Set Yourself Up For Success Archives - Page 9 of 16

Managing Up: 5 Tips to Impress Your New Boss

Leave a Comment / Blog, Set Yourself Up For Success

Whether you’ve just begun a new job or are planning a transition in the near future, it’s crucial to impress your boss. In order to thrive in your new position, you’ll need to understand how your supervisor ticks, and what you can do to complement that workstyle. Your career may depend on it.

Managing Up

There’s a new buzzword circling in the CRE and other circles: managing up. Essentially, it means to synchronize with your boss to ensure a mutually beneficial workflow. And it is absolutely key to thriving in your new role and maximizing this career opportunity.

To manage up means to bring out the best in your supervisor and yourself as an employee through proper communication, timeline management, proactive intent, etc. If you and your boss can get on the same page, your relationship will benefit from it – and so will your career.

When done right, managing up will make your boss’s job easier. But it doesn’t mean babysitting him or her. Your goal is to simply learn your boss’s preferred communication styles and methods, expectations, and other considerations. Your thoughtfulness and attentiveness to fostering a healthy work relationship in turn generates higher productivity and a more fulfilling career experience.

If you’re planning to upgrade your CRE career in the near future, or if you’ve recently been hired into a new role, here are five great ways to properly manage up and impress your boss.

Impress Your New Boss

1. Do Get to Know Your Boss

Take proactive steps to learn about your boss. What is he or she trying to accomplish in this organization? What brought them to CRE? What role do you play in his or her mission? Don’t pry, but make time to chat and learn about your new boss. Information is power, and the more you know in this situation, the more effective and helpful you will be.

2. Don’t Get Political

While you want to become a helpful asset and trusted colleague for your supervisor, the goal isn’t to choose sides in office politics. No favoritism. Remember, you are a professional. And maintaining respectful relationships with management is only part of your job. You should nurture equally respectful management with other colleagues.

3. Get Detailed

Good communication is essential in the workplace. Whenever you are assigned a new responsibility or task, immediately establish the details – what, how, when? If you aren’t given a timeline on a project, for example, offer to have a draft or outline ready by a certain time. This will open the conversation and show initiative.

4. Be Helpful

In many ways, your job is to help make your boss’s job easier. So ask! When you notice your supervisor is distracted or a little absent minded, stop and ask, “Is there anything I can do to make your job a little easier?” Show care and concern, and check in from time to time to support the team mission.

5. Bring Recommendations

Next time you ask for input or help, impress your boss by providing a few suggested options for him or her to choose from. Management has a lot to think about. The less you put on their plate, the better. Showing the forethought to make your situation a multiple-choice scenario will endear your boss to you and demonstrate your value.

Managing Up: 5 Tips to Impress Your New Boss Read More »

Workplace Burnout: Are You Experiencing Symptoms?

Leave a Comment / Blog, Employers, Set Yourself Up For Success

People who are struggling to cope with workplace stress may place themselves at high risk of burnout. Workplace burnout can leave people feeling exhausted, empty, and unable to cope with the demands of life.

Burnout may be accompanied by a variety of mental and physical health symptoms as well. If left unaddressed, burnout can make it difficult for an individual to function well in their daily life.

What Is Burnout?

The term “burnout” is a relatively new term, first coined in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger, in his book, Burnout: The High Cost of High Achievement. He originally defined burnout as, “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one’s devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results.”

Burnout is a reaction to prolonged or chronic job stress and is characterized by three main dimensions: exhaustion, cynicism (less identification with the job), and feelings of reduced professional ability.

More simply put, if you feel exhausted, start to hate your job, and begin to feel less capable at work, you are showing signs of burnout.

The stress that contributes to burnout can come mainly from your job, but stress from your overall lifestyle can add to this stress. Personality traits and thought patterns, such as perfectionism and pessimism, can contribute as well.

