From Secretary Track to Fast Track: The Get Ahead Guide for Administrative Assistants, Secretaries,...

title:

FromSecretaryTracktoFastTrack:TheGetAheadGuideforAdministrativeAssistants,Secretaries,OfficeManagers,Receptionists,andEveryoneWhoWantsMore!

author: Lizotte,Ken.;Litwak,BarbaraA.publisher: AMACOMBooks

isbn10|asin: 0814479022printisbn13: 9780814479025ebookisbn13: 9780585040462

language: English

subjectSecretaries--Vocationalguidance,Receptionists--Vocationalguidance,Careerdevelopment.

publicationdate: 1996lcc: HF5547.5.L591996ebddc: 651.3/74/02373

subject:Secretaries--Vocationalguidance,Receptionists--Vocationalguidance,Careerdevelopment.

FromSecretaryTracktoFastTrackTheGetAheadGuideForAdministrativeAssistants,Secretaries,OfficeManagers,Receptionists,and

EveryoneWhoWantsMore!

KenLizotte&BarbaraA.Litwak

amacomAmericanManagementAssociation

NewYorkBostonChicagoKansasCitySanFranciscoWashington,D.C.BrusselsMexicoCityTokyoToronto

Thispublicationisdesignedtoprovideaccurateandauthoritativeinformationinregardtothesubjectmattercovered.Itissoldwiththeunderstandingthatthepublisherisnotengagedinrenderinglegal,accounting,orotherprofessionalservice.Iflegaladviceorotherexpertassistanceisrequired,theservicesofacompetentprofessionalpersonshouldbesought.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData

Lizotte,Ken.Fromsecretarytracktofasttrack/KenLizotte&BarbaraA.Litwak.p.cm."Thegetaheadguideforadministrativeassistants,secretaries,officemanagers,receptionists,...."Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.ISBN0-8144-7902-2(pbk.)1.SecretariesVocationalguidance.2.ReceptionistsVocationalguidance.3.Careerdevelopment.I.Litwak,BarbaraA.II.Title.HF5547.5.L591996651.3'74'02373dc20[B] 96-2128

CIP

©1996KenLizotteandBarbaraA.LitwakAllrightsreserved.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.

Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinwholeorinpart,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofAMACOM,adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,1601Broadway,NewYork,NY

10019.

Printingnumber

1098765432

ToChristie,officemanagerandpoetessextraordinaireK.L.

Toalladminswho'vebeenthereandbackB.A.L.

Pagevii

ContentsAcknowledgments ix

Prologue xi

Introduction:WatchingOurLanguage 1

Chapter1:TrappedinthePink-CollarGhetto 5

Chapter2:ExternalForces,InnerBarriers 24

Chapter3:TheFear-of-FailureGang 40

Chapter4:What'sUniqueAboutYou? 59

Chapter5:WhatCanYouContribute? 79

Chapter6:PositioningYourNewSelfforSuccess 101

Chapter7:CareerTreasureChest 124

Chapter8:MovingOnandMovingUp 145

Chapter9:SettlingIntoNewDigs 165

Epilogue 181

Resources 183

Index 185

Pageix

AcknowledgmentsContrarytomyth,mostbooksspringforthnotfromisolatedsojournsinivorytowersbutfromnitty-grittycollaborationswiththoughtful,generoussupporterswhogiveofthemselves,theirideas,andtheirtimeforthesimplegoodoftheproject.We'dliketoofferallsuchsupportersarousingroundofacknowledgment.We'resincerewhenwesaywecouldinnowayhaveaccomplishedthisbookwithoutyou.

We'dfirstliketoacknowledgethoseadminsandex-adminswhoaregraduatesofourCareerScape®programs:AngelaMaffeo,CarolMcDonough,AnneMarieDangler,CarySchwartz,MaryMiller,andJudyTyler.Weappreciateyourcontinuedenthusiasmfortheworkwedo.

Thanksalsotothoseheroicex-adminswhoagreedtosharewithustheirstories:SophiaSnow,JudyWagner,JessicaLefcourt,SharonCasey,KristinaCavanaugh,GwenChampion,JanetHartford-Hill,MargBalcom,NancyCassesso,RustyStieff,ChantalWeaver,andMarshaMiller.

AcknowledgmentstootoexpertsPaulFalconeandEthelCookforsharingtheirprofessionalobservations,andtoCheriDitschatProfessionalSecretariesInternationalforprovidingPSI'sofficialhistoryofthesecretarialprofession.Also,thankyouLouiseBonar,MartinDuffy,andCatherineRadigundforyourresearchideas.

TothestaffatKatharineGibbsSchools:Weappreciatedyouropeninguptousasweprobedbackgroundinformationforthisbook.KudosespeciallytoVickiValhouliforawonderful,instructive,impromptutouroftheBostonschoolandtotheincomparableSusanMaxinNewYork,whounearthedvaluable

Pagex

historicalmaterialsonKatyherselfwhennooneelseevenknewwheretolook.

Finally,ourheartiestacknowledgmentgoestotheinsightful,delightfulMaryGlenn,oureditor,whosesteadycommandingofthisprojectandunwaveringbeliefinusandourideasspurredusforwardathousandextramiles.Mary,thisbookissomuchthebetterbecauseofthee!

Pagexi

PrologueSomething'sbeengrumblinginsideyouforalongtime.It'snotyourstomach(youjustate!),soyou'rehard-pressedtoknowexactlywhat'sgoingon.Yeteachdaythatgoesby,especiallyeachworkday,itsimpactonyoubecomeshardertodeny.Thisgrumbling,thisgnawingachehasbeengatheringsteamforawhilenow,andyou'vetriedeverythingyoucanthinkoftorelieveit.

"MaybeIjustneedavacation,"yousaidtoyourselfonceuponatime.Thenyoutookoffonagreatone,flewtotheVirginIslands,lolledonthebeaches,wentscubadiving,andconsumedmanyfabulousmeals,whilethesunsetoverthebrilliantturquoiseCaribbeanwatersandstillthatgrumblingthrobbedinsideyouthewholetime.Tendayslateryoureturnedtoyourdesk,seeminglyrefreshed.Buttheachehadn'tgoneaway.

Latelyyou'vebeengazinginwonderatyourcolleaguesaroundyourofficeandthinking,"What'swrongwithme?"Everyoneelsearoundyouactssocontented.Theyallseemveryhappy.Theycomeininthemorning,goabouttheirwork,finishuptheirprojects,headonhome.Noapparentproblems.Whycan'tyoufeellikethat?

How'sYourCareerHealth?

Excuseusforamoment:Mayweplaydoctornow?We'dliketoexamineyour"careerhealth,"ifyoudon'tmind;seeifthere'smedicinetoprescribe.We'lldoourbesttocomeupwithanaccuratediagnosis.Wouldyoumindfillingoutafewinsuranceformsbeforewegetstarted?

Pagexii

Seriously,ifyou'vebeenflirtingwithanyofthedisgruntledfeelingsdescribedhere,takeheart:You'renormal!What'smore,youknowallthose"contented"colleaguesyouseearoundyou,thosepeacefulworkingfolkyouwishyoucouldbealittlemorelike?Well,guesswhat?You'reprobablymorelikethemthanyourealize.Why,wewouldn'tbeabitsurprisediftheyallfeltexactlythewayyoudo.Theyprobablythinkyou'rethemosttranquil,contentedcolleagueinthewholeplace.

Everyoneexperiencesdissatisfactionabouttheirworkfromtimetotime,andoftenthatreallydoesmeanthatagoodvacationisindeedwhat'scalledfor.Alittlebreathingspace,achangeofscenery.Sometimesthat'sreallyallitis.Onceyou'vesatisfiedanurgetotemporarilygetaway,yourlifeandworkreturntonormal.

Othertimes,though,it'smorethanthat.Whena"grumbling"keepsnaggingatyou,dayafterday,monthaftermonth,yearafteryear,thenthingshavegottenserious.Ifyoustayinyourpresentsituationanddenythisinnerache,youriskmental,physical,andemotionalillhealth.Lefttothemselves,unsettlingconditionsinourworklivesrarelyimprove.

Wecanexplorethisfurtherbygivingyouacheckup.Pleaseanswereachofthefollowingquestionsashonestlyaspossible.Sincethey'reallverygeneral,justcheckoffaresponsethatseemsclosesttothetruth.Yourdoctors(us)willreturninaminute.

Yes No

Haveyoubeensleepingwell? ________

Doesyourworkchallengeyou? ________

Doyouenjoythepeopleyouworkwith? ________

Doyoumakeenoughmoney? ________

Doyoufeelwelltreatedbyyourboss? ________

Doyouonlyoccasionallyleaveworkfeelingtakenadvantageof?

________

Doyouonlyoccasionallyleaveworkfeelingemotionallydrained?

________

Canyouidentifygenuineadvancementopportunitieswhereyouwork?

________

Doyoufindyourworkmeaningful? ________

Canyouseeyourselfinthisjobfiveyearsfromnow?

________

Doyoufeelyouaregrowingasapersonasaresultofyourcurrentjob?

________

Doyoulookforwardtogoingtoworkinthemornings?

________

DoyoulookforwardtoMondaymornings? ________

Doyoufeelthatyourbesttalentsarebeingutilized?

________

Doyoufeelthatyou'relistenedtoatwork? ________

Doyoufeelthatyou'regivensufficientcreditforthegoodthingsyoudoatthisjob?

________

Pagexiii

Tableisonpreviouspage.

Howdidyoudo?Didyoucheckmoreyesesormorenoes?Ifyoucheckedmorenoes,we'llhavetolevelwithyou:You'vecontractedaseriouscaseof"admin'sdisease."Yes,that'scorrect-you'renotwell.

Butseriouscareerillnesscan'tbecuredwithvacations,weekends,aslightchangeinworkassignments,oradoseofaspirinorpenicillin.You'retellingyourselfwithallthesenoeslet'ssayfiveormorethatyou'vejustgottomoveon.Movingontowhat,ofcourse,maybethe$64-trillionquestion,butmoveonyoumust.

Solet'sdoit!

IntroductionWatchingOurLanguageDuringearlyresearchonthisbook,weaskedCarolMcDonough,oneofthegreatexecutiveadministrativeassistantsworkingtoday,howshedefinedherprofession.Carolansweredwithouthesitation:''I'manannyforbigpeople,"shesnapped,bothtwinklingandhintingatexasperationinthesamebreath.Toadministrativeassistants,admins,secretaries,receptionists,officemanagers,fileclerks,andallthemyriadothertermsthatrepresentthosewhotoilawayinthe"pink-collarghetto,"wecouldnowaddperhapsthemostdescriptive(andaccurate)ofallnanny.

Thereareindeedlotsofwaystodescribewhatadministrativepersonneldointheirday-to-dayexertionstosupportbosses,managers,supervisors,presidents,CEOs,andowners(nottomentioncolleagues,vendors,andclientele).It'savast,hard-to-pin-downrole,shiftingwiththesandsoftime,need,urgency,and,justasfrequently,aboss'smood.It'salsoarolethat'sbegunchangingmorethanever,whichiswhyagreeingupononecommonlabelforajobwithsomanyvariationsbecomesallthemoretricky.

Soallowustosettlethematter.Inthisbook,weusetwotermsinterchangeably:administrativeassistantandadmin.Whenusingtheseterms,weembraceeveryonewhoworksinanykindof"support"capacity,includingsecretaries,receptionists,officemanagers,fileclerks,mail-roomassistants,switchboardoperators.Sinceadministrativeassistantcanbeappliedtoeachoftheseprofessionalsinoneformoranother,unlikethemoretradi-

tional,better-knowncategoryofsecretary,andsinceadministrativeassistanthasevolvedintoatitlemanyfeeloffersmorerespect,we'llstickwithit.

Wecan'tusethesetermsexclusively,however,sincethetermsecretaryasatitlehasn'tcompletelydiedinourlanguagenorshouldit.Whilemanyadminswouldlovetodeep-sixthisterm,conveying,theysay,thestereotypicalimageofaditsy,dictation-taking,gum-popping,typewritingservantgirl,thefactis,there'sstillaplaceforit.Foronething,manyadminsidentifythemselvesassecretaries(orashavingoncebeensecretaries)andseethesecretarialroleasapositive,specializedonethatbusinesscouldneverdowithout.

Foranother,retainingthetermsecretaryinourlanguagestillfeelsnaturaltomanyadmins.Itdoesn'tseemrighttothemtocallthemselvesanythingelse.Sowe'llusesecretarywheneverappropriatetoourdiscussionsandsubstituteadmineverywhereelse.Thoughlanguagechangesovertime,it'sgenerallyalongtime.Wecanwait.

Whileonthematterofexplainingourchoiceoflanguage,wemightalsoelaborateonacoupleofmoreterms.Thetermpinkcollarsprangupduringthe1960sand1970stodescribeadministrativesupportprofessionalsingeneral.Becausesomanywere(andstillare)women,thecolorpinkwaschosen(getit?).Toincludeadminsamongthe"bluecollars"obviouslywouldn'twork,sincebluecollarreferstofactoryworkers(andotherformsofhands-onlabor),whilewhitecollar,thoughthat'showadminshadbeenoriginallylabeled,referstothemostlymaleranksofofficeworkerswithauthoritymanagers,technicaldecisionmakers,financialexperts.ThegrowthinthenumbersofadminsinthebusinessworldsinceWorldWarII,then,beggedforanewname.

We'llalsouse,mosttimes,thepronounssheandhertorefertoadmins,andheandhimtorefertobossesandsupervisors.Wedothis

notoutofmisguidedNeanderthalsexistleaningsorasaconvenientgrammaticaldevicetomakeourworkeasier.Insteadwewantourexaminationofcareerissuesforadminstotakeonareal-lifeflavor.

Theunfortunaterealityoftoday'sworkworldconfrontsuswithunsettlingfacts:While95percentofpink-collarprofession-

alsarewomen,97percentofsenior-levelmanagersaremen.Thoughmoreandmorewomenrisetomanagementstatuseveryyear,andthoughoverhalfoftoday'sworkforceisfemale,adminsmuststillrememberthatpersonalcareervictorieswillrarelybewoneasily.Acommitmenttochangeonlybeginstheprocess,whilefightingagainsttheoddscouldabsorb99percentoftherest.Soknowwhatyou'reupagainstbykeepingyourfocusonreal-worldconditions.Inthatway,we'llbestprepareyoutowin.

Youcanescapethepink-collarghetto.Youcanforgeacareerlifethat'sexactlythewayyouwantit.Solistentothelessons,insights,advice,andwisdomyou'llfindintheadmin.successstorieswereportinthisbook.Thengooutandapplythemtotheobstaclesinyourpath.Everyadminmentionedorprofiledherehasabitofcareeradvancementwisdomtoimpart.Besureyousavoreverymorsel.

1TrappedinthePink-CollarGhettoShallwestartoffwithalittlequiz?Don'tpanic;there'snocauseforalarm.Justthinkofthisasawarm-up.We'regoingtobelookingatyourlifeasanadminfromeveryperspectiveimaginable,sowethoughtwemightbeginbyclarifyingwhatanadmin(likeyou)reallydoes.

Sometimeswetakeourrealityforgranted,especiallywhenthingsgetnegativeorunsatisfying.Youprobablypickedupthisbookbecauseyou'refeelingreadytomoveon,insomewayorother.We'llassumethatstayingwhereyouarewilllikelyleadtobigfeelingsofstagnationandmeaninglessnessaboutyourwork(oryourlife),ifithasn'talready.Inthatframeofmind,then,itwouldbeeasytodismisseverythingyou'veaccomplishedorcurrentlydo,asiftheyhavenovalueinthemarketplace.

Ofcourse,youwouldbewrong.

So,aswebeginouradventure,let'sconsiderwhatadminsreallydo:Howdoyouoperate?Whomdoyouworkfor?Whatdoyouhavetodealwith?Whatdoyouroutinelyachieve?

Evaluateeachofthethreefollowingscenesonthebasisofyourpersonalknowledgeandexperiencesasanadmin.Whichscenesseemrealtoyou?Whichsoundmadeuporimprobable?Whenyou'vefinishedevaluatingallthree,we'llexploretheimplicationsofyourthoughts.

Scene1

Martafeelslikeasittingduck.Fromherdesk,shecanseeallsixof

herbosses'officesatonce.What'smore,eachcanseeherassoon

ashewalksoutofhisoffice.Thatmeansthatnosoonerdoesonebossdropafileonherdeskforhertotypethanasecondcomeshustlingoutherwaywithalonglistofphonecallsforhertomake.

Andwhendoesallthisneedtobedone?ASAP,ofcourse!

Youcanimaginetherest.Martawishesthatbossnumberonehadhungaroundlongenoughtotellherifhewantedhisdocumenttypedonletterheadorenteredintothecomputer(orboth),andwhetherheneededjustonecopyforhimselforwantedhertodistributeittosomeoneelseinthecompany."Questions,questions,"shesighs.

Thenshelooksatbossnumbertwo'slistofnamesandphonenumbers."OK,"shethinks,"I'llcallthem."Onlyquestionhereis,''WhatamIcallingtotellthem?"Butbossnumbertwoislonggonetoanappointmentoutofthebuilding.

Thejob'sonlysavinggraceisbossnumberthree.OfthesixmalemanagersMartareportsto,he'stheonlyonewhoregularlygreetsherbynameandaskspolitelyifshehastimetodothistaskorthat.Heevenwaitsaroundtoansweranyquestionsshemayhaveaboutwhathewantshertodo.

Andgetthiswhenevershedoesanythingatallforhim,reallytrulyanything,heflashesaboyishthoughquitegenuinegrinandleavesherwithanenthusiastic"Splendid!"

Rating:OnascaleofI(least)to10(most),howrealdoesthissceneseemtoyou?

Yourrating:[]

Howdoesitinvokeyourownexperienceasanadmin?Haveyoueverheardofasimilarscenefromanyofyouradmincolleagues?Haveyoueverhadajoblikethis?Makeafewnotesheresummarizingyourthoughts:

Scene2

Evalikensherdaysasanadminforalargeinsurancecompanytoacomicstripsheoncesaw:Onecharacterispeeringoverthetopofhiscubicletryingtogettheattentionofanothercharacterthreecubiclesdown.Oncehedoes,heasks,"Hey,areyounewaroundhere?"Then:"Whatchainfor?"

Evaknowsthefeeling.Workingatthatinsurancecompanyhadfeltlikeaprisonsentencetoo.They'dcrammedherinsideatight,poorlylit,graycubicleandinstructedhertocollateandstapleinsuranceformsallday.Oneafteranother,houraftermind-numbinghour,Evacheckedoffinredpencilalittleboxatthetopofpage1ofeachset(toindicatethatshe'dhandledandstapledtheset).Thenshefilledcardboardboxeswiththecompletedsetsandfiledthecontentstwiceeachdaysomewherewithinahigh,widebankofpalegreenfilecabinetsattheendofalongcorridorborderedbymoretight,graycubicleswithadminsinsidedoingjustwhatshewasdoing.

"Whatchainfor?"indeed!Sheremembersstayingsaneonlybyconstantlydaydreamingabouthowtobreakout.

Rating:Onascaleof1(least)to10(most),howrealdoesthissceneseemtoyou?

Yourrating:[]

Howdoesitinvokeyourownexperienceasanadmin?Haveyoueverheardofasimilarscenefromanyofyouradmincolleagues?Haveyoueverhadajoblikethis?Makeafewnotesheresummarizingyourthoughts:

Scene3

Wheninterviewingforapositionasanexecutivesecretary,Gwenfindsherselfalittlebewildered.Themaninterviewingherappearsunusually...well,"human"!Formorethannineyearsshe'sworkedforfourothermanagers,noneofwhom,exceptontherarestofdays,haveeveractedasiftheycaredonewhirabouthowshewasdoing.Butthismanseemsdifferent.

"Howdoyouseeyourselfdoingthisjob?"heasks."Howhaveyouhandledsimilarjobs[orsimilartasks]inthepast?Whatkindofresourcesmightyouneedtodoyourworkwellhere?HowmightIassistyou?"

Therearemorepersonalizedprofessionalquestionstoo:"Howdoyouseeyourfuture?Tellmeaboutyourprofessionalgoals.Howcouldworkinghereadvanceyoualongyourcareerpath?"

ThisprospectiveemployerseemsimpressedthatshehasanMBAandisnotatallconcernedthatshemaybeoverqualified."1preferworkingwithsomeonewhowantstomoveuptheladder,"heexplains."YourMBAshowsthatyou'vegotgoalsforyourself,thatyoutakeprideinyourwork.Whenwethinkthatway,werealizethatonlybydoingasuperjobwillweadvancetothenextstep."

Gwencan'tbelievethis.Hewantstobebothabossandamentor?Theremustbeacatch.HerconfusioncontinueswhenhepointstohisRolodexandsays,"Anynameandphonenumberyoufindinthereisyours."

Gwen'sfears,however,provegroundless.Threemonthsintothenewjob,sheseesthathernewbossmeansexactlywhathesaidduringherjobinterview.Withhishelpandhisblessing,shemovesontoahigherpositionintheorganizationwithintheyear.

Rating:Onascaleof1(least)to10(most),howrealdoesthissceneseemtoyou?

Yourrating:[]

Howdoesitinvokeyourownexperienceasanadmin?Haveyoueverheardofasimilarscenefromanyofyouradmincolleagues?Haveyoueverhadanexperiencelikethis?Makeafewnotesonthenextpagesummarizingyourthoughts:

Andnowforsomeanswers.DidyouguessthatMarta'sscenewasarealone?Ifyoudid,youguessedright!DidyoufeelthatEva'sscenecouldreallyhappen?Rightagain!HowaboutGwen'sexperience?Noway,right?Howcouldabossbesosupportive?Butmaybeyouactuallyhaveencounteredsomeonelikethis,inwhichcaseyoumayhaveratedScene3asaprobablescenario.Ifso,youguessedcorrectlyonceagain!

Allthreeofthesescenesactuallyhappened.Howdoweknow?Canweproveit,youaskskeptically.Yes,wecertainlycanbecauseallthreehappenedtooneofyourfaithfulco-authors,BarbaraA.Litwak.

InBarbara'sownwords:

"Beinganadmincanrunthegamut,fromtheworst,bottom-of-the-barreltypeexperiencetoonethatbringsyougreatrespectandsatisfaction.Muchdependsonwhomyouworkfor.Evenmore,though,maydependonyourself-image.Doyoubelievethatyoucanhavewhatyouwantinlife,thatit'sOK,thatit'spossible?Isawlotsofadminsalongthewaywhoheldthemselvesbackbynotsettinggoalsandactingonthem.OnceIfoundabosswhowaswillingtobemymentor,Iwasonmyway.ButonlybecauseI'dpreparedforhim."

Canyouuseyourexperienceasanadministrativeassistanttoguideyoutobiggerandbetterthings?Canyouuseadminworkasaspringboardforgettinganewcareerofftheground?Canyouactuallylocateabosswhowillreallyhelpyouadvanceyourgoals?

Barbaradid.Manyotheradminswe'vespokentoduringourresearchforthisbookhavedoneittoo.Manyoftheadmins

thathavecometothecareerseminarswe'vehostedovertheyearshavedoneitaswell.Andmany,manymorestorieswecomeacrossinthemediaorincasualconversationproveit'spossibleforyoualso.

Thoughyourbossandothersatyourplaceofworkmaywanttolookuponyouas"justanadmin"or"justasecretary,"andevenifpeoplekeepadvisingyoutoforgetaboutadvancing,thatyou'velandedinthefinalstationofyourprofessionalworklifeandthatyoumightaswellacceptit,you'regoingtobehearingverydifferentmessageshere.Andthegoodnewsis,weknowwhatwe'retalkingabout.

Wecanalwayschangeanythingthat'shappeninginourlivesbecausewecomeintothisworldaspowerful,talented,fullycreativehumanbeings.Nowwe'renotjustsayingthistothrowinalittletouchy-feelyhereortokissuptoyoujustbecauseyou'veplunkeddownafewdollarsforthisbook!Uhuh,we'resayingitbecauseit'strue.Infact,theonlydifferencebetweenyouandtheadminsyou'llfindprofiledinthisbookisthis:Despitesufferingmanyoftheemotionsyouprobablyfeelnowfear,doubts,frustrations,confusiontheystayedwiththefightlongenoughtoattaintheirdreams.

Maybeyou'rejustgettingstartedinthisprocess.Ormaybeyou'vebeenworkingonyourcareeradvancementforawhileandyou'verecentlybeenfeelingdiscouraged.Maybeyou'vesloweddownabit,lostsomemomentum.Youmayevenhavetoldsomeonesomethinglike,"I'mnevergoingtogetoutofthisjob;it'stoohard.NobodywantsmebecauseallIknowisadministrativework.I'mtrappedhere."

Wehopethatwhoeverlistenedtoyourdrivelcaredaboutyouenoughtoretort,"Stopwhining,willya?Youcanbeanythingyoudarnwellwanttobe.Justdustyourselfoffandkeepgoin'.There'sgoldinthemthar'hills!"

Alltoooften,however,that'snotwhatwehear.(Whosays"thar'"thesedays,anyway?)Morelikely,yourfriendorspousecompliedalittletooquicklyandatadtooobsequiouslywithyoursentiments,mutteringsomethinglike,"Well,you'reprobablyright.Itreallyishardtomakeamovethesedays.Maybeyououghttojuststaywhereyouare.Thingsmightgetbettersomeday."

Well,aswe'vesaid,youwon'thearthatsortofthingfromus.Insteadlet'sworktogetherheretoguideyoutohigherlevelsofbothyourcareerlifeandday-to-dayattitudesinyourpersonallife.We'llleadyouthroughaprocessthatcankeepyoufresh,vibrant,andconstantlyintunewithyourwantsandneeds.You'llbecomemoreconfidentthaneverbefore,andyou'llneveragainneedtoreturntoyourpresentlifeasanadministrativeassistantunlessyouwantto.Fromthispointon,yourcareerbecomesafunctionofyourpersonalchoices.

StartingPoint:R-E-S-P-E-C-T

It'seasytofallintothepink-collartrapthatsocietyhassetforyou.Thistraphasbeenconsolidatingitsstrengthforalong,longtime.Youmayhaveinnocentlysetyourfootinsideitsometimeinyourpast,andsincethenitsclampshaveslammedshut.

What'sthepink-collartrap?Justthatthegreatworkyoudodoesn'tneedtobeevenacknowledgedbecausejustanybodycoulddoit,afterall.Youadminsarereallynothingspecialyou'redispensable,farlessvaluablethaneveryonearoundyou.Youcanbereplaced,inaheartbeat.InthewordsofRodneyDan-gerfield,youquitesimply"don'tgetnorespect."

Butrespectisanecessity,especiallyifyou'replanningtoturnyourselfinsideoutandmakeamajorcareermove.Otherwise,youbeginbelievingthat(1)youdon'tdeserveafabulouscareerlife,and(2)theknowledgeandexpertiseyou'vedevelopedduringyouradminyearsaren'tallthatspecial.Youthenstartdevaluingyourselfanddisbelievingyoucanevermakesuchachange.Andthatonlybuysyouaone-waytickettoNo-wheresville.

Interestingly,thehistoricalfactssurroundingtheadminprofessionsuggestotherscenarios.Admin/secretarialworkoriginallyenjoyedthehighestlevelsofrespectandprestigeintheheadyearlydaysofthe

professionwhenmostlymenworkedasadmins.Notuntilwomenbeganpopulatingthemajorityofadminsituationsdidsocietalattitudestowardtheprofessionshiftdownward.Onlythendidtheprofessionbecometreatedassomethingjustaboutanyonecoulddo.Surprised?Usneither.

Let'sstepintoatimemachineforamomentandtakealookathowthisallcameabout.Youmayfinditinstructivetolearnthatthere'samuchlargerdynamicswirlingaboutyouthansimplyindividuals'attitudestowardyoupersonally.Bysizingupthesubtleadversitiesyou'vebeenexpectedtoendure,youmayrecognizethatyou'vegotalotmoregoingforyouthanevenmanyhigher-paid,better-respected(mostlymale)coworkers.

Mommy,WhereDoAdminsComeFrom?

DidyouknowthatinAfricathereexistsanelegant,long-leggedwhitebirdwithmagnificent,floweryplumagethatspendsitsdaysstruttingaboutgrasslandsandmeadowswhilepatientlysearchingoutitsprey?Didyouknowthatthissleek,agile,exoticbirdcanwardoffannoyingirritants(snakes,smallbirds,flyinginsects)withquick,expertflicksofitswings?"Hmmm,veryinteresting,KenandBarbara,"wehearyousaying,"butwhattheheck'sallthisgottodowithme?"

Onlythatthisbirdhaslong,elegantcrestfeathersthatstickoutfromthebackofitshead,andremindednineteenth-centuryexplorersoftheofficeclerksandpersonalsecretariestheyknewbackinMerryOldEnglandwhousedtoabsentmindedlypokequillpensbehindtheirearsastheysearchedforanotherkindofpreydocuments,files,letters.Andtheseearliestadministrativeassistantsalsobecameadeptatwavingoffirritantsthemanyunwantedvisitorsandsolicitorsseekingaudienceswiththeirbusymasters.Flick,fliptheadmin'sauthoritativehandsandarmsshooedthemaway."Begonewithyounow!Mastercan'tseeyou."

Itwasnatural,then,fortheseEnglishexplorerstodubthisdetermined,skillful,andexquisitejunglefowlthe"secretarybird."

Tous,agoodadminparallelstheAfricansecretarybirdinacoupleofothersignificantwaysaswell.Nomatterwhatconditionsyou

encounterasyoubeginyourworkday,whetherit'ssixbossestossingdocumentsatyousimultaneouslyorirritatingintrudersslitheringintoorflutteringaboutyourreception

lobby,youprobablyroutinelyhandleitallwiththesamepatient,competentgraceasthesecretarybird.

And,it'sagoodbettheworldpaysyourexcellentworklittlenotice.Hadyou,forexample,everheardofthesecretarybirdbefore?Wehadn't.Butthinkaboutit:It'sbeenoutthereontheAfricanplainsallalong,quietlytakingcareofbusiness.Andwithanairofprofessionalismandbearingsecondtonone.

Yettheprofessionhasn'talwaysbeenthusignored.Backwhenmostlymenservedasadmins,societypaidmuchmoreattention.Infact,earlymaleadminsandsecretariesdrewnotonlyotherfolks'respectbuttheirenvy.Itwasagood,cleanjobthatgotoneoutofthefactory,anditrequiredacertainintelligenceandeducation(muchreading,writing,andarithmetic).Comparedtotoday'swages,anadmin'ssalarywasprettygoodtooamancouldactuallyraiseafamilydoingthisjob!We'dguessallthistranslatedintofarsturdierself-imagesthanmostadminsharbortoday.

ThewordsecretaryitselfderivesoriginallyfromtheLatinsecretum,meaning"secret."Theearliestsecretariesandadministrativeassistants,trueconfidantstotheirbosses,recordedorobservedallamaster'sthoughts,wisdom,needs,anddesires."Asaffairsofcommerceandtradeexpanded,"notesProfessionalSecretariesInternational(PSI),theAssociationforOfficeProfessionals initsofficialhistoryoftheadminprofession(publishedinTheSecretarymagazine),"menofwealthandpowerhadneedofsecretaries(confidantsortrustedagents)tokingsandotherrulers,astheyhandledtheircorrespondenceonprivateorsecretmatters,particularlymattersofstate."Translation:Itwasaprettyimportantandhigh-classjob!

Throughouttheages,secretariesandadministrativeassistantshaveshownupeverywhereattherightarmsofemperorsinRome,kings

andqueensoftheRenaissance,ministersandpresidentstoday.Butitwastheriseofexpandingindustriesandworldwidecommercethatreallyspawnedthewidespreadneedforadmins.Notuntilthendiddutifulrecord-keepingandregularbusinesscorrespondencebecomesuchacriticalbusinessfunctionforeveryone.

FromWhitetoPink

Inthelatenineteenthcentury,however,theprofessionofadministrativeassistancebeganfallingfromgrace.Aslongasmenheldthesepositions,peoplethoughtofprofessionaladminsassmart,cleverindividualswhohadescapedthegrungeandrigorsoffactoryorfarmworkviatheirobviouslysuperiorintellects.Whenwomenenteredtheranks,however,theadminpedestaltoppledover.

Withurbanindustrialsocietyexpandingatasteadyclip,moreandmoremanagementslotsopenedup,whichonlyexperiencedmaleadmin"whitecollars"seemedqualifiedtofill.Howthentofillthemanynewlyvacantadminslots?Onlyonesolutionlookedpractical:Unlockthekitchendoorsandletoutthewomen.Tomaintainthebalanceofpowerbetweenthesexes(andtokeepexpensesdown!),thisofcoursemightmeanredefiningthevalueoftheworkitself.Buttheworkhadtobedonebysomeone:Thatmuchwasclear.

Atthesametime,newmechanicalinventionsintroducedanaddedwrinkle,specificallyintheformofRemington'sfirst"writingmachine."Indeed,thesightoften,twenty,fiftyprofessional"typewriters,"asthewomenthemselveswereinitiallycalled,sittingatsmalldeskslinedupneatlyinbigfactory-likeofficeroomsandclackingawayonthesestrange,black,bulkynewmachinesmusthavesealedtheadmin'sdoom.Adminmassproductionhadarrived,andeveryfacewasfemale.Thejobnolongerseemedsospecial.

"Aswomenenteredofficestoperformtheoncecovetedroleofsecretary,"thePSIhistoricalsheetexplains,"itbecameoneofgrowingdisdain.Theylaboredthesamelonghoursasmenatconsiderablylesspay.Fewreceivedrecognitionandpromotion.[This]massenduredaroleofservitudewithloyalty,whileperfectingtheirshorthand,transcriptionandtypingskills."

TheKatyGibbsRevolution

By1900theoncemale-onlybastionofadministrativeassistancehadbecomethedomainofwomen.Businessschoolsteaching

thesecretarial"arts"hadsprunguparoundthecountry,manywith"forwomen"attachedtotheirprincipaltitle.Demandgrew.Somanycompaniesclamoredfortrained,knowledgeable"type-writinggirls"thatdespiteitsnewlysubservientstatus,thejobhadbecomeanindispensablecomponentoftheindustrialorganizational"machine.''

Aboutthesametime,KatharineGibbs,aRhodeIslandwidowstrugglingtofindwaystofeedherchildren,gotanidea.Whynotstartabusinesscollegeforwomenthatemphasizednotonlybusinessskillsliketypinganddictationbutalsopolishedprofessionalattitudes?Wouldn'tpersonalassistantsandsecretariesincreasetheirvaluetoemployersiftheyprojectedsophisticatedcommunicationskillsandfinemanners?Accomplishingthat,mightn'tthe"type-writinggirl"thenbeelevatedtotrueprofessionalstatusviaherobviouscommitmenttoworkexcellenceandprideinherself?

In.1911,Mrs.Gibbsopenedthefirstdoortoher"businessfinishingschool"forwomeninProvidence.HerideaapparentlyfitthetimesbecausethenextfewyearswouldseeheropenbranchesofhercollegeinNewYorkCityandBoston.TheKatharineGibbsSchooltoday(or"KatyGibbs,"asitsgraduatesaffectionatelycallit)nowoperatesinsevenlocationsontheEastCoastandisperhapsthecountry'sbest-known,short-termsecretarialschool.

OutWiththeOld,InWiththeNew

KatyGibbsintroducedintothenewlyevolvingstructuresofthebusinessworldanopportunityforthelegionsof"type-writinggirls"toenjoyindividualrecognitionanddignity.Nolongerdidtheadministrativeassistantsofherdayneedtoseethemselvesasfacelesshandmaidensorashumanversionsofmachines.Theycouldnowemergefromobscuritywithsmarterwaysofdoingthings,agenuinedesiretohelptheiremployersgrow,andaloyaltytowardgettingthe

jobdonenomatterwhat.Inshort,nolongerdidanywomanhavetoconsiderherself"onlyasecretary."

Butoldideasdiehard.Today,thoughmoreandmoread-

minsinsistoncallingthemselves(andbeingcalled)administrativeassistants(asopposedtosecretariesorclerks),manystillretainlowprofessionalself-images.Thesenseoflaboringinapink-collarghettoleavesmanyadminswithadispiritingsensethattheonlywayoutisthrougheithermarriageorretirement.Thebarriersaretooformidable,high,andimpenetrable.

Fortunately,thefactsdonotsupportcriesofdoomanddespondence.Therereallyarelotsofoptions.Thekeytoknowingthisliesinyourattitude.

AttitudeExam

Timeforanotherquiz,everyone!Thistimewe'regoingtogaugetheawesomepowersofyour"attitude."Asin:Whatdoyoubelieveaboutyourchancesforsuccess?Howdoyouperceiveyourpotential?Whatkindofcreditdoyougiveyourself?

Let'sstartbysurveyingtypicallamentsoftenutteredbyyourcolleagues.Theselamentsarecompositesofthemany,manywehaveheardinourcareerprogramsthroughouttheyears.Whatdoyounoticeaboutthem?Doyourecognizeanycommonthemes?

Thinkabouthowyoumightrespondtoeachlamentshouldthelamenterbegyouforananswer.Whatadvicewouldyougive?Wouldyoutake(andutilize)thissameadviceyourself?

Wilma:"I'monlyasecretary,see?Theycallmeanadministrativeassistant,butI'mnot.I'masecretary.WhatelsecanIdo,anyway?It'sallIknow."

Corinne:"Ionceappliedforanotherjobinsidethecompany.Whenmybossheardaboutit,hehittheroof.'Howcouldyoudothistome?'hesaid.'YouknowhowmuchIneedyouhere!'Ifeltawful."

Bobbi:"WheneverIgooutwithmyfriendswhoarealsoadmins,alltheywanttotalkaboutismen,parties,outfits.I'dreallyliketomoveupinthiscompanyanddosomethingelse,likeworkinmarketingorsales,butIjustdon'tknowhow.Noneofmyfriendshaveanyambitions."

Edna:"Iaskedpersonneliftheycouldhelpmefindapositionwithmoreresponsibilityandchallenge.Theygavemeaskillsinventorytestandyouknowwhatitshowed?MyskillsandexperiencequalifymeforexactlywhatIdonowansweringthephones,greetingvisitors,andtyping.That'sallIam!ThepersonneldirectortoldmeifIwantedtoqualifyforsomethingelseI'dhavetogobacktoschool.Well,Idon'tknowifIwanttogobacktoschool."

Whatdidyounotice?Didyoucatchanythemes?Howwouldyoureacttoanyofthesestatementsiftheywerebroughttoyou?Whatactionswouldyousuggest?Whatattitudesdoyoufeelneedtochange?

Onthelinesbelow,jotdownafewofyourreactionstotheselaments.Includeadviceyou'dgiveeachlamenter.Afteryou'redone,we'llletyouseeours.Butdon'tlookaheadtocheckoutour"right"answers.We'renotyourteacherhereasmuchasyourguide.Therereallyaren'tany"right"answers.We'rejustexploringasmanyavenuesaswecantoextractyoufromthepink-collarghetto.Therearemany,manywaystodoit.

"____."

ResponsetoWilma: "

ResponsetoCorinne: "

ResponsetoBobbi: "

ResponsetoEdna: "

ReactionsFromtheHomeOffice

Toomanyadminssitthemselvesdowninsideboxesoftheirownconstructionandrefusetoclimbout.Thoughitoftenseemslogicaltosupposethatyou'retrappedinaprofessionalrolebecauseofskillsandexperience,inourexperienceit'sneverso.Why,we'vemetgrownmenandwomenofeveryprofessionalstripewhosuccumbtowhatwecall"self-entrapment,"thoughinadmins,becauseofthesubtlediscouragementswe'vetalkedabout,negativeself-beliefsoftenrundeepestofall.

Ourgeneralreactiontothesestatementsisthis:Stopwhining!Itwas,afterall,yourchoicethatbroughtyoutoadminworkinthefirstplace.Itwillbeyourchoice(oraseriesofchoices)thatwillgetyouawayfromit.Sostopactingasiflifewereimpossible.

Onethemethatrunsthroughallthesestatementsishelplessness.Wilmais"only"asecretaryandshecan'tdoanythingaboutit.Corinnecannevermoveonbecauseherbossdoesn'tapprove.Bobbi'sfriendshavenoambitionandwon'tlethertalkaboutthingsthatmattertoher.Ednahasnoskillsthatqualifyherforanyotherkindofwork.Everyoneseemstobeparaphrasingawell-knownlineofOliverHardy's:"Whywon'tsomeonedosomethingtohelpme?"

Oursuggestion?Admin,helpthyself!That'sitinanutshell,andonceagainitcomesbacktoouroldfriendattitude.Ifyoucanconceiveitandyoubelieveit,youcanachieveit.It'sgottostartwithyou,though,rightinsideyourlittleol'head.

insideyourlittleol'head.

OurSpecificPrescriptions

Here'showwewouldreacttotheseadmits'laments:

ResponsetoWilma:"Bycallingyouanadministrativeassistantandnotasecretary,they'regivingyouanopening.Wilma,thisisabeginning,achancetodefineyourselfassomethingmore.Takeit,takeit!However,ratherthanwaitforotherstofleshoutanewjobdescription,startthinkingaboutwhatyou'dliketodoyourself.Whatprojectswouldyouliketotackle?Whatskillswouldyouliketoaddtoyourrepertoire?

"Byrestructuringyourjobdefinition(andskillset),you'llinitiateapersonalassessmentofyourinterestsandsetnewprofessionalgoals."

ResponsetoCorinne:"Understandthisyourresponsibilityinlifecanneverbetosubvertyourownintereststoyourcurrentboss'sapproval(ordisapproval).Sowhatifhedoesn'tliketheideaofyourmovingon?He'llgetoverit!

"Whileitwouldhavebeenhelpfultogethisapprovalforstrategicreasons,itmaybetoolatenow.Sogoonwithouthim;don'tgiveuponyourplans.Startlayingthegroundworkforsomeonetoreplaceyou.Youmighttrytoexplaintohimyourneedtomoveon,butifhewon'tlistenjustkeepmakingcontactsandlookingforotheropenings.Youmayhavetolookoutsideyourcompany,it'strue,butwhateveryoudo,keeplooking!

"Intheend,everybody(includingyourboss)willbethehappierforit."

ResponsetoBobbi:"Whenyou'reoutwithyourfriendsandcolleagues,injecttopicsofinteresttoyouintotheconversation.Insistonequaltime.Ifthatdoesn'twork,it'stimetogoandfindsomenewfriends.

"Youchosethefriendsyounowhaveonceuponatimeandyoucanunchoosethemifthereasonsforhavingtheminyourlifehavepassed.Ifthey'renolongermeetingyourneeds,oryouwanttoaddnewcolleaguesandfriendsthatbettermeetyourinterestsandneeds,gotoit!There'snoexcuseforstayingboredandstagnant."

