Personal Branding Blog – Dan Schawbel

Today, I spoke with Anne Fisher, who is a senior writer at Fortune and the face behind the “Ask Annie” column at Fortune.com.  We discuss a lot of important workplace themes, such as office politics, how the workplace has changed in the past decade, the real way to get a job and what to do if you get laid off right now.  She provides sound advice for anyone who is encountering issues at work or issues trying to get a job.

Anne, how have you seen the workplace change in the past decade?  Is it for better or worse?

The biggest change I’ve seen in the workplace in the past decade is that employees have become much more cynical, and with good reason: When CEOs make hundreds of millions of dollars for, in some cases, running companies into the ground — all the while cutting jobs, slashing benefits for the survivors, and preaching “pay for performance” — it’s not surprising that employee morale has deteriorated.

A decade ago, at the peak of the dot-com boom, there was a widespread sense that individual contributions and merit really mattered, that is, that people would be treated fairly and rewarded for excellence. I see far less of that optimism now, and not just because of the current economic crisis and stock-market craziness, but because so many people who are lucky enough to have jobs just do not feel valued by their employers.

A lot of people have difficulty navigating around office politics, while trying to get promoted and advance their careers.  Do you have any advice you can share on this matter?

Office politics varies so much from one corporate culture to another, there are very few rules that apply everywhere. In some companies the way to get ahead is by being as kind and helpful to everyone as you possibly can, whereas in other workplaces just the opposite is (alas) true. In general, though, three tips:

• 1) Study the people above you in the organization who have succeeded and are well respected, and try to emulate their style;
• 2) Do the best you can to further the aims of your immediate boss. (If you don’t know what those are, ask.)
• 3) What goes around comes around. Even in a really vicious backstabbing environment, take the high road and treat other people the way you would want them to treat you.

“As former managing editor of Fortune Marshall Loeb used to say, “It’s a long career and a small community.”

What is the best way to search for a job when you already have one (maybe you think our job is in jeopardy)?

Most jobs worth having are not advertised anywhere, so don’t waste a lot of time poring over online job boards or other help-wanted ads. Instead, call on your network of friends, acquaintances, relatives, former colleagues and bosses (and former subordinates who may now be peers or may have risen higher). Ask if you can do anything for them. Mention that you are thinking about changing jobs.

Cast your net as wide as you can, including alumni associations and career centers at your alma mater(s) and people you may know through volunteer work or trade associations. If you don’t have such a network, the time to start building it is before you need it, i.e., right now. Also, don’t neglect the trade press in the industry you work in: Stay on top of what’s happening in your field and, when you see that a particular company or business unit is growing (which usually means hiring), get in touch with someone there and see whether there might be a place for you.

How should a college student select a good mentor?  How should a professional select one?  What is your grading criteria?

Many people make the mistake of choosing a mentor based on that person’s rank or accomplishments, without any sense of whether that would-be mentor is willing or able to spend the time it takes to do the “job”.

“The most illustrious mentor in the world won’t do you any good if he or she can’t spare you more than 5 minutes a month.”

So, whether you are a college student or a professional, do some shopping around. Make appointments with a variety of people whom you think could give you good advice or act as sounding boards for your ideas, and see how the chemistry develops. Ideally, a mentor and mentee should choose each other; your mentor should be as interested in what you have to say as you are in their insights. Try to avoid having your immediate boss as a mentor, or at least as your only mentor — too much potential for competition there.

If you got laid off today, what are the top 5 things you would do to recover?

• First, I would accept the fact that getting laid off is a gut-wrenching experience, and I would give myself a little time to grieve. (As some wise person once said, “All change is loss. All loss must be mourned.”)
• Second, I would start thinking about what I really want to do next. Maybe, on reflection, I’d realize I don’t really want another job like the one I just lost — maybe I’d rather do something else.  If that were the case, I’d brainstorm a bit and figure out some other possible ways I could use my skills and experience.
• Third, I would start reaching out to people who are already doing the kind of job I think I might like; I’d schedule informational interviews with them, just to learn more about what their average day is like, how they got into this line of work, whether I have what it takes to succeed in it, etc.
  
• Fourth, I would start networking like mad to see what opportunities might be out there that would fit with my goals.
• Fifth, I’d try to be patient: This is a lousy job market (although most people don’t realize that, for those with college degrees, the unemployment rate is about 3.1%, a lot lower than the 6.3% overall rate), and finding a new job is probably going to take a while.

——
Anne Fisher is a senior writer at Fortune.  She covers workplace and management topics for Fortune and writes the popular weekly career-advice column Ask Annie at CNNmoney.com.

Fisher began her career as a FORTUNE reporter in 1980 and became a writer in 1983. She has also written for Savvy, The New York Times, and Inc. Her latest book, “If My Career’s on the Fast Track, Where Do I Get a Road Map?,” was published by William A. Morrow in April 2001. An earlier book, “Wall Street Women,” was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1990 and has been translated into German and Japanese.