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Atricle Dump - How to Plan a Career
One of the biggest challenges companies are facing is the attraction and retention of top performers. The World Future Society predicted that the greatest test of durability for companies in the next five years would be the ability to get and keep good people. In some industries such as the homebuilding industry there is a phenomenon of merry-go-round employees where employees jump ship within the industry and companies are recycling employees. In the finance industry the big question to a top performer is "Where did you jump from?"One executive management client had left a specific financial institution because a competitor wooed her. Once there, she wasn't as happy as she thought would be and was wooed back again to the original employer. She did this back and forth thing two more times! This is very common in specific industries as the fight for good people continues. So how do we attract the top performers and second to that how do we keep them from jumping?Here are the top five things leaders can do to attract and keep the best of the best:1. Top talent want to work for the top companies. If your company is committed to superior practices, has profile and brand recognition and
If it just so happens your boss is your guru here you’re lucky. I have to admit I was and I still am very lucky with my bosses. Most of them were guys I learnt a lot from. Oh, I think I learnt a lot from all of them, but some of them were rather counterexamples to what I wanted to be.
Exploit unexpected situations
Unexpected situations just happen. Then it’s often time of changes. A manager is leaving. A guru developer is changing his division (or job). Management at last comes with idea that they should build a quality assurance team (no kidding here). Women go to maternity leave. There’s some kind of reorganization. Everything is hard to predict. Everything creates a chance for some people. That’s not always a chance for you of course, but you should think fast
“Businesses with fewer than 20 employees have only a 37%chance of surviving four years (of business) and only a 9% chance of surviving 10 years. Restaurants only have a 20% chance of surviving 2 years. Of these failed business, only 10% of them close involuntarily due to bankruptcy and the remaining 90% close because the business was not successful, did not provide the level of income desired, or was too much work for their efforts.”–excerpt taken from an article written by Rob Holland, ‘Planning Against a Business Failure’As a new restaurant owner (or soon to be), that quote must have sent chills up your spine. Everyday, people are pouring their entire life savings, betting their children’s education funds, and risking their marriage to fulfill a life long dream of opening their own restaurant. No doubt, there are risks involved – lots of risks. It’s important to not tumble into the traps that have already robbed the dreams of so many restaurateurs.Making mistakes is a part of learning - as the old saying goes ‘learn from your mistakes’. However, time and time again entrepreneurs continue to make mistakes and not learn from them. Just like people, organizations tend to make mistake
Know where you’re going
First, you have to know generally where you’re heading to -- what you want to do in the long run. You don’t have to be very specific here -- no one expects you’ll exactly know your occupation in the 20-year perspective. However, thing I see so often is young developer, who answers "coding -- that’s what I want to do, never thought about something different". OK, he’ll make his way through internship, wow-I’m-learning-how-to-work-in-the-team, full blown developer, senior developer, local guru (if he’s lucky). It’ll take him 10 years. Maybe 15. And then what?
Yes, you can say that being 25 you don’t need to think what you’ll be doing when you’ll be 40. Just remember that transition to another role probably requires quite different set of skills you have to develop. It doesn’t take a week to achieve that.
How can I expect that graduate would know what he exactly wants to do? I don’t expect that. A general direction is enough and you can change it later if you feel like it. When I was starting my first job in the IT I wanted to become a designer or something. That’s enough. I knew that life doesn’t end up with being tester or even developer; however I knew also that’s a long way to go.
Know your next step
If I had to choose only one advice it’d be the one. If you know generally where you’re heading to, you also need to know where to turn on nearest crossroads. Without that, you’ll end up frustrated, struggling to achieve something and having no clue how to do that.
It’s not as hard as it looks like. In bigger organizations there’re usually some career paths, so unless you don’t know where you are going (start reading from the beginning) or where you currently are (stop reading that -- it won’t help you anyway) it’s rather easy to plan the next step. In small organizations it’s a bit trickier but also easier. No formal paths, so everything is in your hands. With a bit of common sense it won’t be hard to find out what’s in your range.
Look at me -- when I started my job as a tester, I knew the next step will be development. Being the developer I wanted to become a designer. This part for me is a bit weird, because it went a bit different way. However there was some time when I was fulfilling a designer role (primary goal achieved). Meanwhile I changed my general goal; otherwise I wouldn’t know my next step. I decided I want to manage team developing software -- to be a project manager/program manager -- depending on terminology.
OK, coming back to the next step I had to make -- it was managing a team to learn some management skills. I became manager of quality assurance team. Then the next step was to build my empire... er... team to prepare myself to become the full blown program manager. Now I lead a technical team (covering development, implementations, project management and quality assurance) so I think I made it. It’s much easier when you know where to turn on the crossroads.