ResponsetoEdna:"OK,maybeyoureallydon'twanttogobacktoschoolrightnow,butthatmaybebecauseyouhaven't

developedthepassiontodoso.Forgetwhatthoseteststellyou.Justanswerthisonequestion:Whatdoyouwanttodowiththenextphaseofyourworklife?Yes,that'sthequestion:Whatdoyouwant?

"Manyoftheskillsyouusetodaycanbetransferredtootherjobs,othercareers,otheremployers.Maybeyouevenwanttogointobusinessforyourself.Whatworkdoyouseeothersdoingthatlookslikefun?Startmakingalistandaskingyourselfwhatskillsthesefolksemploythatyoualsoutilizeinyourwork.Somethinglikethatcouldopenyoureyes."

HelpIsontheWay

Bypickingupthisbookandstartingtoreadit,you'vemadeyourselfacareercommitment.You'vedecidedtochangeyourlife.Whetheryou'vebeenfantasizingaboutgettingpromoted,movinglaterallytoanewdepartment,changingyourcareer,quittingyourpresentjobwhatever!somethinginsideyouhasbeguncounselingyouthatyoucandoit.

We'vetalkedalotaboutattitudesinthisfirstchapter.Whileit'struethatexternalforceswillthrowtroublingobstaclesinthewayofourhopesanddreams,knowalsothatonlyyourowninnerbarrierscantrulystandinyourway.Overcomethesebarriersandnothingcanstopyou.LikeourfriendtheAfricansecretarybird,keeponsearching,searching,searchingforwhatyouwantwhileflickingawayirritantswithawaveofyourwing.

HowConfidentAreYou?

Haveyoubeenlettingtoomanyinnerbarriersstandinthewayofyoursuccess?Doyoutendtoyieldtoomuchpowertoexternalforces?Doyoudelaypersonalcareervictorybylivingoffexcuses?

Intheaccompanyingworksheet,let'stakeareadoutofyour"positive

self-belief"thatis,yourlevelofself-confidenceaboutyourchancesfortruecareeradvancement.

Pleasescorethefollowingstatementsusingthescalebelow:

1.Dreamingofabetterlifewillgetyounowhere.

____

2.YoucanfightCityHall. ____

3.Televisionisavastwasteland. ____

4.ThechancesoffindingajobIreallywouldenjoyareveryunlikely.

____

5.Therearenodecentmoviesaroundanymore. ____

6.I'mnotreallyacreativeperson. ____

7.Lendingmoneytofriendsusuallyendsintrouble.

____

8.Copsareneveraroundwhenyouneedthem. ____

9.Peopledonotunderstandme. ____

10.Theworldismyoyster! ____

Total

Scoring:Giveyourselftwopointsifyoumarkedan8orhigheronquestions1,3,4,5,6,7,8,and9,onepointifyoumarkeda4,5,6,or7onthesequestions,andnopointsifyoumarkeda3orlower.

Giveyourselftwopointsifyoumarkeda3orloweronquestions2and10,onepointifyoumarkeda4,5,6,or7onthesequestions,andnopointsifyoumarkedan8orhigher.

Nowtotalallyourscores.

Howdidyoudo?Didyouscore20?Ifso,youscoredbig!That'saperfectscore,anditmeansyouabsolutely,no-question-about-it,couldn'tbemoreofapositivethinkerifyoutried.You'reoptimistic,youbelieveinyourabilitytoeffectchange,andyou'vegotyourbarriersincheckoryou'reconstantlyworkingonthem.It'sunlikelythatyoulet

yourselffeelvictimizedforanygreatlengthoftime.

Noteofcaution:Doesthismeanthatyouneverhavetoworkonyourbarriers,thateverythingcomeseasytoyou?Probablynot.Morelikelyyouhavetoworkonyourinnerbarriersthesameaseveryoneelse.Butyouprobablygiveyourselfeffective

innersignalstomakeyoureffortsateradicatingyourbarrierspayoff.You'vedecidedinyourheadthatyoucandoit.

Ifyouscored15to19,you'reonyourwaytoheaven,althoughyou'renotquitethereyet.Youprobablyknowthatyou'vegottokeepwatchonyourselfsoyoudon'tstrayfromthepath.Wesuggestperiodicallyaskingyourselfthesequestions:WhichinnerbarriersdoImostwanttogetridof?Whichgivemethemosttrouble?WhatsolutionscanIthinkoftokeepthemincheck?

Ascoreof8to14meansyouhavesomeworktodo.Theremaybeabuginyourearthatkeepswhisperingsomethinglikethis:"Nomatterwhatyoudo,youcanprobablynevermakeit.You'vegottoomuchgoingagainstyou.Whatintarnationevermadeyouthinkyoucouldbetteryourlifeanyway?Forgetaboutallthis,OK?It'snotinthecards."

Foryou,it'stimetosetfreethatwild,never-say-diesecretarybirdthatlivesinsideyou!Gofindwhatyouwantandflickawayallthenaysayingthatgetsinyourway.Putthisbookdownforamomentandbeginflappingthosepowerful,elegantsecretarybirdwings.Goahead,dowhatwetellyou.We'llwait.(Flap,flap,flap.)

Nowthen,didn'tthatfeelwonderful?Practiceyourwingflappingthroughouteachandeveryday.Practiceitespeciallyatwork.Itwillmakeyoustronger.

Didweleaveanybodyout?Oh,yousayyouscoredlessthan8?Well,then,you'vegotalotofworktodo!Butfearnot;youwon'tbegoingthishardroadalone.Afterall,youdidbuythisbook!

Trustuswhenwetellyouthis,andthisgoesforeveryone:You'vegotgreatnessinsideofyou,andyou'reabouttodisplayit.You'reembarkingonagreatadventurethatwilltakeyoutoabravenewworld.

Nameofex-admin:JudyTyler

Currently:AdvertisingaccountexecutiveforPremierBridemagazine,sellingadspace,establishingandmanagingdistribution,andimplementingmarketingservicesforclientadvertisers

Adminskillsusedtoday:Meetingplanning,managementandleadership,andpeopleandtelephoneskills

Howchangewasmade:"SomethinginsidemealwaystoldmeIwantedtobeinmarketingandsales.IusedtoseeotherpeopleinthecompaniesIworkedintravelingandmakingdecisions,andI'dthink,'Icandothat.'

"SoIwentbacktoschoolforamarketingdegree.ThenIfoundamentorwhoencouragedmetokeepstudyingandtolookforopportunitiesthatmatteredtome.AboutthetimeIfinishedmybachelor's,Igothiredtomyfirstnon-adminposition,asaprintspecialistinproductionatalargehigh-techfirm.FromthereIwentontomarketingandmanagementpositions."

Bestadviceforadmins:"Visibilityisakeything.Takeadvantageofeveryopportunitytogetasmuchoutfrontasyoucan.Vendorsandcustomersyou'veworkedwitharefabulousnetworkingopportunities.Chairingmeetingsandgettinginvolvedincommitteesletpeoplegettoknowhowgoodyouare.

"Also,gobacktoschool!AfterIfinishedmybachelor's,IproudlyannouncedtomymentorthatIhadjusttakenmylastexam,thatIwasfinallydone.Hecongratulatedme,butadded,'Judy,don'tstopnow.Yourbachelor'sissomethingyouhavetohave,butamaster'sdegreewillopendoorsforyou.'Icouldn'tseeitthen,butgraduallyitsankin.ThreeyearslaterIhadearnedamaster'sdegreeinappliedmanagement."

2ExternalForces,InnerBarriersThere'sasceneinthemovieWorkingGirlinwhichtheMelanieGriffithcharacter,Tess,asshebeginshermetamorphosisfromadmintoexecutive,tellsherbestfriendandfellowadminaboutanetworkingfunctionshe'llbeattendingthatnightforuppermanagers.Lookingoveroutfits,sheholdsupashimmeringblackdress,callingit"simpleandelegant."

"Butitneedssomebowsorsomethin',"herfriendsays,snappingtheguminhermouth.

ButTessexplainsthatsheneedsadresslikethatbecauseshewantstobe"interactingwithpeoplenotasasecretarybutasa"

Herfriendcutsheroff."Asatotalimpostor,"shesays,matter-of-factly.

Tess,alittlestunned,stopsforamoment,suddenlyawarethatheradminfrienddoesnotunderstand.

Thesadrealityofthecareerlivesofmanyadminsisthatsuchinnerbarriersholdthembackallthetime.Whileotherprofessionalstakeforgrantedthatthelevelthey'recurrentlyoperatingononlymarksastagingareafortheirleapuptothenextplateau,manyadminstellthemselves,withoutquestioningtheirassumption,thatthey'vereachedtheirlimit.

Salesprofessionals,forexample,knowthatiftheyworkhardtheymaymoveuptosalesmanager,districtsalesmanager,andperhapsVPofsales.Engineersassumetheopportunitytorisetoseniorengineerstatus,ortosomespecializedareaofexpertise,ortoproject

management.Anotheroptionmightbeto

breakofffromemployeestatusaltogetherandmakelotsmoremoneyasanindependentconsultant.

Butwherecanthepooradmingo?Possiblytoahigherlevelofadmin,sayasexecutiveadmintotheCEOortosomeothertopofficerinthecompany,butotherthanthatthejobstaysprettymuchthesame.You'restilljustanaide,afterall,anadministrativesupport,agopher,asentryatthegate.AsCarolMcDonoughsaid,you'rea''nannyforbigpeople."

Thoughthisassumptionain'tnecessarilythewayithastobe,especiallyintoday'schangingworkplace,alotofadminspresumethatitis.Theadminwhothinksthiswaythengivesupandsinksintotheillusionthatshe'strapped.

Ofcourse,theadminwhodoesfeelthiswaymightobject.Shemighttellus:"It'snotjusttheadmin,youknow.It'salsothewayadminsaretreated.There'snotalotwecandoaboutthat."Andwe'dagreewiththisstatementuptoapoint.Uptothelastone,tobeexact.

You,asanadmin,dohavemanyexternalforcesworkingagainstyou,aswementionedinChapter1.Werealizeit'snotallyou.Butotheradminshavefacedthesameconditionsyoudo,andyetthey'veeffectedbigchangesintheirlives.Iftheycandoit,socanyou.

FightingYourExternalForces

Inordertopreventthesedreadexternalforcesfromholdingyoudown,we'llneedtoexaminethem.Aswedothiswe'llalsonoteathingortwothatyoucandoaboutthem.Throughoutthisbookyou'llencountermanyideasforbattlingexternalforces.Someyou'llfindinthedossiersofreal-lifeex-admins.

Let'stakealookatafewexternalforcesnow:

SubtleSignalsintheAir

JustasTessgetsthemessagethattryingtobeotherthananadminamountstofalsepretenses,youtoomayhearorsensesimilarmessages.You'lloftencatchthesesignalsfrombosses,

higher-ups,customers,orcolleagues.Youmayevengetthemfromfellowadmins,friends,orfamily.

RememberBobbifromChapter1,whofoundherselffrustratedbyherunambitiousadminfriends?

"Alltheytalkaboutismen,parties,andoutfits,"shetoldus."I'dliketomoveupinthiscompanyanddosomethingelse,likeworkinmarketingorsales,butIdon'tknowhow.Noneofmyfriendsorworkcolleagueshaveanyambition."

Recallouradvice?WetoldBobbitoinsistontalkingaboutwhatshewantedtotalkabout,andifthatdidn'tworktogetsomenewfriends.Thefirstrule,then,istorefusetoletexternalforcessetyouragendaforyou.InWorkingGirl,Tesshasplentyofsubtlesignalsgoingagainsther,notonlytheself-trappingadmonitionsofherbestfriendbutalsothepatronizingcommentsandtreacherousactionsofherconnivingboss,Kathryn(playedbySigourneyWeaver;awomanboss,noless,whocannotbetrustedouch!).

Butshepushesherwaythroughanyway,settingupherownplanofactionandcarryingitoutmethodically.GiventherequirementsofHollywood,ofcourse,herplanhastogoawry,explode,andinvolveHarrisonFord.Still,shecomesthroughitallwithaveryhappyending.Butthemoralofthestoryisthatitispossibleforanadminwithsufficientspunktodramaticallychangeherlife!

Not-So-SubtleSignalsintheAir

Doyouworkforacompanythatsetsstrictcriteriaforitsnewhiresandtransfers?Maybeyou'reemployedbyalargebank,forexample,thatrefusestoconsideranyonewithoutatleastanM.B.A.foranynon-adminposition,orbyanacademicinstitutionthathiresonlyprofessionalswithaPh.D.?

Maybeyouworkforacompanywithaclearandobvious"admintrack."Onceyou'reonit,you'llbeconsideredforahigher-leveladminposition,butthere'snochanceofanythingmore.Personneldiscouragesyou,yourbossdiscouragesyou,managersinotherdepartmentsdon'twanttorisk"stealingawaysomeoneelse'sgirl."Directofficialbarrierstoyouradvancementmakeitallfeelsohopeless.

Throughoutthisbookwe'lltouchonmanyideasforbreakingthroughsuchbarriers.Butforthemoment,letusleaveyouwithtwo.

1. Whynotgobacktoschoolforthatbachelor'sdegreeorM.B.A.?WhynotyouwithaPh.D.?Well,whynot?Asyoulistentoyourselfprotestanddredgeupexcuses,thinkofthis:People,adminsandotherwise,doitallthetime.

2. Justbecauseathinghasneverbeendonebeforedoesn'tmeanitcan'tbe.Peoplewhoblazenewtrailsarecalled"pioneers."Youcouldbeonetoo.

Sayyourcompanyhasnevermovedanadminintoanewcareerareatoyour,oranyoneelse's,knowledge.Whycouldn'tyoubethefirst?You'dobviouslyhavetodeviseacreativestrategyandworkrealhardatlobbyingtherightpeople.You'dhavetoprepareyourselfforadifferentkindofjobinterviewthanwhatyou'vebeenusedto,butsowhat?

ThinkofyourselfasDanielleBoone,KristinaColumbus,or...AmeliaEarhart!

SubservientExpectationsandDemands

Runoutrightnowandrentamovieyou'veprobablyalreadyseenonceortwiceinyourlife,NinetoFive.Goahead,justputdownthisbook,grabyourcoat(inFlorida,SanDiego,andMaui,ignorethisstep),andgettheetothenearestvideostore.It'sOK.We'llamuseourselveswhileyou'regone.JustrunoutandrentatapeofNinetoFive.Thencomebackhomeandwatchit.Afterthecredits,pickupthisbookagainandwe'llresume.[PauseforviewingofNinetoFive]

Howwasthat?Wasn'titfuntoseethatagain?Didn'tyoujustlovethewaytheJane,Dolly,andLilycharactersputittotheirboss,playedbyDabneyColeman?Wouldn'tyoulovetodothesamethingtoyour

boss,ortooneyou'vehadinthepast?Wouldn'tyoujustloveit?

Yousurelywouldifyoueverhadonewhoactedinthesamerepulsive,tyrannicalmannerthatColeman'scharacterdid.For

acharacterlikeLilyTomlin's,forexample,tokeephertalentssuppressedbeneaththecollectivemalethumbsofthegoodoldboyswhoownedandranthiscompanyistheheightoffolly,notonlyforLilybutforthecompanyaswell.Yetopenlydemandingsubservientrolesfromadminsandfosteringa"guys"atmosphereis,infact,thewaymanycompaniesaresetup.

Howtofightsuchanatmosphereinreallife?UnliketheTomlincharacter'sfutileattemptstotalktoherbossaboutfetchinghiscoffeeas"notbeinginmyjobdescription,"youreffortsmayprovemoresuccessful.Simplytalkingitoutmaybeallyouneedtodo.Thesedays,manymalebosseshavebeenforcedtorethinkpreviouslyentrenchedattitudesaboutwomen'srolesinsocietyandwillbeopentoyourcomments.Otherswillsimplymodifytheirbehaviortokeepyouhappy.Thesebossesdorespectyouandyourwork,andtheysincerelywantyoutofeellikeavaluedpartoftheteam.

We'lladdherethatwhatwe'resuggestingby"talktoyourboss"issimplythattalk.Youdon'tneedtoconfront,accuse,orthrowafit.Thatwillonlyconfirmthe"emotionalfemale"imageinthemindsofmenwhodon'twanttounderstand(andevenmanyofthosewhodo)andwillmakethingsworse.Sotrytalkingthingsoutfirstifyouhaven'talready.Untilyoudo,youcan'tadequatelyassesswhetherornotthissimpleactionstepwilladvanceyoutowardmore-respectfulrelationships.

Asecondwaytoreducesubservientexpectationsistokeepacarefulwatchonyourself.Howdoyoupersonallycontributetoimagesofyouasthewillingofficeservant-girl?Dopeopleexpectyoutoplaythisrolebecauseyouinvitethemto?

EthelCook,aconsultantwhospecializesin"officeimprovement"issues,andaformeradminmanytimesover,railsagainstadminswhovolunteertododomesticchores."Neveroffertohangstreamers,take

upcollections,orservecoffee,"shefumes."Especiallynevervolunteertobakeanything!Letothersdothesethingswhileyoutakeonthetaskofemceeinganeventororganizingthespeakerschedule,doingtheaccountingorsomeother'business'task."Ifyoujustgetinvolvedinstereotypical"helper"roles,Cookinsists,especiallytraditionalwife-and-mothertasks,you'llonlysettleyourselfdeeperintothepink-collartrap.

AsMargBalcom,nowachangemanagementconsultantwithMilleniaConsultinginNatick,Massachusetts(andaformeradminherself),putsit,"Supportisnotsubordinate."TheformerassistantvicepresidentoftrainingatTJMaxx,Balcomoncehadbumperstickersprintedwiththeseverywordsanddistributedthestickerstosupportprofessionalsinherrecruitingdepartment."It'sallinthewayyoulookatthings,"shesays.

EthelCookadds,"Ifyoudon'twanttobesubservient,don'tactthatway."

BossesWhoWon'tMentor

Everyoneworksovertimeintoday'sbusinessworld.There's'alwayssomuchtodothatifyou'renotliterallypullingdownmorethanfortyhours,you'renonethelesslikelytobeovertaxedmentally,physically,andemotionallyinsomeotherway.Ifyoumustsurviveamajorlayoff,downsizing,orrestructuring,you'llundoubtedlyendupwithmoretodothanyoueverhadbefore.Foradmins,thisdevelopmentrepresentsbothgoodnewsandbadnews.

Thegoodnewsisthatanadminwillpossiblyfindmoreopportunitiestogetinvolvedwithmajorprojectsandimportantdecisionsthanmighteverhavebeenallowedbeforethecutbacks.Withmanagersandprojectteamssuddenlyneedingalltheextrahelpandresourcestheycanget,theymaystartrelyingonyoutodoalotmorethantypeandanswerthephone.Thatmeansthechancetolearn,grow,spendtimeinotherdepartments,gettoknowhigher-levelprofessionalsonanequalbasis,andgenerallybuildareputationasavaluedplayerwhocanbecalledintohelpinavarietyofways.

Thedownsideofsuchaneworderintheworkworld,however,mightbethatyourmanagerorsupervisorcouldbecomesobusyanddistractedthathe'llhavelessincentivethanevertospendtime

"developing"hisstaff.Thatwillespeciallymeanyou,theadmin,atoncehisrightarmandthebottomofthedepartmenttotempole.

He'llalsoberelyingonyoumorethanevertopullyourheaviestadminload.Inhisharriednewframeofmind,thelastthinghe'llfeelheneedsisforhissensational,lifesavingadminto

beeventhinkingaboutleaving.Thusthe"ParadoxoftheSuperAdmin":Thebetteryouareatyourwork,themorelikelyyou'llgetentrenchedthere.Yourgoodworksmakeitharderandharderforyoutogetout.Youfeellikeyou'rediggingyourowngrave.

Whattodo,whattodo?PaulFalcone,ahumanresourcesexpertandauthorofTheCompletelob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff,suggeststhattheanswermaylieinmakingamentoroutofyourboss.Onlywithyourboss'ssupport,Falconefeels,willthechancesbegoodforyoutomakeamovewithinyourpresentcompany.

Butstartyourbossoffslowly,consideringhispresentstressed-outframeofmind.Youmighttestthewaters,Falconesays,byaskinghimtosignoffonanoutsidetrainingprogram,preferablyonsomethingthatcouldextendyourchancesforadvancement(say,acommunicationsworkshoporpublicspeakingoraccounting).

"Seehowyourbossreacts,"Falconesuggests.Sincetheseprogramsarefrequentlyquiteinexpensive,you'llknowthat"ifthisseemstooformidableafavortoask,you'vegotyouranswer.It'llbetimetolookelsewhere."Butifyourbossdoesgoforit,thenyou'llhavebeguntomovehimintoanewframeofmindthatwillhelpyougetwhatyouwant.

Amoreon-siteideaistovolunteerforaspecialassignment,perhapsonethatyourbossneedstoexecutebuteitherdoesn'twanttoordoesn'thavetimefor.Onceyougetthego-ahead,especiallyifyourbossiswillingtosuperviseyou,you'llbehomefree.You'llbothrelieveyourboss'sstressandteachyourselfanewsetofskills.Anygoodmanagerwillquicklyseewhataboonyou'rebecoming.You'llhaveevensavedhimthetroubleofdoingthedelegating!

Supposeyouknow,forexample,thatyourbossneedstoexecutea

cost-accountingprojectforoneofyourdepartment'ssubdivisions.Youknowtoothatyourbosshasn'texactlybeenlookingforwardtothisproject.Also,despiterepeated(andvaliant)attemptstofindthetime,hejusthasn'tbeenableto.

Onedayyouwalkinallbrightandcheery-eyedandlayanactionplanonhisdesk.Handingoveraneye-catching,carefullydetailedagenda,repletewithtimelinesandclearobjectives,you

announce,"Here'showI'msuggestingweimplementthecost-accountingreviewforTripleXDivision.Iknowit'sbeenanimpossibleprojectforyoutogetto,soI'dliketohelp.Ifyou'lljustguidemeandansweranyquestionsImighthave,I'lldoallthecalculating,computerinputs,andspreadsheetreviews.Youkeepcheckingonmefromtimetotimeandbythemiddleofnextquarter,we'llhaveeverythingcompleted."

Woweezowee!Thishasgottobesweet,sweetmusictoyourfrazzledboss'sears.Byvirtueofyourinitiative,thisvexatioustaskthatjustwouldn'tgoawayisfinallygoingtogetdone.Yoursuggestionswillhaveexpandedyourjobdescriptionandcreatedamentorforyouinonefellswoop.

StructureoftheCompanyand/ortheJob

Sometimestheverystructureofthejoborthewayacompanymaybesetupcankeepyoustuck.Inalargercompany,forexample,functionsmaybesotightlyorganizedthatnooneisallowedsufficientslacktotransfertoanewdepartmentortolearnsomethingnew.Hiringisalwaysdonethroughsearchfirmswhosemandateistofindsomeoneontheoutside.Thatmeansmiddlemanagers,technicalpersonnel,financialprofessionalsyounameit!Eventhoseinuppermanagementfeeltrappedbythesystem.Nooneonanylevelevergetsthechancetomakeamove.

Smallerfirmstoo,particularlythesmallestones,maybesimilarlyinflexible.Thoughasageneralrulesmallfirmsofferenvironmentsthatrequireeveryonetopitchinandhelpwitheverything,sometimesorganizationswithextremelyspecificjobfunctionsdrivetheworkatmospheretheotherway.

JudyTyler,nowasalesexecutivewithPremierBridemagazine,recallsaneye-openingexperienceatacompanysheonceworkedfor

asanadmin.

Aftermanymonthsofdoingnotmuchmorethanwhatshehadbeenhiredtodomainlytotypelegalagreementssheexpressedherfrustrationtoherboss,theattorneywhohadhiredher,aboutthelackofintellectualchallengeinherduties.Thejob,sheconfided,wasdrivinghernuts.

"Ineedsomestimulation,"shesaid."Ineedtodosomethingthatrequiresmetothink."

Herboss'sanswer,however,mincednowords."Itoldyou,Judy,duringyourinterviewthatthisjobdidn'toffermuchresponsibility.Ididn'thireyoutothink.Ihiredyoutotype.That'sallthejobis."

"Hisbluntresponsewasverymotivating,"Judyrecallsnow,laughing."Itmotivatedmetogettheheckoutofthere!Iimmediatelybegantakingstepstofindanewjob."

InnerBarriers

Nowlet'sexaminemoredeeplythose"innerbarriers"wespokeofearlier,specificallythosethatblockadminsfrommovingaheadintheircareers.Asmuchaswemightliketofoistalltheblameforourlotonexternalforces,mostoftheresponsibilityforlingeringinanunsatisfactoryjobwillusuallyrestonourowntwoshoulders.Weareonlyhuman,afterall,sufferingtoonedegreeoranotheramyriadofneuroses,self-doubts,andlapsesinself-esteem.Someoftheseafflictionsarecommontoadmins,aproductoftheexternalforcesintheirenvironmentsaswellassymptomaticofthepersonalitytypethatgetsattractedto,andperpetuatedby,thiswork.

Hearforyourselftheobservationsofalineupofadmins,ex-adminsand"guestexperts"whohaveeitherexperiencedtheseinnerbarriersatworkorstudiedtheminothers.Seehowmany"self-trappingmechanisms"you'venoticedinyourself:

AngelaMaffeo,formeradminforCPAandlegalfirms,nowacareerandlifestylescounselor:"Alotofadminsfallintounfortunatecodependentrelationshipswiththeirbossesorsupervisors.Theyoughttoseetheseworkrelationshipsaspartnerships,butinsteadcodependencywinsout.Theyhavedifficultysettingboundariesand

endupdoingtoomuchforothers,givingawaytoomuchofthemselves.Many,manyadminsarenotevenconsciousofit."

AnneMarieDangler,executivesecretary:"Youdealwithalotofegosinthisjobandthatfeedsonyourownsenseofself-esteem.Youfeellowonthetotempole,notvalued.Inlightofthis,alotofadminsneverlearntospeakupforthemselves.Theyneverlearntobeassertive,thoughit'sanecessity.Stayingquietallthetime,notspeakingup,keepstheminthesameplaceandtheynevergetahead."

CarolMcDonough,executiveadmin:"Manyadminsaren'tconfidentinthemselves.They'retoonicetoeverybody.Theydon'tlearntodeflectbullets,sotheygetshotdownalot.Andtheystaydown."

EthelCook,veteranadmin,nowprofessionalorganizer,trainer,consultant,andmotivationalspeaker:"Manyadminsdon'tseethemselvesaspartofthemanagementteamorevenasprofessionals.Imovedmyselfaheadbyforcingmyselftogrowandthusdevelopingmyself-esteem.Toomanyadminsdon'tworkhardenoughatthat."

JudyTyler,formeradmin,nowasalesexecutivewithPremierBridemagazine:"It'sthe'femalerole'thatkeepsadminsstuckputtingsomeoneelse'sneedsbeforeyourown.That'stoughtobreakoutofbecauseyou'reconstantlyfocusingonsomeoneelse'sneeds."

CarySchwartz,formerofficetemp,nowahighschoolmathteacher:"There'sasensealotofadminshaveof'Whybother?'They'llsettleintocomfortableroutinesandgetcomplacent.Yougetasensethattheydidn'treallywanttodoanymorethanthey'redoingnow.Todomorewouldinviteexpectationandpotentialfailure."

MaryMiller,exexecutiveadmin,nowmarketingmanageratamajoruniversity:"Beingfemaleisthefirstthingonthelist.IgrewupwiththesubtlemessagethatIdidn'thaveabrain,Ididn'tknowenough.Thatbreedsfearofsuccess,aswellasamoresubtlefearoffailure.WhenIthinkaboutthetimesIwassuccessfulatthingswhilegrowingup,Irecallpeoplebeingjealousofme.Notmanyrejoicedwithme."

PaulFalcone,authorofTheCompleteJob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff:"Iheardan

employmenttrainertalkingonceaboutthetwobasicmentalitiesoperatingintheworkworldtoday.Hecalledthem'factory'and'entrepreneurial'mentalities.

"Factorythinkerscomposeamajorsegmentofour'entitlementculture.'They'realwayslookingforsafejobs,lifelongjobs,securesalaries.Entrepreneurialmentalities,instead,takeonrisk.There'saglobalperspectivethere,awillingnesstoseehowtheymightfitintotheoverallorganization.They'llroutinelyreachbeyondtheirjobdescriptionsandofferupahighervalue.

"Unfortunately,I'vefoundmanyadminsonlywanttoapproachtheirjobswiththefactorymentality.Theyshyawayfromentrepreneurialthinking.Theyjustdon'tchoosetotakeenoughrisks."

JudyWagner,ex-admin,nowacounselingassistantwithanEAPprovider:"Sometimes,ofcourse,it'salifestylechoice.Youcanwalkawayfromadminworkattheendofthedayandstopworkingforawhile.Youmightsimplybehappydoingwhatyou'redoing,andyou'renotinterestedinclimbingthecorporateladder.Inthatway,lackofacareerdevelopmentplanholdsyouback,asdoestheverylackofadesireforacareer.Thoughifit'salifestylefreelychosen,there'snothingwrongwithit."

NancyCassesso,formersecretary,nowasalesprofessionalwithamanufacturers'rep:"IheldmyselfbackforanumberofyearsbecauseIsimplydidn'tthinkIcoulddothejobthatIdonow.I'dbeenofferedthechancebefore,butIturneditdown.Ijustdidn'thaveenoughconfidenceinmyabilities."

RustyStieff,formeradmin,nowvicepresidentinthenonprofitlendinggroupatamajorcommercialbank:"Oftenit'sthesqueakywheelthingifyoudon'tmakeanynoise,nobodynoticesyou.Alotofadminsfailtomakeitcleartoothersthattheyevenwanttomoveup."

SusanSchenkel,Ph.D.,authorofGivingAwaySuccess:WhyWomenGetStuckandWhattoDoAboutIt:"Butwhenlefttoprojectsofourowninitiative,[women]flounder.Typicallywedescribeourselvesaspeoplewhodon'tfollowthroughorwhodropout.Ourlivesarefullofunfinishedprojects:uncom-

pletedcollegedegrees,coursework,resumés,painting,andbooks.

''Learninghowtobehelplessmakeswomenvulnerabletointerpretinganyseriousdifficultyasevidenceofinevitablefailure.Pullingoutappearstobethemostreasonablecourseofaction.Afterall,whybeatadeadhorse?"

Kindofmakesyourheadspin,doesn'tit?There'salotofworktodo,itseems,alotofchangethathastogooninside.Ofcourse,we'renotsayingthatalloftheinnerbarriersmentionedherebelongtoyou.Youmaybewayaheadofthegamewithsomeofthem.Butothersmaybegettingthebestofyouand,ifthatisso,it'scriticalthatyouknowthat.

Byidentifyingyourinnerbarriers,you'llcontainandcorralthem,wrestlethemintosubmission,maybeevensetthemloosetorunawayfromyouandhasslesomeoneelse.Themainpointtorememberisthatyouarethebosshere.Youcandoanythingyouwantwithyourinnerbarriersshipthemofftoadifferentdepartment,makethemsitinacomerwithoutanylunch,handthemapinkslip.Butwhatyou'vegottoknowfirstiswhattheylooklike.

"Life-PointAnalysis"

Toidentifyyourinnerbarriers,youplacethemwithinthecontextofyourwholelife.Yourbarrierstypicallysurroundthemselveswithyourfearsandanxietiesaboutwhoyouare,whatyou'recapableof,whattheworldexpectsfromyou.Theywanttohelpyou,theyreallydo,andyoushouldpayattentiontowhatthey'retryingtosay.Butyoushouldneverletthemholdthereins.

Intheframeonthenextpage,drawapictureofyourself.Yes,youheardusright:Drawapictureofyourself.Infact,ifyourummageaboutyourhouseorofficeforsomecrayonsormarkers,youmayenduphavingalotoffunwiththis!C'mon,let'sheadbacktochildhood,

whenwenevermuchcaredaboutself-

PortraitofME!

esteem,insecurity,orfearofsuccessorfailure.Wewerehavingtoomuchfun!

Don'treadfurtheruntilyou'vefinishedyourself-portrait.

Nowthatyou'vecompletedyourself-portrait,gobackandinsertpositiveandnegative"lifepoints"thatpopulateyourlife.Includetalents,skills,dreams,andproudachievementsaswellasfears,anxieties,worries,andbadhabits.Insertyourpositiveandnegative"lifepoints"bydrawingthemallaroundyourself-portrait.Donotuseanynumbers,letters,orwords.(That'scorrect.Youreadusrightagain:nonumbers,words,orlettersjustdrawings.)

Useyournaturalcreativityandletyourselfhavesomefun.Whenyouhavefinished,resumereading.

Now,let'sevaluatewhatyou'vedone.Contemplatethesequestions:

1.Whathappenedwhenweaskedyoutotacklethisassignment?Didyouenthusiasticallygrababoxofmarkersorcrayonsandexcitedlywhiptogetheryourself-portrait?Ifso,thatonesteppickingupcrayonsormarkerssomethingyoudidevenbeforetheofficialexercisebegan,showedawillingnessinyoutodowhateverittakestoadvanceyourcareerandpersonalgrowth.Youtrustedthattryingsomethingdifferentmightadvanceyoualittlebitfurther.Youtookachance.Goodshow!

2.Whatdidyoufretabit(oralot!)aboutdrawingapictureofyourself?Didyouthinkatonce,"Me,draw?IcouldneverdothatI'dbelaughedoutofmyhouseandhome!"Ifyoufeltevenatingeofthisbutwentaheadanyway,youtooshowedthewillingnesstobraveyourfears.Youtookariskdespiteaninnerbarrierthattriedtostopyou.Doublegoodshow!

3.How'dyoudoonthenextpart,addinginyour"lifepoints"?Did

youstruggleattimestofindawaytodepictgoodandbadpointswithoutusingnumbers,letters,orwords?Ifyoudid,butyoufoughtbravelythroughanyway,knowthis:Whateveryouputonthepage,nomatterhowitlooks,demonstratedyourinnateabilitytobecreative.Itdoesn'tmatteratallwhatitlookslike,either(tellyourcattostoplaughing).Yousimplydeviseda

waytocommunicatesomethinginanewway.That,friend,wecallcreativity.

4.Ontheflipside,didyougetdownonyourselfbecauseyoucouldn'tthinkofawaytopictorializeeverypoint?Didyouworryyoumightnothaveexecutedthisexerciseperfectly?Ifso,pleasebewarned:Perfectionism'sanoccupationalhazardforadmins,whosejobistotakecareofallthedetails,dottingtheboss'si's,crossinghist's.Whenitcomestoyoupersonally,it'saskillthatoftengetsyouintrouble.

Letyourperfectionismgo.Youcan'tmoveforwardifyoudemandtoomuchofyourself.You'llonlystressyourselfoutandhesitatetakinganextstep.Andyou'vegottotakenextsteps:They'reyourlifeblood,they'retheprincipalcareeractivitiesthatwillspringyoufromthepink-collarghetto.Don'tfeelyouneedtodoeverythingperfectly.Justdoitwell.

Nameofex-admin:JanetHartford-Hill

Currently:Antiquedealer,Dallas,Texas

Adminskillsusedtoday:Timemanagement,socialinteractionskills

Howchangewasmade:"I'dalwayskeptfunitemsonmydeskwhereverIworkedasanadmin.Ilovedtogoantiquingontheweekends:Iwasalwaysataswapmeetorcountyfairordroppinginonanantiqueshop.IfIwasonvacation,thefirstthingI'ddowascheckthelocalpapersandseewhatantiqueshowsmightbeinthearea.(Thisdrivesmyhusbandnuts!)

"OneweekendwhileIwasatanauction,ImetanoldfriendIhadn'tseensincehighschool.Iaskedherwhatshewasdoing,andshetoldme,'1huntforthingsIcansell.'

"'Youcanmakealivingatthis?'Iasked.

"'Adarngoodone,'myfriendsaid.

Iwasoffandrunningafterthat.FirstIpickedherbrainforeverythingshe'deverlearnedabouthowtobuyandsellolditems.ThenIgottoknowsomeofherfriendsinthebusiness.BeforeI

knewwhatIwasreallydoing,I'dgivennoticetomyemployer.Aftertwelveyearsasanadmin,Ibecameaprofessional'antiquer.'"

Bestadviceforadmins:"Looktoyourhobbiesandpersonalinterestsforideas.Don'ttakeyourselfforgranted."

3TheFear-of-FailureGangIfourinnerbarriersshowedupregularlyontheTVprogramAmerica'sMostWanted,theonebarrierthatmostAmericanswouldreallywanttoseecapturedthekingpinofthemallwouldbeFearofFailure,alsoknownbyitsalias,FearofSuccess.Likesomemonstrousgangboss,thisbarriertowerswickedlyoveralltheothers,keepingconditionssafeforyourotherinnerbarrierstoruntheirnumbersonyou.Maybethat'swhyitcanbesotoughattimestoaccuratelydistinguishbetweenFearofFailure,FearofSuccess,andfearofthis,that,andeverythingelse.Ourfailurefearscanbejustthatenormous.

Inourworkovertheyearswithcareer-mindedprofessionals,FearofFailure/Successinvariablyrearsitstroublesomeheadsoonerorlater.CEO,admin,financialconsultant,securityguarditreallydoesn'tmatterwhoyouare.Undoubtedlyyouhavestruggledwithyourownversionofthefearbarrier.

InJanHalper'sbookQuietDesperation:TheTruthAboutSuccessfulMen,maleCEOsdiscusstheirinnermostfeelingsabouttheirsuccessfulclimbstothetop.Surprisingly,Halper'sresultsrevealtremendouslevelsoffearinsidethesemeninrelationtotheveryimplicationsoftheircareersuccesses.

Theyworry,forexample,aboutbeingabletocontinuetheirsuccess,aboutgreaterresponsibilitiescreatedbyeachnewsuccess,aboutwhattheywoulddoifsuddenly,somehow,theylosttheirjob.Despiteprovingtheirabilitiesagainandagain,thesemenstillhadtoshoreuptheirconfidenceeverydayagainsttheirfearsofwhatfailureandevensuccesscouldbring.

Sofearoffailure/successisn'tlimitedtoadmins.Insteadit'sauniversalproblem,aningredientwemanufacturenaturallythatgetsusintotroublebecausesometimeswepaythewrongattentiontoit.Weautomaticallygiveitthepowertodominateus,totelluswhattodo."IfI'mafraid,"wereason,"Imustnotbedoingtherightthing."Yetoftenweknow,deepdown,wearedoingtherightthing.Whatgoeson,simply,isthatwefeelscared,andsincewedon'tenjoythatfeelingwetrytogetridofitinanywaywecan.Theeasiestway(wereasonerroneously)istosuccumbtoitswishes.

EthelCook,nowanindependentconsultant,recallsacareerexperiencethatillustrateswhatwemean.

Once,asanadmin,Ethelhadsuccessfullyputtogetheranimportantconferenceofhercompany'smajorexecutives.Herbosswassopleasedwithherworkthathewantedtoacknowledgeherforitinfrontofalltheattendees.

"Ethel,it'sonlyrightyougetcreditforwhatyou'vedonehere.Thismeetingwouldn'tbetakingplacewithoutyou.I'mgoingtointroduceyoutoeveryone,andthenI'dlikeyoutosayafewwords.lustsayhelloandmaybethankeveryoneforcomingitdoesn'thavetobemuch.Ijustthinkyoudeserveafewmomentsinthesun."

Ethelfreakedout."1won'tdoit,"shesaid."1can'tgetupthereinfrontofeveryoneandgiveaspeech.Ican'tdoit.Iwon'tdoit."

"No,no,notaspeech,Ethel,justafewwords.Youdon'thavetosaymuch,just'Hello,thankyouforcoming,'thensitdown."

Ethelwasstillterrified.Whatifhervoicegaveout?Whatifpeoplelaughedather?Whatifshesoundedlikeanidiot?Shecouldn'tdothis;shecouldn'tsuccessfullypullthisoff,notevenforthebriefestmoment.

"No,Iwon'tdoit,"shedeclaredvehemently."Andifyoumakemedoit,I'llquit!"Herbosshadtogivein.Shewassimplynotgoingtostandupinfrontofallthosepeople.

Deepwithin,Ethelknewshewasyieldingtoherfearsandlosingsomethinginthebargain.Intellectually,sheknewshecould,infact,dothis,thatshemightevensucceedatit.Butfearoffailure(infrontofanaudience,noless)hadblindedherfromtakinganecessary,ifscary,firststep.

Astheyearswentby,Etheldevelopedadesiretoleaveadminworkandbecomeanindependentconsultant.Sheknew,however,thatthisworkwouldrequirehertodolotsandlotsofpublicspeaking.Withherfearsstillgrippingherinside,shebeganattendingToastmasters',apublic-speakingclub,andtakingeveryopportunityshecouldfindtogetupinfrontofanaudience.ShegotactivelyinvolvedwithanationalseminarcompanyandwiththeNationalSpeakersAssociation,andnow,yearslater,shecommands"asubstantialfee,"shesays,forgivingatalkorseminar.Sheadmits,too,thatshestillgetsnervousbeforeapresentation,butnowshedoesn'tletheranxietykeepherdown.Herfearstilllives,butitnolongerfunctionsasabarriertohersuccess.

FearasaSignaltoGrow

Obviously,lettingourfearsrunourlivesrulesoutexcitingopportunitiesforcareeradvancement.Ethelmighthaveembarkedonhersuccessfulcareerasaconsultantandspeakeryearsearlierhadsheacceptedherboss'sinvitationtojustsayhelloandthankeveryone.Ofcourse,allofuscanlookbackonourlives,bothprofessionalandpersonal,andrecallsimilarincidentswhenourfearsheldusbackfromdoingsomethingweknewwouldtakeusforward.

Yet,whennewopportunitiesarise,wefallintothesametrap.It'saframeofmindwetooeasilyfallinto.Togetoutofthisframeofmind,weneedtosubstituteanewone.Whatifwesawfailure,forexample,asalearningexperience?That'safterallwhatitreallyis,anopportunitytodiscoverhowtodosomethinginordertoeventuallydiscoverhowtodoitright,andwell.

SusanSchenkel,inGivingAwaySuccess,putsitlikethis:

Sincebydefinitionachallengeisn'tasurethingandsomefailureisinevitable,failuremustbeviewedasatemporarysetbackthatcreatesan

opportunitytolearn.Itbecomesacuetotrysomethingelse,notasignaltowithdraw.Sustainedeffortinthefaceofsetbacksallowsonetopersistlongenoughtoattainsuccess.

Thisinturnreinforcesamoreoptimisticattitudetowardfuturefailures.