Most people spend the majority of their waking hours working. And if you hate your job, dread going to work, and don’t gain any satisfaction out of what you’re doing, it can take a serious toll on your life.

Signs and Symptoms of Workplace Burnout

While workplace burnout isn’t a diagnosable psychological disorder, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously. Here are some of the most common signs of burnout:

Alienation from work-related activities: Individuals experiencing burnout view their jobs as increasingly stressful and frustrating. They may grow cynical about their working conditions and the people they work with. They may also emotionally distance themselves and begin to feel numb about their work.
Physical symptoms: Chronic stress may lead to physical symptoms, like headaches and stomachaches or intestinal issues.
Emotional exhaustion: Burnout causes people to feel drained, unable to cope, and tired. They often lack the energy to get their work done.
Reduced performance: Burnout mainly affects everyday tasks at work—or in the home when someone’s main job involves caring for family members. Individuals with burnout feel negative about tasks. They have difficulty concentrating and often lack creativity.

Workplace Burnout: Are You Experiencing Symptoms? Read More »

Common Interview Mistakes and How to Recuperate

Leave a Comment / Blog, Interview Tips, Set Yourself Up For Success

Whether you stumbled on a tough question, shared way too much (or too little) information or slipped too far out of your professional persona, you’re certain that you’ve just blown any chance of landing your dream job. There are common interview mistakes that make many people feel like this.

Before you start doing your best to erase the entire experience from your mind and move on, consider the possibility that you might still be able to salvage your chances. Some of these corrections can be made mid-interview, while others can be applied after the fact.

UnAble To Think Of A Response

We’ve all been there: That well-rehearsed answer you delivered so confidently in the shower disappears from your mind when you’re seated across from an intimidating CEO.

If you find yourself facing one of these “brain freezes” common interview mistakes, all is not lost. Try this strategy to get your thoughts—and words—rolling again.

Ask the interviewer to clarify the question. This will give you some precious time to regroup.

Ask for time to think. There’s nothing wrong with requesting a few seconds to consider the question and formulate an answer. In fact, a good employer will respect that you’re taking the interview seriously and thinking before you speak.

Say something. Delivering a partial answer is better than nothing. And if you’re still drawing a blank, be honest and ask if you can come back to the question later.

Of course, a bit of extra preparation and practice will go a long way toward reducing your odds of going blank when it really counts.

Not Directly Answering A Question That Was Asked

This is often a result of the first common interview mistake we mentioned. When your mind goes blank, you might either evade a question completely or ramble on without providing a specific, relevant response.

If you realize the gaffe mid-interview, try to recover by steering the conversation back to the tricky question (see a strategy from the first mistake above).

If you cringe at the memory after you’ve already left, you can send a follow-up email with a more thorough answer.

Saying The Wrong Name of the Interviewer or Company

If you’re interviewing with multiple firms and people from various departments, this is an understandable flub. While it may seem mortifying at first, all may not be lost. Recover quickly by apologizing for the error, chalking it up to nervousness and excitement about the opportunity, and then moving on.

Common Interview Mistakes and How to Recuperate Read More »

Get the Job You Want with These 8 Proven Networking Tips

Leave a Comment / Blog, Job Search, Set Yourself Up For Success

Whether you’re in a dead-end job, on the beach, or targeting your dream job, these networking tips are your key to landing the job you want.

Yes, it’s a candidate’s job market right now. If you’re looking for a better job, now is a good time. If you’re unemployed, there are great CRE jobs out there waiting for you. Maybe you’re currently employed, but not engaged. A recent Gallup poll showed that around the world only about 15% of the workforce truly likes their job.

So, how do you access that vibrant job market, tap in, and get the role you really want? You’ve taken the necessary steps to properly brand yourself for your dream job, you’ve updated your resume, and you’ve identified target companies and roles to pursue. Now what?