Learn, learn, learn
Now, when you know what should be your next occupation you need to prepare yourself to suit to the role. When you’re a developer and struggling to be a designer -- look how designers work. What in your and others’ opinion they do good and where they are failures. You have a comfort to be a recipient of their work -- exploit that. Want to be a manger? Look at your boss. Think how her actions affect you. It’ll be very useful when you at last become a manager.
When you know your next preferred position (and now you know it, right?), locate your teachers (those who fulfill role you want to have) and learn from them. Evaluate them -- who perform well and who’s opposite. Remember you can learn from both.
If it just so happens your boss is your guru here you’re lucky. I have to admit I was and I still am very lucky with my bosses. Most of them were guys I learnt a lot from. Oh, I think I learnt a lot from all of them, but some of them were rather counterexamples to what I wanted to be.
Exploit unexpected situations
Unexpected situations just happen. Then it’s often time of changes. A manager is leaving. A guru developer is changing his division (or job). Management at last comes with idea that they should build a quality assurance team (no kidding here). Women go to maternity leave. There’s some kind of reorganization. Everything is hard to predict. Everything creates a chance for some people. That’s not always a chance for you of course, but you should think fast
Materials created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, are known as leathers. An important clothing material, leather also has other uses. Leather together with wood formed the basis of much ancient technology. Leathers with the furs still attached are called furs.There are various forms of leather. Some of the form are Vegetable-tanned leather, Alum-tanned leather, Rawhide, Boiled leather, Chrome-tanned leather and Brain-tanned leather. Leathers are mainly of three types namely Full-Grain Leather, Corrected-Grain Leather, and Suede.Full-Grain Leathers are made from the finest raw material, are clean natural hides. The natural state allows strength, durability. The ability to breathe, and furnish with comfort are features of this form. The natural Full-Grain surface wears better. Furniture and foot wear, are made from Full Grain leather.Corrected-Grain Leathers are Corrected Leathers and are fuzzy on one side and smooth on the other. The hides made from inferior quality raw materials have an artificial grain applied. Suede Leathers are an interior split of the hide, fuzzy on both sides, and are less durable.Other uncommon leathers include Patent Leather,
How can I expect that graduate would know what he exactly wants to do? I don’t expect that. A general direction is enough and you can change it later if you feel like it. When I was starting my first job in the IT I wanted to become a designer or something. That’s enough. I knew that life doesn’t end up with being tester or even developer; however I knew also that’s a long way to go.
Know your next step
If I had to choose only one advice it’d be the one. If you know generally where you’re heading to, you also need to know where to turn on nearest crossroads. Without that, you’ll end up frustrated, struggling to achieve something and having no clue how to do that.
It’s not as hard as it looks like. In bigger organizations there’re usually some career paths, so unless you don’t know where you are going (start reading from the beginning) or where you currently are (stop reading that -- it won’t help you anyway) it’s rather easy to plan the next step. In small organizations it’s a bit trickier but also easier. No formal paths, so everything is in your hands. With a bit of common sense it won’t be hard to find out what’s in your range.
Look at me -- when I started my job as a tester, I knew the next step will be development. Being the developer I wanted to become a designer. This part for me is a bit weird, because it went a bit different way. However there was some time when I was fulfilling a designer role (primary goal achieved). Meanwhile I changed my general goal; otherwise I wouldn’t know my next step. I decided I want to manage team developing software -- to be a project manager/program manager -- depending on terminology.
OK, coming back to the next step I had to make -- it was managing a team to learn some management skills. I became manager of quality assurance team. Then the next step was to build my empire... er... team to prepare myself to become the full blown program manager. Now I lead a technical team (covering development, implementations, project management and quality assurance) so I think I made it. It’s much easier when you know where to turn on the crossroads.
Learn, learn, learn
Now, when you know what should be your next occupation you need to prepare yourself to suit to the role. When you’re a developer and struggling to be a designer -- look how designers work. What in your and others’ opinion they do good and where they are failures. You have a comfort to be a recipient of their work -- exploit that. Want to be a manger? Look at your boss. Think how her actions affect you. It’ll be very useful when you at last become a manager.
When you know your next preferred position (and now you know it, right?), locate your teachers (those who fulfill role you want to have) and learn from them. Evaluate them -- who perform well and who’s opposite. Remember you can learn from both.
If it just so happens your boss is your guru here you’re lucky. I have to admit I was and I still am very lucky with my bosses. Most of them were guys I learnt a lot from. Oh, I think I learnt a lot from all of them, but some of them were rather counterexamples to what I wanted to be.
