MOBILE, Al. (WPMI) Most people want to move up the corporate ladder, experts say the key is to have a plan. Author Mary Foley inspires many working moms through her books, here are her 10 steps to building a bodacious career.
1) Don't take it personally. Create a few seconds of delay in responding to others so that what they say doesn't immediately diminish your self-worth.
2) Create deliberate relationships. Decide who in your company or organization could help your career in some way and how you will go about getting to know them.
3) Take the work out of networking. Develop a few simple, open-ended questions to start conversations to get new people talking about the subject they know best - themselves!
4) Actively market your value. Proactively communicate who you are, what you do, and how it's currently benefiting your manager, department or the company.
5) Know how you want to be treated. Be clear about your emotional, psychological, and physical boundaries. write them down.
6) Take a stand. Speak up for yourself; plan what you will say, how you say it, and anticipate responses. You and your career are worth it.
7) Thrive on shift and change. Be honest about how you handle change in your career and life; make a commitment to thrive, not just survive.
8) Know your worth. Be clear about what your skills and abilities are worth in the marketplace and don't settle for anything less.
9) Embrace office politics. Accept office politics as a fact within any organization; embrace its positive potential.
10) Think strategically. Consider the bigger picture of what you want from your career. create your personal business plan to get there and bodaciously implement it.
Mary Foley is a regular blogger for Working Mother magazine, you can read her blogs at www.workingmother.com. She also has a her own website, http://www.maryfoley.com.
