| Nine Career Building Skills for Success | | | | possible options and then making a sensible choice is |
| You've got your basic education behind you and in | | | | a valuable commodity. Choices, regarding people, are |
| your first position, or you've been on the job for | | | | especially prized. It is the ability to develop informed |
| awhile, you ask yourself what additional qualities do I | | | | opinions. The development of critical thinking skills, |
| need to help my career? You've started a business | | | | and the careful laying out of options all go toward |
| and you ask yourself the same question? What | | | | building this skill. Carefully examining all the options, |
| learnable skills are essential for career and business | | | | even with less than 100% of the desired information, |
| success? | | | | will more often than not allow you to make a "good |
| In study after study, and surveys taken with many | | | | judgment." |
| executives and successful business owners the | | | | 6. Organizational Skills: The management of time. The |
| following nine learnable skills and abilities are the most | | | | management of people. The management of the |
| valued. Even without specific education or experience | | | | processes. All organized so that everything is |
| these learnable skills will contribute greatly to your | | | | efficiently accomplished with the least amount of |
| ongoing performance and career advancement. | | | | time and overall cost. A skilled organizer starts with |
| The critical nine career building skills and abilities are: | | | | their own time management and branches out to |
| (In no particular order, as each job or business has its | | | | include subordinates and other things within their |
| own set of priorities.) | | | | control. |
| 1. Selling Skills: To get people to buy your ideas, | | | | 7. Negotiation Skills: Negotiation is the basic ability to |
| services or products is a quick definition of the selling | | | | persuade others to do what you want or give you |
| skill. If you have a job, you've managed to make at | | | | what you want. These talents are closely related to |
| least one sale -- that of your services to an | | | | selling skills and to motivation. Further, they are an |
| employer. | | | | essential component to leadership. You can study and |
| Business does not happen without sales. Selling skills | | | | learn from any number of books the essential skills |
| are part of the skill category of Negotiation, which is | | | | that will help you get others to cooperate with you in |
| listed among the nine top skills. It's so important, | | | | achieving your mutual goals. Those who apply this skill |
| before you do anything, you should read and study | | | | successfully on behalf of their employers and |
| one or more of the best books on sales. | | | | themselves almost always get ahead of their |
| 2. Writing Skills: Others want to know what you | | | | peers-usually way ahead. |
| know. So, you to write it down for them. You have | | | | 8. Financial Skills: When you get into a management |
| to write it succinctly, precisely and in a way that is | | | | position you must know about financial planning and |
| easily understood. You need to provide them | | | | budgeting. To move higher, you must be |
| instructive, believable, and motivational and convincing | | | | knowledgeable about all aspects of corporate finance, |
| written material. It should communicate what you | | | | cash flow, taxes, return on investment, asset |
| know and what you can do. You no doubt, definitely, | | | | valuation and valuing mergers and acquisitions are just |
| without a question, must be able to write effectively | | | | some of financial skills you must acquire. However, |
| to get to the peak of your career or business. | | | | there's plenty of easy to understand information in |
| 3. Speaking Skills: You must be able to speak up for | | | | books and seminars as well as relevant trade journals |
| yourself and your department at meetings. Getting a | | | | that will give you a hand. |
| pet project or a budget approved means speaking | | | | 9. Information Gathering and Technology Skills: This |
| well and persuasively. Running effective meetings, | | | | essential skill includes finding the best news, articles, |
| interviewing and even arguing for a raise require good | | | | books, tapes, videos, training and other written and |
| speaking skills. | | | | multiple media sources that keep you current and "in |
| You certainly must speak well at least one-to-one in | | | | the know" in your field of expertise. |
| order to sell anything. All of the foregoing requires | | | | You should also develop and cultivate access to |
| the same skills as public speaking. You can learn the | | | | experts who can assist or direct you to the right |
| skills from a book or class and through practice. | | | | information. A wide network of experts will speedup |
| Joining a local Toastmasters club is probably the | | | | your ability to gather information. Storing the |
| easiest way to become comfortable speaking to an | | | | information you acquire, making it easy to access and |
| audience of any size, whether it's to one or one | | | | add to it easily is another skill you need to acquire. At |
| thousand. | | | | a minimum you should be able to make and use |
| 4. Leadership Skills: Leadership is the ability to get | | | | databases, to learn and use basic research skills and |
| people to do what you want them to do. If you are | | | | to be able to do quick, effective internet searches. |
| a good leader, people will do what you've asked | | | | You will not get ahead without knowing how to use |
| them to do, whether or not you are there to | | | | all the current technology relevant to business in |
| supervise. If you are a great leader, they will do | | | | general and to your field in particular. You will not get |
| what you've asked, strive to do it well, enjoy | | | | ahead without it. At a minimum, you must acquire |
| working for you and try to do more than you've | | | | basic computer user skills. Also if you make any sorts |
| asked, just to please you. | | | | of presentations, for example, you need to know |
| If you are inspired leader, they will do what you ask, | | | | how to use projectors, projected video, audio |
| try to contribute as much more as you will allow, | | | | amplification systems, computer-assisted training |
| make sure that whatever they do is the highest | | | | programs and computer projected multimedia. |
| quality they can give you, and consider their work | | | | The nine career building skills all require an analysis as |
| not merely enjoyable, but rather a shared vision | | | | to where you are now. Need to improve your writing |
| partnership with you. Leadership includes the skills of | | | | ability? Start with a plan and do something every day |
| motivation, change facilitation, behavior modification | | | | to advance the skill. Do the same with all of the nine. |
| and conflict management. | | | | Build and work a reading and studying list and in no |
| 5. Judgment Skills: Good judgment is one of the most | | | | time you'll find your career skills improving. |
| valued abilities. Making accurate evaluations, outlining | | | | |