Schenkelshouldknowwhatshe'stalkingabout.She'sstudiedthesubjectformanyyearsandtaughtcoursesonitatmajoruniversities.She'salsoobservedthedynamicsoffailure-as-a-barrierand"sustainedeffort"asamethodofbreakthroughintheclientssheseesinherpsychologypractice.We'veobservedthesamedynamicsinourcareerexplorationprograms.

Sarah,anadminworkingforacompanybasedinPitts-burgh,toldusthefollowingstory.

Anopportunitytotraveltothecompany'sNorthwestbranchhadcomeup.Althoughqualifiedtorepresenthercompanyontheseservicemissionsshe'dhandledhundredsofclientinquiriesandproblemsovertheyearsandknewthecompany'sproductsinsideandoutSarahimmediatelybeganthinking:"I'mafraidtoaskforthisassignmentbecauseIdon'tknowwhatmyboss,Jim,wouldsay.Whatifhelaughedinmyface?HemightthinkI'mnotcapableofgoingouttoseeclientsbymyself,thatIdon'tknowenough,thatI'mjusta[gulp!]admin!IhavenoideawhatJimwouldsay."

Atfirstshegaveintothefear."Iwon'tgoaskhim.It'sbetterthatIdon'tknowwhathethinks.Hearinghisnegativethoughtsaboutmewouldbedevastating.Besides,whatifhetookachanceonmeandIblewit?"

Afterafewsleeplessnights,Sarahdecided,"Forgetit!WhatifIdoblowit?IfIdon'teventry,howcanIeversucceed?HowcanIevermovetoabetterjob?Besides,ifJimdoessayno,atleastI'llbeabletogetsomesleepagain!"

Thenextday,revvinguphercourage,shewenttoJim'sofficetoaskhimabouttheassignment.AtfirstJiminfactdidhemandhawabitabouthergoingalone."You'veneverdonethisbefore,"hesaid."How

doIknowyoucanhandleit?"

Bravingherownself-doubts,SarahbegantospeakandwithinsecondsheardherselftellingJimaboutherstrengthsandabilities:"I'mverygoodwithcustomersonthephone,JimyouknowthatandIsolvealotoftheirproblemsonmyown,whennooneelseisintheoffice.Ialmostneverruntoyouanymorewithaquestion,doI?Iknowmostofthetimeexactlywheretogofortherightanswer."

Washervoicewaveringtoomuchasshemadehercase?Wasshesubtlyrevealingherdeepestanxietiesaboutfailing?Sarahdidn'tknowbutshepressedon.Afterlisteningtoallshehadtosay,JimpulledoutatravelvoucherandputSarah'snameonit."You'reright,"hesaid,noddinghishead."You'vecomealongwaysincethatdayyouwalkedinhereasatemp.Let'sgetyouonaflighttoSeattleandseewhatyoucando."

Ratherthanletherfearsstopher,Sarahrealizedtheyweresignpostsforgrowth.Wefearsomethingbecauseitrepresentssomethingnew,unfamiliar.Ouradrenalingetspumpingaswewonder:CanIdothis?Butwealsorealizewe'llneverknowunlesswetry.Sowepushthroughourfears,asSarahdid,andaskfor,ortake,thejob.

Andthat'sthekeyingredient,expertswilltellyou,inbreakingthroughfears,doubts,andanxietiesandgettingonwithlife.Don'tletyourFearofFailure(orofSuccess)holdbackyouractions.Fearcanmakeyouexamineanopportunitytoseeifit'srightforyou.Itcanpiqueyoursenses.ButyourultimatedecisionshouldneverbebasedonFearofFailurealone.Failureplainlymustbeexperiencednowandthenifwearetoalsoexperiencesuccess.

FearofSuccess

RegardingFearofSuccess,whatisitreallybutjustavariationofFearofFailure?LikethoseCEOsinthebookQuietDesperation,it'sonlyapostponementoftheinevitable.Itrevealsadeep-seatedinsecurityaboutone'sintrinsicability.Listentoafewstatementsfromadminswhosharedtheirdeepestfeelingsaboutthissubjectinourcareerprograms:

Sylvia,whoworksforarealestatefirminWhitePlains,NewYork:"WhenIsucceedatdoingagreatjobatanewproject,won'tthatjustpostponefailuretoafuturedate?WhenIsucceed,I'moftenjustlucky,

orsomebody'sgivingmeabreak.Peoplesimplyhaven'tseenthroughmeyet.Sowhat'sthepointofsucceeding?They'lljustfindoutI'mincompetentlater."

Betsy,employedbyaconstructioncompanyinProvo,Utah:''IfIsucceed,ImightnotlikewhatI'vesucceededat,andI'llbedisappointed.IfIgetdisappointed,theremustbesomethingwrongwithmyabilitytomakedecisions.It'llhighlightmypoorsenseofjudgment,whichIalreadyfeelIhave.Whygothroughallthat?MaybeI'dbetterjuststaywhereIamandquitkiddingmyself."

Mary-Margaret,workingforasmallmanufacturingfirminVermont:"IalwayswonderifIreallydeservetosucceedevenwhenIdo.I'malwaysthinking,'Thisisn'tme,thisisn'tme.YoumaythinkI'macompetentperson,butI'mnotasgoodasyoubelieve.'It'ssomestrong,strongdoubtthat'sdeepinsideme.ItmakesmewanttogetasfarawayfrommysuccessasIcan."

CanyouseehowFearofSuccessseemstofeedoffFearofFailure?"IfIsucceed,it'lleitherpostponefailureorriskpeoplefindingoutIdidn'tdeservetosucceedinthefirstplace,"wethink."Orit'llshowoffmyotherfailings,likepoorjudgment."Geewhiz,youcan'twinforlosing,canyou?

FearBreakers

Enoughtalk!Let'sgetdowntoputtingsomeofourfearstorest.Oratleasttoidentifyingwhatwecandoaboutthemsotheydon'tkeepholdingusback.

Ontheworksheetonthenextpage,listyourcareerfears.YoumaylistFearofFailure,FearofSuccess,oranyotherfearsthatcometomind.Ifwewanttocontainoreradicateourfears,we'vefirstgottogetthemclearlyoutintheopen.

Afteryou'velistedallyourfears,movetotheright-handcolumnandlistanideaforbravingeachfear.Don'tworryabouthowconfidentyouareaboutyourideaworking(that'sonlyanotherexampleofyour

fear!).Justjotitdown.Astimegoesby,you'llhavethechancetotryoutyourideasandseewhichworkandwhichdon't.Ifanideadoesn'twork,ofcourse,you'vestillaccomplishedsomething:You'llhaverisked,andexperienced,failure,butyouwon'thaveletitholdyouback!

Fear IdeaforBravingThisFear

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4.__________

5.__________

Mostexpertswhostudyhumanfears,andadminswhohavesuccessfullypreventedtheirfearsfromholdingthemback,tendtoagreeononeremedy:action!Nomatterhowdifficult,frightening,worrisomethefear,thebestwaytoeradicateitorgaincontroloveritistodosomethingaboutit.InherexcellentbookFeeltheFearandDoItAnyway,SusanJeffersoffersacentralmessageyoumightgiveyourselfwhileinitiatingsuchactions:"Whatevercomesasaresultoffacingmyfears,Icanhandleit."

Andshe'sright,youknow.Ourmostbasicfearisthatwewon'tbeabletohandlewhateverunknownorunpredictablere-suitcomesourwaybecauseofouractions.Wedon'tbelievewe'recapableofdealingwiththeramificationsoffacingourfearsonourown.Maybeourfearoranxietyisreallyanancientprimevalinstinctalertingustokeepoursensesclear,ourheads

up,andallourwitsaboutus."Doyourbest,yourabsolutebest,witheverythingworkingatfullcapacity,"mightbeanotherwayofsayingit.

Butwhateveryoudo,don'thangbackanddonothing.Youreallycanhandleit.

Sarah,forexample,"handled"themomentaryambivalenceexpressedbyherboss,Jim,byrefusingtoletitaffecther.Shefelthergravestfearsrisinganewashewonderedaloudaboutherabilities.Butshekepttoherplan,kepttalking.Shedidn'tstop,run,hide,orbackdown.Shecontinuedacting.

EthelCook,laterinhercareer,finallystoodupatapodiumforthefirsttimeandriskedallthelaughter,ridicule,disapprovalshe'dfearedforsomanyyears.Butitdidn'tmaterialize,andthatonlymadeheralittlestrongerandmoreconfidenttostandupatapodiumasecondtime,thenathird,andafourth,andagainandagain.Overtime,shebecameaseasonedprofessionalspeaker,stillwithfears,butincontrolofthem.

TheHelperMentality

AchartermemberoftheFearofFailureGang,thenefariousHelperMentalitymakesitsappearancethroughouttheworkworldinmanyguises,alldonnedprimarilybywomen.Mostlyfemalenurses,forexample,arethehelpersofmostlymaledoctors(andmostlyfemalenurses'aideshelpthenurses!).Mostlyfemalefacultyassistantshelpoutmostlymaleprofessorsinacademia.Mostlyfemalehumanresourcesprofessionalshelpoutmostlymalemanagersinbusiness.

Otherprofessionalhelpers,againmostlywomen,includetherapists,socialworkers,counselors,customerservicestaff,andteachersandtrainers.Anythingprimarilyviewedasa"helping"role,itseems,will

tendtodrawmostofitspractitionersfromtheranksofwomen.

JaniceLaRouche,author(withReginaRyan)ofJaniceLaRouche'sStrategiesforWomenatWork,labelsthisphenomenon"TheHelpmateBlock."Inhercomprehensiveexplorationofinnerbarriersthatdirectlyaffectprofessionalwomen,LaRoucheexplains:

Playingthetraditionalhelpmateisahardhabittobreak.Notonlyisitingrainedinusasthetrulyfemininewaytobe,butitisalsopartofadeal:Ihelpyoubecomesuccessful,andyoutaketheultimateresponsibilityformywelfare.

Manywomen,insteadoffocusingonwhattheycangetoutoftheworkplace,typicallyspendmuchoftheirenergylookingforopportunitiestogive.Yetseeingthemselvesinthiswayasgivers,nottakers;ashelpers,notleadersstopswomenfromfiguringouttherealneedsofasituationandhowbesttorespond.Itstopsthemfromtakinginitiativeandacceptingresponsibility.Anditpreventsthemfromdoingwhat'sbestforthemselvesandfortheirowncareers.

Onlybygivingupthissupportrole,LaRoucheinsists,canwomenhelperstrulylearntosupportthemselves.That'sbecausethemereactoflettinggoofthecompulsiontosupportothers(totheexclusionofone'sownneeds)putsanendtoaconcurrentoverrelianceonothersforsupport.Shesuggeststhatwhenwestopcaring"toomuch"aboutothersandexpectingotherstocare"toomuch"aboutus,webeginfillingupourcaringgapbyfocusingattentionandsupportonourselves.

Admins,whetherwomenormen,shouldheedLaRouche'sadvice.It'sanoccupationalhazard,likeperfectionism:Youspendeveryminuteofyourworkdaytoilingtoassistsomeoneelse(oracrewofsomeoneelses),sothere'spreciouslittletimeorenergyleftovertothinkaboutyourself.Insomeways,ofcourse,there'snothingnewaboutthis.

BackinwhatwemightcalltheAgeofLoyalty,whenjobsecuritywasinflower,workersknewthatbydoingtheirjobsthebesttheyknewhowtheywouldberewarded,promoted,or,attheveryleast,keptworkingbytheiremployers.Littletimeorattentionneedbeaccordedtoextracurricularcareerdevelopment.Youtookcareofsomeoneelse(yourboss),hetookcareofyou.Thatsimple.

Sometimeduringthe1980s,however,themusicdiedandtheAgeofLoyaltycametoanend.Nownoonecanmerelydo

herjobandtakeforgrantedit'llstillbethereevenaweekfromnow.We'veallgottohaveaplan.We'veallgottohelpourselves.

Self-SupportMindMap

OnewaytohelpyouspeedthisprocessalongmightbethroughaSelf-SupportMindMap.

Haveyoueverheardofamindmap?It'sacreativitytechniqueforexploringanissuebyopeningituptotheartisticcornersofyourbrain.It'sanonlinear,daydreamishapproachthattakestheperspectiveofproblems-as-discovery.Italsoletsyouexamineanissueovertimebyallowingforongoinginputsandideas.

YoucanconstructyourownSelf-SupportMindMapbyscrawlingthewordsHowISupportMeinthecenterofasheetofposterpaper(ortwoormore8½by11sheetsofpapertapedtogether),asshowninFigure3-1.Usingmarkersorcrayons,mapoutviatentaclesorwavylineskeycharacteristics,vexingproblems,goals,potentialsolutions,nextsteps,andsupportiveresources.

Attheendofeachlineortentacle,youmightwritesuchcategoriesas"Careerdesires,""Personallife,""Educationalinterests,"ActionsImusttake,''Peoplewhocanhelpme,"ResourcesIcancallon,"andsoon.Thenyoudrawpicturesalongeachlineand/orshootoffsecondarylines/tentaclesfromthemainlinestodenotesubpointsandsideissues.

Forexample,subpointsof"Educationalinterests"mightinclude"Finishingmydegree,"Takingrelevantworkshops,""Readingmorebooks."You'llthenmakenotestoyourselfaroundthesepoints,suchas"Callcollegesforcoursecatalogs,""Gotolibraryandscancomputersection,"or"Checkwithadult-edcenterforrelevantworkshops."Someoftheseelements,orsubpoints,mightconnectnaturallywitheachother(say,"Readingmorebooks"with"Careerdesires").Ifso,runadottedlinebetweenthetwoandshowthe

connection.

Tomakethewholethingtrulycolorfulandfun,pasteinmagazineexcerpts,photos,quotes,andcartoons.Attachrelevantobjectsifthey'llfit:aribbon,abutton,afortunefromafortunecookie.Inshort,makeyourmindmapacollageofyour

Figure3-1.Sample"HowISupportMe"MindMap

thinkingandimagination.Letitgrowandgrowuntilyouhavethefullest,mostvibrantunderstandingofhowtoactivelysupportyourselfasyousuccessfullyadvanceyourcareer.

Tokeepyourexplorationofthisissuealive,takealookatyourmindmapeverydayandkeepaddingtoitorchangingit.Tapeitonyourbedroomorofficewall,whereyoucaneasilyseeit.Astimegoeson,yourSelf-SupportMindMapwillevolveorganically,aswillyourideasandresolveaboutachievingyourgoals.

AchievementDeficiency

Whatareyouproudof?Whataccomplishmentsinyourlifedoyourecallenthusiastically?Canyouimmediatelycomeupwithtwoorthreegoodones?Howabouttwentyorthirtygoodones?Ordoesyourmindinsteadgoblankwhenweasksuchquestions?Ifitdoes,you'reundoubtedlyavictimofanothercertifiedmemberoftheFearofFailureGang:AchievementDeficiency.

Adminsdisplayanotorious,almostgleeful,capacitytodiscounttheirabilitiesandachievements.Theyoftenassumethatanythingthey'vedonecanbechalkeduptoluck,ortosomeoneelse'shelp(theHelperMentality!),orthatataskthey'vedoneortalenttheyhaveisreallynothingveryspecial.InGivingAwaySuccess,SusanSchenkelcitesthisalltoocommoninnerbarrierasparticularlyingrainedinwomen.

"Therearemanywayswediscountourselves,"shewrites,explainingthat"whenwomenaresuccessful,itmustbeexplainedinsomeotherway."Schenkelcallsthisthe"femininediscountinghabit,"deprivingwomenofongoingpositivefeedback.Missingoutonsuchfeedback,shesays,locksoutinformationneededtomake"optimisticpredictions."Thispreventsconfidence-buildingandtheupgradingof"unrealisticallylowexpectations.''

Sheconcludesthat,totheextentwomenattributesuccesstoluck,easytasks,orotherpeople'sefforts,"wetellourselvesthatwearen'tincontrolofourenvironment."Hence,AchievementDeficiency,theideathatyou'veneverreallydoneanythingspe-

cialinyourlifeandprobablyneverwill.AchievementDeficiencydeclares,"I'mjustnotthatgood,special,orpowerful."

Younggirlsinparticularhavebeentaughttoheedthissign.Whileboysmaybeencouragedtoscaleawall,girlswillbeadvisedtonoteventryit.Theymightgethurt,fail,orGodfor-bidgetdirty!!

Oneofus(Ken)recallsdistinctlyacurriculumtrackinhishighschoolduringthe1960scalled"thecommercialcourse."Otherschoolsystemsbackthencalledthis"thebusinesscourse"oreven"thesecretarialprogram."Aboy,asKenrecalls,rarelyenrolledinthatcurriculumor,ifhedid,everyonewonderedabouthim.Anymalewhotrulydreamedofgettinginvolvedinthebusinessworldnaturallytookclassesin''thecollegecurriculum"andwentontohighereducation.Commercial,business,andsecretarialprogramswereforgirlsonly.

Smallwonderthenthatlegionsofadminsgraduatefromtheireducationalexperienceseachyearbelievingtheycancontributelittlemorethanmerelyhelpingouttheirmorehighlyachievingmalebosses.Eventhosewhounderstandthecounter-productivityofsuchthinkingstill"diss"themselvesbyplayingdowntheiraccomplishments.Somewherealongthewaytheylearneditjustwasn'tfeminine.Thus,muchofthedissingofadminsgetsreinforcedbytheirownwordsandactions.

AchievementRollCall

OnewaytogetthisFearofFailureGangmemberoffyourbackistogetmoreintouchwiththerealityofyourlifeachievementstothinkaboutthem,writethemdown,readthem,certifythatthey'retrue.It'stooeasytoforgetthatyoureallydidthesethings,youreallydid.

Solet'slineafewupforinspectionandpaythemsomeheed.Ontheaccompanyingworksheet,listatleasteightprofessionalachievements.Ifyoucanthinkofmore,grabanothersheetofpaper

andlistthemtoo.

Besideeachachievement,notethereasonsyoufeelgoodaboutwhatyouachieved.Whenyouhavefinishedmakingthislist,readon.

Achievements WhyYou'reProud

1._______________________________________________________

2._______________________________________________________

3._______________________________________________________

4._______________________________________________________

5._______________________________________________________

6._______________________________________________________

7._______________________________________________________

8____________________.___________________________________

Howdidyoudo?Didyoucompletethelist?Ifyoudidn't,gobackandcompleteitnow.Yes,yes,youhaveindeedachievedatleastafewgreatthingsoverthecourseofyourcareer.Nowgobackandthinkharder.

LookingatYourList

Nowhowdidyoudo?Webetyousurprisedyourself!Didyoucomeupwithmoreachievementsthanyouthoughtyouwouldbeforeyoustarted?Whatreasonsdidyoucomeupwithforeachachievement?Whatdoyourreasonssayaboutyou,aboutthekindofpersonyouare,aboutyourcapabilities?

Yourcompletedlistwillpaintapictureofaverypowerfulhumanbeing.itshowsyourcapacityforaccomplishingmostanythingyousetyourmindto.Canyourememberhowyoufeltbeforeyousetyoursightsontheseeventualachievements?Maybeyouwerescared,anxious,self-doubting.Butyoupushedthroughtheseinnerbarriersanyway;youfaceddownyourfearsandmadeitthrough.

Well,guesswhat?Youcandothatagain.

Mostpeople(notjustadmins)findthisassignmentdauntingatfirst.Ifyoudidn't,ifyoujustenjoyeditandmustered

yourenthusiasmforitandcompleteditquickly,thenscoreabigfatA-plusforyourself!Ifyoustruggledwiththelist,butyoupushedyourselfthroughtocompletingitanyway,yougetanA-plustoo!

Ifyoudidn'tcompletethelist,though,it'stimeforyoutodoso.Look,weknowyoucandothisandsodoyou.Justgobackthere,younglady,andfinishup;it'sallgoingtobefine.We'llleaveyourA-pluswaitingforyouhereontheedgeofyourdesk.Pickitupwhenyou'redonewithyourlist.

Recordingyourachievementsandtakingnoteofthepersonalabilitiesyouemploytomakethingshappencanhelpyoukeepyourpersonalpowerinview.Wheneveryoufindyourselfdoubtingyourtalentandpotential,justwhipoutthislistandtakealookatit.Bythen,you'llundoubtedlyhaveanewachievementortwotoaddtoit.

Byregularlyrenewingyourunderstandingabouthowcapableyouare,you'llalsorenewandreinvigorateyourconfidenceinattainingyourcareer(andlife)dreams.

TheOverwhelmFactor

Howdoyoulikethetitleofthissection?Doesn'tTheOverwhelmFactorsoundlikeamoviestartingMichaelCaineandBrendaVaccaro?MichaelCaine'saBritishagentdashingthroughthebusy,rainystreetsofLondon,pullingBrendaalongwithhimasshetriestoholdontoherbroad-brimmedhat.BigBenistollinginthebackground,butthey'vegottogettoScotlandYardbeforethebombgoesoffinBuckinghamPalace.Gettheretoolate,andit'scurtainsfortheQueen,England,andtheEmpire....TheOverwhelmFactor,aMiramax/UnitedArtistsrelease,comingthisChristmastoavideostorenearyou.

Wellsurprise!theOverwhelmFactoractuallyreferstoyetanother

memberoftheFearofFailureGang,anotherinnerbarriercommontoadmins.Anddoublesurprise!wehavearealmotionpictureinmindthatwillhelpdescribetheOverwhelmFactor:thefilmWhatAboutBob?,popularafewyearsback.

Inthis"screwballAmericancomedy,"astheadsliketosay,RichardDreyfussplaysanotedpsychiatristwhohaswrittenabest-sellingbookcalledBabySteps.Hehopesthemessageofhisbookwillhelpdaffy,neuroticBillMurraygethislifeto-gethersothathewillleaveDreyfussandhisfamily,vacationingatalakeresort,alone!ButneedweaddthatdealingwithaBillMurraycharacter,itdoesn'twork?That'sallwe'regoingtosayaboutthemovie'splot.

Interestingly,backhereinreallife,wefindthemessageofDreyfuss'sBabySteps"book"veryinstructive.Wethinkthemovie'swritersreallyhadsomethingthere.

Feelingabitoverwhelmed,anyone?Havingtroublewithwhatlifeseemstohavehandedyou?Yousayyou'veseentheBigPicturebutyou'renotsureyoucanhandleit?

Yoursolutionissimple:Takeafewbabysteps!

Manyadminsstopthemselvesintheirtrackswheneveranobstacleintheircareerpathloomstoolarge.Thoughadminswillthinknothingoftakingonlarge-scale,derring-doprojectsfortheirbosses,stayinglateuntilallhours,tunnelingthroughmountainsofpaperwork,typing,spell-checking,filinguntilthecowscomehome,they'lllessfrequentlytakeonthesamechallengesforjustthemselves.That'swhenalltheotherfearskickinatthesametime.FearofFailure,FearofSuccess,theHelperMentality,AchievementDeficiencytheyallshowup.

Sotakebabysteps.Onestepforward,that'sit;stretchonefootoutinfrontofyou,that'sright.Nowputitdownagain.Goooood!You'regettingtheidea.

Nowtheotherfoot.Iknowthisfeelsshakybut,ahhh,that'sit,getitoutthere.Goodagain.ByGeorge,Ithinkshe'sgotit!You'retwostepsforwardnowwouldyoutakealookatthat!You'reonyourway!

Whenfacedwithaseeminglyoverwhelmingproject,breakitdownintostages,steps,ortinypieces.Whatmayseemlikeoneheckofanimpossibletaskcanactuallygetaccomplishedwithaconsiderablylighterloadofstress.Youmightnotevenknowforsurewhereyou'rereallygoing,whattheendoftheroadyou'reonwilllooklike.Butonethingyouprobablydo

know:Youcan'tstaywhereyouareandmakeeverythingchange.

SoremembertheoldChineseadage:"Ajourneyofathousandmilesmustbeginwithasinglestep."Rememberthateachnewstepbringsyoucloser.Evenbabysteps.

MyLifeasaTempformermaleadminCarySchwartz

Nowahighschoolmathteacher,Can/SchwartzworkedforKellyServicesasatempearlyinhiscareer.Hequicklymovedintothecreditindustryandlater,aftergoingbacktoschoolforamaster'sdegree,intohighschoolteaching.Hereflectshereondifferencesbetweenmenandwomenheobservedduringhistempingdaysanddifferencesheseestodayinhisclasses.

"Ididn'ttypeandIwasmale,soIguessthatpeggedme.Ididn'tgetmanyassignmentsinhighlyvisibleplaces,likereceptionlobbiesorassomeone'spersonalsecretary.Theyseemedtoputmeinalotofbasementsinstead.

"Iremembermuchofmytempingdaysassototallymindless.OnejobIhad,I'dbelookingupcustomerinformationinthesebiggiantlogbooks,hundredsandhundredsofpages.Thereweren'tanycomputersinthiscompanyyet(itwasabout1987),somyjobwastophysicallylookupacustomer'snameandverifythattheinfowascorrect.Isatwithanothertempalldaylong,andweboththoughtthejobwashysterical.Weseemedtobelaughingalldaylong.

"AnothertimeIwasstationedinahugeroomwithsomekindofweirdgiganticcircularfilingunitthatkeptswingingaroundincircles,inandoutofthewall.Peoplewouldcomeinandhandmeafileandbarkatme.'Filethis,'they'dsay,thenwalkout.Thatwasthewholejob.

"Thentherewasajobinwhichtheyputmeinaroominthebasementofthisbank,andtotellyouthetruthIcan'tremembernowwhatthey

wantedmetododownthere.AllIcanrememberisthatifIdidn'thavearadioondownthere,Iwentnuts.

"OftheothertempsI'dmeet,Ididn'tsensealotofultimategoalsintheirlives.Iwasusuallytheonlymaleand,lookingbackonit,nowthatI'vebeenahighschoolteacher,Ithinkthatmayhavehadalottodowithmale-femaleconditioning.Forexample,Inoticethattheboysinmyclassesarealwayslouderthanthegirls,andthat

intimidatesmanyofthegirls.Thegirls'workitselfisgenerallyofhigherqualitybuttheirparticipationsuffers,theirwillingnesstotakeachance,toriskfailureinfrontofothers.AndevenwiththeawarenessIhaveoftryingnottofavorboysovergirls,Istillseegirlsgettingedgedoutbytheboysandholdingback.

"Maybethat'swhatwasgoingonbackinthosetempjobs.Ialwaysknewtempingwouldnotbepermanentforme.IneversawitasanythingmorethanafunphaseasImovedontosomethingelse.

"Butforalotofthewomenwhodidit,Ithinktheyhadalreadygivenup.Itsometimesseemedtobeasenseof'whybother?'Thefewerrisksyoutook,thefewermistakesyoucouldmake.Whyspoilagoodthing?Thesejobswere'easy'and'comfortable.'Controlled,predictable,secure.Atleasttheyseemedthatway.

"Socouldschoolhavedoneittothem,thentheworkplace?Don'ttakeanychances,don'tcompetewiththeboys,don'teventry?Especiallyintheworkplacewhereitwasonlyfuntomebecauseitseemedsoabsurd.Iknownowthatifyoucaninjectsomefunintoalearningatmosphereandtakeawaytheconsequencesofbeingwrong('You'refired]'or'Youfailed!'),thenpeoplewillbewillingtotryanything,toexperiment,tolearn."

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:NancyCassesso

Currently:Salesassociateforoffice-andschool-supplycompany,maintainingaccountswithestablishedcustomersandmarketingnewproducts

Adminskillsusedtoday:"Ifcustomerscalledandneededsomething,asanadminIwouldhelpthemout.Idoessentiallythesamethingnow,onlyIdoitoutoftheofficeaswellasinside.Adminwork

helpedmeunderstandhowtohandlepaperworkefficiently,howtoprepareforameeting,andhowtorespondquickly."

Howchangewasmade:"Iheldmyselfbackforalongtime.Thisjobwasactuallyofferedtomeafewyearsago,whenIwasworkingforthecompanyasanadmin,butIturneditdown.Ididn'tthinkIcouldhandleit.ThingschangedwhenIstartedtakingmorerisksinmylife,bothprofessionalandpersonal,andbelievinginmy-

self.Nowwhenpeoplesay,'I'mjustasecretary'or'I'monlyanadmin,'Igetannoyed."

Bestadviceforadmins:"Exploreanyandallpossibilitiesthatintrigueyou.You'llneverknowwhatyoucandountilyoutry."

4What'sUniqueAboutYou?Imagineyouareholdingamega-lotteryticketinyourhand.Yes,weunderstand:You'dnevereverbuyalotteryticket;that'snotyourstyle.Weknowthat.Youthinklotteriesaresuchalongshot,nooneeverreallywinsthematleastnooneyou'veevermet.Certainlyyoucouldneverwin.

Evenso,let'ssuppose,onawhim,inararefitofinsanity,youboughtaticketearliertodayforthisweek'supcoming,stupendous$56millionjackpot.Thedevilmadeyoudoit.

Nowit'stimeforLotteryLive!onTV.Again,weknowyou'dneverbecaughtdeadwatchingthisfive-minuteon-airhomagetolegalizedgambling,butforsomereasontonightyoudo.(ElDiabloagain!)Actually,youhadn'tplannedtobutyouwereflippingchannelsandsuddenlybabagazinga!there'sthesnazzyopeningjingleandhere'sthatticketyoupurchasedearlierthatday,rightthereonyourcoffeetable."Oh,whattheheck,"youthink."Iboughtthedarnedthing,didn'tI?Whynotseewhatcomesup?"

Amomentlater,thelotterymachine'sPing-Pongballsgozippingaboutintheircages,thendroponebyoneintopresetslots.Thenumber3comesdownfirst,then4,then3again.Youglancesomewhatbemusedlyatyourticket.Youhave3and4too,younotice.Ha-ha.Funny.Then,alittlestartled,younoticethatyourthirdnumber,likethatonthescreen,isalso3.

Despiteyourbetterjudgment,yourheartbeginstobeatalittlefaster.Yoursecondthreenumbersare5,7,and2.Surely,there'snochancethat...Thenextballonthescreendrops.It's5.

Isyourheartbeatingfasterstillnow?Youbetitis.Thenextballcomesdown."Itcouldn'tpossiblybeaseven,"yousayoutloud,thoughthere'snooneelseintheroom.WhatcouldIbethinkingof?Theballslidesintoplace.It's...7!

Holywinner'scircle,Batman!Ifthenextnumber'sa2,you'reamillionairefifty-sixtimesover.Lordabove,what'retheodds?Thelastballdrops."Me,me,me,"youcryoutloud.Thenyoustartchanting,"2,2,2,2."You'remorespiritualtonightthanyou'veeverbeeninyourwholelife."Please,God,please,"youpray.You'realsolikesomemaniacupontheroofofCaesar'sPalaceinLasVegas."C'mon,2!"youscream,''2,2,2,2!"

Theballslidesintoplace.Knowwhat?It'sa2!PeoplehearyouroarallthewaytotheFijiIslands."Iwon!Iwon!"Thatlotteryticketinyourclammy,shakinghandisworth56milliondollars.You'rerich!

Question:NowWhatWouldYouDoIfYouWereReallyRich?

Writedowneverythingyouwoulddointhefirsttwentyminutesofyournewfoundabundance.Keepyourselffightthereinthemoment,rightinfrontofyourTV,inyourlivingroom.Whatexactlydoyoudonext?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Afteryou'vefainted,pickedyourselfup,calledfriends,spouse,family,yourgrocer,yourmailman,emptiedthatdustybottleofchampagneyou'vebeenkeepingaroundforever,thenwhat?

Thesceneshiftsnowtothenextmorning,meresecondsafterleavingLotteryHeadquarters.Yourfirstcheckhasbeendepositedelectronicallytoyourcheckingaccount.Nowwhatdoyoudo?

Listbeloweverythingyouplantodowithyourwinningsinthefirstyear.Aftertaxes,yougetabout$1.5millionthisfirstyear.(Canyoumanageonthat?)Hereandonthenextpage,listabsolutelyeverythingyoucanthinkof.Everything.

Haveyoulistedeverything?Haveyougonethroughpayingoffdebts,buyinghousesandcarsforfriendsandfamily,squirrelingasizablesumawayinthebank?Haveyoupurchasedtraveltickets,playedlotsofgolf,boughtallthesoftwareyoucouldn'taffordbefore(orvitaminsoroutfitsorbaubles)?Haveyoupackedyourkidsofftothefinestuniversities,securedseasonticketstotheballetoryourfavoriteprofootballteam?Whenwesayeverything,wemeaneverything!

Onceyou'veimaginedeverythingyoumightpossiblydowithyourwinningsandyoujustcan'timagineanythingmore,considerthisnextscenario:

Sayit'saTuesdaymorning.You'vegottenupasusualinyourpurpleminkbathrobeandyourgoldlamebedslippersandyou'verungoneofyourmaidstohurryupwithyetanotherfabulousbreakfastinbed.Ho-hum,salmonsouffléandcaviarjellyontoast.GuavajuiceflownindirectfromTahiti.CoffeedeliveredpersonallybyJuanValdez.Whateverdothesimplefolkdo?

Anhourlater,asyou'rerelaxingbyyourOlympic-sizeswimmingpoolandgazingattheducksinyourpersonalpond,theonenexttoyourprizewinningrosegarden,youaskyourselfaquestion:WhatamIgoingtodotoday?

You'resickofpackingandrunninginandoutofhotelsandgettingonandoffyourprivatejet.Sotravel'sout.

Shopping?Please...aroyalbore.Besides,you'vegoteverything.

Movies,theater,asportingevent?Seenit,doneit,beenthere.

Todayyouwanttodosomethingdifferent.Youwanttogivesomethingthistime,contributetotheworld,takeonachallenge.Youwanttowork.

Whatdoyoudo?Whatwouldyouwanttodo?Remember,thesky'sthelimityou'refilthyrich.Allyou'vegottodoischooseitandit'syours.Youcanchooseanything.Sochoose,already!

Inthisspace,writedownanythingthatcomestomind.Don'tbeshy;don'tworryifit'srealisticorattainabletoyounow.Justplayalongwithus.Anythingthatcomestomindwillbejustgreat,thankyou.Thenresumereading.

Choice1.OwningaCompany

Nowonthelinesbelow,writedownthenamesoffiveactualcompaniesthatyou'dlovetoown.Orlistfivetypesofcompaniesyoumightliketoownforexample,adirigiblemanufacturer,acorn-huskingservice,amagazineconglomerate,agourmetcoffeeshop,avideostore.Yourchoice.

1.2.3.4.5.

Whatcompaniesortypesofcompaniesdidyouchoose?Remember,you'retheboss.Youcanchooseanykindofcompany

andrunitthewayyoulike(withinlegallimits,ofcourse).Thinkaboutwhyyouchosethecompaniesyoudid.Whatattractedyoutoeach?Wasitthecompany'sproductorservice?Wasitthewaythecompanyisrun(workingconditions,customerservice)?Wasittheindustrythecompanyisin?

Onthelinesbelow,summarizetheprincipalelementsthatattractedyoutothecompaniesyouchose.

1.2.3.4.5.

Choice2.GoingBacktoSchool

Nowconsidergoingbacktoschool.Remember,moneyisnoobject.Infact,youcan'tstoplaughingwhentheadmissionsclerkasksifyou'dlikeafinancialaidapplication.Hardy-har-har!That'sagoodone,Norton!

Onthelinesbelow,writedownalistofcoursesyou'dliketotake,degreesyou'dliketoearn.Iftherearespecificschoolsyoumightliketoattend,jotthenamesoftheseschoolsdownaswellonthesamelineasthecourseordegreeprogram.You'llgetintoanyschoolyouapplyfor,remember.Moneytalks.

1.2.

3.4.5.

What'smostimportantherearethecoursesandthedegreeprogramsyouchose.Theyofferyoucluestothetypeofworkyoumightliketodonext.Sowhichcourses,whichdegreeprograms?Whatexactlyappealstoyouaboutthesecourses?Doanyrelatetothecompaniesyouchosetobuy?Isthereanythemeorpatternemerging?Whichsubjectsdidyouchoosethatsimplysoundasifthey'dbealotoffuntostudy?Remember,youdon'tneedtowork,butyoucanifyouwantto.Sinceyouwouldn'tbedoingitforthemoney,whatkindofworkwouldbejustlikeplay?

Below,summarizethereasonsyouchosetheseschoolsandcoursesofstudy.Placeheavyemphasisonwhyyourchosenstudiesmightbefun.

1.2.3.4.5.

Choice3.ContributingtoaCause

Nowconsidercontributingheavilytoacause.Don'tjustthrowyourmoneyaround,though.Thinkaboutsomethingyoucouldreallycareabout.Whatkindofaworldwouldyoulikethistobe?Whatsocietalproblemwouldyouliketosolve?Whatsufferingwouldyouliketoerase?Whatkindofboostwouldyouliketogivesomeone?

Onthenextpage,listfivecausesyouwouldcontributeto.Placeafigurefortheamountofyourcontributionafterthenameofeachcauseororganization.Don'tforgettosignthecheck.

1.2.3.4.5.

Sowhogetsyourlargesse?Whatcausesdidyouchoose?Whateveryoudecideherecouldhavetremendousimpactonthekindofworkthatwouldbemeaningfultoyou.Itcouldofferyouapersonalsenseofcontributiontotheworldthroughyourworklife.Whyshouldworksimplybecarryingoutotherpeople'sorders,otherpeople'svisions?Whatkindofaworlddoyouwant?Whynotimplementyourvaluesthroughyourwork?

Below,summarizeyourthoughtsaboutthekindofworldyouwanttohelpcreateandhowyoumightliketocontributetoyourvisionthroughyourownefforts.Don'tworryabouttheultimaterealizablenessofyourvision.Ifwedon'ttry,wehavenochanceofsucceeding.Justthinkhereaboutwhatyoucareabout.

1.2.3.4.5.

Choice4.TradingPlacesWithSomeoneElse

Nowhowabouttradingplaceswithsomeoneelseintheworkworld?Youcandothisifyouwantto,right?Justbribesomebodytoletyoudotheirjobforawhile.(Everyonehastheirprice,right,Moneybags?)Whomwouldyouchoosetotradeplaceswith?Whomdoyouenvyfortheworktheydo?.

theydo?.

Onthenextpage,listfivepeopleyou'dbeexcitedtotradeplaceswith:

1.2.3.4.5.

Whomdidyouchoose?Wasitpeopleyouknowpersonally,orwasitpeopleyou'veobservedfromafar?Whatappealstoyouabouteachperson'swork?Whywouldhavingtheirskillsandcarryingouttheirlineofworkmeansomuchtoyou?Summarizeyourfeelingsaboutthesequestionsbelow.

1.2.3.4.5.

AssessingYourChoices

Nowreviewallyourresponses.Lookthemoverandnotehowtheyconnectwitheachother,feedoffeachother,supporteachother,evencontradicteachother.Ifanydocontradicteachother,couldthisseemingcontradictionbeseeninapositivelight?Howcouldyourcontradictionsbecomplementaryorcombined?

Here'sanexample:Supposeyounoticeyou'reinterestedinfarming.Youloveallaspectsofitcows,sheep,agriculture,thebarnsandtractorsandfarmimplements.Youalsowanttowork

indoors,however,inanicecozyofficesetting,withquietelevatorsandbrassydoorhandlesandpersonalcomputers.Howcouldyouworkonafarmandstillgotoworkeverydayindoors?

Considersomeideasbelow.Playaroundwithyourthoughts.Letyourimaginationrunfree.Anyideasarevalid.Justconsiderwhatkindofoptionsyoucancomeupwiththatwouldaccommodatebothfarmingandworkingindoors.

1.2.3.4.5.

Finishedbrainstorming?Webetyoucameupwithsomeprettywild(andyetfeasible)ideas.Hereareafewofours:

YoucouldworkforagovernmentagencysuchastheFarmBureau.

Youcouldworkinthemainheadquartersofalargecorporatefarm.

Youcouldbeafieldinspectorwhovisitsfarmsfromtimetotimebutdoesn'tspendeverydayonthem.

Youcouldworkinafarmmuseum.

Youcouldworkforafarmers'lobbyinggroupinWashington.

Getthewaythegameisplayed?Atfirstglance,wedon'talwaysseehowourseemingcontradictionscanbeaccommo-

dated.Buttheyalwayscan.Ourimaginationscanbeprettypowerfulinstruments.Useyourstoday.

"MyWorkInterests"MindMap

Abouttimeforanothermindmap,wouldn'tyousay?Withallthesenewthemes,ideas,patterns,clues,directionsrunningaroundinyourheadnow,you'vegottogetahandleonthem.Whatbetterwaythana"MyWorkInterests"MindMap?

Placethewords"MyWorkInterests"inthecenterofasheetofposterpaper,orusethespaceprovidedintheframeonthenextpage.Runenoughlinesortentaclesoutfromthecentertorepresentallofthecategorieswe'vehadyoureview.Remembertospinoffanysubcategoriesorideasforexploringeachmaincategory.Addlotsofpicturesanddoodlesandconnectwhateverneedstobeconnectedwithdottedlines.Youknowthedrill.Thisshouldreallygetyoumoving!Fromhereon,it'sgoingtobefun,fun,fun!

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Intermission

Feelfreenowtogetup,stretch,goouttotherefrigerator,ortakeawalkoutside.We'llberesumingouractioninjustafewminutes.

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Heythere,everyone!Goodtoseeyoubacksorefreshedandrevitalized.Whatdidyoucomeupwith?Asbefore,noticeanythemesthatrunthroughyourmindmap.Whatkindofworkinterestskeepcomingatyou?Whatkindofconditionsdoyoufindyouwanttoworkunder?Whatkindofpeopledoyouwanttoworkwith?Whomdoyou

wanttoserveascustomersorclients,andwhy?Whatkindofpersonalsatisfactionwillyoureapfromyourworkcontributions?

Areyoucomingupwithanycrystal-clearanswersyet?Isanythingleapingoutatyou?Ifso,congratulations!You've

"MyWorkInterests"MindMap

beguntoidentifythekindofworkyou'dliketomoveto.You'rewayaheadofthegameifyoucandothisnow.Goodforyou!

If,however,youranswersarestillnotquitesoclear,don'tfret.We'renotthroughyet,notbyalongshot.Maybe,though,youcandiscernafewclues.Ifso,tuckthemawayforfuturereference.Clues,asDetectiveColumboorNancyDrewwillattest,arewhatgetusdowntheroadtowardacompletesolution.Andyes,youwillgetthere.Justkeepcollectingyourcluesanddepositingtheminyour''MyWorkInterests"MindMap.Yourunderstandingoftheworkyouwantnextwillgrowandgrow.Don'tgiveuptheship.

What'sUniqueAboutYou.

