Promote Yourself (30 page)

Pro:
If you succeed, you have a better chance of being recognized than if you were part of a big company.

Con:
If you fail, there's no big brand or corporation to hide behind.

Pro:
You keep a greater share of the profits.

Con:
It's challenging, risky, income streams can be erratic, you have to finance your own taxes and benefits, and you absorb all the losses.

Pro:
You get a chance to get your hands dirty in a number of areas.

Con:
You may be put in a position of having to do work you have no experience doing.

Okay, let's assume that you've been through all this and you're sure that you want to get out there and launch your own company. Before you pull the trigger, take a long, deep breath and think about leveraging your job so you can learn everything you possibly can before you quit. The more skills you can learn on someone else's dime the easier your life as an entrepreneur will be. As Life Coach Jenny Blake, who quit her job at Google to start her own life coaching business, told me, “I absolutely loved working at Google and use the skills I gained over the five years every single day. Google is so fast-paced that it actually makes running my own business feel easy in comparison!” Jen Ortega, who left a job at Goldman Sachs to start her own online flooring business, goes even further: “At Goldman Sachs I learned very early on how to communicate, give presentations, operate with good customer service etiquette, create sound bites for important initiatives, build effective PowerPoint presentations, be disciplined with my time, set expectations with stakeholders, work with a global audience, manage large-scale initiatives, collaborate with people with differing personalities, and the list goes on and on.” Wow! Start a business with a skill set like that and you're already miles ahead of the competition.

It's also a good idea to use blogs and social media as a platform to test a market before you enter it. Get feedback, see how your target market responds, retool, and build your company based on what customers want, not what you
think
they want. I did this a lot when I was still running my current business as a side project—and there's no way I would have been as successful if I hadn't done this kind of testing.

I strongly suggest that you not leave your job unless you're really ready. Then wait a bit more. Jerryanne Heath learned this lesson the hard way. After leaving her job as an analyst at Lehman Brothers, she had to move back in with her parents for two years before her start-up company, ConceptLink, was doing well enough that she could afford to pay herself. When starting a business, things always take longer and cost more than you anticipated. So it's critical that you have a big financial cushion that will allow you to pay for the expenses of running the new business while still keeping a roof over your head, food on the table, and your medical and dental insurance current.

On the other hand, don't wait too long. Here's what life coach Jenny Blake had to say: “I started my Web site in 2005, started working at Google in 2006, then started my blog, Life After College, in 2007. For four years I worked on my blog and a book of the same name on nights and weekends. For a long time that was sustainable and totally okay. But as the blog and book really started gaining momentum I realized I couldn't do both anymore. I kept hitting burnout points and feeling like I wasn't quite giving either one the time and attention it deserved.”

Finally, don't do it alone. No matter how many skills you've got, handling every aspect of the business is probably not the best use of your time. So it's often a good idea to try to find business partners who are strong in areas where you're a little weaker. You may already know people like that. If you don't, there are lots of places to find them. Go to entrepreneurship events in your city. Check out South by Southwest (SXSW), TechCrunch Disrupt, Ignite, Startup Weekend, Global Entrepreneurship Week, Tech Cocktail, TEDx, Summit at Sea, and many others. The goal is to meet like-minded entrepreneurs and partners that will make your new business a success.

*   *   *

W
henever and however you decide to make the jump, do
not
let your boss know about the business and your intentions to leave before you're ready to quit. This is especially true if you're going to be competing with your soon-to-be-former employer in any way. Do
not
leave without giving plenty of notice and enough time for the company to find a suitable replacement. Do
not
use your employer's resources for your business. This includes spending time that should be your employer's on something to do with your side business. Do
not
steal company contacts and information, and do
not
burn bridges with the people you work with, as you might need them as you build your company.

Being an entrepreneur, from my own experience, is challenging, but also rewarding and exciting. You're creating your own dream and you're taking steps each day to make it happen. Based on your values, ideas, time management, work ethic, and determination, you can create something out of nothing. But keep in mind that if you're going to make it work, you'll need to be able to work independently and put in a lot of time. And even if you do all that, there's always the risk that things won't work out the way you want them to. So if you value raising a family, you like to be managed, or you want a bit more security in your life, hanging out your own shingle might not be for you—and that's fine. You can still act like an entrepreneur
within
your company and use their resources to help you make an impact.

 

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

The days of getting a job and staying there until retirement are long gone. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have some loyalty to your company. After all, they hired you and gave you the opportunity to acquire experience, make connections, and develop yourself professionally.

When you're feeling like you're not getting anywhere at work and you're thinking about quitting, ask yourself why. What is the job lacking? Have you done everything you can to seek out new responsibilities or even turn your current job into your dream job? Then, think about the type of move you want to make: up, sideways, or out. The choice is yours.

But before you make any moves, be sure you'll be in a position to exercise your strengths and make good use of the skills you've worked so hard to develop. If not, you're heading into another dead end. On the other hand, if you're able to fit your skills and your personal brand into a new situation, you've got a recipe for success.

 

EPILOGUE

Your Career Is in Your Hands

 

Now that you've learned about the skills you need to get ahead, how to position yourself for success, and the different paths that can get you there, you're ready to put everything into action. Each step we've taken in this book will help take you closer to promoting yourself at work and getting ahead in your career. First, we walked through all the skills that you need in order to stand out, get recognized, and become an invaluable, go-to master of your trade. These included hard skills, soft skills, and online skills. We learned that soft skills are the most valued by management, that you have to be a specialist instead of a generalist, and that your online brand can be a tool to help you manage your career.

