Category Archives: Career Corner

Alumni Success at Sherwin-Williams

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There are many companies that choose to hire our Oregon State University graduates, because let’s be honest, we have some great minds that come through this University. One of these companies is Sherwin-Williams. Many OSU Alumni have had great success with this company and were willing to share their stories with us!

“Mid-way through my senior year I received an e-mail that was sent to all 
of the College of Business students regarding a management training
 program offered by Sherwin-Williams. I was graduating June 2000 with a 
business marketing degree and was looking for an entry-level position. 
After a couple store visits and an interview, I was offered a trainee
 position, which allowed me to gain a management position after just 6
 weeks of training with little ‘real world’ experience. After being an
 assistant manager at a couple stores, I was offered to manage a new
 store in Tigard, OR. I was given the opportunity to be a training
 manager there and have seen several of my trainees move on to become 
outside sales reps and managers throughout the area. After a roaring 
start and a couple tough years, my store had it’s all-time best
 performing year in 2014 and we are looking forward to continued growth
 this year!”
Nate McNeely – Tigard Store Manager
Nate pic

“I pursued professional football for 4 years after I graduated in 2008
 with a BA in History. When it was time to seek a career, I had no idea
 of where I would land a position. I always had in mind that I would
 teach, it would give me an opportunity to mentor and teach children. 
With the lack of teaching jobs in my subject, I knew I had to choose
 another route. I was fortunate enough to get connected with Sherwin-
Williams. I started off in the Manager Training Program, which prepares
 you to handle the tasks of an Assistant Manager in one of the paint 
retail stores. After completion of the program, I was placed as the 
Assistant Manager of the Portland Rose Quarter store. After a year of
being an Assistant Manager, I was promoted to Store Manager of the
 Clackamas location. I would have never thought my career would have
 taken me into sales, let alone the paint industry. Building
relationships with customers and helping them develop their business has 
been extremely rewarding. On top of that, I still get the opportunity to 
mentor and teach my employees. It is a great company that promotes 
within and I take pride in preparing my staff for the next position. 
From a history major to running a business, you never know where your 
career will take you!”
Alexis Serna – Clackamas Store Manager

“I graduated from Oregon State in 2011 with a Bachelor’s Degree in
Interior Design. I minored in Business and Entrepreneurship. During the
 spring term of my senior year, I applied for the Management Training Program. During my
 interview, I was offered the job! I graduated in June and was able to
enjoy two months off after school before starting my training in August. 
I trained for 6 weeks at a large volume commercial store, and was placed
 in October as the Assistant Manager for our East Vancouver store. I was
 there for 2.5 years when I decided I was ready to manage my own store. I
applied for an open position at a Portland Sherwin in May, and started 
managing the store in June of 2014!”
Chelsea Henley – Portland Store Manager

“I graduated from OSU in December of 1998 with a B.S. in Communications 
and a minor in writing. After Oregon State, I had a 14-year career in
finance, risk management, and lending which took me from Corvallis to
 Seattle, Beaverton, and currently, Vancouver, WA. I traveled
 extensively throughout the PNW and part of the U.S. during this 14 year
 journey. However, the economy finally caught up with my former employer
 and I was laid off. 

I was referred to Sherwin-Williams from a good friend in late 2013 and I began my
 career as an MTP in March of 2014 where I am currently the Assistant
 Manager at our Mt. Tabor store.”
Matt Ledford – Mt. Tabor Assistant Manager

We would like to give a special thanks to Sherwin-Williams and their wonderful employees for sharing these stories!

Posted by Carly Barnhart, Social Media and Outreach

Joining a Professional Organization

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Even though I work for The Career Development Center, I still learn a lot when I take the time to utilize the resources myself and I would like to share with you a piece of advice I got during a career consultation that I found really valuable. That advice was to join a professional organization related to my field. This advice was really valuable to me mainly because it had never really occurred to me, I didn’t think that it would be useful to join a professional organization until I was actually a professional in my field, not just a student. While it is true that some of the resources provided by professional organizations is only useful to people that are already in their career, in my experience there are still plenty of resources that are useful for students.