Sofar,we'vebeenguidingyoutowardanswersthatwillhelpyouknowwhatnewworkyoumightwanttodo.Wethinkthat'sthebestplacetostart,incontrasttomoretraditionalapproachesthatbeginwithwhatyouhavethusfardemonstratedyoucando.Whileit'svaluabletobeclearaboutwhatyourskillsareit'scertainlypartofthemixthatdefineswhoyouareandwhatvalueyouholdinthemarketplacesuchknowledgedoesn'tassistyoumuchinmovingtoanewlineofwork.Forthat,you'vegottoknowwhatexcitesyou.

Yourdemonstratedskillsatbestrepresentonlyasmallsliceofthepotentialyoucarryaroundwithyou.Theydon'tspeaktoyourcapacityforlearningnewanddifferentskills,basedonyourtalentsandenthusiasm.Focusingonlyonskillsmerelytrapsyouinlimitingthinking.

That'swhyyoumustbecautiouswhenyourlovedones,friends,colleagues,evencareeradvisers"wisely"cautionyouaboutthelongoddsofyourbreakingoutofthepink-collarghetto.They'reonlytryingtohelpwhentheysaythingslike:

"It'satoughjobmarketoutthere."

"You'vegottobecrazytoleaveagoodjoblikethis."

"Allyou'requalifiedtobeisanadmin."

"You'dhavetostartatthebottomifyouswitchedfields."

"Whywouldanyonehireyouforajoblikethat?"

"Maybeyoushouldjusttryforanexecutiveadminposition."

"Iwouldn'twanttoseeyougethurt."

It'sniceofthemtowanttohelp,buttheproblemisthatsuchadvicedoesn'thelp.Forthemostpartitkeepsusfocusedonwhatwe'vedoneinthepastandnotonwhatwemightaccomplishinthefuture.Itspeaksonlytoskillsandnottopotentialorundevelopedtalent.Whatthey'renotheedingishowfrequentlythesemoldsgetbrokenandhowstrongourhumanspiritreallyis.

Thoughnorecordsarekeptonhowmanypeopletrytochangetheircareersandhowmanysucceedorfailinthebargain,anecdotesaboundthatproveitcanbedone!Andeachtaleofsuccesspointstotheabundanceofhumantalentwaitingtobeputinmotion.Youareindeedmorethan"justanadmin"or"justasecretary."Youaresomuchmore.

TalentsandSkillsUnite!

Solet'sturnnowtoyourtalentsaswellasyourdemonstratedskills.Wewanttolookatthekindofworkyouwanttodoaswellashowfaryou'vecomeinshowingthatyoucoulddoit.Yourskills,aswe'vejustpointedout,tendtobefocusedonfirstandforemostbecausethey'reouttherethey'veservedasliving,breathingmanifestationsofyourcapabilities.Othertalentsmayhaveshowntheirfacesinyourworklifeaswell,althoughsometimesajobdoesn'tletusshowcertaintalents,whichthenliequietlyinsideus,waitingfortheirbigchance.Consequently,we'vegottoinventorytalenttooifwe'regoingtodefineclearlyallofwhat'suniqueaboutyou.

Talentsandskillsmustbeseennotasaboxtotrapyouinbutasexpansiveandversatilefacetsofyourself,applicabletomany,manysituationsandneeds.Onlyourinnerbarrierspreventusfromseeing

whereelseourtalentsandskillscancontribute.Ourimaginations,incontrast,unlockcloseddoors.

Listentoafewreflectionsofsuccessfulformeradminswho

sawthelightonedayandrecognizedthetransferabilityoftheirtalentsandskills:

Stephanie:"BackwhenIfirstlearnedtotypeinhighschool,Ididn'tseehowitcouldhelpmebeyondsecretarialwork.Thatwasthen;thisisnow.Withcomputersthenameofthegame,I'mwayaheadofeverybody.Itgotmeapromotionandacareerswitchintotheresearchlab."

Gilda:"Ihaveexcellentorganizingskills.Theyservedmewellasanexecutiveassistant,butnowthatI'minaccountmanagementtheysavemesomuchtime.Ilookaroundatmyco-workersandIseethemlateforappointments,forgettingtoreturnphonecalls,losingpaperwork.Thosekindsofthingsaretheleastofmyworries.Instead,Igettoconcentrateonwhatreallyneedstobedonewatchingourclientaccountsandkeepingclientshappy!"

Jamie:"Iwasalwaysgoodatgreetingcustomersandmakingthemfeelcomfortablewhentheyvisitedmyreceptionlobby.NowIdothesamethingasacustomerservicerepresentative,butIgetpaidalotmoreforit.AndI'veearnedsuchgreatperformancereviews,I'mnowbeingconsideredformanagerofthedepartment!Thosedaysworkingthereceptiondeskreallypaidoff!"

Patrick:"IwasalwaysporingoverthecompanybudgetwithmybossbackwhenIwashisassistant.Forsomereason,Ihadaknackforseeingdetailshedidn't,andheusedtoacknowledgemeforit.NowI'macorporatecomptroller.Budgetsherearemoresophisticatedthantheywerebackinmyadmindays,butit'schieflythesameactivity.I'mgoodatittoo.Ialwayshavebeen."

Everyonestruggleswiththenotionof"transferableskills"becauseit'ssohardtoseeourselvesobjectively.Yetwhenwestepbackandobservewhatwe'vegottenacknowledgedfor,whatwe'veshowna

"knack"for,webegintodefineouruniqueness.

"OnlyMe"Collage

"OnlyMe"Collage

Findaphotoofyourselfandpasteitinthecenterofasheetofposter-sizepaper,orusethespaceprovidedintheaccompanyingframe.Makeitonethat'sallsmiles.

Nowdraworpastearoundyourphotosymbolsorpicturesthatcharacterizeyourtalentsandskills.Figureoutwhatthesearebyanalyzingyourdailyactivitiesandbystudyingyourprofessionalachievements.Whathaveyoufoundthatyouaregoodat?Whathaveyoulearnedtodowell?Whatfunctionsdoyouperform,eventhoseyoudon'tfeelparticularlygoodat?Whathaveyoubeenpraisedfor,rewardedfor?Whathaveyoulearnedoraccomplishedthatyouneverthoughtyoucould?

Notehereanytalentsthatdon'tgetexercisedmuch(oratall)inyourworksetting.Maybethesearethingsthatyoudowelloffthejob.Maybeyoujustthinkyou'dbegoodatthemifgiventhechance.Lookbackatyourlistofpeopleyouenvyfortheirjobs.Dotheydothingsyouthinkyoucouldexcelat,ifgiventhechance?Pasteordrawthesetalentsandskillsin.

Usecut-outsfrommagazinesandnewspaperstosupplementyourimagination.Completethissegmentofyourcollage,thengoontoournextinstructions.

EnlistingYourFriendsandColleagues

Nowlet'sgetafewotherbrilliantmindsintotheact.Askyourfriendstocontributetoyourcollage.Whatdotheyseeinyouthatperhapsyou'vemissed?Aretheretalentsandskillsthey'veobservedinyouthatyouhaven'tdepicted?Showthemyourcollageandaskfortheircomments.Thenpasteincut-outsordrawintheirideas.

Next,dothesamewithcolleagues.Thesearethefolkswhoreally

knowhowyouoperate.Youmaybesurprisedathowsupportive(anddelighted)they'llbewhenyouaskfortheirhelp.Chooseonlypositive-mindedcolleagues,however.There'salwaysoneninnyineverygroupwholivesforthechancetodragyoudownintoadark,dankcareerpit.Stayawayfromhimorher!Youwantthistostayfun.

AnalyzingYourResults

Theoreticallyyoucouldkeepaddingtoandsubtractingfromyour"OnlyMe"Collagefortherestofyourlife.It'saprocessthatdoesn'thavetoend.You'reaneverchangingmasterpiecethatkeepsgrowing,learning,achieving.Keepthinkingofnewthingsandwatchingyourcollagechangeshape.

Butforthemoment,let'stakestock.What'syourfirstimpressionhere?Whatkindofapicturehaveyoupaintedofyourself?Whatskillsandtalentsareconfirmedinyourcollage?What'sherethatyouhadn'texpectedtofind?Doyourtalentsandskillssuggestausefulnessinanycareerareasthatappealtoyou?Doyourtalentsandskillssuggestcareerareasyou'dneverconsideredbefore?

Onthelinesbelow,makealistofallskillsandtalentsyouseeinyourcollage.Ifyourunoutofroom,keepgoingonseparatesheetsofpaper.Youwanttohaveasclearapictureasyoucanofwhat'suniqueaboutyou.Whileanyonespecificskillortalentwon'tbeuniquetoyou,thecombinationofallofthemwillbe.Inthenextchapter,we'llinvestigatecareerareasyoumightwanttopursue.Alongtheway,you'llwanttorefertothislistandcollage(which,remember,youcankeepaddingto).Indoingso,you'llpinpointtowhatextentyoupresentlydisplaythespecificskillsetortalentsetadesirablecareerrequires.

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:ChantalWeaver*

Currently:FieldrecruitmentspecialistforTJMaxx,thenation'sleading"off-price"retailer,helpingstaffnewstoresnationwideandworkingwithfieldrecruitmentmanagersontheiradvertisingcampaigns

Adminskillsusedtoday:Talkingtopeople,administrativework,phonework

Howchangewasmade:"I'dalwaysbeeninterestedinHRandinrecruiting,butIdidn'tknowwhichaspectofit.ItookanadminpositioninthetrainingdepartmentatTJMaxxwiththeideaofsegueingintorecruiting."

Chantal'sstrategyinvolvedconductinglotsofcareerconversationswithpeopleinvariousdepartments,pickingupinparticularonrelationshipsshedevelopedfromheradminposition."Peoplefromotherpartsofthecompanyhadtointeractwithourdepartmentatonetimeoranother."

Shealsofoundinherboss,MargBalcom,thenthecompany'sassistantVPofrecruiting,anoutstandingmentor.WhenshetoldMargwhatshewantedtodo,Margimmediatelyreplied:"OK,let'sgetstarted.Iwantyoutoscheduleonehouraweektomeetwithme,duringwhichI'llteachyouwhatyouneedtoknowtomoveon."

SaysChantal:"Thishadneverhappenedtomebefore.Inmypreviouscompany,theatmosphereforadminswhowantedtomoveonhadbeenverydifficult.Youweren'tencouragedtoexploreanewcareer.Heresupportmadeitselfavailableassoonasyouaskedforit."

ManysessionswithMargandmany,manycareerconversationslater,

apositionopenedupintherecruitingdepartmentandChantalwasreadyforit.Shescoredhighinherinterviewandgotthejob.

Bestadvicetoadmins:"Ihighlyrecommendmeetinglotsofpeopleandtalkingtoanyonewhoworksinanareayoumightliketotransitioninto.Ifyourcompanydoesn'tencourageit,doiton

*Author'snote:Afterourinterview,ChantaladvancedhercareerfurtherbyacceptinganewpositionwthHewlett-Packard.

yourowntime."SheexplainsthatinherpreviouscompanyshehadgottentoknowVPsandmanyothersbymeetingthemforlunch.

Shealsodescribesaprojectshe'dinitiatedatTJMaxx,arelocationresourceguidefornewminorityhires,thatbroughtherintoworkingcontactwiththerecruitingdepartment:"Iputaroughdrafttogetherandmetwiththerecruitingdepartmenttolearntheirthoughts.ThatwaytheygottoseewhatIcoulddoandIlearnedmoreaboutthem."

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:GwenChampion

Currently:Directmailmanager,SimpsonDesign,Inc.,Tulsa,Oklahoma

Adminskillsusedtoday:Coordinationoftasks,keepingdeadlines,planningandlookingaheadtoupcomingprojects

Howchangewasmade:"I'dbeenfeelingforalongtimethatwhatIdidwasn'tallthatdifferentfromwhatI'dseenothersdoinginthecompaniesIworkedfor.Myjobmighthavepaidlessandreceivedlessstatus,butmanyofthemanagersIobserveddidthesamethingsIdidchattingwithpeople,arrangingmeetings,makingdecisionsonthespot.

"Oneday,ItoldmybosswhatI'dbeenfeeling.IsaidIwaswillingtodowhateveritmighttaketomoveahead.I'dgobacktoschool,I'dtakeonextraprojects,whatever.

"Shesaidshe'dbeenwaitingformetocometoherandaskforherhelp.Sheexplainedthatshesawittobeherjobtoguideanyoneonherstafftonewplacesintheircareer,butsheinsistedonwaitingforthemtoinitiateit.'You'renotreallycommitteduntilyousayitoutloud,'shetoldme,'andasksomeoneforhelp.'

"Afterthatsheintroducedmetomanypeople,keptmeawareofopportunitiesinthecompany,tutoredmeinhowtonegotiateforanewposition,andencouragedmetogobacktoschoolatnight(whichIdid)."

Bestadviceforadmins:"Neverbeafraidtotalktopeopleaboutyourambitions.It'seasyforadminstofeelasthoughtheyhavenorighttoanyambitions,thatthey'vebeenselectedforthislotinlife.Youmaybeafraid,butgoaheadanyway.Tellyourselfyoudeservesomethingbetter."

5WhatCanYouContribute?It'seasytodownplayhowvaluableweare.It'salltooeasytootounderratetheskillsandexpertisewebringtoourjobs.Wegoaboutourworkdaytoday;wegetbetterandbetteratitbutfailtorecognizehowmuchimprovementtakesplace.Theeasewithwhichweperformoursometimescomplicated,alwayssophisticateddutiesreplacesouroriginalmazeofconfusion,awkwardness,anduncertainty.Noonecomplimentsusmuchanymoreaboutwhatwedo;noonetellsuswe'remakingprogress.Wejustplodalong.

Forthemoment,then,let'skickbackandwaxphilosophicabouttheroleyouplay.Haveyoueverthought,forexample,aboutyourworkin"larger"terms?Haveyouacknowledgedyourselflatelyfortheindispensablecontributionyoumakeinyourworkplace?Canyouseehowmuchlesseffectivethewholeoperationwouldbewithoutyouyoupersonallyasapartofit?

Asanadmin,youprobablygetschizophrenicsignalsabouthowvaluableyouaretoyouremployer.Ontheonehand,you'retold,"Icouldneveraffordtoloseyou,""You'remyfightarm,"and"Wecouldneverhavedoneitwithoutyou."Ontheotherhand,shouldyoucomearoundaskingforaraise,moretimeoff,orgreaterresponsibility,suddenlyyourbossesandcolleaguespulltheirwagonsinacircle."Butyou'rejustasecretary,"youhearforthesixmillionthtime.Orhowaboutthese:"There'snomoneyinthebudget,""Twoweeksoffisthebestwecando.""Alotofgirlswouldlovetohaveyourjob."

Smallwonderthenthatmostadminsthrowuptheirhandsatthethoughtofcareeradvancementandresignthemselvestoafive-clay-a-weekpressurecookerfortherestoftheirworkinglives.Contributiontosociety?Personalvalue?Forgetaboutit!

Ifyouwanttoadvanceyourself,you'vegottohackyourwaythroughthisthicketofmixedmessagesandmakeyourwaytoaclearing.What,infact,doyouwanttocontribute?Whatkindofalegacydoyouwanttoleavebehind?Istheresomethingaboutwhoyouareandwhatyoudoforothersthat'sespeciallymeaningfultoyou?

DreamingofRetirement

Topeoplewholovetheirwork,dreamsofretirementneverenterthepicture.Whenpeoplebelieveinwhattheydo,whentheyfeelthattheworldgainsgreatvaluefromtheircareercontributions,theyscornretirement.Notdoingwhattheydowouldbemorestressfulthandoingit.

TakeGeorgeBums,forexample.Whenhewaseighty-five,heannouncedhe'djustsignedafive-yearcontractwithCaesar'sPalaceinLasVegas."Imaginethat,"hesaid."Fiveyears!Imaginemesigningacontractofthatlengthoftimewithanybody!"Afterhiscustomarypuffonhiscigar,hedroppedhispunchline,''NormallyIneversignacontractforlessthanten!"

GeorgeBurnshasneverunderstoodwhypeopleretire.Heloveswhathedoes,seeingtheeffectitmakesonhisaudiencesnightly.Heclearlyknowshiscontribution.

Whomelsecanwecite?HowaboutBobHope,BillyGraham,JimmyCarter,LionelHampton,andMotherTheresa?OrthelateLinusPauling,JessicaTandy,BuckminsterFuller?Wekeeponworkingwheneverweseeclearlyourimpactonothers'lives.Itmakesour

workworththetrouble.

Asanexperiment,let'ssupposeyouareheadingforyourretirementparty.Let'simaginethatyou'rebeingdriveninalimousinetowardthebigeventalldeckedoutinyourfinestthreadsandlickingyourlipsatthethoughtoftonight'ssumptuousfeastandthepresentsamassingonagifttable.Hundredsofguestswillbustleabout,eagertohonoryou.

It'sgoingtobeaswelltime,youcanbetonit,butasyousettlebackinyourlimo,youbegintowonderwhatthespeakerstonightaregoingtosay.Oh,youknowthey'llhavegreatthingstorecallaboutyou.They'lltoastyouandtelleveryonehowgreatyouare.Butwhatexactlywilltheysay?

Youwatchthetreesoutsideglowinginthetwilightasyoubeginthinkingaboutwhatyou'dlikethespeakerstosay.You'rethinkingaboutwhatyou'vetriedtodoinyourlifeandtheeffectyou'vetriedtohave.Afterawhile,you'vegotitprettywellsetinyourmindhowyou'dliketoberemembered.

HowWouldYouLiketoBeRemembered?

Hereandonthenextpage,jotdownafewtributesyou'dliketohearaboutyourselfduringspeechesatyourretirementparty.Keepinmindthesequestions.Useaseparatesheetofpaperifyou'dliketolistmore.

1. Whatkindofanimpacthaveyoutriedtohaveonpeople'slives?____________________________

2. Whatspecificcontributiondoyouwanttoberememberedfor?_____________________________

3. Inwhatwayshaveyoutriedtoimprovetheorderofthings?_______________________________

4. Whatvaluehaveyoutriedtoaddtothewaythingshavealwaysbeen?________________________

5. Whatproblemshaveyoumosttriedtosolve?_________________________________________

TheArrivalof"TheJob"

Nowthatyou'vethoughtaboutyourskills,talents,andcontributions,it'stimetoconsiderconstructinga"partnership."Intheworkworld,theconceptofpartnershipisanoldoneinsofarasitisconsideredanarrangementbetweenindividualentitiesofequalstature.Ithas,however,laindormantthroughoutmuchofthiscenturyascorporatehierarchieshavedevelopedandstratifiedtheworkworld.Yetseeingyourselfasequaltowhomeveryoumightnextworkfororwithwillbecrucialtoseeingyourselfassomeonewhoseuniquenesscanstaypowerfulandcontinuallymarketable.

Intheoldendays(theveryoldendays),partnershipsweremorecommon.Workerspliedtheirtradewithothersofsimilareconomicmeansandsocialposition.Farmer,tinsmith,black-smith,weaverwhateveryourstationyougenerallyranyourownbusiness,soldgoodsorservicestoavarietyofclienteleinthetownandcountryside,andpurchasedortradedgoodsandserviceswiththosewhoprovidedsomethingyoucouldn'tsupplyforyourself.Thoughkingsandlordsdwelledhitherandyon,forthemostpartpeopleengagedincommerceinaspiritofequalitywithinthesamegeneraleconomicclass.Becausemostpeople'slaborwassovisible,sodown-to-earth,they,ofcourse,couldalsoseeclearlyhowtheirworkcontributedtothegeneralwelfare.

Somewherealongthewaycame"TheJob."Itallstartedoutinnocentlyenoughalittlemachineshophere,acraftscooperativethere.Somehow,though,asthenineteenthcenturycrankeditselfintoafrenzy,workplacesbegantogetbiggerandmore

strongbodieswereneededtohaulobjects,fitpiecesofthingstogether,screwonbolts,andthenrepeatallthesetasksoverandoverandoverfrommorningtilldusk,dayafterday.

Peoplebegantomigrate,too.ThepredominantworkmodelbecameaMonday-through-Friday(orSaturday),forty-plus-hours-per-week,fifty-weeks-per-year"job"slot,compensatedwitha"livingwage"(incontrastwiththeoldideaofafeeforservices)andtwoorthreeweeks'"vacation"(whichusedtobetakenwheneveronewanted,throughouttheyear).Somejobslotsevenoffered"benefits"suchashealthcare,aretirementplan,andlifeinsurance.

Whatatfirstglancemighthaveseemedprogress,however,insidiouslystoleagreatdealaway.Asindividualworkerswereplacedintonarrowjobslots,theysufferedadisconnectionwithwhattheirworkreallymeant.Theystoppedexperiencingthesatisfactionofthecustomerattheendoftheline.Intheautoindustry,forexample,aworkermightdrillaholeintoonecornerofacar'schassisforeightorninehourseachday,fiveandahalfdaysaweek,fiftyweeksayear.Thiscouldgoonyearafteryear,decadeafterdecade."Whatdoyoudo?"anautoworkerwouldfindhimselfbeingaskedatasocialgatheringoronthestreet.He'dlikelyhavetwopotentialresponses:"Idrillholes"or"IworkforGeneralMotors."Never:"Imakecars."Hedidn'tmakecars,atleastnotinhisownmind.Hemightseethemdrivingalongtheroad,butthatwasafarcryfromthehole-drillingdutiesheperformedeveryday.

It'snotsurprising,then,thatthisdisconnectionwouldbefeltbytoday'sadminstoo.Astheprofessionofadministrativeassistanthasgottenmoreandmorespecialized,manyadminsfindthemselvesunsureofwheretheyfitin,ofwhattheimpactoftheirday-to-daydutiesreallyis.Whenpeoplearejustdoinga"job"thatis,aseriesoftasksdefinedbysomeoneelseratherthandirectlyaffectinganend

result,(customers),theycometofeellikereplaceablecogsinagiganticmachine.Theycertainlydon'tseethemselvesasequalpartners.

TheDisconnectionDilemma

ConsiderthecaseofJoanie,anadministrativeassistantwithalargeresearchfirm.Joaniespendsherdaystypingupresearchre-

portsonstudiesofchemicalspills,environmentalhazards,recyclingplants.Althoughsheinputsthesereportsintolargedatabases,someoneelseanalyzesthemandanadministrativeassistantinanotherwingofthebuildinginputstheresultsofthatanalysis.

Finalreportsgoouttotheclientcompany,generallyabiggovernmentagencywhereanotherstaffofanalyststhinkaboutthem,puttogethertheirreactions,andthenhaveapooloftheirownadminsinputthisnewreportintoyetanothercomputer.Somewheredownthelineareportbasedonallthisanalysis,reactiveanalysis,andreactivereactiveanalysisgetsdeliveredtothePresidentoftheUnitedStates,orthesecretaryoftheinterior,ortheundersecretaryoftheinterior,ormaybetotheStateDepartmentortotheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.BasicallyJoaniehasnoideawhereitallendsup,andlongagoshegaveupcaring.

"Say,Joanie,"weholier,"whatdoyoudoforaliving?"

"Ityperesearchreportsintoacomputerallday,that'sall."Hey,whatelsecanshetellus?

PartnershipstotheRescue

There'sawayoutofthis"disconnectiondilemma,"sostaywithus;we'releadingyouthere.Ifyoukeeplookinginsideyourself,definingnotonlyyourskills,talents,andabilitiesbutyourpassionsandcontributions,youcancreatepartnershipsinyourworklifesimilartothosethatexistedbeforetheAgeofJobs.Onceyoudothat,you'llfindyourselfintouchwiththemeaningandimpactofyourworkcontributionsandthusexperiencemoregenuinesatisfactionfromwhatyoudo.

Inordertoachievethis,you'vegottonowgobeyonddefiningyourownuniquenessandnextidentifywhowantsorneedsit.Withwhom

canyoupartnertocreateawin-wineconomicexchange?Whohasaproblemthatyoucansolve?HowcanyoupeddleyournewlyID'dskillsandtalentssothateachofyouinthispartnershipwins,thatis,soyou'llfindyourselfwithworkthat'smeaningful,challenging,lucrative,andenjoyableandyourpartnerwillgainaservicethatadvanceshis,her,oritsgoals?

Youmayhavetobreaktheboundsofconvention,perhaps

eventhewayyou'vebeenbroughtup.Ourparents,afterall,wereallbornandraisedintheAgeofJobs.Thatmeanstheybecameacculturatedtoattitudesandbehaviorsassociatedwithhowtobeasuccessfulemployee.Manyoftheseruncountertohowtobeasuccessful"partner."Sowe'vegottolearnnewwaystothinkandact.

Tohelpyoureconditionyourself,considerthefollowingstatementsmadebyprofessionalsintoday'sworkworld.Whichseemintunewiththeprinciplesofwork-worldpartnership,andwhichwithbeingagoodemployee?Recordyouranswerbycheckingtheappropriatebox.

Harriet:"IknowwhatI'msupposedtodoeachday.That'sonegoodthingaboutwhereIwork.Mybossalwayshasitclearlylaidoutformepackagingmail,upgradingthesoftware,recheckingcorrespondence.He'sextremelywellorganized."

Employee?_ Partner?_

Debby:"I'mconstantlyonthelookoutfornewprojects,newthingsIcanlearnfrom.Itdoesn'ttakemuchextraefforttofindthemeither.Ijustkeepaskingpeople,'HowcanIhelpyou?'andtheytellme!"


SueEllen:"I'vegotthisideaforanewwaytogreetcompanyvisitors.Insteadofjusthavingthemsigninatthereceptiondesk,wecouldhandthemacompanybrochureandofferthemcoffeewhiletheywait.Wecouldspreadgoodwillandpromoteourselveswhilewemakethemalittlemorecomfortable.I'vealreadysuggestedthistoouroperationsmanager."


Thelma:"IknowI'mgoodatwhatIdo.Iworkovertime,takeworkhome,dopersonalerrandsformyboss.Igowaybeyondwhat'sexpected.SowherearethosetwoextrapersonaldaysI'veseenotherpeopleonmylevelget?AndwhyamInot

beinggivenmoreresponsibilityandauthority?Ithinkitmaybetimetospeaktotheunionaboutallthis."


Alexandra:"I'vebeenwantingtomoveupfrommyjobforalongtime.Iworkinafinancialinvestmentscompany.Mygoalistobecomeacertifiedfinancialplanner.Istartedasatempthreeyearsago,mostlyasafilingassistant,butI'vebeentakingcoursesatnightinfinancialplanningandInevermissaguestspeakeratlunchorachancetositdownwithoneoftheinvestmentcounselorsandpicktheirbrains.IfeelconfidentIcanbeaverygoodplanner.I'vejustgottoconvincesomeonetoletmeintothetrainingprogram."


Lucy:"Well,Ilikethat!Howdarethey?Iputinforatransfertogofromtheaccountingdepartmenttothemarketingdepartmentsixmonthsago,andnowIseethey'vehiredtwelvenewpeople,allfromtheoutside.AfterIsubmittedthatapplicationIneverheardanotherword.Idon'tthinkthere'sachanceinhellforsomeonelikemetoadvanceinthiscompany.It'shopeless."


Theanswerstothisexerciseareprettyobvious.Wetriedtomakethemthatwaybecauseweweremoreinterestedinmakingclearthecontrastbetweenanemployeementalityandapartnermentalitythanintrippingyouup!Sowe'llscoreallofyouanAonthislatestquiz.

Asyoucansee,theemployeetendstobepassiveandwillingtofollowordersandjustdowhat'sexpected(likeHarriet).Whenshe

doesgobeyondminimalexpectations,shedoesthingslikefilloutapplicationsandfollow"proper"procedures,andthenshefaultsotherindividualsortheentiresystemwhennoonenotices(Lucy).Sherefusestotakerisksandfeelsjustifiedinnotdoingso.Therationaleseemstobethataslongasshe'sdoingwhatshe'sbeentoldtodo,sheoughttobetakencareof(Thelma).Theemployeeattitudeisoneofentitlement.

Apartner,instead,intuitivelyknowsthatnoone'sgoingtotakecareofher.Sheseesthattosucceedandadvanceshehastogetherselfnoticedbyinitiatingideasandgoingoutandfindingsomeoneinauthoritywho'llpayattention(Debby,SueEllen,andAlexandra).Noone'sgoingtomakeiteasyforher;shejusthastobelieveinwhatshe'sdoingandriskrejection.

Apartner'sideamightbetocontributeanimprovementtoacurrentsystem,likegreetingvisitorsinthereceptionlobby(SueEllen),oritmightbemorepersonal,suchasgettingenrolledinacompanytrainingprogram(Alexandra).Apartneralsoappreciatesthevalueofhelpingoutbyaskingcolleagueswhattheyneed(Debby),thengettinginvolvedinwhateverchallengesthatwillgiveherthechancetogrow.Sheenhancesherprofessionalvalueinthemarketplacebythisbehaviorandaffordsdecisionmakersanopportunitytoseewhatshecando.

HowtoBethePerfectPartner

Inbusiness,everyone'salwayslookingforaperfectmatch.Wherecanwefindcustomerswhowantourproductorservice?Doesyourresumématchthejobrequirementsspelledoutinthathelpwantedad?Howdotwobusinesspartnerscomplementeachotherthatis,dotheirindividualskillsandtemperamentsadduptoagoodteam?

Youmustalsolookforamatchwhenexploringnewdirections.Whatproblemsorneedshavebeenwaitingforsomeonetocomealongandhelpwiththem?Whenyoufindone,you'llnextwanttoask,"Couldthat'someone'beme?"

IntheChinesewrittenlanguage,thesymbolforcrisisalsosignifiesopportunity.Thatisthewayyouwanttobethinkingwhenyouscurryaboutinsearchofyourmatch.Specifically,askyourselfthesequestions:

"Whatproblemsatmyplaceofworkneedtobesolved?"

"Whatprojectshavebeenonhold,waitingforsomeonetohelpgetthemstarted?

"Whatnewideascoulddramaticallyimproveprofitsandcustomerrelations?"

"Whatnewsystemscouldbeimplementedthatwouldspeedupserviceand/orcutcosts?"

Thesequestionsshouldgiveyouthegeneralidea.Anyhelpyoucanofferyourcompanyoradepartmentormanagerthatwouldimprovethewaythingsarecurrentlydone,orincreasebusiness,orsolveamajorproblem,orfillaneed,orgetsomethingstartedmaybean"opportunitymatch"waitingtohappen.Adecision-makergetsbusyatworkanddoesn'talwayshavethetimeorenergytopayattentiontoeverythingthatneedstobedone.Hisorhersecretprayeristhatsomeonewillsuddenlycomealongandoffercompetentassistanceandasackfulloffreshideas.That'swhereyoucomein.

FindingThatPerfectMatch

Oneday,SharonCasey,anadminfortheVPofoperationsatabiotechfirminSouthCarolina,findsherselfsittingatlunchwiththecompany'slabtechnicians.Beforelong,she'slunchingwiththemtwoorthreetimesaweekandtalkingwiththemabouttheworktheydo.Afteraboutamonthofthis,Sharonrealizesshe'sbeenreallylookingforwardtotheselunchesandthatshenevertiresofhearingaboutprojects,adventures,andthemishapsoflifeinthelab.

Shebeginstowonderabouttransferringthere.Atfirst,shefiguresallshecanhopeforisadministrativework,sameassheisdoingnow.ButPhyllisandKatearethelab'stwo,andtheydon'tseemtobeplanningonleavinganytimesoon.

Onedayatlunch,oneofthetechniciansmentionsaresearchprojecthe'sbeenwantingtogetfundedforalongtime.Hefeelscertainthathisideameetsallthecriteriarequiredbythepertinentgovernmentagency,buthe'sbeensoswampedlatelyhehasn'tbeenabletocompletethepaperwork.

Boing!Sharonhasabrainstorm.

"Tim,"shebegins,takinghimaside."IthinkImightbeabletohelp.Whatiflworkedwithyoutocompletethepaperwork?I'msureifyoujustshowedmehowtofillintheformsIcoulddomostofitforyou.Wecouldgetenoughofyourproposalinshapesoyoucouldfinallysubmititforfunding."

Timhasbeenlookingforthetimetospendonthisforsomemonthsnow,nottomentionsomeonewhocouldtypeandmakesenseofthecomplicatedgovernmentforms.Sharon'sofferisadreamcometrue."Ireallyappreciatethis,"hesays."Yes,ofcourse,I'llacceptyourhelp.But,Sharon,mayIaskwhyyouwouldbedoingthis?It'sonlygoingtocostyoumoretimeandtroubleonyourend."

Sharonhasaclearresponse."Tim,I'vebeenlunchingwithyouandyourcoworkersforoveramonthnow,andIcan'tbelievehowfascinatedI'vebecomewithwhatyoualldo.Infact,it'sgottenmemoreinterestedinwhatthewholecompanydoes.LastweekIreadourannualreportcovertocover,andI'veevenbegunsubscribingtoacoupleofindustrytrademagazines.Isometimesimaginemyselfworkingintheresearchdepartmentbecauseitsoundslikesomuchfun.IguesswhatI'msayingisthis:IfyoueverhearofanypositioninthelabthatImightqualifyfor,I'dlovetobeconsideredforit."

Timthinksforamomentandthensays,"Youknow,ifthisfundingcomesthroughforme,I'llneedaresearchassistant."ButterfliesbeginbumpingupagainstthewallsofSharon'sstomach."Youmightneedtodosomeadminworkforme,"hecontinued,"butthere'ddefinitelybelabworkI'dneedhelpwithtoo,whichyoucouldlearn."

Sharonhadfoundherperfectmatch.She'dhungoutwithfolkswhointerestedher,begunreadingandlearningmoreabouttheworktheydid,andkeptherearsopen.Oncesheheardaboutaproblemshecouldhelpwith,shevolunteeredherservices.Thenshemadeknownherpersonalgoals.Bythatpoint,hernewpartner,Tim,hadbecomemorethanwillingtohelpherout.

Now,weknowwhatsomeofyoumaybesaying(especiallythe"employee-minded"):"Hey,KenandBarbara,thisallsoundsgreat,butscenarioslikethiscomealongonceinalifetime.Reallifeismuchlessgenerous."

Isthisreallyaone-in-a-millionscenario?Isitunlikelyyouwouldeverrunacrossasimilarsituationinyourlife?WasSharonCaseymerelylucky?Theanswerstoallthreequestionsareno.Scenariossimilartothisonehavehappenedtomany,manyofourclients.Mostofthem,bytheway,alsostartedout

disbelievingsomethinglikethiscouldhappentothem;yet,aftertheygottheircareeradvancementcampaigningear,somethinglikeiteventuallydid.

However,bywayofpayingslighthomagetoyourskepticism,letusaddthefollowing:Althoughthiskindofscenecanplayitselfoutaseasilyaswe'vedepicted,andalthoughitwilldosomuchmoreoftenthanyoumightthink,never,never,neverexpectitto.Yousee,expectationtendstofosterpassiveframesofmind.Wesometimesgetalittletoocomfortablewhenweexpectsomethingwillhappen.Wedon'ttryashard,doasmuch.Ifyoudon'tbelieveus,checkoutthedictionarydefinitionofthewordexpect.Amongtheentriesyou'llfind''towait,"await,"and"toconsiderprobableorcertain."

Whenitcomestocareeradvancement,you'vegottoputoutaneffortof100no,makethat1000percent!Therearesomanypotentialforksintheroad,ruts,fallenrocks,discouragingwords.Youcan'tletyourguarddownforoneminute!Passivityhasnoplace,nordoeswaiting,feelingoverconfident,orgettingtoocomfortable.

InsteadfollowthestepsSharonCaseytook:

1.Observe.Whatdoyounoticethat'snotworkingwellinyourcompany?Whatcouldbeimproved?Youdon'thavetohavealltheanswersinhandatfirst.Youjustneedtodevelopaknackforspottingproblems.

2.Locatewho'sinchargeoftheproblem.SharonheardTimgrousingaboutaprojecthecouldn'tfindtimetogetofftheground.Hisprojectsoundedlikeitneededaskill(helpwithpaperwork)shecouldofferhim.Thatwashercue.

3.Decideifthere'saroleyougenuinelywanttoplay.Ifthereis,makeyourwantspublic.IfSharonhadheardofasimilarneedintheaccountingorthemarketingdepartment,wouldshehavevolunteered

tohelptheretoo?Probablynot.Herexcitementwasfocusedontheresearchlab.That'stheplaceshewantedtoendup.Tim'sneedforherhelpofferedtheopeningtogetherthere.

SniffingOutTrouble

There'sacardiothoracicsurgeonatoneofNewYorkCity'smajorhospitalswho'sbecomerenownedaroundhisoperating

roomforsniffingouttrouble.Manytimeshe'llaskastaffphysicianornurseaboutamatterthatdoesn'tfeelrighttohim,thensensethatthestafferisunabletodiscovertheproblem.Onsuchoccasions,Dr.Bobmutters,"There'ssomethingwrongaroundhereandI'mgoingtofindoutwhatitis."Thenheproceedstodoso.

Youshouldemulatethissurgicalbloodhound.Fortunately,forusandtheworldingeneral,therearealwaysproblems.There'sanabundanceofneedstofillandtherealwayswillbe.That'swhyyoucanfeelconfidentacareermatchisinyourfuture.Youjusthavetolookforit.

Onthenextpage,puttogetheranewmindmapfocusingonhowyourcompanyisdoing.Youcanincludegoodthingsyourcompanyisdoingifthatwillhelpgetthejuicesflowing,butdon'tforgettoincludeanyproblems,needs,orcrisesthatcometomind.Writeyourcompany'snameinthecenterandbranchoutwithyourwavylinesandtentaclesasyoudidinpreviousmindmaps.Justseewhatyoucomeupwith.

[Note:Ifyouarethinkingofmovingtoanothercompany,orifyouareunemployedandtargetinganumberofcompanies,useonlyoneofthesecompaniesforthisexercise.Tousethemallmightmakethemindmaptoocomplicatedandconfusing.]

Read

Yournextstepistoread.Getholdofthecompanyannualreport,thecompanypresskit,thecompanynewsletteranyinformationthatthecompanypublishesaboutitself.Readthismaterialthoroughly.Takenotesasyouread.Noticethoseareasthecompanyisinvolvedinthatinterestyou.Askyourselfifyoucouldimagineworkingonthisorthatproject,orinsuchandsuchadepartment.

Next,getalittlecritical.Doyouagreewitheverythingyou'rereading?Doyoudisagreewithanythingthecompanyisdoing,orthe

wayit'sdoingit?Canyouspotanyflawsinthecompany'sthinkingorstrategy?Didyounoticeanymissingpieces?Putthewholecompanyunderyourmicroscope.

Gobackandaddyourlatestthoughtsandideastoyourmindmap.

"CompanyEvaluation"MindMap

MoreStufftoRead

Inadditiontowhateverprintedmaterialsyoucangetfromthecompany,hustledowntoyourlocallibraryandseewhatyoucanfindthere.Lookupbooksandmagazinearticlesnotonlyonyourcompanybutonyourindustry,onsimilarcompanies,andonthefieldorprofessionyou'rebecominginterestedin.Ifyou'renotsurehowtofindallofthis,steprightuptothereferencedeskatyourlibrary.Tellthereferencelibrariansittingtherethatyou'redoingsomecareerexplorationandyouneedsomehelpgettingstarted.Beforelong,thatreferencelibrarianwillbecomeoneofyourbestfriends.Don'tforgettosendherafruit-cakearoundtheholidays.

Tosupplementlibraryresearch,besuretoregularlycruisemagazinestandsandbookstores.Librarieswon'talwayshaveallthebestperiodicalsorallthelatestbooksonasubject.Keepaucourantbydoingyourownadvancework.Youmightendupsuggestingtoyourreferencelibrarianothermaterialsherlibraryreallyoughttohave.She'llthankyouforit.

Andoneotherpointofinformation:Inthesehigh-techtimeswemustpayattentiontotheemergingtechnologiesthatallowustobringlibrariesandbookstoresrightintoourhomes.Ifyou'rehookeduptoan"on-lineservice"(AmericaOnline,Prodigy,orCompuserve,tonamethebetterknown),you'llfindarticlesavailabletherethatyoucanreadon-screenandevenprintoutforyourfiles.Thesecansaveagreatdealofrunning-aroundtime,obviouslyawelcomebenefitsinceinyourregularadminlifeyouprobablydoenoughrunningaroundasitis.

Nowgobackandaddtoyourmindmapanyplansyouhaveforlibrary-typeresearch.Then,afteryouhaveimplementedyourplans,noterelevantfindingsfromyourresearchandaddthesetootoyourmindmap.Thisthingisreallygonnagrow!

CareerConversations

Mostbooksoncareerexplorationusetheterminformationalinterviewtoindicateatechniqueforlearningmoreaboutanintriguingjob,career,company,orindustry.Informational

interviewstypicallydenoteone-on-onequestion-and-answersessions,usuallyconductedinpersonataformallyappointedtime.Theinterviewer,eitherapotentialcareerchangerorajobseeker,asksthequestions.Theinterviewee,usuallyamanagerorotherexpertoradecision-maker,patientlyanswers.

Informationalinterviewstypicallytakeplaceintheinterviewee'sofficeforaboutthirtyminutes(orlongeriftheintervieweegetsonaroll),andwhenit'salloverbothshakehandsandtheinterviewerleaves.Thereallyconscientiousinterviewersmailthank-younoteswithinadayortwo.Mostofthetime,afterthat,thetwoneverseeorhearfromeachotheragain.

Wantouropinionofthisprocess?Threewords:Wehateit!Nottheprocessexactly,moretheformit'sconductedin.Here'swhy:

Informationalinterviewstendtolimit,notenhance,yourchancetobuildvaluablecareerrelationships.Theyare,inouropinion,constricting,limiting,andboxy.Theysetupadynamicbetweenbothpartiesthattendstostuntcontinuedgrowth:"OK,yougotwhatyouwant;goodlucktoya!"Thatmightaswellbewhattheintervieweehearswhensheleavestheinterviewer'soffice,becausethat'susuallytheattitude.

Theotherproblemwithinformationalinterviewsisthattoomanypeopleareouttheredoingthem!Manyprofessionalsthusgetbombardedwithrequestsforthemandendupformulatingcannedrejectionssothattheywon'tfindthemselvesgivingawaytoomuchprecioustime.Voicingyourrequestbyspecificallyusingtheword"informationinterview"raisesaredflagandsetssuchrejectioninmotion.

Asanalternativetotheinformationalinterview,wepreferwhatwecallthe"careerconversation."Canyouseeadifference,simplyinthe

toneofeachlabel?Informationalinterviewsbad!Careerconversationsgood!

Howwouldyoucomparethesetwotechniques?Whatdoesthenameofeachimply?Whydoyousupposewefeelsostronglythatacareerconversationwouldhaveitalloverthesomuchbetter-knowninformationalinterview?

