Comments on: Want To Maximize Your Career? Here Are The Ten People You Need To Know At Work http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/ Simple, applicable personal finance advice for the modern world Mon, 15 Mar 2010 04:41:42 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: mary http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-271392 mary Wed, 07 May 2008 21:06:19 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-271392 Tack is knowing how far one can go without going to far. How well am I supposed to get to know my boss and bosses boss. I feel like I'm bothering them. They don't even really know who I am. I'm a substitute in three districts and a student teacher. I would like to get to know them better, I'm going to seek employment in 6 mo at a school. Tack is knowing how far one can go without going to far. How well am I supposed to get to know my boss and bosses boss. I feel like I’m bothering them. They don’t even really know who I am. I’m a substitute in three districts and a student teacher. I would like to get to know them better,
I’m going to seek employment in 6 mo at a school.

]]> By: jake http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10899 jake Fri, 16 Mar 2007 02:56:48 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10899 This is such a great list. I work for a educational instituion. A student worker that had worked with me graduated, and my deparment wanted to hire him. Our deparment was afraid that the committeee that overseas such things would say no. Our department is Helpdesk, and he's done so many troubleshooting issues around the building that everyone knew him. So when it came time to ask the comittee if our department can hire him full time, everyone agreed. Some of the directors even said that they had received direct comments of how good a person he was. The result was that he was hired. Keeping in mind this was at a time when we didnt really have a position opened, but they liked him so much we ended up making a position up. The more your name comes up the more you're able to have leverage when it comes to raises and moving up to a better position. I have seen this time and time again. One way that I got people to better know me was that I keep introducing myself, until I feel that they no longer need to know lol. This also allows them to not stumble to remember your name when you talk to them, or make them feel uncomfortable if they get your name incorrect. This is such a great list. I work for a educational instituion. A student worker that had worked with me graduated, and my deparment wanted to hire him. Our deparment was afraid that the committeee that overseas such things would say no.

Our department is Helpdesk, and he’s done so many troubleshooting issues around the building that everyone knew him. So when it came time to ask the comittee if our department can hire him full time, everyone agreed. Some of the directors even said that they had received direct comments of how good a person he was. The result was that he was hired. Keeping in mind this was at a time when we didnt really have a position opened, but they liked him so much we ended up making a position up.

The more your name comes up the more you’re able to have leverage when it comes to raises and moving up to a better position. I have seen this time and time again.

One way that I got people to better know me was that I keep introducing myself, until I feel that they no longer need to know lol. This also allows them to not stumble to remember your name when you talk to them, or make them feel uncomfortable if they get your name incorrect.

]]> By: Karen Porter http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10871 Karen Porter Thu, 15 Mar 2007 23:08:25 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10871 Interesting article. Even if you're not a good schmoozer, just offering a consistent pleasant greeting, basic small talk or a helping hand now and then can be good for these relationships. You'd be surprised how people might remember you---especially if you're one of the few people that consistently greets and speaks to them (and does so respectfully too because not everybody acts so), even briefly. Regarding secretaries, the general term today is usually administrative professional though there are a lot of variations on the title. I have some specific information about what you're referring to as Secretary's Day on my website called The Effective Admin, which is a niche site for administrative professionals. (Not trying to do any free advertising but with Administrative Professionals Day(R) coming next month I thought it would be appropriate to mention this in case anyone needs the dates, etc.) Interesting article. Even if you’re not a good schmoozer, just offering a consistent pleasant greeting, basic small talk or a helping hand now and then can be good for these relationships. You’d be surprised how people might remember you—especially if you’re one of the few people that consistently greets and speaks to them (and does so respectfully too because not everybody acts so), even briefly.

Regarding secretaries, the general term today is usually administrative professional though there are a lot of variations on the title.

I have some specific information about what you’re referring to as Secretary’s Day on my website called The Effective Admin, which is a niche site for administrative professionals. (Not trying to do any free advertising but with Administrative Professionals Day(R) coming next month I thought it would be appropriate to mention this in case anyone needs the dates, etc.)

]]> By: Dorky Dad http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10841 Dorky Dad Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:01:11 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10841 Excellent advice, though if applicable, I would add three more: the receptionist, cafeteria workers, mail-room workers for the same reasons as getting to know the janitors. Excellent advice, though if applicable, I would add three more: the receptionist, cafeteria workers, mail-room workers for the same reasons as getting to know the janitors.

]]> By: Nishant Duggal http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10837 Nishant Duggal Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:44:12 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10837 It's a good list, and I 'know' most of these people. Some of them know me as well. But unfortunately I am not real good at 'schmoozing', so it is a challenge to really get to know some of those people well. Nevertheless, a good list! It’s a good list, and I ‘know’ most of these people. Some of them know me as well. But unfortunately I am not real good at ’schmoozing’, so it is a challenge to really get to know some of those people well. Nevertheless, a good list!

