Is Advancing in Your Career Really That Simple?

There are tons of articles out there that discuss advancing your
career—about seven million, to be exact. It shouldn’t be
surprising to see why it’s a confusing topic. While there is no
magic bullet, simple strategies can be taken to land the
opportunities you want.


 


As I enjoyed a delicious breakfast with Stacey, a talented leader
in the tech industry, I marveled at a story she shared about a
young man, Keith, who has gone from being brand new in the
industry to vying for a producer position in less than two years.


 


“He may just get it too, Misti,” Stacey shared, “And he’s up
against well-established, credentialed producers who have a clear
understanding of how to communicate across teams.”


 


Intrigued, I asked about what Keith had done to become one of the
top two candidates vying for this position.


 


“If I didn’t know better, Misti, I would think he was being
coached directly by you—seriously!” Stacey said, and then began
listing the following actions he’d taken:


 


Took it upon himself (time and money) to get scrum master
certified after he found out the training was critical to the
position.

Reached out to a few producers and asked for a meeting to
learn about what they do every day. He even job-shadowed them
several times, helping out where he could.

Sent follow up emails to those producers, thanking them for
their time and explaining what he’d learned.

Found out the position was coming available, and
applied.

Demonstrated both passion and interest as we went through the
interview process—“His enthusiasm is infectious,” Stacey said.

Sent “Thank you” emails to every person who was part of the
interview process. In fact, here’s one of the emails he sent…



 


“I appreciate having had the opportunity to speak with you about
the open Producer position. I am eager to apply the experience
I’ve gained and help facilitate the needs of our teams while
ensuring we deliver a product that our players will enjoy. I
would also like to thank you again for the time you’ve spent
giving me an inside look into how you work as a Producer and
sharing your experiences with me that I can learn from. I’m
looking forward to hearing the results of the interview and would
be thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the
Production team.”


 


After learning all this, I asked Stacey to compare these two
candidates, along with her thought process for both.


 


“The veteran employee knows our processes, making it far easier
to transition him into the position, immediately alleviating the
burden to our extra load. Initially, Keith will take more effort
to get going, but he may also bring fresh ideas, and help
strengthen our processes,” Stacey said.


 


“Which one do you think your team will pick?” I asked, secretly
hoping she’d say Keith. Okay, maybe it wasn’t so secret. ;)


 


“Probably the veteran employee, but I’m just not sure yet,” she
said.


 


“Even if we pick the veteran this go round, I will personally
meet with Keith and let him know that all his work has not gone
unnoticed. I will keep my eyes and ears open for future
opportunities, both within our company and elsewhere. I want to
see him succeed,” Stacey said.


 


While they may need to go for the short-term benefits of
experience this time, Keith will walk away with the bare minimum
of interviewing experience, a team of producers who have been
inspired by his hustle, and at least one career advocate. 


 


Which candidate would you pick?


 


“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you
did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya
Angelou


 


Get inspired, share your enthusiasm, invest in yourself, say
“thank you,” and apply for the position. Do this
over and over again, and watch as you naturally progress into the
opportunities you crave.


 


Find this information valuable? Please share the wealth! Forward
it to your friends, colleagues, and bosses… and be sure to share
on social media.


 


Here’s to your greatness,


 


Misti Burmeister     


 


P.S. Imagine the difference it could make for the veteran
employee if he found a way to keep his enthusiasm high and his
perspective fresh. Just as consistent exercise is critical to
long-term health, exposure and inspiration are critical to
enthusiasm and a fresh perspective.


 


P.P.S. If you’d like to attract the NFL players of your industry
and aren’t sure where to begin, check out my latest book.