Inthecolumnbelow,recordyourideasbycheckingoffwhichtechniqueseemstobetterfitthecharacteristiccited.Keepinmindtheverysoundofeachtechnique'snameasyoudeliberateyouranswers.

InformationalInterview

CareerConversation

Conductedfrequentlyonneutralground

____ ____

Two-waycommunication ____ ____

Couldbeloosetimeframe

____ ____

Generallybyappointmentonly

____ ____

Communicationveryformal

____ ____

Generallyonunfamiliarterritory

____ ____

IfyoucheckedthelinesunderCareerConversationforthefirstthreeandthelinesunderInformationalInterviewforthebottomthree,thenyouwerethinkingwhatwewerethinking.Youreadourminds!Tous,careerconversationsoffermuchmorelatitudeforgettingtoknowsomeone,sinceyoucouldbeconductingoneoff-the-cuffvirtuallyanywhereatasocialgathering,ataprofessionalevent,inthesupermarket,onthesidewalkoutsidethepostoffice.Goodcommunicationisatwo-waystreetyoutalk,theytalk,youtalkagain,theytalksomemore.There'saloosetimeframe,tooyourtalkingtogetherendswhenitends,whenit'stimetoend.Everybodyactsnatural.

Informationalinterviews,ontheotherhand,feeljustasthetitleimplies:stiff,formal,clinical.Youmeetonalienturf,whichhelpsyougettoknowyourinterviewee'ssurroundingsbutalsosetsupan

unequaldynamicforyou.It'sasifyou'rethispoor,work-worldwaif.Yougooutandmeetpeopleintheiroffices;theynevercometoyours.Communicationisoftensetupinaveryrigidformatyouquestionthebigexpertandhedeignstoansweryou.Withinalimitedtimeframe,ofcourse("Icangiveyoutwentyminutes,OK?");histimeislimited.(Butyoucan'thelpthinking:"Andwhatmine'snot?")

Aninformationalinterviewissooftensetuponsuchuneventermsthatit'sboundtofosteralowerself-imageonyourpart.That'sofcoursethelastthingyouneedasyouworktokeepyourspiritsandoptimismupduringyourcareerexplora-

tions.Instead,whatyouwanttofeelistheequalofotherprofessionals.Youwanttofeelthatthey'renotlordsorladiesonhigh,butcolleagues,teammates,andworkingstiffsjustlikeyou:potentialpartners.

WouldyoucallSharon'sexchangewithTimanIoraC?ItwasobviouslyaCalltheway!Infact,sinceshe'dbeenlunchingwithTimandhiscolleaguesformonths,Sharonhadbeenhavingroundsandroundsofcareerconversationswiththemforallthattime.Whatbetterwaytogettoknownotonlytheinformationyou'reseekingfrominformationalinterviewsbuttheprofessionalsthemselvesaswell?

You'vegottobuildyourrelationshipswithpeopleasyougatheryourinformation,asSharonhad.BythetimeTim'stimeproblemscametolightduringtheirlunchconversations,Sharon'sowncompetencehadbecomefirmlyestablishedinTim'seyes.CanyouimaginehowdifferenttheexchangemighthavebeenhadSharonexperiencedonlyabrief,stiff,twenty-minuteinformationalinterviewwithTimfiveorsixmonthsbefore?Canyouimagine?

SharonisspeakingtoTimoverthephone:

Sharon:Maybeyoudon'trememberme,butwemetfivemonthsagoinyouroffice.Foraninformationalinterview.

Tim:Urn,hmmm.Ican'trememberexactly.WhatcanIdoforyou?

Sharon:Well,I,uh,IheardyoumightbelookingforaresearchassistantsometimesoonandIwantedtoapplyforthejob.

Tim:Whatkindofexperiencedoyouhaveworkinginalab?

Sharon:Well,uh,nonereally.I'manadministrativeassistantoverhereinoperations.ButI'mverywillingtolearn.I'mveryinterested!

Tim:Well,youknowthefundinghasn'tcomethroughyet,andIdon't

knowwhenitwill.ButifyousendyourresuméovertoHumanResources,they'llholditforme.

Sharon:Yes,well,I'lldothat.Iappreciateyourtalkingtome.Thankyouverymuchforyourtime.I'llsendmyresuméouttoday.

Doesthephrasesnowball'schanceinhellcometomindatall?Lookforwaystogettoknowpeople,toreallygettoknowthem.Combineyourresearchtechniqueswithlessformalizedrelationshipbuilding.Youwantpeopletorememberyou,tounderstandwhatyoucandoforthem,tobewillingtotakeachanceonyou.Ifyourelyonmore-distant,-impersonalizedmethods,you'llcontinuallyhavetroubleclosingthegap.

"NeverFeelTrappedasanAdmin"

A"QandA"WithEthelCook

PrincipalofCorporateImprovementGroup,locatedinBedford,Massachusetts,EthelCookisaprofessionalorganizer,trainer,consultant,andmotivationalspeaker.Ethel,whowasanadminformanyyears,focusesherconsultingpracticeonteachingadminshowtoworkmoreeffectivelyaswellashowtoadvancetheircareers.Sheconductsaseminarcalled"ManagementSkillsforExecutiveSecretariesandAdministrativeAssistants"fortheAmericanManagementAssociation.

BarbaraLitwak:Howhasthejobofadministrativeassistantchangedoverthelasttenyears?

EthelCook:Inthepast,adminsranaroundtyping,doingerrands,answeringthephones,filing.Theystilldoallofthat,butnowtheydoalotmore.Muchadminworktodayisproject-orientedwritingreports,creatingspreadsheets,analyzingdemographics,preparingpresentations,doingpublicity.Adminsarethewaymiddlemanagersusedtobe.

B.L.:Thatsoundsasifitcouldopenalotofdoors.

E.C.:Ifyoubothertoeducateyourself,youcanreallybecomeanexpert,especiallyinareasthatarenew.Forexample,ifyoumakeita

pointtolearnallyoucanaboutnewtechnologiessoftwareprograms,theInternet,phonesystemsyoucanbecomethecompanyresourceperson.Everybodywillbecallingonyou!Thatmayjustifyyourbeinggiventhatroleasajob,elevatingyoufromadminstatus.Youcanmake

aproposalthatthejobof"resourceofficer"becreatedandthatyoushouldfillit.

B.L.:Howdidyoumovefromadminworktotheworkyoudonow?

E.C.:Ikeptgettingboredwithadminwork.Iwasalwayslookingforwaystomakethejobmorestimulating.SoIstartedtryingtohelppeople.Mymottowas,"HowcanIhelpyou?"ThatgotmetomakeaconnectionbetweenwhatothersneededdoneandhowIcouldfitin.OnedayIfoundmyselfteachingpeoplehowtofile,howtoorganizetheiroffices.Ididitasanemployeethen.NowIgetpaidaheftyfee.

B.L.:Soundsasifyourtransitionwentprettysmoothly.

E.C.:Notatall!Ittookalotofpersonalgrowth,aswellasnetworking,togetwhereIamtoday.Ispeakforalivingnow,butIcouldn'tdoitatallthen.Ijustdidn'thavehighenoughself-esteem.Butonceyoustartdownaroad,youhaveatendencytokeepgoing.

B.L.:What'sthenumber-onestrategyadminsshouldemploytoadvancethemselves?

E.C.:DowhatIdid:Findawaytofillsomeone'sneed,especiallythatofyourbossorsomeoneelseinauthority.You'lldevelopnewskillsandpeoplewillgettoseewhatyoucando.

Ioncehadabosswhowashavingalotoftroubledealingwithtwoothersecretariesinhisoffice.Theytendedtobehardpersonalities,veryconfrontational.Iwenttohimandsaid,"Ifyoudon'twanttodealwiththem,I'lldoitforyou.Justhavethemgothroughme."Ilearnedalotafterthataboutnegotiationskills,anditmademethemostvaluableadminthere.

B.L.:Whataboutwhenyourbossdoesn'twantyourhelp?

E.C.:Itdoeshappen.Iworkedforamanageronetimewhodidn't

evenwanttohavecontactwithmeorhisotherad-mins,letaloneanyextrahelp.IaskedhimoncehowIwasdoingandhetoldme:"Idon'twantyoutoaskmeanyquestionsdirectly.Putyourquestionsonpaper.IfIchoosetoanswerthem,Iwill.IfIdon'twanttoansweryou,I

won't."Thenhesaid,"AndIdon'twantyoutofollowupwithmeeither."Brrrr.

Whenyourunupagainstabosswhowon'tletyouhelphimwithextraprojectsandobviouslyisn'tgoingtosupportyouinyourcareeradvancement,lookaroundforsomeoneelse.AtoneplaceIworked,mybosswouldn'tspendthetimetomentorme.Hisboss,though,neededhelponsomethings,soIofferedmyservices.Istartedgettingsomerealplumassignmentsfromthat,whichexpandedthebreadthofwhatIknewaboutandcoulddo.Youmustneverfeeltrappedasanadmin,becauseyou'rereallynot.Wheneveryoufeelthatway,rememberit'sallinyourhead.

B.L.:Whatshouldyouaskforinreturnforhelpingoutothersinthecompany?Whatwillensurethatyou'lladvance?

E.C.:Training.Education.Learningthings.Ifyou'reinasmallcompany,takeadvantageoftheneedforeveryonetowearalotofhats.Takeonotherjobs.Ifyou'reatalargercompany,interactwithpeopleinotherdepartments,andnotjustwiththeotheradmins.Lookaroundforpeoplewhorespectyou.Beflexible,cooperative,ateamplayer.StayawayfromgossipcirclesandavoidNationalSecretariesDay.

B.L.:NationalSecretariesDay?

E.C.:IbelieveNationalSecretariesDayshouldbeabolished.Adminsandsecretariesareprofessionals.Whyaretheybeingsingledoutforaspecialday?DowehaveNationalEngineersDay?OrNationalManagersDay?Thisonlykeepsalivetheideaofthepink-collarghetto.It'slikethatoldcommercial:"PromiseheranythingbutgiveherArpége."Adminsdon'tneedflowersoranannualfreelunch;theyneedtraining,education,andgenuineopportunities.

TreatyouradminlikeaprofessionaliswhatIsay.Remember:

Flowersdie,lunchgetsdigested,butlearningstayswithyouforever.

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:MarciaMiller

Currently:Presidentofherownfirm,DesktopDesignandPublication,aLexington,Massachusetts,provideroftraininganddocumentationmaterials,productmanuals,andInternetsitedesign

Adminskillsusedtoday:Typing,officemanagement

Howchangewasmade:''Ihadtakenatypingcourse,whichhelpedgetmeajobasanofficemanagerforasmallengineeringfirm.AsitturnedoutIdidn'tdoawholelotoftypingbecausethecompanyreallyneededsomeonetoorganizetheofficeandkeepitrunning.I'dheardaboutthejobthroughafriendwhoworkedatthecompany.

"IwasmorefortunatethanalotofadminsorsecretariesinthatIalsohadacollegedegree;andevenbetterforme,itwasinscience.SoIwasreallyoverqualifiedforthisjob,afactthatbecamequicklyobvious.SoImoveduptheranksinaveryshorttime,firstfillingoutvariousHRfunctionsthatneededtobedone,thengoingontothepositionofmarketingmanager.WhenabigprojectinSaudiArabiacameup,Itookovertheproject'sadministration.Thatsolidifiedthemomentumofmycareer,andIneverwentbacktoadminworkagain."

Bestadviceforadmins:"Workinasmallcompany.You'llwearmanyhatsthere,soit'sagreatwaytogainmanydifferentkindsofskills."

6PositioningYourNewSelfforSuccessYou'vegottobecareful.Therearethosewhowillhelpyouandthosewhowillnot.Professionalsineverycomeroftheworkworldencounterthetendencyofotherstopigeonhole:

"You'reanengineer,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowaboutadvertising?""You'reinadvertising,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowabouttraininganddevelopment?"''You'reintraininganddevelopment,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowaboutfinance?""You'reinfinance,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowaboutengineering?""You'reanadministrativeassistant,yousay.Whatcouldyoupossiblyknowabout...anything?"

Oursocietyoftenviewsadminsasflunkies,automatons,empty-headeddrones.It'sajob,manyassume,thatanyonecando.It'sjustnotthathard.

This,when,takentotheextreme,cangetdownrightdegrading.You'renotevenheldinthesameregardasotheradults,asBarbaraoncelearned.

WhileworkingattheprestigiousKennedySchoolofGovernmentatHarvardUniversityasanadmintoanenvironmentalconsultant,Barbarabecamefriendlywithaprofessorinanotherdepartmentwhoseemedtovalueherwitandprofessionalism,andtheytalked

frequentlyaboutK-Schoolissuesandalsoaboutworldissues,politics,lifeingeneral.Theyseemedtostrikeupaprettygoodrapport.

OnedaythisprofessorcalledBarbaratohisofficetodiscusssomething"inconfidence."Barbarahadbeenlookingforanewopportunity,sincehercurrentpositionseemedtohavereachedaplateau,andherprofessorfriendknewit.Maybehewasgoingtoofferhersomething.

Barbarasettledintoachairintheprofessor'soffice,andhegotrighttoit."MywifeandIaregoingoutoftownnextmonthforacoupleofweeks,"hebegan."I'veobservedthatyouseemtoberesponsibleandconscientious.Wouldyouconsiderwatchingourhouseandmindingourfourteen-year-olddaughterwhilewe'regone?"

Dumbfounded,butdiscreet,Barbarapolitelyrefusedwithanexcuseaboutbeingawayherselfduringthattime.Butinside,shebothragedanddespaired.Wasthatallhesawherasababysitter?

Yourimageasanadmin,then,hastobedealtwitheveryday.Asyoubegintobuildyourcareerrelationships,youcan'tbetoocarefulaboutensuringthatyou'reseenthewayyouwanttobeseen.Stereotypicalthinkingrunsdeep.Youmustalwaysaggressivelyclarifywhatyoucandoandwhatyou'relookingfor.Takenoprisoners.Evenyourverybestalliesmaywanttohelp,butnotknowhow.It'syourjobtoshowthem.

LeadingYourAllies

Whenwesayit'syourjobtoshowpeoplewhatyoucando,wemeanyouoftenhavetoliterallyleadthem.Demonstratetothemwhattheycandoforyou,thenshoutittotherafters."DoyouunderstandwhatitisIreallydo?"maybeoneearlyquestiontoaskanypotentialally.Shouldtheysayyes,askthemtoarticulateit.Verylikely,nomatter

whattheysay,theywon'tknowhowtopaintyourabilitiesandpotentialinasattractiveormarketableawayasyoucould.It'syourjobtohelpthemout,asMarisahastodo.

TheEducationofanAlly

MarisahasbeenworkinginamajormanufacturingplantinVirginia.Asshebeginsexploringoptionsinsidehercompany,shefindsherselfinterestedintheinspectiondepartment.Theideaofcheckingproductsamplesbeforethey'reshippedintriguesher,andshealsoenjoysthecamaraderiesheobservesinthedepartment.Theincreaseinpayforworkingthereappealstoheraswell.

MarisamakeslunchplanswithMerle,thedepartment'schiefinspector.AlthoughMerlehasnoauthoritytohireher,Marisafeelsthattalkingwithhimmaygiveheraclearerideaaboutwhatqualificationsthedepartmentmanagerisseekinginanewinspector.ShegetsMerletoacceptherinvitationtolunchsimplybybeinghonest.

"I'minterestedinlearningmoreaboutyourdepartment,"shetellshim."I'mcuriousaboutpossiblecareeropportunities,andsinceyou'vebeentherethelongest,I'dliketoaskyouafewquestionsoverlunch.Mytreat."

Merle'sfirstresponseisthathedoesn'tthinkthereareanyopeningsinthedepartmentatthepresenttime.Besides,hedoesn'thandlethehiringhimself.

"That'sOK,"Marisaresponds."I'mnotlookingtoapplyrightyet.Ijustwanttolearnmore."

"OK,"saysMerle."Howabouttomorrowateleven-thirtyinthecafeteria?"

Thenextday,astheysitdowntolunch,MarisaagainsummarizesforMerlewhyshewantstomeetwithhim.Asisoftenthecasewhenpotentialcareeralliesarefirstapproachedforhelp,MerleassumesthatMarisaisreadytoapplyforajob.Healsoassumesthatsheis

seekinganotheradminposition.

"Youknow,I'dliketohelp,Ireallywould,"hedrawlsinhisGeorgiaaccent,"buttobehonestIdon'tthinkourdepartment'ssecretarywillbeleavinganytimesoon.She'sbeenwithusthirty-fiveyears,andshetellsmeshe'shangingonforherretirement.That'saboutfiveyearsfromnow."

[TimeforMarisatoeducateMerle,again.Merle,likemostpotentialallies,needshertoexplainherintentionstwoorthreetimesbeforehe'llgetit.That'sbecauseMarisa'srequestisnottheusual,straightforward"Canyougetmeajob?"butratheranappealforMerle'sopinionsandguidance.Applyingforajobcomeslater.]

"Merle,"shebeginscarefully,"whatI'mactuallyinterestedinisleavingmyworkasanadministrativeassistantanddoingsomethingelse.I'vebeeninvestigatinglotsofoptionsrecently.Theinspectiondepartmenthascometointerestmethemost.Whoknows?MaybeI'llbecomeaninspectorsomeday,likeyou!"

Merlestabsataforkfulofsaladandshovelsitintohismouth.Chucklingalittlenervously,hesays,"Withallduerespect,Marisa,Idon'tknowifthiswouldbetherightjobforyou.Yousee,there'snotalotoftypingtodowhenyou'reaninspectorlikeme.You'vegottopayattentiontotinydetailsandhavegreateyesight.You'realwayssearchingfordefectsinthematerial.You'vealsogottomovelickety-splitwhenashipmentisreadytogoout.Thatrequiresanawfullotoffingerdexteritysoyoucanpluckoutthebadstuffatamoment'snotice.Canyouseethatyoumightnothavetherightskillsforthislineofwork?"

[NoticehowMerlehaspigeonholedMarisabytheadminworkshedoesnow.Hedoesn'tmeanto;heisjustcallingitasheseesit.Infact,he'dprobablybethefirsttosaythathehimselfwasn'tqualifiedformuchelsethaninspectionwork.It'sasiftheskillsandtalentsweutilizeinourcurrentjobscouldn'tpossiblybetransferredtoanyotherlineofwork.Fortunately,Marisahadspentoodlesoftimelisteningtous,sosheknowswhattodonext.]

"Merle,"sheasks,"doyouknowwhatIdo?"

"Well,"Merlerepliesconfidently,"1thinkIdo.Illunderstanditright,youtypeletters,answerlotsofphonecalls,andtakeafairamountofdictation.AndfromwhatI'veseenwhenI'vebeendownatyouroffice,you'redarngoodatittoo."

"Thanks,Merle,"Marisasays."I'vealwaysappreciatedanicecompliment."

"Notatall.Justbeinghonest."

"Butthoughyou'recorrectldotypeletters,answertonsofphonecalls,andtakealittledictationIalsodosomeofthesamethingsyoudointheinspectionroom."

Eventhoughhe'shardatworkonhisentreenow,Merleisstilllistening."Howso?"hewondersaloud.

"Well,thinkofitlikethis:WheneverItypealetter,I'mpayingattentiontotinydetails,justasyoudoinyourinspectionwork.I'vealsogottohaveagoodpairofeyessoIcanfindtyposandothererrorsontheseletters,nottomentionthatmyfingerdexterityneeds

toberightuptherewiththebestofthemsothatIcantypefast,collatereports,andoperatecalculators,postagemachines,andcopiers."Shepausestoletallthissinkin,thenfinisheswith,"Andasformovingfast,I'mlikeawildtornadowhenacallcomesdownfromthepresident'sofficeforacopyofoneofourreportsorsomething.Believeme,whenthepresident'sofficecalls,it'sallhandsondeck!Takingyourtimejustdoesn'tcutit."

Merleisimpressed."Hadn'tthoughtofitthatway,"hesays,swiggingthelastofhisdietsoda."Y'knowIcan'tsayifI'dbeabletodotheworkyoudoitsoundsprettyspecializedthewayyoutellitbutifyouwantmyopinion,I'dsaythatwithalittlebitoftrainingandsomemorepractice,you'ddorealfinedownintheinspectionarea!Whydon'tyoucomeoversomeafternoonandI'llshowyouaround.I'llintroduceyoutothebosstoo.He'sbeenthinkingaboutaddingonafewtraineesinthenextmonthortwo."

Seehowyoucan'ttakeanyone'sunderstandingofwhatyoudoforgranted?Inthesameregard,youcertainlycan'ttakeforgrantedthenotionthatotherpeoplecanautomaticallyenvisionyourvaluetothem.It'sgreatwhenithappensonitsownthatsomeonespotsyouordiscoversyoubutouradviceis,neverplanonit.Instead,youmustcarefully,methodically,patientlyleadyouralliesthroughthequagmireoftryingtoseeyouasthevaluable,evolvingprofessionalyouare.Yourimageasanadminbynomeansrepresentsallyoucando.

LeadingHR

Youwon'tnecessarilyhaveaneasiertimeexplainingyourselftohumanresources,butyoushouldplantoutilizethemanyway.Theyusuallyknowofpresentandfutureopeningsinthecompany.Still,you'llhavetoworkwiththemthesamewayasyoudowhenyou'rebuildingyourothercareerallies.HRfolksaretrainedtothinkinterms

ofdemonstratedskillsandpreviousworkhistories,soyourproposaltotakeonsomenewchallengeintheorganizationmaystillfallonperplexedears.Merle'sreactionsinmanywaysechoedthoseofthemostseasonedHRpro.What'sworse,HRwillwanttolookatyourresumé,whichoftenencapsulatesyourprofessionalcredentialsinawayyou'drather

notdisplay.YourresumésendstheHRspecialistszippingaboutthroughyourpastwhileyou'dpreferthemtohelpyouinopeningupyourfuture.

Itmightbeofvaluetoyou,then,totakeamomentandthinkabouthowyoumightexplainyour"transferability"toHR.Whywouldyourparticularadminskillsbea"plus"inanewcareerarea?YoucanreferbacktoMarisa'sexplanationstoMerle.Shecited,forexample,herskillwithtypingasaplusintheinspectiondepartmentbecauseitshowedhercarefulattentiontodetails.

Useanewcareerdirection(NCD)you'vebeguntothinkaboutasaguideforthefollowingexercise.Ifyou'restillconsideringanumberofnewdirections,chooseoneatrandomandusethat.You'llofcourseneedatleastarudimentaryunderstandingoftheskillsandtalentsyournewcareerdirectionentails.

MyCurrentAdrninSkills WhyaPlusinNCD

1._______________

2._______________

3._______________

4._______________

5._______________

6._______________

7._______________

8._______________

9.________________

10._______________


Let'sreturnnowtoBarbara'sdaysattheKennedySchool.

Afterwrigglingoutofthatuncomfortableencounterwiththeprofessor,BarbarabeganpayingregularvisitstoHR.Initially,thesevisitsonlykeptthatdepartmentawarethatshewaslookingforsomethingelse,thatshewantedtotransfertoanotherdepartment.Timeandtimeagain,shewastold,"Nothingrightnow,Barbara,butwe'llletyouknow."

ButBarbarakeptcomingback.Overtime,shebuiltsolidrelationshipswiththeHRstaff,whogottoknowherpersonallyaswellasunderstandtheexactsituationshewaslookingfor.ThisallpaidoffwhenonedayacallcameintoHRfromoneoftheschool'stopdeans."Knowanygoodadministratorswhocouldworkinmyoffice?"heasked.TheHRassistantdirectorwhoansweredthephonethoughtofsomeoneimmediately."Wesuredo,"shesaid.Withinadayorso,Barbaragotthejob!

Seehowitworks?It'sallaboutadvertising,keepingyournameinpeople'sheads.Whenpeopleneedsomeonelikeyou,youwanttobethefirstpersontheythinkof.It'snosecret,afterall,whyBurgerKing,McDonald's,andWendy'sallvieforyourattentioneacheveningstartingaroundeighto'clock.Theywanttobethenumber-onefastfoodjointyourushofftowhenthoselate-nighthungerpangskickin.Theyknowyou'veheardtheirnamesbefore,buttheydon'twantyoutoforgetthemnow.They

workhardatbuildingarelationshipwithyoueverynightandwitheveryoneyouknow.

CuttoBarbaraagain,nownestledinthegorgeousColoradoRockies.

Thistimeourcareerheroine,joblessthoughfocused,targetedadvertisingashernextcareerdirection.Havingjustcompletedhermaster'sinmasscommunication,she'dbeenlookinghardforanykindofadvertisingpositionatallintheadmittedlylimitedmarketplaceofBoulder.

Hopingtogetajumponthecompetitionanywayshecould,shebegandroppingbytheofficeoftheBoulderDailyCameranewspapertocheckoutitswantadsbeforetheyevenhitthestreet.Bypoppingindayafterdayjustbeforenoon,shesoonbecamefriendlywiththeCamera'sreceptionist,Jean.

"Whatkindofworkareyoulookingfor?"JeanaskedBarbaraoneday.

Barbaraexplainedthatworkinginsomeaspectofadvertisingwasherdream.

Aboutaweekortwolater,Barbaracamebyjustalittlepastherusualtime.Jean,veryexcited,wavedherin."lwaswonderingwhenyou'dgethere,"shecried."There'ssomethingI'vegottotellyou."TheCameraitself,shesaid,wouldsoonbelookingforsomeonetostartasanaccountexecutivetraineeinitsadvertisingdepartment.Nooneelseknewaboutthispositionyet,sinceithadn'tbeenadvertised.

"And,"Jeanexplained,"itwon'tbeadvertisedifwefindsomeonetofillitfirst."

JeanthenintroducedBarbaratotheadvertisingmanager,whotookheraroundtomeettherestofthestaff.Beforetheweekwasout,Barbaralandedherfirstofficialjobinadvertising]Hercareerally,

Jean,withwhomshe'dbeenhavingdaily,off-the-cuffcareerconversations,hadcomethroughforher,hook,line,andsinker.

VisitingOtherDepartments

BacktoMarisanow.She'dmadeitapointtogettoknowsomeoneinadepartmentshewasinterestedin,thenfollowedupwithavisitthere.ShesawMerle'soperationforherselfandfur-

theridentifiedthatsheindeedwantedtoworkthere.Rememberthatsometimesthingsinlifefailtoliveuptoourpriorimages,andworkiscertainlynoexception.SoMarisaneededtophysicallyexperienceherpotentialnewworkplaceinordertoproceedtothenextstepofactuallyapplyingforajob.

Ofcourse,Marisahaditeasy,right?SinceMerlehadinvitedher,shedidn'tevenhavetoraisetheissue.Butthat'satypicalscenario:Onceyoubuildanenjoyablecareerrelationshipwithsomeone,theywillwanttohelpyouinanywaytheycan.They'lloftensurpriseyoubytellingyouaboutjobopenings,invitingyoutovisittheirdepartment(orcompany),introducingyoutoalltherightpeople.Merleofferedalloftheseandmore.

Itcangetevenbetterthanthat.Wetriedanexperimentonceduringacareerworkshopinwhichwesenteveryoneoutafterlunchtodocareerconversationswithstrangers.Notjustanystrangers,however,butspecificallywithstrangerswhoworkedinpositionsofauthorityatcompaniesourworkshopparticipantsknewtheydidnotwanttoworkfor.

"Choosecompaniesthatdothingsthatyoudon'tcareabout,"weinstructedthem."Anddon'tcallaheadforappointments.Justdropinunexpectedlyandasktospeakwithamanagerorsomeoneelseinauthority.Thenhaveacareerconversationwiththemforaroundfifteenortwentyminutesabouttheworktheydo."

Youcanimaginethepessimismandshakingofheadsintheroom.Aspeopleleft,fewbelievedtheywouldevergetaninterviewwithoutanappointment.Evenfewerimaginedanythinginstructivecouldcomeofthisassignment."WhywouldIwanttotalkatlengthtosomeonedoingworkIdon'tcareabout?"theywantedtoknow.

Threehourslater,everyonereturned,chattering,excited,bushy-tailed.

Beforewecouldgetoutourofficial"How'ditgo?"theybegantellingtheirstories.

"IgotrightinandspentanhourwithaCEO,"Johnsaid.

"Iwastreatedtoatourofacompany'sentirefacility,"Elizabethsaid.

"Imeteveryonewhoworkedforthiscompany,"Kathleensaid.

SaidAlicia:"Igotofferedajob!"

EveryoneturnedtowardAlicia.Foramomenttheroomgotquiet.Wecouldseelooksofshockonthefacesofmostoftheothers.

Suddenlyahalf-dozennewhandswentup."Igotofferedajobtoo,"someonesaid."Metoo,"saidanother.''Metoo.""Andme."

Tallyingtheresultsofthisexperiment,wefoundthatofforty-eightworkshopparticipants,fortyhadmanagedtogettheirimpromptumeetingswithpersonsofauthority,andsixofthesehadbeenofferedgasp!jobs!

Hadtheyaskedforthesejobs?Hadtheyfeignedinterestinworkingforthecompaniestheywerevisiting?Hadtheyannouncedthattheywerejobhunting?Hadtheyhandedoverre-sumés,turnedtheircareerconversationsintointerviews?

Allanswerstothesequestionswereno.They'dfollowedourinstructionstotheletter,lettingthedynamicsofhumaninteractiontakeover.Bysimplypresentingthemselvesinanon-threateningway,showingthemselvestobecuriousandenthusiasticindividuals,andtakingaseriousinterestinthecompaniestheywerevisiting,theyhadenabledtheir"hosts"tomakejudgmentsaboutthemforthemselves.

Whywouldthishappen?Well,iftherewasajobopeningatthemoment,oraneedtobefilled,oraproblemthathadn'tyetbeensolved,thesemanagersmayhavebeenwaiting,perhapssubconsciously,for"therightperson"towalkthroughtheirdoorsandsavetheday.Thoughthese"rightpersons"hadexpressednodirectinterestinworkingforthecompany,themanagerscouldplainlyseetheirpotential.Youcouldalmosthearthefollowingwheelsturningintheirheads:

"Hmmm,Ihaveahunch.Idon'tknowmuchaboutthislady,butsheseemstohavealotontheball.MaybeshecouldhandlethisAllentownaccountforme.Iwonderifshe'dbeinterestedinworking

here?Iguessitwouldn'thurttoask."

Inyourefforts,then,toexploreopportunitiesthatmightbeallaroundyou,beginarrangingmeetingswithpeopleintheirofficesormakingdatesforwhatwecall"opportunitiesluncheons"(orcoffeesorbreakfasts)inthecompanycafeteriaoratanearbycafeorlunchspot.Explaintothoseyouapproachthatyou'recuriousabouttheworktheydobecauseyou'reconduct-

inga"careereducationalcampaign"foryourself.Forthatreason,you'dliketositdownsometimeandtalkabouttheirwork,theirdepartments,theircoworkersanythingthatwouldfamiliarizeyouwithacareerareathatintriguesyou.

Don'tworryatfirstaboutwhoyoumeetwith.Youcouldmeetatfirstwithanadminifyouliketogetyourselfwarmedup.Visitingdepartmentsgetsyounaturallyintouchwithdecision-makers,technicians,salespeople,administrators.Itletsyouseefirsthandhowotherdepartmentsrun,andthistellsyousomethingaboutyournextstep:"DoIwanttolearnmore?""AmIstillintrigued?""HaveIseenormetanyoneinthisinitialsurveillancewhomI'dliketotalktoagain?"

Don'tbeafraidtopitchyour"careereducation"ideatoanybodyandeverybody.Sometimeswegetintimidatedbypeoplein"high"positionsorwhoseemsoinvolvedinwhatthey'redoingthatthey'dneverofferusthetimeofday.Butyou'dbesurprised!Remember,about80percentofourclientscamebackfromsuccessfulmeetingsandsixgotofferedjobs!Whenyoustripawaytheirfacadespeoplearejustthat:people!You'llbeamazedathowapproachablesuch"unapproachables"canreallybe.

Noteofadvice:Whensuggestingan"opportunitylunch"(orcoffeeorbreakfast),alwaysoffertobuy.Youmaygetwavedoffonthis,butmakealungeforthecheckanyway."Oh,it'sOK,Ireallywantto,"yousay."Whenwegettogetheragain,we'llgotoareallyexpensiveplaceandthenI'llletyoupay."Ha-ha.Goodone.Remember,thegoodwillyou'llcreatebyaskingforthismeetingandthenshowinghowmuchyouappreciateitwillgoalongwaytowardsolidifyingyournewrelationship.Ifyoumakesomeonefeelyou'vetakenadvantageofthem,however,allyoureffortswillgorightdownthetubes.

"But,hey,BarbaraandKen,thisisboundtogetexpensive!"Don'tbetoosure.Thatalldependsonhowyouhandleit,andalsohowyoulookatit.Youcan,forexample,meetlotsoffolksforcoffeeattheirofficeswherethejavaisfree.Sometimesthoseyoumeetwillinfactinsistonatleastpayingfortheirshare,ifnotthewholething.Oneofouradminclientsoncehadamanagersaytoher,"Listen,I'llletyoupickupthechecknexttimeafteryourpromotion!"

You'vealsogottoconsideranyexpenseyouincurasaninvestment.Whenyouthinkaboutapotentialraiseinincomeof,say,$2,000to$5,000initiallyandofwhoknowshowmuchinthelongrun,yourreturnoninvestmentforlunchesandcoffeesstartslookingprettygood.Thisisn'tmoneywashingdownthedrain,afterall;it'syourtravelandentertainmentbudget.Startingnow,myfriend,you'regoingplaces.

SteppingOut

Speakingofspendingmoney,wehaveanothergemofasuggestionforyou.Foranominalfeehereandthere,youcangarnerallthecareerconversationsyoucouldeverwant.Inmostcasesyouwon'thavetoaskpeople,approachpeople,orpersuadeanyone.Yournewcareerallieswillwalkrightovertoyou.

Whattheheckarewetalkingabout?Why,professionalorganizationsandspecialevents,silly.

Whichnonprofitassociationrepresentsthenewcareerofyourchoice?Thinkingofgoingintosales?There'sundoubtedlyachapteroftheSalesandMarketingExecutivesofAmericanearby.Contemplatingacademia?HowaboutcheckinginonthelocalbranchoftheNationalTeachersAssociation?Gotyourheartsetonacareerasabankloanofficer?GoattendthemonthlymeetingoftheAmericanBankersAssociationsomewhereinyourarea.

There'satradegroupforeveryendeavor,andyoucoulddoworsethanparticipateinthosethatarerelevanttoyourinterests.Forafeeoften,twenty,maybethirtydollars,youcanwalkintoahotelfunctionroomandimmediatelystrikeupaconversationwithwhoeverisstandingoverbythehorsd'oeuvres.You'lllearnabouttrendsintheindustry,howparticularindividualsviewtheirprofessions,whothemajorcompaniesareinthearea,whoamongthesecompaniesarecurrently

hiring,howpeoplegotstartedinthisbusinessthewholeballofwax!

Effortlessly,you'llencountercareerconversationsbreakingoutalloverthejoint,andyou'llalsogetaneducationalprogramwithanexpertinthefieldspeakingonatopicyou'llfindfascinating.Youmayevengetahotmealtoboot.Wowee-zowee!Whocouldaskforanythingmore?

You'llalsowanttocheckoutconferencesandtradeshows.Therearealwaysspecialeventsofthistypegoingon,frequentlysponsoredbyyourlocalprofessionalorganization.Joinoneoftheseorganizations,andyou'llreceivemailingsthatwillalertyoutosuchevents.Again,investinginaconference,tradeshow,orotherspecialeventcanonlydoyougood.Iteducatesyouprofessionally,itputsyouintouchwiththemoversandshakersofthefield,anditfeedsyourearswithopportunities.Italsogivesyouthechancetosocializeandhaveabitoffunasyoumoveyourprofessionallifealong.

Bonus:Ifyoureallywanttogetsomemileageoutofprofessionalorganizations,conferences,andspecialevents,getinvolved"behindthescenes."Areyoucuriousaboutthetraininganddevelopmentfield?JoinyourlocalchapteroftheAmericanSocietyofTrainingandDevelopmentandvolunteerforcommitteework.Maybeyou'llworkonthechapternewsletter,theprogramcommittee,themembershipcommitteewhateveryou'dmostenjoy.Thatwayyou'llbuildnewcareerrelationshipsreallyfast,aswellasbecomequicklyknowledgeableandwellknowninthefield.

And,ifyou'retryingtostaywithinabudget,helpoutwithprogrammingorconferenceplanning.Thatwayyou'llgettogotomanyeventsfreeofchargeasavolunteerstaffer.You'llalsogettoknowintimatelysomeofthetoppeopleinth

efieldasyourubshoulderswiththem"backstage."

MakingYourBossYourMentor

Youmayrecallthatatthebeginningofthisbookwegaveyouthreescenariosofcommonkindsofadminexperiencesandaskedifanyofthemrangtrue.Thescenariothatmighthaveseemedmostoutofplacewasthethird,inwhichouradminheroine(Barbara,remember?)foundherselfinaninterviewwithamanagerwhosaid,"AnythingI

candotohelpyouprofessionally,justask.Iseethisasapartnership,atwo-waystreet."

Whilesuchattitudesonthepartofadmins'supervisorsarenotunheardof,formanyadminstheyseemaboutasclosetohomeasthefarsideofthemoon.Inotherwords,practicallyspeaking,theydon'texist.

Solet'stalkabouthowtomakethemexist.Itcouldbe,forexample,thatyourbosshasalreadygivenyousignalsthathe'smorethanwillingtomentoryou,butyouhaven'tpickeduponthem.Oritcouldbethat,giventhefightcoaching(byyou),hecouldgetthatway.Whateverthecase,toomanyadminsassumetheirbosseshavenointerestinhelpingthemalong.Frequentlynothingcouldbefartherfromthetruth.

PaulFalcone,authorofTheCompleteJob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff,says,"Withoutyourboss'support,you'llhavetoproceedquietlyandthat'stough.Othermanagersprobablywon'tevenwanttotalktoyouiftheyknowyourbossdoesn'tapprove.Butyoucanprobablymakeyourbossyourmentor,whichisthebestscenario."

Howdoesoneelicitmentorshipfromone'sboss?Trythesequestionsonforsize:

1. Doyoucurrentlyenjoyopen,freecommunicationwithyourboss?Canyoutalktohim,offerideas,tellhimwhenyou'refeelingoverworked,confused?Doeshegiveyoutimeoffwhenyouneedit?

2. Doesyourbosseverconfidehisfeelingsinyouoraskyouforfavors?Doesheoffertodofavorsforyou?Doesheaskyoufrequentlyhowyouaredoing?

3. Doesyourbossoffertosendyoutotrainingprogramsandoutsideseminarsandconferences?Doesheseeyouasaresourcetobedeveloped?Doesheeverbringinoutsideconsultantstotrainhisstaff(includingyou)andtohelpeveryonegrowprofessionally?

4. Ishepatientwithyourmistakes?Doesherecognizethatlearningtakestime?Doeshepitchinandhelpyouwhenever"crunch"timerollsaround?

Afterreadingthesequestions,what'syourgeneralreaction?Yourbossdoesn'thavetodoorfeelallofthesethings.Whatwe'retalkingabouthereishispotential.

Haveyoueveractuallyaskedyourbosstomentoryou?Haveyouaskedhimifhe'llpayforanyprofessionaltrainingsyoumightbeinterestedin?Haveyouaskedifyoucouldattendtrainingsthatarenotstrictlyadmin-related,suchasanaccount-

ingseminar,anengineeringconference,asalestrainingprogramsomethingyou'reexploringandwouldliketolearnmoreabout?

Remember,intoday's"post-job"societyyou'vegottodoalltheinitiatingyourself.Morepeoplearewillingtohelpyouthanyouknow,butyou'vegottopickuptheballandexplaintothemhow.Yourbossisnoexception.

Ifyou'reunsureaboutyourboss-as-mentor,firsttestthewaters.Falconeadvisesthatyoustartbyseekingreimbursementand/ortimeoffforatrainingprogramorworkshop,especiallya"nonadmin"one.Findsomethingthatinterestsyou,thenproposetheideatoyourboss.Ifhesaysyes,you'llknowyou'reontosomething.Yournextstepmightbetostrikeupaconversationaboutcareeradvancementingeneralthatis,whatarehisfeelingsabouthowpeopleshouldtrytogetaheadinthesedifficulttimes?Seewhathesays.Ifallthisfeelspositive,goonestepfurther:Askhimabouthelpingyouout.Hemayverywellsayyes.

"But,hey,KenandBarbara,whatifmybosssaysnotoatrainingreimbursementandgiveseveryindicationthathethinkscareeradvancementisforhimandhisbuddiesandnobodyelse?"Well,then,ladiesandgentlemen,you'vegot,aswesayinthebusiness,"aproblem"!Notaninsurmountableone,mindyou,butaproblemallthesame.

WhattoDoWhenYourBossWon'tMentorYou

Obviously,whenyourbosswon'tbeyourmentor,youhavetwochoices:(1)Findsomeoneelse,or(2)findtwoormore"someoneelses."

Isthereaformalmentoringsysteminyourcompany?Ifnot,couldyoustartone?Youdohavetobealittlecautiousherebecauseyou

don'twantanonsupportivebosstoseeyouspendingtoomuchofyourtimethinkingaboutmovingonandnotenoughonyourworkforhim.Butifyoukeepupwiththeday'sworkloadinacheeryandenergeticfashion,thereshouldn'tbetrouble.Withaformalsysteminplace,you'llbepartofanofficialstructure,sowhocouldblameyouforyourparticipation?

Ontheotherhand,ifthere'snoformalstructureandyou

can'tstartone,you'dbestgoaboutenlistingtheaidofamentorontheq.t.Notthatyouneedtokeepthewholethingtopsecret;justdon'tbroadcastit.Dowhatyouhavetodo,attendtoyourofficialresponsibilities,andthen,wheneverpossible,attendtoyourcareerresponsibilitiesaswell.

FindSomeoneElse

Findinganythingwillusuallyrevolvearoundournumber-onecareeradvancementtechnique,thecareerconversation.

Howcanyouusecareerconversationstofindthepropermentor?Tut,tut,nothingtoit:Justaskaround.

You'llbeginbyaskingpeoplefornominations"inconfidence."Theveryprocessofaskingfolksforhelpwillenrolltheminyourcareeradvancementcampaign.It'llinvolvemanytosuchanextentthatthey'llbecomeimpromptumentorsforyourightthereonthespot.An"instantmentor"systemweloveit!

