The young professional's guide to the working world : savvy strategies to get in, get ahead, and rise to the top

165 Pages·2013·1.28 MB·English

by  Aaron McDaniel

The Young Professional’s Guide to the
WORKING WORLD
The Young Professional’s Guide to the
WORKING WORLD
Savvy Strategies to Get in, Get Ahead, and Rise to the Top
Foreword by Marshall Goldsmith
New York Times best-selling author of
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
Aaron McDaniel
To my mom, Dawn, who stretched the bounds of creativity to teach me the
necessity of integrity, the power of believing in myself, the benefit of never
giving up, and the importance of always giving things a shot before labeling a
situation impossible.
To my dad, Jerry, who groomed me to be a business leader from a young age,
having me build budgets and schedules, always warning that one day I would
have a boss; who assured me I would eventually reach the top, made me
eliminate the word can’t from my vocabulary, and taught me that to know and
not to do is not to know.
This book is dedicated to you both. I love you.
Acknowledgments
So many people helped make this great concept a reality.
To Zach Romano, my agent: Thank you for believing in me and singling out
this idea among the stacks and stacks you come across every day. It seems as
though it all moved so fast. Once we connected, you jumped into action, and
before I could blink we were already down the path to finding the right home for
the book. I also want to thank Carole Jelen and the rest of the team at Waterside
Productions for helping throughout the entire process.
To the entire team at Career Press: You have been an absolute pleasure to
work with. Kirsten Dalley, Gina Talucci, and Kara Kumpel, my editors, I am
grateful for how you have always been there to answer my questions and have
been flexible in getting everything ready for print. Jeff Piasky, I LOVE the
silhouette design idea; it definitely makes the cover pop. Thanks to Laurie Kelly-
Pye and the Newman Communications team for working hard to get the word
out about the book. Awesome job everyone!
A big shout-out to my manuscript readers! Leona Ma, Jonathan Siegel,
Suzanne O’Brien, and Glenn Devore, thank you so much for taking the time to
comb through the mistakes of my drafts to find ways to sharpen my message and
make the book more useful for the readers. I am indebted to each of you for how
you challenged me to make my book even better. It definitely shows in the
finished product.
Thanks to Marco Cozzi, Sarah Tran, Pedro Noyola, Juan Contreras, Shweta
Sharma, Jeff Haskins, Kate Calligaro, and Glenn Devore for your help on the
Quick Tips. Hopefully the success each of you has found in your careers will rub
off on the readers.
My gratitude goes out to Nii Mensah, Virginia de Freitas Battersby, and
others for lending me the perfect stories to help make my key points sink in.
To Paul Benjamin: Thanks for the support, encouragement, and for being the
best photographer in the world. Your pictures (and vision) are amazing.
Special thanks to Chimmy Lee. Chimmy, your graphics are always tops. You
really brought the Career Blueprint idea to life in a way I never could have.
Marshall Goldsmith: Your foreword really sets the tone for the book and your
tireless and selfless effort to help others be the best leaders they can be is
nothing short of inspiring. I am honored that you were willing to contribute to
this project.
Having solid mentors is one of the most important ingredients for a successful
career. This book would not have happened without the support and guidance of
Alexandra Levit, Dan Schwabel, and (without even knowing it) Michael Larsen.
You all pushed me to make this idea a reality and pulled back the veil on what it
takes to be a successful author. To Chris Sambar: thanks for teaching me to take
my career to the next level, from how to dress professionally to how to get
people to support your ideas. And to my very first mentor, my cousin Sean
Sunday: Sean, you helped turn me from a scrappy little kid into a stand-up guy. I
love ya BOC.
Joan Massola: You are a delight in every sense of the word. From allowing
me to bounce ideas off of you to offering guidance on how to make this book
exactly what young professionals need to hear— all of it is much appreciated.
You are pretty awesome at giving career advice too!
Rich Heffernan: Thank you for having faith that I would be a good intern-
turned-manager. Your confidence in me has led to an amazing career so far. I am
so glad I didn’t hit “Send” on that e-mail to you.
Chris Garner: I am indebted to you for challenging me to be “not just.” The
first time we met may have been only a few moments but it had a huge impact
on me. Plus it makes for one heck of a story!
I want to acknowledge all the STARs and DOPEs out there. You all have
helped me learn many incredibly valuable lessons.
Finally (and most importantly), Mom and Dad, I want to express my