Exploit unexpected situations
Unexpected situations just happen. Then it’s often time of changes. A manager is leaving. A guru developer is changing his division (or job). Management at last comes with idea that they should build a quality assurance team (no kidding here). Women go to maternity leave. There’s some kind of reorganization. Everything is hard to predict. Everything creates a chance for some people. That’s not always a chance for you of course, but you should think fast
First Bank applies to raise N99.3bn from capital marketFirst Bank of Nigeria Plc on Tuesday began the process of raising fresh funds from the market with an application to the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The bank applied to offer 1.6billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each to be sold at N33 per share for public subscription and 1.5billion ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N31 per share as Rights Issue to existing shareholders.As a result of the application, the NSE has placed the share price of First Bank on technical suspension at N40.40 per share. This implies that throughout the period of the offer, trading in the shares on the floor of the exchange would be done at N40.40.Besides, prospective subscribers to the public offer at N33 would be enjoying a discount of N7.40, while investors that would be exercising their rights at N31 per share would be doing so at a discount of N9.40 since the current market price is N40.40.The bank is expected to realise gross proceeds of N99.3bn from the hybrid offer, the highest in the history of the Nigerian capital market.The managing director of the bank, Mr. Jacobs Moyo Ajekigbe, had told shareholders at an extra-ordinary general me
Look at me -- when I started my job as a tester, I knew the next step will be development. Being the developer I wanted to become a designer. This part for me is a bit weird, because it went a bit different way. However there was some time when I was fulfilling a designer role (primary goal achieved). Meanwhile I changed my general goal; otherwise I wouldn’t know my next step. I decided I want to manage team developing software -- to be a project manager/program manager -- depending on terminology.
OK, coming back to the next step I had to make -- it was managing a team to learn some management skills. I became manager of quality assurance team. Then the next step was to build my empire... er... team to prepare myself to become the full blown program manager. Now I lead a technical team (covering development, implementations, project management and quality assurance) so I think I made it. It’s much easier when you know where to turn on the crossroads.
Learn, learn, learn
Now, when you know what should be your next occupation you need to prepare yourself to suit to the role. When you’re a developer and struggling to be a designer -- look how designers work. What in your and others’ opinion they do good and where they are failures. You have a comfort to be a recipient of their work -- exploit that. Want to be a manger? Look at your boss. Think how her actions affect you. It’ll be very useful when you at last become a manager.
When you know your next preferred position (and now you know it, right?), locate your teachers (those who fulfill role you want to have) and learn from them. Evaluate them -- who perform well and who’s opposite. Remember you can learn from both.
If it just so happens your boss is your guru here you’re lucky. I have to admit I was and I still am very lucky with my bosses. Most of them were guys I learnt a lot from. Oh, I think I learnt a lot from all of them, but some of them were rather counterexamples to what I wanted to be.
Exploit unexpected situations
Unexpected situations just happen. Then it’s often time of changes. A manager is leaving. A guru developer is changing his division (or job). Management at last comes with idea that they should build a quality assurance team (no kidding here). Women go to maternity leave. There’s some kind of reorganization. Everything is hard to predict. Everything creates a chance for some people. That’s not always a chance for you of course, but you should think fast
When you are submitting a medical billing claim to an insurance carrier, probably the most important item as far as the carrier is concerned, is the item being billed. When all is said and done, that item is what is going to determine whether or not that claim gets paid. Why? Because even if an item is proven to be needed by the patient, if it is prescribed by a doctor who is not authorized to dispense that item, the claim itself will still be denied. What does this have to do with inventory files? Quite a lot, actually. In this installment we'll go over some basic things you will need to know when setting up your inventory files.The main part of every inventory item is the item description. Many medical billing personnel don't realize that this field is not open to discussion. The item description MUST be the technical description as it appears in the Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance manual. Even if one character is off, the claim will most likely not be paid. If this sounds nit picky, put a call into a US government medical agency and ask them if it's okay to use abbreviations. The reply you get will be much less than amiable.Then there is the matter of the serial numb
Learn, learn, learn
Now, when you know what should be your next occupation you need to prepare yourself to suit to the role. When you’re a developer and struggling to be a designer -- look how designers work. What in your and others’ opinion they do good and where they are failures. You have a comfort to be a recipient of their work -- exploit that. Want to be a manger? Look at your boss. Think how her actions affect you. It’ll be very useful when you at last become a manager.
When you know your next preferred position (and now you know it, right?), locate your teachers (those who fulfill role you want to have) and learn from them. Evaluate them -- who perform well and who’s opposite. Remember you can learn from both.
If it just so happens your boss is your guru here you’re lucky. I have to admit I was and I still am very lucky with my bosses. Most of them were guys I learnt a lot from. Oh, I think I learnt a lot from all of them, but some of them were rather counterexamples to what I wanted to be.