Puttogetherafewcriteriawhenyoubeginyoursolicitations.You'llwanttofindamentorwho'sreallyrightforyou,afterall.Whatkindofpersondoyouwanttofind?Therearesomeobjectivestandardswecanrecommend,butafterallissaidanddoneyou'vegottotailoryoursearchforthe"perfectmatch"foryou.Choosecriteriabasedonthekindofpesonalityyoupreferandexperienceyouadmire.Muchofit,ofcourse,willbeagutreaction:"DoIlikethisperson?"DoIfeelconfidentabouthercommitmenttome?"DoIrespecthisideas?"

Alongwithyourpersonalcriteriaforchoosingtherightmentor,hereareothercriteriatokeepinmind:

1. Picksomeonewho'spositive.Youwantamentorwhowillkeepyourspiritsupduringthedownsaswellasduringtheups.

2. Picksomeonewho'sbeenthroughthemill.Successusually

deliverslesspersonalgrowththanfailure.Findamentorwhounderstandsfailureaspartofthemixandthuscancounselyouwheneveritrearsitsall-too-famil-arplug-uglyhead.

3. Picksomeonewhounderstandsthatcredentialsaren'teverything,especiallythesedays.Yourmentorshouldbe

awarehatchangeisheretostay.Upgradingourvaluebycontinualreeducationwillbreedmoresuccessthanleaningonpasteducationaltriumphsandtraining.Allisinflux.

4. Picksomeonewhoknowsalotofpeople.Onecan'thavetoomanycareerconversationsorcareerallies;it'sjustnotpossible.Muchofyouradvancementsuccesswillrestonothersgettingtoknowyou,andyouthem.Findamentorwhounderstandsthat.

Setdownonthefollowinglinesyourcriteriaforamentorwho'srightforyou.Jotdownanyideasthatcometomind.Whatcanyouaddtoourlistof"objective"criteria?

AppointaBoardofMentors

Rememberhowwesuggestedfinding"twoormoresomebodyelses"toserveasyourmentor(s)?Well,here'swhatwemean:Companiessetupboardsofdirectorstoadvisethemontheirbusinessstrategies,correct?Suchboardmembersarefrequentlyselectedwiththesamecriteriayou'llhaveinmindforyourmentor.Sowhynotsetupaboardofdirectorsforyourself?Maybeweshouldcallityourboardofmentors?

Certainly,two(ormore)headscanbebetterthanoneandmoreindividualsinvestedingenuinelyassistingyouinyourcareeradvancementcampaignarelikelytoresultinamultiplicityofeyesandearsoutthereinthestreets(orinthesuites)foryou.

Soscoutaround,ifyou'reinclined,formorethanonementor.Maybeyou'llsetupamonthlymeetinginwhicheveryonegetsacoupleofbig,fat,juicyslicesofdeep-dishpizza(your

treat,ofcourse)andachancetodosomecareeradvancementinteractionoftheirown(withother"board"members).You'llbesurprisedhowmuchfunatechniquelikethisonecanbringtotheoverallprocess.

MakingYourPresenceKnown

Whenpeoplegettoknowusandlikeus,theywilldotheirbesttohelp,nomatterwhatourbackgrounds.Thatdoesn'tmeantheywillsponsorusforajobwe'renotqualifiedfor,orajobthattheydoubtwecando,butitdoesmeanthatthey'llsponsoruswhenwedoseemrightforajob.Soanextorderofbusinesswhenseekingtoextricateyourselffromthepink-collarghettoistogetqualifiedinthenewcareerdirectionofyourchoice.

You'lldothisbyreturningtoschool,orenrollinginarelevanttrainingprogram,orlearningtoexplainhowyourcurrentskillsetistransferable,orbecominganapprenticeorassistanttoanestablishedexpert.

Asusual,you'llneedtocontinuetobuildyourcareerrelationships.Youcandothisinwayswe'vebeendescribing,butyoucansupplementitthroughanynumberoftechniquesthatmakeyoumorevisible.That'saneattrickfortheadminbecauseeventhoughonewouldthinkanadminismorevisiblethanmostshe'soften,forexample,thefirstvoiceheardorfaceseenwhensomeonecallsuponadecision-makeradmins,asweknow,aretooeasilydismissedasflunkiesandgatekeepersandthusnotseenfortheirvalueortheirpotential.

Somakeyourselfmorevisibleviaoneormoreofthefollowingtechniques:

Publicspeaking.Almosteverybodyhatestodoit,andevensomecelebrities(CarlySimonandBarbraStreisand,justtomentiontwo)

hatetogetupinfrontofotherssomuchthattheystayoffstagesandplatformsforyears.

Yetthoseofuswhododoitstandout.There'saninstantcredibilitythatcomeswithgettingupbeforeothers,evenwhenwe'reobviouslynervousorinexperienced."She'sgotgutstogetupthere,"manyintheaudiencewillsaytothemselves.And

that'showyouwantpeopletofeelaboutyouthatyou'rewillingtodowhatittakes,nomatterwhat.

Wherecanyou"publicspeak,"especiallyifyou'rejustgettingstarted?First,youcanpracticebyraisingyourhandatmeetingsandsharingyourthoughtswheneveryougetachance.That'llalsohelpgetyoumorecomfortable.

Youcanvolunteertointroduceotherspeakersatmeetings,luncheons,orotherevents,ortomoderateortakepartinpaneldiscussions.Thiswayyou'llgetpracticegettingupthereinfrontofaseaofstrangefaceswithouthavingtostayuptheretoolong.Justthirtysecondshereandtherecouldbuildyourconfidencedramatically.

Togetreallyintotheswingofpublicspeaking,joinaToastmasters'Clubatyourlocallibraryandvolunteertospeakatmeetingsandconferencessponsoredbyyourrelevantprofessionalorganization,churchgroup,civicassociation.Thereareplentyofopportunitiesaround.Standup,speakup,andyou'llbeseenandheardbyeveryone.

Taskforcesandcommittees.Isthereaquality-controlcommittee,amarketing-ideascommittee,acustomer-relationscommitteeanythingthatyouasanemployeecangetinvolvedinwithothersinyourcompany?Ifthereis,thengetonit!You'llsubstantiallyraiseyourvisibilitybyinteractingwithothersoversubstantiveissuesandhelpingmakeharddecisionsandrecommendations.Justoneortwotoursofdutyandyoumightevenbeelectedthecommitteechair.That'llreallyraiseyourcredibilitylevel!

Andremember,thissametechniqueworkswhenyou'relookingtogainvisibilityoutsideyourcompanyorifyou'reunemployedandlookingforanewposition.Joincommitteeswithinyourrelevantprofessionalorganizationortaskforcessetuptostudyagovernmentalproblem.Vieforpositionsonaboardofdirectorsthatgovernsa

privatecompanyoranonprofitagency.Onceagain,nooneonacommitteeorobservingitsworkwillinanywayviewyouas"justanadmin."

Companynewsletter.Say,rememberwhenyouwereeditorofyourhighschoolyearbook?Orareporterfortheschoolnewspaper?Well,guesswhatyoucandoanyorallofthatalloveragain!Andrightherewithinthecomfortofyourcurrentcompany!

Thecompanynewsletter(orannualreportorclosed-circuitTVsystem)frequentlygetsoverlookedasamagnificentvehicleforvisibility.Thinkaboutit:Youcanwriteforit,editit,takephotosforit,getwrittenaboutinit,getyourphototakenforit,getanannouncementaboutyouprintedinit.Justtaketheviewthatyoulovepublicityanywayyoucangetit!

Makesure,ofcourse,thatanypublicityyoudogetadvancesyourprofessionalgoalsandstature.Forexample,ifyouwanttotransitiontomanagement,writeanarticleaboutnewmanagementtechniques,doabookreviewofanewmanagementbest-seller,orgetyourselfinterviewedaboutmanagementtechniquesusedbyyouinyourownwork.

Any''don'ts"you'llwanttobewareof?Sure:anythingthatreinforcesyourimageasanadmin.Therefore,norecipes,nosewingtips,noessaysentitled"WhyILoveMyBoss"(please!),nophotosofyoutypingorfilingortakingshorthand.Yourpurposeistodragyourselfoutofthatpink-collarghetto,remember?Don'taffixleadweightstoyouranklesasyoutrytodoso.

WhomCanIApproach?

Inanotebookyou'vepurchasedjustforthispurpose,startlistingeveryoneyoucanthinkofwhomightqualifyasacareerally.Listname,address,phonenumber,andrelevantprofessionalandpersonaldetails.

Next,startcategorizingaccordingtopriority.Who'sanAwhomyouwanttoapproachfirst,who'saB,who'saC?Someyoumightwanttosendalettertofirst;othersyou'lljustpickupthephoneandcall.Leavespacetomarkdownwhathappensasyoubeginmakingcontact.Whoacceptedyourcalls?Whoreturnedyourcalls?Whoagreedtomeetwithyou?Who'sbeengreat?Who'sadud?

Ifyouhaveaccesstoacomputer,enterallthisdataonaspecialfile.Keepingaccurateandcompleterecordshelpsyouknowwhomtocalltoansweryourquestionsaboutparticulardepartments,companies,hiringmanagers.That'showthesuccessful,high-achievementprofessionalsgoaboutthis.

Andyou'rerapidlybecomingoneofthose.

You'veGottoPutNewIdeasOutThere"

A"QandA"withPaulFalcone

AuthorofTheCompleteJob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff,PaulFalconeisahumanresourcesmanagerforAamesFinancialCorporationinLosAngeles.HeisformerdirectoroftrainingancontingencyrecruitingwithTheLondonAgency,aplacementfirmspecializinginadministrativesupportrecruitment.Paulholdsamaster'sdegreefromUCLAandthreecertificationsinhumanresourcesmanagement,andhegivesmotivationalspeechesthroughouttheUnitedStates.

KenLizotte:Paul,whatholdsmanyadminsbackfromadvancingtheircareers?

PaulFalcone:ManyadminsfeeltrappedbecausetheytrytogofromAtoZ,anditcan'tbedone.You'vegottogotoBfirst,butpeopledon'talwaysrecognizethat.Forexample,alotofadminsthinkaboutgoingintomanagementbutfailtoobservethatyou'vegottohaveacertainbackgroundtogointoanyfield,andinmanagementthat'softensalesandmarketing.SofirstyouwanttogotoBsalesandmarketing.Afteryou'vegottensufficientexperiencethere,you'llbequalifiedtomoveon.

K.L.:Whatelseholdsthemback?

P.F.:Beingafraidtotakearisk.Youcanhavea"factorymentality,"whereyou'realwaysworriedaboutsecurityandyoujustfolloworders,oryoucanhavean"entrepreneurialmentality,"whichisthewayofthefuture.Toopenupmoreresponsibilities,you'vegottogetmanagementrecognition,andthatmeansputtingyourselfontheline.You'vegottomakeyourperformancetrulyaffectthebottomline.

K.L.:Howcanadminsdothat?

P.F.:Showthatyoucancutcostsandsaveyourcompanytime.You'vegottoputnewideasoutthere,takeachance.Youmightgetslappedonthewristforeventrying,butifyoudon'ttryyouwon'tstandachanceatbeingnoticed.

Thisisn'talwayseasyinalargercompany,bytheway.

Inlargercompanies,everybody'saspecialist,everything'sorganizedaroundfunctions.Inasmallercompany,though,there'softenmoreroomforself-expressionandforimpactingthefirm.Soifyouradvancementstrategiesaren'tworkingatalargecompanythatyouworkfor,thinkaboutmovingtoacompanythat'ssmall.

K.L.:Howcanyouenlistyourbossinyoureffortstoadvance?

P.F.:Italldependsonyourrelationshipwithyourboss.Myassumptionisthatyouandyourbossenjoyopencommunication.Ifso,makeyourbossyourmentor.Askforwhatyouneed:informationaboutotherdepartmentsorcareers,introductionstocontacts,reimbursementfortrainingsandworkshops.

K.L.:Whatifyoudon'tgetit?

P.F.:Ifyoucan'tmakeyourbossyourmentor,youmayhavetomoveon.It'sreallytoughtoadvanceinacompanyifyourbossisnotsupportive.Nooneelsewithinthecompanywillwanttohireyouforfearofalienatingyourpresentboss.

K.L.:Howcanyourcompany'scustomershelpyouadvance?

P.F.:Youmayfindyourselfinterestedinworkingforsomeonewhodoesbusinesswithyouremployer.Ifso,gotothemdiscreetlyandsay,"I'vedoneeverythinghereIcan,anditseemsthattheoptiondoesn'texistformetoadvancemuchfurther.Ifsomethingsurfacesinyourcompany,I'dlovetobeconsidered."

K.L.:Whatdoyoulookforwhenyou'rehiringsomeone?Wouldyoueverhiresomeonewithonlyadminpositionsonherresumé?

P.F.:Wehireadminstodo"postadmin"jobsallthetime!Ilookforpeoplewhoseemtohaveatrackrecordforreinventingtheirjobsinlightofacompany'schangingneeds.Peoplewhohaveaglobal

perspectivewillfindwaystoaddvaluetotheircompany;theycanseehowtheyfitintotheoverallunit.Ifyou'rethekindofpersonwholikestofigureoutbetterwaystodoaprocess,you'llshowyourselftobemorethan"just"anadmin.Remember,it'sthe"entrepreneurial"

mentalityeveryone'slookingfor.Ifyoucanshowpeoplethat,you'llgoplaces.

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:MaryMiller

Currently:AdministratorofmarketingandenrollmentforfourhealthinsuranceplansatMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,directingeffortstoenrollemployeesandstudentsinrelevanthealthcareprograms.

Howchangewasmade:"Anadinthenewspapercaughtmyeye.IknewthedepartmentbecauseIhadworkedatMITpreviously.IntheofficeIhadworkedinbefore,wehadbeeninvolvedinscrutinizingallotherdepartments,includingthisone.Ultimately,theexecutivedirectorwhohiredmehadbeenimpressedbythejobIwasdoingatmypreviousposition.SoIhad'auditioned'forthejobwithoutevenknowingit."

Adminskillsusedtoday:Organizing,planning,scheduling,settingupagendas

Bestadvicetoadmins:"Getvisible!Iusedtowalkintopersonnelofficestointerviewforadminpositionsandthefirstthingthey'ddoisputmedowninfrontofatypewritertocheckmyspeed.Itwasdevastatingtomyself-esteem!ItseemedliketheonlythingtheyfiguredIcoulddo.

"YetIknewmyselfbetter.IknewIcouldbringpeopletogether,sell,market,gainpeople'strustquicklyandeasily.Ijustneededtobegivenachance.ThewayIgotitwasthatsomeonehadobservedmedoingallthatbecauseIhadgottenvisiblebyhostinghigh-levelmeetings.SowhenthedaycamethatIwalkedintoherofficetointerviewforthepositionIholdnow,sheknewmeasmorethanjustanotheradmin."

7CareerTreasureChestRachelisbeginningtogetdepressed.She'sbeenanexecutiveadminfortheVPofproductdevelopmentatamajorelectronicsfirmforabouttwelveyears,andsheisdesperatelyoverdueforachange.Buteverywhereshesendsherresumé,thesamemessagecomesback:"We'llkeepyourresuméonfile.Sorry,noopeningsatthemoment."

Inonewayeachrejectionrelievesher.Shedoesn'twanttocontinueasanexecutiveadminforanybodyanyway.Sheonlyappliesforthesepositionsbecauseshedoesn'tknowwhatelsetodo."WhatelseamIqualifiedfor?"shekeepsaskingherself.

Butherdepressionreallybeginssettinginasthevolumeofrejectionletterspilesup."Nobodywantsyou,"theyseemtoscreamather."Staywhereyouare!"

Unfortunately,thisveryunprettypictureplaysitselfouteachandeverydayinthelivesofhundredsofthousandsofotherwiseverycompetent,veryastuteprofessionals.Itsassumptionslieinoutmodedideasabouthowonelooksforworkaswellasapersonaldearthofself-confidenceaboutone'schancesforsuccessinanewfield.Sadly,mostofusaccepttheseoutmodedassumptionsasthe"onlyway"ortheobvious,naturalstrategy.Wethenjustifythisthinkingbyexclaiming:"Idon'tknowanyotherwaytodoit!"Andthat'sreallyinterestingtousbecauseaswe'vecounseledhundredsandhundredsofcareerexplorersovertheyears,we'veheardthesamethingfrommanyprofessionalswhooughttoknowbetter.We'rethinkinghereof

topsalespros,ofmarketingandadvertisinggeniuses,andofresearchexperts.Cometothinkofit,we'vehearditfromjob-huntingcareercounselorstoo!

Alloftheseprosincorporatemanyoftheprinciplesweespouseforcarryingoutacreativecareeradvancementplanintheirregularprofessionallives,buteventheyfallbackonthetraditionalavenuesofjobsearchoncetheyareoutontheirown:Writeoutyourresumé,checkthewantadsintheSundaypaper,mailoutyourresumésonMondaythenwait!

AssumptionsThatNeedtoBeChallenged

1. Wecanapplyonlyforworkwe'vedonebefore.

2. Wemustbasemostofouradvancementplanonwantads.

3. ThesmartthingistodutifullymailoutresumésMondaymorning,thenpassivelywaitforareply.

4. Jobhunting,bydefinition,isalonelyendeavor.

5. Lotsofrejectionlettersmeanthatnobodywantsyou.

Giventhesewaysofgoingabouttheprocess,it'snowonderRachel'sspiritsbegantosink.

UpendingRachel'sAssumptions

Wedon'treallyknowwhereorwhenweallpickedupthekindsofsignalsthatgotusintothismess,butwedoknowthis:Ifyou'regoingtobeeffectiveinadvancingyourcareer,outmodedjob-searchthinkinghasgottogo!Rachel'snodifferentfromtherestofus.Shefellsmackintothesametrapthatkeepsmostfolksfromscramblingbackupontosolidgroundandstayingoncoursetowardtheirdreams.Wecouldsumuptheproblemwithtwoinsidiouslittlewords:isolationandpassivity.

Rachelletherselfbuythenotionofherlimitedvaluetothemarketplace.Butwe'veseenhowit'spossibletoextendyourvalueinthemarketplaceandtransformitintosomethingnew,somethingexciting,refreshing,conducivetogrowth.Inthesameway,weneedtorethinktools,resources,job-searchtechniques,andother"treasures"inourcareertreasurechestssothey'llbemoreeffectiveinadvancingourdreams.

OnewaythatmightaidusinthisworldwouldbetochallengeallofRachel'sassumptions.

Rachel'sAssumption1:

Youcanapplyonlyforworkyou'vedonebefore.

FlipSide: Embraceworkyouwant.

Asyougathertogetheryourboardofmentors,meetwithyourcareerallies,andvisitcoworkersinotherdepartments,you'llwanttobesureyoucommunicatewhatyoumostwantthemtohear.Thatmeansdrawingconclusionsfromtheresearchandcareerconversationsyou'vebeenconductingthusfar.Sityourselfdownnow(oh,you'realreadysitting,aren'tyou?)andcontemplatethefollowing"careerquestions."Insertanyanswersyou'vecomeupwithonthelinesprovidedbeneatheachquestion:

1.Ofallthecareeroptionsyou'vebeenexploring,whichonesmostmotivateandexciteyou?Listatleastone,nomorethanthree.

2.Whatkindsofpeoplewouldyoumostliketoworkwith?Describeindetailtheworkatmosphereyou'dmostliketofind.

3.Wherewouldyoulikeyournewsituationtobelocated?Howfarfromyourhome,inwhatdirection?Howmuchtravelwouldyouliketobedoing?

4.Whatkindofcompensationareyoulookingfor?Includenotonlyyourincomegoalsbutbenefits,vacationtime,investmentoptions,healthplan

5.Wherewouldyouliketobeinthefuture?Describehowyouseeyournextpositionfittingintoyourcareerplansfiveyearsfromnow.

CareerVisioning

Nowtakeyouranswersandcomposeyour"careervision."Intheframeonthenextpage,illustratewithcoloredmarkersorcrayonsexactlythekindofcareermoveyouwanttomake.Besuretoincludealldetailslistedabove.

Onceyou'vefinishedyourdrawing,completethisphrase,usingthespaceprovidedbelow:

Mycareervisionconsistsof:

Congratulations!Youarewellonyourwaynowtoclarifyingwhatyouwant.Ofcourseyouwillprobablyneedtocontinuecareerconversationstofleshoutmanyofthesedetailsortorefinethemandweighthowrealisticyourcareerideais.Butnomatter:Aslongasyoukeepthinkingandwritingdownnew

MyCareerVision

ideasandresearchingdetails,yourcareervisionwillbecomemoreandmorerealandattainable.

Whatifyoulistedmorethanonecareeroption?Sayyouliketwoorthreeequallyandyou'rebesideyourselftryingtofigureoutwhichonetoreallygoafter.Well,how'sthisforawildidea:Choosethemall!

Manyprofessionalstodayhavecaughtontoatrickbusinesseshavebeenhiptoforyears.It'scalleddiversification.Insimpleterms,youcommityourselftoaprofessionallifethatintegratestwoormorecareerareasatonce.Inadditiontoallowingyoutoenjoyyouroverallworklifemore,diversifyingprovidesalevelofsecuritythatrelyingononlyonesourceofincomecannot.

Graduatesofourprogramswhohavegonethisrouteincludeaformeradminwhonowoperatesadesktoppublishingbusinessduringthedayandoffersmassageonnightsandweekends,anex-adminwhonowteachesSpanishatacommunitycollegewhilealsorunningadancestudio,anex-secretarywhoteachesEnglish-as-a-second-languagetwodaysaweekandworksinacollegeadmissionsofficetheotherthree.

If,however,this"careermosaic"approachdoesn'tringtrueforyou,justkeepexploring,researching,careerconversing.Atsomepoint,you'llfindyourselfspendingmostofyourenergyononeortheotherofyourcareerdirections.Thatmayspelloutyouranswer.


Baseyourcareeradvancementcampaignonwantads.

FlipSide: Usewantadsasclues.

You'vehearditbefore,we'resure:Classifiedhelp-wantedadsrepresentonlythetiniestpercentageofthejobmarket.Plusthey'retheultimateinfosteringisolationandpassivity.Thinkaboutit:Youknowlittleaboutthejob,littleornothingabouttheemployer,nothingatall

aboutwhowillinterviewyou,littleaboutcompensation,workingconditions,andthejob'sfuture.

Next,you'resupposedtofollowordersinthewantadtoaT:Mailinyourresumé(nophonecallsplease),includingyour"salaryrequirements"andreferencesfromeverybodyyou'veevermet.What?Shouldn'tyoucrateyourmotheranddogofftothemtoo?

Ifyou'relookingforworkoutsideyourcompany,carryonexactlyaswe'veadvisedyousofarregardingmethodsforseekingachangeinsideyourcompanythatis,buildrelationships,conductcareerconversations,createvisibility.High-energy,people-orientedday-to-dayactivitiesshouldabsorbatleast80percentofyourefforts.

Whatdoyoudowiththeother20percent?Answerads,ifyoulike,butalsousethemasclues.Understandthatadsarelikeicebergs:Youcaneasilyseetheverytip,butthere'salotmorewherethatcamefrombeneaththesurface.

Saythatyou'reinterestedinworkingincustomerservice.Youseeacoupleofadsforcustomerservice.Makeanoteofthekindofcompanythat'sdoingtheadvertising.

ThenonMonday,afteryou'vemailedoutyourresumétotheseads,getonthephoneandcallothercompaniesofthesamestripewhomightbeinthemarketforagoodcustomerservicerep.

Don'tcallhumanresources,though;callthecustomerservicedepartmentdirectly.Strikeupafriendlycareerchatwithoneoftherepsandletherdirectyoutohermanager.Ifthere'sajobavailableandyou'repreparedtopresentyourselfforit,gotoit.Ifyou'restillresearchingcustomerservicework,however,asktocomeinforacareerconversationoranopportunitylunch.Thekey,aswe'vebeensaying,istobuildrelationships.

Ads,then,offercluesthatotherworkisoutthere.Gatherwhateverdatasuchadsoffer,thenfiletheminyourmemorybank.Ifyoufollowcluestocompaniesthataren'tadvertising,youmightmeetdecision-makerswho'rebeenwaiting,withoutknowingit,tomeetyou.


Mailoutresumésandwaitpassivelyforareply.

FlipSide: Neverusearesumé.

Thisone'satypo,right?Thishasgottobeamistake.Ormaybewe'rejoking.Actually,wemeanwhatwesay.Ifpossible,neverusearesumé.Inyoursituation,itwillrarelyhelp.

"ButKenandBarbara,"allofyouarewailing,"howcanInothavearesumé?I'vegottohaveareésume;everybody'sgotto

havearesuméWhat'reyatalkingabout,KenandBarbara,noresumé?''

Wehearyou.Wehearyou.Yes,yououghttohavearesumé.We'rejusttellingyounevertouseit!Gotthat?Yousee,manyofourmoresuccessfulclientshavemadetheircareerswitchesinjustthisway.Infact,manyofthemostsuccessfulpeoplewe'veevermetgaveupusingresuméslongago.That'sbecausethewaytheyhandletheircareeractivitiesagain,throughbuildingcareerrelationships,ongoingcareerconversations,andparticipationinprofessionalorganizationsmakesaresuméunnecessary.

Resumésgenerallyarerequestedbypeoplewhoaren'tsoldonyouyet.Yourresuméthenactsasabuffer,ameansoffurtherscrutiny,orawaytogetoffthehook(oroffthephone)."Well,sendmeyourresuméandwe'lltalkagainlater."Yeah,right!

Aftersendingyourresumé,you'llusuallybecomeadeadissueconversationover,resuméfiled,ontothenextcandidate(orproject).Ifyourresumédoesgetalengthylook-see,you'llprobablybejudgedasnotqualifiedforthepositionyou'reapplyingfor.

Andit'snosecretwhy:Yourresumétrumpets,ingreatdetail,theyouwhohasspentyearsasanadmin.Unlessyou'veputyourresumétogetherverycleverlyandcreatively,itwon'tadvertiseyourpotential,yourenthusiasm,yourabilitytolearnnewthings,oryourintensemotivationtogrow.Ratherthanserveupanaccuratepictureofwhoyouareandwhoyoucanbe,itdepictsonlyoneverylimitedsideofyouyourexperienceasanadmin.

Stillandallsigh!therewillbetimeswhenyoureallyoughttohaveone.Evenifyoudoeverythingwesayinthisbook,suchasbuildingavastempireofcareerrelationships,hereandthereyoumaybeaskedforaresuméingoodfaith.

Example:"I'dreallyliketogetyouintomydepartment,Claire,butthecompanydoesrequirethatIfileyourresumé.Welcometomystaff{Justletmehaveyourresuméasaformalityandwe'llbeinbusiness."

Atthispoint,you'llwanttohandoveraresuméthatspeaksexactlytothereasonsyou'rebeinghired,thosecharacteristicsyou'vesoldyournewbossonyourtalents,relevantskills,en-

thusiasm,potential.Youwantyournewemployerstosay,"Yes-sir,herewehaveit:Wehiredtherightgal!"

Anotherreasontohavearesumé,thoughandinsomewaysperhapsyourbestreasonmightbeasanexercisetoclarifyfurtheryournewvalueinthemarketplace.Youcan'taskyourselftoooftenwhatyouwant,andlikewiseyoucannevergettooclearaboutwhatyoumightoffertoanewemployer.Revisingyourresumécansubstantiallyupgradeyourunderstandingofyour"workself."

Nowwhatkindofaresuméwouldberightforyou?Howcanyoupaintyourselfassomethingotherthananadminwhenthat'sallyou'veeverbeen?Well,sincemostofushavebeenschooledinresuméwritingtoputdowneverythingwe'vedoneinourworklivesstartingfromourpresentjobandthenlistingalltheothersbackwardchronologically,we'reboundtobeconfused.We'vegrownupthinkingthat'stheonlyway.

Butanotherstyleofresuméwritingfocusesontalents,abilities,andachievements,andthat'stheonethatworksbestforanyonemakingamoveinanewcareerdirection.Manycareeradviserscallthisafunctional-styleresumé,butwepersonallyfindthattermclinicalanddrab.

Example:"Tellme,chum,justwhat'functions'doyouperformonyourpresentjob?"

God,arewetalkingaboutmachineryhereorhumanbeings?

Let'sjustcallthisasuccess-styleresuméandleaveitatthat.Thatshouldkeepusthinkingpositively.

Success-StyleResuméClose-Up

Solet'sgetstarted!Gobacknowthroughtheexercisesinpreviouschaptersandtakeafreshlookatyourtalents,skills,and

achievements.Howmanyofthesearerelevanttotheexcitingnewcareerdirectionyou'vecomeupwithsofar?Ifyou'veconductedplentyofcareerconversationsanddonelotsofreading,you'llhavesomeanswers.

Focusononlyonecareerdirectionperresumé.Ifyou'rethinkingaboutgoingfortwoormore,you'vegottofashionaresumétoserveeach.Computers,ofcourse,nowmakeitpossible

todothis,aswellastotailorresuméstoparticularjobs,companies,ordepartments.Yourcareerconversationswillhelpyouunderstandparticularprioritiesandvaluesinherentineachsituation.Youthenincorporatewhateverinformationaboutyouseemsrelevant,emphasizingthemostrelevantbyplacingithigheronthepage.Youcanalsodropirrelevantinformationsothatitdoesn'tgetintheway.

Takeaganderatthissamplewe'vedrawnupforyouinFigure7-1.

WhatkindofworkdoyousupposeElizabeth(Liza)isseeking?Whatworkdoyousupposeshe'sbestqualifiedfor?WouldyoubelikelytosurmisefromthisresuméthatLizahasspentherentirecareerasanadmin?

Yetthere'snothingfalseaboutthewayLizahasstructuredthisdescriptionofherprofessionalhistoryandabilities.She'smerelymadeitrelevanttotheworkshe'sseeking.Herobjectiveistohelppotentialemployersseeclearlyhowshecanfitin.

Theoldschool(Rachel'sschool)heapsalltheonusforfiguringouthowyoumightfitinonsomeoneelseapotentialboss,manager,employer,humanresourcesrepresentative.Yetthosefolkscanknowonlywhatyoutellthemaboutyou.Theycan'tknowwhatnewthingsyou'recapableofunlessyoumakeacaseforit.Thusratherthanwaitforajobinterviewtomakethiscase(asRachelwoulddo),yougetrightdowntothebusinessofsellingyourselfinthisresumé.

Whichonlymakessense,ofcourse,becauseifyoudon'tsellyourselffromtheget-go,howareyougoingtolandthatjobinterviewinthefirstplace?

PuttingYourSuccess-StyleResuméTogether

Tocomposeyourownsuccess-styleresumé,firstloosenyourselfup:wriggleyourfingersandtoes,rollyourneckaroundafewtimes,

shrugyourshouldersupanddown.Peopleoftengetverytenseaboutputtingtogethertheirresumé.Youdon'thaveto.Thisdocumentwillliberateyou.It'llbeanexpressionofyourdreamsandofyourBestSelf.Really.

1.Listalltalents,skills,andachievementsyoufindtoberelevanttoyournewcareerdirection.Makethislistaslongasyoulike

ElizabethDoolittle5HartfordStreet

Hereford,NewHampshire02119603-555-8761

Achievements

Coordinatedover100focusgroupsconsistingofupto500clientseach(AlfredBeverageCompany)

Processedmorethan10,000customersurveyprojects,includingtabulationof3,500customerservicequestionnaires(AlfredBeverageCompany,PickeringInstitute)

ParticipatedactivelyinCustomerResponseCommittee(RexCorporation)

Administeredandsupervisedcorrespondenceofapproximately5,000letterswithmajorclientele(allemployers)

Skills

Excellentclientliaisonskills

knowledgeofmarketing-orientedcustomerrelations

Excellentadministrativeskillsandsoftwareexpertise

ProfessionalHistory

ClientServiceCoordinatorAlfredBeverageCompany,Salem,NewHampshire

ClientServiceAssistantPickeringInstitute,Manchester,NewHampshire

CustomerTrafficManagerRexCorporation,Londonderry,NewHampshire

Education

CustomerServiceSkillsCertificateAmericanManagementAssociationseminar

DirectMarketingSkillsCourseHooksetJuniorCollege

CommunicationSkillsforWomenManchester(NH)AdultEducationCenter

BusinessAdministrationAssociatesDegreeKatherineGibbsSchool,Bostonwasgraduatedwithhonors

PersonalInterests

Treasurer,localchapter,CustomerServiceAssociationofAmerica

Greeter,CommunityChurchofHereford(NH)

AuthorofGuidelinesforGoodMemberRelations,ahandbookfortheHereford,NewHampshire,YWCA

Figure7-1.SampleSuccess-StyleResumé

youcancutitdownlater.Dothisonacomputerifatallpossiblebecauseyou'llthenbeabletoreviseandplayaroundwithyourlisteasily.Ifyoudon'thaveaccesstoacomputer,useasmanysheetsofpaperasyouneed.

2.Listeveryplaceyou'veworkedinyourprofessionallife.(Again,ifyou'renotusingacomputer,fillupaseparatesheetofpaper.)Putdownatitleforyourselffirst,thenthenameofyouremployer(ordepartment)underneath.Ifpossible,makesurethejobtitlesoundsasifit'sconnectedtothekindofworkyouwanttodonext.Trytothinkofsomethingthatdescribesyourworkinthispositionaccuratelybutslantsitinyournewcareerdirection.Don'tjustwrite"admin,admin,admin"ifyoucanhelpit.

Youmayneedyourpresentbossorpastonetobackyouonyourdescriptivetitle.Ifhe,she,ortheywon'tdoit,you'llhavetomakeajudgmentcall.Aslongasyoucanmakeacaseforthedescriptivetitleyou'veputdown,it'llprobablybeworthgettingchallengedaboutit.Obviouslyyoudon'twanttojustmakestuffup.Butyou'vegottofindawaytosoundlikesomethingotherthan"justanadmin."

What'sanexample?LookbackatLiza'sresumé.Inseekinganewcareerdirectionincustomerservice,shelabeledherselfaclientliaisoninhertwopreviousjobsandacustomerliaisoninherfirstjob.Infact,thesepositionshadbeenlistedofficiallyasadministrativeassistant,secretary,andreceptionist,inthatorder.Butthosearenomoredescriptiveofwhatshereallydidateachjobthanhermorecreativetitles.Infact,theywerelessdescriptive.

Sowhynotmakeherjobineachsituationsounddirectlyrelevanttocustomerservice?Weknowshedidalotofcustomerservice-typework;whyshouldn'tshegetcreditforit?Whatyou'reaimingforhereismoreaccuracyratherthanless.

"But,hey,KenandBarbara,whataboutme?Iwanttogointothelandscapingbusiness.HowthebeckamIgoingtogetaroundthat?Adminworkandlandscapingarelikenightandday!"

Three-wordanswer:Useyourimagination.Askyourselfwhatkindofworkanadmindoesthatlandscapersalsoperform.Have

youevertendedtothedetailsandtheoverallaestheticsofyourofficeenvironment?Haveyoueverbroughtflowersintokeeponyourdesk?Didyoueverwatertheplants?Maybeyouhelpedselectthepaintingsonthewalls?There'sprobablyalotanadmindoesthatconnectseventothelandscapingbusiness.Thinkaboutit.Maybeyouweren't"justanadmin,"filing,typingletters,goingforcoffee.Maybeyoumightalsohavebeencalledthecompany's"lobbyaestheticsmanager"or''offices-capeadministrator"or"interiorenvironmentalcoordinator."

Intruth,wepickedthisonebecauseit'salongerstretchthansomethinglikecustomerservice.Wewantedtoshowyouthatbyusingyourimagination(andifatallpossiblethesupportofyourcurrentorpreviousboss),youcanprobablycomeupwithsomethingthatbothisaccurateandportraysyouinanon-adminlight.

"Buthey,BarbaraandKen,that'sallwellandgood,butwon'tanypotentialemployersknowwhatI'mdoingandchuckmyresuméaway?"

Somemight,butmostprobablywillnot.Especiallyifyou'rerelyingonbuildingcareerrelationshipstogetyouinthedoorratherthanjustmailingoutresuméstoads.Theworstthat'slikelytohappenisthey'llatleastcallyououtofcuriositytobetterunderstandwhatyourresumémeans.Butthat'sgoodbecausethat'swhatyouwantedtobeabletotalktosomebody.

Onceyou'vegotthemonthephone,youcanexplainthat,yes,youdidperformlotsofconventionaladminduties,butyoualsowantedthemtoknowallaboutyourlandscaping-relatedactivitiesaswell.Ifyoububbleoverwithenthusiasmforthislineofworkandgetthemexcitedaboutyourknowledge,passion,andreadinesstomoveinthisdirection,you'relikelytoatleastgetcalledinforaninterview.Basically,you'vetoldthemexactlywhattheyneededtoknowthatyou'rethesortofdynamiccandidateforthislandscapinggigthey've

beenlookingfor.

3.Listyourschoolinginthethirdsectionofyourresumé,atthebottomofthepage(andtrytokeepittojustonepage).Ifyouhaveadegreeofanykind,putitdown.Ifyou'vetakenanyrelevantcoursesanywhereelse,listthose.Ouradmin/landscape

designer,forexample,mightlisteducationalexperiencessuchas"FloraandFauna,AnOverview"attheFreetownArboretumor"GardeningforFunandProfit"attheFreetownAdultEducationCenter.Anythinginyourexperiencethatrelatesdirectlytoyournewcareerdirectionshouldgodownhere.Everythingthat'srelevantbuildsyourcredibility.Note:Ifyouhaveonlyahighschooleducationandnothingelsenoadultedcourses,nojuniorcollegecertificates,noone-dayworkshops,nothing!thenleavethisentiresectionout.

4.Shouldyoulistdates?That'satoughone.Ifyou'rebuildingyourcareerrelationships,ofcourse,thisprobablywon'tmatter.Face-to-face,metwithyourfireandenthusiasm,mostpotentialemployerswilltendtolettheagequestion(whether"tooold"or"tooyoung")meltaway.

Ifyou'reflyingblind,however,sendingyourresuméouttoemployersunseen,you'llwanttoconveythatyou'restableandthatyoudon'tflyaroundfromemployertoemployeratthedropofahat.Yetsomeemployeesthinkfiveyearsatonecompanyistoolongwhileothersthinkthat'stoofew.Soit'sacrapshoot.

That'swhywe'regoingtosuggestyouleavedatesout.Letpotentialemployersyouhaven'tmetcallyoutodiscernyourage,ifthat'swhattheycareabout,illegalasthatmaybe.Again,oncetheycallyou,you'vegotthem.You'lljustturnontheol'admin-on-the-way-upcharmandwinthemover.

5.Shouldyoulistpersonalinterests?Ifthey'rerelevant,sure.Ouradmin/landscapermightlist"rosegarden,attendingannualflowershow,avidviewerofTheFlowerShopTVprogram."Doesthissoundamateurish,vapid,silly?Maybe,butwhenyou'remakingamajorcareerchangeandyourprofessionalqualificationsarelimited,againyou'vegottopulloutallthestops.Tonotmentiontheseinterestswouldbetoimplytheydon'texist.Thewaywefigureit,thiskindof

omissionmisleadsreadersofyourresumébyimplyingyoudon'thaveneartheenthusiasm,knowledge,orexperienceyoureallydo.Putitin.

6.Howaboutjobobjectiveorsummaryofqualifications?Nah,readersofyourresuméwillunderstandwhatyou'relookingforandwhyyou'requalifiedforitifyou'vestructuredthecontentsproperly.Justcuttothechase.

Sowhatdowehavehere?Asuccess-styleresumé,perhaps?Justabout.Allyou'vegottodonowis:

Cutdownyour"achievements"and"skills"sectiontomanageablesize.Cullrelevantitemsfromthatlonglistweaskedyoutomakeinstep1onpage133.Fit''talents"intowhicheversectionseemsmostappropriate,orcombinewith"skills"i.e.,"talentsandskills."

Makesureyourachievementsarenotonlyrelevantbutquantifiable,thatis,withnumbersincludedifpossible.(Liza'sresumédoesthiswell.Takealookatit.)

Positionwhatyoudeemtobethemostimpressiveitemsonthetopofyourlist.

Addinheadings.

Printoutthewholemasterpieceon"resumépaper."(Seeyourlocalprinterforsamples.)

Doallofthesethingsandvoilà!yagotyourselfonedangfancyresumé,pardner.

WhatAboutCoverLetters?

Manyhumanresourcesdirectorstellustheyconsidercoverlettersmoreanannoyancethananythingelse.Theybrushrightpastthemandontotheresumé.Thatmeansyourtimemaybebetterspentpolishingtheresuméitselfthanyouropeningepistle.

Ifyoumustwriteacoverletter,however,makeitbriefandtothepoint.Getthroughthenicetiesquicklyandfocusyoursecondparagraphonwhatyoumostwantyourprospectiveemployertoknowaboutyou.Butdon'tmakeitatome.


Job-huntingissomethingyoudoalone.

FlipSide: Alwaysbringothersalong.

Ifyouhaven'tadoptedwhatwecalla"careermate"bynow,thengetonwithit!Traditionallypeoplethinkofcareertransitionsassolitaryendeavors.Yetitmustbeobvioustoyoubynow

thatweholdadifferentview.Whyelsewouldwerecommendcareerallies,buildingcareerrelationships,mentors,andpersonalboardsofmentors?There'snoreasonintheworldyouneedtakethiswalkalone.Peoplearewillingtowalkwithyou.

What'sacareermate?Basically,she'syourteammate,yourbuddy,yourcareerbestfriend.Therelationshipoftenworksbestwhenyourcareermateiscurrentlyengagedinacareertransitiontoo,orhasrecentlymadeone,becausethenshe'llunderstandwhatyou'regoingthrough.Butwhateverhersituation,she'llmakeacommitmenttoworkwithyouandtohelpyoukeepgoing,andifsheneedsthesamething,you'llcommityourselftoheraswell.

Becareful,however,whomyouchoose.Youneedsomeonepositive,creative,resourceful,andwhocaresaboutyou.Askyourselfthefollowingquestionswhenconsideringcareermatecandidates:

Ismypotentialcareermatesomeonewhohasprovedinthepasttohavemybestinterestsatheart?

IsmypotentialcareermatesomeonewhowillpushmewhenIneedtobepushed?

Doesmypotentialcareermatelistencloselytome?DoesshetrytohelpmefigureoutwhatIwanttodoinmylife,notwhatshethinksIshoulddo?

Ismypotentialcareermateanoptimisticpersonalitywholooksonthebrightsideoflifeandwhobelieveswebothcanwin?

Ifyoucananswerintheaffirmativetomost(orpreferablyall)ofthesequestions,thensignherup!Youwantsomeoneinthisrolewhocanreallyhelpyouandnotjustsomeoneyoulike.Thinklongandhardaboutyourchoice.Thentakethewinningcandidatetoakickoffdinner!You'reabouttohavelotsoffuntogether.