Now a lot of this is going to be speaking from my experience joining the American Chemical Society, I don’t know for sure that everything I say is going to be applicable to every professional organization. That being said, if you know of any professional organizations related to your field I encourage you to check them out and see if they’ll be worth joining, and here are some reasons why.

First of all, I got to enjoy the luxury of student pricing. The membership dues were significantly less expensive for a student, and if you ever decide to go to any conferences or anything then those are a lot cheaper too. I also have access to a lot of really valuable field-specific career resources. Career advice and help from a huge group of people that are all in the same career path as me. There’s even a job board that is only available to members that I can use to search for jobs after graduation.

Another thing you get when you join a professional organization is access to a big network of people and it becomes easier to reach out to them and bring them into your personal professional network. Over the summer I attended an ACS conference which was a great opportunity to meet people, see what people in the field are working on, and hear from awesome speakers. Networking is very important in the career development and job search process so this becomes an invaluable resource.

Last but not least, membership in a professional organization is definitely something that you can put on your resume. While it’s not advisable to do something only to put it on your resume and not get anything else out of it, it’s still a plus. So I encourage everyone to look into whether your field has an influential professional organization and see about signing up.

posted by Deirdre Newton, Career Assistant

How to put in put in your two weeks’ notice: Transforming a DUN! DUN! DUN! into a step forward.

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For many people the idea of putting in a two weeks’ notice has a negative connotation attached to it, when in reality it can be seen as a step in the right direction. If a job is not working for you, don’t feel obligated to work in misery. Miserable workers are not exactly the most productive workers. Do keep in mind that I am by no means advocating that people put in a two weeks’ notice at the first sign of discomfort. Instead I am suggesting that people consider moving on if solutions to issues have been given a fair shot. Once you have established that things just are not working out, you can take comfort in knowing that finding a new job that better suits you is beneficial for all involved. Obviously, eliminating the daily debate of whether or not to call in “sick” to work helps you achieve a healthier mental state, but also remember that when the right job for you has been secured, the company or organization you’re working for will also benefit from your enthusiasm to contribute. Additionally, leaving a job provides room for someone else who might be a better fit for the position to come in.

Now that we have established that leaving a job is not the worst thing in the world, the actual process of leaving can now be addressed. Just like any other type of relationship, there is definitely a bad and a best way to put an end to things. Here are a few things to keep in mind when going through the motions of putting your two weeks in…

  1. At the very least notify your employer two weeks before your intended last day keeping in mind that the more time you give them the better.
  2. Type up a short letter clearly stating when your last day of availability will be.
  3. In your letter stating your last day of availability do offer to help your employer out by training new personnel, passing along unfinished tasks etc. in order to create a smooth transition for all.
  4. Before notifying your boss, plan ahead deciding what you would like to say. This will ensure that the conversation is kept professional and eliminates the potential for emotions to arise.
  5. If possible, notify your boss in person. Give them the typed up letter for future reference.
  6. In your conversation with your boss or in your letter stating your last day of availability, don’t feel like you have to explain why you’re leaving.
  7. Finish up any projects or figure out who will finish them once you are gone.
  8. Only notify your colleagues that you’re leaving once you have told your boss.
  9. Finish strong. Don’t peter out on your daily attendance, tasks or termly goals.
  10. Ask your boss if they would mind being a future reference for you. Of course only do this if your overall time at the company/ organization consisted of a positive experience.

With a little bit of careful planning, the seemingly scary task of putting in a two weeks’ notice can be viewed from a completely different angle. I’m sure many of us have heard the saying “when one door closes another door opens”. It’s important to realize that you have the power to close the door. Don’t wait for someone else to close it for you. Instead know that submitting a two weeks’ notice can get you one step closer to your career goals and give you the potential to thrive.

posted by Adriana Aguilar, Career Assistant

Including an “Activities” section on a resume

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In my employment at The Career Development Center, I have come across many people who need to find something else to take up that last inch or two at the bottom of their page. Assuming you’ve used all of your professional experiences already, there’s a few options there, but let’s focus on my favorite— the activity section!

