First impressions are lasting and this is very true when it comes to the job interviewing process.  One wrong move can kill an opportunity.  To help you understand what to do and what not to do in a job interview, we've listed a few pointers from our team below. 

Do……

• Be on time
• Dress professionally (even if the office has casual dress)
• Come prepared (have resume available, complete company research)
• Be attentive and engaging
• Pay attention to the interviewers style and follow their lead
• Relate your job experience to the role you’re interviewing for
• Give specific examples of your experience and achievements
• Be prepared to articulate your short and long term career goals
• Be prepared to talk about your strengths and areas of improvement if asked (everyone has something they can improve upon)
• Ask questions
• Relay your interest in the job and ask for the job offer

Don’t……

• Be late
• Be too early
• Be rude to the receptionist
• Chew gum
• Bring food or drink to your interview
• Bring relatives and friends to the interview
• Ask “What do you guys do here?”
• Be too cocky or over confident
• Get too relaxed
• Be engaging, but don’t talk too much
• Make eye contact, but don’t stare
• Check your watch during the interview (don’t be in a hurry)
• Be evasive or ambiguous

It is imperative to have an annual discussion with your supervisor regarding your performance.  Fortunately, most companies have established processes that outline this process.  However, that does not ensure that the discussions will actually occur.  It is always in your best interest to understand what your superiors think of your performance and ensure that they tell you this personally.  Trust me…they have an opinion of you and it is impacting your career – good or bad.  So, here’s our suggestion for timing and frequency of performance discussions.


• At a minimum, you should have two performance discussions a year – once at a designated annual discussion point and another discussion midway through the year. 

• The annual discussion should be a quick review of the past year, but the majority of this conversation should focus on the upcoming year.  Create and discuss goals, objectives, skills and training requirements, and any other related topics.  Ensure that your goals are measurable and that when achieved, you can clearly articulate your success. 

• The midyear discussion with your supervisor should be a quick check point to measure your progress against your stated goals and objectives set at the beginning of the year.  This is also the time to make any related corrections needed to achieve those goals.  You should also use this time to ask your supervisor if they have any concerns about your performance and ask for suggestions for improvement.  Discussing potential performance problems now is the best approach to ensure that you will have time to address and correct them prior to the annual review discussion where you will ultimately be graded for the year.

• Ideally, a discussion every 4 months (3 times a year) is even better for certain career levels and jobs.  A more frequent checkpoint may be particularly needed when roles and jobs responsibilities shift and or change frequently. 


Tip: Remember, no news is not good news.  In fact, when it comes to reviews, no news is bad news.  It is easy for managers to give reviews for good performance, but it’s the less positive or difficult reviews that they avoid.  So, if you haven’t had a review in a while, there’s a possibility that a problem is looming.

One of the things that I’ve learned while working in “Corporate America” is that you cannot advance if you play by your own rules. It amazes me when people think that they can do what they want and still get ahead. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying not to use your own mind and to not be creative. I’m saying it’s important to know what it takes to get ahead and follow those rules. My manager often says “there are rules of engagement in an office that we all must follow.” And she’s right!

Find out what the rules are for your company. What does your supervisor/manager like in his/her employees? How do you interact with people in your workplace? Are you rude, do you stay to yourself and don’t interact at all and it comes across as rude? Are you combative? Are you just one of those people that say whatever comes to mind because you think they pay you to tell them exactly what you think? Do you say what you think your co-workers want to hear? The key is to find out what works in your companies environment and make it work for you.

Watch what you say and how you say it and trust me, it will benefit you in the long run. Even if it means you have to bite your tongue every now and then. The end result…advancement, right?!

One of THE most important pieces of career advice I can give you is this……  Listen to your supervisor (or customers, in some cases), learn what they want and how they want it.  Then, give it to them just like they want it.  This is a small thing that can get you big results - or not.

It irks me when people try to talk to me from afar. I hate yelling back and forth, it drives me crazy.  I tell my kids not to yell their questions at me from a different part of the house, but they continue to do it.  So, in turn, I ignore them when they do it; serves them right!  I hope you never get to the point in your career where your superiors are ignoring your contributions and your potential because you’re not listening to them.  This can sideline your career.