Rejectionlettersmeannobodywantsyou.

FlipSide: Rejectionlettersmeannothing.

Youcanpretendtheymeansomething.Youcantakethempersonally,youcanfeelbad,youcantellyourselfyou'redoomed.Butalltheyreallymeanisthatyoujusthaven'tfoundyourperfectmatchyet.It'soutthere,though;youjusthavetokeeplooking.

Youmightdramaticallyimprovetheodds,ofcourse,bytakingtoheartwhatwe'vebeensayinginthesepages:Relymoreonbuildingcareerrelationshipsthanonimpersonalmailingsofyourresumé.Rejectionletterspileuponlywhencareeradvancementplansemphasizethosetraditionaltechniqueswesodisdain.

Yourlikelihoodofcareersuccessbymailmustbecalculatedinlightoftwosomewhatdishearteningfactors:

1. Yourcompetitionismuch,muchgreater,sincemostpeopletakethisroad.

2. Ifyouhavefewerface-to-facemeetings,youwillbejudgedprimarilyoninanimatepaperwork,notonwhoyoureallyareandwhatyoucancontribute.

Sosaveabundleonpostage.Stopmailingoutsomanydarnedresumés.Searchforyoursuccessinthepresenceofreallivepeople.

AdvancementToolsChecklist

Let'snowtakestockofyouradvancement"tools."Itdoesn'thurttohaveacareertreasurechestthat'swellequippedwithatoolboxorrepairkittosupplementalltheotherideaswe'veofferedyou.Remember,it'salwaysworkedforBatmanjustcheckouthisutilitybelt!

Inthelistbelow,whichitemshaveyoumadeavailabletoyourself?

Resumé

Coverletter

Accesstoawordprocessor

Callwaiting

Answeringmachine

Listofcareerallies,includingaddressesandphonenumbers

Carefullychosencareermate

Boardofmentors

Membershipinrelevantprofessionalorganization

Contactwithyouralumniassociation

Boxofprintedthank-youcards

How'dyoudoonthisone?Moreandmorethesedays,youhearcareeradvancementcampaignslikenedtomarketingplansinbusiness.Thatmodeldemandsthatyoumakeiteasyforcustomerstounderstandyourproduct(you)andtobeabletoreachyouwhentheywantto.Thuswiththefirstthreeitemsonthislistyou'recreatingbrochureandmarketingmaterials,includingthecapacitytotailorthesematerialstoyourindividualcustomers'(potentialemployers')needs.

Inthenextitem,you'reprovidingeasyaccesstoyou.Somefolksobjecttothissuggestion,however."Ihatecallwaiting,"theysay."Idon'tliketogetinterruptedduringacall."Well,we'veneverbeenpronetoshillforthephonecompany,butwewouldonlyaskyouthis:Ifapotentialemployerwantedtocallyoutosuggestyoucomeinforaninterview,wouldyouwantthemtogetabusysignal?Areyousoconfidentinyourchancesforemploymentthatyou'dtrustthemtokeeptryingandtryingifyourlinestayedbusy?Youwouldn'tworryaboutmissingsuchacall?

Thesameistrueforanansweringmachine,thoughmosteveryonedoeshaveonethesedays.Remember,theLordhelpsthosewhohelpthemselves.Getcallwaitingandkeepyouransweringmachineturnedonatalltimes.

We'vealreadytalkedatlengthaboutthenextfouritemsonthelist.We'donlyaddherethatyoushouldtrytokeepyourcareerallieslistascompleteandup-to-dateaspossible.Again,anymarketingexpert

worthhersaltwilltellyouthatyourmailinglistcouldbeworthtentimesitsweightingold.Reviewit,reviseit,workwithit.Yourcomingcareervictorywilllikelyemergefromit.

Haveyouforgottenaboutyouralumniassociation?Ifyou'vegraduatedfromacollege,juniorcollege,technical/secretarialschool,orevenyourhighschool,useitsresources.Theremightbeacareerlibrarythere,orfreecareercounselors,oranalumnidirectoryavailable.Socallthemcallthemrightnow.They'vebeenwaitingtohearfromyou.

Finally,there'sthethank-you.Doyoualwaysremembertodothis?Sure,sure,weallsaywedo,butdoyou?Ifyouranswerisyes,thenletusaskyouthisquestion:Whenwasthelasttimeyouwroteoutathank-youandmaileditoff?Behonestnow.

Andhere'sabetteronewhenwasthelasttimeyoureceivedathank-younote?

Seeourpoint?Ifeverybody'srunningaboutmailingoffsomanythank-younotestoeveryoneelse,howcomeyouandwedon'tpickupmoreoftheminourmailbox?

"Buthey,KenandBarbara,shouldIsendaformal,typedthank-youletterorahandwrittenthank-youcard?"

Thisone'sapersonaldecision,really.Sendingaformalthank-youmighthelpifyouwanttospelloutonceagainyourmostimpressivecareerattribute(asweadvisedyoutodoinyourcoverletter).Thismightmakethemostsenseafterajobinterview.Justbesureyou'velistenedcloselyduringtheinterviewforwhatyourpotentialemployerwantsmosttofind.Thenaffirminyourthank-youletterwhatyoualreadysuggestedduringyourinterviewthatyou'vegotit!

Personally,forourmoney,handwrittennotesflybest.Theyjustfeelmoregenuinetome,moresincere,moredemonstrative.TomPetersinhisThePursuitofWOW!apparentlyagreeswithus:"Writinganotedemonstratesalevelofeffort,andispermanent.Typedorhandwritten?Handwrittenbyacountrymile.Atwo-line,largelyunreadablescrawlbeatsapageandahalfspitoutbythelaserprinter."

We'rewithol'Tom.Themoreyoumakethisgameapersonalone,themorelikelyyou'llgetexactlywhatyou'vecomelookingfor.

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:AngelaMaffeo

Currently:Developingacareerinpsychologyandwriting

Adminskillsusedtoday:Organizationalskills,knowinghowto"read"people,typing,accountingskills,knowledgeoflegalissues

Howchangewasmade:"I'dspentmanyyearsearlyinmy'career'notseeingmyworkasasecretaryasacareeratallTomeitwasjustawaytomakemoneywhilestillspendingtimewithmy

kids.IusedtotakejobsinSeptemberandthenquitinMay.I'dspendthesummerwithmychildren.

"ThenonedayIwassittingoutbythepoolinthebackofourhouseandrealizedthekidsweren'tthereanymore.Theywereoffwiththeirfriends.SowhydidIhavetohangaroundalldaywaitingforthem?IknewthenthatIcouldstartmakingcareerdecisionsthatmatteredtome.

"ThoughIreturnedtoworkasusualthatfall,asalegalsecretary,thistimeIalsonetworkedlikecrazyandcameupwithaverypromisingopportunity.Ipreparedtoleavethelawfirm,butasIgavemynotice,thefirm'smanagingpartnerpushedajobdescriptionacrossmydeskandaskedifI'dbeinterested.Itwasapositionasachiefadministratorforatrustthatmanagedaprofessionalfootballstadium.

"Thiswasnotjustajobforanadmin.Itrequiredpeopleskills,negotiatingskills,accountingandbudgetingskills,understandingoflegaldocumentsawholerangeofthingsthatI'dacquiredduringmyadmindays.OneofmyfirstsecretarialjobswasataC.P.A.firm,whereIlearnedalotaboutaccounting.Later,asIraisedmyfamily,IservedasvolunteertreasurerforthelocalLeagueofWomenVoters.SoI'dpickedupalotofexpertisealongtheway.

"Itookthejob!Ireallyenjoyedittoo.Itwasstimulating,challenging,personallysatisfyingmanyoftheaspectsI'dmissedasadmintoalawfirm.Today,yearslater,asIdevelopmynewcareerinpsychology,I'vegonebacktousingmyadminbackgroundtopaymybillsviatempjobs,whichisoneofthegreatthingsaboutadminworkyoucanalwaysgetajobinitagain.I'moncemorefocusedonworkthatwillstimulatemeandonusingmyadminskillstohelpmebesuccessfulatit."

Bestadviceforadmins:"Focusonsomethingyoucareaboutanddon't

letanyonedissuadeyou.You'renotyourjob;you'reahumanbeingwithgreatpotential.Ifyourpresentworkdoesn'tstimulateyou,gooutandfindaformofworkthatdoes."

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:KristinaCavanaugh

Currently:Freelanceparalegal,SanMateo,California

Adminskillsusedtoday:Aneyefordetails,researchskills,efficiencywithpaperwork,aknackforasking"therightpeopletherightquestions"

Howchangewasmade:Forfiveyears,KristinaworkedasalegalsecretaryforamajorlawfirminSanFrancisco.Shelovedtheatmospherefromthestart,soakinguptheintriguethatcamewithhigh-profilecasesandtheinvestigativechallengeoflegalresearchbehindthescenes.Whenshetalkedaboutwheresheworkedandwhatshesawaroundherwithherfamilyandfriends,noonecoulddenyherexcitement.

"SometimespeoplewouldwonderjustwhatitwasthatIlikedsomuch,"sherecalls."Somepeoplewouldaskme,wasn'titboring,allthosefactstolookupanddetailstocheck,andtheploddingalongdayafterdaywithoutfanfare.OtheradminsIknewwhohadworkedinalegalofficesaidthatthey'dfoundlegalworktooboring."

Butforwhateverreason,otheradmins'boredomprovedtobeKristina'sstimulation."Ilovedgettingupeverydayandgoingtoworkatthelawfirm,"shesays,"butIalsoknew,afterawhile,thatIwasgoingtoneedtootogetinvolvedonamuchdeeperleveloneday."

Afterconsideringlawschool,sheinsteaddecidedtobecomeaparalegal.Itwouldtakeherfastertohergoalofstretchingbeyondhersecretary'sroleandgivehertimetoconsiderifshewantedtomoveupanyhigher."Insomeways,beingaparalegalisn'tmuchdifferentfrombeinganadminexceptIoftenworklongerhoursthesedays!Imaygotolawschoolsomeday,butfirstIwanttoseeifIcontinuetoenjoythiskindofwork.MaybeI'mnotyetconfidentenoughthatIcouldpassthelawboardsandreallybecomealawyermyself.Itseemslikesuchafar-offgoal.YetIgetmoreconfidenteverydayaboutthiswork,whichIcanreallyseemyselfstayinginmywholelife."

Bestadviceforadmins:"Ifyoudon'tliketheplacewhereyouworkorthepeopleyouworkfor,leave.Therearesomanydifferentkindsofworkatmospheres.Findaplaceyoulike."

8MovingOnandMovingUpThere'snoguaranteethatanythinginthisbookwillwork.There'snowayofknowingforsurethatyouwilleverachieveanyofyourgoalswithinthetimeyouallotforthem.Norcanyoubecertainthatyouwillachieveanyofthematall.Careeradvancementcansometimesbecomeaprotractedbattlethatnoteveryonecanwin.Manyinfactwillgiveup.Otherswillbedisappointedwithhowthingsturnout.

Stillotherswillwagetheverybestcampaignsimaginable,butsometimesthechipsrefusetofallwheretheyshould.AsthegreatjazzbassistRussellGeorgeoncesaid,"Baby,theydon'tgiveitaway."

Butyou'vegottotry.Withoutconjuringupyourhopesanddreams,withoutvaliantlyexpressingthemtotheworld,withoutembarkingonaplanofactiontomakethemreality,nothingmuchtendstohappen.You'vesimplygottofightforwhatyouwant.Sometimesyou'llwinandsometimesyou'lllose.It'scalled"life."

We'vefound,though,thatbyputtinggoalsdownonpaper,wecancreateaframeofmindthatfiresustopracticalaction.It'samysteriouscause-and-effectdynamic,notentirelyexplainable.Butitdoesseemtowork.

Infact,we'veseenitworkexactlythiswaymanytimes,notonlyinourownlivesbutinthelivesofourprogramgraduates.Againandagain,adminsandotherprofessionals,aftermakingaremarkablysuccessfulcareerchange,excitedlyreportedtoushowthey'drecentlytakenaglanceatcareergoalstheysetforthemselveswhileinourcareerprogram,someperhapsayearor

twointhepast,andhowamazedtheyweretoseehowmuchhadcometrue.

Thoughthey'dstoppedlookingattheirlistofgoals,stoppedplanningactionsteps,stoppedreviewingtheirprogress,they'dcreatedenoughmomentumtomakethingshappen.

Onedayjustforfun,theyglancedbackattheseearliergoalsandtookalookfornostalgicreasons.Loandbehold,they'dachieved,withoutevennoticingit,nearlyeveryone.Careergoals,personalgoals,fungoals,outrageousgoalsmost(orall)hadcomethroughforthem.The"how"ofthattheysometimescouldn'tevenidentify.They'djustgottenthemselvesona"belieftrack"thattheycouldaccomplishgreatthings,andgreatthingsindeedbegancomingtheirway.

YourCareerAdvancementPlanner

Intheaccompanyingworksheet,let'sputtogetherastructuredactionplannowforyou.Ifpossible,inputthisplanintoyourcomputersothatyou'llbeabletoeasilyreviseitasyougoalong.

Feelfreetomodifythisformatinanyway.It'sabasicframework,andyoumightwanttoaddotherfeaturesthatmightbettersuityou.Forexample,somepeopleliketoleavespacesfor"intermediate"careerpositionsthatwouldleadthemtotheireventualcareerdestination.

Andrea,anadminforanaccountingfirm,decidedshewantedtoonedaybecomemarketingdirectorforamajorcompany.Togetthere,shetargetedsuchintermediatestepsas"marketingintern,""marketingspecialist,"and"assistantmarketingdirector."Shefeltthesepositionswouldbelogicalexperiencestoprepareherforherultimategoal.Inherplanner,sheaddedspacesfortheseintermediatepositionsandthenmaderoomfor''steps"and"resources"sectionsbeneatheachone.

Beflexible,too,aboutdeadlines.Pleaseseethemasguidelinesonly.Understandthatunforeseencircumstancesoftenprevailovertimeintentions.Ifadeadlinecan'tbemet,justreviseit!Thepointofallthisactionplanningistokeepyourselfgoing,nottogetthere"ontime."Timeisanartificialconstruct.

Newcareerdirection:________________________________________

I'dliketoachievethisby:[Insertdate]___________________________

StepsINeedtoTake By:1._____________________________________ _______________2._____________________________________ _______________3._____________________________________ _______________4._____________________________________ _______________5._____________________________________ _______________6._____________________________________ _______________

ResourcesINeedtoGather By:1._____________________________________________________2._____________________________________________________3._____________________________________________________

Somefolkstreatagoaloradeadlineasafinalreportcardontheircommitment,theirability,ortheirself-worth.They'llgointoa"shamespiral"iftheydon'tdoexactlywhattheysaidthey'ddowithintheprecisetimeframetheysetforit.

Yetwhenallissaidanddone,itusuallywon'tmatteronelittlewhitwhetherornot,forexample,youattainyournewcareerdirectionintwoyearsorintwoandahalf.It'sallsoamazinglyarbitrary!Justgetyourselfonthatmagical"belieftrack"thatassuresthatyes,you'regonnadoit.Thenslipintothedriver'sseat.Thefactthatyou'redoingallyoucantogetthereiswhatreallymatters.

BuildingCareerRelationshipsRevisited!

Notlongago,Dorothy,asavvy,aggressiveexecutiveadmin,cametoBarbarareekingoffrustration.She'dbeenconductingherjobsearchforsomemonthsnowfullsteamahead.Sheknewwhatshewanted,she'dbeencarryingoutheractionsteps,andshe'dbeenmakingconnectionsandworkingonhercareerrelationships.

"YetIdon'tseemtobegettinganywhere,"shecried."IthinkI'mdoingalltherightthings,butI'mnotgettinganyoffersandalltoofewinterviews."

SheshowedBarbarahercareeradvancementplanner.She'daddedasectioncontaininginformationonhercareerallies.Over600nameswereinit,includingaddresses,phonenumbers,faxnumbers,notesaboutpersonalinterests(andfoibles),informationonvariouscompanies,listsofthemajorplayerseverything!

Dorothy[flippingthroughthepages,lookingforamagicanswer]:WhatamIdoingwrong?I'mmeetinglotsofpeoplebutnothingseemstobehappening.

Atfirstglance,Dorothydidseemtobedoingjustasweadvisedher.ButthenBarbarastartedaskingherquestions.

Barbara:Haveyouhadcareerconversationswiththesepeopleoverthephoneorinperson?

Dorothy:Ispeaktothemfirstoverthephone.ThenifitseemstomakesenseIgetthemtomeetmeattheirofficesoroverlunch.Andyes,Ipickupthecheckandmailthemthank-younotes.

B.L.:Whendoyoufollowupwiththemafterthat?

Dorothy:Iusuallymakeaphonecallabouttwoorthreeweekslatertoseeifanything'scomeupsinceIlasttalkedtothem.IfIdon'tget

theminperson,Ileaveavoicemessageforthem.Idon'twantthemtofeelI'mpesteringthem.

B.L.:Andwhendoyouspeaktothemafterthat?

Dorothy[alittletakenabackatthisquestion]:Afterthat?

B.L.:Yes.Afteryoursecondorthirdcontact,whendoyougetintouchwiththemagain?

Dorothy:Well,I,uh,Idon't.

B.L.:Youdon't?Youstoptalkingwiththem?

Dorothy:Well,asIsaid,Idon'twanttopesterthem.They'velearnedalltheycanaboutme,andtheyknowwhatI'mlookingfor.AftertwoorthreecontactsIfigurethey'llletmeknowiftheyhearofanything.

BarbararemindedDorothyofBurgerKing,McDonald's,andWendy'spumpinguswithTVadseveryeveningstartingaroundeighto'clock.ShesuggestedthatifDorothyturnedontheTVrightthenandthereorpickedupamagazine,shemightalsofindsomementionofToyota,JeepEagle,Chrysler/Plymouth,orOldsmobile.

B.L.[laughing]:Whydoyouthinkallthesecompanieskeep"pestering"ussomuch?

Dorothy[seriouslyandwithouthesitation]:Becausetheywantourbusiness.Becauseeachonewantsustothinkofthemfirst.

Themoralofthislittlestory?Whileit'sfinetotakecarethatyoudon'tbecomeapest,youmustalsobecarefulnottostrayovertotheotherside,whereyou'reneverheardfromagain,asDorothydid.Thosewhoadvertisetheirwarestousadnauseamdon'twanttobepestseither,buttheyalsodon'twanttobeforgotten.Theyknowthatit'salltooeasytoloseus.Sokeepadvertisingincessantly!

ListentothewordsofAlanWeiss,writinginhisfabuloushow-toguide,MillionDollarConsulting:"Itisactuallydifficulttocontactclientstoomuch.Itiseasytofailtocontactthemfrequentlyenough....Thesecretissimple:Establishanongoingdialoguewithclients.Intheworstcase,amonologuewilldo."

So,asBarbaratoldDorothy,byallmeansfindwaystokeepintouch.Makeyourwaysinteresting,relevant,nonthreatening,butkeepthemcoming.Ifyoudon't,yourcontactswillfigure

you'veeither(1)givenupyourjobsearchor(2)foundwhatyouwerelookingfor(andthusnolongerneedtheirhelp).

Nowthisofcoursepresumesthatyourcontactsthinkaboutyouatall.Memoriesfadequickly,andwithsomuchclutterinourlives,andsomuchelsethatclamorsforourattention,it'sprettyeasytoforgetaboutsomeonewemetonlyonceortwicemanymoonsago.

"Buthey,BarbaraandKen,howdowedothisanyhow?Howcanwekeepintouchwithourcontactswithoutpesteringthem?"

Heck,youwantanswersforeverything,don'tyou?OK,we'lltossyouafewbones:

Leavechattyvoicemessages.Mentionsomethingrelevantyouheardinthenews,oragoodbookyou'vejustreadthatyouthinkacontactwouldlike.Don'tmakethesemessagestoolong(twominutestops!),justlongenoughtoremindthemyouexist.You'llofcoursesaysomethinglike,"Justwantedtocheckinwithyou.I'mstillouttheresearchingforapositionasa[whatever].Letmeknowifyougetanyideasforme.Youcanstillcallmeat[phonenumber].Thanksagainforallyourhelp.Byefornow."

Sendcontactsacopyofanarticletheymightlike.Onceyou'vehadagoodcareerconversationwithsomeone,you'llknowalotaboutthem.Aretheyinterestedinflyfishing?Managementtrends?Chaostheory?Madonna?SamuelBeckett?

Justsendthemsomethingtoreadnowandthenwithanoteexplaining,"Thoughtyoumightliketoseethis."Knowwhat?Theyprobablywill.

Periodicallymailout"campaignupdateletters."Thesearekindoflikeanewsletter(youcanevenformatitthatwayifyoulike)inwhichyouletpeopleknowaboutyourprogress.

Item:"I'vehadthreeinterviewsthismonth.Twowentprettywell,andI'vealreadybeencalledbackforone."

Item:"I'mstilllookingforcontactsatGerardCorporation.Anybodyoutthereknowanyonewhoworksthere?Letmeknow?

Item:"I'vegottenmorefamiliarwiththeleadingcustomer

servicetechniquesintheretailindustry.It'salwaysfascinatingtometolearnaboutcustomerservicesincethat'swhatIwanttodo.Anybodyknowanygoodcontactsinretailforme,orbooksorarticlestoread?"

It'sliketheboardofmentorsconcept:Youwanttokeepyourcareeralliesonyourmailinglistinvolvedinyourprogressandcrystal-clearaboutwhatyou'relookingfor.Besuretoplasteryourphonenumberalloverthiscommuniqué.Itshouldbesomewhereatleastonceoneverypage.Neverassumethatyourphonenumberiseasilyathand.

HaveYouHuggedYourselfToday?

It'seasytoforget,isn'tit?Someofusdon'teventhinkwedeserveit.Rarelydoestheideashowupinacareerorbusinessbook.Haveyourewardedyourselftodayfortakingonthischallengeofcareertransition?Haveyouacknowledgedyourselfforhowstrongyouare,howwise,howbrave?Areyougivingyourselfthekudosyouneedtokeepyourspiritsupandyourconfidencehigh?

Yes,thisispartofyourjob,notjustyourcareermate's.You'vegottotaketimeoutnowandthentosmelltheresumépaper.You'vegottoremindyourselfwhythisbattleissoimportanttoyou.You'vegottocredityourselffortakingononeofthehardestclimbsinlifetheexcruciatingbaby-step-by-baby-stepcareerhiketothestars.You'rehalfwayupthemountainrightnow.Takeagoodlookattheview.Yougotyourselfthisfar.Congratulations!

AcknowledgmentMindMap

Howaboutanothermindmap?We'llcallthisoneYourAcknowledgmentMindMap.Thistimeyou'llstartoutwith"IAcknowledgeMyselfFor,"andthenproceedtodojustthatforallthepersonalprogressyou'vemade.Makeyourlinesortentaclesrepresent

"braveactions,""innerbarriersbroken,""newaccomplishments,""lessonslearned,"andsoforth.

AcknowledgmentMindMap

Whenyourunoutofgreatthingstosayaboutyourself,showthismaptoyourcareermateortoafriendorspouseorcoworker.Askthemtosharewhattheythinkyou'vedonethat'ssoimpressive.Asalways,havealotoffunwiththismapandusecoloredmarkersorcrayonstomakeitsparkle.

TakingDirectAction

Thereusuallycomesapointduringthisprocesswhenyoufeelasthoughyou'rehittingawall.Youknowwhatyouwant,youknowthefieldyouwanttoworkin,youknowexactlywhichdepartment,division,ornewcompanyyou'dliketobehiredby.Youcanseetheperfectjobtitleunderyourname.And,guesswhat,it'snot"administrativeassistant."

Whenthesekindsofvisionsbegincomingyourway,thetimehascomefortrumpetspleaseDirectAction!

Insomecases,DirectActionwillbefairlystraightforward.Ifyou'vedecidedtogobacktoschool,you'llcallforcollegecataloguesandbeginporingoverthem.Ifyou'vedecidedtostartyourownbusiness,you'llgetsomebusinesscounseling,perhapssecurealoanortwo,formulateyourbusinessplan,andstartsettingupshop.

Butifyou'vesetyoursightsonanewemployer-employeerelationship,you'vegottojumponanyjobleadsyoucomeacrossandgenerateasmanynewonesasyoucan.Remember,possibilitiesabound;you'vejustgottotaketheinitiativetoenticethemyourway.

Getstartedbyexaminingyourallieslist.Who'sbeengoodforyou,who'sbeenadud?Someonyourlistwillbeconstantlyfeedingyougreatideas,solidleads,encouragement.PlaceA'snexttothosewhohavereallyhelpedyousofar,B'snexttothosewhohaveonlybeenOK,andC'snexttothosewhohaven'thelpedmuchatall.Has

anybodybeendownrightdiscouraging,antagonistic,stupid?PlaceaDnexttothisjokerandcrosshimoffyourlist.Solong,frump-face!

Nowaskyourselfthefollowingquestions.Scanyourallieslisttojogyourmemoryifanswersdon'tcomereadilytomind.

Haveanyofyouralliesmentionedcurrentopenings,oropeningsthatmaybecomingupinthefuture?

Haveanyofyouralliesmentionedexpandingoperationsornewprojectsintheirdepartments(orattheircompanies)?

Hasanyonecommentedontheneedforsomeonenewtocomeinandsolveafesteringproblem?

Howmightanyofyouralliesbenefitfromaddingyoutotheirstaff,perhapsinwaysthey'renotevenawareof?

Naturallyyouwanttokeepinmindyourcareervision.Noteveryopportunityorjobopeningisforyou.Youmustcontinuallyaskyourself,"IsthissomethingIwant?"Becarefulofjumpingontoabandwagonjustbecausethere'sanopeningofsomekind.Youdon'twanttolandsomewhereasanadmininallbutthename.

Whenpeoplehavebeenatthisprocessforawhile,ifnothing'syetcomethrough,theysometimesbegingettingfidgety.Theystarttothink,"MaybeIoughttogetpracticalandtakesomethingIknowIcandofornow.Icankeeplookingformydreamontheside.Maybeit'snotyetmytime."

Bunkum!Yourtimeisnow.You'remerelyfeelingyourcourageandself-confidencestarttowaver.That'snatural,withallyou'vebeenthrough.Sogetbackonyourhorseandride.Remember,there'sgoldinthemthar'hills!

Golookagainatyouradvancementplanner,yourcareervision,andallofyourmindmaps.Youcandothis,youreallycan.Youcanmakethismove.

GettinginanAlly'sFace

Whatcanyousaytoyourallieswhenyouknowthey'vegot

somethingyouwant?Howdoyoutalkturkeywiththem?Howdoyoumovethisprocessalong?

Elementary,dearadmin:Youlevelwiththem.Yougettogetherandyouspeaktothemverydirectly.Youaskthemforexactlywhatyouwant.Youcallinfavors:

"Bill,asyouknow,I'vebeenexploringanewcareerlately,andI'vejustcompletedabusinesscourseinriskanalysis.Theinsurancefieldinterestsmemoreandmore.I'velearnedalotfromwhatyou'vetoldmeaboutyouremployer,PeopleMutual,andI'vedecidedI'dlovetoworkthere.Arethereanyopeningsyouknowof?Isthereanyonehiringyoucouldhelpmemeet?"

"Sarah,I'veappreciatedyourhelpthesepastfewmonthsasI'veexploredmycareeroptions.I'mnowcertainthatmarketingismyfuture.WhatcouldIdotobecomeapartofyourdepartment?I'dreallybeexcitedtoworkforyou."

"Beth,IgetmoreandmoreenthralledwitheverythingIlearnabouttherestaurantbusiness.I'vedecidedwhatI'dmostliketodoismanage.Doyouknowofanyassistantmanagementpositionsatanyestablishmentsintown?Irealizeyouhavenothingtooffermeyourselffightnow,butanythingelseyou'veheardofthatmightgetmestartedwouldbegreat."

Don'ttrytocopydownthesespeechesverbatim.They'redesignedjusttogiveyouthebasicidea.Youwanttosaywhat'sonyourmindinasnaturalatoneaspossible,butyoudon'twanttodemand.You'rejustcontinuingtoleadyouralliesinawaythathelpsyou.Youneedsomethingspecificfromthemnow,andyouhavetocommunicatethat.

Takingthismoredirectapproachnowmovesyouintoamoreassertivephaseinyourclimboutofthepink-collarghetto.Bynow,ifyou'vedoneyourhomework,you'veestablishedsolidrelationshipsinthenewcareerareaofyourchoice.Giventhat,you'llfindmanyalliesdelightedthatyou'reaskingforhelp.Somemayevenhavebeenwonderingwhenyou'dgetaroundtoit.Justrememberthatit'salwaysyourjobtomakeknownwhatyouwant,andtoarticulatetoyourallieshowtheycanhelpyouattainit.

TheDreadJobInterview

OnceyoubegintakingDirectAction,you'llalsobeginhearingaboutspecificopportunities.Atsomepointyou'lladvancetotheformalstepofjobinterviewinganddoingwhateverelseittakestocapitalizeonanopportunity.

Butexcuseus,didwehearyougaspalittlewhenwementionedinterviewing?What'sthat?Yousayyou'dratherwrapyourhandaroundared-hotpoker?Oh,comeonnow,youcan'tbeserious.Thingscouldn'tbethatbad.

Yetofcourseformanyofus(mostofus?),itis.Thefearcomesfromworryingaboutgettingit''right"fieldingtoughinterviewquestions,spittingbackperfectanswers,holdingontoyourcoolwhilequestionscomeflyingatyouleftandright.It'slikesharingteaandcrumpetswithJohnHouseman.

Keepthisinmind,then:Youdon'thavetogetit"right,"youjusthavetobeyourself.Soundstoosimple,doesn'tit?Yetit'strue.

We'renotsayingyoudon'thavetoprepare,orthinkoutyouranswers,orphrasewhatyousayintermsthatemphasizeyourstrengths.It'sjustthat,despiteallofthis,thatindefinableconnection,thechemistrybetweenyouandtheinterviewer,thatmysterious"something"intheairwillhaveasmuchtodowithanyfinaldecisionasallofyour"perfect"answersputtogether.

We'reforeveraskingaudienceswhatcriteriathey'veusedinthepasttohiresomeone.Wegetthesameanswerseverytime:

"It'sagutdecision.""Whetherthecandidatecanfitinwiththeculture.""HowwellIthinkwe'llgetalong.""Chemistry.""Thecandidate'senthusiasm."

You'vealreadyconvincedtheinterviewerthatyou'requalified(otherwise,whywouldhehavearrangedthisinterview?).Next,aswithresumés,yourinterviewshouldnotthrowyourpotentialemployeracurveball.Itshouldconfirmeverythingtheemployerhascometobelieveaboutyouuptonow.Ifyoujust

answerquestionstothebestofyourability,yourstoreofknowledge,experience,andcreativityshouldnestleyouthrough.

Butyoucan'tfabricatechemistry.It'seithergoingtobethereorit'snot.Becauseofthis,youcan'treally"fail."Ifyougenerateenoughjobinterviews,therightchemistrywillmaterializewithsomeone.Your"perfectmatch"isouttherewaiting.

Thisnaturalchemistryisobviouslywhatyoumostwanttofind.Otherwise,thatnewworkenvironmentwithyouinitwon'tbefunforanyone.Includingyou.

Ouroveralladviceisthis:Thebestjobinterviewisagoodcareerconversation.That'syourumbrella.Youwantyourinterview,afterall,tobe,asRick(HumphreyBogart)suggeststoLouisattheendofCasablanca,"thebeginningofabeautifulfriendship."YouwantittoassumetheloftypositionofSupremeCareerRelationshipforatleastthenextfewyears.It'sthebeginningofalong-runningdialogue.

"Buthey,KenandBarbara,howdoIdothis?It'saninterview,afterall,andI'mnotincontrol.Myjobistoshutupandanswertheirquestions."

That'sthewayyoumayhavebeentaughttothinkofinterviews,yes,butthat'syour"factorymentality"showingthrough.Again,putyourselfinthedriver'sseat.Shifttheprocessaroundsoitservesyourneeds.

InterviewHint1:ChatWhenYouFirstWalkIn

You'dbesurprisedhowoftenwe'retoldbyemployersthatthisdoesn'thappen.Peopleenterstiff,scared,subservient.Theydon'tactlikethemselves.Especiallyadmins.

Breakdownyourinnerbarriers!You'renotbackatyourworkstationorthereceptiondesknow.Youdon'thavetojustshutupandfollow

orders.You'reanadult.You'reaperson.Befriendly;commentontheweatherorhowniceabuildingitisortherouteyoutooktogetthere.Aslongasyou'renotobnoxious,critical,ornegative,itreallydoesn'tmatterwhatyousay.You'rejusttryingtobreaktheiceandsetatonethatyou'vecometointeract,notjustslavishlyanswerquestions.

Butnote:Don'tletyourselfbetheonlyonechatting.Whileyou'llwanttochatabitwhenyoufirstcomein,lordknowsyou

don'twanttorunoffatthemouth.Chattingisatwo-waystreet:Letthepersonyou'remeetingslipinafewwordsaswell.Watchwherehegoeswithhiscommentsandfollowtheconversationwherehetakesit.

Anythingyouhearnowcouldbeacluetohowtheinterviewerthinks,whathe'slookingfor,howyoucouldhelphiscompany.Keepchatting,butlethimslowlybegindoingmorechattingthanyou.Listencloselytowhathehastosay.Thisbearsrepeating:Listenclosely!

InterviewHint2:RealizeThatYourInterviewerMayBeJustasNervousasYou

Manyinterviewers,believeitornot,don'thavetheslightestideahowtoconductaninterview.Theyfumblewithyourresumé,askstilted,"textbook"questions,andstruggletojotdownyouranswers.Eccchhh!Whoneedsthis?

Easeyourinterviewer'smind,havepityonhim.Subtlyconverttheinterviewintoacareerconversation.Ifyougetyourinterviewertofeelrelaxedandenjoyinghimselfbytheendofyoursession,you'veaccomplishedwhatyoucamefor.He'lllikeyou.

InterviewHint3:Observethe"20/2Rule"

Whenansweringquestions,keepthemlongerthantwentysecondsbutundertwominutes.Tooshortananswerconveystheimpressionthatthespeakerhaslittletooffer,andtoolongananswerevokestheimageofaboorishwindbagwholivesforthespotlight.

Evenyesornoquestionsshouldbeelaboratedupon.Likeotherquestions,they'reopportunitiestoexpandyourcase.Let'slookfirstatthewrongwaytodoit,asexemplifiedbyCandidate1:

TheWrongWay

Interviewer:IseebyyourresuméyouwenttoDukeUniversity.

Candidate1:Yap.

Interviewer:Didyoulikeitthere?

Candidate1:Yap.

Interviewer:Yougraduatedwithhonors,thirdinyourclassthat'simpressive.

Candidate1:Thanks.

Interviewer:Anythingyou'dliketoaddthatwehaven'tcovered?

Candidate1:Nope.

Wow!Whatelectricity,excitement!Youcanalmostimagineaninterviewerjumpingupanddown,shouting,"Iloveyoursimplicity!Whencanyoustart?"

Nowcomparethatscenariowiththisunarguablymoreeffectiveone:

TheRightWay

Interviewer:IseebyyourresuméyouwenttoDukeUniversity.

Candidate2:Suredid.Itwasn'tmyfirstchoicebackinhighschool,butitturnedouttobetherightplaceforme.I'dthoughtI'dpreferasmallerschoolclosertohomeI'mfromWyomingbutasitturnedout,themanyopportunitiesatamajorschoolgaveme,Ibelieve,arichereducation.

Interviewer:Soyoulikeditthere?

Candidate2:Ohyes.Ithinkthat'swhereIfirstbeganenjoyingscientificresearch,infact.ThoughIstudiedastraightbusinesscurriculum,theyalwayshadmajorscienceexhibitsgoingonthere.Iwasfascinatedwiththem.That'swhythispositionasascientificresearchassistantappealstomesomuch.

Interviewer:Iseetoothatyougraduatedwithhonors,thirdinyour

class.Impressive.

Candidate2:Thankyou.Istudiedprettyhardthere.Ialwaysfeltmyeducationwasanopportunitytogrow,notjustpickupadiploma.SoIthrewmyselfintomystudies.Itookmycommitmenttomyworkloadprettyseriously.

Whatdoyouthink?WhomwouldyoupreferCandidate1orCandidate2?Obviously,byaddinghercharmandrespon-

sivenesstoherimpressivecredentials,Candidate2clearlymakesastrongshowing.Elaboratinguponwhatcouldhavebeensimpleyesornoanswers,sheidentifiesherselfas:(1)curiousandeagertolearn,(2)interestedspecificallyinscientificresearch,and(3)ahardworker.Notabadsetofattributesforthepersonwho'llfillthisjob.

InterviewHint4:AskQuestions

Interviews,bydefinition,tendtobeone-sided.Oneperson(jobinterviewer,reporter,pollster)asksquestionsofanother,andtheotherresponds.That'sprettymuchthewayit'ssupposedtogo.That'sonereasonbothofusdisdaininformationalinterviews.

Butaconversationworksdifferently,doesn'tit?Bothpartiesaskquestions,bothanswerquestions,bothmakeexpansivecomments.There'sagive-and-take,there'sanequalexchange.Arelationshipforms.

Youwanttocreatethathereacareerconversation.Thatmeansyou'vegottothrowinsomequestionsofyourown.Onavery,verydiscreetlevel,you'vegottoaltertheformat.

Here'showyoudoit:Sometimeaftertheinterviewgetsstartedmaybefiveortenminutes,probablynolongerthanfifteen(useyourintuition)slipinaquestionattheendofoneofyouranswers.Makethisquestionasspontaneousasyoucan.Letitspringfromsomethingthat'scomeupduringtheinterview.Forexample:

Interviewer:Tellme,Melissa,whatmakesyoufeelespeciallyqualifiedforthispositionofscientificresearchassistant?

Melissa:Well,I'maprettyorganizedpersonandIcanseethatyou'dhavetobeorganizedtokeeptheseresearchdatainorder.WhichbringsupaquestionI'vewantedtoaskyou:HowcloselywouldIbeinvolvedintheactualexperimentsthemselves?I'dlovetowork

directlyinthelabatsomepoint.Wouldthatfitinwiththisposition?

NoticehowMelissaslidesthequestionintotheinterviewnaturally.Itisanhonestthingtoask.It'sworthaskingsimplytounderstandmoreabouthowthingswork.ItalsohelpscommunicatewhereMelissawantstogoinherprofessionaldevelopment.

Nowtheinterviewcanmoveinawholenewdirection.Itcanbecomemoreofaconversation.IftheinterviewerspendsevenafewminutesrespondingtoMelissa'squestion,atonehasbeensetthatallowsforafree-flowinggive-and-take.Theybeginacareerrelationship.

InterviewHint5:PainttheFuture,NotthePast

Whenmakingacaseforyourself,don'tdwellonjobs,functions,andachievementsinyourpast.Explainhowtransferableyourdemonstratedskillsandyouraccomplishmentscanbetoanewsituation.Beginleavingyouradminlifebehind.

GobacktoMelissa'sassessmentofherself.Shecalledherself"aprettyorganizedperson"ratherthanfocusingonheradminorganizationalduties,suchasfiling,keepingherboss'scalendar,sortingoutmail.Shethenrelatedittoherpossiblefutureworkingintheresearchinstitute,organizingscientificdata.

Faceforward.Youwillmosteffectivelymakethetransitionintoanewcareerareaifyoucanliterallyseeyourselfworkingthere.Thatmeansemployingtalents,skills,andabilitiesintheserviceofyournewcareer.Onceyou'vegotthatmuchinyoursights,allyouneeddonextisdescribeitforsomeonewhocanhelp.

IsThisaBetterDeal?

Adaywillcomewhenyoufinallygetajobofferthat'snotadminorsecretarialwork.Itreallywill.Sogoaheadandshout"Gloryhallelujah!Someonewantsme,someonewantsme!"

Atthatmoment,though,youfaceanewquestion:Shouldyoutakeit?

Gobacktoyourcareervision.Doesthisofferrepresentwhatyou'vebeenlookingfor?Isittherightjobforyou?How'sthecompensation?Doesthispositionleadyouanywhere?

Takeadayortwotothinkaboutit.Nomatterhowmuchyouwantanewsituation,it'salwaysgoodpolicytosleeponit.Youmightbemissingsomething,forgettingsomething.

Whenyoucallthenextday,bediplomatic,courteous,respectful,enthusiastic,positive.Butaskforsomethingmore.Maybeit'smoremoney,alongervacation,anupgradinginauthorityorresponsibility.Theworsttheycantellyouis,"Wecan'tdothat."Atleastyou'llhavetried.Mosttimesyou'llwinonatleastafewpoints.

"Buthey,BarbaraandKen,Ihateplayinggames.I'mjustnotcomfortablewiththat."

It'salreadyagame.Yourpotentialemployermorethanlikelyexpectsyoutocomebackwitharequestformore.They'veprobablyfactoredthatin."Ifsheasksfor$2,000moreperyear,let'sofferher$500.Ifshewon'tacceptthat,we'llgoto$750;$800isourceiling."

Ifyourefusetoplayanygamesatall,yourdiscomfortmaycostyoualotofmoney.Ormoretimeoff,orajobmoretoyourliking.Soatleastplayalittlegame.

Howdoyouaskwithoutalienatingeverybody?Justbecarefulwithyourlanguage.Don'tsay,"Yougottagimmethis.It'smineandIdeserveit."Bediplomatic:"Whatcouldwedotomakethisworkforbothofus?Yourfigureof$34,000feelsalittlelowtome.Iwasreallyhopingfor$40,000.Whatcanwedotogetclosertothatamount?"

Atsomepoint,afterplayingaroundwiththeareasyou'dliketosee"improved,"you'llgetafeelinginyourgutthatit'stimetosayyes.Whenthatmomentcomes,tellyournewemployeryou'regladtobeaboard."Ithinkwe'reallset,"yousay."Ifeelgreataboutouragreement.I'mlookingforwardtoworkingwithyou."

Yahoo!PopopentheDomPerignon.You'vejustmadeyournewemployerhappy.Andyou'vefinallyfreedyourselffromthepink-collarghetto.

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:JessicaLefcourt

Currently:WebPagedeveloper,InternationalLinks,Glen-view,Illinois

Adminskillsusedtoday:Computerproficiency,phoneskills,understandingoftechnology

Howchangewasmade:"Themostfascinatingaspectofmyadminandsecretarialyearshadalwaysbeenlearningaboutsoftwareandnewtechnology.Ipushedconstantlytobesenttocomputercoursesandseminars,andIlovedpickingupnewtrickstheretouseinmywork.