Now some people have reservations about using the activity section, “but it’s unprofessional,” “but it’s irrelevant.” Nah. Not really. When a recruiter looks at your resume they can see a lot more than just a list of jobs, and what school you went to. They start to see your personality, how you chose to format things, the font you chose, and what order you put the sections in. Sure, maybe they don’t look into all of this on the first round going through resumes, but if they make it down to the final ten resumes, you can bet that yours will be examined beyond scrutiny. This is where your activities section comes in.

Each workplace has its own culture. Let’s think about it: when you are at work you will spend 8+ hours a day with a certain group of people. You will likely make friends with these people, and the entire workplace may choose to engage in activities (like Frisbee Fridays). Having your hobbies you do and sports you play on the bottom of your resume will show them a few things:

  • You are a well-rounded person, not just an academic
  • You can operate in a team environment and make connections with people
  • You play, and laugh, and can fit in in the unique culture of the company

So, if you have space for an activities section, it can make the difference between being the new hire and staying on the job search. If you ever have questions about what you should include in your resume, please visit The Career Development Center at Oregon State University.

posted by Richard Thomas, Career Assistant

What Do They Want to Know? 5 Tips for Understanding Interview Questions

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Part of becoming a good interviewer is understanding what your audience is looking for when they ask questions. Having a foundation of understanding can help you feel more comfortable in an interview and answer the question with accuracy. I cannot pretend to know exactly what every single employer may be looking for, but I can tell you what I have gleaned from my time doing mock interviews. I have learned what makes for a great interview answer through hearing many good, mediocre, and bad examples. The main thing that employers are looking to learn about you in an interview is, who you are. I know many of you might be thinking “but I thought they are looking to find out if you can do the job?” This is somewhat true. But if you have made it to the interview process, they probably assume that you can. Now it is a matter of will you fit in here and be able to do the job. The more you are able to let them understand you and how you go about doing work (solving problems, working with others, process for doing things) the more likely you are to get hired with a company in which you will fit the culture. Let’s go through some specific examples of common questions and what an employer is probably looking for:

  1. Tell me about yourself?

    This question seems to be the most hated of all interview questions. The frustration comes from how broad this question is and not knowing where to start. Relax. All the employer wants to know is a little bit about your background and the events that have led up to you interviewing for the job. What sparked your interest in (insert job here)? Was it your major in college? An interest area that you developed from a volunteer event? How did you get here?

  2. Why do you want to work for (insert company/organization here)?
    A common mistake that people make with this question, is assuming that it means what it says. It DOES NOT mean “why do YOU want to work here?” What it really means is, “what do you know (or think you know) about our company, have you done your research, and how do your values align with ours?” When you answer this question you need to be well researched about what the companies mission statement and/or culture is and how you can relate that to yourself. The organization or company wants to feel as if they are the only company you would ever consider applying for, as if they are the best choice in the world! So make them feel special and consider what it is you admire about what they do. Do NOT, under any circumstances, reply “I need a job that pays well.” Even if that is the truth! That does not make them feel special.
  3. What are your greatest strengths?
    This one is slightly more straightforward. You should, in fact, list some of your strengths. When I say strengths, I mean character strengths (organization, leadership, helping others,etc.) , not skills (bilingual, can use a computer). However, simply listing your strengths is not enough. Listing strengths does not tell an employer anything except that you know how to list things that sound like they would be good things to exhibit. Instead, pretend that the employer has added to this question “tell me about a time in which you have used these strengths.” When you tell a story about using the strengths you have listed, you are then explaining what those words mean to you (it could be different depending on the person) and how you actually can demonstrate your use of them.
  4. What is your greatest weakness?
    This is another question that people really dislike. The point of this question is not to make you feel embarrassed or stupid. The point of this question is that everyone has one. Be honest when you answer. What is something that you struggle with (procrastination, timeliness, etc.)? It’s okay because everyone struggles with something; to err is to be human. The trick to this question is to follow it up with a story about a time when this weakness has come up for you and what you did about. Did you learn something? How did you overcome it in the future? Telling this story will demonstrate how you go about dealing with your weakness. They want to know that you can recognize your weaknesses and that you know how to combat them.
  5. Tell me about a time when you have worked on a team?
    This is a pretty straightforward question. However, make sure that the story that you tell about your teamwork includes something juicy! A little bit of conflicting ideas, members who didn’t pull their weight, or something that went wrong. Why? Because then the employer gets to hear about how you work with others. What do you do when there is a conflict? They want to hear about your process for being a good group member in a professional manner. This tells them how you will get along with other staff members and what kind of personality you will contribute to the team.
    There are often hidden meanings in interview questions. The best thing to do is to take the route in which you tell the most about who you are and how you go about doing things. This is always going to be the best way to let the employer learn about you and whether or not you will be a good fit for the position and the office culture. And then, if you do not get the job, you can be confident in knowing it is because it would not have been a good fit for you. If you get it, you can be sure that it will be a work environment where you are going to get along great with your new team.

