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Articles from Elizabeth Freedman | Selfgrowth.com
- What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get Promoted Around Here? When You’re Feeling Overlooked at Work - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanWe all have our share of junior high school traumas, right? Here’s mine: Picture me, a somewhat nerdy (OK, extremely nerdy) student in my seventh grade French class, being told by the teacher that I didn’t have the chops to continue on to the advanced French class for the following academic ...
Views: 1669 - Would You Have More Career, Workplace Success if You Had Superpowers? - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanIf you had the choice, which superpower would you want to have? Here are the choices – Superpower #1: The Power of Flight, like Superman. Superpower #2: Being invisible – go anywhere, anytime, unseen. I heard this question asked last year on a radio show, and being invisible won by a ...
Views: 990 - Would You Have More Career, Workplace Success if You Had Superpowers? - by Submitted on Jun 13, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanIf you had the choice, which superpower would you want to have? Here are the choices - Superpower #1: The Power of Flight, like Superman. Superpower #2: Being invisible – go anywhere, anytime, unseen. I heard this question asked last year on a radio show, and being invisible won by a ...
Views: 902 - Quit Asking for Permission - by Submitted on Jun 09, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanWant to help yourself and your career? Quit asking for permission. Just go ahead, grab the bull by the horns, and do it. Far better to ask for forgiveness later than permission now. Here’s why: Asking permission ensures that your idea may never see the light of day. Ideas need a chance to ...
Views: 1292 - Want Better Results? Have Better Conversations - by Submitted on May 24, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanWhat would it mean to your business if…. Sales professionals had better conversations with prospects? Leaders had better conversations with clients? Managers had better conversations with their teams? Employees had better conversations with each other? It isn’t any secret that it makes ...
Views: 1946 - Enough Already: Why Now is the Perfect Time to Pursue Your Career Dream - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanAt some point you just have to make the call, stop hemming and hawing and decide that it’s time. At some point you have to stop getting ready to get ready to make the career change that you fully intend to do once you’re ready. You have to stop telling yourself that you will do it…once you’re ...
Views: 1143 - Uncomplicated Leadership: Make it Easier to Get the Job Done - by Submitted on Mar 16, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanUnfortunately, making things complicated is easy to do. Take something pretty straightforward, like weight loss. I don’t know about you, but if you gave me a donut for every time someone said, “All you have to do to lose weight is eat less and exercise more,” I’d be up to my eyeballs in ...
Views: 954 - How to Complete Your Own Self-Assessment at Work - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanIt’s review time at the office and your boss has asked you to complete a self-assessment – those forms that ask you to rate yourself on your own work performance. Here’s where you’re going to have to walk the gauntlet like never before. After all, you’re being asked to step back and consider how ...
Views: 1580(1 vote) - Career Advice and Assertiveness Tips: Know What to Ask For - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanWe’ve been told to be assertive, and ask for what we want – but do we cross the line when it comes to our careers? As a former fundraiser, I was taught to ask for the money – we can’t expect people to read our minds or to hand over their checkbooks. And, I’ve seen enough ‘Oprah’ by now to know ...
Views: 964 - Motivate Your Team by Creating Brand Champions - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2011 from Elizabeth FreedmanThe next time you’re looking for a little fun at the office, try this one on for size: Prowl around a few cubicles and sneak up behind an unsuspecting employee or two. Then, quickly, before they have time to think, bombard them with a series of questions: “How would you define our brand? How ...
Views: 1085 - You’re Not An Employee – You’re a Guest - by Submitted on May 19, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanHere’s something that has been forgotten, overlooked – or just simply unrealized in the workplace: You’re a guest. Think about it: You’re an intern, employee, freelancer or anything else at the invitation of your employer. And, if you can be invited, you can be uninvited, too. Our goal? ...
Views: 926(1 vote) - Planning Is The Key To Career Success - by Submitted on May 19, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanWinging it doesn’t work. Playing it by ear, seeing what happens or deciding what you’ll be ‘in the mood for’ when the moment strikes – all bad, bad ideas. If you’ve bought into the idea – as I had – that spontaneous people are more relaxed, or experience higher levels of creativity or fun ...
Views: 956(2 votes) - Why Your Job Search May Be Taking Forever - by Submitted on May 19, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanHere’s a scenario I read about the other day in The New York Times: An article profiling several unemployed white-collar workers focused on one man, in his early forties, who wondered why his job search strategy wasn’t working. According to the piece, this man, and many others featured in the ...
Views: 1061(2 votes) - Action, Not Confidence, Is What Counts For Career (and weight loss) Success - by Submitted on May 19, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanIf you attend my Weight Watchers meetings on a regular basis, you know that I love talking about mindset. Here’s my point of view: We can talk about points, tracking, exercise, or eating smaller portions, but unless we have our minds made up that we can actually do this stuff, the points and ...
Views: 903(2 votes) - Career Advice: Less Computer, More Face Time - by Submitted on May 18, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanHere’s a math problem for you: Take a look at your life over the past days, weeks, or months, and compare how much you spent in front of a screen (including phone, computer, TV), with how much time you spent face-to-face with someone. If you’re like a lot of us, the screen time wins out over ...
Views: 988(1 vote) - Easy Networking For Your Job Search - by Submitted on May 18, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanWhen it comes to new networking, think of an onion. Like the aromatic onion, your networking strategy works best when you peel back a layer at a time. When you network effectively, you ‘peel back’ layers and layers of people to get to the heart of what you’re looking for – if you stop at the ...
