10 Key Career Success Questions

At some point in every professional or managerial career, there is a time when one start thinking: Is it time to move on or do something else? However, before you quit your job and take a fling at something else, realistically evaluate your career and potential options by asking yourself these ten career success questions:

  • Do I really like my work or am I hanging on marking time?
  • Am I promotable or am I seen as a disposable commodity?
  • Am I visible to potential employers, as well as my current boss?
  • Am I growing or stagnating or just standing still waiting for the next wave of change?
  • How smooth are my interpersonal relationships with my boss and co-workers?
  • Am I being rewarded at my true worth?
  • Have I recently checked out my value in the marketplace?
  • How valued and diversified are my skills and competencies?
  • How can I distinguish myself from competitors?
  • What will it take to get where I want to go from the place I am right now?

    • While setting distinct goals is a critical factor in career advancement, remaining flexible is important too. Climbing the career ladder with blinders on could mean missed opportunity. Career success involves staying open, staying flexible and making sure you're using your talents to the fullest. Remember, control your destiny or someone else will!

    Marcia Zidle, the 'people smarts' coach, works with business leaders to quickly solve their people management headaches so they can concentrate on their #1 job - to grow and increase profits. She offers free help through Leadership Briefing, a weekly e-newsletter with practical tips on leadership style, employee motivation, recruitment and retention and relationship management. Subscribe by going tohttp://leadershiphooks.com/ and get the bonus report "61 Leadership Time Savers and Life Savers". Marcia is the author of the What Really Works Handbooks - resources for managers on the front line and the Power-by-the-Hour programs - fast, convenient, real life, affordable courses for leadership and staff development. She is available for media interviews, conference presentations and panel discussions on the hottest issues affecting the workplace today. Contact Marcia at 800-971-7619.


    More Resources

    Are You Ready To Start A Business? Take This Quiz and See
    Don't get discouraged! A "no" answer to any of the questions will identify an area for development -- not a roadblock. I am available to help if you would like to discuss your options in greater detail.
    When All Is Not Well With Work
    When all is not well with work, what do you do? Do you quickly get frustrated and feel discontent? Do you look at each situation as a tiresome challenge or as an opportunity to learn something new? Have you ever considered looking at work problems from a spiritual point of view?When you look at work from a spiritual perspective, you will see that there are lessons for you to learn. Let's look at a couple of situations that you or someone you know may have encountered.
    How to Pick the Best Career For You , Part 2: From Exposure-to-Opportunity
    Gain an audience by recognizing opportunityThere's a sexier method to salsa into a great career with less tripping and more flair. Look for problems to solve and create a personalized solution.
    It May Be Time to Walk in an Employers Shoes
    If you are in a job search and aren't receiving viable hits, it's time to walk a mile in an employer's shoes. Okay, I realize what you may be thinking.
    Getting Past Fear
    Have you gotten tons of career advice, solicited and unsolicited? You nod when you hear it and think, "Yeah, I know this stuff." So, what else is new?But what have you done with the advice? Fess up.
    Searching for Jobs Online
    Searching for jobs online is easier than ever, but also more confusing than ever. Any Internet user doing a job search online will find that they can choose from hundreds of national employment listing web sites and the numbers can often be staggering.
    Mastering the Job Interview - 5 Tips to Make Yourself Irresistible to the Interviewer
    So you've figured out, more or less what you want to do and where the opportunities are. Now; you have been called for an interview.
    Now, Do You Have Any Questions?
    "Who is that hot babe in the picture?" isn't the type of reply an interviewer expects to hear when he or she invites you to ask questions near the end of an interview. In fact, the way you approach the Q&A session will have a direct impact on the interviewer's perception of you.
    How to Manage Your Career Like a Business
    Look upon yourself as a company with a product or service to sell. Understand your market and devise a dynamic marketing campaign, remembering that companies hire employees who offer them the best results and the best value for money.
    Tips for Requesting a Raise
    You probably think you deserve a raise. But does your boss think so?Here's how to go about convincing your boss that you're really worth more than you're being paid.
    Three Ways to Transition to a New Career
    As a Certified Personnel Consultant working for Find Great People International in Greenville, South Carolina, I receive telephone calls from people who are considering a career change. For some, transitioning to a new career is easier than others.
    Job Hunting: Its Still The First Impression Stupid!
    In the 1992 USA Presidential election, political strategist James Carville hung a sign in Bill Clinton's Little Rock campaign office that read, "It's still the economy, stupid." His intent? Simply to keep everybody focused on the most important issue of the day.
    Im just me - An Overview of an Web er.. Designer, Developer, Consultant and Friend
    I am going to give you a breakdown of my ..
    Job Search - Understand Employers
    Think like an employerTo be successful in your job search campaign you must think like an employer or a recruiter. If you are going to do this right, you need to appreciate the ways that employers sift through the flood of resumes.
    50 Things To Do To Your Boss That Are Fun For You, But Not For Them
    1. You're eavesdropping and you hear your boss has reservations at his favorite restaurant.
    Common Resume Myths & Misconceptions
    For the person crafting their first résumé the task can seem a little bit daunting, even a bit frightening. Human Resources [HR] specialists, résumé writing professionals, school advisors, and even friends and family members all have their say.
    Adapting To Change In A Changing World
    Have you learnt a new skill or improved upon your existing skill in the last six months to one year?According to the world acclaimed management guru and Writer Professor Peter Drucker - "The only skill that will be important in the 21st century is the skill of learning news skills. Everything else will become obsolete over time.
    Business Experience is YOUR Security Cover
    Some may want to interpret "independent" to mean WITHOUT others. None of us are truly independent or able to make it in life alone.
    Need a Job? Put a Gun to Your Head
    A legendary marketing genius once said that, if he had to write a killer sales letter, he would imagine he had a gun pointed at his head and that he would be shot if his advertising didn't deliver.This motivated him to create some of the world's most-profitable ads.
    Dissatisfied with Your Job? Take Your Power Back!
    Apparently, there are all sorts of reasons to be dissatisfied with your job..