If your supervisor is detailed oriented and you’re not, and she likes to ensure that every column in your spreadsheet is the same width, make sure that every column is the same width.  She’s the recipient of the spreadsheet, not you.  If your boss prefers to start meetings with personal updates and this drives you crazy, then start the meeting with a personal update.  It’s his meeting, not yours.  It’s not about you, it’s about them.  Getting to know your supervisor is absolutely key in delivering satisfactory work.  After all, performance reviews can be somewhat subjective…and guess who is defining the subject – the boss, not you. 

There comes a time in everyone’s career when it’s time to move on - to leave your current role for something new. For many of us, this time comes again and again. In fact, I think that a successful career can experience this many times and in different ways. Sometimes moving on means taking on a new role within your current company and sometimes it means moving on to a completely new company all together. However, knowing when it is time to go and actually executing that move doesn’t always line up. Herein is the problem.

We innately know when we’ve outgrown a role or job. We also know when we are no longer passionate about our work or when working for a particular supervisor is no longer a good idea. Sometimes our personal convictions conflict with company values and we can feel the disconnect growing. If on every Sunday night, you dread going to work on Monday morning, then that’s a huge red flag that you’ve probably stayed too long at your current career point. Whatever the situation may be, the next step is the same for everyone. It’s time to revisit your career journey and start thinking about moving to the next stopping point in that journey. This doesn’t mean that you should make a hasty decision to leave now, but rather you should start to seriously consider what the next steps are in growing your career.

There's a difference between having a job and having a career - a BIG difference.  Unfortunately, many people never learn this or learn it way to late in their career.  However, people who recognize this difference, learn the power in having a career, and utilize it to make job related decisions are generally more successful in accomplishing their goals and having a more fulfilled work life.  Here are some examples of the difference in the most simplest form: 

- A job is short-term and a career is long-term
- A job is static and a career continually changes over time
- A job is generally focused around a single talent and a career can have multiple talents over time
- A job is focused on the here and now while a career is always looking forward
- A job is your day-to-day responsibilities and tasks while your career is a catalogue of past, present and potential experiences
- A job belongs to the employer; your career belongs to you

This list of differing characteristics can go on forever, but the important thing you should know is the last point above - YOUR CAREER BELONGS TO YOU.  The second most important thing to note is that your career is not defined by your current job (or last job if you're unemployed), but your career is defined by the culmination of all of your experiences.  For example, your career is like taking a cross-country vacation experience, while your job is similar to the various sightseeing points along the way.  Jobs, like sightseeing points, are sometimes planned and sometimes not, and they are temporal in nature with some jobs lasting longer than others.  However, your career, like a vacation, is a planned journey, includes various sightseeing points (jobs), may have unscheduled resting points (unemployment), has a goal of attaining a favorable outcome, and can be changed by you at any time.  

It is not uncommon to feel trapped in your current job and particularly in an economy where it is hard to find a new job.  However, you must remember that you are not defined by your job (or lack of) nor do you want to be.  Begin to think about your overall career and where you want to take it.  Be confident in knowing that you own your career and take pride in that ownership.  Then plan your next moves, jobs, training, or performance discussions with your supervisor around your career plans.   Just knowing that the power resides with you can change the landscape of your future.  

So, rev-up your career, take ownership of the steering wheel, and choose your destination.  You own it, you drive it!

Being proactive versus reactive in the workplace can catapult your career.  Unfortunately, many people don't quite understand the difference and certainly are not exercising the difference in their daily jobs.  So, let's dig a little deeper to understand this more clearly.

If you're doing your job well and meeting all the expectations set forth in the job description, then you're likely operating in a reactive mode.   This means that you understand what's MINIMALLY required of you and you're meeting those expectations....and....that after being TOLD what to do, you do it.  So, even though you're doing your job and you may even be doing it really well, you are performing in a reactive mode.   They tell you what to do and you do it.  It is not uncommon for a reactive worker who does his/her job well to think that they are a "top performer", but the reality from a management perspective is that they are not.  Reactive workers are easily replaced and are generally not top of mind when promotions are considered or when raises are given. 

On the other hand, proactive workers are a manager's dream.  These workers go above and beyond their job descriptions and consistently provide more than what is expected.  A proactive person sees the job description as a starting point and uses it as a stage to find other ways to provide value and support to his team and to the company.  Proactive means to not just solve a problem, but it also means drafting a solution that may help to prevent future problems.  Being proactive means anticipating what's needed, what's next, and what would be of value to the company - above and beyond your current job responsibilities.  

Which one are you - reactive or proactive? ....and more importantly, which one are you going to be in the future?