4 Cringe-Worthy Career Moments (and What I Learned From Them)

4 Cringe-Worthy Career Moments (and What I Learned From Them) 4 Cringe-Worthy Career Moments (and What I Learned From Them) Those cringe-worthy moments are sort of a given for all of us. You thought you were so cool at the time, but later on, thephotographic evidence proves you so patently were not.Even so, those cringe-inducing memories are fantastic to wade through. Recently, my friend Laurie Ruettimann publisheda blog postabout an experience she had with her boss as a young recruiter. Her story is one to which Im sure many of us can relate The boss she thought welches a jerk turned out to be right, and Laurie learned a valuable lesson not until much later, of course.I appreciated the article because it reminded me that, just like the old photos we all have, weve all experienced cringe-worthy professional moments. I spend so much time teaching and leading my kollektiv now that I often forget I was once young and trying to figure out this whole career thing. While todays professi onals have blogs and media like The Museand Ask a Manager,no amount of career advice will save you from having a few of your own cringe-worthy moments.But maybe I can save you from going through the same ones I did. Here are four of my most cringe-worthy career moments, in order of embarrassment, and the lessons I learned from each1. The Time I Realized My State School Journalism Degree Was Not the Same as a Decade of Experience at a Major U.S. PublisherPride is a funny thing, and I have it in spades.I was working my rear end off as the staff writer, ad salesperson, distribution coordinator, and photographer for a local paper which, as you can imagine, did not have that many people on staff. The publisher and I were drowning in work and needed somehelp. When the publisher found that help in the fasson of an accomplished woman with more than 10 years of experience at a national newspaper, I was thrilled. When I learned she would be in a position of authority over me, I was not. Afte r all, we both had journalism degrees werent we the same?Looking back at that moment, I honestly want to smack 23-year-old me. Experience matters. Of course my state school degree couldnt compare Of course they werent going to have a 23-year-old manage a woman in her 40s Back then, though,I railed at my husband for weeks over the injustice of it all. Ah, youth.Lesson Experience beats youth.2.The Time I Was Passed Over for a Promotion After Four Months With a Company and Responded by Throwing a Fit and Crying at WorkI had just started at an investment firm, and I thought I was the stuff. I definitely padded my resume and spent the first few months taking work home so I wouldnt look like a moron. I worked really hard, sent a lot of emails, ingratiated myself with the higher-ups, and waited for my boss to notice that all my coworker did was complain about her husband while the rest of the marketing team did her work for her.What happened instead was I got written up for wearing shorts to work and she got a promotion.I thought I was a shoo-in, despite having barely a financial quarter behind me. This woman grew up in the same town as the big boss, was (as I have mentioned) quite the skilled delegator, and spent a great deal of time speaking to management in closed-door meetings. When I found out I did not get the promotion, I acted like a three-year-old. I stomped out of my office, cried in the bathroom (I am not a subtle or pretty crier), and vented toanyone who would listen.Lesson When someone is the bosss close friend, has been their longer, and does not throw fits in the workplace, she is manager material. You are not.3. The Time I Was pitching a PR Project to a Swanky Client and Said Buttload to Prove I Was the RealestThis still makes me cringe, even though it was merely stupid rather than bratty or entitled like some of my other career mishaps were. My goal was to proveI wasnt like all the other buttoned-up, prissy PR folks. No, I understood the customer, I got the marketing goal (but it was PR, dur).I could see the distaste on the clients face. I know they selected a different team, at least in part, because I presented myself poorly. I still struggle with this today. In my mind, I know my stuff and everyone in the world should just accept that sometimes the package is a little rumpled. The real world doesnt work that way not at 21 and not at 37.LessonRightly or wrongly, people treat you according to the way you present yourself4. The Time I Learned That Doing Things Is Not the Same as Getting Things DoneI have always confused being in the kitchen with serving the meal but accomplishing tactical tasks is not the same thing as deliver strategic value. Dont get me wrong Both are necessary, but one is far more visible than the other.Generally speaking,technical knowledge will be valued more earlierin your career, but savvily solving strategic problems will bring you more respect as you move into management and beyond.I used to code sit es, design one-pagers, write emails, and upload blog posts. I took pride in being a technical founder (at least to a marketing wonk), but that left me with little time to plan large events, speak about my experience, go to client on-sites, or create strategies that would actually impact clients businesses. Sometimes, I am still learning this lesson.LessonDoing things may be more visible, but getting things done often matters more.Even though incidences like the ones above make me cringe and hide from former coworkers, Im still kinda stoked I learned so much from each one. In fact, I would wager people who dont make similar mistakes are doomed to have little or no empathy for their direct reports, or they mayfind it difficult to grow intheir careers.Its like my friendand colleague Jason Seiden says Fail spectacularlyA version of this article originally appeared on the Red Branch Media blog.Maren Hogan is founder and CEO ofRed Branch Media.You can read more of her work on Forbes, Busi ness Insider, Entrepreneur, and her blog,Marenated.

