Here's part 2 of my interview with Pamela Lenehan, author of What You Don't Know and Your Boss Won't Tell You:
Free Money Finance (FMF): Why should people buy What You Don’t Know and Your Boss Won’t Tell You?
Pamela Lenehan (PL): Where else can you get advice from 35 “mentors” who have worked at over 100 companies? These women hire, fire, promote and compensate people. It is a good idea to know how they think.
FMF: If you could give people just a few career tips, what would your top suggestions be and why?
PL: 1.) You need to manage your career. No one is going to do it for you. 2.) You need to look, act and sound the part. To be considered for promotion, you want to people to think you are already ready. 3.) Keep you personal problems out of the office. If people think you are not in control of your life, you may not get the opportunities you deserve.
FMF: Where are most people missing it in their careers? What are the problems you see the most?
PL: Many people are working so hard just getting their jobs done, they are not thinking strategically about the long term. Are you getting the experience you need to get ahead? Are you getting recognition for what you are doing? Are you projecting the image you need for the next level?
FMF: Your book doesn’t give suggestions on dealing with many of the financial aspects of a career, but I’m sure you have some thoughts on compensation, how to maximize it, and so on. Can you share your thoughts with us on money-related issues people should consider involving their careers?
PL: You have the most leverage when you join a company and are negotiating your starting salary. After that, you will be getting the traditional raises in line with the company budget. Once inside a company, the only way to break out of the range is to get promoted or go to a position in another department that may have a higher salary.
FMF: Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers of Free Money Finance about their careers?
PL: You can’t always control your work environment, but you can control how you react to it. I am a firm believer there is a place everyone can be successful. You just need to find the right company to take advantage of your skills.
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Again, excellent advice! A couple things I'd like to highlight:
1. "You need to manage your career. No one is going to do it for you. You need to look, act and sound the part. To be considered for promotion, you want to people to think you are already ready. Keep you personal problems out of the office. If people think you are not in control of your life, you may not get the opportunities you deserve." If you internalize and act on this simple set of principles, your career will bloom -- and your bank account will follow!
2. "Many people are working so hard just getting their jobs done, they are not thinking strategically about the long term. Are you getting the experience you need to get ahead? Are you getting recognition for what you are doing? Are you projecting the image you need for the next level?" I find this is the case as well. People are focused on urgent tasks on a daily basis and forget to tackle the more important issues of career management. As such, they don't maximize their careers, their most valuable financial asset and one that could earn them millions of dollars in extra income throughout their lifetimes.
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