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It was the perfect opportunity—a room full of business executives attending a university luncheon, eager to network and offer their assistance; on the other side, young university students who would soon begin their search for permanent and summer positions.  Unfortunately, not many connections were made between the two. It was truly a missed opportunity, but many working professionals find themselves in these same situations and waste a perfectly great chance to advance their careers.

Mistake 1: Stuck in the comfort zone.  Almost every university student upon graduation needs a job, and the best way for anyone to find a job is through networking. With that said, these university students did not take the initiative to introduce themselves to the executives, many of whom have direct hiring power or connections to hiring powers.   The students sat at the luncheon tables with their peers and hardly anyone ventured to sit at a table with the business executives, even though seating was open with the exception of the head table.  The smart thing would have been for the students to scout out a table with a few empty seats where the business executives were sitting and ask if they could join the table. The technique is no different for working adults who find themselves in a similar situation.

Mistake 2:  The wrong attire. With a few exceptions (the extra shiny, multicolored, imitation snakeskin shoe and the shiny shirt) the young men were dressed appropriately, dark suits, ties and clean well-shined shoes. The women, however, left much to be desired. Although many wore dress pants, they were all too tight, the tops clung to their frames and the deep cuts in the front of the tops left nothing for the imagination. If this was a party, the attire would be perfect; however, this was a business luncheon. The few ladies who wore skirts chose the wrong style; they were too small, too short or way too long.  One young woman was a bit large and wore a skirt that was too short and became quite a spectacle, but when she approached the stage and began a presentation, it was clear that she was an excellent speaker. Sadly, her clothing overshadowed her talent.  Does your clothing help accentuate your skills and talents or are they impeding your progress?

Mistake 3. Professional decorum. People pay attention to just about everything when attending a function and the way you behave is no exception. The way you sound, your body language, etc., all play an integral part in forming a great first impression but this was not common knowledge among the students and many did not do well. Since you only have one chance to make a great first impression, make sure that the impression you leave is the one you want people to remember.

There is a famous quote that says, “Success seems to be largely a matter of holding on after others have let go.” Career success, like any other type of success, is a process that does not occur overnight. Before you throw in the towel, settle for average in your job or let go of your dream career altogether, consider doing the following and start building a new track record to success.

Manage up.  Employers are now seeking workers with an entrepreneurial spirit yet able to follow the vision of the leadership, a team player, and employees who can meet the needs of their supervisors by staying one step ahead.

Think results.  Results keep companies in business, and it is imperative that employees understand this fact and strive to meet deadlines without sacrificing quality.

Get the big picture.  Learn all you can about how your daily tasks affect the company as a whole.  Be aware and understand the entire process as well as your particular job.

Be knowledgeable about the product or service you are providing.  All employees need to be in a constant state of learning.  Being the best means knowing all aspects of the product or service being offered.  This sets the stage for exceptional service.

Be coachable.  Change in today’s work world is a given. Being open to new ideas and stepping out of your comfort zone will ensure a path to success.

Renew your attitude daily.  Create your day with positive thoughts and ideas and meditate on them moment to moment.

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At a time when business competition is fierce, it’s amazing that companies still see training as a luxury line item instead of as a necessity that will help make them more efficient, competitive and profitable.

Businesses often grapple with the cost of training programs and forget that highly trained workers increase revenue. Training is critical to the growth of all companies. In fact, many companies are unsure how to maximize the workshops offered to their employees. Employees attend workshops and receive mountains of valuable information that gets stored in cabinets collecting dusk.

After each training workshop, it is not unreasonable for the employer to ask for improvements. However, sometimes training does not work because the wrong problem is being targeted, the trainer just does not understand the company’s problem or the  employer has unrealistic expectations. Training is not an event—it’s a process, just as learning is a process. Time must be built in for attendees to test their new knowledge and make adjustments.

To get the most from your training dollars, consider the following.

1.  Make sure you are buying the right training. For example, a company may think their problem is customer service when the problem may be that they have the wrong people in the wrong positions and employees do not have the right tools to perform their jobs.

2.  Ensure that the President, CEO and leadership team are among those who have completely bought into the initiative. There must be a sense of “we” and not “they”. The leadership team should always lead by example.

3.  Hold employees accountable for the information they learn when they attend workshops and conferences. In other words, a tool must be implemented to evaluate how employees are doing with the new information. This will reduce the tendency of employees to treat workshops and conferences as mini-vacations.

4.  Follow-up activities are also a key ingredient to seeing results. One-shot workshops do not bring about the change employers hope for. Offering follow-up services such as consulting, specific learning team meetings, supervisor-assisted followup, on-the-job coaching and/or quick refresher courses are some of the activities that will bring long-term results. These can be done in-house or from an outside source.

5.  Consider e-learning. Training costs can be cut for some subject matters by using an online self-paced program or by utilizing video conferencing to reduce travel costs for attendees and trainer.

Regardless of who are or what position you hold, you have probably benefited at some point from preferential treatment. Favoritism or preferential treatment is common in many workplaces but it can be problematic when it’s applied in a manner that is blatantly unfair or discriminatory.

Business leaders need to be conscious of the impact of favoritism and how it can negatively affect the morale of all involved. Acts of favoritism that seem harmless can sometimes alter productivity and create tension to change the dynamics of any workplace.

Employees often complain about over-the-top favoritism being shown in the areas of promotion process, hiring and firing, and especially choice assignments.

Promotion.  Whenever a position opens, the hiring manager needs to consider the demands of the position and then look at the current staff to see who is best qualified. The promotion decision should not be based on friendship or family ties.  Decision should be based strictly on qualifications, performance history and the ability to meet the expectations of the position.