Skills: What You Need to Know

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Regardless of what your major is or if you graduated with honors, there are specific skills all employers are looking for in their new hires.  According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2013 Job Outlook report, although degrees and majors in demand may vary from year to year, the key skills and qualities that employers seek in their new college hires remains nearly identical year after year.

I-got-a-skill-set

Ability to:

1.     Verbally Communicate

In today’s world of text messages and social media, the ability to effectively communicate verbally is in decline, but is still in high demand.  Start improving this skill by putting the smartphone away and engaging in conversations.

 2.     Make Decisions and Solve Problems

With the increase in standardized testing, there has been a decrease in the teaching of critical thinking, but this is still a skill employers are expecting of their employees.  Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and risk being wrong in order to solve problems.

3.     Obtain and Process Information

Listening and understanding is an important part of success in the workplace.  Employers are looking for someone who is able to understand directions presented to them in verbal and written methods, but don’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions if you are unclear of the expectations.

4.     Plan, Organize, and Prioritize Work

Employers are looking for people who are able to effectively manage their time in the office.  Practice developing this skill by utilizing organizing software or apps and making and completing “to do” lists.

5.     Analyze Quantitative Data

Statistical analysis is what drives decision making within companies.  Employees don’t need to be statisticians to be effective in their jobs, but they must be able to disseminate quantitative information presented to them to assist with problem solving in the workplace.

6.     Understand Technical Knowledge

Every job will have specific hardware and software specific to that location and it is expected of employees to constantly learn and adapt to the new technical information presented.

7.     Be Proficient with Computer Software

Just like the technical knowledge requirements, employees are expected to be proficient with the most common computer software applications (Microsoft Office for example) and be able to learn and adapt to new software specific to the company.

8.     Create and Edit Written Reports

Effective professional written communication is vital in the office.  Remember that all written forms of communication should be professionally composed, including text messages and emails.

 9.     Sell and Influence Others

In 1936, Dale Carnegie wrote “How to Win Friends and Influence People”.  Over 70 years later, this is still one of the most popular references for business communication skills.

 

Think about which of these skills you do well and a personal example to support your claim.  For the areas you need to improve, think about how you can start improving these skills and implement a plan to gain these skills.  Keeping your nose in the books and graduating with a 4.0 GPA won’t cut it when you get out into the workplace.

Posted by Jennifer Edwards, Career Services Career Advisor

Using Pinterest to Get a Job

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Welcome to Career Corner! Career Corner provides career and workplace related topics and information.

Michelle V. Rafter from the SecondAct blog wrote a great article about using Pinterest to get a job. See the 10 tips below….

You might think of Pinterest as another way to kill time online when you should be doing something more important. Millions of early adopters put the 2-year-old social network on the map doing just that — sharing pictures of cute outfits, cool home interiors and exotic travel destinations.

Now that 11.7 million people and companies are using it, though, Pinterest is emerging as an online tool that job seekers can use to market themselves and explore potential careers, industries and employers.

