The Formula for a Career Hot Streak

Witnessing an athlete's hot streak is very exciting.  Are hot streaks exclusive to athletes?  Nope.  A group of researchers at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management recently published their findings on hot streaks, based on their study of over 30,000 professionals including artists, film directors and scientists.  The main findings were that hot streaks last four to five years and some people have more than one hot streak.  Hot streaks can occur at any point in a career. 

How can I get on a hot streak?  As the famous golfer Arnold Palmer is often quoted as saying, “The more I practice, the luckier I get.”  In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell wrote that for  creative professionals “ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness."  Both of these quotes relate success with practice.  If practice really does make perfect, you need to get practicing.  

How can I practice in the business world?  Well, first of all, you have to show up.  And when you do show up, you have to put in the hours, sign up for new assignments, and stretch yourself a bit.  Put your hand up when a difficult yet interesting project comes up.  Show up for a meeting prepared and ready to present your opinions and information.  And if a great opportunity comes along, whether you think you are completely ready for it or not, put yourself in line for it.  

Put in the Time:  I do believe that to get ahead you have to put in the work.  The harder I work, the luckier I've always gotten.  Putting in the time, you are building your career "muscle memory" to be agile when it is needed.  By putting in the time, you will have the knowledge and ability you will need when the time comes to use it. 

Not Simply Doing the Work:  While hard work can result in job security, you also need to work smarter not just harder.  Being strategic where you invest your time and effort is as important or perhaps more important than how hard you work.  Don't try to be the best at completing the same work the same way every time.  Figure out new things that need to be done, solve problems your company is facing and create efficiencies wherever you can.  

Find a Mentor:  Identify people you interact with at work and in your profession that you admire and respect.  Asking to be that person's protege may seem awkward, but it never hurts to ask.  Put yourself out there and do it.  This includes showing up at work, doing the work, and taking the time to build relationships with potential mentors.  Great mentors will have excellent advice on how to find greater career success.

Keep Learning:  To be successful and promote yourself, you have to keep learning.  Get up in the morning and make sure you are up on the current events.  Read industry publications to know what’s going on in your industry and gain insight to find solutions and make strategic decisions.  Interact with successful people and learn from them.  Often, industry leaders are profiled online or in local publications.  Read their interviews and see what you can glean for use in your own career.  If something really strikes you from something you see, reach out to that leader.  They may just invite you in for a meeting. 

Say Yes:  If you are given an opportunity to attend a new seminar, take a class, or meet an influential person, say yes.  Raise your hand high and volunteer.  You may just find yourself in the right place at the right time to further your career. 

Ignite Your Own Hot Streak:  While it will take hard work and sticking your neck out from time to time, career advancement is personally and financially rewarding.  Doing the work and being strategic can lead you to your own hot streak.  I'm hoping it will be the first of many.  

Remembering a Friend: Nancy Tibbitts

Last month I attended the UC Davis Internship and Career Fair, an event I have participated in for many years. I missed a familiar face, and was very sad to hear that one of the career center staff, Nancy Tibbitts, a friend and mentor of mine, had passed away late last year. This revelation rocked me to the core. This woman had been so helpful in my career; helping me get my first on-campus research job, guiding me in my first few job decisions, suggesting career moves when I was relocating, and then as a colleague during my years in recruiting. I often called her to let her know about new positions I was recruiting for, and asked her to spread the word during a search.

Not only did Nancy assist me in my professional life, but we both shared stories about being working mothers of young children--from finding time to balance the needs of work with the real life needs of a crying, hungry baby or the juggling required of an active family. It was refreshing to check in with her, first to find out how she and the family was doing, and then to get to work on something I was needing her assistance with.

It is very sad for me that she passed away. I know I was only one of many people she helped, and in my mind she was and is indispensable. She was always happy and fun to deal with. I remember her telling me, "oh you have to take that job" and "of course you need to sign-up for an internship". Luckily I followed her advice which I often echo back to young, soon-to-graduate and recent-graduates who are figuring out their career path.

I have had a lot of great mentors in my life, and I truly count Nancy Tibbitts as one of them. I will always think of her fondly, and hope to help others in their careers like she helped me.

For others who worked with Nancy, visit her guest book on the UCD site. I send my heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.

How to be a Smart Protege, WSJ article

Yesterday in the Wall Street Journal they had a great article about how to be a smart protege. The article addressed how people go about finding and learning from industry experts. I think having a good mentor network is invaluable in your career, and agree with the authors that you have to go out and find mentors and work to make the relationship thrive. I have written previously about my mentor/protege relationships, and encourage everyone to think about who can be a mentor, or a protege, and make the connection.

