They Don't Teach Corporate in College (21 page)

What I'm going to do:
In addition to setting up the calls, ask the VP for permission to listen and take notes.

Why I want to do it:
By observing how global team account management is done, I will be better equipped to do it myself in the future.

When I'm going to do it:
Talk to the VP on Monday and arrange to participate in calls starting next week.

How I'll measure my success:
After I've listened to several calls, ask the VP if I can create an agenda for, and give project status on, an upcoming call.

Increase your commitment to your goals by writing them down in a list, and then sit down with your boss to review it and ask for his feedback. Do your personal goals align closely with your company's goals or the goals your boss has set for you? Are your boss's expectations practical given your level of experience and expertise? Are your own expectations reasonable? For example, does your boss concur with your goal to manage a client relationship
self-sufficiently within six months, or does he feel that you'll require an additional year of mentoring before you'll be ready to take on that responsibility? Don't leave this initial meeting until you and your boss have agreed on your goals leading up to your first scheduled performance review. He will be impressed with your conscientiousness, and voilá—you'll be on the path to that promotion months sooner than if you'd waited for the formal review process.

Types of goals vary, depending on the specific job. Every twenty-something should aim to build a wide range of transferable skills (such as public speaking, client relations, sales, marketing, project management, and finance) that will add value in any job and that are not likely to become obsolete. Use your time on the job and your company's resources to achieve goals related to transferable skills, even if such goals are not directly related to your daily job responsibilities. My friend Joanne wanted to move from her position as a research coordinator to that of a sales representative, and provided the following example.

Transferable Skill:
Public speaking.

Goal:
Improve presentation ability.

What I'm going to do:
Teach three internal training courses on blog monitoring.

Why I want to do it:
I want to practice speaking in front of a group so that when I move to a sales rep position next fall, I will be qualified to conduct client presentations without supervision.

When I'm going to do it:
Throughout the course of one training semester (six months).

How I'll measure my success:
I'll work with the training coordinator to compare my evaluation sheets from the first and third courses. I'll know that I was successful if my scores improve.

Even after you've learned the basics, practice honing existing skills and acquiring new ones. Your development never stops if you want to stay marketable. Keep a running list of all the job responsibilities you have and the projects you work on, and create a portfolio of work samples. Learn all you can about your company and your field. Because the business world moves at the speed of the Internet, spend a few minutes each day reading Websites, blogs,
and news outlets focused on your company and industry. Regardless of your position, keeping your finger on the pulse can only help you.

Want some other ideas? Sign up for as many professional and leadership development courses as your company offers for your level, and take advantage of job rotations or temporary assignments in other departments that may be available. Join company committees or projects outside your daily job responsibilities, and seek additional education in the form of certifications or online courses/webinars.

Independent of your manager's involvement, you should take the time to evaluate your goals and reflect on your progress every three to six months. Mark Swartz, a career columnist for the
Toronto Star
, recommends taking a regular inventory of what's working and what's not. Ask yourself the following questions, and answer honestly.

Are my current goals still valid?