivated Intern!

Are you the self-motivated, emerging leader I'm looking for? Read more and find out.

Responsibilities
-5-8 hours/week of web research, database entry, flyer/promo design, and press release writing (can be done primarily from comfort of own home)
-Opportunities to participate for free in Catalyst for Action Tele-Classes, attend networking events, receive public speaking/effective interpersonal communication training, contribute articles to Alexia's online publications, and spearhead appropriate projects

Intern will receive 2 complimentary, individual 45-minute telephone career and life coaching sessions/month (valued at $250/month) during length of the internship. A two-three month minimum commitment is requested beginning April 15.

If interested, please email a cover letter and resume to alexia@alexiavernon.com including 3 professional references.

Learn more about Alexia and Catalyst for Action
Website: www.alexiavernon.com
Email: alexia@alexiavernon.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/genwecoach
Phone: 877-3-ALEXIA