How to Keep Your Job in a Tough Competitive Market by Michael J. Kitson & Bob Calandra

Author:Michael J. Kitson & Bob Calandra
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Adams Business, and imprint of Adams Media,
Published: 2009-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

50. Start a Professional Organization Inside Your Company

No matter where you work inside a company, you can show the initiative and creative leadership necessary to help you build your career. It’s true that it may be more challenging to get noticed from some jobs than other, higher profile positions. It’s also true that some people have a knack for knowing how to showcase their business talent. But sometimes all it takes is some old-fashioned desire to simply want more.

Take Carol, for instance. An executive assistant, Carol was interested in learning more about her profession and developing relationships among her peers at the company. So she decided to host an informal monthly meeting and invite everyone in the company’s secretarial staff to come and talk about how they each did their jobs. The first meeting drew twelve of Carol’s colleagues. But it wasn’t long before thirty assistants were attending. In fact, the meetings were so popular that Carol bumped them up to twice-monthly, one-hour lunch meetings with full agendas. At these meetings men and women from throughout the company share tips with each other about what they do well, and how they do it.

Today, Carol has earned the status and respect of a leader. She is regarded company-wide as the spokesperson for all of the executive assistants. Moreover, she and her group have created a higher set of standards for executive assistants and raised the group’s level of professionalism. By showing some initiative, Carol was able to create an organization that not only serves the needs of the executive assistants but benefits the company. Her efforts have raised her profile inside the company and, in so doing, help protect her job.

Too often, however, people believe that they are stuck in one place with no options and no hope. Consequently, they develop an entrenched “us versus them” mindset when it comes to the company, leading to an attitude of, if you don’t pay me to do something, than I am not going to do it. What they don’t realize is that people who want to advance don’t worry about being paid to go the extra mile, especially when the economy is shaky and people are trying to protect their jobs. But employees who feel forgotten or who are otherwise not invested in the company, simply don’t care. And while that is a shame, it is understandable. When you are already working long, hard hours and don’t see a way to advance, it’s hard to think about giving an extra, free contribution. So stop thinking that it’s free. Instead, consider it your chance to jump off the treadmill to nowhere, move your career forward, and keep your job. Why should you expect anyone to invest in you if you are not willing to invest in yourself? No one asked Carol to bring the assistants together. But she did, because she wanted to learn. And her desire to be more, to do more has benefited everyone—the company, the assistants, and yes, Carol.

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