Try These Networking Tips to Get the Results You Want

While there may be numerous available positions right now, it’s a unique time to begin a job search. Networking isn’t as easy as it once was. You want to put your best foot forward and be strategic about this. So, what’s the silver bullet? How do you make the most of this time of opportunity and network like a boss?

1. Connect with Alumni

Social get-togethers are still limited right now, but many universities have transitioned to virtual networking events. Sharing an alma mater is a strong connection that can be leveraged to uncover and explore new work opportunities. And don’t wait for virtual events. Reach out to alumni on social media – especially those working at your dream companies or in your ideal career path.

2. Discuss Goals with Friends & Family Start with those already close to you. Discuss your ambitions and goals with your friends and family. Maybe your dream job is right under your nose. Ask! Ask those closest to you who they know who might be helpful or involved in a similar position or have a connection with a particular company.

3. Ask for an Informational Interview One of these least known networking tips is to reach out to your preferred companies, even if the role is currently filled, and ask for an informational interview. Ask the hiring manager for information about company culture, required skills, and key traits to underscore in a potential interview should the position open.

4. Put Yourself Out There Seriously. Just talk. Reach out to people you already know, someone pumping gas next to you, people you meet at the gym. Be cordial. Mention that you’re in the middle of a job search. Ask them what they do, who they know. Be friendly and open a conversation. That’s what networking is!

5. Get Contact Info

None of the above networking tips matter much if you don’t follow up. Ask for an email address or phone number. Reach back out in a week or so to nurture the relationship and inquire about any changes on their horizon.

6. Get Serious About Social Networking is especially challenging in these times when face-to-face contact is limited. And there are so many spammers on social media. So, there is an opportunity for you to stand out. Reach out to former professors, colleagues, or potential hiring managers. Don’t pitch yet. Just open the conversation, and then try for a phone call.

7. Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

Develop a 30-second explanation of what you’re looking for and what you can offer a company. Rehearse it. Your elevator pitch must be pre-written and comfortable. You want to be ready on the fly when a chance networking encounter pops up.

8. Volunteer

This may be the most overlooked of these networking tips, but it can be very powerful. There are so many causes in need of your help. Your ability to be a rock star just by showing up and helping out are immense. If you are dedicated to volunteer causes, it’s likely that you are also the type of person that will excel at work. These events present immense potential for opening new relationships and growing your network rapidly.

Get the Job You Want with These 8 Proven Networking Tips Read More »

5 Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid

Leave a Comment / Blog, Interview Tips, Resume Ideas, Set Yourself Up For Success

Effective resumes feature killer content, consistent formatting, and an attractive design. Careless mistakes, lack of detail, and general sloppiness can hurt your chances of making it to the interview, even if you’re fully qualified for the position. Here are five common resume mistakes to avoid – and tips on how to keep them out of your resume.

1. Grammatical Errors and Typos

By the time you finish writing, editing, and tweaking your resume, it’s easy to gloss over misspellings and grammatical errors. However, those mistakes can make you seem careless to a hiring manager. Correctable slipups send the message to potential employers that you lack attention to detail and don’t check your work. It’s a surefire way to torpedo your chances of securing the job you want.

Good writers follow a simple rule: everyone needs an editor. The simplest way to combat spelling and other errors is to have someone qualified give your resume the once-over. You can also ask a family member or friend to read through your resume and look for any errors. To a fresh set of eyes, spelling mistakes and grammar issues will leap off the page, and a second opinion can be invaluable on your resume.

2. Being Vague

When listing your experience, you want to show both what you’ve done and what you’ve achieved. Not everyone has a shelf full of awards, and most hiring managers don’t expect them. However, if you’ve helped create value, reduced inefficiency, cut costs, or increased the bottom line, be sure to say so.

Some people may counsel you to phrase all your duties as accomplishments, but we recommend a more natural mix of what you’ve done and how you’ve helped your previous employers. When in doubt, keep it simple and be specific by using data and metrics.

