Tips and Advice for Career Success

Is promotion eluding you? Your career advancement may not be entirely under your control, but acquiring certain skills and characteristics can alter and certainly transform your professional fate. Here are some tips on rising the ladder in the corporate world as well as dealing with mistakes and a new hire.

A broad network, well-read repertoire and an inquisitive nature can help you rise above a crowded field. For more on those tips and more advice, read on for best bets from the experts on professional posturing.

Expand your clique. Maintain a broad social network, says Advisory Board Co. CEO John R. Brown in his latest book, by surrounding yourself with intelligent people with integrity who will challenge you to be your best. "Social capital" is built by establishing contacts: Most jobs are undoubtedly obtained through so called "weak ties" -- that is, people outside your primary social group. To maintain and build a network, keep in touch, sending interesting newspaper articles to acquaintances.

Take on more . Rising through the ranks demands that one anticipate and adapt to change. Fluctuations and insecurity allow opportunities to emerge, according to Gail Blanke, CEO of New York executive-coaching company Lifedesigns. Real and aspiring leaders need to be impassioned and bring energy and optimism wherever they go, so get involved, listen to others and view change opportunistically. Someone is going to take advantage of shifts; Let it be you, instructs Blanke.

Improve interactions. Studies indicate that people associate competence with vocal and facial pleasantness, signaling that perceptions of proficiency are linked with how we interact with others. Maintain eye contact and keep your facial expression neutral, neither expressing strong emotion nor appearing stony, advises author Maggie Shepherd in her book "The Art of Civilized Conversation." Animation and variety -- varying the rate, pitch and volume -- in your speech will also impress listeners, says Georgetown University lecturer and public speaking consultant Sue Roeglin.

Be inquisitive. You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you, according to public speaking expert Carnegie, whose books have sold millions. Engage others with questions. Open-ended inquiries start conversations and provide opportunities to expand your network and learn; small talk can lead to more serious discussions. Margaret Shepherd suggests replacing dead-end questions like "Working hard, or hardly working?" with inquiries about vacation plans and work projects. The ubiquitous Washington question "What do you do?" might be replaced with "What do you enjoy doing?"

Speak up. Most people are anxious when speaking in front of audiences -- about one-third of us are excessively nervous, according to a University of Manitoba study. Public speaking, however, remains pivotal to career success. Some advice Georgetown's Roeglin imparts to her students: The first 60 seconds are the most important, so grab your audience with a dramatic or compelling point; eschew caffeine; avoid iced water, because the cold constricts your larynx and gives your voice a "choking chicken" sound; write an outline, but do not memorize; record yourself to identify and eliminate vocal fillers such as "like" and and "at any rate"; and always end with a closing remark that signals the conclusion of your speech.

Book it. Reading the news provides one with useful, industry-specific information, but being more broadly literate is valuable too. Asking colleagues about their favorite books helps you establish a rapport with superiors and tap their knowledge, while cultivating your extra-professional interests through reading allows you to connect other interests to your professional life. To increase your reading quotient, adopt the 150-page rule, suggests I: if the book does not have you by then, set it down. Also try books on tape or reading clubs.

Make your name known. A name can stand on its own -- if it is "Donald Trump." But until you have a trademark after your surname, introduce yourself by your full name and tell people about yourself. To gain name recognition, you may opt to carry a tasteful "social business card," a modern-day equivalent to the social calling card. It used to be considered gauche to give out your business card at social events; in the age of ceaseless networking, however, a card that stylishly reflects you and not your firm is desirable according to many experts.

Accept praise. The approaches different organizations take to single out employees for praise depends on their culture and work environment, while this amy seen haughty. In some cases, rewards may be monetary; good performance may also contribute to a promotion. When the stakes are high, taking or giving credit creates a delicate situation that should be navigated carefully. Claiming another's work can lead to lack of trust and high turnover, says Roger D. Sommer, vice president of client relations at human resources consulting firm OI Partners Inc./Maguire Group. Recognizing others is particularly important in peer groups; exchanging credit smoothes personal relationships, notes Sommer. Acknowledge assistance while gracefully accepting praise for your work.

Even the most talented and polished professionals make mistakes. From minor mishaps to colossal blunders, to err is human. Here are some great tips to making sure these blunders do not cost your job:

* Take corrective action quickly. After making a cringe-inducing error, your first reaction might be to dart for the door. But avoiding the situation or hoping it resolves itself will only compound the problem. For instance, let's say you inadvertently delete a key document your boss needs for a client presentation the next morning. Instead of thinking up an excuse, swiftly go into damage-control mode and contact your information technology department to see if there's any way to retrieve the file. If it's gone for good, inform your manager immediately and offer to stay late to reconstruct the document or help retool the speech. While your boss will be upset with the news, his or her reaction will be even worse if you wait until the last minute to drop the bombshell.

* Accept responsibility and apologize. A sincere "I'm sorry" can go a long way, and it doesn't hurt to say it. If you stick your foot in your mouth with an insensitive or ill-timed comment, for instance, your best bet is to show remorse and express genuine concern for any colleague you offended. A heartfelt mea culpa will soothe, while attempts to rationalize or justify your behavior will only further damage your reputation. For example, saying, "I was only joking" or accusing the insulted parties of "not having a sense or humor" invalidates their hurt feelings and adds insult to injury. You're much better off acknowledging the seriousness of the slip-up and making amends.

* Let it go. If poor planning causes you to miss a deadline, it's not uncommon to dwell on the error for a day or two. But move on once you've identified where things went awry and modify your work habits to avoid similar issues in the future. There's no benefit to obsessively analyzing the mistake. Remember that one error does not trump all of your successes, so don't let the slip-up define you.

While on-the-job blunders can be unpleasant, they don't have to be career-killing. In fact, demonstrating that you can own up to a mistake and bounce back with professionalism and integrity may even help you over the long term.

Starting a new job can be exciting -- and a bit nerve-wracking. In addition to having to master new tasks and understand new procedures, you'll have to navigate an often complex social network that exists at the company.

Use these eleven simple tips to make your transition from new hire to trusted colleague.

The Do's:

* Act friendly at all times, even if you're feeling frazzled from all the new information you're trying to process.

* Be inquisitive with your coworkers. Make small talk about popular television shows ("Did anyone watch 'The Office' last night?") or sporting events to spark conversations that are cordial without being too personal.

* Ask your new coworkers for recommendations on the best places to grab a good cup of coffee, buy breakfast, eat lunch, and shop. This will help you gain common social ground with colleagues and may also spark an invitation to one of the venues.

* Give colleagues time to warm up to you gradually, which is undoubtedly the best step.

* Bring in a tasty treat from home to leave in the lunchroom for all to enjoy. Cupcakes, cookies, or fresh fruit are always crowd pleasers.

The Don'ts:

* Don't insinuate yourself into other people's personal conversations. If you're perceived as being invasive, it will be hard to win your coworkers' trust.

* Don't expect to immediately hear all the strange-but-true tales that involve your colleagues. You'll learn all about the infamous holiday party of 2005 or the relationships fiascos soon enough.

* Don't constantly reference your former place of employment ("At my last job, we did things this way."). You'll only cause coworkers to wonder why you don't go back to work there.

* Don't start inviting people to come see your band play or watch your off-off-off-Broadway debut. Wait for others to express an interest in your extracurricular pursuits before assuming they want to be in the audience.

* Don't immediately ask people to join your online network (MySpace, LinkedIn, or Plaxo). Your network should consist of people with whom you have a relationship rather than just someone who happens to have the same employer as you, which will gain the respect of your bosses and such.