    More Careers & Employment Information:

    Related Articles

    Offer Letter Limbo
    Recently we concluded the placement of a Senior Sales Representative for a publicly traded company. The role was ripe with potential as the company products were being widely embraced by current and new customers.
    Cover Letter Magic: 4 Ways To ASK For The Job Interview - And Get It!
    Just how important it is to ASK for the job interview clearly and directly in your cover letter?IT'S EVERYTHING!So the question remains: how effectively are you ASKING? The following four ways will help you nail down many more job interviews. Try them all and see which ones work best for you.
    Traveling for An Interview? 10 Tips to Get You From Here to There
    You've just been granted an on-site interview in another town. Hurray!This means you'll be traveling to an employer's location so that they can further evaluate you for a specific job position.
    The Interview - A Few Tips for Making a Great First Impression
    Searching for employment is one of the most nerve-racking activities to engage in. As if the direct need for income is not stressful enough, the process of writing a résumé, networking in your industry, and applying for jobs can leave anyone shaking in their tracks.
    Surviving The Technical Interview
    Ah, the technical interview. Nothing like it.
    What is a Career Anyway?
    A career is the sum total of all of your work-related contributions to society in a lifetime. This includes time and effort spent to provide goods, services, or benefit to others.
    Internships: Bonkers or Brilliant?
    I have something to say that's driving me batty. It's regarding graduates who fuss about not getting a job they like or not getting a job at all for that matter.
    Analysing Adverts for the Creative Response
    The fundamental rule is: if you are going to apply for advertised jobs then only apply for the right ones. Don't waste time by applying for the ones you've no chance of getting; not only is your time lost but your morale will suffer if you keep getting rejections.
    How to Evaluate Job Offers and Zoom In On the Right Opportunity for You
    You've been successful in your job hunt and have received a job offer. Maybe you received more than one offer.
    Your Resume is Just One of the Tools in Your Job Search
    A resume is a tool. It allows employers to see what skills you have and what benefits you bring to the table.
    7 Tips for Writing Winning Resume Cover Letters
    Writing a good resume cover letter is something you should seriously consider when preparing to send off your resume to potential employers.Here are seven important cover letter writing tips:Address the individual by name.
    The Top Ten Strategies of A Great Interview
    You've just received a call to interview with your dream company. Do you know how to prepare for the interview so that you'll feel confident, have a good experience and set yourself apart from others? Try following the steps below and you'll not only be well prepared, you'll present yourself as a true professional.
    Seven Tips to a Job-Winning Interview
    These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it!1.
    How To Answer Your Call In Mid-Life
    Hank Bochenski's story proves it is never too late to walk away from a life you feel trapped in and do something that you really love.Hank spent 30 years in demanding senior positions at large high-tech companies.
    Become an LPN, the Fast Path to a Nursing Career
    Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) CareersLicensed Practical Nurses provide the most amount of direct patient care within the nursing category of healthcare. If you're interested in a healthcare career dealing directly with patients, becoming an LPN is a rewarding opportunity.
    How To Become a Mortgage Broker
    The mortgage industry accounted for $1,815,949,279,000 in loan transactions in 2004. That's one trillion, eight hundred and fifteen billion, nine hundred and forty-nine million, two hundred and seventy nine thousand dollars.
    Always Have a Current Resume
    What is the biggest mistake people make with resumes?People write their resumes as a chronological summary of everything they've done in their professional lives. Employers only care about one thing: what you can do for them.
    Cleaning Houses for a Living Has Some Unexpected Benefits
    If you're looking for a way to earn a living or just to make some extra money on the side, cleaning houses for a living is probably not the first thing that comes to mind.Cleaning houses? Doesn't that sound like a lot of unpleasant, grungy work?Yes, it does sound pretty unpleasant, and that is exactly why there is very good profit in it.
    Are You Suited for Self-employment?
    A recent poll conducted by Yahoo! Small Businessshowed that nearly 3 out of 4 Americans have consideredstarting their own business. In fact, of more than 2,200 adults surveyed, over half (51 percent) said they wouldlike to launch their small business within the next 5 years.
    Successful Job Seeking - The Importance of Your Cover Letter
    As an employer I receive many job applications each week. Some cover letters are so well written that I am compelled to review the attached resume even if our company is not currently hiring.