Pinterest lets you save photos or images from news stories, blog posts or other online content in the form of pins that are organized into folders called boards. You can follow other people and re-pin, comment or “Like” their pins. You also can link your Pinterest boards to your accounts on Facebook or Twitter.

“If you’re in a creative or design field, it’s an amazing place to build a portfolio or create a visual resume,” says Annie Favreau, managing editor at InsideJobs.com, a career exploration website.

Here’s how to use Pinterest for a job search:

1. Optimize your Pinterest profile. Adjust account settings to allow your profile to appear in results of searches on Google and other search engines. Load your profile description with keywords that match the job you want. Include a recent photograph and links to your website or LinkedIn profile so potential employers can learn more about you. Here’s one example of a Pinterest resume, from a Harvard Business School student who hopes it’ll lead to a job with the online network.

2. Set up an online resume and portfolio. Gather samples of your work onto one or more boards to use as an online resume. Don’t get cute with labels; call your resume board “My Resume” or something similar so it’s easy to find. Pinterest is especially useful if you work in photography, architecture, interior design or other creative fields, “because it has this strong emphasis on the visuals. It’s one more access point into your work,” Favreau says. But anyone can use the site to create an online portfolio. Just make sure that the resume or portfolio you’re linking back to has an image you can pin. This San Francisco Chronicle story shares how one Bay Area marketing manager uses Pinterest to showcase his current and previous jobs.

3. Dedicate a board to careers you’re curious about. If you’re searching for your next act, use Pinterest to find information on jobs or careers. Use the search box — located in the upper left-hand corner of the site’s front page — to enter related words or phrases. Pin anything that comes up that you want to save for future reference.

4. Create boards for companies or industries you’d like to know better. Pinterest can give you a glimpse into a company’s culture that you can’t get from reading their “About Us” page, Favreau says. “If they’re sharing Instagram pictures of their office, you won’t find that a whole lot of other places,” she says.

5. Follow experts. Keep up with employment trends by following the university career centers, jobs websites, outplacement specialists and career coaches that have set up shop on Pinterest. SecondAct has a board dedicated to all things work-related called Get a Job. I’ve also created a Job Hunting and Careers board with pointers to my stories here and other resources. Favreau also recommends following Career Bliss, BrazenCareerist, and Lea McLeod, a Portland, Ore., career expert who works with midcareer and other professionals.

6. Leave comments. Strike up a conversation with a career expert or someone who works in a field you’re interested in by commenting on one of their pins. As with any other type of online or real-world networking, you never know where it could lead.

7. Wander around. Do some browsing to see what’s out there. “If you’re constantly coming back to the same area, or something keeps popping out at you, if might be worth exploring” as a career option, Favreau says. She also recommends using the site as a mental boost for your job-hunting efforts, and created a Career Inspirations board for that reason.

8. Protect your work. If you’re sharing photography or other original work on your boards, use watermarks to protect individual images just as you would when displaying them on other websites. You want your work to be out there, but it pays to be on your guard, Favreau says.

9. Be professional. If all you do on Pinterest is share pictures of puppies, think twice about sharing your Pinterest profile with potential employers. “But if you are using it for a job search, it is an impression of who you are, so when you’re creating your boards, make sure they line up with your professional appearance,” she says.

10. Watch out for spammers. The bigger Pinterest grows, the more spammers it’s attracting. To prevent unwittingly passing along spam disguised as a normal pin, be sure to click through on images to see where they lead before re-pinning them. Don’t click on pins that look like ads or giveaways, which Pinterest doesn’t offer or condone. Here’s what else you can to do to avoid Pinterest spammers.

A final word about Pinterest: It can be extremely habit-forming. “I set myself to short periods of time, like 15 minutes, because although it can be an amazing tool, it’s also a distraction,” Favreau says. “It’s so easy to [lose track of time] it’s kind of shocking.”

Have you used Pinterest in your job search? If so, please share with us how you used it to market yourself?

SecondAct contributor Michelle V. Rafter writes about business and workplace issues for a variety of national publications. She is based in Portland, Oregon.

