Tis the season to be evaluated. Well hopefully it’s more of a thoughtful exchange on how the year went. Hopefully, you work in the type of environment that encourages feedback all around the organization. Ideally, you can share ideas with your manager that will help them just as they share their improvement ideas with you. I don’t work for a “360″ organization but (wishful sigh) maybe you do. Now I’m just curious about what other places do for reviews. Do you have a good experience? Share please.

Oh wait – I did have some tips.

• Prepare
  Okay look, I know you’re good on your feet but a year is a long time to remember all the cool things you’ve done. Gather your thoughts and be organized. It helps even if your manager is prepared. If they’re not then you still won’t slip through the cracks because of their lack of preparation.
• Be Honest About Your Shortcomings
  We’re all human. Sometimes things fall off the plate. Be candid and ready to create safeguards in the new year that will help you get a focus on your weak areas.
• Don’t Get Emotional
  I know you may be picturing a female employee crying in her bosses office but that’s not it. Anger is an emotion too. I try to leave most of those emotions at home anyway for my FB circle at least… In my preliminary review this year I tried to hear what my manager was saying but I got sidetracked for a moment with defending my position on some of the scores we disagreed on. Don’t let ‘em knock you off your game, even if you are surprised by some things. Focus and get what’s useful
• Lose the Apathy
  It does matter because if someone wants to hire you internally, chances are these reviews are available to them. Maybe it won’t make or break your career but I think you should be proactive about discussing your accomplishments and citing where you disagree with your manager. It’s not that you got a score or two bumped, it’s more about making sure the work you do is understood and properly assessed.

What do you think? If your organization doesn’t do 360 degree assessments, you can certainly get one done yourself. You basically ask a group of people that work with you to give their insights about the work you do. In a typical evaluation you just hear from your manager. With something like this you can hear from people all around your organization that see the work you do. http://www.reachcc.com/360Reach

Economic Growth Forum

Since I was just talking about unemployment, I thought it would be a good idea to spread the word about the forum. This might seem a little distant for those of us currently searching for employment, but I think we may be able to glean some information about which industries might be on the rise, etc…

NY Times Article

I’ve been moved to blog because I found an article about how even educated African Americans are having a tougher time getting employment than their counterparts. The article remains one of the NYT most popular, another sign that this topic is of some concern to many people. I’m going to share a few tips that should help all job seekers market themselves a little better.

Check out the NYT article here.

I do think that African Americans have a significant social barrier in society because there are several negative stereotypes associated with being black. Some may say that all stereotypes are negative but if people assume you’re smart and good with a computer because of your race… I think that’s evidence of a stereotype working FOR you. While most people that aren’t black choose to chalk this theory up to paranoia, I’ll spend my time trying to be helpful instead of debating that idea.

Let’s state the obvious. Unemployment in the U.S. is over 10% and everybody is looking for a job. I’m entertaining offers and I have a job… soooo that leads me to believe that a lot of jobs are getting a lot of applications. Also, in tough times you have people with multiple degrees taking jobs just to get their foot in the door or worse yet, bills paid and food on the table. It’s a competitive market out there and I think you have to make yourself stand out. Hence… marketing yourself in a recession.

So here are my thoughts:

1. Use your network.
   In business school they always talked about leverage. Well leveraging your personal network of friends, former colleagues & managers is an important piece. When you apply for a job online, you are one in a stack. It’s been proven over and over that people hire based on recommendation. If you have established yourself on social networks, use them. I’m not just talking LinkedIn. Why not update your status on FB or Twitter to include the job you’d like to do? Could you upload your resume to those sites? Of Course! Send a group message to all your friends, whatev! You’re on the hunt here for your next big thing!
2. Get out of the house.
   I love my apartment just as much as you do but you’re not going to find a job sitting at the computer on theladders.com all day. Soooo you might as well get out of the house. Heading to your nearest pub probably won’t be as useful. So be strategic. Check out what events are going on around your profession. There’s a Social Media Club that meets locally. If you’re a marketer, it might be worthwhile to hit up one of their events. Use professional associations to keep you plugged in to the profession while you’re waiting for a gig. My advice is to leave the resume in the car but start talking to people. If you don’t know them I wouldn’t start with Hi, I’m looking for a job. Just socialize and try to get some cards. If the topic comes up you can mention that you’re currently in the market for a new gig but focus on what you’ve done. Life is one big interview.

More later on this topic my friends. Unfortunately (or As luck would have it) I’ve got to head to work… after all I’d like to stay employed.

In the meantime, share thoughts and questions if you have ‘em and I’ll be sure to speak to those in the next post!

I am doing some really cool things with video that I’ll remember to blog about soon!

One of the lessons my parents taught us was that we have to be aware of the people we surround ourselves with. I chose to pursue relationships with individuals that are smart and forward thinking. For that approach – I have grown in leaps and bounds.

I’ve been thinking about this lesson in a more professional context. As I think about my next career step, I want to be aligned with the “company” I keep. I’ve developed a list of questions I want to answer before making a decision about my next employer:

• Does this company reflect, through its people and practice, values that I believe in?
• Does the company articulate a vision that I can more than give a sleepy nod to?
• Does this company place real emphasis on helping the community?
• How will this environment be supportive, but challenging?
• What opportunities exist to help employees get better?
• How does the company manage talent? Is there a visible career path?

You should think about it too. If you’re building a career at a company how would you answer these questions. Would you be satisfied with the answers? As a professional it’s not enough that someone wants to hire you. What are they offering?

If you do in fact enjoy the Company you keep – there are great benefits. You are more satisfied with your career, you feel a part of something bigger than just you and overall work doesn’t seem so much like work.

At least, that’s what I think. What do you think? Help me finish the list.