Hiring and Firing.  Careful consideration should be given before hiring or firing an employee.  During the hiring process, the potential candidate should be evaluated fairly, not on any personal biases against or in favor of that person.  The same criteria should be used in firing.  What are the grounds for firing?  Is it a personal issue or performance related?  Try to be objective or bring in a neutral party to help make these decisions.

Choice assignments.  In every job there are some assignments that are more desirable than others.  Whether it involves travel, taking a break from the worst task in the company, or taking time off, managers need to devise a fair system so everyone can enjoy these advantages.  Problems arise when the same people are allowed to take advantage of the system because they always have an excuse or special circumstances that allow them to get more than other employees.

Favoritism should not be confused with kindness or courtesy and some employees know the difference.

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Besides your immediate supervisor and your best friend at work, does anyone else in the organization know what you are capable of doing on a professional level?  There are many invisible people working in organizations daily. These are the workers who come to work but are not really a part of the fabric of the organization. They basically come to collect a paycheck and go home and return the next day.

At a time when no job is secure and shorter job tenures are the norm, it’s in your best interest to become more visible on the job.  Here are a few ways to make sure you’re noticed.

Volunteer.  Take the time to volunteer for extra work or community projects your organization may support.

Find a mentor.  Find someone in the organization who can guide you. Mentors are not only for young professionals but for almost anyone who wants to shorten their learning curve and become strategic in the way they approach the workplace. Your mentor should be someone who genuinely cares about helping you advance and will take the time to direct you.

Get an advocate.  An advocate is someone who can speak well of you and recommend you for promotions and special projects. An advocate will not spend time grooming you or mentoring you but that person must be aware of your accomplishments and your abilities so they can introduce you to new opportunities. Your advocate should always be in influential positions or have access to those who make decisions.

Network.  Schmooze, schmooze and schmooze and do it regularly. Get to know people in other departments. Invite them to lunch, breakfast, coffee and strike up casual conversations with colleagues so you have a wide “fan base” so to speak. Take the time to build these relationships so when you do need something you will gladly receive assistance.

Practice timeliness.   Your colleagues are watching you to see how often you come late and leave early. It’s not uncommon for individuals to take liberties with company time. This will get you visibility but the wrong kind.

Be approachable.  This does not mean you need to smile everyday all the time but it does mean that your body language and your demeanor should be inviting.

Know your reputation.  Do you know how you are perceived in the workplace? Take the time to design and maintain your reputation. It is your most prized possession.

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Does it really matter how you end a relationship with a job you do not like and with people you will never work with again in your professional life? A young man applied and won a new position in a company that had room for advancement, a higher salary and by all surface accounts much nicer people to work with. Amidst all his success, a debate erupted among his coworkers regarding the proper way in which to end the relationship with his current employer.

Without a doubt, his position was a dead-end, low-paying job with a boss who seldom expressed appreciation and gratitude for a job well done.  The majority of his coworkers thought the young man should just quit, as the employer did not deserve advance notice after all the years of mediocre treatment.  The young man, however, listened to wise counsel and gave his employer two weeks’ notice in writing and actually thanked the employer for the years of employment—a very smart move, as the world is a small place and you just never know how or when you will work with someone in the future.

When you leave a job, don’t burn your bridges.  Leave the gate open in the event you will need those relationships in the future. Don’t gossip about the position and the people you are leaving behind and don’t do mediocre work just before you leave. Help train the new person or leave your work clean and orderly so it’s easy to follow when you are gone. Give at least 2 weeks’ notice and do so in writing; for managerial and higher positions, a month’s or more notice would be appreciated. If there is an exit interview, take the time to complete the process and do so candidly and diplomatically.

A civil departure is always in your professional interest as you may need to do business with that former boss or colleague later in life or they may be in a position to directly or indirectly influence decisions being made about you.  Your reputation and your ability to interact with people are big factors that will determine how successful you will be, always strive to be savvy and strategic in your decisions and never burn your bridges.

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In some organizations, the relationship between supervisors and employees is more like adversaries instead of allies.  Whether they are a supervisor or a worker, they are both employed to perform tasks that maintain and advance the organization.

An employee who is truly invested in his/her own future takes the steps needed to be a sound support system for the person with whom they work   It’s a win-win situation as the supervisor will begin to respect the employee’s work and recognize that employee as dependable and someone who is truly invested in the mission of the organization. On the other hand, the employee will develop the reputation of being a dedicated, hard worker, thus setting themselves up for promotions and/or recognitions.

Of course, there are supervisors who may not understand these efforts or may even feel threatened by a very helpful employee, but that’s more the exception than the rule. Such behavior by the supervisor is a reflection of his/her inability to be an effective leader.

Unless employees take on the responsibility to truly become allies with whom they work, their very job could be at stake.  The effects of globalization are being felt worldwide.  There is an increase in foreign companies coming in and competing with local companies, in some cases with grave financial consequences.  With this much change, companies are in dire need of team players that are able to constantly move the organization forward in the quickest, most efficient way possible.

Employees and supervisors who constantly complain and fight with each other are a major problem, hindering productivity and creativity and endangering the success of the organization.

Here are a few quick ways you as an employee can build an alliance with your supervisor.

1. Ask for extra work.
2. Never try to show up the supervisor when an error is discovered.
3. Forgive past disputes and move on.
4. Ask the supervisor how to best support him/her.
5. Offer to help coworkers whenever possible.
6. If a supervisor feels threatened by your moves, gently remind him/her that you are there to help.