Preparing for a Gig Economy

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Welcome to Career Corner! Career Corner provides career and workplace related topics and information.

Have you ever thought about working independently or freelancing?  See what Samantha R. Else has to say about preparing for this new style of work. You can also find it on her blog post, Samantha in Rantings at http://bit.ly/PKVuAK

How to Prepare for the Career You Didn’t Know You Were Going to Have…

Welcome to the “gig” economy. More and more employers are hiring contractors, temps and freelancers. The idea of job security in the common sense no longer exists! So what can we, as the technically speaking self-employed, do in order to keep ourselves on our toes?! Lifelong learning! Here are 15 things to do on your own time to keep yourself and your career moving forward.

  1. Always have a book. It doesn’t have to be on you at all times, and it doesn’t have to be about your work… but you should be reading as much as possible. It will strengthen your vocabulary and broaden your knowledge base… Yes, this includes The Hunger Games, it doesn’t matter as long as you are reading something.
  2. Keep a “to learn” list. You’ve heard of the “to do” list, maybe even the “to read” list… Keep one that lists out the different things you want to learn, and work to check them off the list.
  3. Get more intellectual friends. Spend a few hours each week with people who will stimulate you intellectually or challenge you to learn and grow.
  4. Guided thinking. Don’t just learn, think! Once you’ve finished your reading for the day or have just learned something new, take the time to actually think about it. Allow the new information to settle in and form thoughts/opinions/ideas based around it.
  5. Put it into practice.If you have a skill, use it. What is the point of learning the piano, if you are never going to play? If you list the skill on your resume, make sure it is something you can do on the spot if asked.
  6. Teach others. Not only will you be helping someone else develop a skill or learn about something, but it will help show holes in your knowledge.
  7. Clean your input. Do your own research!
  8. Learn in groups. This will allow you to bounce ideas off of others, etc.
  9. Unlearn assumptions. Don’t approach topics or skills with any built in assumptions, walk in with a clean slate and learn from the ground up.
  10. Find jobs that encourage learning. Be challenged! Don’t settle for the job that does not offer a ladder to climb or new skill sets to be learned.
  11. Start a project. And finish it!
  12. Follow your intuition. About what job to take, what new skill set to learn, what current skill set to develop, etc. You will know what is right for you and when.
  13. The morning 15. Spend the first 15 minutes of your morning accomplishing something off of your “to learn” list. If you postpone it you are more likely to never do it.
  14. Reap the rewards. Enjoy it!
  15. Make it a priority.

Do you feel prepared for this new style of work?  We would like to hear your thoughts?

 

Preparing for the Workplace of the Future

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Welcome to Career Corner! Career Corner provides career and workplace related topics and information.

Michelle V. Rafter from SecondAct blog wrote a great article about workplace trends to watch and we would like to share it with you. So here it is…

The old saying that the only constant is change aptly describes the American workplace in 2012.

You may be in the same position at the same place you’ve worked for years. But the economy, technology and demographics are transforming how you get your job done.

In: telecommuting, more flexible hours and using your own laptop or smartphone for work. Out: commuting, 9-to-5 schedules and standard-issue office computers.

Here’s more on those and other changes that could be coming to your workplace:

1. Mobile devices.

More employees are using their own iPhones, iPads and other portable electronics for work instead of company-issued computers or laptops, a trend sometimes called “bring your own device” or BYOD. Some companies worry about how they’ll keep confidential information safe and workers on task and not on Facebook or playing Words With Friends. But that won’t stop the move toward fewer restrictions, not just on what devices employees use but also on how, when and where they use them, according to workplace experts.

2. Telecommuting.

Companies are offering telecommuting as a way to give employees more flexible schedules and in some cases make up for not offering bigger raises, but also to curb office space expenses. Among the biggest telecommuting advocates are boomers, says Kate Lister, a telecommuting researcher at the San Diego-based Telework Research Network. “The majority of boomers are at or near the highest rung of the corporate ladder they’re likely to achieve,” she says. “The raises, promotions and accolades that once motivated them have been replaced with thoughts of retirement, aging parents, mortality and ‘What do I really want out of life?’ AARP research shows 70 percent want to continue to work, but they want to do it on their terms.”