We then touched on the importance of gaining visibility at work without bragging and coming off as selfish. Take credit where credit is due but also share your successes with your team. Then we analyzed what managers are looking for when they decide whom to promote (the ability to prioritize work, having a positive attitude, and teamwork topped the list), and compared that with the Millennial view of workplace success.

Next, we talked about how different generations (Y, Z, X, and Boomers) operate and how to best manage those relationships. Then I showed you how to create a network both inside and outside the workplace and how to leverage your network to get ahead. We also explored two creative ways to take your career to the next level. First, by positioning yourself for a job that reflects your passions and talents. Second, by becoming an intrapreneur and coming up with creative solutions to problems—without leaving your job. Finally, because I know many of you are feeling stuck in your careers, we talked about how to explore your options and decide between moving up, sideways, or out.

This book is meant to be your reference for every stage of your career. It will help you differentiate yourself from your coworkers and set you on a path toward creating a meaningful, exciting, and impactful career. When you're at a bar and someone asks you what you do (which always happens), you'll be able to respond with confidence and pride, because your job is inextricably linked with who you are and who you're destined to become—someone who understands how to thrive in the new world of work and who creates his or her own future instead of relying on others.

Just reading a book and thinking about it won't get you to the next level in your career. I wake up every morning and say to myself “let's make something happen” and then I spend part of every day doing at least one thing that will help me get ahead.

When I graduated from college I never could have imagined how my career would develop. But if you believe in yourself, try new things, and spend some time outside your comfort zone, you can do anything you want. Who knows what you're meant to be or how you can impact your profession or even the world. You're part of a generation that has the potential to make a positive difference in the workplace
and
in the world. Within the next decade, we're going to become the majority of the workforce, which not only positions us to achieve greatness, but also to pass down our wisdom to the next generation. Careers are all about knowledge transfer: We learn from those who have been there before and we teach those who come up next. I firmly believe that you can become part of the Millennial movement and I want you to because we need people like you—people who care about their careers and won't be content to just sit on the couch waiting for their big break. Let others stay there while you start stockpiling achievements and skills that can't be ignored.

Now, how do you start?

Do one thing every day—add a new skill, share a new idea for your group, some thing—that will advance you. Developing this “One Step Forward a Day” habit will keep you current, make you feel more fulfilled and confident, and increase your value. It also will make you more creative and fulfilled when you're not working. And it will ensure that you do 365 things this year to improve yourself.

In this book, I have showed you how to begin that process. Now I will tell you when:

Start right now!

Great things come to those who don't wait,

Dan Schawbel

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 

To my fearless agent

There would be no book deal without Jim Levine, one of the top literary agents on the planet. His vote of confidence as well as his knowledge of the publishing industry were pivotal in securing the book deal of my dreams.

 

To my team at St. Martin's

Matt Martz and Dan Weiss understood the book idea immediately and both brought years of experience and insight to improve the quality of the book.

 

To my research team

I started off as a research novice, but with the help of experts I was able to become an expert over the past few years. Thanks to Luke Williams and Tim Keiningham, both of whom are executives at Ipsos Research, I was able to come up with a unique and interesting survey concept that supported the book. A very special thanks to Christina Schelling and Jason Gong at American Express for their support, feedback on the study, and excitement for the project.

 

To those who helped bring the book together

I'd like to thank Armin Brott, who helped me organize my ideas and hone my voice. Carolyn Monaco and Robin Simons helped me take my original book proposal to the next level. Binyamin Cooper, Carrie Bowe, Jessica Wonczyk, and Jessica Kerch were great interns who helped me with many of the interviews I did for the book, as well as the promotional program.

 

To my friends

Bill Connolly has been a great asset, an even better friend, and I thank him for always putting things in perspective. Rachel Tuhro is always looking out for me and ensuring that I remain humble. Jon Mitman has been a loyal friend for over a decade, always telling me the honest truth regardless of how I might react. Angela Sanchioni, the proud friend, has always made me feel special.

Other friends who have supported me over the years include: Russell Wyner, Ken Pickard, Robert Quinn, Chloe Finklestein, Ryan Paugh, Caitlin McCabe, Ryan Benevides, Jessica Dunham, Scott Bradley, the Orkin Family, Katie Konrath, Deb Lalone, Regan McDowall, Corey Merrill, Ashly McPhillips, Sarah Parrish, Jason Kleinerman, Joe Crossett, Liz Yurkevicz, Ashley Meyer, Raymond Chan, Adam Conrad, Jonathan Joe, Kenny Yee, Brendan Ross, Lauren Colby, Cody Clearwater, Joel Backaler, Pete Ziegler, Jeff Gabel, Joshua White, Maria Elena Duron, and Sam Glick.

 

To my mentors

Penelope Trunk, Jonathan Fields, Pam Slim, Sally Hogshead, Bob Burg, John Jantsch, David Meerman Scott, and Jill Konrath.

 

NOTES

 

Foreword

1
. Trendera is a consulting company focusing on providing insights into future cultural trends.

2
.
http://business.time.com/2012/09/28/note-to-gen-y-workers-performance-on-the-job-actually-matters/
.

 

1. The Future Is YOU