Some bosses are highly supportive of the success of the individuals whom they manage, doing whatever they can to foster career development and on-the-job advancement for those in their charge. Sad to say, however, some bosses exemplify in attitude and action the very opposite of career support.

For any number of reasons, consciously or subconsciously, these managers invariably thwart the advancement of their subordinates.

As an ambitious,career-minded professional, what should you do if you work for someone who stymies your opportunity for success? First, you’ve got to understand the likely reasons for your boss’s behavior. With that understanding in mind, you can more appropriately determine how to protect yourself while moving ahead in your career. Read the full story

While earning her Master of Business Administration degree at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Bridgette Young hoped her concentration in human resource management would lead to a lucrative career in corporate America.

When she graduated in 1985, Young went to work for Baxter Healthcare Corp. as a human resources manager. Three years later, she moved on to become a human resources manager for Taco Bell, where she oversaw the restaurant chain’s staffing in North and South Carolina.

In 1990, just five years into her career, Young became ill and was diagnosed with lupus. After a year on disability, she was able to return to work and was offered a position as a human resources director with Coca-Cola in Atlanta. But Young decided to change her direction and chose not to take the job. Instead, she opted to enter the ministry and use her MBA training for the church. After obtaining her Master’s of Divinity in pastoral care and counseling, she went on to oversee the ministries and staffs at Cascade United Methodist Church and, later, Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church. Both are “mega-church” congregations in the Atlanta area, with a membership of about 7,000 each.

“I realized I no longer loved what I was doing and it was no longer consistent with what my value systems were,” Young says. “I wanted more than just working 12 hours a day for a big paycheck.” Read the full story

Interviewing is akin to marketing and is a blend of art and science. Potential buyers will be looking for what you can contribute, what you cost, and whether or not there is chemistry. You are marketing a product which is you, and negotiating for the right price, location, and timing. There are a lot of parallels to marketing that apply in the job search and interview process including research, sales, packaging and promotion, and negotiation. You will need to draw on the skills you have in these areas to master the interview and get your ideal offer.

Preparation and Research

The job search process is 90% preparation and 10% perspiration. There is a lot you can do before your appointment to increase the probability of a successful interview. Find out as much as you can about the company and the industry you are interested in. Top 50 lists will help you understand the strengths of the company. For public companies, you can read the annual report. For just about any company, you can go on their web-site and find out valuable information including statements of their mission, vision, and values; their products and services, descriptions of each major line of business; employee size; and their various office locations. Find out who the company’s competitors are and what the company believes differentiates it from its competitors. Know the names of key officers. Interviewers will often casually mention the names of the CEO, COO and other senior officers during the interview, assuming you know who they are talking about. Without this understanding you may lose some of the context for what they are sharing or asking you to respond to. You should know all of these are data points prior to going into the interview; so that your questions are related to the position at hand.

Sales Pitch

Review your resume and think through your strengths, experiences, and transferable skills. How do these address a need or challenge within the company or industry you are interested in? Connect with someone who can help you prepare for the interview (e.g., career coach, trusted colleague in Human Resources, friend, or family member). Leverage these individuals as a sounding board and to rehearse how you will respond to various questions. Their feedback will help you identify where you may need to provide more detail or less, or adjust your body language and your expression. This is key! Any presentation may go well inside of your head, but you need to hear the words and ensure you are conveying confidence and a sense of authenticity when you speak with others who do not know you. If no one is available for you to practice with, rehearse in front of the mirror. Outplacement firms suggest you might even want to tape your voice so that you can hear how you sound or you can check out or buy a video on Effective Interviewing and observe as others role-model effective techniques.

Packaging

Packaging includes what’s inside the box (your personality and demeanor), how the product is wrapped or packaged (your appearance and body language) and what is around the product (your resume and other collateral pieces). At a basic level, you will want to ensure that your resume is error free, easy to scan, does not raise a lot of questions, e.g., gaps in employment dates. Packaging extends to your attire. Make sure your dress is parallel to what is considered interview apparel for the company. This may be slightly different that the standard dress code for the company. For example, the dress code may be business casual, but there may be an unwritten expectation that anyone interviewing is suited up or dresses a bit more conservatively. Know the “uniform” for the industry. In other words, you would not walk into an interview for a manufacturing company with the same level of flair you might suit up for to interview with a public relations or advertising concern.

Arrive to your interview, leaving enough time for you to find the appropriate building or office, stop in the restroom, examine your appearance, and gain composure – about 15 minutes early. Make sure you bring extra copies of your resume, a pad to take notes on, and a pen – that works! Enclose these neatly in a portfolio, so that you are not struggling to find these during the interview.