]]> By: Rich http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10836 Rich Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:29:41 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10836 Get to know them or suck up to them? I would think you'd get to know all these people anyhow without looking for a reason or having a hidden agenda. Maybe that's not the point of your story... I would think just being good at what you do and being a good person would be good enough. By the way, I'm in IT and I don't treat people who talk to me any different than people who are too busy to talk. Get to know them or suck up to them? I would think you’d get to know all these people anyhow without looking for a reason or having a hidden agenda. Maybe that’s not the point of your story… I would think just being good at what you do and being a good person would be good enough. By the way, I’m in IT and I don’t treat people who talk to me any different than people who are too busy to talk.

]]> By: j&w http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10831 j&w Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:00:35 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10831 Yeah, it's vanishingly rare these days for there to be multiple or "assigned" secretaries anywhere I've worked or seen - even in lawyer's offices. Just an overworked team of admin staff ..... I've always found that the person with the longest tenure in the office is the best person to "cultivate" - whether that person is the receptionist, some mid-level manager, or a senior exec. Also the firm's oldest client is often someone to impress; they often know your office systems/SOPs inside out and are usually on good, friendly terms with your boss. A good word from a good client is worth a lot. Yeah, it’s vanishingly rare these days for there to be multiple or “assigned” secretaries anywhere I’ve worked or seen – even in lawyer’s offices. Just an overworked team of admin staff ….. I’ve always found that the person with the longest tenure in the office is the best person to “cultivate” – whether that person is the receptionist, some mid-level manager, or a senior exec. Also the firm’s oldest client is often someone to impress; they often know your office systems/SOPs inside out and are usually on good, friendly terms with your boss. A good word from a good client is worth a lot.

]]> By: PF http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10829 PF Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:51:40 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10829 I was an admin assistant for 12 years. People had no idea how much influence I had. I would set up the interviews for my group and I was always asked about how that process went. Anyone who was "high maintenance" with me was out. There are a lot of things I knew...ways to get around the system or work the system...contacts that I had cultivated. If you were friendly and professional with me, I would go waaaay out of my way to help and use my knowledge and network to help you. If someone was arrogant or unpleasant, I would still be professional and do my job, but there are always degrees of helpfulness. By the way, Secretary is becoming an outdated term. Also, perhaps I am unusual in this regard, but I found "secretary's day" demeaning. It seemed so patronizing that somehow I wasn't a professional and needed a special day to get my little recognition. My group (gratefully) learned to ignore it at my request. I was an admin assistant for 12 years. People had no idea how much influence I had. I would set up the interviews for my group and I was always asked about how that process went. Anyone who was “high maintenance” with me was out. There are a lot of things I knew…ways to get around the system or work the system…contacts that I had cultivated. If you were friendly and professional with me, I would go waaaay out of my way to help and use my knowledge and network to help you. If someone was arrogant or unpleasant, I would still be professional and do my job, but there are always degrees of helpfulness.

By the way, Secretary is becoming an outdated term.

Also, perhaps I am unusual in this regard, but I found “secretary’s day” demeaning. It seemed so patronizing that somehow I wasn’t a professional and needed a special day to get my little recognition. My group (gratefully) learned to ignore it at my request.

]]> By: mjk http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10827 mjk Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:27:06 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10827 do more than merely remember "trinkets" and smiles for the secretary. understand and respect their role as the first line of defense to important people. whether we like to admit it or now, this is one of the roles they're hired. do more than merely remember “trinkets” and smiles for the secretary. understand and respect their role as the first line of defense to important people. whether we like to admit it or now, this is one of the roles they’re hired.

]]> By: Terry http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10819 Terry Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:52:11 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10819 We don't have a janitor or a secretary, or an IT person assigned to me (we have an outside IT person who comes in as needed), or a human resources person (that's the boss, I guess). I am my own janitor. We don’t have a janitor or a secretary, or an IT person assigned to me (we have an outside IT person who comes in as needed), or a human resources person (that’s the boss, I guess). I am my own janitor.

]]> By: SJ http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-10802 SJ Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:22:09 +0000 http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/03/15/want-to-maximize-your-career-here-are-the-ten-people-you-need-to-know-at-work/#comment-10802 This is a great list - I've always found it super important to be nice to the support staff anywhere you work (janitorial staff, secretaries, IT) - everyone wants to be appreciated for their work, and those folks are the ones who keep us all moving! It also can be very helpful when there is a problem to have those folks know who you are and feel friendly towards you - I've had many circumstances where just being a person who says hello to everyone and is polite allowed me to get things done more quickly and pleasantly. Also, when someone in HR or IT or another group does a particularly good job for you, it is always nice to go out of your way to let their supervisor knows how helpful they have been towards accomplishing that meeting/hiring/fix, etc. This is a great list – I’ve always found it super important to be nice to the support staff anywhere you work (janitorial staff, secretaries, IT) – everyone wants to be appreciated for their work, and those folks are the ones who keep us all moving!

It also can be very helpful when there is a problem to have those folks know who you are and feel friendly towards you – I’ve had many circumstances where just being a person who says hello to everyone and is polite allowed me to get things done more quickly and pleasantly.

Also, when someone in HR or IT or another group does a particularly good job for you, it is always nice to go out of your way to let their supervisor knows how helpful they have been towards accomplishing that meeting/hiring/fix, etc.

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