3. Too Many Needless Details

Knowing which details to cut can be tough. Start by removing any information that is irrelevant to the job description. Extraneous information includes professional and educational experiences that don’t apply to the position. This “padding” won’t help you secure the job, and it can obscure your relevant experience and credentials.

Again, customize your resume each time you apply for a position. Look at the job ad and include the skills and experience it calls for prominently. Doing so will require a few minutes of editing each resume, but the extra time will pay off. A tailored resume shows initiative.

4. Lack of Focus

Employers screen your resume in as few as six seconds, so make sure your professional summary sums up your abilities in a few sentences. Include a short description below your header – one or two sentences is ideal – that draws in the reader and showcases your abilities and talents.

5. Too Long or Too Short

Too often, job seekers with a decade or more of professional experience will cram all that experience into a one-page resume. On the flip side, jobseekers with less — or even zero — relevant professional experience will try to find a way to fill multiple pages. A rule of thumb is to have one resume page per decade of work experience.

5 Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid Read More »

How to Develop Your Soft Skills to Advance Your Career

Leave a Comment / Blog, Resume Ideas, Set Yourself Up For Success

We’ve all heard what an asset it is in the job market to know data analysis, be able to code in C++, and speak fluent Spanish. But what about being able to listen well, to manage your time like a boss, and to lead a team meeting that leaves everybody smiling afterward? While more difficult to measure and quantify, these types of skills – soft skills – are the glue that hold together any workplace.

Being able to identify your soft skills and give examples of them is a critical part of any job interview. Many people choose to list soft skills on their resume to make it stand out. If you’re having trouble identifying your soft skills – or know what soft skills you have, but want to develop them more – you’ve come to the right place. This guide will help you single out and develop your soft skills – which will ultimately lead to more successes in interviews and on the job.

What are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are character traits, personal attributes, and other non-technical abilities that help you work and communicate with other people. To develop your soft skills, some you might have to study and learn, and others might come to you naturally. Listening, communication and delegation are all examples of soft skills.

The opposite of soft skills are hard skills, which are technical abilities like knowing how to code in python, make a graph on excel, or speak a foreign language. While hard skills can be more easily defined and measured, soft skills are more difficult to measure. But that doesn’t mean they’re any less important – in fact, if you’re not a good communicator, you’ll have a difficult time even getting past the first interview!

How to Identify Your Soft Skills

At many points during your education or career, you’ve probably worked on a team. But are you good at teamwork? Are you so good at teamwork that you would include it on the skills section of your resume? Not sure? Let’s talk about identifying your soft skills.

Identifying your soft skills isn’t necessarily something you can do alone, either. Ask friends, colleagues, and even former employers which soft skills come to mind when they think of you. You can also ask them to bring up specific examples of when you used that soft skill well. You might even discover things about yourself that you didn’t know before. For example, if you think you’re disorganized, but everyone you talk to points to your organizational skills as somewhere you excel, you might want to consider changing that perception of yourself – and including it on your resume!

Here is a list of soft skills. Do you identify with any of them? Can you point to examples in your career where you used them to accomplish something?

Time management
Teamwork
Communication
Adaptability
Ability to perform under pressure
Innovation
Listening
Delegation
Problem-solving

How to Develop Your Soft Skills to Advance Your Career Read More »

7 Helpful Tips to Engage Employees Remotely

Leave a Comment / Blog, Employers, Set Yourself Up For Success

As many CRE companies return to work, while balancing distancing measures and restrictions, it’s crucial for employers to understand how to continue to engage employees remotely. It’s hard motivating and managing from a distance, but it’s probably going to be a common reality going forward.

It pays for competitive CRE firms to get this right. Maintaining a cohesive and productive team – even through remote work – is vital adapting for the future.

Is Remote Work Here to Stay?