From Concept to Promotion

During the interview, you will be painting a picture so that the interviewer can get to know you. Your interviewer has some concept of you based on the accomplishments you have cited on your resume. In the interview they will be looking for validation of your experiences, interpersonal skills, and to test if you would be a good match for the company and role.

Many interviewers will use a situational or behavioral interview approach to validate your work experience in which they will ask you to describe in detail a situation or challenge that demonstrates a specific skill. As you describe your experiences, use the STAR technique. Describe the Situation or Task you were presented with, the Action you took, and the Results. Spend the most time describing the action and results – how you made a difference. Remember not to speak negatively of your employers or co-workers even if the situation was negative or challenging. Focus on how you were able to turn a negative into a positive either for yourself or others.

Depending on the job level you are at, you may have several interviews. There may be a screening interview with someone from HR. Leverage this time to ask logistical questions, For example – questions about the interview team composition, questions about the prior incumbent in the role, how long it has been vacant, and the timeframe in which they are looking to fill the position.

Each subsequent interviewer may be interviewing you to assess specific skill sets or competencies. Try to understand the perspective of each interviewer by asking them to explain their role in the organization and the working relationship they would have with the person in the position you are applying for. This team of interviewers will later convene to compare observations and provide their recommendation on whether or not you are a viable candidate.

Given there may be several interviewees competing and bringing a comparable level of value to the table, the interviewer’s decision may be based on their connection with you. You may establish a connection by sharing aspects about your experience that you know will resonate with your interviewer’s interests or background, or by coming across in a way that conveys authenticity, and engenders trust and comfort. This is the part of the interview that is clearly “art” versus “science.” To this end, pay attention to your non-verbal behavior. Appear interested, by sitting up straight and/or leaning slightly forward. Appear engaged by keeping eye contact and providing affirming gestures. Even if you are nervous, appear composed by controlling any nervous habits you may have such as fidgeting, tapping your feet, or clenching. Take a deep breath and smile inwardly so that you appear confident. Make sure you are talking at a pace that the interviewer can follow. Don’t be afraid to use brief silence to think through a question or pause to check for understanding.

Remember, during the interview you are promoting yourself, but it is also a mutual exchange. You are trying to find the best “buyer.” Make sure you have prepared some questions ahead of time so that you can gain a better understanding of the current and future direction of the role and company, the value of the role within the company, the work environment, any inherent challenges, and specific results you will be expected to deliver early on.

At the close of your interview, be sure to thank the interviewer for his or her time, ask about next steps, and get a sense of timing of when you will hear back from the company. A memorable and nice touch to keep you top of mind is to send a follow-up thank you note to each interviewer.

Quantifying the return on investment when it comes to your career can be as straightforward as punching numbers into a calculator. But numbers are not enough, says Lisa Whaley, a former IBM vice president who turned her B.S. from the Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) into a lucrative 22-year career with the technology giant. She said she was successful, in part, because she made regular common sense assessments along the way.

“The original plan was to work for a few years then go to law school or get my MBA,” said Whaley, author of Reclaiming My Soul From The Lost and Found a story of her journey from a successful executive to a woman in despair trying to find happiness. “Every time I’d get to that point – where I thought I needed more training or such – I would get a promotion or I was working on some great project. So I never did it, but I still did well. I realized that had I stopped to get the MBA, it would not have brought me anything at the company.” Read the full story

Career success depends on achieving notable goals in four key areas: academic preparation, employment history, professional development, and strategic mentoring. Concentration on the first three areas to the exclusion of the last one can place severe limits on career growth.

Whether you work in applications development, consulting and systems integration, Internet and e-commerce, networking, operations or quality assurance, or some other aspect of Information Technology, the importance of developing strategies for effective mentoring cannot be overstated.

Mentoring is very important for minority IT professionals. The numbers of women and other minorities in the IT industry are low and can be discouraging for many. IT professionals can become frus­trated with the ‘silent obstacles’ that exist in the industry, thus making mentoring a venue to prepare and overcome them

Types of Mentoring

“Mentoring” can be defined in numerous ways. For purposes of this discussion, it can be viewed as involving critical information, timely communication, expert advice, and personal support offered by a seasoned professional for the personal growth and career advancement of a younger professional referred to as a “mentee” or “protégé.” This is a formal definition of mentoring. Before discussing mentoring in the formal sense, it’s instructive to consider several types of informal mentoring, beginning with the “inspirational” variety

