Career Blog: Career Promotion

Another reason why many people hit a glass ceiling is because they fail to change their mindframe. As you go up the ladder, you will need "to rally people behind your vision and state your case crisply." It's common sense: going into management is about managing people. Even if you are very good at what you do, but can't manage people, you won't go into "management." In that regard, being effective at communicating with others is key.

Career Building Tips: Avoid the Top 5 Career-Killing Mistakes People STILL Make & Get the Paycheck You Deserve (by Linda M. Lopeke)

Unless you are very wealthy or extremely good at winning lotteries, you can expect to be working for 40 years of your life or more. And while not everyone has what it takes to become a top executive, you do have complete control over how far you go and how much you earn in your career.

You can crack the corporate success code! But only if you stop making career-killing mistakes...

Although people often use the word "rules," the path to success is actually more a matter of "attitude."

According to a study, heavy family responsibilities can consume workers' energy, leaving them "less able" to perform their best at work. As a result, their work suffers and they are entrusted with less challenging tasks/ projects. This problematic has a pervasive effect as those same employees will not be given the opportunity to showcase their talent.

There is a perception for many professionals that the only way to advance their career is to move to a new job or company. Cynthia McCauley suggests another approach: stay where you are, but step outside of your comfort zone by taking on challenging assignments that will allow you to develop new skills. In that regard, McCauley defines "developmental assignments" as "roles and activities that provide opportunities to learn new skills, expand your knowledge base, try new behaviors and improve on weaknesses."

Understanding one's habit and the impact it can have on one's career is key to letting go of that habit. It's part of the process of rationalization where we explain to ourselves why we should change behaviour. Marshall Goldsmith, the author of "What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful!," goes through 20 destructive workplace habits that could stall your progression up the corporate ladder.

Teresa M. McAleavy wrote a short "Questions & Answers" on workplace superstars. A workplace superstar is someone who will go many echelons up the corporate ladder. Isn't that rather ambitious? Yes, but in today's competitive world, that's what it takes. You cannot be a superstar just by doing what is asked of you. It's about seizing opportunities and adding money to the bottom line, such as bringing new clients to the firm or developing a new product. Next thing about being a superstar is to be perceived by management as such and not to be on their bad side. Superstars need to be politically correct.

A promise is nothing but only a statement of future intent. Who really knows what the future holds? A conflict may arise next week or you may fall out of favour... The best way to approach such a situation is to evaluate what the promise involves and if you really want that promotion in the first place. If that is the case, you should discuss it with your boss, try to get a sense of the seriousness of the "promise," and try to get a timeline.

For a list of the exact quotes, which we recommend that you take a look at, please go on CNN.com.

He makes an analogy between tournament play and office life. For instance, when Roger Federer won at Wimbledon, he got the reward because he won the tournament, not simply because he showed up. The same holds true for career advancement. As for the paycheck that Federer received for finishing first, the big salary earned by bosses are meant to be a motivation for employees to work harder and strive for more. Without that impetus, would players/employees really put in the effort?

For a more detailed recount of the lessons Roberts learned from the above mistakes, click on the link below to read the full article.

Walks like a duck... must be a duck! In an article in the Toronto Sun, Joanne Richard wrote that if you want to become a manager or otherwise move up the ladder, you better start acting the part. Her article also relates the story of an entertainment lawyer now running her own entertainment company after she made a career move years ago, as she did not see herself practising law forever.

My two grains of salt: good advice overall, but avoid being perceived as a suck up.

The Moral Law: This law "causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger." In the employment context, there is no ruler to obey to, except to follow one's own determination. It is the obedience to one's own belief and internal strength that will take us farther.

Earth: This law "comprises distances, great and small, danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death." In the employment context, this represents the risks that people face in the present or the future, either when searching for jobs or when already in one. One must always prepare one's mind and body for advancement.

A company lifted the title of its employees years ago as it was trying to retain them and also attract good recruits. The problem is that as the company grew, some of the people holding those hyped titles did not meet the requirements of the job any longer. Also, some employees, believing that they really deserved their titles, went on the Web to compare their salaries with comparable positions in other organizations. Needless to say, same title does not mean same qualifications and same responsibilities...

As you gain in seniority and go up the ladder, you will need people above you to recognize your contribution. The word "recognize" is key as it is not only what you do, but what other people see that you are doing. In that regard, if you get along well with your superiors and if you can easily interact with them, this will definitely improve your odds of moving up the corporate ladder. Don't forget also that as you go up, you will "manage," which will require another set of soft skills as you will interact more with people, including people under you, your boss or bosses, and possibly also clients.

Timothy L. O'Brien explored the issue of why there are so few female partners in major law firms.

"Although the nation's law schools for years have been graduating classes that are almost evenly split between men and women, and although firms are absorbing new associates in numbers that largely reflect that balance, something unusual happens to most women after they begin to climb into the upper tiers of law firms. They disappear."

According to the National Association of Law Placement, only 17 percent of partners at major law firms in the U.S. were women in 2005, up from 13 percent in 1995.

Female lawyers face a different set of challenges than their male counterparts. Although some people argue that the reason why it is harder for women to become partners is because of their commitment to child rearing, that is not the only nor the main factor.

Men enjoy some distinct advantages by the simple fact that they are men. Networking, for instance, is easier for men because it is often done on golf courses or during hockey games... and overall, men know more about sports than women, which makes it easier for them to "connect" with clients.

Also, women have to face some social pressures such as being careful when dinning out, having drinks, or addressing male partners informally in the hallway to avoid being labelled flirtatious.

The corporate culture was built mainly by men, but that culture needs to change to reflect women's contribution to the workforce. That change is underway, albeit slowly, but many take the position that if law firms want to remain successful, they will need to retain the most qualified lawyers. If that means being more flexible, so be it!

Why So Few Women Reach the Top of Big Law Firms?, International Herald Tribune

In a recent article, Scott Reeves discussed the relationship an employee should have with his boss. Quite simply, a person should view his relationship with his superior as a "partnership".

Being a smart employee means to understand your boss, know what's important to him, and avoid getting bogged down in small details. Don't lose sight of the big picture: Money! At the end of the day, you want a raise and if possible, a better work environment. The worst you can do is to put your boss against you or to have a boss that is indifferent to your needs.

Be strategic in your career moves and avoid getting emotional.

The Boss and You, Forbes