"Oneday,mybosscalledmeinforameeting.Iassumedhewasjustgoingtogivemealistofthingsheneededdoneinthecomingweek.Instead,heflooredmewithwhathehadtosay.'Alotofpeopleinthecompanyareprettyimpressedwithyourwork,'hebegan.'I'mnotjusttalkingaboutyourregulardutiesbutallthatyou'velearnedonthecomputer.We'vereallycometorelyonyouradviceandknow-how.'

"Ithankedhimforthecompliments.Ithoughtmaybehewasgoingtogivemealittleraise.

"'We'regoingtobeopeningupanewdivision,servingcustomerswhowanttogetontheInternet,'hecontinued.'Wewantyoutobepartofit.'

"Again,naturallyIassumedhemeantI'dworkthereasanadmin.Butitturnedoutthatpeoplehadstartedliterallyturningtomeforadviceabouttechnicalmatters.I'dbecomeanin-houseexpert.SoIwasbeingelevatedfromadmintotechnicaldeveloper.MyjobwouldbetoworkcloselywithourcustomersandcreateadvertisementsforthemovertheInternet,specificallytheWorldWideWeb.

"'Congratulations,'mybossconcluded,reachingouttoshakemyhand.'I'mgoingtohatetoloseyoubutyou'rereallyneededinthisnewdepartment.You'reaprettyvaluablepersonaroundhere.'"

"Yes,Igotaraisetooabigone!"

Bestadviceforadmins:"Learnasmuchasyoucanaboutallyoudoandbecomearealexpert.Therearenewproductsandservices

developingallthetime.Youcanstepintosomethingnewifyou'vegotsomethingspecialtooffer."

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:JudyWagner

Currently:CounselingassistantforKathleenGreerAssociates,aFramingham,Massachusetts,providerofemployeeassistanceprograms(EAPs).

Adminskillsusedtoday:Organizationalandschedulingskills,meeting-planningskills,"intuitivehearing,"thatis,theabilitytoperceivewhypeoplearecallingandtoidentifytheirtrueagenda

Howchangewasmade:"Iwasworkingasanadminforanonprofitagencywheremypresentboss,KathyGreer,hadbeenrentinganoffice.Partofmypositionwastoanswerherphonestoo.Shewasimpressedwiththequalityofmyworkandcrisisinterventionhotlinetraining.Sowhenshewasreadytohireherfirstadmin,sheaskedmeifI'dbeinterested.

"Imightnothavetakenthejobexceptthatwhatshewasofferingmewasmorethanthetypicaladminposition.AsaproviderofEAPservices,Kathyneededsomeonewhocouldbesensitivetoanyonewhocalled.OftenacalltoanEAPisacryforhelp.Withemotionalissuesorwithsomekindofaddiction,callersneedtofeelcomfortableaboutcalling.Italsomightbenecessarytodosomecrisisinterventioncounseling.

"Kathywantedmetohelpwitharrangingseminarsandschedulingherstafftoo.ShewasineffectofferingmethechancetousebothpartsofwhatIdobestorganizationalskillsandmyabilitytohearwhat'sreallybeingsaidwhensomeonecalls.Shealsoofferedmeafour-dayworkweek,whichmayhavebeentheclincher!Ihadwantedtoreducemyworkscheduleforalongtime."

Bestadviceforadmins:"Followyourinterests.You'relikelytodowellinthingsyou'remostinterestedinandgetthemostsatisfactionfromthemtoo.Beprofessional.Thatmeanshavingapositiveattitudeandawillingnesstolearn.Stayawayfromgossipmillsandcompanypolitics."

9SettlingintoNewDigsSohereyouare,atyournewdeskinyournewoffice.Yourwindowlooksoutonthecitybelow,andyouhaveadooryoucanclose.You'veevengottheservicesofgasp!anadmintohelpyouout!(Youshareherwiththreeothers,butthat'sallright.)

Youbeginfixingupyourofficethewayyoulike:alittlevasewithflowersyoupickeduponthewaytowork,picturesofyourlovedones,yourfavoritepaperweight,acute,tinyclock.Asyoufussabout,yousmiletoyourself,remembering:"I'veworkedveryhardtogetmyselfhere.I'veescapedthepink-collarghetto."

Suddenly,youhearsomeoneoutsidedistinctlycryoutforcoffee.Withoutthinking,youleaptoyourfeetandbeginbustlingtowardyourofficedoor.Youruntogetiteventhoughyou'renotsurewhereitis.

"Twocreams,"themanbarks."Nosugar."

You'realmostoutyourdoorwhenyoustopdeadinyourtracks.Whatintheheckareyoudoing?You'refetchingsomeone'scoffee?Don'tyougetit?That'snolongeryourjob!

Sweeterthoughtsnevercrossedyourmind.Youturnbackandtakeagood,hardlookatyournewoffice.Thismaytakesomegettingusedto.You'vebeenfetchingcoffeeandscreeningcallsandcorrectingtyposforsolong,you'reconditionedtojumpwhensomebodyanybody!callsforyou.

Yourealizeit'stimeforafewattitudechanges.

NurturingaNewProfessionalSelf-Image

Doyoureallyseeyourselfyetasaprofessionalonalevelbeyondthatofanadmin?Canyouseeit,feelit?Doyoubelieveit?

Ifyou'rehavingtroublewiththisatall,createapackofwhatwe'llcall''New-ImageCards,"asshowninFigure9-1.Getastackofindexcardsanddealoutaboutfifteenortwenty.Oneachcard,writeoutastatementthatexpressessomethingaboutthenewyou.Makeeachstatementaffirmative,active,dynamic.Makeitalsosomethingyouhaven'tquitegraspedyet,thatyou'renotyetsureyoutrulybelieve.

Butmakeitsomethingyouabsolutelywanttobelieve.

Onceyou'veputtogetheryourNew-ImageCards,keepthemwithyouallday.Fromtimetotimeyankthemoutandshufflethroughthem.Readeachcarefully,sensinghowstrongly(orhowlittle)youbelievewhatitsays.

Atfirst,you'llnotsensearealconnectionwithanyofthecards.You'llfeelasthoughthey'retalkingaboutsomeoneelse.Butremember:They'redesignedtohelpyouacquireanewimage,nottoreinforcetheoneyoualreadyhave.They'redescribingayouinthemaking.

Asyoureadthroughyourcardstimeaftertimeaftertime,dayafterday,you'llbeginreprogrammingyourmind.Someofthecards'statementswillbegingettinginsideofyou.They'llworktheirsubtlemagiconyourinnerbarriers,sothatonedayyou'llpickupacard,readit,thenmatter-of-factlythink,"Well,yes,that'strue."Whenthathappens,throwthecardout!Replaceitwithanewone!Yournewcard'sstatementwillthenexpressanotherbeliefaboutyourselfyouhaven'tadoptedyet.

It'simportanttoseeyourfirstpost-adminpositionasastepforwardforyournewsellandtobegindiscardingoratleasttakingcontrol

ofoldbeliefsthatcannolongerserveyou.AsthetitleofPeterMcWilliam'sbookstates,YouCan'tAffordtheLuxuryofaNegativeThought.Getinthehabitofpositivethinking.

TootingYourOwnHorn

You'veapparentlybeendoingthisprettywell.Afterall,itwascentraltoyourcareeradvancementcampaign,whichgotyou

Figure9-1.New-lmageCards

here.Andthoughadvertisingyourselfmaynothavebeenthemostcomfortablefitatfirst,we'resurethatbynowyou'vegottenatleastalittlemoreusedtoit.Inyournewworkenvironment,however,you'vegottotakeitupathousandnotches.

Seeallthosebusybeaversscurryingaroundoutsideyournewoffice?Howmanyofthemhaveyougottentoknowyet?Wedon'tmeanyou'vebeencasuallyintroduced.Wemean,howmanyhaveyoureallygottentoknow?

That'spreciselywhatyouhavetodo.Youcan'twaitforpeopletoapproachyouthat'sOldWorkWorldstuff.Thistimeyouhavetoapproachthem.Youwantthemtoknowwhoyouare,whatyou'vebeenhiredtodo,andthatyourgoalistobethereforthem.

Youwantthemtothinkofyouasatrueteamplayer.Youwanttomakeadifferencebig-timetoyournew"family."Soyou'llinviteeachofthemtohavelunchwithyou.(Andyes,you'llstilllungeforthattab!)Intheprocessofgettingtoknowthem,you'recontinuingyourcareeradvancementbyinitiatingcareerconversationsandfurtherbuildingcareerrelationships.Thisneverends.

SeekingOutFeedback

Youprobablygotalotoffeedbackasanadmin.Mostofitwasprobablyafterthefact.Especiallythenegative.

Withthingsalwaysfrantic,chaotic,charged,whatyouusuallylearnedfromthisfeedbackprobablyamountedtoverylittle.Youcouldneverlearnmuchfromyourmistakesbecauseeverythingcameandwentinablur.Butthat'syourlifeasanadmin."QuoththeRaven,'Nevermore.'"

Inyournewprofessionallife,you'llseekoutfeedback;you'llrelishit.That'sright,you'lllookforit,uncoverit,asktohaveitdeliveredto

yourdoor.Inyournewpositionyoucan'taffordtoletyourmistakesgouncorrectedoryourbadhabitsfester.Youneedtobeontopofthings.

Howcanyoubesurethatyoudevelopsteadilythistime,thatyougrowprofessionally,andthatyouincorporate"unsuccessfulexperiments"(failures,mistakes,errors)intoalearningcurvethatmakesyoubetter?PaulFalconetoldusthatasking

yournewbossforperiodicperformancereviewsthroughouttheyearwouldbeonewaytodoit.AsFalconeexplainsinhisbook:

Byaskingyourbossforquarterlyorevenmonthlyperformanceupdates,you'llshowyourselfassomeonelookingforwaystoimprove[her]self,anindividualopentoconstructivecriticism,andapersonwithoutstandingcommunicationskills.Mostsignificantly,you'llgetasteadystreamoffeedbackthatwillhelpyouimproveyourperformance.Thatway,whenitcomestimefortheannualperformanceappraisal,you'llhavehadaheadstartongatheringtheinformationnecessarytohavefixedmostoftheweakerissuesinadvance!Thisisawinningstrategyforawell-informed,career-conscious,information-hungryemployeegearedforcareerprogression.

Wisewords.Speaktoyournewbossaboutfrequentperformancereviewstoday.

PipingUpatStaffMeetings

Maybeyoudidalotofthisasanadmin,althoughmostadminsreporttheydon't.Itdoesn'tfeelliketheirplace,theysay.Theydon'toftenfeelapartoftheteam.

Well,you'reapartoftheteamnow!Speakyourpiece.Injectanideaoraquestionhereandthere.Letpeoplehearwhat'sonyourmind.

It'sagoodidea,however,tolistentoo,especiallyinyourfirstfewweeks.Makesureyoudon'trushintoofastwithtoomanyfabulousnewopinions.Peoplewillacceptyoumorereadilyintheearlydaysifyoudon'tactlikeyouknoweverythingbeforeyou'vehadachancetoknowmuchofanything.

Bideyourtime:Takealotin,hearpeople'sideas,observethegroupdynamicsinyournewdepartmentoratcompanystaffmeetings.Afteryou'vegotthelayoftheland,seetoitthatyoupositionyourselfasamajorplayer.You'vebeenhiredtobefullyinvolved.Staythatway.

Noteofcaution:Foryournewrelationshipstogeleffectively,

youhavetolocateacommonground.Thathappensbestwhenyoureallylistentoanotherandtrytoabsorbwhatthatotherissaying.Alwayskeeplistening.It'scalledteamspirit.

SettingBoundaries

Asanadminyoumaynothavealwaysfeltcomfortablesayingnotoyourbosswhenhe'ddumpapiping-hotstackofdocumentsonyourdeskattenminutestofive,muttering,"I'llneedtheseinthecomputerbyeighttomorrowmorning.Haveanicenight."Youmayneverhavesetmanyboundariesaroundhowmuchworkisreasonableorhowmuchmightbegoingovertheline.

Butifyou'veneverlearnedtosetlimitsbefore,youdefinitelyhavetolearntosetthemnow.Ifyoudon't,you'llslowlyreverttoadminshipalloveragain.You'reworkinginafast,pressure-cookerworkworldthesedaysthat'ssomethingyoualreadyknow,werealizeinwhichsomepeoplewilltakeadvantage.Theymaytakeadvantagewithoutrealizingit,buttakeadvantage,nonetheless,theywill.That'swhyit'suptoyoutosetboundaries.Nooneelsewillstepinanddoitforyou.

Thefollowingscenariosrepresentstepping-over-the-boundariesdilemmasyoumightfindyourselffacedwithinyournewposition.Thinkforamomentaboutwhatyoushoulddoifanyofthesesituationscomesstormingyourway.

Dilemma1

OneofBelinda'snewcolleagues,John,askshertotakeovera"minor"projecthe'sbeenhavingtroublewith."YouknowalotmoreaboutthisthanIdo,Belinda,"hesays."Maybeyoucouldworkitthroughforme?''

Belindaknowsshe'sgotalotonherplaterightnow.HowcanshetactfullydeflectJohn'srequest?

Makeafewnotesheresummarizingyourthoughts:

Dilemma2

Helena'sboss,Mark,dropsaheavyassignmentintoherin-basket.He'smarkeditASAPonaPost-it.Helenaremembersthissameproblem,timeandtimeagain,fromherpreviousadminjob.She'salreadyrushingtofinishanotherassignmenthe'sgivenher,duebytheendoftheweek.Whichismoreimportant?

HowcanHelenaknowwhenMarktrulyneedsthenewassignmentandhowmuchpriorityhe'sascribedtothefirstassignment?


Dilemma3

Marguerite'snewboss,Mr.Hightower,invitesherandherhusband,Jim,todinneronSaturdaynightathishouse.Butit'sthethirdtimeinthelasttwomonths,andMargueritehasbeguntofeelenoughisenough.Jim'snottoopleasedeither.WhatshouldshetellMr.Hightower?


Dilemma4

SomenewcolleaguesofLisa'smeeteveryThursdayforlunch.Lisaquicklyseesthatallthateverseemstogoonattheseluncheonsisofficegossip,snippycomments,andcynicalremarks.

Lisa'sjoinedthemthreetimesalreadybutdoesn'twanttocontinue.Whatcanshedoorsay?


Thereareaninfinitenumberofresponsesthatanyofuscouldcomeupwithforthesescenarios.Don'tlookatyouranswersasaright-wrongthing.Whateverworks,especiallyintouchysituations,canbedeemedcorrect.

Allyourresponsesshouldbebasedonanessentialneedtoremainsensitive,tactful,respectful.Youdon'twanttostartalienatingthesamefolksyou'retryingtowinover.Sodon'tgetangry;getresourcefulinstead.Chooseyourwordsandreactionswithcare.Herearesomeresponseswefeelmeetthosecriteria:

ResponsetoDilemma1:"I'dliketohelp,John,Ireallywould,buthonestlyIcan'tfitanythingnewinrightnow."Belindathinksamoment."ButwhatIcoulddoistakeafewminutesandhelpyoufigureouthowyoucouldbesthandlethis.Idohavealittlemoreexperiencehere,somaybeIcanactasyour'consultant.'Whydon'twesitdownatlunchtimeandtalkaboutstepsyoucouldtaketogetyouthroughthis."

ResponsetoDilemma2:Helenashouldaskforguidelinesstraightout."Icangetrightonthisnewassignment,ifthat'swhatyouwant,"HelenatellsMark."ButIhaveaquestionforyou:ShouldIdropthisotherassignmentI'vebeenworkingon?

WhenyousayASAP,whenexactlydoyoumean?What'syourabsolutedeadlineforeachoftheseassignments?"

ResponsetoDilemma3:"Mr.Hightower,wouldyoumindifJimandIpassedonyourkindinvitationthisSaturday?We'veenjoyeddinnerwithyouandMrs.Hightowerinthepast,butlatelywefeelwehaven'tbeenspendingasmuchtimeathomeaswe'dlike.Forthetimebeing,we'vedecidedtocutdownonoursocialeventsandjustspendmoretimewitheachother."

Additionaladvice:IfMr.Hightowerdoesn'ttakethehintandhisinvitationspersist,thenaheart-to-hearttalkmaybeinorder.IsMr.Hightowerthekindofpersonanemployeecantalktofrankly?Hasheshownhimselftobeopentootherpointsofview?Ifso,Margueriteshouldtellhimthat,inherexperience,whenboundariesbetweenworkandpersonallifegettooambiguous,theymakerelationshipsatworkconfusingandambiguoustoo.Bossesmaystarthavingtroubletellingtheir"employee-friends"whattodo;employeeshavetroubleallowingtheir"boss-friend"sufficientauthority.Maybethere'sanexperiencefromMarguerite'spastoranexperienceofafriendofhersshecouldrelatetoMr.Hightower.

Inanyevent,thisapproach,whenitworks,willalsoavoidfuturecat-and-mousegameswithanoverlychummyboss.Ittakesalittlemorecouragetoraiseanissuelikethisface-to-face,butthepayoffcouldbelongerlasting.

ResponsetoDilemma4:Lisashouldputhercolleaguesoffbyeatinglunchatherdesk,orsaying,"Ihavesomuchtodo,I'mworkingthroughlunchtoday."Sheshouldalsostartmakingplanstomeetotherfolksforlunch.Thoughher"oldbuddies"maystartgossipingabouther,onceshebeginsavoidingthem,atleastshe'llbefree.

AdditionaladvicetoLisa:Don'twasteamomentofyourprecious

workdayonthingsthatwon'tadvanceyou,orthatarepettyormean-spirited.Getawayfromthosefolksasfastasyourlegscancarryyou.That'sfight,youheardus:Run!

SlidingBackDowntheChute

Youdon'twanttofallbackward.Youdon'twanttounconsciouslystepontoatrapdooranddropbackdowntowhere

youcamefrom.Youdon'twanttoeverreturntothepink-collarghetto.

Keepingyourselffromslidingbackdownthebigchutethatyou'vejustbaby-steppedyourwayoutofmaytakelotsofstamina.You'llalsoneedtostayalertandinshape.Hereareafewtipstomaintainyour"careerfitness":

1.Nomorehangingoutintheadminpool.Thismightseemprettyobvious,butit'seasytoslipbackinto.Someex-adminswanttostayloyal,ormighthavefriendsstillthereormightjustbewaxingnostalgic.Whateverthemotive,don'tdoit.You'vegotnewfriendsnow,newcolleagues,newbridgestocross.Getonwithit.You'renotanadminanylonger,you'reanex-admin.Actlikeone.

2.Don'tbeafraidofseemingstupid.Youhavetoaskquestions.Youhavetoadmityou'reinthedarkaboutalotofthings.Youhavetounderstandyournewprojectsandassignments.Youhavetogetnewproceduresexplainedtoyou.

Whenyouacttoosmart,youmaynotlearnwhatyouneedtoknow.Listentowhatyourcolleaguesaresaying.Whenyoudon'tunderstandsomething,askthemtoexplainitagain.Youmighttakeacolleagueasideandaskhertoexplainitatalatertimeratherthantaketimeupatastaffmeetingorwithothers.Butonewayoranother,findoutwhatyouneedtoknow.You'llgetgenuinelyknowledgeableaboutthingsinnotime.

3.Lookforwardtoyournextcareer.Doesthissoundpremature?Maybe,buttimekeepsmarchingalong.Becausewecannolongercountonsecurityintoday'sworkplace,we'vegottobeevervigilant,growing,evolving.WhywaituntilsomeoneX'esyouoffalistandyousuddenlyloseagreatjobyouworkedsohardtoget?Don'tyouwanttokeepyourcareerlifevibrant,prosperous,meaningful,and

fun?

Theotherincentiveforthinkingaboutyournextpositionnowisthatweallchangeovertime.Whatmeanteverythingtousfiveyearsagomightmeannothingatalltoustoday.Continuingyourcareeradvancementcampaignallowsyoutolive,andtolivewell.Sokeepyourcareerconversationsgoingandyourcareerdreamsflowing!

Post-AdminCareerAdvancementChecklist

Usingtheaccompanyingworksheet,checkoffhowmanycareeradvancementitemsyou'verememberedtoattendtosincegettinghiredforthispost-adminposition.Ifyoufindanyitemsyoucan'tanswerwithayesorano,thenyou'veidentifiedsomeworkaheadofyou.Don'twaittoolongtogetgoingonanyofthis.Time,aswe'vementioned,marcheson.

Yes No

I'venotifiedallmycareeralliesofmynewposition.InmynotificationI'vethankedthemsincerelyforalltheirassistanceandgoodwishes. ________

Sincestartingmynewjob,I'veaddedmanynewnamestomycareerallieslist. ________

I'vejoinedaprofessionalorganizationthatrepresentsmynewposition. ________

I'vevolunteeredforacommitteeinmyprofessionalorganization.Iplantostayveryactive. ________

I'vebegunsubscribingtoatleasttwoprofessionalmagazinesrelevanttomynewposition. ________

I'vebegunlookingforanewmentor.Ihaveapproachedmynewbossabouttheidea. ________

I'verevisedmycareervisionandI'veworkedoutatimetableforachievingmynextnewcareerdirection. ________

I'vesetgoalsformypersonallife.Ihavealsosetdownatimetableforachievingthesegoals. ________

I'veredoubledmyeffortstoacknowledgemyself

formytalents,skills,andachievements.Irewardmyselfformycourageanddeterminationeveryday.

________


DidYouMakeaMistake?

Weallmakethemmistakes,thatis.Sometimesweevenmakeawhopper.Soconsiderthis:Whatwouldyoudoifafter,say,amonthortwoatyournewjob,youbegantofeelitwasn'tforyou,thattakingithadbeenabig,bigmistake?

Thefirstthingstoaskyourselfare:"DoImissadminwork?WasIhappierthere?Wasmyideaofleavingadminlifejustacaseofthegrasslookinggreenersomewhereelse?"Ifyou'veanswerednotothosequestions,thenmaybetheproblemisthatyou'vechosenthewrongcompany,thewrongdepartment,eventhewrongcareer.Maybeyouneedtorethinkyournewcareerdirection:Youmaysimplybestillinprocess,stilllookingforthatnewcareerdirectionthat'srightforyou.

Thefirstthingtorememberis:Don'tpanic!Youcanhandlethis;youcangetyourselftoanewplace.Youknowyoucandothisbecause,quitesimply,youjustdidit!

Secondthingtoremember:It'sOKtoleave.Ifyouwanttoquit,andifyoucanaffordto,justdoit.Takeoff,giveyournotice,takeahikejustgetoutofthere!Dowhatyouneedtodo.Setyourselffree.

Ifyouhavelearnedanythingatallduringthisprocess,itshouldbethatyou'reverypowerful.Youweren'tbornanadmin,andyou'veprovedtotheworldyoudon'thavetoremainone.Youfoundoutaboutlotsofnewcareerpossibilities,andyoutookyourselfdowntheroadtoatleastoneofthem.You'reawinnernow,evenifyourbattlesarestillnotover.(Theyneverareanyway,foranyofus,untilyou-know-what.)

BacktoSquareOne.That'sright,allthewayback;donotpassGo,

andgetyourhandsoffthat$200.

It'snotreallySquareOne,ofcourse.It'satleastSquareTwo,Three,orFour.Remember,you'renotstartingoutasanadminthistime.Takeadeepbreathandbelievethatthenextcareer

directionwillbetheoneyoureallywant.Thenstartthinkingagainaboutwhichonethatwillbe.

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:RustyStieff

Currently:Vicepresidentinthenonprofitlendinggroupatamajorcommercialbank,actingasliaisonwiththebank'scustomersinordertoprovidethemwithnewservices

Adminskillsusedtoday:Typing;personalorganizationalskills

Howchangewasmade:"IhadtroublegettingajobwhenIgraduatedfromcollegeintheearlyseventiessoIwenttoKatyGibbsforthreemonthsandlearnedsecretarialskills.Iendedupgettingajobwiththeex-mayorofBoston,thelateJohnCollins,whoworkedthenasanurbanprofessorattheSloanSchoolofManagement.Ididn'tdoaheckofalotwithhimdrovehimaroundtoplacesandtypedafewletters.IneverthoughtI'dstayforeverassomeone'spersonalsecretary.

"IbeganthinkingIneededtodosomethingmoreprofessionalandenrolledinamaster'sprogramatSimmonsCollege.AtsomepointIappliedforajobatoneofMIT'slibraries.RightawayIwastoldIwasnutsbecausethepayforalibraryassociatewasactuallylowerthanIwasmakingbythenasasecretary.'You'dbecrazytotakethisjob,'theHRmanagertoldme.'You'llbemakinglessmoney.'

"Well,IguessIwascrazybecauseIcouldn'tseestayinginajobthatdidn'tmakemehappyjustforslightlymoremoney.SoeventuallyIgothiredbythelibraryandneverwentbacktoadminwork.I'vegoneonfromtherethroughaseriesofcareerchangesculminatinginwhereIamnow,inbanking.Forme,adminworkwasjustawaytogetstarted."

Bestadviceforadmins:"Starttakingsomeinitiativetogetwhatyouwant.Ithinkofthatoldjokeabouttheguywhowantsdesperatelytobecomeadoctorandkeepsprayingfeverishlyeverynight,gettingmoreandmoreexasperated:'Please,Lord,ohLord,I'vebeensogoodinmylife,I'veobservedallthecommandments,I'vetriedtostaypureofheart.WhyohwhyLordcan'tIbecomeadoctor?WhatdoIhavetodo?'

"OnenightGodcouldn'ttakeitanymore.TheheavenspartedandHisvoicethundereddownward.'Applytomedicalschool,'heboomed.

"Adminscanbelikethat.They'vegottotakeconcretestepsbytalkingtoasmanypeopleaspossibleaboutfieldstheymightbeinterestedin.Findoutwhatyouwanttodo."

FromTheAdminFiles

Nameofex-admin:SophiaSnow

Currently:AcademiccounseloratHarvardUniversity'sExtensionSchool,counselingstudentsoncareerandacademicissues

Adminskillsusedtoday:"Inmycase,counselingskills.InoneofmyearlyjobsattheHarvardstudentaccountsoffice,Icounseledstudentsabouttherealityoftheirfinancialsituations.I'dtypicallysay,'Hereistheamountyouowe.'

"ThenImovedtothefinancialaidoffice,whereIcouldopenthingsupalittlebycounselingstudentsonhowtheycouldgetthemoneytheyneeded.NowIworkwithbroaderlifequestionswhereIask,'Howwouldyoulikeyourlifetobe?'

"Eachjobwasastepping-stoneforimprovingmycounselingskills."

Howchangewasmade:"Attheageoftwelve,IreadabookonFreudandthought,'Thisisit!ThisiswhatIwanttodo.'ButIalsogotstartedinadminworkaroundthesametimebyworkingasan'officeboy'inthearchitecturalfirmwheremyfatherworked.

"WhenIgottoHarvard,Ibegantomeetpeopleinotherdepartmentsthroughroutinecommunicationrequiredbymyjob.PeoplegottoknowmeandcouldseethekindofworkIcoulddo.IbegantoobserveotherpeopledoingotherjobsandI'dthink,'Thatdepartmentlooksinteresting.Imightliketoworkoverthere.'

"Bythetimemypresentjobopenedup,Iknewenoughpeoplehereforthemtohaveagoodsenseaboutmyskillset.Aparticularlyimportantone,Ithink,wasknowinghowtoholdastudent'shand,whichtheyneeded.Ihaddefinitelygottengoodatthis,soitseemedlikeaperfectmatch."

Bestadviceforadmins:"Starttalkingaboutyourambitions,aboutwhereyou'dratherbe.Geteveryonetocatchyourenthusi-

asm.Eventhemostunsupportivebossmaystarthelpinganadminoutifshe'senthusiastic.Keepthinkingaboutwhatyouwanttodoandkeepyoureyesandearsopen.ThemomentIdecidedIwantedsomethingelse,itseemed,theinformationIneededcameflowingmyway."

EpilogueAwell-knownquotefromW.H.Murray,theScottishexplorerwhotrekkedthroughpreviouslyuntouchedregionsoftheHimalayas,describesaspiritofwillyou'regoingtoneedtomaketheideasthroughoutthisbookcometrueforyou.Itgoeslikethis:

Untiloneiscommitted,thereishesitancy,thechancetodrawback,alwaysineffectiveness.Concerningallactsofinitiative(andcreation)thereisoneelementarytruth,theignoranceofwhichkillscountlessideasandsplendidplans:thatthemomentonedefinitelycommitsoneself,thenProvidencemovestoo.

Allsortsofthingsoccurtohelponethatwouldneverotherwisehaveoccurred.Awholestreamofeventsissuesfromthedecision,raisinginone'sfavorallmannerofunforeseenincidentsandmeetingsandmaterialassistance,whichnomancouldhavedreamedwouldhavecomehisway.

IhavelearnedadeeprespectforoneofGoethe'scouplets:''Whateveryoucando,ordreamyoucan,beginit.Boldnesshasgenius,powerandmagicinit."

That'sreallythewayitis.Youcanmeetthischallengeyoureallycan.Youcanchangeyourcareerlife;youcanescapethepink-collarghetto.You'vealwaysbeensomuchmorethan"justanadmin."

Seeyouatthetop.

ResourcesFalcone,Paul.TheCompleteJob-FindingGuideforSecretariesandAdministrativeSupportStaff.NewYork:AMACOM,1995.

Gellerman,SaulW.MotivationintheRealWorld.NewYork:PenguinBooks,1992.

Halper,Jan.QuietDesperation:TheTruthAboutSuccessfulMen.NewYork:WarnerBooks,1988.

Jeffers,Susan.FeeltheFearandDoItAnyway.NewYork:FawcettColumbine,1987.

Koller,Alice.TheStationsofSolitude.NewYork:BantamBooks,1990.

Koltnow,Emily,andLynneS.Dumas.Congratulations!You'veBeenFired.NewYork:FawcettColumbine,1990.

LaRouche,Janice,andReginaRyan.JaniceLaRouche'sStrategiesforWomenatWork.NewYork:Avon,1984.

Prince,GeorgeM.ThePracticeofCreativity.NewYork:Macmillan,1970.

Schenkel,Susan.GivingAwaySuccess:WhyWomenGetStuckandWhattoDoAboutIt.NewYork:McGraw-Hill,1984.

Seligman,Martin.LearnedOptimism.NewYork:Knopf,1990.

Seuss,Dr.Oh,thePlacesYou'llGo!NewYork:RandomHouse,1990.

Stroman,J.,andK.Wilson,ed.SusanHeyboerO'Keefe.AdministrativeAssistant'sandSecretary'sHandbook.NewYork:

AMA-COM,1995.

Sutch,Debra.BeyondSecretary:TheGrowingRoleoftheAdministrativeAssistant.Boulder,Colo.:CareerTrackPublications,1993(audioprogram).

Weiss,Alan.MillionDollarConsulting.NewYork:McGraw-Hill,1992.

Index

A

abilitiesandachievements,discounting,51-54

academicdegrees,26-27

acceptinganewjob,161-162

AchievementDeficiency,51-54

AcknowledgmentMindMap,151-153

actionplans,146-147

adjustingtocareeradvancement,165-177

checklist,post-admin,175-176

feedback,seekingout,168-169

mistakes,making,176-177

professionalself-image,nurturing,166-173

andself-promotion,166,168

settingboundaries,170-173

slidingbackward,dangerof,173-174

staffmeetings,participationat,169-170

administrativeassistants,seeadmins

admins

actualexperiencesof,5-9

admin(term),1-2,19

changingresponsibilitiesof,97

decliningstatusof,11

hangingoutwith,aftercareeradvancement,174

historyof,asprofession,11,13-14

stereotypesabout,11,101-102

advertising,107-108

advice,handlingnegative,71-72

AgeofJobs,85

AgeofLoyalty,48

allies,seecareerallies,finding

alumniassociations,141

ambitions,discussingyour,78

AmericanSocietyofTrainingandDevelopment,113

AmericaOnline,93

annualreports,91

answeringmachines,141

assertiveness,lackof,33,34

assessment

of"careerhealth,"xi-xiii

ofself-confidencelevel,20-22

ofself-image,16-20

AssociationforOfficeProfessionals,13

attitude

assessingyour,16-20

ofentitlement,86

andfactoryvs.entrepreneurialmentality,34

andpersistence,43

B

babysteps,55-56

Balcom,Marg,29,77

barrierstocareeradvancement,24-38

external,25-32

inner,24-25,32-38

bluecollar(term),2

bookstores,93

boss(es)

codependentrelationshipswith,32

enlistingsupportof,foroutsidetrainingprograms,30

asmentors,30,113-118,122

nonmentoring,29-31,99,115-118

overlyfriendly,171,173

sexistattitudesof,28

yourinterestsvs.thoseof,19

boundaries,innewnonadminjob,170-173

budgets,73

businessschools,first,14-15

C

callwaiting,141

"campaignupdateletters,"150-151

careeradvancement

externalbarriersto,25-32

innerharriersto,24-25,32-38

potentialfor,9-11

seealsoadjustingtocareeradvancement

careerallies,finding

directapproachto,154-155

educating,103-105

inhumanresourcesdepartments,105-108

keepingtrack,120

mentors,113-118

inotherdepartments,108-112

playingleadingrole,importanceof,102-105

throughprofessionalorganizationsandspecialevents,112-113

andvisibility,118-120

careerconversations,93-97

examplesof,77,78,148-149

informationalinterviewsvs.,93-95

withstrangers,109-110

"careerhealth,"assessing,xi-xiii

careervisioning,126-129

careermates,138-139

Casey,Sharon,88-90

Cassesso,Nancy,34,57-58

Cavanaugh,Kristina,143-144

CEOs,fearoffailureamongmale,40

challenges

andfearoffailure,42-44

meeting,181

Champion,Gwen,78

change,decisionto,20

chatting,ininterviews,157-158

classifiedads,129-130

codependentrelationshipswithbosses/supervisors,32

coffee,serving,28

commitment,importanceof,181

committees,sewingon,119

"CompanyEvaluation"MindMap,91,92

companynewsletter,volunteeringon,119-120

complacency,asbarriertoadvancement,33

complaints,reactionsto,10

Compuserve,93

conferences,113

confidencelevel,assessing,20-22

contacts,149-151

Cook,Ethel,28,33,41,47,97-99

corporaterestructuring,effectsof,29

corporatestructure,asharriertoadvancement,31-32

coverletters,138

crises,asopportunities,87-88

D

Dangler,AnneMarie,33

dates,onresumé,137

degreerequirements,26-27

demands,subservient,27-29

desires,identifyingseeinterestsanddesires,identifying

DirectAction,153-155

directapproach,withcareerallies,154-155

disconnectiondilemma,83-84

partnershipsassolutionto,84-87

dissatisfaction,work,xi-xiii

domesticchores,volunteeringfor,28

downsizing,corporate,29

E

educationandtraining

firstbusinessschools,14-15

goingbacktoschool,27

outsidetrainingprograms,30

onresumé136-137

andvisibility,118

employer,recognizingyourvalueto,79-80

entitlement,feelingof,86

entrepreneurialmentality,34,122-123

expectations,subservient,27-29

experiencesofadmins,varying,5-9

externalbarrierstocareeradvancement,25-32

job/companystructure,31-32

nonmentoringboss,29-31

officialbarriers,26-27

subservientexpectations/demands,27-29

subtlesignals,25-26

F

factory,mentality,34,121,157

failure

fearof,seeFearofFailure/Success

learningfrom,42

Falcone,Paul,30,33-34,114,115,121-123,168-169

FearofFailure/Success,40-57

andAchievementDeficiency,51-54

amongmaleCEOs,40

aschallenge,42-44

examplesof,44-45

andhelpermentality,47-51

identifyingfears,45-47

andOverwhelmFactor,54-57

withpublicspeaking,41-42

feedback

positive,51

seekingout,innewnonadminjob,168-169

"femalerole,"asbarriertoadvancement,33,34-35

"femininediscountinghabit,"51

friends,choosing,19

future,focuson,ininterviews,161

G

Gibbs,Katharine,15

goals,writingdown,145-146

Greet,Kathy,164

"guys"atmosphere,28

H

Halper,Jan,40

handwrittennotes,142

Hartford-Hill,Janet,38-39

HelperMentaliy,47-51

"helper"roles,28

helplessness

feelingof,18

learned,34-35

"HelpmateBlock,The,"47-48

hobbies,39

humanresources,findingcareeralliesin,105-108

I

informationalinterviews,93-95

initiative,taking,onprojects,30-31

innerbarrierstocareeradvancement,24-25,32-38

assertiveness,lackof,33,34

benefitsofidentifying,35

codependentrelationshipswithbosses/supervisors,32

complacency,33

factorymentality,34

"femalerole,"33,34-35

"life-pointanalysis"foridentifying,35-38

lifestylechoices,34

serf-confidence,lackof,33,34

self-image,33

interestsanddesires,identifying,59-76

1otteryexercisefor,59-69

"MyWorkInterests"MindMapfor,69-71

"OnlyMe"Collagefor,74-76

talentsandskills,combiningwith,72-73

uniquefeatures,recognizing,71-72

interviews,156-161

askingquestionsduring,160-161

chattingatbeginningof,157-158

focusingonfuturein,161

informational,93-95

nervousness,handling,158

20/2Rulefor,158-160

isolation,andjobsearch,125

J

Jeffers,Susan,46

"Job,The,"82-83

jobdefinition,restructuring,19

jobsearch,124-142,145-162

acknowledgmentofselfin,151-153

actionplanfor,146-147

assumptionsabout,124-125

careervisioningin,126-129

checklistoftoolsfor,140-142

andcoverletters,138

DirectActionand,153-155

directapproachwithalliesin,154-155

enlistingothersin,138-139

goals,importanceofwritingdown,145-146

interviewing,156-161

offers,acceptanceof,161-162

persistencein,148-151

andrejectionletters,139-140

andresumés,130-138

andwantads,129-130

seealsocareerallies,finding

jobstructure,asbarriertoadvancement,31-32

K

KatharineGibbsSchool,The,15

L

largercompanies,achievingvisibilityin,121-122

LaRouche,Janice,47-48

leadingrole,importanceofplaying,withcareerallies,102-205

learnedhelplessness,34-35

Lefcourt,Jessica,162-163

legalsecretaries,143,144

"life-pointanalysis,"35-38

lifestylechoices,asbarriertoadvancement,34

"lottery"exercise,59-69

M

Maffeo,Angela,32,142-143

magazines,93

MassachusettsInstituteofTechnology,123

McDonough,Carol,1,33

McWilliams,Peter,166

meals,payingfor,111-112

meetings

arranging,110-111

participatingat,innewnonadminjob,169-170

men

inadminprofession,11,13,14

fearoffailureamong,40

and"guys"atmosphere,28

assenior-levelmanagers,3

mentality

factoryvs.entrepreneurial,34,121-123

ashelper,47-51

mentoring,23

byboss,30,113-118,122

creating"boardof"mentors,117-118

formalsystemsof,115

impromptusystemof,115-117

seealsocareerallies,finding

messages

leavingvoice,150

subtle,25-26

Miller,Marcia,99-100

Miller,Mary,33,123

mindmaps

Acknowledgment,151-153

"CompanyEvaluation,"91,92

"MyWorkInterests,"69-71

Self-Support,49-51

Murray,W.H.,181

"MyWorkInterests"MindMap,69-71

N

nannies,adminsas,1

NationalSecretariesDay,99

newcareerdirections(NCDs),106-107

negativeadvice,handling,71-72

negotiationskills,98

nervousness,duringinterviews,158

"New-imageCards,"166,167

newsletter,volunteeringoncom-party,119-120

newsletters,reading,91

NinetoFive(film),27-28

nonmentoringbosses,29-31,99,115-118

nonprofitassociations,joining,112-113

O

officialbarrierstoadvancement,26-27

on-lineservices,93

"OnlyMe"Collage,74-76

opportunities,crisesas,87-88

opportunitylunches,111-112

optimism,andpersistence,43

organizingskills,73

outsidetrainingprograms,30

OverwhelmFactor,54-57

P

"ParadoxoftheSuperAdmin,"30

partnerships,82

opportunitiesfor,finding,87-88

"perfectmatch,"finding,88-90

assolutiontoDisconnectionDilemma,84-87

passivity,andjobsearch,125

"perfectmatch,"finding,inpartnership,88-90

persistence

importanceof,42-43

injobsearch,148-151

personalinterests,39

onresumé,137

Peters,Tom,142

pigeonholingofadmins,101-102,104

pinkcollar(term),2

pink-collarghetto,99

pink-collartrap,11,18

pioneers,27

positivethinking,166

potentialforcareeradvancement,9-11

Prodigy,93

professionalorganization,joining,112-113

ProfessionalSecretariesInternational(PSI),13,14

projects

breakingdown,intomanageablestages,55-56

takinginitiativeon,30-31

PSI,seeProfessionalSecretariesInternational

publicspeaking

andfearoffailure,41-42,47

visibilityfrom,118-119

publicity,119-120

Q

Questions,duringinterviews,160-161

R

reading,91,93

referencelibrarians,93

rejectionletters,139-140

remembered,decidinghowyouwouldliketobe,81-82

respect,andadminprofession,11

restructuring

corporate,29

ofjobdefinition,19

resumés,130-138

advantagesof,131-132

composing,133,135-138

disadvantagesof,130-131

example,134

featuresofsuccessful,132-133

traditionalapproachto,130

retirement,80

"retirementparty"exercise,80-82

rollcall,achievement,52-54

Ryan,Regina,47

S

Schenkel,Susan,34-35,42-43,51

Schwartz,Cary,33,56-57

searchforjob,seejobsearch

secretary(term),2,13,19

secretarybird,12-13

self-acknowledgment,importanceof,151-153

self-confidence

assessing,20-22

low,asbarriertoadvancement,33,34

self-image

assessmentof,16-20

low,asbarriertoadvancement,33

innewnonadminjob,166-173

protecting,102

andsubservientexpectations,28

self-promotion,innewnonadminjob,166,168

self-respect,11-12,15-16

Self-SupportMindMap,49-51

self-trappingmechanisms,32-35

sexroles,2-3

asbarrierstoadvancement,33,34-35

and"guys"atmosphere,28

andtempjobs,56-57

seealsomen;women

signals,subtle,25-26

skills

combininginterests/desireswith,72-73

transferable,20,73

smallfirms

achievingvisibilityin,122

advantagesofworkingat,100

inflexibilityat,31

Snow,Sophia,178-179

specialevents,attending,112-113

staffmeetings,participatingat,169-170

stereotypesaboutadmins,11,101-102

Stieff,Rusty,34,177-178

From Secretary Track to Fast Track: The Get Ahead Guide for Administrative Assistants, Secretaries,...

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