Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

The Time and Place for Self-Promotion

Nearly all of my friends and colleagues in the career advice sphere regularly promote their media appearances and new projects on their blogs.

I don’t do this.  I’ve never done this.  I get as many decent opportunities as the next guy, but I’ve always considered blog content to be fairly sacred – reserved for career and business topics and that’s it.  There’s a modesty element in it too.  While I don’t have a problem casually mentioning a speaking engagement or new book in the context of a piece of advice, I’ve just always felt uncomfortable starting a post by broadcasting that I was just on NPR or in the New York Times.

Sometimes, though, I wonder if I’m doing myself a disservice by not promoting myself enough.  If potential clients, partners, and readers aren’t actively told about what I’m doing, how will they see the value of what I can bring to them?  How will they know that the platform I’ve already established as a career and business expert and author well-qualifies me for new, and possibly bigger, opportunities?

I believe that many of you probably have the same issue asserting your achievements at work, and as a result are not as visible and appreciated as you could be.  What strategies do you use to walk the fine line between shamelessly bragging and flying too low under the radar?

6 Benefits of Volunteering

In honor of the holiday season and the speaking engagement I recently did with Chicago Cares, an organization that creates unique volunteer experiences for individuals, businesses and organizations to help combat many of our community’s most urgent needs, this begins a two-part post on the benefits of volunteering, and how to balance volunteering with other obligations.

The obvious benefit of volunteering is that it makes you feel good about yourself and gives back to society.  But there are some less talked-about advantages as well, including:

• A say over your destiny and a sense of purpose:  So much of what happens in life we can’t control, but volunteering allows us to choose how and where we spend our time and efforts, and allows us to make a tangible difference in the world.  This especially comes in handy if you work in a situation where the means in which you help others is a little murky – for example, in a corporate law firm or a consumer goods company.

• The opportunity to pursue your passion: Volunteering allows you to try out a new and exciting field that you may not have enough experience to get a paid position in, and do work that you consider personally meaningful.  It may also provide critical skills training in that field so that you are better prepared for a future career change.

• The ability to try out a leadership role:  Volunteer organizations need people to coordinate projects, and they usually aren’t picky about how old you are, your background, or your experience.  You may find yourself in a position to achieve more than you ever dreamed possible.

• Resume material to increase your competitiveness as a well-rounded job candidate:  Potential employers want to see candidates who have a life outside of work, and are also on the lookout for people who can help the organization sustain and grow internal social responsibility programs.

• Better health: Last but not least, research has demonstrated that a satisfying volunteer gig improves self-esteem, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the physical effects of stress on the body. 

• Access to great networking contacts:  The informal conversations that result during volunteer situations are wonderful for getting to know potential clients, or senior-level executives, who you might not have the chance to interact with otherwise. 

Stay tuned for next week’s post on balancing volunteering with work and life.

Tips for Surviving a Demotion

Over at 45 Things, Anita Bruzzese talks about coping with a demotion at work.  I was particularly interested in this post, because while I frequently discuss how to overcome work setbacks in general, I’ve never focused on the specific issue of demotion.  Here’s what Anita has to say:

Whatever the reason, being demoted is something no one wants to experience, and the pain is often so great some people will just quit rather than accept it.  Still, that’s not always the best move. For one, quitting means the paychecks stop, and that’s pretty devastating for someone who has car payments, school loans, a mortgage and kids to support. And two, quitting doesn’t accomplish anything other than putting you in the unemployment line and possibly facing the same consequences in the future. Because if you haven’t probed deeply the reasons behind your demotion, you may just be doomed to repeat it.  Once you get past the shock and hurt, it’s time to think about:

Sitting down with the boss and try to find out exactly why this happened.  Let the boss know that you’re interested in focusing on the problems and fixing them. It could be the boss will tell you that it’s merely industry restructuring, and it’s happening throughout the company. In that case, you need to consider your future job security not only with your current employer, but within the industry.

Considering your overall value.  Do you need to think about training and additional schooling in another area?  Maybe jobs in your industry are being sent overseas or phased out because of technology.  In that case, you need to seriously look at how you can get training in areas that are expected to grow and prosper.

Setting new goals.  With the boss's input, you should immediately establish some new goals to get you back on track. Get a professional mentor to help keep you focused and committed, and make sure you meet with the boss more frequently to ensure you're headed in the right direction.

The point is that whether you decide to tough it out and earn back your old job (or an even better one), or leave the employer, take the time to make the demotion a learning experience.

Great advice, thanks Anita!

Harsh Realities from Dancing with the Stars

Okay, I confess.  I’ve been hooked on Dancing with the Stars.  I started watching this season because over the summer, while on a Southwest Airlines flight from San Francisco to Chicago, I met one of the professional contestants, Mark Ballas. 

It was especially interesting that I met Mark, because he and his celebrity partner, Disney star Sabrina Bryan, were robbed of title midway through the competition.  They were clearly the best dancers and had the best all-around scores from the judges, but a lack of fan support sent them packing way too early.

Marie Osmond, meanwhile, made it to the finals despite being a noticeably inferior dancer.  Knowing she already captured a huge segment of Dancing’s older, female audience, Marie capitalized on this by sending out vote request e-mails to her massive distribution lists and planning routines she knew would appeal to her target. 

This outcome echoes what I’ve been telling young professionals for years about the importance of being perceived well at work.  You could be the smartest, most talented, most dedicated employee in the world, but if people don’t like you, or are not consistently reminded of the value you bring to the organization, you won’t get anywhere. 

I certainly learned this lesson the hard way, when, early in my career as a public relations executive, I watched people with half my work-ethic out-advance me time and time again.  Eventually, I digested the true importance of establishing positive relationships in the workplace that would ensure I received credit where credit was due.  I suspect that now, Mark and Sabrina will as well.