appreciation to you. You taught me from a young age almost every one of the
lessons in this book. Through twists of fate and amazing parenting alike, you
engrained these characteristics into me. I strive to make you proud of me in
everything I do. Words can’t express the love I have for each of you.
Thank you!
Contents
Foreword by Marshall Goldsmith
Part I: Starting Prep and Groundwork
Chapter 1
The Working World:
No More Trophies for Participation
Chapter 2
Don’t Be the DOPE: The Successful Young Professional’s Mindset Part II:
Laying the Foundation
Chapter 3
Check Your Ego at the Door: Dulling the Sense of Entitlement Chapter 4
Your Career Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint: Developing Patience Chapter 5
Staying Agile in a Constantly Changing Corporate World: Flexibility
Chapter 6
How to Be Successful in Any Position from Day One: Be a Fast Learner
Chapter 7
It’s Not About You: STARs Make It About the Team Chapter 8
I Hope We Fail:
The Importance of Resilience and Follow-Through Chapter 9
Finding the Lesson in Every Experience:
The Power of Having Perspective
Chapter 10
It’s “Not Just” What Your Title Reads: Taking Pride in What You Do
Chapter 11
Knowing That You Don’t Know It All:
Building Self-Awareness
Part II Summary:
The First Nine Attributes of the STAR Young Professional
Part III: Putting Up the Frame
Chapter 12
The Goal of Every Job: Serving Your Customer Chapter 13
What to Do When You Have No Clue What You Are Doing: “Act as If”
Chapter 14
Make Up Your Mind: Sharp Decision-Making Skills Chapter 15
There Is No “Box” to Think Outside Of:
Creativity in the Workplace
Chapter 16
Hard Work, the Smart Way: Be Resourceful
Chapter 17
We Are All in Sales:
The Importance of Asking for What You Want Chapter 18
Stepping out of Your Comfort Zone: Taking Action Chapter 19
Become a Juggler: The Art of Multitasking
Part III Summary:
Attributes 10 Through 17 of the STAR Young Professional
Part IV: Finishing the Exterior
Chapter 20
Do the LEGWORK:
How to Be an Effective Communicator
Chapter 21
The One Thing You Will Always Have Control Of: Your Attitude
The One Thing You Will Always Have Control Of: Your Attitude
Chapter 22
The Road That Will Pave Your Future: Networking Chapter 23
The Most Visible Trait for Any STAR: Professionalism Chapter 24
Your True Reflection: Integrity
Chapter 25
Let Others Help You Be the STAR: Be Coachable Chapter 26
It’s Never too Early to Pay It Forward:
The Importance of Giving Back
Chapter 27
The Determining Factor of Success in Your Career: Getting Results
Part IV Summary:
Attributes 18 Through 25 of the STAR Young Professional
Part V: Bringing It All Together
Chapter 28
Crafting Your Own STAR Mindset Chapter 29
Putting Your STAR Mindset Into Action Chapter 30
Finishing Touches
Notes
Index
About the Author
Foreword by Marshall Goldsmith
Aaron McDaniel’s The Young Professional’s Guide to the Working World:
Savvy Strategies to Get In, Get Ahead, and Rise to the Top is a significant work,
as its focus is on guiding young professionals—millennials—in the first years of
their corporate careers. In the field of leadership, there aren’t many books
focused on the traits and skills this audience needs in order to face today’s
corporate challenges and succeed in the current business environment. This
books is highly valuable for this audience.
One of the most difficult challenges these young professionals face is an
environment of constant and rapid change for which there is no established
model of leadership. Although executive management models of the past
provide some guidance for the leadership models of the future, in today’s
complex and ever-changing worldwide business environment, no specific,
established model will fit the broad range of situations these young leaders will
encounter.
That’s why this book is so useful to young professionals today.It provides
insights on qualities and traits that are becoming increasingly important to have
if these millennials are going to succeed. Aaron is a millennial himself, and so
has experience, knowledge, and personal learnings to share that many of us who
were brought up in different times may not.
Personally, I believe that young professionals today have to demonstrate an
entrepreneurial spirit if they are going to succeed in today’s job market. They
have to create opportunities where there might not seem to be one. It’s not easy.
We can’t all be entrepreneurial in terms of how we approach our careers. Yet,
there are things that we can do; here are a few suggestions.
Love what you do. Years of hard work (which generally precedes success)
don’t seem so hard if you are doing what you love.
Be curious. Make notes about potential opportunities, and then follow up
on them.
Find your own market niche. In the same way that successful
entrepreneurs provide innovative solutions to market opportunities, you
can work to develop a special competency that differentiates you from
everyone else.
Become a world expert. Pick a reasonably narrow area of specialization,