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Today, I’m going to start telling you about something that your parents or your first boss should have told you, but probably didn’t.

It’s something that will help you have (a little) less stress about your job and start to understand what is going on around you.

That being said, you’re still not going to like it.

Did you know that just about every company that you work for or interview with is playing “The Career Game”?

It’s a game that everyone involved play for fun and profit. Unless you don’t play the game. Then it is most definitely not fun and very unprofitable.

And, while you can have a good time with “The Career Game”, the downside is that everyone is betting with your career.

Not only are you playing right now (whether you know it or not), but you’d better play the game right or you’ll lose.

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Do you know what your brand is?

Every employee and candidate has one, though many have no idea how to express it. And, as a result, they lose out on jobs, promotions, and career advancement.

I was reminded of this when I read a story about Smith & Wessen over on Ask Uncle Bill.

Smith & Wessen, as the story goes, only made handguns for the longest time. Everybody thought that made other things (rifles, shotguns, etc.), but they were strictly a handgun company.

That is, until a smart guy got hired there and found out what potential customers thought when they thought of Smith & Wessen. He then went into the shotgun business. And the rifle business. And other places people already thought of them.

You should do the same for your career. Read on to see how.

Experience.com provides information on internships and entry level jobs.

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Well, everyone is apparently taking my productivity advice…

The AP released a story that says US Workers are Most Productive.

It’s true that we spend more hours at our jobs than most “rich” countries (the “poor” countries apparently work incessantly and still don’t produce much value), but we also produce more “wealth per hour” than any other country in the world other than Norway.

Norway, you’re next.

Anyway, what all this productivity means is that U.S. companies are doing everything they can to both track and improve the value of the work that they are doing. And, if you want to get ahead, you should be doing the same with your job.

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Your worst fears have been realized. Bad Bosses Get Ahead.

This was a study that asked people what happened to a “workplace tyrant”. Did the company ultimately get rid of him or did they kick him upstairs?

As the study leaders noted: “The fact that 64.2 percent of the respondents indicated that either nothing at all or something positive happened to the bad leader is rather remarkable — remarkably disturbing.”

That means that the crappy boss you have today is likely to become more important / powerful as time goes on instead of being “found out” and removed from his position.

While the report goes on to shame upper management (who were probably bad bosses themselves) about this situation, the real question is what do you do about this problem?

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The other day, my kids were doing their chores, as usual. When I looked up, one of my daughters was cleaning off the dining room table. Sort of.

What she was really doing was wiping a sponge across the table while singing to herself and looking at the ceiling.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Cleaning off the table!” she responded, as though I had just received a crushing head injury and wasn’t able to process the obvious.

“How do you know when the table is clean?”, I asked.

At which point, she stared at me like I had grown another head.

At that moment, it became clear to me that she didn’t know what her job really was. And, because I’m odd this way, it also became clear to me that many employees don’t really know what their job is, either.

Let me explain…

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Many managers have long known that comfort was the enemy of productivity. Studies have repeatedly shown that productivity rises with stress until a point.

That is, if you feel comfortable at work, and don’t have enough stress, you’re not working at your peak productivity.

Related to that, I have a little career secret for you: Comfort is the Enemy of Career Success.

As Anna Farmery points out over at the Engaging Brand, “Business is risk. … With risk comes fear, this can either be used positively to ignite your passion to make it succeed. Or it can engulf you so that it fails.”

So, today, I want you to be scared.

Be scared that a co-worker is going to be mad because you’re making them look bad.

Be scared that your boss is thinking that you’re trying to take his job.

Be scared that you’re going to step on some people’s toes in the name of getting something done.

Be scared that you’re going to be accused of overstepping your bounds.

But what ever you do, be scared today. In a good way.

You’ll be amazed at what it can do for your career.


Enjoy the Search!

-Dan
—–
Daniel R. Sweet
Chief Cook-And-Bottle-Washer / Sr. Recruiter
FRACAT.com - Free Resume and Career Toolbox
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrsweet
Call Me On Jaxter: http://www.jaxtr.com/fracat


Photo by: solyanka

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d take on the task of getting Hard-Core Environmentalists a promotion…

Have you ever wondered why you, the Hard-Core Environmentalist, can’t get a promotion?

I know it’s a popular answer, but there really isn’t a “Hemp Ceiling” keeping you out of power positions in your company.

Nor is it because he’s embarrassed by your active demonstrating (unless, of course, it’s in front of his building!)

No, it’s something else entirely that he feels a little uncomfortable bringing up with you.

But the good news is that, since he won’t tell you about it, I’m here to help all of you Hard-Core Environmentalist-types get ahead so that you can change the world.

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