Exploit unexpected situations
Unexpected situations just happen. Then it’s often time of changes. A manager is leaving. A guru developer is changing his division (or job). Management at last comes with idea that they should build a quality assurance team (no kidding here). Women go to maternity leave. There’s some kind of reorganization. Everything is hard to predict. Everything creates a chance for some people. That’s not always a chance for you of course, but you should think fast
The content of your reference letters is a reflection of your character, experiences, skills, and associations with others. An exceptional reference letter can be a positive factor for you to land that perfect job, to receive that promotion, or to gain acceptance /scholarship to that dream university. You might think that reference letters are beyond your control. However, that is not always the case.You are vital to successful reference letters. Some tips to assist in the quality of your reference letters are as follows:Establish Your CredentialsGet to know people of all ages and professions. The length of your association strengthens the reference. Concentrate on establishing your credentials by developing a variety of experiences, skills, pleasant associations, and character traits.Be UniqueIf you want to be the one selected, then you have to rise above the crowd of candidates. Your uniqueness is revealed by your differences, not your similarities. Positive differences make you unique.Selection of ReferencesYou should select a person who knows you well and can comment on your strengths in a reference letter. Your selection of the person to write the
If it just so happens your boss is your guru here you’re lucky. I have to admit I was and I still am very lucky with my bosses. Most of them were guys I learnt a lot from. Oh, I think I learnt a lot from all of them, but some of them were rather counterexamples to what I wanted to be.
Exploit unexpected situations
Unexpected situations just happen. Then it’s often time of changes. A manager is leaving. A guru developer is changing his division (or job). Management at last comes with idea that they should build a quality assurance team (no kidding here). Women go to maternity leave. There’s some kind of reorganization. Everything is hard to predict. Everything creates a chance for some people. That’s not always a chance for you of course, but you should think fast and act fast if you can be engaged.
I became a lead tester after a short rather informal chat with my boss while electricity was out and it was hard to do anything (no laptop then). I was done with my development work and I was testing other’s programmer code submitting tons of bugs (the code was from "tester’s dream" category). A manager asked me if I want to become a test leader. He didn’t think I could agree. Nor did I. But after a quarter of thinking I told him, that if he’d been serious I was ready to try.
Some time later I was asked if I take over the support team, after its former manager was dismissed. That was nothing what I could find on my roadmap. I was scared that I’d land there for a long time and no one would take me to project management from there. After a day I decided to take the job. It came out I couldn’t be more wrong with my fears. I learnt a lot about managing bigger teams and now I consider my experience from the support team, especially working with our enemies... I mean customers, as essential for my further career.
Work hard wherever you are
As I look at my career I was several times in a situation when my position wasn’t something I really wanted to do. Being a tester for the first time is good example here, managing support team is another. It’s so easy just to do your tasks and think how nice it would be if you were developer/project manager/whoever you wanted to. Don’t let you think like that. Do your best wherever you are. It pays off.
When I started my first job in the IT I was one of four testers in the group. We all were told that it’s just trial and in a half of the year chances are that half of us would become developers. I’m sure I wasn’t the best developer of the group, but I was the first who was promoted. Why? For some time I used to think it was like reward for being the best tester in the group. Now I think managers just looked at my attitude and approach to tasks predicting they wouldn’t change on developer’s chair.
Similar situation was with me being the support team manager. I did my best to put in order processes team was responsible for. I think I was successful, because some of our implementations were copied in other support team. It wasn’t a task I enjoyed much, but I took it ambitiously.
Remember you’re often judged not by your potential performance in a new environment, but by your current performance with your soft skills as essentials. If you’re a quick learner no matter if you’re a tester or a developer -- it’ll be one of your strengths. You’re dedicated? Cool. It’ll pay off no matter what’s your position.
One thing more here. If you don’t feel like performing well on a new position -- don’t take it. But don’t cry over lost chances either.
Don’t stick to a single company
Don’t treat that as an advice to change a company. Estimate your chances wherever you are. I was never in a company which totally limited my options so that one is rather based on others’ experience. For example I was talking with recently my former subordinate. When we were working together he was a tester and struggled to be a developer. He didn’t want to wait for his chance and left. I didn’t hold a grudge against him then, what more, I think in a short perspective he did right. However he ended up in a company where there are hundreds of developers and half of them want to be managers. He’s the one of them. If I had to estimate his chances... hm... I wouldn’t wait there either. I’d look for a job where there’re any chances to be promoted.
Funny thing is that if he didn’t leave the company we worked for back then, he’d be now at least a junior manager with no doubt. He’d become a developer maybe a half a year later, but if his direction was to go to management
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