Never Say Never

Those of you who know me know that the last few months have been extremely hectic. Now I'm settling into my newly remodeled office with some new additions and am getting back in the groove. I was delighted to have one of my mentors stop by yesterday to see the new digs and new additions. He has been the number one reason I started this blog, and as I mentioned to him yesterday, the blog has been very helpful for my business. Being a wine writer, he seems to know a thing or two about this publishing business. So as a good protege I am doing what he said and blogging away.

It is funny for me to write something for the public to read. I was never a great writer in school. I had to take bone-head english in college because I never learned how to write effectively. Luckily I aced my 5 paragraph essay and tested out of a second quarter of it. Upon reflecting on my life, there are several things I thought I wasn't skilled at that proved to be easily mastered, and some things I never thought I'd do that have turned out to be very beneficial to me and my career.

In college I was a botany major. This required me to take lots of different science classes. One of my most challenging classes was biochemistry. I just couldn't understand some of it. I struggled and studied and got a passing grade. Afterwards I applied for an internship in one of the laboratories on campus. It turned out to be one of the top biochemistry groups there, and I was helping a Ph.D. candidate do highly technical protein chemistry work. When I was able to apply what I learned in class the whole year of coursework made sense. Having previously thought I would never "get" biochemistry it was quite satisfying to be a model biochemist in the application of it.

Growing up I was one of the shyest kids in school. I always thought it was so hard to go up to someone and talk to them, let alone have an extended conversation. Pushing myself I started to go up to new people and speak to them. I also took on speaking assignments in class--including a keynote address at 8th grade graduation. I learned that I really enjoyed public speaking, and that conversations were a fun thing--not something to dread. To this day I take on speaking engagements and relish learning new things about people that I've had to break the ice with. It was quite ironic to me that I ended up being a skilled salesperson--not the shy little mouse who didn't speak at all in school.

And my move to Sacramento is one of the most memorable never say never moments. Prior to moving to Sacramento my boss had offered me to open up a new office in Sacramento. I told him I would never move to Sacramento. Well, looking for a new house in 1998 in the Bay Area was a wake-up call. Six months later I asked my boss if I could take him up on the offer of moving to Sacramento. He said yes. Moving my family and opening up a new office was quite daunting--but turned out to be very important for my career and for my family. It gave me an opportunity to buy a house for a song, and start up a very successful business operation. My family has come to love the neighborhood, and we have strong ties to the community. This in turn has allowed me to open up my own business--a dream come true for me.

So, although I've questioned my abilities in the past, sometimes my biggest weaknesses have turned into my biggest strengths. Also, I never say never when a new opportunity comes up--too often opportunity has knocked very loudly and I've had to retract a previous refusal.

So, when you are going about your job search--turn some of your weaknesses to your advantage, and keep your options open. It seems like everything has a way of falling into place, usually for the better.

Mentors: Answers or Guidance

Recently I've been juggling several open orders, sales visits, a marketing push and my usual hectic home life. On my drive home today after a string of sales visits, I was reminded of a previously overwhelming point in my life when a great mentor had invited me to start up a new venture with him, and I was also facing a promotion at my current employer.

The new venture was a dream opportunity, and a chance to work with a great group of industry visionaries. It was a huge compliment for my friend to ask me to join him. But as is true with any start up, I would be taking on a high level of risk, both financially and professionally.

The promotion was a logical next step for me, but would require more travel and more responsibility for me. The company had always treated me very well, and I knew that as long as I could handle the job, I would be rewarded financially. But juggling travel, staff management, and a busy home life was a concern. I could stay in my current role and continue to enjoy my job--although always wonder what "could have been"

Feeling overwhelmed, I asked an experienced female entrepreneur to dinner to discuss my situation. She had been a good sounding board in the past, and I thought she might be able to shed some light on my predicament. Over a meal and a good bottle of red wine, we talked about our families, our career accomplishments, and aspirations. She had built a successful career while raising three daughters and maintaining a strong relationship with her husband. She had opened new companies, headed business groups and consulted on new opportunities.

I asked her what I should do, and as maddening as it was, she wouldn't just tell me what was the best option. She did say that starting up a new company was a big endeavor, and that my children wouldn't be young forever. She said I was sure to have plenty of great opportunities down the road, and not to feel like I was passing up on my one chance to do something special. She also said that I was probably ready for more responsibilities, as long as I had strong systems in place at home to handle situations when they arose.

Heading home I was disappointed that she hadn't of told me what to do. But I also realized that a true mentor can't simply tell you what makes the most sense. A mentor is there to show you the road ahead, help you understand the challenges and also how to overcome obstacles. So go out there, build some relationships with mentors, and listen to their advice. Then make your own decisions.

Career Decisions: Break with Tradition

Greetings from Washington. I've been on a trip to the wine areas in Oregon and Washington, and am stopped for a few days in the San Juan Islands. Beautiful Site!