Views: 935(2 votes) - Job-Search Advice to Non-native English Speakers - by Submitted on May 18, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanFair or not, it’s going to be tougher for you to get a job than your American counterparts. There are several reasons why, including the tighter restrictions on H1-B visas, and the fact that American recruiters may not feel entirely confident in your English skills, your ability to adjust to ...
Views: 1857(1 vote) - Getting Re-Hired By The Company That Laid You Off - by Submitted on May 18, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanAs the economy starts to slowly get back on its feet, companies are also slowly starting to rehire. You loved your old job and would like nothing more than to be rehired by your former employer. How to get back on the short list when your company starts hiring again? Here are a few ...
Views: 869(1 vote) - How Much is Too Much When It Comes to Careers? - by Submitted on May 18, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanWe’ve been told to be assertive, and ask for what we want – but do we cross the line when it comes to our careers? As a former fundraiser, I was taught to ask for the money – we can’t expect people to read our minds or to hand over their checkbooks. And, I’ve seen enough ‘Oprah’ by now to know ...
Views: 891(2 votes) - Bad Career Habits - by Submitted on May 13, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanFix your bad career habits If 2010 is going to be your year, then get serious about fixing bad career and workplace habits that are dragging you down. Here are a few to think about: Bad Career Habit #1: Not Networking Let’s agree on one point – most of us would rather pull out our ...
Views: 1045(1 vote) - Quit Waiting to Be Discovered - by Submitted on Jan 27, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanThink back to childhood: Were you one of those kids that sat on your bed and secretly dreamed of being a rock star? As you got older, maybe you fantasized that you’d be walking down the street and someone would approach you and say, “You must star in my next film!” When you’re young, ...
Views: 826 - How to Network When You Hate to Network - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanWhether you’re starting out in a career or transitioning into a new endeavor, one truth remains: If you think that hard work alone will move you up the company ladder, think again. It’s relationships –the ones you have with your manager and coworkers (present and past), clients and more – that ...
Views: 764 - How to Get Your Foot in the Door Without Contacts - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanNo Friends, No Contacts, No Nothin’: How to Get Your Foot in the Door When You Know Nobody Here’s something I’m not proud to admit, but I’ll admit it just the same: Once in a while – a very, rare while – I have the strange, secret desire to become Paris Hilton. That’s right – Paris Hilton. ...
Views: 950(2 votes) - It's Called A Cubicle for a Reason - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanIt’s a Cubicle, not a Living Room: What to Bring to your Workspace (and what to leave at home) If you’re reading this article at work right now, stop – at least, momentarily. Take a minute to stretch your legs, stroll around the office, and, oh-so-discreetly, check out what your coworkers ...
Views: 2088 - Help! I Hate my Boss - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanGetting Along with the Boss: Build the Relationship at Work that Matters Most to Your Career Find me someone who has ever held a job, and I’ll find you someone who’s hated his boss. Call it karma, feng shui, or just the way of the world, but everyone seems to have had a boss they’ve ...
Views: 1734 - Secrets of Internship Success - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanCongratulations! You’re in, you did it – after all that hard work, the 42 rewrites of your resume, the hours preparing for interviews – you landed your internship. Now, before we get too carried away and start sending ourselves flowers or calling the Pope, let’s remind ourselves why we worked ...
Views: 1181(1 vote) - Burning Bridges is for Arsonists - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanBurning Bridges is for Arsonists: How to Leave Your Job with Class Ready to jump ship? Sick of your job and want a new one? Time for graduate school or a trip abroad? You’re not the only one who feels that way. Between 50-80% of all college graduates leave their first job within three ...
Views: 1048(1 vote) - Good Things Come to Those Who Wait…and Back Off from Time to Time - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanImagine that you’ve just purchased a new car. Your first “real” car, you’re proud of the time you spent reading up, really doing your homework, and taking to find the right model in the right price range for you. Now, imagine that you’ve just picked up your friend for a ride in your new car, ...
Views: 862 - Down with Networking! - by Submitted on Jan 20, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanNetworking is probably one of the toughest and most important aspects of the job search..not to mention our careers and overall professional development. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most hated, misunderstood and, consequently, poorly practiced areas in our careers, too, which is ...
Views: 848 - Pursue the Right Job Opportunities For You - by Submitted on Jan 19, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanAre you pursuing the right job opportunities for you? Laid off and getting nowhere in your job search? Between the rejections, the unanswered phone calls and limited opportunities, it’s far too easy take it personally, give up altogether, and even worse, assume that you’ll be unemployed ...
Views: 952(2 votes) - Compete Where You Can Win - by Submitted on Jan 19, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanCompete Where You Can Win: Quit Beating Your Head Against the Wall and Go Where the Love Is By Elizabeth F. Freedman www.elizabethfreedman.com info@elizabethfreedman.com Why is selling ourselves – whether it’s to a prospective employer or client - so tough? Whether you’re looking for ...
Views: 924(2 votes) - Avoid Mistakes on the Job - by Submitted on Jan 19, 2010 from Elizabeth FreedmanDon’t Ruin a Good Thing: Avoid the 3 Mistakes that Hurt New Employees on the Job By Elizabeth Freedman, MBA www.elizabethfreedman.com Have you ever noticed how easy it is to ruin a good thing? If you’ve ever spilled coffee on a new shirt, added just a bit too much salt to a recipe, or ...
Views: 1189(2 votes) - The "F" Word: Surviving and Thriving in the Face of Failure - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2010 from Elizabeth Freedman“You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there." -- Edwin Louis Here’s a recent conversation I had with a prospect I had been wooing for months: “You know, Liz, we’ve decided not to use your services, after all. Thanks so much for your time.” In one brief moment, a ...
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