Download pdf - The 10 Commandments for Career Success

www.LaborAcademy.org

by Mantel Featherson

There is an evolution of work occurring that hasalready impacted millions of people - and before it’sover it will affect millions more.

The economic security that we’ve come to expect - astable job with a good salary, benefits, and annualraises is becoming harder and harder to come by.

Why?The causes are both numerous and varied - howeverone key reason is that organizations are learning to domore with less. As a result, their productivity andprofits continue to rise while their dependence onworkers decreases.

So what does that mean?To put it simply, you now have to create your owncareer stability. Employers will no longer guaranteeyour long-term economic security.

You've got to take full control over your career andadopt a mind-set and approach that will continuouslymove it forward.


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The world of work is changing

This book was written to achieve one goal - help youget on a path that moves your career forwardregardless of the economic conditions.

The Ten Career Commandments contained in thisbook are expressly intended to engage, inform, andchallenge you to think and act differently.

The ideas offered in this book - once put into actionwill yield significant improvements in both yourearnings and your overall career satisfaction - butyou need to take the first step.

So let’s get started!


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“The master in the art of living makeslittle distinction between his labor andhis leisure. He hardly knows which iswhich - he simply pursues his vision ofexcellence at whatever he does, leavingothers to decide whether he is working orplaying - to him he always doing both”.

- James Michener


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Managing your career is no longer just about jobhopping every few years. Now you need acomprehensive strategy - one that fully and equallyembraces both facets of individual work -employment and entrepreneurship.

To do that - you’ll have to fundamentally changehow you prepare for, pursue and engage in work.

Part of that fundamental change includes becomingagile - that means being adaptable, anticipatory, andresponsive.

In practical terms - being agile means that you’rejust as comfortable starting and growing a businessas you are building a career with a Fortune 500company.


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It used to be that if you wanted to be considered arecognized expert in a specific field of endeavor, youhad to - hold a senior position with a well knownorganization, have written a book with a New Yorkpublisher or achieved a significant level of publicrecognition for your work.

Those entities (organizational affiliations, publishers,and the media) used to be the gatekeepers. Theydecided who would be the individuals fortunateenough to reap the rewards from sharing their ideas.

Now, these barriers are rapidly falling away, and younow have the permission to choose yourself.

Want to be an author? Don't write a proposal andsubmit it to a publisher and hope that they call you.

Instead, publish and promote your book yourself.Then let the market decide if your idea is worthy ofsupport rather than an arbitrary gatekeeper.


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Several years ago a major movement emergedtowards the adoption of a minimalistic lifestyle.

Followers of this movement sought to simplify theirworld by reducing and/or eliminating theirdependence on the non-essential aspects of theirlives.

This stripping away of the less important aspects oflife allows the individual to apply maximum focus towhat's left.

You must adopt a similar mind-set in how youapproach your career - become relentless aboutdoing work that derives the greatest value foryourself and your stakeholders and eliminateeverything else.


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In order to consistently move your career forward -you need an idea that energizes you.

Start defining that idea by answering the followingquestions -

- What do I want the purpose of my work to be?

- How do I want my work to impact others?

The vision doesn’t have to be a grand, world changingidea - but it must be compelling enough to keep youmotivated.

This idea should also guide your decisions - wheneveryou’re at a crossroads - ask yourself - "Am I beingconsistent with my idea?”

How you answer that question will determine thepath your career takes.

“Don’t bother just to be betterthan your contemporaries orpredecessors. Try to be betterthan yourself”.

-William Faulkner


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Not long ago it was easy to build a successful careerbased solely on your education and experience. Nowyou need influence.

So what’s influence?

It’s your ability to create advocates for your work.These advocates support you by doing things likebuying your products/services, and enthusiasticallyrecommend you to others.

One way to think of building your influence is to usethe following equation:

Audience + Engagement = Influence

An audience are those willing to listen to yourmessage. The members of the audience that embraceyour message become your advocates. The moremembers of your audience you can convert toadvocates - the greater your influence.

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"I don’t know"….is no longer an acceptable excuse forbeing inactive in your own career development.

Technological and business innovation is driving thepace of change in both local and global markets.

In order to effectively respond to the evolvingdemands of employers and markets you have to beeducated.

However, getting educated doesn’t mean that youhave to spend several years in a university pursuing aformal degree.

Instead - devise a strategy to learn what you need toknow through a mix of certifications, books,apprenticeships and tutorials.

This method is a less expensive and a faster way ofboosting your skills rather than pursuing a collegedegree.

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A Product Development Process (PDP) is the methodthat you use to get your work done and out to yourstakeholders.

It can be as simple as a short series of steps or ascomplex as a full blown project plan complete withpredecessors and milestones - whatever works best foryou.

Your PDP must meet two goals -1. Provide you with an efficient, repeatable process2. Enable you to consistently create high qualityproduct(s)

The final product could be a resume, business plan,website, article, mobile app, book, etc. Whatever it is itmust be something that will ultimately result in someform of compensation.

The rapid rise of highly successful web-drivenbusinesses has shown that there are indeed shortcutsto success.

Market values are shifting towards courage, creativityand persistence over age, experience, and loyalty.

In other words, you no longer have to "pay your dues"before you get ahead. The successful implementationof ideas is what gets you ahead these days.

The first step is just giving yourself permission tosucceed - aka - choose yourself (Commandment Two).

Once you embrace that notion -you'll begin to searchfor and see unconventional ways to realize yourdreams.

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“Do not go where the pathmay lead, go instead wherethere is no path and leavea trail”.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson


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The old saying goes - there is no substitute for hardwork - and that's true.

However, working smart is just as essential. Workingsmart means exploiting your knowledge andexperience and leveraging the skills of others to createsomething compelling.

Too many of us are working hard at trying to be goodat a lot of things. The problem is that "being good"doesn't set you apart from your competition - but"being great" is a true differentiator.

In order to become great you have to find andembrace what you excel at doing - and then partnerwith others to fill in the gaps inskills/knowledge/experience.

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Sometimes things don't work out the way you expect.

When that happens, honestly assess what wentwrong.

Is it something that can be fixed with a relativelyminor tweak? Or will it require a major overhaul?Only you know the answer to that.

But don't be afraid to change direction. The commonbelief is that you should never quit - but there aretimes when you need to acknowledge failure.

That being said, don't quit because what you're tryingto do is hard.

There is a learning process that comes before youachieve success and that process includespreparation, perseverance, and the desire to make adifference.

The Labor Academy is a career development learning communityfocused on helping technology professionals excel as employeesand entrepreneurs.

Designed by LA MediaWritten by Mantel Featherson

The 10 Commandments for Career Success1. Become Agile

2. Don’t Wait to Be Chosen

3. Get and Stay Lean

4. Define Your Big Idea

5. Build Your Influence

6. Learn Continuously

7. Create a Product Development Process

8. Take Shortcuts

9. Work Hard and Smart

10. Don’t Quit

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