While many of us hoped to get back to our old office life as soon as possible, many others found they preferred work from home. And there are numerous reasons to believe working remotely will be far more common in coming years than it ever was before. Let’s look at the data:

Remote working has increased 140% since 2005.
Allowing remote work is better for employee retention, with a 25% improvement over companies who don’t allow this flexibility.
It’s also better for productivity, with a 24% boost over employees at non-remote companies.
16% of all companies hire only remote workers.
94% of professionals in CRE believe remote working will continue after the crisis is over.

It’s Not That Hard to Engage Employees Remotely

With remote work growing and becoming more normal, it’s absolutely crucial to know how to drive a positive team synergy from a distance. But how do you engage employees remotely? How do you get them excited about the mission and keep tabs on their progress when they’re not even in the office?

Fortunately, it’s not that hard. Here are some tips to help you inspire and engage your work-from-home and telecommuting employees just as well (if not better) as in an office!

7 Helpful Tips

1. Set clear expectations Don’t let employees feel alone and isolated. There is a danger they could wither on the vine without a clear understanding of their position in the team. Make sure there are written details and expectations laid out from what their working hours are to progress points and goals to achieve.

2. Communicate Clearly Professionals in the commercial real estate business already know how important it is to communicate – both with clients and internally. Effective business communication is all the more important when engaging employees remotely.

3. Schedule Regular Video Calls

There’s something about getting on a video call with your supervisor and/or fellow team members that brings you out of your shell and forces engaged creativity. Schedule them at least once a week, even if only for 15 minutes.

4. Use Chat Make sure you and your team share a chat app in common to allow for more casual back and forth. So much of the success of the in-office dynamic was water-cooler chit-chat. It just can’t be adequately replaced by formal video meetings and email exchanges. A chat app will allow for both quicker responses and more casual conversations.

5. Be Flexible Remember, the beauty of remote work is the flexibility. To really engage employees remotely, be sure you don’t try too hard to re-create the office structure virtually. Whenever possible, give employees autonomy over their schedule, etc. This helps to build trust, creative liberty, and engagement.

6. Be Sociable Virtual team building may be a challenge, but it should not be overlooked. Set up hangout times, activities, or even in-person events if possible, to stave off loneliness and disconnect.

7. Mix It Up

Gallop found that the optimal mix for employee engagement is 3-4 days remote and 1-2 in office. When possible, engage employees remotely by bringing them back to the office a day or two each week. They’ll appreciate the change, and you’ll find managing and engaging them to be much easier and automatic.

7 Helpful Tips to Engage Employees Remotely Read More »

If You’re Stuck in a Job that’s Not Inspiring You, It’s Probably Because of This

Leave a Comment / Blog, Set Yourself Up For Success

What motivates you to leap out of bed in the morning?

Affirmation Words | Approach Life and Career in the Same Way

Talking to career seekers all day, I can tell you that not everyone is motivated by what you think they might be. Some people just want to work 9-5, punch out and go home, while others want a powerful title, which may come with additional working hour requirements. Some see the learning opportunities in a role, while others are aiming to get paid solely for their current skill set.

Whatever your motivations may be along your career path, make sure they are yours and yours alone. Most importantly, as describes in this article, make sure where you are in life aligns with your values and not what society may be telling you is important. Do you!

Ready to find that inspiration? Read the full article here: If You’re Stuck in a Job that’s Not Inspiring You, It’s Probably Because of This

Originally published by Zoë B in the Huffington Post Blog on Feb 18, 2016

If You’re Stuck in a Job that’s Not Inspiring You, It’s Probably Because of This Read More »

How To Make Tough Decisions

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Set Yourself Up For Success

Peter Bregman perused the restaurant menu for several minutes, struggling with indecision, each item tempting me in a different way.

Maybe I should order them all . . .

Is this a silly decision not deserving deliberation? Maybe. But I bet you’ve been there. If not about food, then about something else.