Inspirational Mentoring

Someone you have read about, listened to, learned about in college, church or some social circle can serve as an inspirational mentor. Think of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Who hasn’t been inspired by his “I Have a Dream” speech? In a real way, Dr. King has mentored generations of African Americans who never knew him, but have been uplifted and inspired by his challenge to overcome self-imposed limitations and achieve success despite the odds. Other important historical figures can serve as valuable inspirational mentors, such as pioneers in the Information Technology field, including persons of color spotlighted in this publication. Similarly, men and women in other disciplines who have achieved membership in some actual or figurative “Hall of Fame” can inspire you to strive for educational self-enrichment and occupational advancement

Informal Mentoring

This category involves individuals whose career and life success you admire; who can steer you in a helpful direction regarding goal setting, professional development, employment selection, advancement on the job, or personal entrepreneurship. The possibilities for informal mentoring are numerous. Examples would include successful professionals in your personal circle of influence who take an interest in your education and subsequent vocational choices and livelihood. Included in this group, also, are persons in the clergy, business leaders, influential relatives or acquaintances, or other individuals who can provide helpful information, advice, and support at critical points in your life.

Academic Mentoring

Persons in academia can exert a strong, positive mentoring influence in a young professional’s life. They can provide valuable information and guidance regarding course selection, co-operative education and internship opportunities, and options for post-graduate training. Other academic contacts can be profitable for establishing a mentoring relationship. For instance, members of alumni associations, fraternities or sororities can demonstrate a special interest in current students or recent graduates with career aspirations in fields similar to their own. Such interest can blossom into regular communication and career guidance that help young protégés to advance as budding professionals in their chosen discipline.

Without a doubt, most successful IT professionals can point to one or more notable professors or college administrators who steered them in a helpful direction as they matured intellectually and achieved their academic goals and personal aspirations.

Workplace Mentoring

A more formal type of on-the-job mentoring involves seasoned professionals linked with younger workers. Experienced professionals who are assigned to “show the ropes” to younger employees serve a valuable purpose. Specifically, they alert eager and ambitious protégés to the reality of what it takes to succeed in the corporate world. Their tutelage typically covers such matters as playing smart office politics, demonstrating a good work ethic, building a reputation for excellence, choosing the right career path, and preparing for promotional opportunities. For example, a junior software engineer is matched with a senior SE in a large corporation offering numerous career paths. Through regular contact, the senior engineer evaluates the younger protégé’s progress, offers suggestions for performance improvement, and helps him avoid the workplace pitfalls that await unsuspecting employees.

In addition, the senior member of the mentoring team can sponsor the protégé’s membership in professional societies, introduce him to other “movers and shakers” within the industry, and write letters of reference when it’s time to make a career move.

Workplace mentors are valuable for other reasons. Depending on how close they are to their protégés, they can serve as a “sounding board” when their younger counterparts need to vent job-related frustrations. Furthermore, they can prod them on when they feel discouraged and help them make a “reality check” when workplace situations seem confusing or overwhelming.

As discussed, many persons can serve in a mentoring role. Often mentors and protégés gravitate toward one another. For instance, an exceptional student is drawn to a distinguished professor who admires her drive and potential, and who is willing to offer mentoring guidance throughout the student’s academic career. Who do you greatly admire and wish to emulate to some degree in terms of academic achievement, intellectual prowess, and career success? These are the kinds of individuals to link yourself with in terms of informal and formal mentoring.

There can be overlapping mentoring relationships. For instance, your direct superior on the job might move into some other department or division of the organization and still take an active interest in your career progress. The mentoring relationship may become more informal than formal, but be just as valuable in providing career guidance—even as a new boss “takes you under her wings” and guides your advancement within the organization.

When selecting a beneficial mentor, it is important to be patient and focused. Finding a good mentor is like finding a good spouse. It is a long-term proposition, not one to be rushed into. Take your time to identify someone who has been there, done that, and has the T-shirt to prove it.

The key ingredients for development of effective mentoring are both parties understanding each other’s expectations of the relationship, open communication, understanding professional and personal goals, and devoting ‘quality time’ to the relationship.

You should know what you want professionally. Learn how to network and collaborate with other IT professionals and mentors. Understand what a mentorship program entails. When seeking a good mentor, make sure he/she is the right mentor for you. And never give up—mentorship is a relationship that takes time to develop.

The best mentors were themselves mentored. They understand the importance of “giving back” to those who are literally or figuratively following in their footsteps. As you advance in your chosen field, it’s important to be willing to share insight, advice, and guidance with younger professionals who are preparing to launch their careers. In the same way others have inspired you to achieve great things, be prepared to serve in a mentoring role for others who emulate your success and professional stature.

