Search DominoPower's 11,320 Lotus-related article archive 
Home
EasyPrint
News details Click here for the RSS feed's XML code. This is not a browser URL.
Articles-only Click here for the RSS feed's XML code. This is not a browser URL.
Twitter Feed Click here for the Twitter feed.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT
How to stay on top of your game: keeping your Lotus skills saleable
By Michelle LaBrosse

We've all been there: in a place where we feel that our career has stalled or that we've stagnated and stopped growing professionally. If your work life is a little like the movie Ground Hound Day, it may be time to look at your skills and figure out how to get back on top of your game.

Here are few ways to get started.

Track the shooting stars
If you look at people in your industry, who are where you want to be today, what did they do? Did they write a book or a white paper? Become training fanatics who were always learning something new? Or did they just show up more often and early?

If it's not obvious when you think about the successful people around you, ask them. There's nothing people like more than talking about success.

Read the job boards
When you read the job boards in your industry and you see the jobs that you like, what kinds of skills are they looking for? Are they looking for a specific IBM certification? Notes Administrators? Specific development skills? What are the buzz-words that you see repeated?

Those are your guide-posts as you decide how to reinvent or evolve your skills.

Nurture and covet your reputation
Your reputation truly does proceed you whether it's good or bad or indifferent. Think about what your peers would say if they received an inquiry about you. If someone asked them, "So, what do you think of Joanne [substitute your name here]?" What would they say?

What they say needs to aligned with what the marketplace needs. Remember, it's never too late to change a perception. If you come in late, start coming in early. If you never volunteer for extra projects, take the initiative and manage your team's next philanthropic effort. Treat your reputation like the gold that it is.

Be technology savvy
Today's workforce needs to be tech savvy at all levels. While every industry varies, make sure you know the top software applications in your field and that you also know how to be a productive mobile employee. You're reading DominoPower, so I'm assuming you know Notes and Domino. But do you know it well? Can you set up a server? How good is your LotusScript? Are you familiar with the new technologies Lotus just announced?

Companies want to know that they're not just hiring your skills, but also your ability to change and be productive in many settings. Are you a road warrior who lives and breathes with your Blackberry or laptop? If you are, strut your stuff and use the technology that you've mastered to your advantage.

Polish your communication skills
Many jobs are won or lost based on your ability to present yourself well. Don't make the mistake of thinking that only marketers or communication people need great communication skills. We all need them! If your Achilles heel is your presentation skills, take a course and hone them to perfection.


1  ·  2  ·  Next »
Other articles you might like
Home > Strategies > Career Development (31 articles)
   Top 10 ways to launch and build a Lotus consulting practice (with a little help from the Beatles)
   How to reduce stress in this crazy, crazy world
   Top 10 ways to motivate geeks
Get Weekly Email Updates
Subscribe to our regular weekly email newsletter. It's packed with tips, reviews, deep analysis, and the latest news.
 
Recent DominoPower Articles
Lotusphere 2010: mobility and collaboration
2010: A Lotusphere of change
Five trends for 2010
DominoPower TV Episode 1: Inside a strategy session with Teamstudio
More about Domino log files
Say goodbye to the Uh-Ohs. Long live the Tens.
Why your log.nsf might not be purging properly
Latest Lotus Headlines
SnTT: XPages Blank Calendar Control (Part 2), adding data
Have your Lotus Notes calendar display multiple time zones
Sample Database for Microsoft Office and Lotus Symphony Integration
Symphony 3.0 beta signals another attack on Office
Enabling DAOS on a database - new recommendation
Need your opinion on some new policy settings for Mail
Sometimes IBM Lotus Domino HTTP RPC Agents aren't the answer...
>> Read all the news
More from the ZATZ journals
Computing Unplugged: The iPad: Apple's latest heartbreaker
David Gewirtz Online: CNN commentary and analysis
OutlookPower: Running auto-respond rules when Outlook is closed
-- Advertisement --

Learn Notes and Domino 8 at your place and pace!
Learn Notes and Domino in your office and/or home! TLCC's highly acclaimed distance learning courses for users, developers, and admins will enhance your career and your resume.

The many included activities and demos will make you a pro! Expert instructor help is a click away.

Click here to try a FREE demo course!!

-- Advertisement --

Teamstudio announces the 2010 spotlight awards winners!
We had some extraordinary submissions for the 3rd annual Teamstudio Spotlight Awards, and choosing the winners was no easy task for our judges! Click here to find out who won, and to learn more about these remarkable applications and the genius developers behind them!

Tap here for more information.
ZATZ Home  ·  News  ·  Back Issues  ·  Credits/Trademarks ·  Link To Us
Copyright © 1998-2010, ZATZ Publishing. All rights reserved worldwide.
Editor's Login