Eat Your Career

career planning

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How to Get Ahead at Work Without a College Degree

How to Get Ahead at Work Without a College Degree

When I was growing up, there was never a question about whether or not I would go to college. The only question was, where? I was very fortunate to come from a family with the financial means to make this my reality.

However, not everyone has that same opportunity—and quite frankly, many don’t have the interest in college (or interest in taking on the debt required for it these days).

While I definitely believe a college degree can give you a leg up in the working world, not having a college degree is not necessarily a career killer. In fact, some of the most successful people I’ve met and worked with are degree-free.

Still, I’ll admit, there can be some hurdles to overcome when you’re working without a degree. But rest assured, they are overcome-able. If you don’t have a college degree and you’re wondering how to get ahead in your career without it, here are some things to consider.

Quick note: I am a career coach and trainer in the United States and my guidance follows the customs and standards of this country. It may not be equally applicable in other areas.

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Career Advancement is a Privilege, Not a Right

I’ve encountered a number of counterproductive attitudes in the workplace, but one in particular really bothers me.

Too many people out there think they deserve career advancement for all the wrong reasons. For example, they believe they’re entitled to it because they’ve worked at the company for a certain number of years. Or, they think it’s justified because someone else just got promoted…and it’s only fair that they should as well.

This kind of approach easily leads to resentment because, in truth, these are not valid reasons. Career advancement is not a right. It’s not something you get just for showing up. It’s a privilege that has to be earned through your contributions. Further, it’s not enough for YOU to think you’ve earned it. You have to prove it to the decision-makers as well.

I’ve seen people earn promotions in incredibly short periods of time. I, myself, was promoted after 3 months at my last job!

I’ve also seen people remain stagnant for years, never earning advancement regardless of their tenure.

There are several factors that come into play here.

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Your Professional Development Plan: 3 Surprising Truths

As a career coach, one of my main roles is to help my clients develop the professional skills and abilities required to achieve their goals. It’s a process that takes time and planning, but I love helping people figure out what needs to be done, how to get started and how to stay on track.

Unfortunately, few people really know what it takes to create and implement a solid professional development plan. Truth me told, there are quite a few misconceptions around the topic. So I’d like to share three essential—and somewhat surprising—truths about the process to help you. [Read more…] about Your Professional Development Plan: 3 Surprising Truths

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How to Turn Your Career Goals Into Reality (Free Webinar)

I often tell people I’m a firm believer in the power of goal setting. But I’ve come to realize that this statement oversimplifies the matter.

Goal setting, in and of itself, is certainly powerful. After all, if you don’t know where you want to go, you’ll probably end up somewhere…but whether or not that’s a place you want to be is anyone’s guess. I’m not willing to take that risk, so I set goals.

However, it goes far beyond that. It’s what I do with my goals that really matters. I’ve learned (through a lot of trial and error) that a goal set but left unattended is worthless.

Goals are like curious toddlers…if you don’t pay attention to them, they wander off. You have to give them constant love because that’s what they need and it’s what they deserve.

Over the years, I’ve studied this topic quite a bit. I’ve tested all kinds of strategies and figured out what really works. The truth is: There’s a predictable pattern when it comes to achieving your goals. If you do just a few key things, your chances of success increase exponentially!

Curious about what those things are? Join me for this month’s free webinar and you’ll find out.

How to Turn Your Career Goals into Reality (Free Webinar)

Description:

So, you’ve got goals. That’s great! But now comes the hard part—turning them into real, tangible results. The mere act of setting a goal doesn’t guarantee success. Without a strategy in place, it’s easy to lose focus and get distracted. Luckily, there’s a lot of research available that helps us understand how to stay on target, maintain motivation and avoid the common pitfalls that lead to unrealized goals. In this session, we’re talking all about goal execution!

As an attendee, you will learn…

  • The importance of creating routines and habits that support your goals
  • How to create simple visual aids to remind you of your goals
  • How to track the right things in the right way (and why it’s an absolute must)
  • How to leverage the power of accountability
  • How to take a disciplined approach to achieving your goals

Sorry, this webinar has already taken place.

To access the video replay, join the Career Resource Library. You can access this webinar plus dozens of additional resources including training videos, downloadable workbooks, and more. LEARN MORE HERE.

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How to Set Career Goals that Work

Hooray! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

No, I’m not referring to the holiday season. That’s great and all…but for me, the last month of the year is the best because it always involves my 3 favorite activities—planning, organizing and goal setting!

Yep. Nerd Alert.

To be honest, I got started a little early this year. I’ve been deep into this work for a month already. Hey, I’m being proactive. I know how busy the end of the year gets and these activities are non-negotiables for me. There’s nothing more unsettling than starting the new year without a good, solid plan of attack. So, I wanted to do everything in my power to get the process rolling as early as possible.

That being said, it’s always a work in progress. I might start the year with a clear plan, but goodness knows things change. I have to be flexible enough to adapt my plans as life evolves. But I’ve found that’s a whole lot easier to do when I’ve done the necessary pre-work—when I’ve spent the time and energy required to really focus in on what I want to achieve. Then, when life throws me a curveball, I can roll with it and get back on track quickly.

This is just one area where I think a lot of people fail when it comes to goal setting. They don’t do enough to gain real clarity so, when they hit a bump in the road, their goals get pushed aside, never to be heard from again.

Of course, people make a lot of other mistakes in this process too. I know because I’ve made them all! As a result, I’ve learned how to avoid them and how to create goals that really work.

I’d like to invite you to learn more about my goal setting process in this month’s free webinar. We’ll explore the steps in detail and talk about how to apply them to your career. If you have some big professional aspirations for 2018, this is an absolute must.

How to Set Career Goals that Work (Free Webinar)

Description:

If you’ve ever set a professional goal and then found yourself lacking interest or motivation to complete it, you’re not alone. The art of goal setting is tricky and, if you don’t do it correctly, you’ll end up off track and distracted. In this program, we’ll explore strategies for setting career goals that actually stick.

Attendees will learn…

  • How to make sure your career goals are aligned with your life vision (and why that’s the No. 1 secret to success)
  • A step-by-step process to help you define high-level goals and then break them down so they don’t get overwhelming
  • Strategies to avoid the common traps that make people give up on their goals
  • Real-world examples to help you better understand how to apply these tools in your own life

Sorry, this webinar has already taken place.

To access the video replay, join the Career Resource Library. You can access this webinar plus dozens of additional resources including training videos, downloadable workbooks, and more. LEARN MORE HERE.

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How to Be Proactive at Work: My Updated Strategies

Back in 2010, I wrote an article called How to Be Proactive at Work: My 5 Step System. Much to my surprise, it immediately became the most popular post on my website and remains in that coveted position to this day. Every week, hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of people search “How to be proactive at work” and land on my article.

Over the years, I’ve often marveled at this. Who knew so many people struggled with the concept of being proactive?

It’s now been 7 years since I wrote that original article and in the meantime, I’ve done a ton of research (and a lot of deep thinking) about how to be proactive at work. In fact, I was so inspired, I actually wrote an entire book about it. You can find it here.

I still stand by everything I said in my first article, but I wanted to offer some of my new insights on the topic here. All of these concepts are explored in much greater detail in my book. So if you’re excited about what you see here, there’s more to learn!

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