Calvin Bruce, an Atlanta-based freelancer, has 20 years of recruitment experience, including Information Technology. He has published articles on career management for numerous professional publications such as Minority Engineer, Careers and the Engineer, and Journal of the National Technical Association.

Longevity. Staying power. There are senior managers in corporate America who achieve these feats despite turns in the economy and regardless of what administration is in office. They embody a class that has demonstrated commitment to their professions and each among them has managed to climb steadily to the top and remain there. How do they endure? Their strategies have been chronicled in numerous resources. One is the book “Staying Power : 30 Secrets Invincible Executives Use for Getting to the Top – and Staying There” by Thomas A. Schweich. He bases the book on interviews with more than 35 successful top executives, including Earl G. Graves, J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr., Janet Reno and a host of others. He cleverly recaps 30 “rules” associated with “The Invincible Career Path,” “The Invincible Personality,” and “The Invincible Management Style.” Here are a few samples:

• Discover your talents early, and discard your fantasies immediately
• When you suffer a set-back, come clean and bounce back
• Work is a member of the family
• Find a job that you look forward to every day
• Harness your fear to sharpen your professional judgment
• Value loyalty, but do not depend on it
• Wield a spiritual shield, but not a spiritual sword
• Take the high ground and never give it up
• Intimidation chases away talent, opportunity, and creativity
• Spend more time on information inflow than information outflow
• Wring the emotion out of risk analysis

Do these rules resonate with African-American executives? In talking to three senior careerists, it appears that there is some common ground between philosophies. William McKnight Farrow, III, Joleen Spencer, and Moses Brewer personify staying power within their industries. Farrow is the chief information officer for the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Spencer is senior vice president of marketing with Shore Bank. Brewer leads marketing and sales for Coors Brewing Company. Read the full story

When asked to account for their success, most business leaders cite the importance of having had a mentor at critical points in their careers. Mentoring programs have become more prevalent within organizations during the last decade. Organizations have implemented mentoring programs to assist with a variety of efforts, including retaining and promoting targeted groups of employees; facilitating career development; supporting diversity; developing executive talent; and strengthening senior executives’ interpersonal skills.

Mentoring helps to demystify organizations and helps younger people understand how to be effective in a given environment. The benefits extend beyond the “protégés” participating in the program to mentors and the organization at large. Historically, mentoring has involved senior managers targeting promising individuals, grooming them for more senior-level responsibilities. Because this approach relied upon personal relationships, certain groups particularly African Americans and women often were frozen out of such opportunities. In an effort to level the playing field, many companies are implementing formal mentoring programs and requiring classroom training for program participants.

There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to mentoring. Group mentoring or “learning circles” are particularly useful when the number of mentors within an organization is limited. And a growing number of organizations are implementing mentoring efforts that leverage the perspective and expertise of middle managers, peers and subordinates, as well as executives from other organizations.

Read the full story

You read success stories everyday. You hear about people who have accomplished goals against the odds and come back bigger and more powerful and people who have persevered on a path and now are viewed as pioneers in their own right. These people exist in all walks of life and many have made their marks as leaders in the corporate arena.

When you read about people such as Kenneth Chenault, Franklin Raines, and Sylvia Rhone, you may ponder: What do they have? Who did they know? Is there a special formula that worked for them? Is ability inborn or something that I can learn? Will I learn these skills in business school? Each of these questions is relevant, particularly when one considers current economic and business conditions. The answers make for a worthy discussion, given the history of African Americans as power brokers in roles that influence how business is run, what partnerships are established, and how and what communities are developed.

A Few Facts

With all the press on these African-American pioneers, it may appear that African Americans have made significant progress in climbing the corporate ladder. Accounts of individuals such as Chenault and others are, at minimum, inspirational. These individuals are truly unique for they make up less than 1 percent of positions for chief executive officers, chairpersons, and presidents of Fortune 1000 companies.

African Americans are slightly better represented in senior management posts within the not-for-profit and public sectors. But don’t let the statistics dissuade you from corporate ranks. The success stories that do exist clearly show senior management positions are attainable. So what will it take? What sacrifices are involved and what is the payoff?

Is the secret to senior management about who you are, the people you know, or what you do? According to many leaders who have entered this domain, it is about all of these things. It’s also about what you feel. Passion, fervor, and determination have all been linked to success and credibility.

What are the critical components to consider? For what obstacles should one prepare? How should one benchmark readiness for this journey?

Read the full story