3. Open office spaces.

With fewer employees coming into the office, companies are reconfiguring floor plans to devote more square footage to communal areas and less to traditional, walled work spaces. Some have remodeled entire floors to include shared workstations and group areas for impromptu brainstorming or conference sessions. Employees who aren’t around every day may get lockers to stash personal items during office hours.

4. Instant communication.

Employees increasingly view email as an inefficient form of communication that moves at a snail’s pace compared to text messages, social networks and other alternatives. “Email is quickly going the way of the fax machine,” says Robin Richards, CEO and chairman of TweetMyJobs, a Twitter-based job service. “Just watch your [city’s] mayor. I’m watching every week, and more and more mayors are beginning to communicate via social networks and texting. It’s the only way their employees communicate with each other.”

5. Online collaboration tools.

More companies are using web-based software, rather than email, to communicate with telecommuters and mobile workers. Some companies now use programs such as Yammer, Chatter and Jive to create private, Facebook-style networks that managers and employees can use to exchange messages or documents. Video- and web-based conferencing is here to stay too, workplace experts say. Employees need to know how to use it all, regardless of where they work. Continue reading →

Career Sustainability: Thriving in a Competitive Market

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Welcome to Career Corner! Career Corner provides career and workplace related topics and information.

Staying competitive and managing your career can be difficult in a challenging economy.  To thrive and be viable, you must know your skills, strengths, capabilities as well as areas of development.  Make it a habit to seek out opportunities to enhance your knowledge and performance. Here are 8 strategies that can help you succeed in your career.

Be Flexible. Flexibility is a valued and necessary trait to have if you want to thrive in our constantly changing workplace. Technology, the economy and demographic changes in our workforce have transformed how we work. Be open to new concepts and adaptable to change. The more readily you can adapt to your environment, the easier it is to stay competitive.

Recognize your accomplishments. Be an advocate for yourself.  Document how the organization has benefited from your performance.  What tangible evidence do you have of your achievements? Are you the key person that your boss or team turns too when something needs to get done?  Know your value.

Be an innovator.  Propose ideas that improve systems to make the workplace more efficient.  Learn how to integrate practical concepts that addresses and solves problems. When was the last time that you made a significant contribution to your organization?

Be Proactive.  Don’t be passive. Take control of your career and don’t be obsolete.  You are responsible for managing your own career path and direction. Prepare to assume new projects, skills and knowledge to make you relevant. Develop a unique talent that it not easily replaced.  Stay current of trends by reading journals and resources related to your profession.

Maintain Your Network.  Connections are critical.  Keep in touch with your network periodically. Seek out experts and key players who can support you in your career.  Having connections makes it easier when looking for better opportunities.   You never know when you will need to rely upon them in the future.

Be Global Minded. Learn how to develop relationships with diverse groups. Broaden your perspective by being open to ideas different from your own. Seek to understand and be drawn from your comfort zone.

Join a Professional Organization.  It’s a great way to establish new networks and exchange business ideas with like-minded professionals. You can also gain a better understanding of future growth areas in your industry.

Keep Your Resume Current.  Update your resume regularly.  You never know when you might need to submit it. Include significant achievements, new projects and other relevant information to make you stand out.

To have career sustainability, you will need to be accountable for your own career and be prepared for sudden changes in your workplace and industry. The more prepared you are, the quicker you are to respond to the demands of the workforce. 

Do you have career sustainability? Let us know how you are thriving in our current market.

Marian Moore, Career Development Coordinator/Career Counselor in Career Services at OSU is passionate about empowering others holistically to find meaningful and sustainable careers that promote lifestyle optimization. Interests: Career Coaching, Talent and Human Capital Management, Curriculum Design and Development, International Education, Personal Branding, Organizational Development, Entrepreneurship, Global Economic Development, Human Rights and Immigrant and Refugee advocacy.