We spend an inordinate amount of time, and a tremendous amount of energy, making choices between equally attractive options in everyday situations. The problem is, that while they may be equally attractive, they are also differently attractive, with tradeoffs that require compromise. Even when deciding between kale salad (healthy and light), salmon (a heavier protein), and ravioli (tasty, but high carbs).

If these mundane decisions drag on our time and energy, think about the bigger ones we need to make, in organizations, all the time. Which products should we pursue and which should we kill? Who should I hire or fire? Should I initiate that difficult conversation?

These questions are followed by an infinite number of other questions. If I am going to have that difficult conversation, when should I do it? And how should I start? Should I call them or see them in person or email them? Should I do it publicly or in private? How much information should I share? And on and on . . .

So how do we make hard decisions of all kinds more efficiently? Peter Bregman has three methods that he uses, two of which he talk about in his book, Four Seconds, the third which he discovered afterwards.

The first method is to use habits as a way to reduce routine decision fatigue. The idea is that if you build a habit —for example: always eat salad for lunch — then you avoid the decision entirely and you can save your decision-making energy for other things.

That works for predictable and routine decisions. But what about unpredictable ones?

The second method is to use if/then thinking to routinize unpredictable choices. For example, let’s say someone constantly interrupts me and I’m not sure how to respond. My if/then rule might be: if the person interrupts me two times in a conversation, then I will say something.

These two techniques — habits and if/then — can help streamline many typical, routine choices we face in our lives.

What we haven’t solved for are the larger more strategic decisions that aren’t habitual and can’t be predicted.

I discovered a simple solution to making challenging choices more efficiently at an offsite last week with the CEO and senior leadership team of a high tech company. They were facing a number of unique, one-off decisions, the outcomes of which couldn’t be accurately predicted.

These were decisions like how to respond to a competitive threat, which products to invest more deeply in, how to better integrate an acquisition, where to reduce a budget, how to organize reporting relationships, and so on.

How To Make Tough Decisions Read More »

How to Ask for a Raise Made Simple

Leave a Comment / Ask An Expert, Blog, Set Yourself Up For Success

Asking your manager for a raise can be nerve-wracking, so much so, that some people wait for months or even years before asking for a raise they deserve.

The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with asking for a raise that reflects the hard work that you do, but there are some approaches and best practices that will always get better results than others.

Even though your manager has data on the hard work you’ve been doing, you still need to present your case for why you deserve a raise and you need to be prepared to negotiate through effective business communication. We’ve made it simple and broken down how to ask for a raise. And it all starts with preparing!

Prepare to Ask for a Raise

You should never ask for a raise without preparing for this conversation. No matter how good your relationship is with your manager, they will be expecting you to prove that you deserve the salary you’re asking for and won’t respond favorably if it seems like you did not prepare.

Build your Case – Look back to recent projects and periods of time where you went beyond what was expected and provided real value for your company. Always use specific performance data when possible. Also, having your job description in front of you and pointing out how your current role is elevated or you’ve gone above and beyond will tangibly justify your raise.

When to Ask

Picking the right time to ask for a raise is just as important for preparing for this discussion. Find out when your company’s fiscal budget planning takes place so you can be sure that you aren’t asking for the impossible. A few great times to ask for a raise are:

Annual Performance Reviews – A natural time for this conversation may be at your annual performance review, when the topic of salary is not only timely, but often expected.

After Completing an Important Project – A great time to ask for a raise is after successfully completing an important project or showing excellent work.

When your Manager is Happy – Asking for a raise during of a stressful or hectic period will guarantee that your manager is short on time and patience. Wait to ask for a raise until the dust has settled and you have, once again, proven your worth.

How to Ask for a Raise

After preparing your evidence for why you deserve a raise and choosing a good time to talk to your manager, it’s important to think about what you’re going to say during your raise conversation.

You don’t need to have a strict script, but you do need to be clear and specific in your delivery to help set you up for success. It also helps to have a few phrases up your sleeve to help guide the conversation.

How to Ask for a Raise Made Simple Read More »