5 Secrets to Getting Promoted

The goal of any university’s career counseling centers is simple: ensure that students find a job after graduation.  But what happens after students get that first job?  What do they need to do to next?

Thank goodness the first company I worked for had a week-long orientation for new hires in order to help set us up for success once we started work.  Yet, despite the 40+ hours of training I sat through that week, the most valuable training I received came to me at the happy hour at the end of the week.  One of the managers gathered a handful of new hires around him to tell us exactly what we would need to do to move up in the company.

How to find a mentor

Mentorship has been popping up in my life a lot lately.  In the past two weeks, I’ve attended the 10-year anniversary for Stanford’s alumni-student mentoring program, met with my own mentor of 16 years, had dinner with my mentee of 6 years, and volunteered to be a mentor at UC Berkeley’s Women Empowerment Day.

It was at that last event that one of the young women asked a great question:  In the absence of formal mentoring programs, how do I find a mentor?

One key decision-making mistake to avoid

This is a public service announcement, courtesy of  my long-time friend to whom I dedicated this blog, Winnie.

“You should never have major conversations or make major decisions after midnight.”

Such a simple statement.  And such a great piece of wisdom.

Most people recognize that we shouldn’t make decisions when we’re drunk.  Duh.  Our judgment is impaired.  Yet it’s incredible how many of us will have no qualms about making major decisions at other times where our judgment may be just as impaired, such as when we need sleep.  Research has shown that drowsy driving is as dangerous as drunk driving.  It may be even more dangerous because people don’t even realize how dangerous it is, so they’re more likely to actually do it.  It’s about time we recognize the dangers of being drowsy.

Just say no to sleep deprived decisions.

Think about it.  When have you made a major decision at 2am?  In college, Winnie decided to cut her own bangs at some ungodly hour that only college students see on a regular basis.  Just because she felt like she needed to change her look.  You can imagine how she felt about that decision the following morning.  And for the six months it took to grow her bangs back out.  Amazing thing is, this happened three different times in her college career.  And they were all bad decisions.

Two years ago I thought I found the perfect apartment, which was big enough for my then boyfriend (now fiance) to move into whenever he felt ready.  I wanted him to weigh in on the decision, but we were both so crazy busy with work that the only time I could catch him was after midnight.  And what came of those conversations we had late at night about that apartment and the prospect of living together?  Nothing.  He was too tired to think straight.  What happened when we had the same conversation during daylight hours?  He realized that it was silly for me to move into my own apartment just seven blocks away from where he lived, so he decided to move in with me.  It’s amazing how clear a little bit of sleep can make your mind.

So today (or tonight), I’m asking you to join me in taking this pledge: It can wait until morning.

Because it can.  Really.  There’s a reason they say, “Sleep on it.”

It’s always darkest before the dawn

“Hi Michelle.  I’m calling you about the Operations Manager position you interviewed for.”

Finally.  The call I was waiting for.  

I was very specific about the type of job I wanted after grad school.  I wanted to manage operations for a network of charter schools.  In the bay area.  Of which there were only five.

My top choice employer was on a hiring freeze.  One didn’t want someone with their MBA.  Two of the five were not growing.  And after three months of searching, I was in the final round at the last organization where I had a chance to get the job I wanted.  I thought I had done well in the interviews, but when I answered the phone, something was off in the hiring manager’s voice.

Repost: A story about car keys

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, here’s a re-post on a lesser known (but no less inspirational) story from the civil rights movement.

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I don’t know if it’s because of the inspiring speech from the Great Oakland Public Schools fundraiser tonight, or if it’s my hypersensitivity to the caffeine from the Thai Iced tea I had at lunch, but I can’t sleep right now.  So why not spend this time doing one of the things I wanted to do more of this year – write on this blog!

I want to share a story with you about car keys, that Mike Johnston told during his keynote speech at tonight’s fundraiser.  For those of you who don’t know of Mike Johnston, he’s someone who has been very active in education reform.  He helped found New Leaders for New Schools, is currently a State Senator in Colorado, and wrote a transformation ed reform bill in Colorado, that has sparked similar ed reform bills in 14 other states.  He’s also recently been featured as one of Time Magazine’s 40 under 40.  Look him up.  He’s awesome.