10 Ways to Get the Promotion You Deserve

10 Ways to Get the vorrcken You Deserve10 Ways to Get the Promotion You DeserveAs a full-time working mom, to feel challenging to advance in the workplace. Luckily with more and more employers understanding of the task of balancing parenthood and work, a work promotion is no longer a dream for working mothers. You just need to take some steps to achieve it. So how can you get the work promotion you desire when you have so many responsibilities to juggle? Consider these tried and true ways to get the work promotion you deserve. Make a Plan to Get Ahead at Work Create a daily plan that will help you get ahead of your work. When you set mini goals that direction will help get you through your work quicker. When youillustrate youre a hard worker and how dedicated you are to succeeding it shows you can handle more responsibility. Plus, if you are ahead of schedule, youll be in a better position to field the unexpected school closure or sick child. Show Them That Nothing Is Beyond Y our Reach When it comes to your work performance, avoid using the word no. You can always say yes, and then suggest a reasonable due date for the assignment or ask which current priority should be put on the backburner so you can put all your energy on the new task. Show that you can be available to complete the task at hand, even if its something that is unappealing to you. Never pass off work to co-workers even if the task seems difficult because deep down you can do the job. Show you can complete any assignment that is handed to you Dont Let Fear Get in the Way and Just Ask for Those Hard Work Assignments Show that you want to go to the next level by taking on assignments your immediate bosswould handle. By showing you can go beyond your job duties, you show your employer that you can handle more responsibility, and position yourself for a promotion. Dont Be Afraid to Tell Your babo Theyre Wrong Instead of sitting back and doing the job youve been assigned, make proposal s that will help you succeed in business situations. If you can come up with a better way to gain new clients, enhance the web presence of your business or expand revenue, tell your boss about it in a formal proposal. This shows you are not afraid to challenge the status quo. Look for Ways to Showcase Your Talents Make your employer notice your talents by having them highlighted with all milestones that you accomplish. For example, if your negotiating skills are your strong point, then tackle projects that will showcase your prime negotiating skills, and make sure your boss knows a project was successful due to you being able to properly broker the deal. Dont Be Shy, Be the Leader Youre Meant to Be No employer wants to promote the follower. Show your leadership skills any time you take the reins on a project. If you show you can lead a team to the next level, then your boss will be more likely to view you as a candidate deserving of a promotion. Let It Be Known That You W ant a Promotion Make sure your employer knows you want to be next in line for a promotion should the opportunity come up. During a conversation with your boss or your bosss boss, you could mention how you plan to grow with the company and talk about yourlong-term career goalsat the company. Never Pass Up the Opportunity to Be Aggressive and Assertive Employees worthy of a work promotion are always aggressive in going after what they want for themselves in their career. Make sure you get noticed in the workplace by being the assertive one who is always there to take on the task at hand and see it through from the beginning to end. Instead of Working Hard Behind Your Desk Go to the Office feier While promotion is often based on your job performance, it doesnt hurt to get on good social terms with your boss. Find common interests and talk about these subjects during your lunch break or downtime at work. If its all business between you and your boss, then you dont give him or h er time to see you as a human being and care about your success on a personal level. Be There for Your Team by Asking How You Can Help People who are viewed as worthy of promotion are those who can be team players. When you show your employer you can lead a team or be part of one youre illustrating your versatility. Promotions are often granted to those people an employer can count on to take the right leadership role during a project or assignment.