I'm visiting two of my dearest friends and mentors and we've been talking about career changing and career planning. As I've mentioned in past blogs, one idea remains essential--do what you love. And speaking with my friends, it is the key to both career and personal happiness. But think broader about possible career paths--what you enjoy can very well turn into a very successful career.

Growing up my good friend wasn't an academic wiz--but was extremely good with his hands and with problem solving. Restoring his own cars and constructing buildings around the neighborhood was his true love. His parents both were academics, and urged him to go to college. While attending community college he worked part-time for the electrical department of the city. This became very interesting for him and the money was quite helpful. He quickly took on more hours and his school load lightened up. Within a couple of years he was working full time for the city and had had enough of college. This wasn't his parents' wish, but he was an adult and seemed to know what he wanted. Today, he's still with the city electrical department, having seniority and a management role and making a very substantial living.

Would he have been more successful going to college and then finding a white collar job? I don't think so. He enjoyed the outdoors, working with his hands, and solving problems. Although most of those qualities can be had with a white collar job--he wouldn't have been as happy. And for most college educations today the total cost is close to $100,000 for a bachelor's degree. Coming out of school with that debt load to land an annual salary of $35,000 isn't that empowering. And having a large debt hanging over your head makes you less willing to try new jobs and take risks with your career.

Sometimes finding an interesting field that fits your needs and dreams doesn't require four, six, eight or more years of school. Many careers out there can be rewarding personally and financially and don't require a degree or specialized training. On the job experience often quickly surpasses what a traditional education brings to work.

More on this later--the flip side to education--when it makes sense.

Mentors: Always Ask For Advice and See Where it Leads

This last weekend was a balmy 62 degrees and sunny. I couldn't stay in the house and needed to get outside. So I drove up to Williams with the family, had a picnic lunch from Granzella's deli, and headed to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex (www.fws.gov/sacramentovalleyrefuges/). My family was awed by the sight of hundreds of Snow geese and White Fronted Geese, several Shoveler Ducks, lots of coots and egrets, dozens of Great Blue Herons and many singing Red Wing Blackbirds. We also saw some birds we've never seen before, including a grouse that flew up in front of the car. It was a beautiful Sunday trip, and something that made me think about how I got there. I have one of my wine industry mentors to thank.

All the career advice books say to look for a mentor. The books advise how to find potential mentors, how to contact them, and then how to have them become your mentor. I think this is very good advice, and something anyone should do without giving it a second thought.

I've been fortunate to have had great mentoring experience. But I don't sit down with a mentor and say, "Okay, now that we're having our mentoring meeting, what is on the agenda?". I think that mentors can come from a wide variety of relationships and backgrounds.

My first mentor was my neighbor who traveled the world, was a scientist and loved to invite me over to her house. She taught me about microbiology, genetics, stained glass, different cultures and a myriad of other things. She also employed me to assist with managing her house and property. This job was the most important thing to me, because I always wanted to do a great job for her. The pay was a nice incentive, but the responsibility she gave me was even more important.

After moving away, another mentor was a woman I worked for as a temporary employee. She gave me career advice, showed me the ropes in the insurance sales/underwriting world, and more importantly, on how the work world worked. I often think about how I deal with an issue, and how Annette would have handled it.

Now, always choose your mentors wisely. Back in my IT staffing days, I had the privilege of working with a very articulate Harvard MBA computer programmer who was helping me break into the government IT project world. He was smart, had great advice, told me how to do things I had never done before, and always had a great story to illustrate a point. But when I went to put him on one of my first IT government projects and had to check his educational background, it came back empty. Upon asking him about it, he said it was due to his being in a Top Secret mission involving Noriega, and that after completing the mission, his education, military and work experience was erased to protect him and his family. This made me question his advice, his stories, and of course, who the heck he was. But I don't shy away from mentoring.

My current mentors include my husband, a wine writer, a professor, an employment lawyer, a salesperson and a winemaker. These people have great ideas, an understanding of how to approach situations and personal stories about what has worked and what has failed. I always ask them for advice and use their advice to better myself. Their insight helps keep me from working in a vacuum and allows me to move quicker on ideas.

As a job seeker, my advice to you is this:
1. Talk to experienced professionals in your industry of choice.
2. Digest their comments and glean what you can use.
3. Put those ideas to work.
4. Don't get injured by their criticisms, use them to improve.
5. Follow up with your mentors to let them know how things are going, what's working, what's not, and ask for any additional help or ideas.
6. Always take the opportunity to help others who need it. Mentors often have been proteges themselves, and know the power of experience.

Oh, and take time to look at the birds--always a nice escape. Thanks George!