Skills for Career Success

Book excerpt: This career development tool kit is for people who want to take charge of their own professional futures. If you want to have a career that is meaningful and inspires you, you must prepare for it the same way you would a marathon—developing an overall training plan to carry you through to race day and beyond. This is especially important in today's unpredictable work world, where organizations are in a state of constant flux, and many have either eliminated their employee development programs or adopted a generic, one-size-fits-all approach. Skills for Career Success maps the strategies and skills you will need to take responsibility for your own future. It provides an overview of career development basics, including how to write an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that is practical and useful to you. The core of the book is an easy-to-navigate catalog of fifty-one critical skills, such as communicating clearly, adapting to situations, advocating for yourself, managing time, and selling your ideas. For each skill, there are actions you can take immediately, ongoing practices, and long-term goals. Beyond the skills, there is advice for keeping your career on track, mapping a path beyond your current job, overcoming personal roadblocks, finding your passion at work, and initiating talent conversations with your manager. There are also guidelines for managers who want to bring out the best in their people.