Heres why people over 50 are supporting the U.S. workforce

Heres why people over 50 are supporting the U.S. workforceHeres why people over 50 are supporting the U.S. workforceNew research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta reminds us that elderly workers area criticalpart of the U.S.workforce.Americans are retiring later, according to analysis by Federal Reserve bank economistEllyn Terry. She noted that later retirement was the largest influence on how many Americans are working or looking for work - which is known as the labor force participation rate. Even though more Americans are also aging, Terry concluded that delayed retirement from olderworkers was offsetting nearly entirely the effect of a growing number of aging Americans.The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that by 2020, one in four workers will be older workers, which is why supervisors need to think about how to accommodate their needs and retain their skills.Here are some advantages older workers have.Older workers keep working past retirement ageThe unemployment rate for workers who are55-years-old and older was 3.4% this past February - which is among the lowest unemployment rates of any demographic in America. Some older workers use their jobto stay active and engaged in their communities.But for some, its not by choice. Older workers must keep working to pay bills, especially health care,Jim Seith, a senior director at the National Council on Aging said.This work retention rate may also be because employers knowthat elderly workers are more committed to the role and are less likely toquit thanyounger workers, who change jobs more often as they figure out their careers. Tim Driver, CEO of RetirementJobs.com, calls this a turnover advantage, estimating that the tenure of workers age 50+ is three times longer than workers under age 50.Older workers are good mentors to young employeesHome Depot, which hires thousands of older workers to work part-time, designates certain older workers asassociate coaches that will mentor younger workers, recogn izing the strength of multigenerational institutional knowledge.Older workers may seek more flexible hours as they get older, but they also are just as eager to contribute.These workers often play a mentoring role, a leavening role in the organization. They contribute toward a healthy culture in the organization,Larry Minnix, president of LeadingAge, told The New York Times.Older workers gain emotional maturityTheres a persistent stereotype that aging means a time of loss and decline, which contributes to an impression by some employers that older workers will be slower. And for some labor-intensive jobs, decreasing physical abilitiesmay affect job performance.But there are benefits to age too. Older workers may have an advantage when it comes to controlling their emotions, according to a2016 study in the Work, Aging and Retirement journal. The study surveyed how older and younger workers decompressed after work, and found that older workers were better at adaptive emotion regulatio n strategies like processing their emotions and talking about their feelings. This matters because other studies showed that after-work time was key to replenishing productivity and motivation.Around 71% of the human resources executives surveyed in a Society for Human Resource Management study said older workers weremore mature/professional and 70% said they displayed a stronger work ethic than younger workers.Age discrimination is real and persistentOlder workers are still subject to discrimination in hiring, and when layoffs come around, they are also frequently the first to be cut. It really is harder to find a job as you get older.A February study by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco showed that older workers, particularly older female workers, have it rough. The study sent out 40,000 resumes in 12 cities across 11 U.S. states. If the resume for an administrative job was coming from a senior female applicant, she had a 47% lower callback rate compared with younger appli cants.For older men seeking jobs in sales, they had a 30% lower callback rate compared with younger applicants.Overall, older applicants near the age of retirement experienced more age discrimination, according to the study. Thats despite the 1967 law that forbids age discrimination in hiring.This evidence of discrimination matters to stakeholders because as thefinancial burden on the U.S. Social Security system increases with an aging population, a major reform goal is to create stronger incentives for older individuals to stay in the workforce longer, the studys authors wrote.