Move your story forward

“No one wants to read a book about how the protagonist sat around thinking about all the things she wanted to do.”

My friend was talking about a recent revelation she had after analyzing a number of fiction best-sellers.

“The audience wants to see the characters take action.  Action produces conflict.  Conflict is exciting.  Conflict helps characters develop.  It offers the opportunity to triumph.”

 

 

She was right.  And she was taking her lesson to the streets.  She decided to act like the protagonist she would want to read about in the story of her life.  While on a run, she passed by Boudin’s (the San Francisco bakery famous for its sourdough) and thought that it’d be cool to learn how to make bread.  But instead of just letting that thought sit as she continued her run, she went inside to find the master baker.  She took a risk, took action.  Now, don’t you want to turn the page and find out what happens next?

The rest of her story is hers to tell someday, but she presents a valuable lesson.

How do you want the story of your life to read?  Will it be safe, but with many regrets about what might have been?  Or will it be full of risk-taking, mistakes, and interesting lessons?

What type of protagonist do you want to be?  Will you sit around and wait for your fairy godmother to come grant your wish?  Or will you venture out and seek out what you want?

What will be your greatest challenge or conflict?  What will your triumph look like?  How will that feel?

And most importantly, what action will you take right now to drive your story forward?

How to keep your new year’s resolution

So Uncle Larry, have you made any new year’s resolutions for next year?

Aghhh… I’m not good at new year’s resolutions.  Your Auntie Karen is better at that.  She makes a list of goals and she hits every one.  Me, I used to make new year’s resolutions, and then I would never keep them.  Until a few years ago.  I just make one, and I’ve kept it ever since.

What is it?

To not make any new year’s resolutions.

New year’s resolutions are funny things.  Many people make them, but only 10% of people actually do them.  (Check out this radio piece for more fun facts about new year’s resolutions.)  With such a low success rate, it seems perfectly acceptable not to follow through on these annual goals.

But what if there is a change you’d really like to make in your life?  What can you do to be part of that 10% who actually keeps their new year’s resolution?

Give yourself a head start.

The miracle of asking for what you need

It felt a little weird.  The floral wallpaper and Hello Kitty posters still adorned the walls, but all the furniture was different.  The room felt crowded with the three dressers and 42-inch plasma tv that had fit so nicely in my apartment San Francisco.  It was the first time I had moved back home since I moved out to go to college.

I should be grateful.

My New Zealand adventure was over, and I was back in the Bay Area.  Despite the risky move of  putting my job search on hold to travel halfway across the world, I received a job offer for a part-time summer internship.  Things ended up working out.  And fortunately, unlike many of my classmates who also graduated without a job, my parents lived within commutable distance of the job.  Free housing.  I really lucked out.

But this was far from a permanent solution.  The internship was for ten weeks.  I’d still have to find full-time work.  And I also wanted to make sense of the mismatch that my mentor pointed out between what I thought I wanted to do, and what really excited me.

 I can’t stay here.

Back to the drawing board

It was a week before I was going to graduate with my MBA from UC Berkeley.

I was meeting with my mentor, Arina Issacson, a truly radiant human being for whom I had taught a few sections of Leadership Communication during business school.  She asked whether I had a full-time job lined up. 

I said no.  I could feel the pit of my stomach tighten.  There were only a handful of people from my class graduating without a job, and I was one of them. 

Sometimes you should take the leap

Special: New Zealand from the West Coast for $450. Roundtrip.

It was the day before graduation.  I hadn’t found a job yet.  I had planned for that, and had some money saved up to last me at least through the summer.  I even had set aside $600 for travel.  Figured I’d go visit my roommate in Mexico.

Or I could go to New Zealand.  For a fare that would usually get me halfway across the country, I could go halfway around the world!

But what about finding a job?  I had just submitted some job applications, and was in the middle of doing a lot of informational interviewing.  Wouldn’t it be reckless to just up and go to New Zealand?